One Bite

Chapter 3-12

Next morning at breakfast, I saw through amused smiles and whispers how everyone knew what I'd done last night. However, I didn't know to what extent anyone knew what had, or more importantly hadn't, happened between me and Torak in his bedroom.

How embarrassing.

"Want a doughnut, Zara?" Raina teased. She elbowed me in the ribs and nodded at the pile of doughnuts I normally tore into.

"Never again," I replied with a scowl, reached for the eggs, put a large pile on a plate, and sprinkled cheese on. "Not from this territory, at least."

"I heard their chickens eat pot and LSD leaves," Cole couldn't help himself either as he pointed to my plate of eggs.

"Seriously, you too?" I glared at him. "Where's Elena?"

"She's not feeling so well." His tone grew subdued and an unfamiliar emotion flickered in his eyes. With Cole, every emotion was unfamiliar. "I'm going to bring her some plain toast for breakfast."

"Is she sick?" I remembered how terrible she looked last night.

She refused the doughnuts though, so couldn't be that.

"Tired," was all he'd reply. He pressed his mouth into a firm line, trying to shut down this conversation but I couldn't let the subject drop.

"Sure." The corners of my lips curled up. "Because reading books takes a lot of energy."

"She's not as good at fighting rogues off as others, Princess. Although I'm so glad all your training paid off in doing practically nothing last night except letting Torak carry you off like a tripped out damsel in distress," he tossed back with a smirk.

Narrowing my eyes, I glared at the back of his head as he left the kitchen with a plate of plain toasted bread. My eyes softened when I realized it was for Elena. Despite teasing me, I was touched by his sweet gesture.

Maybe someday my mate will bring me breakfast in bed.

I sighed at that thought, until I realized that I thought it in reference to Cole. My wistful thinking vanished.

As I pushed those thoughts aside, Raina and I carried our breakfast plates to a table. She gave me a scrutinous look as we sat down next to each other. Her dark hair was pulled back into a braid as usual. Today's version trailed to the side and over her right shoulder.

"What?" I grunted at her extra attentiveness this morning.

"Checking your pupils for dilation," she replied. "You seem to be more clear-headed."

"Yeah," I admitted. My fingers reached for a napkin, spread the cloth across my lap, and dug into my eggs. "Small headache. I have good news though."

"We could use some good news." She sighed.

"I think Lumi's back." My cheeks pinched with how wide I grinned.

Lumi didn't share my level of excitement, because she snuffed at me.

"Back as in, normal?" Raina raised an eyebrow as she nursed her coffee cup. "For you two, I mean. How did it happen?"

"Umm..." My cheeks paled, like the blood drained out of them and my bite of eggs turned into sawdust on my tongue. "I was, umm... Torak brought her out."

Raina's dark eyes bored into me for a few seconds, although the exchange felt like she stared at me for years. She wet her lips with the tip of her tongue. "I don't want to know."

"What happened to you last night?" I desperately wanted a change of subject, gouging my fork at my abandoned eggs. "One minute you were walking with us, then poof, gone."