It’s not something I’ve had to worry about in the past because we’ve never had enough meat left over. Meat is a scarcity, a rarity in the After. Tonight was a feast, and one I don’t expect to happen regularly…or ever again. We’ll eat our food and leave this place to the dragon and just chalk this up as a weird occurrence.
The next morning, I yawn and roll over, groaning to myself at the weird dreams I had. Meat sleep, I decide, rubbing my eyes. I fling my hands out and smack into a foot and open my eyes.
Murr is staring down at me from over my bed.
I bite back a yelp of shock and shrink back. When did he get inside? I thought dragons couldn’t get into buildings for some reason, that we’d be safe if we were indoors. But here he is, crouching next to my sleep pallet as if he’s been waiting for me to wake up. He bares his teeth at me in an imitation of a smile. “Dakotah.”
“Hi,” I breathe, and sit up. The look I shoot him is wary. Is something wrong? Is he waiting for us to leave?
But he only watches me with interest. Maybe he isn’t demanding that we leave as much as he just doesn’t have any concept of privacy. Or space. Or the fact that he’s terrifying. It’s not just his size, it’s the way he carries himself. It’s the almost predatory gaze that roams over me, missing nothing.
“Is there a problem?” I whisper, but of course he won’t answer. He doesn’t speak English. I don’t even know that hespeaks, except to mimic us.
He gestures at me. “Dakotah.” Then at himself. “Murr.” And he gives me that unsettling, unnatural grin that’s more of a grimace than anything.
“You just came over to say hi?” I ask, running my hand through my sleep-tangled hair and wondering if it’d be too alarming if I casually reached for a weapon. I decide against it, because he doesn’tseemunfriendly. Just like he’s waiting for something.
Oh shit, what if he wants the meat? What if he changed his mind? What if he gave it to us so we could feed the cats?
I gesture at the tarp-covered table a short distance away. I’m afraid of mice or bugs getting to it, so I wrapped the raw meat carefully in a tarp and weighed down the ends of the tarp with the heaviest books I could find so nothing can climb in. My goal today is to figure out how to preserve all that meat, but if he wants it back, he can have it. Our lives aren’t worth a haunch of beef, no matter how delicious. “You want it back? The meat?”
When he gives me a confused look, I make an eating gesture and then point at him.
Murr gets to his feet, and then I have to close my eyes politely and clear my throat. When he stands up, I get full frontal nudity, not even two feet away from my face. Good lord. His cock might as well be a cobra for all its hypnotic power, and I’m trying my best not to ogle him. It’s just that…well, it’s enormous. And hanging. And golden. And just…dang.
Poor Rabbit is getting anatomy lessons that are really gonna fuck her up in the future when she meets a nice normal human man, but it’s not like I can politely ask my guest to wear pants. Not when he can sear my face off with a thought.
I squeeze an eye open and watch him. The dragon-man pads over to the table (of course he’s got clawed toes) and pokes at the tarp, then turns and gives me a confused look. He pats the table and then points at me. “Dakotah.”
And he mimes eating.
I smile again, relieved. Okay, this is just a friendly visit then. No take-backs. “Sorry if I’m skittish. I just don’t know what to think about dragons, buddy.” I get up and stretch, yawning. Hopefully Rabbit won’t freak out when she wakes up and sees our guest. I debate waking her up, but maybe he’ll leave before she does and I won’t even have to bring it up.
When he continues to watch me expectantly, I wonder if he’s just here to observe, like we’re animals in a zoo, or fish in an aquarium. We’re his entertainment. He’s not speaking and not demanding anything, so I decide to stick with my original plan—find out how to preserve meat.
CHAPTER 11
DAKOTA
I need a grill.
Fourteen cookbook shelves later, I’ve found a book that details how to smoke meat without a dehydrator, and it goes into great detail about smokers and grills. Which is perfect…except I have neither. The good news is that I can probably find one at an old hardware store.
The bad news is that I have tofindan old hardware store. And it needs to be close enough for me to wheel the smoker back. I contemplate using an abandoned car’s trunk to act as a smoker, but I don’t know if they’ll leak chemicals into my food, so that’s out. I don’t want to poison me and Rabbit just trying to eat.
I pull on my shoes and glance at my dragon companion. He’s still in his human(ish) form and has been following me around the bookstore as I brushed dust off of books and hunted for the right recipe. He’s showing no signs of going away anytime soon, nor is he talking. I decide the best thing to do is just ignore him and go about my day.
I get to my feet, and Rabbit makes a sleepy groan from across the way, in the nook with shelves that she’s set up as her “room.”“I’m heading to the roof to scout,” I call out. “Stay here and when I come back, I’ll make breakfast.”
“’Kay,” she answers sleepily, and I know her well enough to know that she’s going to be in bed for at least another half hour if she can swing it. Lazing in bed is a luxury.
Shooting a nervous smile at Murr, I grab my binoculars and head for the back of the store. I pop open the creaky, rusted metal door at the shipping dock and then climb the metal ladder embedded in the side of the building that leads to the roof. He watches me climb but doesn’t follow up, and I wonder if he’s gotten bored of trailing after me.
I should know better. No sooner have I walked three steps on the leaf-strewn roof than a dragon appears on the side of the building. It ascends and hovers in the air, watching me, and then thumps down onto the roof next to me. My heart feels as if it’s going to beat out of my chest. Is this when he kills me?
A moment later, the massive golden form shimmers and warps, and then Murr is standing there again. He strides over to me and watches me with great interest, head tilted.
“Should have guessed that, huh?” I ask and manage a small smile.
