The inspection continued for another thirty minutes. The official took notes on everything, the food supplies, the bedroom (which I hadn't used, choosing instead to sleep on the sofa), the greenhouse. Naya had to leave before it was over, our goodbye cut short by his impatient clearing of throat.
"Satisfactory conditions," he finally announced. "We'll be monitoring your integration closely. Your case is of particular interest to the higher levels of Magnus Terra."
After he left, the cottage felt both emptier and somehow less safe. Redmon stood by the window, watching the official's vehicle disappear down the forest road.
"I'm sorry," he said quietly.
"For what? Claiming me as your mate? Keeping me prisoner?"
"For all of it." His shoulders slumped, making him seem smaller. "I didn't ask for this either."
I didn't know what to say to that, so I said nothing.
Three days later, my opportunity came. A delivery truck arrived with supplies – food, some clothing, books. The driver, a young human man, left his truck unattended for just a moment while bringing boxes to the door.
I slipped out the back door and made a dash for the vehicle. My heart pounded as I reached for the passenger door.
"Going somewhere?" Redmon's voice froze me in place.
I turned slowly, expecting anger. Instead, his expression seemed almost sad.
"I can't stay here," I said, my voice shaking. "You must understand that."
He looked at the truck, then back at me. "The northern boundary is less patrolled."
I blinked, certain I'd misheard. "What?"
"If you're determined to leave, the northern fence line has fewer sensors. Between midnight and two in the morning, the guard changes shifts."
He turned and walked back toward the cottage, leaving me standing there in shock.
I didn't take the truck. I couldn't process what had just happened. Why would he tell me how to escape? Was it a trick? A test?
That night, I watched him from across the living room as he read by the fireplace. The flames cast shadows across his strangeface. Not fully human, not fully beast. His deep amber eyes with vertical eyes moved across the page of his book.
Why would a captor help his captive escape?
"Why did you tell me about the northern boundary?" I finally asked.
His eyes lifted to mine. "Because you're not a prisoner, Kalyndi. No matter what Magnus Terra says."
"Then what am I?"
"Someone I'm supposed to protect. Someone I'm meant to..." He paused. "Someone I wish had come here willingly."
Something shifted in my heart. Something uncomfortable and confusing.
An urgent knock came at the door. Redmon opened it to find a breathless messenger as a young monster from one of the nearby settlements.
"Emergency message from the North Terramares," he panted, handing Redmon a sealed note.
My heart dropped as I read over Redmon's shoulder. A strange illness was spreading through my former community. Children were the most affected. High fevers, rashes, respiratory distress. The illness overwhelmed the community healer.
My people needed me.
I rushed to the greenhouse, then to my room, gathering supplies. Herbs, tinctures, my diagnostic tools. I threw everything into a large bag.
When I returned to the living room, Redmon stood watching me.
