Page 10 of Corrupted Tyrant

“Yep. Complete with gravestones.”

“Wait, back up.” Courage holds up a hand, his ears flicking as he cocks his head. “Did you say a museum dedicated to canned meat?”

“You bet your bushy tail I did.” I poke his side, enjoying the way he squirms away with a huff of laughter. “And we’re going. No arguments.”

“Wouldn’t dream of crossing Candy Wood when she’s on a mission.” He settles back against the lounge, his arms crossed behind his head. “I’ve learned it’s best to just buckle up and enjoy the ride when it comes to your schemes. Safer for my sanity that way.”

I scoff, punching him lightly on one impressively muscled shoulder. “Schemes? I’ll have you know these are carefully curated experiences, selected to broaden our cultural horizons and create lasting memories.”

He arches a brow, his look pointed. “Uh-huh. And it has nothing to do with your weakness for the bizarre and kitsch?”

“Well, I never said that.” I grin, unrepentant. “But come on, you have to admit it’ll be fun! A real bonding experience for the two of us.”

Something flickers across his face, there and gone too quickly for me to parse.

“Right. Bonding. Because that’s… that’s totally in my job description as your bodyguard.”

An awkward moment passes, his words hanging in the air between us, our gazes locked.

Biting my lip, I suddenly feel off balance. “I mean, no, it’s not like… uh… I didn’t mean it like that.” It takes all my self-control not to cover my face with my hands to hide my hot blush.

“No, I know.” He sits up, scrubbing a hand over his jaw. “I’m just being an ass. Ignore me.”

But I can’t ignore it, this unspoken thing that keeps rearing its head when we let our guards down. This pull, this spark, this feeling that we’re teetering on the edge of something dangerous and thrilling and altogether ill-advised.

And from the look on his face, the tension in his posture… Courage feels it, too.

But we can’t go there. He’s my bodyguard, my protector. To cross that line would be reckless at best, catastrophic at worst. We both know it.

So I do what I do best. I paste on a bright smile, bumping his knee with mine like the moment never happened. “Anyway, that’s the plan. A zigzagging, seat-of-our-pants odyssey to break up the tour grind. What do you think, up for the challenge?”

He rolls his eyes, but the corner of his mouth lifts, letting me know we’re back on solid ground. “With you riding shotgun? What choice do I have?”

Relief whooshes through me, giddy and cool. “Oh, come on. You know you love my company. I’m a delight.”

“Debatable.” But he’s grinning now; the weird tension evaporated like morning mist under the rising sun. “Though I reserve the right to veto anything too bizarre. I have to draw the line somewhere.”

“Spoilsport.” I pout, but inside I’m buzzing, eager anticipation zinging through my veins. This trip, this tour… it feels like a precipice, a launching pad into something new, exhilarating, and life-altering.

Anything could happen. The possibilities stretch out before us, a highway of wonder and potential just begging to be explored. And I can’t wait to map every inch of it, weird tourist traps and all.

Now I just have to make sure my pesky feelings for a certain wolven bodyguard don’t complicate the itinerary.

Easy peasy, right?

Chapter Eight

Courage

The colors hit me first. A kaleidoscope of vibrant hues splashed across every surface like a paint factory explosion. It’s a sensory overload, a cacophony of whimsy and chaos that sets my teeth on edge and my heart racing with something that feels suspiciously like… wonder?

“Welcome to Randyland!” Candy bounces on her toes beside me, her grin so wide it’s a miracle her face doesn’t crack in two.

I blink, trying to reconcile the riot of color with the drab, gray world I’m used to back in the Zone. It’s like stepping into an alternate universe, one where the rules of reality don’t quite apply.

“It’s… a lot,” I manage, my eyes darting from the technicolor murals to the mismatched sculptures to the throngs of people milling about, snapping photos and exclaiming over the various installations.

Candy laughs, looping her arm through mine. The casual touch sends a jolt through me, even though I’m wearing my hoodie.

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