Romani Prince

Chapter 10: The Kiss

Zed is happy to be out on a trail, instead of the usual street blocks that he runs with me.

Luka crouches in front of Zed to give him some water.

We showed Luka around town, had lunch, and he convinced Mina to let me bring him to the trail... alone.

"He likes you."

Luka pats and then scratches Zed's muscled chest.  "And I like him!"  He straightens up and tilts his head, placing his hands on my hips.  "Now, how did you end up with a Bull Terrier for a pet?  I was kind of shocked when I saw this bully laying on your very pink and fluffy cover."

I have to chuckle, used to people being surprised by my choice of pet.

"Zed was a gift from an old friend of my father's on my seventeenth birthday.  My parents would have preferred something more like a lapdog, but it would be rude to refuse the gift...  I think he's absolutely perfect!  The contrast I needed for all the girly stuff in my bedroom!"

Luka raises an eyebrow.  "You... don't like your own bedroom's decoration?"

Shaking my head, I imagine that Luka will think I let my parents run my life when, in truth, it simply doesn't matter to me.  The day I'm finally earning my own money, I'll decorate my place the way I want and I'll wear whatever I choose.

"It's my mother's taste, just like most of my closet..."

But Luka doesn't say anything about my parents or how I allow them to rule my world, for now.  Instead, he simply holds my chin and makes me look into his eyes.

"I want to know all about your dreams.  Everything you want from life."

Oh, my heart...

"And I want to know all about you, too."

Luka pulls me against him and sinks his face in my hair, whispering in my ear.  "We'll have the rest of our lives to learn, to share and experiment new things together."

Suddenly, Zed fixates his eyes on Luka and growls low but menacingly.

We both look at him and I smile.

"It's a warning.  He doesn't like it when people touch me.

"Hmm..."  Luka squints his eyes at Zed and lets go of me, crouching again in front of the dog.

Zed's tail goes back to wagging away.

"You better understand who's the alpha here, buddy, or we're going to have a problem."

I laugh.  "You're not his alpha!  I am!"

Luka holds my arms, giving me a cocky smile.  "No, mierea. You're not his alpha, you're his charge.  The one that he's compelled to protect.  Don't you see?  Zed thinks you belong to him."

"What?"  I guffaw out loud.

Luka stares into Zed's eyes, pulling me again into his arms.

Once more, Zed growls softly and Luka pets him, tail wagging and all.

"He'll soon learn that I'm also your protector."  Luka stands up and takes my hand, giving me his crooked grin.  "And so will you."

And I'm baffled again because it's my dog that he's talking about.  I squint my eyes at Luka.  "How do you..."

"We breed Pit Bulls."

Obviously, but...

"Please, don't tell me you breed them for fighting..."  The mere idea makes my stomach sink deep down.