Taurian cursed as he opened Dena’s back door and shut it behind him. Damn woman didn't know when to stay put for her own safety. A low pitched howl had vibrated in the air near her home. Even in his human form, he'd been able to hear it. There were woods to the right. Was his enemy hiding there? Feasting on one of Earth’s creatures to lure out Dena so it could attack her? Taurian jogged down a dirt path to find the source of the noise.

After two turns, he stopped. A dog-like creature had a leg stuck in a trap.

“Easy there.” He kept his voice level with enough volume to be heard, but not loud enough to startle the animal. “I'll get you out of there in a nanosecond.”

“Careful,” Dena whispered near him. “That's a coyote and it might bite out of terror and pain. Let me call a wildlife expert to help.”

But the coyote was attempting to escape and had chewed on its leg making a puddle of blood underneath it. The animal needed out of this metal contraption now.

Taurian pressed down on both sides of the trap. The metal groaned and snapped. At no urging, the coyote slung its foot out. But when it tried to stand, the creature crumpled.

“Its injury is severe and probably needs surgery.” Dena frowned and scooted closer.

The coyote snapped its teeth in her direction.

“No, take it easy little one.” Taurian reached out and stroked the coyote’s side. It trembled beneath his touch. “She's a doctor...an animal one and can help you.”

“We need to get it inside. Let me grab some anesthesia so it’ll be out of it when we move him.”

“She might bolt or try to if you leave. Best if I carry her and go with you.” He kept his hand on the coyote’s flank as comfort to the animal.

“No.” Dena shook her head. “This is a wild animal. It might bite you if you bump the injury or something.”

“If she bites me, she knows I'll bite her back.” He winked and chuckled when Dena blanched.

As Dena stared at him with dread in her dark eyes, he gently scooped up the coyote. Her bleeding leg was mangled. He didn't know how Dena would repair it with the backward technology humans had.

He followed Dena back to the house and laid the animal on the table she indicated. But the coyote shivered and tried to stand and leap off.

“Shhh, luv,” Taurian whispered to the animal and placed his hand on its head. “Dena will fix you up, I promise.”

Dena tapped a cylinder then met his gaze. “Hold him, he might fight when the needle sticks him.”

With a nod, he placed both hands on the coyote. One on her head to keep her from reaching around to bite Dena and the other on her torso to keep her still.

When the needle pierced the coyote, it scrambled to find purchase on the metal table. The coyote whimpered as Dena pushed the vial and the liquid medicine disappeared into the animal. Soon its breathing slowed and its eyes rolled up. He stroked the fur another moment while Dena scrubbed her hands then put tight gloves on.

She lifted the coyote’s injured leg then grabbed a bottle and a pile of small white squares. “How did you know it was a she without looking?”

“Her scent. I smelled that she was female.”

“Really?” She dabbed at the wound. “Like a bear can?”

He shrugged. “I probably smell better than any of your Earth creatures.”

“And have a bigger ego than anyone I’ve met.”

“I’ll take that as a compliment. A dragon is bigger and better than anything else.”

“Here, throw these in the trash, please.” She scrapped the blood-soaked clothes toward him. “I’ve cleaned her injury and might be able to fix her up with stitches and a metal stent where she can’t bite at the wound. But it will still be weeks before she can walk properly.”

“Fix her up, Doc.” Taurian winked. “She’ll be running in no time.”

For the next two hours, Dena repaired the damage as best she could, including stitching up the coyote’s leg. Then she strapped a metal frame around the injury. “There. Now she just needs rest and time.” Dena rolled her shoulders back. I’m going to go get cleaned up, then we’ll go grab some pizza.”

“Pizza?” The foreign word was strange on his lips.

“Holy Cow! You’ve never had pizza?” She wrapped her surgical items and soaked them in the sink. “Okay, we’re having a buffet and then ice cream afterward. My treat.”

“Buffet? I thought you said we were having this pizza.”

“Yup. An all-you-can-eat pizza buffet. I’ll be back in ten.” She glanced down at him. “Um…you might want to get cleaned up too. You’ve got her blood all over you.” Dena opened a metal cage. “Help me get her in here, when she wakes in a few hours, she’ll be safe and unable to injure herself. I’ll leave water for her too.”

After they had the coyote secure, Taurian showered and dressed. When Dena walked from the backroom thirty minutes later, he whistled. She had her dark hair up out of her face. Her clothes were tight and showed off her curves.

“Maybe we can just stay here and peel those garments off you.” He grinned. “They look like they’re too constrictive.”

“No way.” She shook her head, but there was a pink blush on her cheeks. “We’re going out to eat.”

“So the touching—”

“Only with my permission.” She grabbed a small white bag then headed outside. “Come on, I’ll drive you.”

“Where are your horses?”

She laughed and opened a metal door on a small machine. “God, I wish I could know the past like you do. Someday though, I’d like to see your world.”

“That can be arranged.” He hauled her closer to him. Her spike of adrenaline and arousal had him cursing under his breath. Why wouldn’t she give in to the desire he knew she felt?

“Oh?” Her breathless voice undid him, and he lowered his mouth to hers.

At first, her body tensed, then she coiled her fingers through his hair. He pressed his body closer to hers as their kiss spun from sparking cinders to an inferno. His hands roved her body and she moaned against his mouth when he brushed the underside of her breast with his thumbs.

A honk sounded behind him, and Taurian spun, ready for battle.

Two young boys drove past in a metal contraption and hooted and hollered. Taurian shook his head. Males…guess they were the same on every planet during puberty. When he turned back to Dena, she was sitting inside her metal device and was swinging the door closed.

“You okay?” If the boys had offended her, he’d hunt them down and make them apologize.

“Fine. Get in, I’m starving.” Her lips were swollen from his kiss. So why did she go from heat to cool in seconds?

He walked around to the other side of the metal box and after fiddling with the outside, the door clicked open. Copying her movements from earlier, he sat, filling up the space. His head brushed against the top and his legs were folded up below him.

“Here. Seatbelts are always needed in a car.”

Car. “Like a cart?”

“Something like that.” She pulled a belt from the door and fastened it around him.

The scent of her soap and shampoo like apples made him want to kiss her again. But he’d give her time. She would want him like all the other females he’d been around had.

A varoom vibrated as she turned a key into a small lock. The car jerked as she pulled a lever and stomped her foot down on a metal plate.

“Hzruk!” he said when the car lurched forward and into the street. Trees and houses zoomed by. It was almost as fast as flying.

“Don’t worry,” she patted his hand, “I’ve never had a wreck yet.”

That’s not what bothered him. What he was worried about was all the other drivers she sped past, weaving in and out of their path as they zinged along the road. If she thought this was fast, he needed to take her flying on his back.

Minutes later, she pulled along a building. When he opened the door, she clicked off his seatbelt so he could exit the vehicle. The scent of cheese and tomato and spices filled his nostrils and his stomach growled in anticipation. If this pizza was half as good as it smelled, he might consider visiting Earth more often.

Seeing another male with his arm around a woman, Taurian copied the move on Dena.

She shoved his arm off. “We’re not a couple or even dating, all right? This is just lunch…that’s it.”

“If that’s what you have to tell yourself.” He grinned and she rolled her eyes.

She shook out her hand, frowning.

“What’s wrong?”

“Sorry, just my cut acting up again.” She shook her head. “It’s not infected, I’ve poured more antibiotics on it than would cure a horse. Guess it’s just an ache from healing.”

“Are you sure you’re okay?” He paused on the street and snatched her elbow. “Maybe we should take you to a doctor.”

“I’m fine.” She smiled. “I would know if there was something wrong. There’s no redness or puffiness or any signs of infection. Don’t worry about it.” She took off her bandage and tossed it into the can outside the doorway. “See? I don’t even need that anymore, it’s scared over. Stop worrying and let’s eat.”

She had to be right about her wound or she’d tell him or seek a physician. He pushed aside his concern and followed her.

Inside the building, flavors wafted together until he was certain he’d encountered some food aphrodisiac. Circles of food steamed from a long table.

“Help yourself.” Dena handed him a plate. “Everything’s good here so dig in.”

He snapped up two full pizzas, but when they wouldn’t fit on the plate she gave him, he stacked them on top of each other. Then he grabbed three more: one with so much meat he was sure they’d used the entire animal to make it.

Dena placed three slices of what looked like a pizza with vegetables and he followed her to the table.

“I’m sorry, sir.” A young man pointed to Taurian’s pile. “But you’ll have to pay extra if you don’t eat all of those.”

Seeing Taurian’s choices, Dena hissed, “That’s way too much food.”

“The day a flimsy circle of dough can fill up a dragon is the day I’ll stop hunting.” His voice carried farther than he realized as the entire restaurant went quiet and Dena’s eyes grew wide. Shit, now how had he screwed up?