Chapter Twenty-Five
Twenty-Five
Zamir
"Can I take her?" Silas asked, nodding to my head. He was in his human form so he could move around easily—his troll form was much taller and wider—and his black hair fell in a mess of waves over his forehead, his equally dark eyes sparkling as he eyed the top of my head.
"What?" Confused, I reached up, and blinked when I felt feathers against my palm. Oh, right. Now that the Murder Triplets had accepted me into the family, Nugget had decided my head was the perfect nest for her, even though she didn't quite fit. I was glad she hadn't tried to lay an egg. Yet.
"Of course. Here," I said, wincing as she dug her talons into my scalp. Freeing my poor skin, I handed her to Silas. She froze as she stared up at Silas, then melted into his arms.
I narrowed my eyes at her, feeling betrayed. It'd taken me days to win her over, and yet here she was, falling all over herself to cling to Silas the moment she met him. What the fuck?
Silas grinned and tapped her beak, then picked up the other two chickens like it was nothing before walking through the portal. He'd already moved their pen, as well as the bunnies and their hutch.
The cats were in their carrier, and the dogs were already in my cabin.
"For someone who has lived for 2,000 years, you don't have a lot of stuff," I commented as I eyed the packed boxes. Some of his kitchen stuff had been moved to the Sanctuary's kitchen, and the other things had been donated. He'd also put his house up for sale, furniture included.
The boxes included clothes, books, toys for the animals, and various animal foods.
Nolan shrugged, his journal cradled in his hands.
It was his most precious possession. His memories, his hoard.
He'd told me about some of the other people in it, and I loved hearing him talk about them, even the ones he'd been romantically involved with.
I didn't feel the need to be jealous of someone who was long gone from his life.
In fact, I was glad he'd had those people, glad he hadn't been alone.
Nolan was made to love, and I was happy to be the person he loved now.
It didn't take us long to move the rest of his stuff, and the others even helped us unpack everything. The headmaster had set up the portal like always, and retreated to his office after telling me how to close it. He and Keoni still weren't speaking to each other, and it was affecting everyone.
As people with different needs and personalities, the residents of the Sanctuary had disagreements. We argued, we fought, but not like this. This was different, though I wasn't sure why. It felt different, and I knew I wasn't the only one feeling it.
Keoni changed the subject every time anyone tried to broach it, and Touya—the only one willing to try to talk to the headmaster—said the headmaster was the same. Neither of them were willing to take the first step, and I didn't know how long that would last.
While the Sanctuary was stable now, I knew we couldn't relax. I hoped Nolan moving in would help, but until the headmaster was willing to accept Nolan's help, I didn't think things would go back to normal.
"All right, that was the last one!" Liam declared as he flattened the box, and I smiled. He was a human, and one of the sweetest people I'd ever met. He was the same height as me, but broader, more muscular, with soft, dark brown eyes and perfectly styled blond hair.
"Thank you for your help, everyone," Nolan said, and Silas waved him off.
"Bah, don't be so formal. We're family now. See you two at dinner?"
I nodded, and Silas winked before leaving. Liam gave us a slightly awkward wave before following after him, and I turned to Nolan.
"Welcome home," I murmured, and he smiled, wide and happy, as he leaned down to kiss me.
I kissed him back with a happy sound, delighted to finally share my home with him.
I wanted to go to bed with him, wake up in his arms, have breakfast with him and my friends, and show him every inch of my home.
I knew he'd get along with everyone here, and I knew he would win the headmaster over too, sooner or later.
Once our lips parted, we stood there for a minute, holding each other close, before Nolan pulled back and looked around. "Where are the chickens? And the bunnies?"
"Oh, right. Come on!" Taking his hand, I led him into the backyard. "Ta-da!"
The yard wasn't fenced in, but four posts marked the edges. The posts weren't simple wood, but one of Draven's inventions. They'd keep the pets from wandering away, not that they could go far inside the Forest.
The hutch and the pen were set up on opposite corners, the hutch near the small porch we stood on, and the pen across the yard. The hens were busy exploring the yard, while the bunnies were still cooped up in their hutch. I hoped they'd get curious and start exploring soon.
"Oh wow. Will they be okay out here? It won't get too cold at night?" Nolan asked, and I smiled at his concern. He was so cute.
"They'll be okay. The temperature here is pretty regulated, the snow the other day notwithstanding."
"That's good. The chickens seem to like it."
"Yeah, I thought we could sprinkle their feed in the grass. It would make a fun game, and I made sure nothing here can make them sick."
Nolan didn't say anything, and when I glanced up, I found him smiling at me. "What?"
He shook his head, then leaned forward to kiss my cheek. "Nothing."
Shaking my head, I led him back inside and showed him the little nook I'd made in the corner of the living room for the cats and dogs.
Silas had offered to expand our cabin to add a separate room for them, and I thought that might be a good idea.
Then again, they'd slept in Nolan's bed every night I was there, so maybe it didn't matter.
Nolan
The residents of the Sanctuary were a lively bunch for the most part, with a few quiet ones who kept to themselves, but I still talked to more people over dinner than I ever had during a meal.
Talking to them, I could tell how close they were to each other, and to Zamir, and I was eager to get to know them all better.
The Sanctuary truly felt like one big family, and I'd never been a part of something like this before.
Only a few weeks ago, I would've refused an opportunity like this.
But now, I was eager to befriend all of them, and it was all thanks to the man at my side.
After dinner, we went back to the Forest, and Zamir dragged me back to his—our—place after we bid his friends a quick good night.
Meows and barks greeted us as we walked in, and Zamir chuckled as Clip jumped him, pushing him back into the wall. He ruffled her fur, a wide grin on his face, and I fell a little bit more in love with him as he murmured to the dog.
Muffin stood in front of me with a wagging tail, and I ran my fingers through her fur.
"Come on, guys. Time for bed," I said, and their ears perked up.
"Do they need to be walked?"
"I think Touya took them before dinner," I said, and Zamir grinned.
"There's gonna be a line of people wanting to walk them, you know. Touya will probably add it to the chore chart."
"Really?"
"Yup. Come on, let's go to sleep."
I made a mental note to find Touya and get myself added to the chore chart. I also needed to find Zephyr and try talking to him. The Sanctuary was still unstable, and I wanted to help him return the balance.
We changed into sleep clothes and slid into bed, and I realized that for once, I felt tired. It was rare for me to get exhausted, but today had been a long day.
Zamir turned on his side to face me, and I pulled him close, sliding my arm and leg over him to pin him to me. He smiled as he threw his arm over my torso.
The dogs and cats found spots for themselves all around us, leaving us no room to move.
"Hmm, maybe we need a bigger bed," Zamir mused, then chuckled. "But I also like being squished up against you."
"Me too," I said with a smile, and leaned down to press a soft kiss on his lips. We kissed for a few minutes, but it was clear neither of us wanted to take it further tonight.
"I'm so glad you're here," Zamir said when we parted, his brown eyes shining with warmth.
"Me too. This place feels like home."
Zamir beamed at me, shuffling even closer as his arm tightened around me. "Doesn't it?"
I hummed, pressed a kiss into his curls, and let my eyes fall shut. The last two weeks had been something of a whirlwind, and so much had changed in such a short time.
Zamir had turned my world upside-down in a matter of days, and I was grateful. I'd forgotten what it felt like to live instead of going through life day by day. I'd pushed people away and turned into a loner, convinced myself that my fur children were enough, that I didn't need anyone.
"I love you," I whispered, my heart aching with how full it felt.
I'd thought my heart was shattered, that the only way to keep it safe was to keep it shielded.
But Zamir... Zamir had cupped it between his palms and healed it in a matter of days like it'd never been broken.
I still loved all the people I'd lost, but it didn't feel like they'd taken parts of myself with them.
Zamir had filled the cracks left behind with his love until my heart was full and strong once more.
"I love you too," he replied, and I could hear the smile in his voice.
I exhaled slowly, holding him close as sleep tugged at me. Leaves rustled outside, and the breathing of our dogs and cats mingled with Zamir's soft breaths, creating the perfect mix of sounds for me to fall asleep to.
Zephyr and I were still on the outs, and I'd need to work hard to fix that. The Sanctuary still wasn't completely stable, and Zamir's friends were stuck on the outside until it was fixed.
But for tonight, everything was perfect. I had my mate in my arms, we were finally living together, and nothing could ruin this moment.
As if to prove me wrong, Muffin—who was splayed out behind me—let out a loud fart, and Zamir snickered into my chest.
I sighed and waved my hand around us to disperse the smell. Most of the time, my superior senses were useful, but right then, I'd happily trade for human senses.
Once the cloud of death had dispersed, sleep came quickly, and I fell asleep with my nose buried in Zamir's curls, excited to wake up tomorrow in his arms. And the day after that, and the one after that for the rest of our lives.