Chapter Three
When Ridge woke up, his back hurt. He wasn’t sure how long he’d slept, but it wasn’t long.
He hadn’t been lying when he told Kael that he’d been trained to sleep wherever he could in both his forms, but that didn’t mean he enjoyed it or that it was comfortable.
He could shift, but that might make things awkward because of the nakedness of it all.
He had a pillow, at least, and Kael had left a blanket for him at the foot of the bed.
Since the house wasn’t cold, Ridge had used it as a makeshift mattress, but it hadn’t been enough.
He really hoped no one would try anything with Kael today because Ridge wasn’t sure how he’d react.
Either he’d be so irritated that he’d end up strangling that person, or he’d be too slow to move because his back felt like he was a hundred years old.
He groaned and stretched. From what he could see, Kael was still in bed, buried under the blankets. He was probably still asleep, which meant Ridge had a few minutes to use the bathroom before things turned awkward again.
He got to his feet and stretched again. His back cracked, making him wince, but he felt a little less stiff once that was done. He made his way to the bathroom slowly, glancing at the bed to check in on Kael.
He looked adorable. His eyes were closed and his mouth slightly open, and he was breathing lightly.
He always looked young, but then, he was young, especially compared to Ridge.
Ridge wasn’t old in shifter terms, but he was several decades older than Kael, and he wondered if that was one of the reasons Kael had been avoiding talking about them.
Part of him wanted to believe that Kael was avoiding him because he truly didn’t know if there was something between them, but was that the truth?
Was Ridge trying to fool himself so he wouldn’t have to face the reality that Kael didn’t want him?
He shook his head. He couldn’t start thinking like that, especially when they hadn’t even talked.
Now might not be the right moment, but that moment would come eventually—hopefully as soon as this mission was over.
Ridge had accepted the job because he hoped that being away from home would make things easier on both of them, but instead, Gregory had stuck them together.
This might be the worst or the best thing that could’ve happened, and Ridge couldn’t tell which yet.
Kael was still sleeping when Ridge left the bathroom after taking a quick shower.
He had his hand under his cheek and his lashes were fluttering, which told Ridge he was about to wake up.
Since he didn’t want things to be uncomfortable, he quickly finished getting ready and stepped out of the bedroom.
He heard the creaking of the bed as he closed the door, which hopefully meant that Kael was awake.
Ridge found Poppy in the kitchen, drinking coffee.
She grinned when she saw him, something she seemed to be doing a lot.
Maybe she was just a happy person, or maybe she had that much faith in Ridge and Kael.
He knew Kael didn’t want to disappoint her, and Ridge felt the same, even if not with the same intensity.
In the end, it wouldn’t change anything for Ridge personally if people didn’t trust Kael and the council enough to give them an opening, but Kael would probably feel rejected by his own people, and that wasn’t something anyone wanted.
“I wasn’t sure what you’d want for breakfast, so there’s a bit of everything,” Poppy said.
“We’ll eat as soon as Kael is here. He shouldn’t be long.”
Sure enough, Kael shuffled in fifteen minutes later, dressed and still looking half-asleep. He made grabby hands when Poppy offered him coffee, making her laugh.
“What’s on the schedule today?” Ridge asked once they were settled.
“Well, the leaders want to meet you. They’re excited to talk to Kael and ask him questions.”
“Excited?” Kael asked, sounding anything but.
“They know you’ve been living with humans for the past few months. They’re curious. So am I.”
“Is that why they agreed to meet me? Just questions about my life?”
“In part. We’ve had several demons lately who’ve requested authorization to leave town and move into the human world.
So far, they’ve been denied, but they’ve been pushing, and I understand why.
I think some of the town leaders do, too.
They’re curious, and they want to know what it’s like and whether it would be safe for us to move out of our towns. ”
“Is that something you would want?”
Poppy shrugged. “I don’t know. I’m happy where I am.
I have a job I like working for one of the leaders, and I have my own place.
I won’t deny that the thought of visiting the human world is appealing, though.
Maybe I wouldn’t want to move there, but I would definitely want to see the world and what it offers.
I would also love to make friends with some humans or shifters.
Maybe there’s a mate for me somewhere out there, and the only reason I haven’t met them is that I’m stuck here. ”
She tapped her fingertips on the table. “I think that’s what most demons are looking for.
We’re wary and a little scared because we don’t know what’s going to happen when we open up our towns, but we’re also eager to find out what’s out there.
We don’t want total openness, but we want to be able to go back and forth, and maybe even welcome some outsiders into our towns as long as they respect the rules.
And maybe in time we’ll be able to fully take down the shields, but I doubt that’s going to happen anytime soon. ”
Ridge agreed. He was glad he didn’t have to say anything. He was here as a bodyguard, not as the council’s representative, and he was more than happy to stay quiet and hover close to his mate.
He had a lot of work to do anyway.
*
AS SOON AS THEY LEFT Poppy’s house, it was clear that the word of their presence had spread.
Ridge wouldn’t say that a crowd had formed in front of Poppy’s house, but there were definitely more demons milling about than there had been yesterday.
Most of them were standing around in small groups, quietly talking to each other and acting as if they had a good reason to be there, but some couldn’t hide the way they were staring at both Kael and Ridge.
Ridge didn’t care. He squared his shoulders and straightened his back, keeping his expression neutral.
Usually, his job didn’t involve anyone staring at him, but he’d been trained for this, too.
He’d been trained for many things, from killing to protecting someone to working undercover.
He was worried about Kael, though, who looked jumpy as hell and kept glancing around with wide eyes.
Ridge was there to protect him, but not only that. He was also there to support him, so he put a hand on the small of Kael’s back to reassure him. Kael startled, but he smiled up at Ridge, which made Ridge feel better.
They might not have talked about what was happening between them yet, but it was important that Kael know that Ridge was there for him. He wasn’t going anywhere, not even if Kael told him to. His job was clear—he would stick to Kael’s side until Gregory called him back.
Poppy walked along the street as if she didn’t notice the people standing there. She was quietly explaining to Kael who he was going to meet, so Ridge tuned in.
“Both of them are eager to talk to you,” she was saying.
“Elvis is a little more hesitant, but he’s a good leader.
He knows that this town could benefit from opening up to humans.
” Poppy hesitated. “His wife passed away a few years ago. Our doctors tried everything they could, but they couldn’t help her.
They were pretty sure that humans would’ve been able to do something, but of course, they weren’t allowed to reach out. ”
“That’s sad,” Kael murmured.
“It is. That’s why Elvis will probably be on your side, though. The two of them want to meet you today before you meet everyone else.”
“So it’s like a small council?” Ridge asked.
Poppy nodded. “I guess you could call it that, yes. There are five of them. Together, they make the main decisions about the town, make sure that it’s still protected and that the shield is intact, things like that.
The meeting was offered to all of them, but only Elvis and Bill agreed for now.
You’ll meet the others tomorrow, though. ”
“They don’t want to meet us,” Kael said.
“They’ll talk to Elvis and Bill once the meeting is over. I’m sure those two will be able to convince the other three. In the end, they don’t need to convince anyone to open up the town. They just need to talk to you. It’s the first step.”
It was, and Ridge could see how important this was to Kael. He probably missed Starhaven. Ridge didn’t know if Kael regretted leaving, but he’d lived there all of his life. He probably missed a lot of things about the demon world.
This was a chance for him to get some of that back. Ridge understood how important this was for him, and he hoped Kael would get what he wanted.
He hoped everyone would get what they wanted—Kael the opportunity to be with his people, the council the chance to build a relationship with demons, and the demons a chance to benefit from the world beyond their small towns.
* * * *
KAEL HAD BEEN ANSWERING questions for what felt like hours.
He didn’t really mind—in fact, he was eager for the demons talking to him to find out more about the human world.
Even though he sometimes felt uncomfortable in himself, he truly believed that it would be in everyone’s best interest for demons and humans to be open to each other.