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Kryxis snorted. “Niset, esta mikark fras ick.” He covered his nose, and she laughed again.

“Just because it smells bad doesn’t mean it’s not good. Although…” She checked the expiration date, but it was fine. She sniffed it herself and smelled nothing wrong. He was just being picky.

Kryxis went over to one of her shelves and searched around, moving aside food cans. He poked inside one cabinet and made a sound of surprise before pulling out a blue bag.

Dani stilled. “Uh, Kryxis…”

He opened the bag and sniffed. “This smells better.”

“Wait, that’s—”

He reached in and scooped up a handful of dry food and put it in his mouth, crunching on it.

“Kryxis, that’s cat food!”

He stared at her in confusion as he continued to chomp on the kibble. She covered her eyes in embarrassment, trying to stifle her laughter.

“Tastes fine,” he said.

She snatched the bag from him before he could reach in and take another fistful. “Cat food is not for you.”

As if he wasn’t listening, he went to another shelf and found the wet cat food, turning it in his hands before popping the can open.

“Don’t you dare.” She snatched that from him too and set it out of his reach.

A soft mew came from her bedroom. She looked over to see Chowder sticking his head out from her closet, meowing to her.

“Oh, Chowder, I’m so sorry.” She noticed his automatic feeder dish was full of dry food, but he had likely been too scared to come out and eat. And she’d yet to give him his wet food. She peeled off the metal lid and took the can over to him. Crouching down, she set it on the ground next to the closet. Hesitantly, Chowder came out and smelled the can before taking small bites. “That’s my good kitty,” Dani cooed, petting his head and back. A shadow moved over them, making Chowder jerk back and hiss. Kryxis stood by the doorway. Dani moved to push him back into the kitchen.

He pointed at her cat. “It gets meat, but I don’t?”

“You do get meat just notthatmeat. Now sit over there,” she snapped, pointing to the table.

Grumbling, Kryxis took a seat at the table, his tail flicking around like an annoyed cat. Ignoring him, she went back to preparing an actual meal. “Cooked, remember?” she said to him as she flipped the meat in the pan, and he hissed back at her, making her laugh.

Fifteen minutes later, she set the food out with a pitcher of water to share. She sat next to him, sliding over a plate. Kryxis went to grab the meat with his hand, and she smacked it away then gave him a fork.

“Why?” Kryxis said, gripping the utensil.

“Because it’s good manners at the table.” She smiled. The dark look he gave her made her chuckle. He muttered something in his tongue then stabbed the meat. Without looking away hepulled the meat off the fork and took a large bite, ripping into the meat, shredding it with his fangs and spraying her with meat juice all at once.

“Ugh!” she cried, wiping her face. “You jerk!”

Kryxis laughed, and she threw a green bean at him, making him wince.

“Oh, it’s not that bad. Don’t be a baby. Here.” She spiked a couple of beans with her fork and reached over, attempting to put them in his mouth. He jerked away and hissed like Chowder, taking another large bite of meat and spraying her once more. She got on his lap and tried to wrestle one single vegetable into his mouth, but he wouldn’t have it. By the end, he had her arms pinned and the green beans were on the floor, and he was reaching for another slice of meat.

“All right, you win. For now.” She laughed, struggling in his grip. He loosened his hold but kept her in place on his lap.

“Dani, stay,” he said.

She shifted but didn’t try to break free. “Okay, fine.”

Looking satisfied, he tore off a piece of meat and offered it to her. “Eat,” he ordered.

Eyes locked, she leaned forward and clamped her mouth down on the meat between his fingers, letting it slide onto her tongue. Kryxis’s pupils widened, a flicker of fire passing over his gaze.

She smiled as she chewed, liking the way he looked at her and the way his hand brushed along her back. A comforting touch. Swallowing, she licked her lips, studying his face. There was a thin blue circle that went round the circumference of his iris, but the rest of his eye was red like low embers. It really was stunning. The blue eyes along his brow were like gems. She lifted a hand and brushed her fingers just above them, and they didn’t blink, but she caught a silvery white in their depths, like little slits.