Chapter 12

Faye walked through the castle, trying to navigate her way to the kitchen. She had slept surprisingly well in the massive bed alone last night. Vander's bed had to be the most comfortable one she had ever slept in. She almost didn't want to leave the comforts of Vander's pillows and blanket.

She paused in the hallway as the revelation hit her. She had feelings for Vander, and she was pretty sure he had some for her. The thought of Vander going off to fight the evil dragon still worried her, but he'd assured her he would be fine.

"Ms. Adams, good morning," a pleasant voice greeted her from behind.

She turned and found a smiling older woman. The woman's face was warm and welcoming, her gray hair pulled into a bun on top of her head.

"Hello." Faye returned her smile with one of her own. "You must be Dalma."

"Yes, I am. It is so nice to meet you." Dalma held out her hand.

Faye didn't hesitate in taking it. For someone who had been the nanny of a dragon shifter, who was almost seven hundred years old, she didn't look a day over fifty-five. "Vander has told me so much about you."

"He has?" Her voice ended on a squeak. What could he have possibly told the woman? That they'd met when he was in the hospital, tracked her down, and they'd slept with each other almost immediately?

"I can see the wheels spinning in that mind of yours," Dalma announced. She entwined her arm with Faye's. They slowly walked down the hallway together.

"Don't worry. It has been good. In the shifter world, finding that special one is different than how humans do it. We encourage speedy courtships. Why waste time?"

"We?" Faye's eyes turned to the woman. She was a shifter, too? Faye wondered what type of shifter this woman was.

"Yes, we ." Dalma laughed. "And if you were wondering? Yes, I'm a dragon shifter, too. A very old one at that."

"Well, you look good for your age." Faye smiled.

The other woman laughed. Faye's stomach chose that moment to let itself be known. Her cheeks grew warm in embarrassment.

"Why, thank you. Let's feed you. Vander will not forgive me if I don't take good care of you." Dalma chuckled and motioned for Faye to follow her.

"I didn't realize how hungry I was," Faye admitted.

They walked into the kitchen. A few staff members were bustling around. A man dressed in a white chef's jacket turned from the oven with a loaf of bread, fresh from the oven, in his hand. He placed it on the counter and walked over to them.

"Faye, this is Eduardo. He's the head chef here at Dragon's Keep."

"Buenos días," he greeted and extended his hand.

"It's an honor to meet you, Chef. The food that comes out of this kitchen is amazing." Faye took the chef's hand in a firm shake.

Her stomach rumbled again, and they all laughed.

"I have a plate in the warmer just for you. Since you are the only guest as of now, we can set you up in the dining room or?—"

"Can I just eat in here?" She looked around at the massive-sized kitchen. Any cook worth their salt would salivate over this beautiful, industrialized room.

"You sure can. You can sit over here." Eduardo motioned to the bar stools that sat alongside the countertops. He snapped his fingers and rattled off words in Spanish.

One of the women in the kitchen grabbed the plate and brought it over to Faye.

"Well, when you're done visiting and eating, just call me and we can take you on your first tour of the castle." Dalma patted her on her shoulder.

"Yes, ma'am." Faye glanced down at her plate. Her mouth watered at the sight of the delicious food. She would have to find some time to work out. Otherwise, she'd gain twenty pounds in the few days she would be staying here.

She dug into the food and groaned. It was everything that she could have imagined. How would she be able to leave this place in a few days once Vander had defeated Gamair?

* * *

"What's down that hallway?" Faye peered down a hall that was blocked off with a table filled with potted plants.

Dalma was a wonderful tour guide. She was chatty and knew the history of the home well. They had walked through the castle for a few hours, and Faye had enjoyed Dalma's company immensely. She had all the good stories of Vander growing up. Faye couldn't remember the last time that she had laughed so hard.

But something drew her to that particular hall. A stainless-steel door with a bolt on it at stood the end of the hallway. What could be so important that it would require protection behind a door such as that?

Vander's words echoed in her head from the day he'd left. ‘ You can pretty much have the run of the castle.'

Was there something he didn't want her to see? What could he be hiding?

"Oh, that hallway? Well, Vander has some private things that he likes to keep locked away." Dalma waved her hand and grabbed on to Faye's arm. "You know how boys are about their toys."

Faye offered a small smile. Dalma pulled her in the opposite direction of the secret room. Something was amiss. Dalma was keeping a secret.

Vander's secret.

"Boys will be boys," Faye murmured.

"Don't worry, dear. I'm sure he will show you. Hopefully, he'll be returning soon." Dalma patted her on the hand. She must have seen the suspicion on Faye's face.

Faye felt slightly better, and they walked in the opposite direction.

"Have you spoken to him?" Faye asked. Since he'd left, there hadn't been any communication between the two of them. She didn't want to be a distraction to him and was sure that when he was able, he would contact her.

There was much for her to do, but it still didn't keep her from worrying about Vander. Last night, she had gone swimming in the beautiful Olympic-sized indoor pool, then relaxed in the sauna, before venturing around the castle and into the library. It had been a while since Faye had had time to just relax and read a book. She'd fallen asleep, reading a romance novel, that led her to have a steamy dream that included Vander.

"No, I haven't, my dear. When the boys go on missions such as these, it's best to leave them alone and wait for word. They look out for each other. I'm sure everything is just fine."