“Are you hungry?” he asked, leading the way back into the apartment.
As an olive branch, it wasn’t bad. Dani did her best to shelve her anger. She nodded.
Shewashungry. Ravenous, in fact. She’d done nothing but drop weight since this entire thing started. And she’d been pretty damned skinny to start with.
As Razir rummaged through the fridge, Dani explored down the hall off the kitchen.
A second bathroom. Good, she didn’t want to share one. Especially now that she knew they might swap more than skin cells. She noted a smaller room that had been kitted out as an office. And another larger one that was floor to ceiling bookshelves. A library, complete with a comfortable lounger for reading.
The bedroom had bookshelves too. This Dragon liked to read. The tiny glimpse into the Dragon shifter’s life relaxed her, just a little. She returned to the open-concept kitchen that shared space with the living room.
Thanks to Razir, the fridge had erupted all over the counter. Front and center was not one bucket of fried chicken, but two. Along with all the fixings—rolls and three types of high calorie salads. The only sweet things in evidence were the fruits sitting in a bowl. Although one banana looked to have holes pecked in it. And was that ash on the counter around them?
Everything else was fats, and proteins. Not that she cared. It all looked delicious. Except maybe the banana.
And familiar. No way she was still in the human realm, but the chicken was from a fast-food chain that was common in Winnipeg. Her stomach growled, and the Dragon handed her a plate. Then she heaped the chicken on, samplings of all three salads, and added a roll.
Razir gestured to an equally familiar rectangle inset into a shelf. A microwave.
“Can heat the chicken up if you like.”
“Nope. Too hungry.”
As she carried her prizes back through the living room, she noted that the couch did have a dented appearance. She was pretty sure some furniture was also from her home realm.
She plunked down on it, and Razir took the disheveled padded chair.
“Haven’t I seen these in a flyer?” she asked between bites.
Razir swallowed. “Likely. Tyrez does a lot of shopping in the human realm.” He eyed the dent. “They don’t stand up to abuse like Dragon furniture, though.” He deliberately didn’t look at her.
Dani chewed for a bit, then set the bones down on the plate. “So—your mom and dad don’t seem like they get along.”
Razir’s eyes shot to hers and he didn’t answer immediately. “They have ruled together for many years, and had multiple successful matings.”
She stared at him. Like Tyrez, he was quite handsome in a rather exotic way. Women must fall over themselves to be with him. Dires and Sabres often fraternized with humans in her realm. They might lack females to mate with, but they never lacked for company. She’d never heard of Dragon shifters doing the same thing, but they were not nearly as common, especially in the human realm.
The only way to get answers was to ask questions. “Do Dragon shifters have sex with humans?” she asked.
Razir choked on his mouthful. “What? No.”
When her brows rose, he waved his drumstick in the air, and added, “Dragons only have sex with Dragons.”
She frowned at him. “Why?”
His mouth opened, but before he could answer, a shadow fell over them, and all natural light disappeared for a moment. And then, suddenly, there was a woman in the center of the room.
Dani almost dropped her plate.
The stunningly beautiful woman had a lush, shapely figure and hair the color of fire. Her hair matched the wings that extended from her back and the scales that danced across her skin to create a form-fitting bodysuit.
The glittering red scales almost seemed to glow. A luminous effect that spread to his eyes.
Razir had jumped to his feet. A complex mix of emotions played across his face.
“Aranta.” His voice sounded slightly strangled. “Tyrez isn’t here.”
His reaction seemed odd. She was a Dragon, why was he acting like she’d grabbed him by the balls? Dani took a deep breath, and caught a scent. Very strong, and it thrummed through her.
