Read Online For the Heart of Dragons by Julie Wetzel - Free Book Online Page B

got a whole house to explore, she thought, scolding herself as she went to find the little dragon. “Byrd,” she called as she glanced in rooms as she passed. He wasn’t upstairs. “Where are you?”
    A strange thumping noise had her hurrying downstairs.
    “Byrd?” She paused at the bottom of the steps, but she didn’t see him in the living room.
    A distressed cry from the kitchen had Kara rushing around the end of the bar. What she found stopped her dead in her tracks, and she covered her mouth in shock. The kitchen was wrecked. Several boxes were knocked over and spilled. Cans and packages of food were scattered all over her new laminate floor, and Byrd stumbled around in the middle of the mess with a box stuck on his head, keening in distress.
    Trying to suppress her laughter, she rushed over to him. “Sweetheart,” she cooed as she dodged around his flailing wings and caught him by the shoulders.
    He chirped in alarm and froze.
    “It’s all right,” she reassured as she pushed the mess out of the way and sat on the floor next to him.
    Byrd shook his head, trying to get the box loose, but it was stuck.
    Kara ran her hands over his warm scales, calming him. “Easy there.” She slipped her hand inside the box and pushed back the flap of cardboard that had gotten stuck on the boned frill at the back of his head. Lifting it up, she pulled the box off.
    Byrd snorted and shook his head as he backed away, glaring at the box furiously.
    Kara tried to hide her smile, but the cross dragon was just too cute. A soft snicker slipped out, and he turned his angry look to her. “I’m sorry,” she apologized, but she couldn’t get the grin to go away.
    Byrd shot her a hurt look.
    Feeling bad about laughing, Kara apologized again. “I’m sorry, Byrd.” She set the box to the side and looked around at the mess. “What were you doing?”
    “Hungry,” Byrd whined. He lowered his head as if he had done something wrong.
    Kara’s heart broke, and she shifted up so she could catch the dragon around the head and pull him into her chest. “I’m sorry, sweetheart,” she said as she held him. “I forgot about food.” Letting out a sigh, she dropped back so she could look at her small houseguest. “How about we order a couple of pizzas?”
    Byrd considered her for a moment before nodding his head.
    Pushing up from the floor, Kara went to get her phone from her bag. “What would you like on it?” she asked.
    When Byrd didn’t answer, she turned to look at him. He had followed her out of the kitchen but had only gotten as far as the carpeted floor of the dining room before sitting down. Kara watched him, concerned by his posture. He was sitting back on his haunches with his head down and wings drooping loose as if he were depressed, but he was gurgling and chirping to himself. She caught snippets of words but couldn’t understand what he was saying.
    Her chest tightened as hope filled her. Could he be talking to Noah? Unwilling to interrupt his inner dialogue, Kara searched her phone for the closest pizza place and ordered a variety of pizzas. Hopefully, Byrd would like something she ordered.
    After a few more minutes of waiting for the dragon to finish whatever conversation he was having—hopefully with Noah—Kara called out to him. “Would you like to come help me put that room together while we wait for food?”
    Byrd’s head snapped up at the sound of her words. He blinked a few times before chirping his agreement.
    “Come on,” Kara said as she led the way to the steps. A positive feeling grew in her chest as he followed behind her, still rumbling to himself. If Byrd was talking with Noah already, then maybe there was hope for them yet.
     
    ***
     
    “I told you to stay out of that box,” Noah reprimanded Byrd as they followed Kara out of the kitchen
    The little dragon plopped down on the carpet just outside the door. “ Hungry .”
    Noah drew in a mental sigh and calmed himself. “ I know you’re