“Yes.Only if Aguya Kai is in residence, a guard is posted, or if the two are indisposed, guards take shifts.”
She spotted the start of some stone stairs beyond the door.Glancing back at Chumana, she frowned.“Indisposed?”
“Fucking.”Chumana shrugged nonchalantly.
Avalore gasped.She wasn’t a prude, and she lived a life inside the Wall where people were paid to, in a sense, have sex to get babies, and others were couples, and some just for fun.But no one talked about it, probably because they didn’t have time while they tried to scratch out a life.
“Sex and sex talk freely happens among Drahk, hell, all shifters, for that matter.We all have needs and high drives, and we indulge in them often and casually, before and after we declare a mate.”Chumana’s smile was broad as she directed Avalore to take a seat.
This conversation just made Avalore wonder again about Chumana and Liekki’s relationship.Were they sex buddies...is that why he’d asked Chumana to escort her around?
Had he been with her last night?
Avalore didn’t want to have to hate the woman.
Blocking out those thoughts, she stared at the table.It had a platter and bowls filled with food covering it.All the variety of dishes reminded Avalore of the day she served the guards and workers in the Consumer Providence.Their food had been just as plentiful and smelled just as good.Avalore’s mouth watered, and her stomach grumbled loudly.
Those around the table were dressed in all types of clean clothes and appeared happy as they chatted and smiled, with some showing the same amethyst glow as Chumana had when she met her.Nothing like what groups looked like in the district.
“We eat family-style here, so don’t be shy to dig in, too,” Chumana urged as she reached out and grabbed the bowl of rolls, then offered them to Avalore.“While you fill your plate, I’ll introduce everyone.”
She discovered that Chumana worked as a cook in the kitchen, but other than that, Avalore half-listened to names or what everyone did in the territory as she grabbed two rolls, some sort of roasted meat, a heaping of fried potatoes with what seemed like a million herbs and onions speckled through them, and sauteed spinach and mushrooms.
There was so much food.Once Avalore and the other twelve women arrived in the lab, they had eaten decently, but nothing compared to the wonder of all the food before her.She wondered if she shoved some bread into her tight cargo pockets if anyone would say anything or make her put it back.
“Avalore.It’s great to meet Liekki’s mate.”Over and over, Avalore heard similar comments.
She considered correcting them but decided not to waste her time.Soon, the place would be in her shadow, and she’d be halfway to......somewhere else.Intel.She needed to know more about this place before she could plan.
“It’s nice to meet you all,” Avalore muttered around savory meat so tender it melted like butter on her tongue.“Did Chumana say you’re a patrol person?”
The man beside her, with short, red hair and a beard, big but not as massive as Liekki's, pushed his empty plate away and gave her an assessing look before meeting her stare.
“Yes.Night patrol once or twice a week when I’m not in my shop.I just got off.Ready for a bit of fun before I rest.”He wiggled his brow suggestively and made the two reddish caterpillars above his light eyes dance.
Avalore didn’t have to know dragon-shifters to know he was flirting with her.Flattered, her face warmed a bit; men in the Dispatch didn’t flirt; there wasn’t time for such social teasing because they were trying to survive.If they wanted to hook up and try for the breeding stipend, they just discussed it quickly and got on when it was convenient for them both.No flowery words or heated looks.
And the lab guard's belief that he had any right or authority to try and have sex with her wasn’t flattering at all.
She cleared her throat, dancing around his offer.“So, do you just circle this area here?”
“Hell, no, that would be dizzying for my dragon to cover an area that would only take a few minutes from the sky.There are enough Drahks moving about to cover the center of our territory.I take the southwest border.”He raised his cup of something dark, brewed, and brought it to his mouth for a healthy swallow.
“Southeast,” she frowned.“How far away is that?”She was hoping for a few miles or a day's walk to reach the end of the dragon territory.She wasn’t a fool.If she wanted to escape Liekki and those in his Thunder, she’d have to escape their area.
The man pursed his lips for a moment.“Well, the Drahk territory covers most of the old central Midwest states and down to what is left of the top of what isn’t underwater of the old Texas.I fly the route that borders the Lupine.”
“Lupine?”She paused to bring a forkful of veggies to her mouth.
“Wolf-shifters.”Chumana clarified.“The Ursine bears are on the other side of them meeting the new West coastline.”
Old Texas, new West coastline...Avalore’s brows dipped.She saw the picture of the country map she’d been taught in the learning center during geography and rectified it with what the Drahk were saying.It didn’t make sense.
Avalore set her fork down.Her appetite stalled for the moment.“But—but, we were taught about the fifty states.And how vast the country was before the people had to go underground.”
The redhead leaned in, not touching her, but close enough for her to get his intent.“Some things are better seen than explained.Say the word if you want my dragon to take you flying.”
“She’s Liekki’s...”Chumana warned but didn’t stop eating to try and halt the red man’s attention.
