The Unknown Alchemist

Chapter 16 - Triggers

The female's smile was dazzling as she approached. "Hello Avery, I'm Adelyn. It's nice to formally meet you." She leaned in and Avery stepped back quickly, unsure why the sapien was so close.

Adelyn stopped. "Sorry, my mistake. I forgot that humans shake hands instead of kissing on the cheeks. I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable." She offered her hand.

"I wouldn't know," Avery mumbled as she shook the female's hand.

Adelyn glanced up at Sari then back at the human. She quickly leaned in and brushed her cheek against Avery's, first right then left, and stepped back. "Like that."

Avery flushed bright red in surprise. Her eyes followed Adelyn as the alpha prime picked up her drink again and resumed her spot next to Roedin. Avery was so mesmerized by the beautiful female that it caught her off guard when a huge male scooped her up in a hug.

"That is how Ursids greet each other," the male said jovially. "None that delicate scent sharing!"

Before she could react he placed her back on her feet and Avery looked up at the face of a huge male. Though his brown hair was short and his beard neatly trimmed, his colour and size reminded her that Arctos was half-Ursid. His muscled arms and barrel chest were barely contained by his shirt, with the buttons threatening to pop off if he moved suddenly. Though she hadn't made a sound Avery's eyes were huge in panic at the sudden close contact.

"Arctos, you're terrifying her!" Adelyn admonished.

"I'm just so happy she didn't die!" He clapped Avery on the back, nearly knocking her off her feet. "Way to go, Half Pint! Had us worried there for a while!"

He walked back to the table and picked up his drink. The ale mug seemed minute in his massive hands as he lifted it to salute the human. Avery spotted creases at the corners of his light blue eyes that crinkled in laughter. Her surprise subsided and she managed a small smile.

"This is Arctos," Roedin pointed out, shooting his brother a sharp look. "He's been told to be on his best behaviour, though what an Ursid considers best behaviour leaves something to be desired."

Arctos swallowed loudly and smacked his lips, reaching for a refill. "I've had a hard day—a hard month, for that matter—and I feel this beer is well deserved. You can either join me or watch me, but I'll give you a hint as to which is more fun!"

He guffawed at his own joke and took another drink. Avery bit her lip to hide a giggle.

"On that civilized note, shall we eat?" Sari sighed.

She took her seat and motioned for the others to join her. Dishes of all colours and flavours steamed as though fresh out of the oven. The group seemed to be waiting for Avery to choose something but she didn't know where to start. She glanced up at Sari for guidance and found the sapien hostess watching her closely.

Caught spying, Sari quickly straightened and blushed. "We didn't know what you liked, so our cook Nicholas prepared a variety of things."

Avery looked back at the dishes. "Thank you, that's very kind. I -- " She laughed nervously. "I don't even know what these are."

Arctos, Adelyn, and Roedin took that as their cue to dive in. They piled food on their plates pointing out their favourites and squabbling over which restaurant prepared the better version. Avery copied what they took but in much smaller portions, attempting to try everything. She watched the others around the table carefully noting how they piled the food on their forks and which dishes complemented each other.

"You don't like the roast?" she asked Roedin when he passed on the dish.

Arctos reached across the table and took the platter.