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“Through those double doors is the kitchen. Come, let me show you.” He reaches back to grab my hand but when he pulls forward I don’t budge. I can feel the longing through our tether. Kreed starts talking but continues looking at the kitchen doors. “Dana, this isn’t a conversation for us just yet. I’m not going to put my wants and needs on your shoulders. This is something to talk about at a much later date, much later and that’s if you even want the tether.”
“Kreed, I would like to know about these things so I don’t say something that will upset you. You're right, this is something to talk about at a much later date. I have never thought about kids–” a sharp pain rips through my chest. I put my hand to my chest and choke on the pain. “Kreed, that doesn't mean I wouldn’t want them. It also doesn’t mean that I don't want the tether.” I yank him toward me. He stumbles into me. “If this is gonna work, you’re going to have to talk to me. You know? Family is a sore subject. I understand.” He nods and I pull his head to mine. He rests his forehead on mine. “Now I know what you mean by feeling strong emotions.” I run both my hands up and down his neck and into his hair. Kreed wraps his arms around me. He pulls me up when he’s tired of stooping. I squeal at the sudden shift.
“I will learn to voice my…grievances. I can’t say that the change will be immediate. I have never really had to voice these things.” He says.
“That’s all I ask. For such a big, intimidating man you are very…sweet.” I feel like I’m being sucked into his orbit. I want to be closer and closer to him. I have known the man for a week. Maybe he wasn’t lying about how a tether is your perfect opposite.
“I can say for certainty I have never been called sweet.” Kreed says.
“Probably because you give off menacing grizzly bear vibes. Now, show me more.” Kreed places me back on the ground and takes my hand. He heads towards the doors and I am suddenly immersed in a huge kitchen. There's two of everything in here. Two stoves, two deep sinks, two islands. This is the biggest kitchen I have ever seen. I look around in awe. Wooden cupboards line the walls, open spice racks sit under the cupboards. The counters are butcher block and the cabinets are all open or just wooden shelves.
“We used to have a ton of family over or there were gatherings. This kitchen would be filled with all kinds of noise. Fae cooking, cleaning and preparing. I remember coming in here to ‘taste test’ everything. We had a chef and his team in here for lunches and dinners. I had many brothers and several sisters. Then their kids were here and it was absolute chaos.”
“Where are your siblings now?”
“Most of them died in the last war.” His voice is hushed. “Lots of my nieces and nephews died as well. I have a few brothers and a sister still around. I also have a few aunts and uncles that come to visit but mostly I go to them.” I look around the kitchen, digesting his words.
“Gods, Kreed, I don’t know what to say.”
“Don’t say anything. It’s not your fault. We can only hope that the Dreggars don’t come back. Hopefully we knocked them down enough that they don’t come back.” Kreed lets out a deep breath. “Anyways, let’s get out of here and I’ll show you the training grounds.”
We walk back to the living area and exit the large glass doors onto a large, covered patio. Blue trees everywhere and yellow flowers. There’s another giant butterfly on a flower suckling the nectar. We walk across the patio and onto the grass.
Kreed steps onto the grass and wiggles his toes letting out what can only be a sigh of relief. I sit down and start untying my boots. Kreed kneels down and starts untying my other boot. I stopped untying the boot in hand and stared at him. The man is removing my shoe. I think he can feel me staring at him because he slowly looks up at me. While holding my foot in his hands, keeping eye contact he puts my foot down and grabs my other foot. He starts to finish where I left off. How does this feel like foreplay? What is he doing to me?
My breaths come out shallow and Kreed gives me a soft smile. He knows what he’s doing to me. He pulls my sock off and stuffs it in my boot like he did the other.
“There.” Is all he says before standing up and holding out his hand. I shake my head of the lust filled daze I’m in and grab his hand. He pulls me up and into the sunshine. I wiggle my toes in the grass just like Kreed and let a soft moan of appreciation out. It’s like feathers caressing your feet.
With the sun on my back and a bikini I would be set.
“So, how do you know so much about Earth? You talk about it like you have lived there all your life.”
“I made it a priority to learn what I could while I was there. When I wasn’t hunting down Naomi, I learned. Libraries and the internet. Some things caught my attention more than others. I was impressed with your internet and how you communicate. I was also very interested in your Earth's past. I’m a quick study. I did excel in all my studies growing up.” He says matter of factly. “Well, except art. That was not my best subject.” He grimaces. “Hopefully, my mother never kept any of those art projects.”
Oh, I hope she did.
I hear a loud screech and a shadow falls over us. I look up and a bright orange hawk is barreling towards us. I stumble back just at the last second. The hawk pulls her wings back and slows down landing on Kreed's outstretched arm.
“Greer. That was rude,” he gives Greer a ‘stop being a brat look’, “and stop digging your claws in so hard.” Greer cocks her head at him and poofs all her feathers out. Including the ones on her head. She looks adorable. I take a tentative step closer. Kreed looks back at me. “My apologies, this is Greer and she is an asshole when it suits her. Ow!” Greer pecks Kreed's shoulder harshly. “See?” I stifle my laughter and walk closer to Greer.
“It’s nice to meet you, Greer. I’m Dana. If I ever need an eye pecked out, can I count on you?” Greer shuffles down Kreed’s arm closer to me and poofs all her feathers out again. I reach my hand up and she places her head in my hand. Allowing me to pet her.
“Traitor.” Kreed declares riling up Greer again. She starts squawking at him, flinging her wings around like she’s scolding him and I’m laughing with tears in my eyes. Greer lifts her little clawed foot and waits for Kreed to unhook the metal tube connected to her. She takes off with a huff. “She’s a handful.” He chuckles and opens the tube shaking out the item inside. He unwraps the note as I see Greer headed straight for him from behind. I step to the side nonchalantly and continue watching her glide at top speeds straight for Kreed’s head.
“The–” Greer lets out a loud screech as soon as she sweeps over his head, whacking him with a wing. Kreed nearly falls over, his eyes wide and a small scream escapes his throat. “Greer!” He shouts. I double over laughing as I hear Greer cawing which sounds suspiciously like bird laughter. Kreed looks between me and Greer's disappearing body. “You saw the whole thing and didn’t think to warn me?” I shake my head no. I continue laughing.
“You scream like a girl.” I clutch my stomach. “Is that your battle cry? Oh, fuck, my stomach hurts.” I try to calm down, because it really does hurt. Kreed shakes his finger at me. He is trying really hard to hold back his laughter. He has his lips sucked into his mouth and his shoulders are shaking slightly.
“I’m really gonna have to watch out for you both aren’t I? You two are going to be trouble.” He walks up close to me. “There will be retribution.”
“I count on it.” I shake off the last of my laughter and stand up straight. “Alright, what does the letter say?”
“They would like to have a late lunch with you at their house. In about an hour.”
“Okay, I can do that. I can do this.” I don’t think I can do this. I’m not princess material. I say inappropriate things. I cuss way too much to be allowed around children much less royalty.
“You’ll be fine, Dana. They aren’t pompous people. They are very easy-going. It’s just lunch between you guys. It’s not a coronation.”
