Page 78 of Escape from the Green

But I hadn't been able to stop those wandering thoughts for the past few days. Well, let's be honest here. Months. Because he had been a very active star in my daydreams even when he wasn't around, even when no hope of him coming back existed.

"It's nice here," I told him, meaning it. "I like your family."

His smile went warm at that, making his eyes look even more tired. "Are you comfortable? Warm enough?"

There was no fire in this room, likely a choice his parents had made to keep them as children safe, but the warmth from the hearth in the main room managed to keep the worst of the chill out.

I don't know what possessed me, where the confidence, the daring came from, but my body scooted back against the wall, making room in the small bed, hand moving to lift the blankets I was very comfortably nestled under. "I could be warmer," I invited, trying not to cringe at the somewhat wobbly sound of my own voice, the insecurity, the fear of rejection clear as glass to my ears.

Drake said nothing, but slowly lowered himself down, his huge form swallowing up most of the bed, making me crush even further against the wall.

"Come on," he said, arm sliding under me, pulling me closer. "Get comfortable," he added, curling me onto his chest, pulling the blankets back up over my body, cocooning me in his warmth. There was a long pause before his hand moved up, sifting through my half-dry hair. "I'll show you around tomorrow. I'm pretty sure half the clan visited today, so most of the interest in me might blow over, so we can be left alone."

"That sounds nice. I mean... the looking around thing. I'm glad your friends want to reunite with you. I don't mind if they interrupt the tour." I paused, letting myself snuggle in a bit. "Than..."

"Don't thank me, Amy," he demanded softly.

"Okay," I agreed. "Then... I'm glad you brought me here."

His arms went around me, tightening. "I'm glad I brought you here too."

-

"There's a waterfall back there about a mile," Drake told me the next early afternoon, holding an arm out toward a hillside covered in pine trees. "I'd show it to you, but it would be freezing. It would be better in the spring."

"I don't know if I want to walk another mile anyway," I admitted, snorting a bit. "I think I have done enough walking these past couple months to last a lifetime." At his drawn-down brows, I shrugged. "You have no idea how much walking you have to do in the city if you want to avoid the subway."

"We should probably be heading back anyway. My mother will likely be making lunch soon. Soup. She makes great soup."

"Think it could wait a while?" Drake's friend - and one of the elders - Kieran said, stepping out of the line of trees, having clearly been eavesdropping.

"I thought the elders were going to give me a few days," Drake insisted, voice getting a little sharp.

"Not the elders, just me."

Drake's gaze went to me, torn.

"I know my way back," I assured him. And after having listened to him tell me all about their rules, laws, their beliefs, their complete and utter lack of violence or crime of any sort, I was pretty sure I couldn't be safer in this realm he called home.

It had felt scary the day before when he'd left me, when people looked at me with fear and mistrust, when I knew nothing of how things worked.

Besides, if this was going to become my home, I had to get comfortable navigating it on my own.

If I had managed to accomplish that in the city where crime was rampant, and the rules and laws that were in place were rarely abided, I was sure I could do so here.

"I can walk you back and then..."

"Don't be silly," I assured him. "Double the work for no reason. I'll be fine. Nice seeing you again, Kieran," I told him, giving him a small smile before shuffling off before I - or Drake - could think better of it.

There were no hordes bent on hurting me on the way home, just the occasional bird or even Draca child, jumping behind trees to hide from me, giggling so blatantly it was charming.

"Oh, there you are, angel," Aya declared, giving me that smile that awakened the long-buried, needy little girl within me. "Did you have fun looking around?"

"I did. Drake will be back in a few minutes. He had some friends to catch up with. I thought I might come back and help out around here. I can't claim to know how to cook, but I would like to be of help."

"Your mother never taught you to cook?" she asked, brows creasing. "How did she expect you to feed your mate and offspring?"

"I imagine she pictured me in an estate with servants," I admitted, feeling my cheeks heat at that admission, knowing how odd it would sound in this world where everyone worked, everyone pitched in, no one was made subservient to anyone else. Not even for money.