Page 92 of Dragon Me Through Space

“I’m fine. What about you?” I asked and turned to Zeke. “Are you hurt, Giant?”

His lip twitched, but he held back from snarling. “I’m not hurt.”

“Can’t say the same for the Exostalons.” Gage chuckled.

“You’re always such a handful,” Preston said with a dramatic sigh as he plopped down onto the bed near me.

“Sorry that I did whatever was possible to survive,” I griped and put my hands on my hips.

Zeke sat down in one of the chairs at the small table and pulled me down onto his lap. “We’re very grateful that you survived. We just wish it didn’t end with you having so many enemies that are constantly after you.”

“Hmph,” I grunted and relaxed into his chest. Something sticky touched my hand and I glanced down to find blood. “Zeke!” I screeched.

He looked down with a frown. “Interesting.”

I stood off of him and pulled his shirt up to expose his skin, but it was completely unblemished.

“Must be from one of my kills,” he said calmly.

“Go shower and change,” Preston ordered him.

“I’ll come with you,” I said immediately.

“Shower here instead,” Wayne said. “We shouldn’t allow her to be in such a vulnerable place.”

“Being with me is vulnerable?” Zeke asked and immediately started growling.

“Being naked with you, also naked, in a shower, alone, is definitely vulnerable,” Wayne explained.

Zeke continued growling, but said, “You’re right. Just let me wash up real quick,” and headed to the attached bathroom without arguing further.

“She needs to shower, too,” Preston said without looking up from his tablet. “You got blood on her.”

Looking down, I realized he was right, my shirt had blood on it. My nose scrunched up as I said, “Eww.”

“Come on, let’s get cleaned up so we can eat our snacks,” Zeke said. He turned and pointed at Wayne and Gage. “Do not eat any snacks until we return.”

Gage smirked, while Wayne scowled.

I pointed at them, too, then said, “Scout, stay here and watch them.”

Scout slipped out from behind my ear and hovered near the bathroom door, facing the rest of the room, and gave a confirming chirp.

Preston laughed, amused by my antics.

After grabbing a pair of sweatpants, underwear, and a tank top, I joined Zeke in the bathroom where he was adjusting the temperature.

While he was doing that, I allowed myself to appreciate the view.

“You’re staring,” he mumbled and his deep voice vibrated around the small room.

“Just enjoying the view,” I said as I began to undress. I tossed our bloody clothes out the door and asked, “Can someone please have these cleaned?”

“On it!” Gage answered.

Zeke pulled me into the shower, which was deliciously warm.

“Aren’t you dying in this heat?” I asked.