Big Bad Claws - Michele Mills Page 0,31
Everyone except for Cannibal, who was in the kitchen banging around.
He tried to tug his Bride with him to the front room, but she dug in her heels and broke from his grasp.
“I’m going to help Cannibal with dinner.”
“What?” Zayzon asked, completely shocked at this statement.
“I’m going to help Cannibal,” she repeated. “I can’t just sit in there with you and watch him working to feed us all while I wait for the food. That’s not right.”
“Hmmf,” Scar grunted. “I thought you had ‘staff’ back home. You should be used to sitting and waiting for your food to be served.”
She shifted on her feet. “Well, I was a good sous chef. It was fun.”
“A sou…what?” Zayzon asked.
“A helper. Like I said, I’m not used to just sitting and waiting. I like helping. Can’t I help?”
“I don’t need help,” Cannibal yelled from the kitchen.
“Yes, you do,” his Bride shouted back. Then she softened her voice. “Zayzon, he does need help, even if he denies it. Max and I are going in there.”
“You sure?”
She straightened her back. “We can do it.”
His female was so damn adorable. And brave. He tapped the end of her perfect nose with the tip of his gloved claw. “Okay, I’m right here if you need me,” he answered as he settled into his favorite seat across from Heavy.
His Bride marched off toward the kitchen and set down the bot.
“This is going to be good,” Heavy remarked.
“Yep.”
“Get out,” Cannibal shouted.
“No,” a female voice insisted. “I need to know what you do. If I’m going to organize this place tomorrow, I need to understand this kitchen. That way, I won’t mess it up for you because I’ll understand your routines.”
Zayzon watched out of the corner of his eye as his feisty Bride challenged his brother, keeping his ears open for trouble. Cannibal was notoriously territorial when it came to food prep. But eventually he heard giggles from Lila and deep chuckles from his brother. Apparently, they were getting along well.
An hour passed and he couldn’t handle the idea of being separated from his mate any longer. He needed her close and her scent nearby, so he stomped into the kitchen and dragged Lila away from her work and had her sit with him in front of the fire.
“What are you doing?” she hissed, her cheeks that charming shade of pink and her eyes bright with anger. She was beautiful when she was irritated.
“You’re mine. I need you by my side.”
“Stop saying that. I’m not yours. I’m my own person.”
He smiled at her indulgently. And then he leaned forward and shoved his nose in her neck and inhaled that wonderful scent.
She giggled and tried to push him away. “What are you doing?”
“What are you doing?” Scar grumbled. “It’s disgusting. Leave that human alone.”
“One day you’ll feel the same for your own mate,” Zayzon explained. “I can’t get enough of her scent.”
“I’m not your mate,” she protested.
“Yet. You’re not officially my mate yet. In one moon cycle you will turn twenty-one and this problem of yours will be resolved and then we can test. Meanwhile, we will get to know each other and you will grow comfortable here with my brothers and learn to enjoy living on Timbur, because this is your new home.”
She snorted and looked away but continued to stay in his lap.
They all ate dinner together in the front room and afterwards his Bride fell asleep with her head in his lap. The whole time he had his gloves on, touching her through three layers of fabric.
“I still can’t believe your Bride thinks she needs to protect us,” Trunk commented.
Chief barked out a laugh, “Needs to protect us?”
Zayzon laughed too and sipped more ale. It was hilarious.
Lila shifted in his lap, snored and went back to sleep. He used a gloved hand to pet her hair.
“We need to get to the bottom of this,” Chief declared. “We have to find out what she’s so scared of.”
“I’ll look into it,” Scar answered. “I’m already running a background check.”
Zayzon nodded. Scar was an asshole most of the time, but he was also the most focused and determined of them all. If anyone would get to the bottom of this mystery, it was Scar.
“Don’t be concerned,” Chief said. “We’ll fix this. All of us, together, will make sure Lila of One is protected. She’s family now.”
His two hearts expanded, and warmth glowed in his chest.
He set down his pitcher of ale and picked up his Bride to carry her back to