Chapter Seven

The beam of sunlight that woke me must have been a fluke because the storm was still present when I forced myself to my feet. Turned out that having flown as much as I did right after my first shift was a bit much on the bones, muscles, and probably scales. I couldn't say that for sure since I had no scale action going on right now. But it made sense that it would take time to build strength in a new form. My dragon was still this morning, and as the sunlight disappeared behind the cloud cover, darkening the room, I reached for the lamp and pulled the chain.

Nothing.

The wind kicked up, lashing branches against the window, and I quickly dressed to go find my host and see what was going on. My host likely had a lot to deal with in this unseasonal storm with all the people who were staying in the resort, but when I arrived in the living room, I found him just coming in, shedding a poncho in the doorway and leaving it on the porch. "Wow. When I went out, I thought it might be letting up, but it's anything but. Road's shut down and power's out."

"Yeah, the darkness gave that away." I smiled to show him I wasn't really cranky about it. "We had solar back home, so as long as the batteries held out, we had power. Do you have any backup?"

"I have a generator," Arvin confirmed. "Actually every unit has a small one, since power loss around here is way more common than it should be and the trees and angle of the slope make solar nearly impossible. Just not enough hours of direct sun."

"The generator should be great, especially since your guests also have the advantage of using them. I take it you were out starting them up?"

"And giving quick lessons in how not to drain them dry with unnecessary power usage. I have some extra diesel, but it's not an unlimited supply, and you know how people are with all their devices they want to charge."

"So I hear." The bevy with its limited power did not encourage such items. I used my batteries for my work and small, efficient appliances. "Everyone is okay, then?"

"Yes, but I did have to work hard to convince one couple that the road is shut down, and the storm is predicted to go on for a while, so their SUV will definitely not make it out of here. Even if they shifted and ran as their wolves, they'd be wet and miserable and have to come back for their car anyway."

"Do they need to be somewhere right away?"

He rolled his eyes so hard, I almost repeated my omega dad's saying, Careful, they'll stick like that. "No. They just don't like to be confined. Must be a wolf thing."

"You're stuck with me for the duration, too, I suppose. My dragon wasn't crazy about flying in the storm last night."

"I'm glad to have the company. No need to rush off. Are you hungry?"

My stomach rumbled, answering without words, and I clamped a hand on it. "Sorry. I guess I am. Do you have any cereal or granola bars?"

"Why? Do I look like the worst host in the world?" He brushed past me on his way to the open kitchen. "Or do you just like the sounds of crunching first thing in the morning?"

"No, but since I didn't see a woodstove, I assumed you wouldn't want to use generator power."

"Propane, baby." He grinned and pulled eggs and bacon out of the refrigerator. "I can toast the English muffins on the griddle, too, because the toaster would waste electricity."

"Sounds amazing. What can I do?"

He put me to setting the table while he whisked eggs and fried bacon. It had never occurred to me that you could cook on a standard stove when there was no power, but of course gas or propane would work just right. The only thing he had to do was use matches to light the burners because the electronic ignition did not work. I wasn't sure if that was approved by the manufacturer, but everything looked and smelled amazing.

Soon we were sitting at the table eating bacon and the fluffiest eggs ever. The English muffins were better than any I'd ever had from a toaster. "Try it with some of the jam." He pushed a bottle toward me. "I buy it from a little old lady who sells it every summer for a little extra money. She's famous around here."

I opened it and inhaled the fragrance of summer. "Blueberry. My dad picks them and puts them in pancakes or makes pies."

"Yum. I think we might be able to find some around here, if you want. Once the storm ends, that is, and I finish cleaning up the aftermath." He sounded a little annoyed, but the look in his eyes told me he was looking forward to getting things back the way they should be.

"Do you get a lot of storms around here in the summer?"

He shrugged. "We get a few, but most of them blow through without doing too much damage. It's only when they linger like this that things flood or get ruined other ways."

He looked even better than last night, although I did miss seeing his defined abs as revealed by his lack of shirt the previous night. Arvin's breakfast conversation flowed, but I kept getting lost in his eyes or focused on his lips. Even his forearms held my attention, the muscles flexing as he speared eggs with gusto. My dragon was very pleased to see him eat well, responding with a satisfied purr deep inside me.

When we finished eating, Arvin stood to clear the table, but I bounced onto my feet too and picked up my plate. We carried everything to the sink where Arvin washed and I dried. Standing so close to him, I breathed his scent and swayed closer.

"Stone, I need to tell you something," he said.

"Me too." I wrapped an arm around his waist and pulled him to me, descending to take his lips in the kiss I'd been wanting since he answered the door last night. At first, he tightened up, lips firmly pressed together, but after a moment, he relaxed and brought an arm around my neck, holding on tight.

When we stepped back, he tilted his head to the side, looking curious, and before he said anything, I hurried to say, "I'm so sorry if that wasn't welcome. I misunderstood."

"I was surprised. But it was welcome."