Page 54 of A World Enough

Morrigan smiled. “Ziggy’s Place.”

Jhosa let out a whoop. “Let’s go find them, then.”

Brogan waited patiently for Camber to join her on the couch. She was showering, and their food had just arrived. Brogan had built up quite a hunger with her run.

Luckily in the bathroom there was a small supply of nightwear they could use, so Brogan was dressed in boxers and a sleeveless T-shirt. She sipped on the ale that Ziggy had introduced her to.

I’m really starting to get a taste for this, Brogan thought. It wasn’t quite as good as in Ireland, but then, nothing ever was. So to get something close in another realm, another part of the universe, was quite remarkable.

She heard doors opening and closing, signalling that Camber might be about to join her. After a few minutes the bedroom door finally opened, and out came Camber, with slightly damp hair, flushed skin, white pyjama shorts, and a little top that exposed her belly button.

Brogan found her utterly sexy and stunningly beautiful. How had this woman gone all this time without someone to cherish her?

All Brogan wanted to do was stand up, walk over to Camber, and kiss her softly and taste her. But she couldn’t, of course.

That was something that could never happen. Brogan was looking for a way home, and Camber, whose life was a solitary one, moving from place to place, was never able to settle.

Besides, she seemed to annoy Camber most of the time. She doubted her desire was reciprocated.

“Is the food here?” Camber asked.

“All ready for you.”

Camber sat down and rubbed her hands together. “Great. Ziggy’s restaurants are all delicious.”

Brogan inhaled the scent of Camber’s fruity shower gel. But below this, many layers below, one only a wolf can smell, was Camber’s own scent. It was intoxicating and made every part of her senses tingle.

Stop thinking this way. You know nothing can come of it, Brogan told herself. Drink your ale, eat your dinner, and enjoy her company. Don’t look any further.

Camber took the lid off her meal, and Brogan saw it was a large salad, topped with different colours of small bits of meat, which Brogan could hardly guess at. But one thing was for sure, it was very light, and it certainly wouldn’t fill Brogan up.

Brogan took the lid off her food and inhaled a strong, raw, meaty scent. When she’d looked at the menu, she didn’t know where to start. So Brogan described what she wanted to Camber and let her choose.

It looked approximately like a steak, except the colour was different. It had some veggies on the side and bread to mop up the juices.

“How can you eat that?” Camber said.

Brogan cut into the meat. It was a purple colour inside, with blood oozing out. “I’m a wolf. I like rare meat. The rarer the better.”

“I could never—uh-uh, no—have meat like that. I like it charred, well done, as if it had been through an incinerator.”

Brogan shook her head. “You might as well eat shoe leather. What about you? A salad? That wouldn’t fill up a small space in my stomach.”

“It’s a big seafood salad, and enough for me,” Camber said, “and don’t worry, we’ve got dessert to come soon.”

Brogan took her first bite and hummed in pleasure. “Oh Great Mother, this is so good.”

Camber smiled. “Really? You like it?”

Brogan was hoovering up bites of meat. “I think this is the best meal I’ve ever had. Just think—I’ve come all this way, light years probably, and I’ve found the best steak.”

“I’m glad you’re happy,” Camber said, while starting on her own meal.

“Are you happy with yours?” Brogan asked.

“Yes, I just love seafood.”

“Pity I couldn’t have brought that fish from the RR,” Brogan joked.