Charmed By The Fox's Heart: Superhero Reverse Harem Romance (Cosmic Guardians Book 1), стр. 11

Chapter 6

Kyra

My mind slowly comes back to awareness as the smell of bacon fills the air. A sizzling sound tells me it’s cooking on a stove somewhere. My eyes snap open to an unfamiliar room. Covered by a thick green fluffy comforter, I’m surrounded by a masculine scent, a cross somewhere between fresh rain and forest. Oddly appealing, I breathe it in deep.

I realize it’s coming from the bedding. I dart a quick glance around the room. The walls are a pale, calming green, with several paintings of nature scenes. I’m in a four-poster bed with intricate carvings of vines and flowers etched into the rich, red colored wood.

Panic fills me. Where am I?

I lift the comforter and breathe a deep sigh of relief when I find I’m still completely clothed—a good sign. I hope it means I didn’t do anything crazy like sleep with a stranger. I drop my head onto the pillow, struggling to remember how I got here. What the hell is going on?

“Are you all right?” Astra stares down at me, along with a fluffy white fox.

I blink and shoot up in the bed, grabbing Astra in my arms and holding her tight to my chest.

“Get back!” I yell at the strange white fox.

Its blue eyes stare at me with an almost puzzled look.

“It’s all right, Astra,” I tell her. “I won’t let him eat you.”

The fox purses his lips, appearing offended by my statement. “Why would I eat a cat when I’m about to have bacon?” He rolls his eyes, then turns, jumps off the bed, and saunters into the hallway as he glances over his shoulder. “Really, you humans are so strange.”

I blink several times as I stare in shock at the far wall. Astra wriggles out of my grasp and places a paw on my hand, drawing my attention back to her.

“I know you think this is all some kind of dream, Kyra, and I’m sorry you’re being introduced to all of this so… quickly.”

I swallow nervously, then swing my legs over the bed.

“Where are we?” I ask, figuring if I’m still dreaming, I might as well ask questions so I can figure out how to wake up that much sooner. “Please tell me I didn’t do anything embarrassing.”

“We’re at Cael’s apartment,” she replies. “He brought you here after you passed out at the café.”

“All right.” I drop my head into my hands and run my fingers roughly through my hair. “I remember going to the café, and…” I level an accusing glare at Astra. “You started talking to Cael, and I passed out.”

Astra shrugs. “What was I supposed to do? Be rude and not say anything to him?”

Speechless, I stare at her in astonishment a moment before I stand. Moving quietly, I make my way down the hallway. Soft jazz, mellow and discordant notes, drift through the room.

I walk into the living area. It’s finely furnished with a long L-shaped sofa, thick, plush green cushions, and a piano that sits in one corner of the room. It’s connected to the kitchen, separated only by a long black granite counter. Cael’s back is to me, his sleeves rolled up his forearms, as he stands before the stove, cooking bacon in a pan over the heat.

The white fox sits on the counter beside him. As if sensing my presence, it turns, and its bright blue eyes meet mine, then it leans toward Cael and whispers in his ear.

Cael spins to face me, greeting me with a wide smile.

“You’re awake! Thank goodness.”

“Um… what am I doing here?” I ask the most obvious question.

“I brought you here after you fainted in the café. Aris would have come too, but it was right before the morning rush, and he knows the ins and outs of the café much better than I do and—”

I lift my hand in a bid to allow me to speak. “What I mean is… why did you bring me here?”

He gives me a concerned look. Moving the pan off the burner, he walks over to me, and his teal eyes meet mine intently.

“I promise you I would never do anything to harm you in any way. I just wanted to take care of you, make sure you were all right.” He gestures to Astra, then back to the fox. “When I first met my familiar, it was a shock for me, too. Aris as well,” he adds. “So, I thought it would be good to bring you here to meet Lynx.” He gestures again to the fox. “I’ll do my best to answer any questions I can. I was hoping you might have some answers for me as well.”

“Me?” I ask incredulously. “What kind of answers?”

His brow furrows softly. “When you found Astra, is that the first time anything… magical has ever happened to you?”

“Magical?” I blink several times as I process his words. “Yes. I don’t recall having encountered any magic before…” I gesture to Astra.

“Okay.” He smiles. “How about a cup of coffee, and we’ll talk about all this?”

“I…” I open my mouth to protest, then decide to just go with it. If I’m going to go crazy, I might as well go all in. “That would be great.”

He nods and moves back to the kitchen. I notice he has a machine similar to the espresso maker they use at the café. The delicious, rich smell of coffee fills the air as he prepares our drinks. When he comes back to the living room, he hands me a steaming mug.

“Careful,” he warns. “It’s hot.”

I make sure to grab the handle to keep from burning my hand. I lift it to my nose and inhale deeply, drawing