Page 308 of His Hungry Wolf

“So pushy!” He joked before sitting up and returning his monster to its cave.

Driving the truck closer, we parked and entered the field. Looking around, it felt like the day before a festival. Booths were being set up and there were a lot of people around. Everyone was walking casually except for one person. When she spotted Nero, she hurried over.

“Good, you’re here,” the fair-skinned, mid-fifties woman said in a slight Jamaican accent. “Are you here to help set up?”

“We came looking for Dr. Tom. Is he here?”

Instead of answering, Dr. Sonya turned to me. “I don’t think we’ve met. Dr. Sonya,” she said offering me her hand with a smile.

I peeked at Nero wondering if there was anything I wasn’t supposed to say. He still looked dazed from what we had just done in his truck.

“I’m Kendall.”

“Did you come for the festival?” She asked digging.

“I brought him here to talk to Dr. Tom.”

“Is he…?”

“We don’t know what he is. That’s why we’re here,” Nero said cutting her off.

“Oh. Well, what you are is welcome. Will you be at the festivities tomorrow?”

“Maybe,” I said looking back at Nero.

“There will be cakes and pies. I will be bringing my Jamaican style coconut tarts. It’s really just a fun, share-your-background, event. I think someone is bringing haggis.”

“Isn’t that intestines?” I asked feeling my insides tighten.

“Sheep innards, I think,” she explained. “Whatever it is, there are a few meat eaters in town that I’m sure will like it,” she said looking at Nero.

“Anyway, have you seen Dr. Tom?” Nero asked changing the topic.

“Sure. I think he’s helping Glen set up his booth,” she said gesturing toward a small stand across the field from us.”

“Thanks.”

“And if you have some time, we would love your help. A strapping guy like you,” she said gripping Nero’s bicep and squeezing.

“Maybe,” Nero said before slipping out of her grip and leading me away.

“She seemed nice,” I said trying to figure out the dynamic between the two of them. “Is she…?”

“A shifter? No. She’s human.”

“And she lives here with everyone else?”

“We don’t bite,” he said not looking at me.

“Oh, too bad,” I said grabbing his attention and making him smile.

Was I flirting again? I didn’t know what had come over me. It was like being with Nero brought out a side of me I didn’t know existed.

“Dr. Tom,” Nero called with more edge to his voice than I was expecting.

A barrel-chested, potbellied man with a speckled beard turned around. I didn’t know what I was expecting, but he wasn’t it. Nero had said that he was a Fae. I pictured Tinkerbell. Instead he looked like a guy who ran a hardware store.

“Nero,” he said with an icy tone.