Chapter One #3
He supposed he could tell Gregory he’d changed his mind. Gregory might not even ask for a full explanation. But would Ridge do that?
He didn’t want to. He didn’t want to disappoint Gregory, who’d clearly been working hard to make this happen.
Even more than that, he didn’t want to send Kael into whatever town they were supposed to visit on his own.
He was sure that Gregory would find someone else to go with Kael if Ridge told him he didn’t want to go anymore, but how could Ridge trust them?
He might if it was Tex or another of the assassins he’d trained with, but even then, he wasn’t completely sure.
Kael was his mate, and he was unclaimed.
More than that, if Kael was in danger, Ridge would have to be the one to save him, not someone else.
He sighed. “All demons are pretty sheltered,” he said. “But yes, I agree that he’s probably the best person to do this. From what I know, the other demons who live in the human world have been here for much longer and have fully adapted.”
“You’re correct. They’re fully part of the human world now, and it’s been years. I don’t even think most demons would want to talk to them.”
“You can’t be sure they’ll want to talk to Kael either.”
“I can’t be, but there’s a good chance that they will. He’s not threatening at all. He might not become best friends with any of them, but I think they’ll at least listen to him. The council has already reached out to a few town leaders, and we’ve chosen your first stop.”
“All right. Send me everything by email, and I’ll go over it. When did you say we were leaving?”
“Day after tomorrow, if you and Kael can work things out. I know it’s quick, but I believe the sooner we do this, the better.”
“I agree with you on that. Getting the demons to open up to the human world is going to take time.”
“Thank you, Ridge. I really wanted Nymon and Tex to go, but since Tex trusts you, I’m glad it’s you.”
“I’m glad you trust me.” Ridge couldn’t say he was glad it was him, but he supposed he’d have to deal with whatever the universe was throwing at him.
Hell, maybe it would be good for him and Kael.
Maybe they’d finally have the opportunity to talk.
If they did this, Kael couldn’t run the way he did every time they were in the same room.
That happened fairly often. After all, their best friends were together. Ridge wasn’t sure why no one had said anything about the weirdness between him and Kael, but considering everything, he was pretty sure that Tex and Nymon had a hand in what was happening.
He wasn’t even angry. They wanted Ridge and Kael to work things out, just like Ridge did. Maybe if he managed to tell Kael that he was his mate, Kael would give him a chance. Maybe he’d stop running. Ridge wasn’t sure what he’d do if Kael didn’t, but he supposed he’d find out soon enough.
But he had to remember that they were being sent away for a specific reason.
They had a job to do, and that was what they should focus on.
They’d have the opportunity to talk, especially during travel, but that wasn’t something Ridge should focus on right now.
No, he needed to focus on the mission and what they would potentially find once they reached the first town.
The demons might know they were coming, but that didn’t mean they wouldn’t be hostile, and Ridge’s first priority was to protect Kael and make sure nothing happened to him.
It wasn’t only because Kael was his mate.
It was his job, and he was proud to say that he took it seriously.
“You’ll have to pick him up from his apartment,” Gregory explained. “I’m sure you know he doesn’t drive.”
Ridge swallowed. “So we’re driving?”
“The first town isn’t that far, and I thought it would be better than shimmering there. If anything, it gives you an easy way out if you need to leave in a hurry.”
“I suppose so.”
“Of course, if you have a different idea, just let me know. I’m open to changes. You’ll be the one on the ground, so you’ll know better than me.”
“I think driving sounds fine, at least for now. We can reassess if it doesn’t work once we’re there. We can always call for someone to shimmer us out if we have to.”
“You can, but remember that they won’t be able to shimmer inside the town.”
“So the leaders know we’re coming?”
“They do, and they’ve agreed to meet with Kael and listen to what he has to say. He’s going to have to be convincing.”
“I think he can be.”
“I think so, too. He just needs an opportunity to shine, and this will be good for him.”
It probably wouldn’t be good for Ridge’s heart, though. Unfortunately, that wasn’t something Gregory was worried about. He didn’t even know that Kael was Ridge’s mate. Ridge hadn’t told anyone—not even his best friend.
He had an opportunity here. He could take it or leave it, and he knew which one he wanted.
He and Kael wouldn’t be focused on work the entire time.
They’d have some downtime, especially in the car while they drove to the town and then back home.
Ridge could find the right moment to tell Kael about their bond.
He didn’t know how Kael would react, but he wouldn’t find out until he tried, and he would now have several hours to find the best moment to do so.
Hopefully, it wouldn’t send Kael running—or rather, jumping out of the car.
* * * *
“I JUST DON’T GET WHY you don’t want to go,” Kael explained.
Nymon stared at the ceiling. They were both on the couch, a glass of wine in hand, talking.
Kael had spent a lot of time in the apartment that Tex and Nymon shared since he’d moved.
He had his own place, but sometimes it felt too big, even though it was only a one-bedroom apartment.
It was smaller than the little house he’d had when he lived in Starhaven, but it felt more lonely.
Kael wasn’t sure why he felt like that. It wasn’t like he’d had a lot of visitors or that he’d lived with someone in Starhaven.
He’d been alone back then, too, with only Nymon for company.
They’d visited each other quite often, which Kael was still doing.
He should probably stop. Tex hadn’t said anything, but he and Nymon had just found each other.
They probably wished they had more time alone without Kael under their feet.
But Tex hadn’t said anything, and neither had Nymon. Until they kicked Kael out, he wasn’t going anywhere. He knew his best friend. Nymon wouldn’t hesitate to let him know if he wasn’t welcome. Hopefully, that would never happen, because Kael wasn’t sure what he’d do if it did.
That was one of the reasons he’d decided to move when Nymon had.
He’d been terrified because he’d never been to the human world, like most demons, but that was where Nymon had been going, and Kael hadn’t been about to let him go on his own.
The thought of something happening to Nymon was almost as terrifying as the thought of staying back in Starhaven on his own.
So here he was, in the human world, on Nymon’s couch, both of them staring at the ceiling while sipping wine. Kael missed his house and Starhaven, but at the same time, the only person he would’ve missed was right there with him. It helped.
“Why would I want to go?” Nymon asked.
“Don’t you miss Starhaven? Or our world. I know that Starhaven wasn’t great, but maybe the village that Gregory wants us to visit is going to be better.”
“Even if it is better, I don’t belong there anymore. I belong here, with Tex. Why would I want to leave?”
“To see the world. To be with demons for a little bit. Don’t you miss it? Don’t you miss not having people stare at you every time you set foot out of the house? Having people know who you are and not caring about it?”
Nymon sat up and turned to face Kael. “Is that what’s happening to you? Are people bothering you?”
“No one has said anything,” Kael quickly said.
“That doesn’t mean they’re not making you uncomfortable. What’s going on?”
Kael shrugged and took a sip of wine. He grimaced because he didn’t really like wine, but Nymon had offered, and Kael hadn’t wanted to say no. He didn’t want to be a bother. “Nothing’s going on. I’m just finding it hard to find my place here. I guess it’s because I don’t have a mate.”
Nymon opened his mouth, but Kael already knew what he was about to say. He didn’t want to hear it. He was afraid to hear it.
“Because demons don’t have mates,” he quickly added. “I know that they can be someone else’s mate. You’re proof of that. I’m just alone, and it’s a little bit harder to navigate than I expected.”