Page 38 of Mitchell's Untamed Mate

His lips twitched when a sudden thought hit him.When possible, those in his clan that preferred to build their homes in the trees often designed a lift system.It wasn’t as elaborate, but the concept was the same.The idea that maybe humans weren’t as ‘out-of-date’ as shifters made him feel a little better.

The ping of the elevator brought him out of his musings.Tracy pulled the metal door back and the wood door opened to reveal a corridor lined with paintings.He followed Tracy, studying the paintings as they walked down the carpeted corridor.

There were paintings depicting shifters of varying ages in different time periods.Small gold labels under each frame identified the person and the year the painting was done.Others were of disparate landscapes or events in history.He would love to spend more time studying them.

He stopped in front of a painting and stared at the people in it.His hand slid up to the leather cord he wore around his neck.The painting was obviously very, very old.There was a man—a human—with the same color skin as his, holding a young child in his arms.Behind the man, more humans lay scattered in death among the ruins.

The painting was so detailed and vivid he swore he could smell the smoke from the fires.The man’s grief was palpable.The artist had captured the man’s sorrow in every line of his body.

“This was painted shortly after the Battle of Little River.It was the last major battle of the Great War between the shifters and humans.The artist, Herman Otter, was commissioned to record the events.It is said that this scene moved him to the point that he became an activist to end the war.He painted this ten years after the last human died in captivity,” Tracy explained in a low voice.“A part of me hates it because of what it represents, while another part of me can’t help but appreciate the skills of the artist.I bought the painting from a descendant of Otter’s five years ago while I was in Europe.”

Mitchell reached out but didn’t touch the painting.His eyes were glued to the necklace hanging from the man’s neck.His fingers tightened on the leather and bead necklace he was wearing.

“I’ll show you to your room,” she said.

He followed her to the end of the hallway.She opened the second door from the end and stepped inside.He followed, curiously glancing around as he entered.It was larger than any of the homes he had ever lived in.A bed half the size of his hut stood against the far wall with two matching cherry oak pieces of furniture on either side.Another large piece of furniture with a dozen drawers and a mirror was against the wall to his left.The large doors with the colorful glass panels he had noticed as they entered faced where the flying machine had landed.

He walked over to the doors and stared out.The flying machine looked small from this high up.He twisted around when Tracy cleared her throat.

“I’ll be next door if you need anything.Ty left you some clothes and you’ll find toiletries in the bathroom.”

He nodded and watched as she walked over to a different door than the one they entered.She opened it, hesitating for a second before she gave him a crooked smile.Her smile wavered when he didn’t say anything.

“Okay, I’ll be back in about twenty minutes,” she said.

“I’ll be ready.”

She gave him another smile before she closed the door.He stood where he was for another minute, absorbing everything that had happened in the last few hours.His glance encompassed the entirety of the room again, noting the ornate wallpaper, the old paintings, the rich furniture, the lush tapestry and linens before finally noticing the neatly folded pile of clothing on the bed.

He walked over and fingered the material.It was soft, not coarse like the material of his clothes.He lifted each piece and inspected it before gathering them all into his arms.

A door stood open and through it he could see shiny marble flooring and mirrors.He walked into the bathroom, once again noting the opulence.There was a basin for water surrounded by an off-white marble threaded with veins of silver that matched the floor.A porcelain toilet sat behind a half wall.There was a glass-enclosed area with a large metallic piece hanging above it.It reminded him of the bucket with holes that they poured water into for showering.

He placed the clothing next to the basin, touching the shiny silver curved spout.He jumped when water gushed out.Touching the spout again, the water stopped.He turned it on and off several times before exploring the rest of the bathroom.

This was much nicer than the one in his cell.He relieved himself before exploring the shower.A turn of a lever allowed water from the overhead metal to flow down.He ran his fingers through the water, enjoying the warmth.

Stripping out of his clothing, he stepped under the warm spray.He discovered that if he turned several knobs, water sprayed from a long thin pipe as well.Ten minutes later, he was standing under the water, enjoying the pulsating spray massaging his back and shoulders.

He tilted his head back and closed his eyes.The faint scent of the shampoo and soap lingered around him as the last of the suds ran down his body.The rain was never this warm.

“Mitchell, are you— Oh, sorry!”

He opened his eyes when he heard Tracy’s voice.Their eyes connected through the fogged glass of the shower.The first thought racing through his mind was that her eyes were beautiful.They were dark, resembling the rich wood of the paneling mixed with tiny flecks of gold.She had a small, button nose and full lips.Her face was more oval than heart-shaped like Ella’s.Tiny, shifter-specific patterns along her throat were visible with her hair pulled back into a ponytail.

She was wearing a violet blouse and white linen skirt.The vee where she hadn’t fastened the buttons gave him a peek at the pale valley between her breasts.His eyes locked on the shadowy curves.

“I’m late,” he said.

Her startled eyes jerked up from where she had been doing a little bit of assessing of her own.With a furrowed brow, she looked at him in confusion before a wistful smile tugged at the corners of her lips.Through the steamed glass, he could feel her eyes tracing his body, making him aware of his own physical response to her presence.

“Take your time.It was hard to pull myself out of the shower, too,” she admitted.

“I want you,” he stated.

Her eyes widened at his unexpected comment.She ran her eyes down his body again.He curled his fingers into a fist when she licked her lips.She wasn’t making this any easier.With a sigh, she forced her eyes back to his face.

“If it wasn’t for the fact that I know my family and if we don’t go down in the next few minutes, they will be coming up here to find out why, I’d show you how much I want you too,” she confessed in a rueful voice.

---