Page 55 of Hungry Like A Dragon
Talia had taken Sadie as soon as they arrived. Had they gone to the kitchen so Noah could spend time with his daughter? Probably. It was something Talia would do. And Petra appreciated it, since that meant she could avoid talking to him for just a little while longer. Maybe she would figure out what she really wanted out of this relationship by then.
“Yes. We can’t walk away and pretend we don’t know what’s going on. That colony is suffering, and it’s my mother’s fault, which means it’s my problem to deal with.”
“I understand.” She really did.
“I’ve learned that she’s disappeared. Gone into hiding. Argyle offered to help, but unfortunately, since gargoyles and dragons don’t normally move in the same circles, he has no idea where to start. But we agree that wherever she’s gone, she won’t give up the dragon’s blood trade. Not without a fight.”
Petra braced for his next words. It made sense, given she’d lived there for a year, and was a dragon, and had made it her business to learn where the local dragons spent their time.
“Ketu is from New Orleans, originally. I’m going to ask him if he will take on the task of finding her. Once we know where she is, we can come up with a plan to stop her and the sale of dragon’s blood once and for all.”
Petra stared at him. “You aren’t sending me back?” She was the one who discovered his mother was the dragon’s blood supplier, after all.
He shook his head. “You have different priorities now, Petra. Sadie’s just a baby. I wouldn’t expect you to leave her here while you go back to New Orleans. And based on what we all just went through, it’s too dangerous to take her with you. Plus, if you did go back, I’m pretty sure Noah will follow again, and even though I enjoy standing over the grill on occasion, we missed his cooking. True confession: the only reason I accepted the position of reeve was because I knew I’d get to eat food he prepared every day.”
Her lips twitched. She knew that wasn’t really the reason, but she appreciated the sentiment. “Thank you,” she said, and she meant it.
He inclined his head. “No more rash decisions, though, okay?”
She chuckled and stood. “You got it.”
And then she hightailed it out of there, texting Talia and asking her to meet her in the foyer so she could avoid seeing Noah. She didn’t trust herself not to break that promise almost immediately if she did.
***
Two days later, Talia bounced Sadie on her hip while Petra sat on the floor, the pieces of a brand-new crib scattered around her, the instructions that might as well be in Greek laying in the middle of it all.
“Ginger still hasn’t been able to break the curse,” Talia said.
“Why not?” Petra asked absently as she picked up a wooden leg and tried to attach it to the wrought iron base. What did she care if Ginger ever figured out how to break the curse? She’d made her decision—she and Noah were going to co-parent, and that was all. Despite that, the idea of watching him fall in love with someone else—his fated mate—gave her chills and made her break out in a sweat all at the same time.
“She says she’s out of practice. And that a curse of this caliber is difficult to undo when it’s fresh, let alone now that it’s festered for thirty years.”
“Well, that’s annoying,” Petra murmured, her attention on the disaster spread out before her. Why was it so damned difficult to put together bedding for an infant?
“Tell me about it,” Talia said.
Petra focused on her best friend for a moment. “So what are the options, besides not breaking the curse?”
She shrugged. “We wait for Ginger to figure it out. And who knows how long that will take. Anyway, I’m sick of talking about it. Let’s talk about you and Noah.”
“I’d rather go back to talking about the curse.” Petra used a wrench to tighten a bolt onto one of the legs.
“Too bad. Why are you avoiding him?”
“It’s only been two days,” Petra defended herself. “And I did have a head wound, remember?”
“Yes, and you’re well enough to attempt to put together a crib—alone—so that means you are now officially avoiding him.”
Petra snorted at her friend’s not flawed logic and then shook her head. “You were there, Talia. You saw how my family reacted when they found out I had a baby. I’m not going to mate with him just because we have a kid together.”
“Why don’t you mate with him because you love him?”
Petra dropped the wrench. It clattered against the wrought iron frame before slamming into the hardwood floor. “Love him?” she repeated, staring at the mess that was somehow supposed to turn into a crib. “I love him?”
Talia laughed. “Well, I could give you my opinion, but I think that’s something you have to decide for yourself.”
Sadie, perched in the crook of Talia’s arm, gurgled and smiled. She looked so much like Noah it took Petra’s breath away. Or maybe that was the realization that, gods above, shedidlove the man.
