Chapter Five
“What do you think?” Ridge asked as they walked down the sidewalk on their last night in town.
Kael looked around. The place was peaceful, much more so than where he and Ridge lived.
It probably had a lot to do with the fact that this town was tiny compared to their hometown, which unfortunately hadn’t helped them feel particularly welcome.
Most people had been nice, but Kael had mentioned having a hard time dealing with people watching him, and Ridge felt guilty, even though it wasn’t his fault.
There wasn’t anything he could do except scare people off, and he didn’t think that was the best idea.
He needed to stay invisible most of the time.
He wasn’t sure he would still be able to do that.
He didn’t want Kael to have to be invisible, but being with Ridge might put him in danger.
Ridge didn’t want Kael involved in anything connected to his job, but some people might come after him.
Some people might be looking for revenge, and if they couldn’t get to Ridge, they might try to get it through Kael.
Just the thought made Ridge feel sick. He didn’t think he could retire just yet, but at the same time, his job felt too dangerous to continue—not for himself, but for his mate.
That was something he would have to talk to Gregory about when they headed back tomorrow.
He wasn’t sure the man could help him, but he could at least give him a few pointers.
If Ridge wasn’t going to quit his job, he needed to find a way to deal with the fear of what might happen to Kael.
Gregory was probably the best person to ask, beyond other assassins, but it wasn’t like Ridge kept a list of their names and phone numbers.
“I don’t think we convinced everyone,” Kael said.
He sounded thoughtful, as if talking to these demons had left him with more questions than when he’d arrived.
Maybe it had. He’d mentioned that he missed his old town sometimes, and Ridge could understand that.
He wished there was something he could do to help, but at the same time, he was glad that Kael had left Starhaven.
If he hadn’t, they wouldn’t be together.
Though Ridge wasn’t sure they were actually together.
They hadn’t talked about it yet, and they hadn’t kissed again, although they’d shared the bed for the remaining nights here.
They were just both so tired by the time they were done talking to what felt like a million people that they went to bed after dinner and conked out.
Poppy had thankfully not looked offended by that, and Ridge hoped that she would get what she wanted, whatever that was.
Maybe she wanted to leave this place and find out there was more to life than what she was used to here. Maybe she hoped to find a mate, or a job. Maybe she just wanted to see the world. That was also a valid reason to want to leave the place she’d been born.
Hopefully, she would be allowed to eventually.
Ridge didn’t think it would be quick or easy, but it also didn’t have to be hard.
It wasn’t like all demon towns needed to agree on a decision.
They just needed one or two leaders to relent and see how much good they could build if they gave humans one little chance.
“We didn’t come here to convince everyone to leave town. In fact, I never thought we would convince anyone to do so.”
Kael nodded. “I guess I hoped I would be able to show them how wrong they were.”
“You don’t think you have?”
“I don’t know. I like to think that seeing me, talking to me, has opened these people’s minds up, but what do I know? I left Starhaven because I had to.”
“You could’ve stayed behind,” Ridge pointed out.
“And been completely on my own? While my best friend settled down somewhere else and eventually started a family? No. Nymon and I are going to be in each other’s lives forever, which meant that if he left, I had to do the same.” Kael paused. “Besides, there was you to consider, too.”
“Was there? You didn’t know you were my mate.”
Kael shrugged. “I didn’t know it for sure, but I could feel it.”
“You never said anything. In fact, you ran away from me every chance you had.”
“I was scared. I still am a lot of the time. I have no idea what I’m doing, and I know how important this is to you. I don’t want to mess things up when you can’t have another chance at this.”
“I don’t think there’s any way for you to mess this up, not unless you tell me you don’t want it.” Ridge was half afraid those were the next words that would come out of Kael’s mouth, but instead of saying something, Kael stopped walking.
The town was quiet around them, but then, it always was. There wasn’t much of a nightlife, which wasn’t surprising considering most of the people who lived here were families and elder demons. There wasn’t a lot to do for the younger ones, but hopefully that would change soon.
Ridge wondered how many of them would leave. Would they move away completely, or would they eventually come back with a mate? Would they build a family inside or outside the village?
There was no way for anyone to know, but it was clear that the way demons had been living for so long wasn’t working anymore.
As the world around their towns grew more modern, it also grew more attractive to the demons stuck inside them.
They wanted to see the world. They wanted to be able to experience it the way everyone else did, rather than through a screen.
Not all demons would understand that, but they didn’t have to.
Only the ones who wanted an opportunity needed to.
While Kael hadn’t chosen this life, he was doing the best with what he had.
He hadn’t wanted to leave Nymon, and here he was, telling Ridge that Ridge had been part of his decision to leave, too.
Ridge had a hard time believing that, but he wasn’t about to call him a liar.
There was no way for Ridge to know that for sure, and part of him wanted to believe he was one of the reasons Kael had decided to leave Starhaven.
“I don’t know what I’m doing when it comes to us,” Kael said, not looking at Ridge. He sounded hesitant, and Ridge wondered if he was about to get rejected. He really hoped not, although if he was, he would survive.
Mates were meant to be perfect for each other, but not all of them ended up together.
Did he want to be with Kael? Yes. It wasn’t only the bond, but also the man he’d gotten to know over the past few days.
He’d listened to Kael explain to countless people everything he’d found in the human world and everything he hoped all of them could find, too.
He’d listened to Kael speak about his dreams and his fears.
He knew him better than he had when they’d arrived, and he wanted to continue getting to know him.
“You don’t have to know anything,” Ridge said, hoping he was saying the right words.
“This isn’t just a relationship. It’s a bond between mates.
We can make it whatever we want. We can move at whatever pace we feel comfortable with.
I already told you, I don’t care how long it takes you.
I just want to know that I have a chance with you, that I can continue hoping for the best.”
“We have a lot to talk about,” Kael murmured.
“We do.” But here wasn’t the best place to talk about things. They were surrounded by demons who were watching their every move.
That didn’t stop Kael from coming closer, though. For the second time, he stunned Ridge by kissing him.
Ridge could only kiss back, and as he did so, he prayed he would be able to kiss back for the rest of his life.
* * * *
KAEL WAS WARM. IT WASN’T only because he’d had two glasses of something very sweet that Samara had pressed into his hand at the end of the evening, insisting that if he was going to be there and tell them all about the human world, the least she could do was give him a proper demon drink.
He hadn’t been able to say no, and besides, it had been good.
He didn’t usually drink, and it made him feel loose and happy in a way that he didn’t usually feel.
But that wasn’t the only reason he was warm. The other reason was walking next to him, close enough that their arms brushed every few steps, and Kael wasn’t moving away.
He didn’t want to.
That was the thing, wasn’t it? He’d been spending so much energy on not wanting things that when he finally stopped, it was almost dizzying to realize how much he did want.
He wanted Ridge next to him. He wanted to stop being afraid of what that meant.
He wanted to kiss him again, the way he had earlier when the words had run out and his body had decided to take over.
He’d kissed Ridge twice now. That felt important.
Poppy had stayed behind, not ready to leave her friends, which Kael suspected meant she was trying to give them space. He was grateful for it. The night was cool and still around them, and he felt unguarded in a way he didn’t usually allow himself, especially not with Ridge.
“You were good in there tonight,” Ridge said.
“I think the drink helped.”
“You were good before the drink.”
Kael glanced up at him. Ridge was looking ahead, his expression relaxed in the way it only got when he thought no one was paying attention. Kael had noticed that about him over the past few days. Ridge had a public face and a private one, and the private one was softer.
He liked it.
“I meant what I said in there,” Kael said.
Ridge’s jaw tightened slightly. “I know.”
“I didn’t say it just because Poppy was watching.”
“I know that, too.”
They’d reached the house. Poppy had left the porch light on, and it cast Ridge’s face in gold. Kael stopped walking. Ridge stopped a few seconds later, turning back to look at him with a question in his eyes, and Kael decided that he was tired of waiting to know what this felt like.