Chapter 9
Nine
Keoni
This was one of my favorite ways to spend time, and the fact that Zephyr was here too made it even better.
We were in a clearing in Forest, and Silas had brought over some chairs from the Dining Room. Dustin and Zephyr were in the chairs, while Khush's tail was wound around the tree branch he lay on as he watched over Dustin from above and chimed into the conversation every now and then.
Liam and Haruto were there too. Liam's shop was closed for the day—he'd kept it open every day so they could keep Khush and Dustin company, and was now taking a well-deserved break—and he sat leaning against Haruto, who was in his human form for the moment, probably because Silas, who was terrified of spiders, sat beside him with his mate, Touya.
Nolan and Zamir sat beside me, with Zamir cradled between Nolan's legs, his back against the dragon's chest. They looked very much in love, and the sight made me happy. I knew how lonely Zamir had been until he met Nolan, and I loved seeing him so besotted and adored.
The only Forest resident who wasn't here was Draven. When Silas had gone over to invite him, he'd replied with his usual grunt that meant he wasn't interested or that he'd drop by at some point. While Draven wasn't very social, we all knew he cared about us. He was all about actions and gestures.
I leaned into Zephyr's chair, gazing down at him as he talked with Dustin about who knew what. I couldn't really focus on his words, though the warm cadence of his voice washed over me like a warm, comforting wave.
When I'd first come to the Sanctuary, I'd been instantly enamored by him. At first, I'd thought I was just grateful since he'd saved my life. But when Draven made the cart and made it possible for me to walk again, I realized what I felt for Zephyr wasn't gratitude after all.
But since I'd lied about my age, I knew he would just push me away if I started expressing any interest in him, so I'd pushed those feelings away, and after a while, I'd managed to put him firmly in the friends category.
It was why I'd taken weeks to confirm it after the stars told me we were mates. I'd been worried my wishful thinking had made me read it wrong, but after multiple readings, I couldn't doubt it anymore. Zephyr was my mate.
Now that the Sanctuary was fixed and Khush and Dustin were back home, I could finally pursue him without restrictions. Zephyr took care of everyone with such dedication, and I wanted to take care of him. He deserved it, after everything he'd done for everyone here.
I didn't think I'd be able to do it alone, though. I'd need assistance from my friends, though I had a feeling they'd be only too happy to help. After all, Zeph had never asked them for anything in return for everything he gave them except a bit of magic.
"What do you think?" Zephyr asked as he glanced up at me, his blue eyes all warm and sparkly, and I blinked.
"Huh?" I asked like a dumbass, and he chuckled.
"Names, Keoni. We're thinking up names for the baby."
My eyes widened. "Oh! I've got a bunch!" I exclaimed as I took out my phone and pulled up the list I'd started making a few months ago.
"You do?" Dustin asked, and I grinned at him.
"Yeah. Ever since you two announced it, I've been noting down any good names I came across in books."
Dustin's eyes widened, then filled with tears, and I winced.
"Should I not have done that? I mean, obviously, you'll pick the actual name. I just thought you might like having the options. I looked up their meanings too, and—"
"It's okay, chill," Khush said as he dropped down from the tree and wrapped an arm around his mate, letting him cover his shirt in tears. "They're happy tears."
"Oh, phew," I mumbled as I pulled up the list and handed my phone to Khush.
He gazed at the screen, then shot me a smile before showing it to Dustin. "Look. It's alphabetized and everything."
I blushed at the teasing edge in his voice, then shrugged. I wasn't embarrassed of the effort I'd put into it. There wasn't much I could do to help Khush and Dustin on this journey of theirs, and I hoped this could make up for that a little.
Dustin took the phone from Khush as he wiped his eyes, and his lips parted as he scrolled. Okay, so it wasn't a small list. I just wanted him to have a good set of options to choose from, but I may have gone a bit overboard.
"Dude, you could make one of those baby name books with this list," Khush joked, and Dustin smacked his arm.
"Don't tease!" He beamed up at me, my phone clutched tightly in his hand. "Thank you, Keoni. This is wonderful. Can I send it to myself to look at later?"
"Of course. It's for you."
Smiling, he handed over my phone once he was done, and as I slid it back into my pocket, I realized Zephyr was watching me.
"What? You wanna tease me too?" I asked with a smile, and he shook his head.
"That was really sweet of you," he murmured, and that made me blush way harder than Khush's teasing had.
I shrugged and glanced away, only to meet Zamir's eyes.
He gave me a knowing look, and I sighed.
I had a feeling he'd figured out our connection too.
It wasn't like I wanted to keep it a secret, but I didn't know if Zephyr did.
I hadn't been able to bring myself to ask, but maybe it was time.
I had a feeling everyone would know soon either way, but we could keep rumors to a minimum if we announced it ourselves.
Plus, I wanted my age to be clear first. I did not want anyone thinking badly of Zephyr.
Zephyr
After lunch, Keoni followed me to the office, and I paused outside the door, turning to face him.
"Back to work?" he asked with a furrow between his brows, and I shook my head.
"I thought I might take a nap first," I said, and his brows shot up in surprise before he shook it off and smiled widely.
"Yeah? That's a good idea."
I sighed. "I feel like an old man," I grumbled, and he chuckled.
"If you're an old man, what does that make Nolan?" he joked. "Which you aren't, for the record. You've just been running on fumes for a long time, and now that your biggest stressor is finally gone, all that is catching up to you."
"When did you get so smart?"
Keoni smirked. "I've always been smart. I'm just good at acting like an airhead."
"I've never thought of you as an airhead," I said with a snort, and he smiled.
"Yeah, I know. You always see the best in me," he murmured, then shook his head. "Anyway, now go. Get some sleep. I'll see you later."
I was tempted to ask him to stick around like he had yesterday, but I kept my mouth shut. He'd be bored out of his mind just sitting there while I slept. He'd be better off going back and hanging out with the others.
"See you later," I replied, watching as he made his way back to the Forest before going into the office.
Touya was still in the Dining Room, so his desk was empty.
I left him a note asking him to wake me in an hour if I wasn't up, then went into my bedroom, locked the door, and removed my arm before climbing into bed.
I fell asleep quickly, and when I woke up an hour later, I felt ready to tackle the rest of the day, which passed by swiftly.
At dinner time, Keoni showed up, and I joined him without protest. We ate with the others, and I enjoyed being surrounded by everyone. These people were my family, and I'd missed them quite a bit over the last year, even though they'd always been around.
After dinner, Keoni and I stayed for a while longer, chatting with the others. I even spent some time talking to Nolan, and I had a feeling that now that I'd put the past where it belonged, we might even become friends someday. I would like that.
"Come on, I wanna show you something," Keoni said as he took my hand, and I got up. We bade everyone goodnight, and he led me to the Forest. Instead of taking the path that led deeper into the area, Keoni led me into the trees, though it was clear he had a destination.
A minute later, we arrived in a clearing surrounded by trees, and Keoni came to a stop. He turned to me with a smile on his face, and waved around. "This is my favorite spot. Give me a minute, okay?"
As I watched, he pressed his palm on the spot where the cart was attached to his back, and it separated from him with a click.
With practiced moves, he lowered his front half as his back half went down without the cart's support, and in a move faster than I could follow, he flipped over so he was on his back, his centaur half leaning against the tree trunk so he wouldn't tumble to the other side because of the weight.
He glanced up at me, his eyes bright as usual but with an edge of vulnerability, and he patted the spot beside him.
I was in awe of him. Here I was, still afraid to take my arm off in front of him, and yet he'd bared his most vulnerable side to me.
"Don't do that," he murmured as I lay down beside him, and I glanced over.
"Do what?"
"Compare us. My legs, they're always visible.
I've never been able to hide them, but I probably would've if I could.
Still. I can be this way because I've always done it, not because I'm braver or any less afraid of what you think.
I want you to find me attractive, and I know this," he waved to his lower half, "isn't attractive.
But it's what I am, and you've already seen me at my worst, so.
" He shrugged, and I realized that while Keoni acted confident about everything, including our bond, it was just that. An act.
Reaching for him, I cupped his cheek, then leaned forward and pressed a kiss on his nose, making it scrunch up delightfully. "I do find you attractive, Keoni. You're sweet, kind, and you don't let me get away with anything. I really, really like that about you."
I also liked the way he took care of me.
No one in my life—that I remembered anyway—had ever taken care of me like he did, like I was someone precious, someone to be treasured.
Fredrick had cared for me like an object, like a battery pack he could use as long as he kept it well-fed.
Rei had cared for me like a partner, but she was a dog and could only do so much.
I didn't remember my parents, or how they'd taken care of me.
But Keoni? He made me feel adored, and I'd never felt that before.
Keoni smiled brightly, taking my hand from his face and linking our fingers. It was only then that I realized it was my left hand. I tried to replace it with my other hand, but he refused to let go. I couldn't feel his touch from this hand, just a soft warmth, and it wasn't enough.
"Look up," he murmured, and I blinked, then did as he asked. I sucked in a breath. Wow.
Above us, the canopy of trees framed a section of the sky, the twinkling stars bright across the expanse. I glanced back at Keoni to find him scanning the stars with a focused expression. Was he reading the stars?
I'd never watched him do this before, and it was fascinating to see the way his eyes flicked from star to star as he saw patterns only his kind could.
The spell I used to create the sky inside the Sanctuary replicated the sky of the place the front door was anchored to.
It was easier than creating a whole new sky.
So when Keoni read the stars here, he was seeing exactly what he would see out in the human world.
I doubted he'd be able to use his powers otherwise.
"Everything's going to be okay now," he murmured after a few minutes. He turned to look at me, his blue eyes warm even in the dark. "The Sanctuary, our family, they'll all be okay. No more problems, no more accidents."
I blinked, my lips parting at the strength of his declaration. "You mean it?"
He nodded, and stress I hadn't realized I still carried dissipated, leaving me light and unburdened in a way I hadn't been in a long time.
"Thank you," I whispered fervently, the words rough and full of emotions.
Keoni smiled warmly, then leaned forward, his lips hovering over mine, a question in his eyes.
I nodded, and his eyes twinkled as they drew closer, closer, closer—The sound of footsteps and someone pushing through the foliage made me pull back, and we both turned to look as Draven stepped into the clearing, welding goggles on his head, and a mallet in his hand.
His long braid was twisted up in a knot, and his clothes were greasy and singed.
He looked like he usually did mid-project, though he never left his workshop when he was working on something.
"Hey, Draven," Keoni greeted cheerfully, like the grumpy dwarf hadn't just interrupted what would've been our first kiss. I glared at him, but the asshole didn't spare me a glance as he grunted at Keoni.
"Have you grown?"
"Huh?"
"Since I made your cart, have you grown?" he demanded impatiently, and Keoni blinked, then shook his head. He nodded, turned on his heels, and sped away.
"What the hell?" Keoni asked as he glanced over at me, and I shook my head. I had a feeling Draven's current project was something for Keoni, but I figured he would announce it when he was ready.
What I needed to figure out was how to get things back to where they were headed before Draven's interruption.