For the first time, I was forced to take him in. I didn’t dissect him, pinpointing all the little nuances of his tattoos or the way he positioned his feet like he might leap into action at any moment. Instead, I took in the man as a whole. He’d tied his hair back and had avocado on the front of his pants, revealing just how hard he’d worked to make breakfast.
The kitchen behind him was a war zone. There were pans all over the place. Somehow, cheese had gotten on the ceiling above him. It slowly unstuck itself from the popcorn texture and plopped onto the floor at his feet.
I started to ask him if he’d ever cooked before, but he spoke before I could.
“I wasn’t ever into the bacon craze, but I did enjoy those little toys that pooped candy. I have a collection of them somewhere in this…” He gestured to the trailer with his spatula. “They’re somewhere in this mess.”
Nervous, I lifted the greasy sandwich. It dripped hot sauce onto the plate. My mouth watered despite the fact that my stomach had been all too happy to heave-ho barely minutes ago.
Unable to take the first bite just yet, I glanced at Rhoan’s décor. “It’s not a mess. It’s a roadmap to all the things you find interesting. I like it. If I look close enough, I can see little glimpses into you.”
Rhoan snorted. “If you look close enough, something is going to jump out at you. I don’t know what’s living in there anymore.”
As if he’d summoned it, I caught movement among the knick-knacks and gathered fabric. A curtain of beads rustled against the wall. I paused and tried to catch sight of the thing moving along the walls.
It had to be a fae. Right? A pixie or a sprite?
No.
A small, tawny furred face popped out from behind a pile of fabric. Feri grinned, revealing itty-bitty canines. I scowled at the small creature.
“Did you follow me here?” I snapped.
Feri bobbed his head. “Of course, I did. Princess, you need as much help as you can get while we discuss our strategies moving forward. You were not raised by your parents, much to our disappointment. It is to be expected that you know nothing of strategy or tactics. Do not be ashamed.”
While I wanted to bite the creature’s head off, I took a big bite of my sandwich instead. The bacon cracked and the avocado melted across my tongue. I nearly moaned in ecstasy when the flavors exploded in my mouth.
Already, my headache seemed to ease. The throbbing wasn’t as intense as it had been, which allowed more room for bitter resentment. I lifted my gaze from my sandwich and pinned Feri with a dark glare that I hoped would keep him from saying anything more.
Rhoan passed me a napkin and gestured to the corner of his mouth. My face warmed. I quickly wiped the lingering egg away. The mess vanished, but my embarrassment lingered for several heartbeats. Rhoan spun around and pretended not to notice. I would have melted for the man were it not for Feri’s irritating presence.
Feri leapt from the nearby shelf onto the table. He slid towards my plate with big eyes on a piece of bacon that’d fallen from the sandwich. Just to be mean, I shoved the chunk of bacon in my mouth. Feri tried to hide his disappointment, but I caught it.
While the fae ferret was annoying, he wasn’t all that bad. I had no right being this cruel to him. Wrinkling my nose at my own guilt, I broke a piece of bacon off from my sandwich and passed it over to the little guy. He accepted it with both hands…then immediately started talking again.
“It is important that we garner allies for you before making any moves against Beryl. These allies will be able to teach you everything that you missed out on while you were living with wolves.” Feri chuckled to himself. “You were raised bywolves. It really does explain your manners. And that temperament. I hope you know that will have to change if you’re going to be respected as a queen.”
The sandwich in my hands squelched from how hard I gripped it. Rhoan jumped into action. He plucked the ferret from the table, opened a nearby window, and plopped Feri outside.
I sighed, knowing that wouldn’t be the end of it. Though Rhoan said nothing, I knew he wanted the same thing from me. He simply had more patience…and more social awareness. Rhoan knew I would bite his head off if he said anything of the sort right now.
I dropped the sandwich. A scream gathered in my throat, but it had nowhere to go when I wouldn’t let it out. The sound turned into a knot that I could barely swallow past.
“Eat,” Rhoan said, gently. “You’ll feel better if you do.”
I tilted my head as I lifted the top muffin to peer inside the sandwich. “Why? Did you enchant it somehow?”
A smile curled across his lips. The corners of his eyes creased with laughter. He shook his head. “It’s a simple hangover cure and nothing more. You don’t have to act like there’s something hidden behind every door.”
Groaning, I said, “You’d be surprised how often trouble is hiding behind a simple door.”
“You’re completely safe here.” His voice was low and reassuring. “Only those I allow in can enter.”
I swallowed, sudden emotion blindsiding me. All I could do was nod. If I spoke, I would have cried. The idea of safety seemed so foreign, yet so welcome all at once.
Rhoan lifted a glass from the counter and threw back its contents. My jaw dropped. The smell of alcohol drifted through the air. It made my stomach churn and my toes curl uncomfortably.
“How can you do that?” I asked.