Chapter Five #3
“We’re stopping at another demon town on our way there,” Ridge explained.
“That’s good. More people need to hear about what’s out there. Watching it on TV isn’t enough. It doesn’t tell us everything we’re missing out on.”
“It’s a little bit cruel, isn’t it?” Kael said. “Because we don’t know if you’re ever going to be allowed to leave. We’re showing you what you could have, but what if you never get it?”
Poppy shook her head. “We already know what we’re missing.
We can see it in the movies and TV shows we watch.
We have dreams. Having you here showed the people who were hesitant that it’s a good thing to open up to others.
Like you said several times, they don’t have to allow humans or shifters to move into the villages and towns.
They don’t even have to make them visible to anyone.
They just have to stop keeping us prisoners in them.
The world in our villages and out there has changed, and it’s only right that we do, too. ”
“I hope you get what you want,” Ridge told her.
“I’m sure I will, eventually. In the meantime, I’ll think about how happy the two of you are together and how jealous I am.” She laughed. “I hope you have a good life.”
“We will.”
Ridge actually believed that. Things were a little shaky right now, and it was entirely his fault. He was going to have to find a way to fix it, and he was planning on doing just that.
He wasn’t letting go of Kael—unless that was what Kael wanted. If Kael wanted to separate, Ridge wouldn’t stop him. Instead, he’d try to woo his mate, something he probably should’ve done from the beginning.
He’d heard Kael talk about the bond and what he’d hoped for when he left Starhaven.
He might not have known they were mates back then, but he’d known there was something there, and he’d wanted there to be.
He might not have said the words, but Ridge was sure that Kael wanted them to be together.
If he had to guess, Kael had pulled back again because he was afraid of how Ridge was feeling.
He probably wasn’t afraid that Ridge was angry or that he would take it out on him, but he knew Ridge had been hurt. That was true. Ridge had been hurt by the rejection, but he should’ve known better. In fact, he had known better.
He knew that Kael was hesitant and didn’t know what he was doing when it came to relationships. Even more than that, Kael didn’t feel like he belonged in the town where they lived. He’d mentioned several times that he hated people watching him all the time, making him feel like he didn’t belong.
That was a lot to deal with. It might be too much to deal with, and Ridge didn’t want to add to Kael’s burden. That hadn’t been his intention when he’d asked Kael if he wanted to bond last night.
They climbed into the car. Ridge wanted to start talking right away, but he wanted to give Kael a little time to relax first, so he waited. They left the town, waving back at Poppy, without any trouble. They found the road, and Ridge started driving.
He opened his mouth to say something, though he wasn’t quite sure where to start, but Kael beat him to it. “Can we stop there? I want something to drink.”
Ridge glanced at where his mate was pointing. There was a diner up ahead, with two people exiting as they approached. “Are you hungry?”
“And thirsty. That’s okay, right?”
“Of course it’s okay.” Maybe they could talk over coffee and pie. That would surely help Kael relax.
Ridge waited for Kael in front of the car once he got out.
Kael quickly joined him, and together, they walked toward the diner.
The door opened as they reached it, and they stepped aside to let a father and child pass on their way out.
The father looked up at Ridge with a smile on his face, but that smile froze as soon as he saw Kael.
He ushered the child away, glancing back as if he was afraid.
Ridge opened his mouth to say something, though he didn’t know what.
Before he could, Kael was already inside the diner, clearly having dismissed what had just happened.
Ridge wasn’t sure how he could do that. It had to have hurt him, but he didn’t say anything.
He just made his way toward the closest waitress, smiling at her even as she visibly stiffened at the sight of him.
Ridge hated this. He hated it so much, and he didn’t know how his mate could stand it.
* * * *
KAEL HATED EVERYTHING. He hated what had happened between him and Ridge last night—not the sex, but the mess after Ridge had asked Kael if he wanted to bond. He hated that they had to leave the demon town because he’d liked it. He liked Poppy and the people there, even after the confrontation.
He hated what had just happened with that man pulling his son away from him as if he was a monster about to cause harm. He didn’t know Kael. He didn’t know that Kael would never hurt a fly, let alone a young boy. He’d assumed, just because of the way Kael looked, and that was what hurt the most.
Kael couldn’t help being a demon. He couldn’t help being different from humans.
He’d never had a problem with what he was.
In fact, he’d always felt part of his community, which was possibly because it was the only place he’d ever known since he was born.
But he’d never felt self-conscious about what he was until he’d set foot in the human world, and spending time in a demon town had made him realize just how much he was changing himself to accommodate other people’s comfort.
Part of him wanted to go back. He wouldn’t be welcomed in Starhaven, but he could find somewhere else to call home, like the town they’d just left, or maybe the next one they were visiting. He was sure he could find something.
But that would mean leaving Nymon and Ridge behind. There was no way Nymon would ever leave Tex, and Kael wouldn’t expect him to. Ridge also wouldn’t be welcome in a demon town.
He hadn’t said no to Ridge because he didn’t want him.
He’d said no because he was scared, because he didn’t know what was going on, and because he needed a little time.
He thought that Ridge probably understood that, even though he’d been hurt by the rejection.
They would need to talk about it, and Kael planned on doing so, but he felt like the afternoon was already ruined.
Would Ridge look at him the way that father had?
Kael knew he wouldn’t. Ridge knew him, but even if he hadn’t, he knew that demons weren’t bad just because of what they were.
He was indignant on Kael’s behalf, and Kael liked that, even though he wished it wasn’t necessary.
He didn’t need Ridge to stand up for him, though.
He could do that himself, if he wanted to.
He just didn’t want to. It was useless to go after that man and tell him he was behaving like an idiot.
The man was just trying to keep his son safe.
Kael couldn’t blame him for that. He could blame him for being rude while doing so, but what would be the use?
The man was already gone, having dragged his son back to their truck.
All that was left was Ridge, who was hovering behind Kael as Kael faced the waitress.
“Hi,” he said, trying to keep his expression relaxed even though he could see how wary she was of him. Once again, she didn’t know him. She only knew the way he looked, and it had been enough for her to decide that he might hurt her. “Just the two of us.”