My eyes widened and I asked around a mouthful of fries, “How about that? Did you bring another one of those?”
He nodded absently, pointing at the bag with his fork while chewing, engrossed in the show. I started rummaging through the bag, finding the apple cobbler along with a bunch of other goodies I ended up placing on the bed between us, unsure of what he had brought for himself or for me. As it happened, we each ate a little from all the containers, sharing silently as he laughed quietly, watching the show. I tried my best to watch.
Eventually when the food was gone, I put the trash in the bag and set it on the floor next to the bed, my stomach utterly stuffed. I hesitated for many moments, then thinking to hell with it, I rested my head on the crook of his arm, blinking sleepily at the television. I felt his arm shift under my head, his muscles tightening then relaxing, before his hand landed on my back. His thumb ran slowly back and forth over the crook of my hip while he rested his cheek against my forehead, murmuring softly, “It’ll be all right, Caro.”
I huffed. “Yeah, well, it sucks right now.”
“I’m sure it does.” He went quiet, watching the show again, laughing in his deep tenor every once in a while, the tone just as soothing as Tristan’s purr.
I fell asleep curled up to the sound of his sturdy breathing.
A sliver of peace found.
Chapter Six
Hot pink earbuds in and zoning out to a favorite tune, I walked as calmly as I could down the large stairs of the lodge’s main foyer. I had woken wrapped inside Leric’s muscled arms, the television still playing softly—apparently he had fallen asleep last night with it turned on. While I had been getting ready in the bathroom, attempting to fake my way into thinking I was all right, he had left without saying a word. No awkward morning after.
As I passed a Com couple who were going up the stairs, I noticed a spirit Elemental—it was seriously rare to ever see one away from the Temple—casually talking with the clerk at the reception desk. He was covertly glancing at his watch as he listened to whatever the Mage was saying, the woman clearly impressed as she wasn’t hiding her perusal of him at all.
Taking my earbuds out, I let them dangle over my black hoodie—it was halfway zipped to show my hot pink tank top underneath, with black leather pants and black boots to complete today’s ensemble. My attire was very much unlike the semi-normal spirit apparel of this gentleman, who appeared to be in his early forties in Com years. He wore a pair of white trousers, white sandals, and a white button-down shirt, the sleeves rolled up his muscled forearms. He had an olive colored complexion—he wasn’t fair like me—and his white hair was cut in rugged chunks about his head, a crazy hairstyle that seemed to suit his extremely large physique. He was well over six feet tall and very broad. I understood why the woman—even if a Mage—was staring at him like she was, though the man had a wedding ring covered with dazzling diamonds on his finger.
My thoughts were muddled in wondering if he was here to see Leric, since that made the most sense for him being here. I started toward him as I stepped into the lobby, but instantly my heart leapt into my throat when I saw Tristan race around a corner, a furious, wildcat-like sound tearing from his throat as he sprinted right at the stranger. The man jerked around at the sound of the oncoming threat.
“Shit.” My feet were already moving, my boots pounding the wooden floor.
Tristan pounced on the man, his huge paws landing on the guy’s shoulders and knocking him back against the desk, his teeth bared in the man’s face.
“Tristan! No!” I shouted, ramming into his furry side as hard as I could…which ended with me on my ass and Tristan still pinning the guy. My breath knocked out of me, I panted but jumped to my feet. I grabbed Tristan’s collar, gave him a good tug and set my feet, ordering on a growl, “If you want chocolate again, get off him!”
Instantly, Tristan’s mouth shut and he swung his big, furry white head in my direction, his tongue lolling out.
“That’s right. Chocolate, baby. If you want some, get down.”
He huffed a large pant of air but let me tug him off the man.
And then he sat expectantly. Staring.
My jaw set and my hands landed on my hips, my heart still racing against my ribs. “I’m not sure if I should give you any, with you racing around like that and attacking innocent people.” I waggled my finger in front of his cute nose. “That was not nice!” He licked my hand, instantly standing and starting to rub around my legs, knocking me to and fro. “I’m not the one you should be apologizing to, mister. You probably cracked his ribs with the way you landed on him!”