Chapter 336: Chapter 336 - Great Food *Always* Beats Heart Hazardous Gifts
Alessandro eventually arrived with our first course after I held my tongue for a while and she sat quietly watching me. A lighter portion involving seafood - in this case Sea Bass - and assorted vegetables that this server called Ceviche.
Once again, I’m forced to witness how much humans rely on citrus for their meals, but Kyrie didn’t seem to have a problem. I guess growing up in this world it might be gotten used to, but a month has not done me much good.
Still, I was grateful for the interruption, needing a distraction to process my feelings. The first bite reminded me of sashimi, so I got used to it quickly enough.
As we ate, she asked a few thoughtful questions about my former life. What the kingdom was like, about fox shifter society in general, and about my role in the courts. I found myself answering more freely than I’d intended between spoonfuls, even after changing focus to the second course’s Roasted Butternut Squash soup.
> After clamming up for that long earlier. This isn’t just proof that I can be so easily appeased as long as I am fed... is it? <
The third course arrived, perfectly timed so that Vrika could avoid engaging with my foolish question. My tongue ran across my lower lip as I smelled the well browned, single jumbo scallop that was being placed in front of me.
The moment it was appropriate to ’dig in’, I did so... only to find her portion being pushed over to clink against my plate. Looking warily across the table, she just smiles at me until I push it back.
"I’ll eat it if you really don’t want it, but-"
"Please do. I’m saving room for the main course tonight."
Well, this body doesn’t seem to understand the concept of saving space for anything in its stomach, so I graciously accept the offering as the conversation then shifted to lighter topics. About places I’d been to and liked in the city.
Kyrie also spoke of her life and work, though I noticed it felt carefully edited to exclude anything too proprietary. The apple and mint sorbet that was brought out cleansed my palate and my head.
It was all... pleasant. Too pleasant.
I’d found myself relaxing and even laughing at some of her drier observations of my world. Admiring her wit even more and not just her stupidly sensual beauty. Which felt like dangerous territory... to be getting more attached.
> This is why I should have just refused. But I talked myself into coming by imagining I could send her packing too easily. <
Sighing in my self deception, there was a sudden and discreet cough from a distance that had not happened with the other courses. The host that had brought us in stood there holding a palm-sized, white-ribbon wrapped box in his hands. Suspicion bloomed immediately in my heart that was verified all too quickly by his voice.
"Pardon the interruption, Ms. Voss. Your assistant had asked that this be delivered to your table after the intermezzo was served."
"Thank you."
Kyrie took the item from his outstretched hand, then held it instantly out to me without even waiting for him to leave. I hesitated, my curiosity eventually rising past the small voice that begged me to bolt for the door.
Finally, I took it while glaring at her. Which did nothing but make her smirk and raised my hackles at whatever she is planning with this moment. Pulling the ribbon, my fingers pause at lifting the lid.
"I feel like I shouldn’t."
"I’d prefer you at least look before deciding, but if you feel you must refuse, it is alright. I can hold onto them for a while longer."
Ignoring how that sounded like she’d been waiting patiently to give me whatever it was - *definitely* not the reason I looked! - I find the pair of hair ornaments inside shining candlelight balefully back at me.
Bright, white metal cuffs with an attached elastic band that would look very nice with my hairstyle. Encrusted with small cabochon sapphires, all practically the same royal blue color as the cheap plastic I was wearing.
However, the centerpiece of each was a notably bigger... gray version of the same stone, if I am not mistaken. While the others are beautifully even-colored, these have the fairly desirable six-point asterism crossing it.
"The color of the stones suits you."
She said it so simply and sincerely that I couldn’t say anything back. My hand just twitched around the box as I panicked on what to do.
"After you opened up to me on who you are, I thought about having the gray stones replaced. Since they were meant to match your current eyes. But I think they look rather sophisticated and could bring people balance and tranquility."
"...You mean the gems?"
"If that’s what you want to think I meant, Citra. I can have them fixed as you like. My future mate deserves the best that can make her happy."
There it was. After all her talk of her hopes being separated, that possessive claim rears its head again. I should have been furious or fed up that it would do so while trying to gift me something that just might cost... more than I ever spent off of her card.
Instead, I found myself circling a finger over the exquisite craftsmanship and wondering what sort of metal it is. The platinum I have hidden away comes to mind quickly as a possibility. Two fingers stretch the dark elastic bands on one of them experimentally before I shake my head.
"They’re beautiful. But I can’t accept these."
"Okay. But why not?"
"Because they feel like they mean something. An obligation."
Kyrie stood up and walked over. So quickly! Before I could stand, her foot had already caught my chair and turned it out enough for her to grasp the arms and lean over me with a knee on my skirt.
Her gaze started orange, but faded to brown rapidly. I still wanted to transform and bolt away from the overwhelming presence of her scent. Something about it reminded me of when she caught Ellie being what she considered too friendly.
"They mean I see you, Citra Lomdi. The woman who likes her hair in twin tails. Who clearly prefers silk to denim. Who told me herself that she rose up with royal bearing even when face-down in the mud."
I swallowed hard, unsettled by all of this. Most of all my reaction. I could have tried to push her away or just ordered her to back off.
> I can’t tell. If I’m afraid she won’t. Or that she will. <
My wolf howls on the rooftop garden in my mindscape. Plucked of all flowers again, except those of her late mother’s favor. And a single blooming marigold. Hoarsely, I speak out in reality.
"And the vocal claim? Is that *seeing* me too, or just your wolf’s instinct talking through you?"
"Both."
She barked out without hesitation while pushing herself back up. But not moving her knee. I still feel ’pinned’ in. Probably because I’ve seen her in action twice now and have no belief that I could take her by surprise if push came to shove and I could rally myself to fight out of this seat.
"My wolf recognized you instantly for what the Goddess thinks we can be, yes. But I’ve come to know you since then. Your strength of will, your intelligence, kindness, and your determination when it matters. Those are the qualities I admire, not just the bond between us."
"There is not a bond..."
I insisted weakly, though the words felt hollow despite them being so true. Nothing of that sort had happened yet... and Kyrie didn’t argue. Instead, she just put the lid back on the hair cuffs before moving back to her seat.
"...Belongs to you regardless, to do whatever you’d like with... no obligations attached."
Catching her whispers, I can’t help but wonder if she was talking about the gift... or something else again - *someone* else. The steaks arrived shortly after that, as if the server had been waiting for us to be done with whatever drama we had going on.
Or at least that’s what ran through my head as I held a hand harshly over my face and hated myself. For losing all desire to run away the moment I could smell the ’dry-aged’ Ribeye.