Chromium, formerly the finest warrior in the Drakkaris dragon guard, huddled in the shadows as rain fell on the dirty streets. He had sensed something dangerous in this area, and since he was not the type to walk away from danger, he’d decided to camp here and wait.

He’d always had an uncanny ability to sense when something with ill will was around. It was a skill that had come in handy as the royal bodyguard and helped him rise in the ranks of the dragon guard.

After guarding kings and dignitaries, some might say the target he was now protecting was a step down, but Chromium didn’t think so.

The small building down the street from the alley where he waited held his favorite restaurant and a person who was quickly becoming his favorite.

As well as his favorite lasagna.

Chromium had been enamored by human food from the first moment he’d set foot on this planet. While the others had found mates, Chromium had quickly discovered his place was in the kitchen, and he could quickly and easily put together meals that tasted great without even breaking a sweat.

This lasagna, though, was eluding him. It was better than anything he’d ever eaten, and he hadn’t been able to replicate it at home.

So he was back here when he wasn’t even supposed to be outside the mansion.

He told himself what he was doing was safe. That he was born to be the strongest of those around him, so nothing out here could cause him harm, but deep down, he knew he was breaking the rules. Going against the orders of the oracle.

Causing trouble, most likely.

Except even Cobalt was mated now and there was a truce with the wolves, and Chromium honestly didn’t understand why he should avoid the human world at all at this point.

He was doing them a favor. He’d come into town, try to stop at least one crime against humanity, and then reward himself with a treat, stopping at a new restaurant that served human food.

No one had to know, and no one had to be hurt by it.

His ears perked at the sound of voices, and he looked up from behind the large trash can he was seated beside to see three men walking down the street toward the restaurant.

He narrowed his eyes at the fact that they were pulling on masks to conceal their identities even further in the darkness.

He got into a crouching position, ready to stand if they came closer, trying to get a better idea of their plan.

If anyone planned to hurt Helen, the owner of his favorite restaurant, they were going to answer to him.

Why anyone would want to hurt her, though, was beyond him.

Helen was a beautiful woman with a kind smile, little crinkles around her eyes from laughing, and a beautiful, sumptuous body that Chromium—if he were less honorable—would have already gotten his hands on.

Blue eyes that sparkled in the light. Blond hair in all shades of gold with some brown in it as well. It came only a little past her chin and some brushed her shoulders, but it was pretty and shiny with loose curls.

He snapped out of fantasizing about her as he heard one of the men speak as they passed him.

“No one hurt her, okay? We’re just there to scare her. Shake her up a little.”

“And rob her.”

“Right. No one has to get hurt if we’re careful. We just want to send a strong message since she hasn’t been listening.”

Listening to whom? Whatever this problem was, Chromium didn’t think it was going to go away, even after he’d dealt with it. He made a mental note to call Cobalt later to see what he thought about it.

Then he stepped out of the shadows and directly into their path.

He clenched his fists and cocked his head side to side, waiting.

The men looked at him in trepidation but then made as if to go around him.

He blocked their path.

“What is this, a hobo?” The one who seemed to be the leader folded his arms and shook his head in exasperation.

“A big one.” His friend took a step back.

“The biggest I’ve ever seen.”

“I don’t care.” The leader reached for something in his jacket. “I have to teach Helen a lesson, and this big lug isn’t going to get in the way.”

Chromium’s movements were lightning fast. He made it to the leader in an instant, disarming him and taking the knife he’d been pulling out of his jacket.

He saw one of the other guys lift a bat, and Chromium threw the knife into it so hard that it knocked the bat clear out of the guy’s hand, leaving him shocked as it went shattering into the wall.

The third guy was still holding back, looking as if he wanted to run.

“What the fuck…?” The leader looked torn, glancing between the restaurant and their route of escape and realizing that even though they were close to their destination, with Chromium there, they were still quite far away.

“Get out of here,” Chromium said in a low grumble.

The third guy ran for it, emitting an unmanly scream and dodging the remnants of the bat.

The leader, however, pulled out another knife and gestured to his friend, who did the same. They both started circling Chromium.

“Nice move, but try it again and I’ll gut you,” the leader said.

“What are you doing here? Why would you want to rob Helen?”

The man shook his head. “That’s not your business. If you get in our way, you’ll be dead.”

Chromium scented the air. This didn’t seem to be a shifter issue. “I’m afraid I can’t let you do anything to this place or to Helen. She’s my friend.”

“And what are you exactly? Some kind of bodybuilder?” the leader asked.

“What’s with that hair?” his cohort added.

Chromium shrugged. “It signals my experience as a warrior.” He cocked his head. “You’ll see in a minute if you insist on going through with this.” He frowned. “If you choose to be that stupid.”

He typically wasn’t one for using a lot of words, but men like this made it hard to stay silent.

They’d made him unreasonably angry by threatening Helen and by refusing to back down when he’d given them warning and had no desire to hurt or kill a human and get in trouble for it.

He wasn’t supposed to be outside the mansion in the first place.

But he was, and now he suspected that his utter rage at the fact that Helen was threatened meant she was more than his favorite human.

The fact that he wanted to throw common sense to the wind and breathe dragon fire and just vaporize these men meant she was probably his mate.

He heaved a deep breath. That made things complicated.

The leader decided it was a perfect time to throw his life in the garbage and lunged at Chromium. Unwilling to risk this man coming back to hurt Helen, Chromium knocked the knife away with his bare hand (all of his skin was protected by a chromium coating and impervious to metal) and grabbed the guy by the collar, lifting him easily.

The other one dropped his knife and tried to run, and Chromium bent down to grab the knife with his free hand and then threw it expertly at the running man, catching him in the ankle and forcing him to fall to the ground in a heap.

Chromium calmly went over to grab him and lifted him in the air as well. He was trying to figure out how to dispose of the men while getting in the least trouble when he saw light stream into the alleyway.

The door to Helen’s restaurant was open, and unless he was mistaken, her curvy form was filling the doorway.

Damn.

He’d been planning to knock these guys’ heads together and then plant stuff to make it look like they’d fought, but with Helen watching and probably part of her restaurant staff still there, it might not be a good idea.

She walked out into the night, and he saw rain bouncing off her hair, which glowed in the light from the restaurant.

“Who’s out there? What’s going on?”

The men looked up at him as he let out a sigh of frustration.

“No one,” he called back.

But to his dismay, he heard the clink clink of those little pointed shoes humans wore as Helen ran closer.

“Oh my God, put them down,” she said. “Right now. No fights in front of my restaurant.”

Chromium grunted in frustration. “But—”

“No buts.” She stomped a foot, hands on her curvy waist.

Chromium was in a bind. He didn’t want to let these guys come back and hurt Helen, but he didn’t want to commit violence in front of her and make her think he was a brute. Plus, it was oddly hard to think with her standing there, looking sensual and delicious and smelling like every good thing in the world.

He slowly lowered the men to the ground, and they took off, slipping as they ran away into the darkness, leaving no trace they’d been there except for a couple of glittering knives.

Helen walked forward. “Thank you.” She looked down at the pavement where one of the knives had landed. “Oh my God, is that a—”

“Knife.”

She gasped and took a step back, and Chromium had to stifle a laugh. It’s not like the thing would pop up and go after her.

For a human, she was definitely cute.

She looked up at him, still a little shocked. “You’re awfully dirty. Are you okay, mister—”

“Chromium.”

She folded her arms and cocked a hip, and her hair swung sassily to one side.

He just wanted to throw her over his shoulder and—

“Well, I’d like to thank you for not fighting outside my restaurant.”

“They were planning to rob you,” he said shortly.

“They what?” Her wide blue eyes blinked up at him as she smoothed her hands over her apron.

Small hands. Soft hands. Beautiful thighs beneath that apron. Chromium’s mouth watered more than it ever had for lasagna.

“Wanted to rob you. I heard them.”

She blinked in surprise. “And you… That fight was to stop them?”

He nodded.

“Oh.” She looked lightheaded for a moment, and he took a step forward protectively. She put a hand up, shaking her head. “No, I’m fine. Here, you want to come in for some dinner? We just closed up, but I can heat something up for you.” She cocked her head, narrowing her eyes. “You know, if I look through all the dirt, I think I recognize you. You that big guy that comes in sometimes and orders lasagna?”

Chromium gave her a nod.

She smiled. “One of my best customers. And now my hero.” She turned to head back to the restaurant, waving for him to follow. “So you better come on in and let me say thanks.”

He followed her, deciding that would be just fine.