Rumbling softly, I nuzzled my head against him and tried to let him feel how relaxed and happy I was with him. Whatever he felt had him letting out a long breath and I could feel his bodyrelaxing. “I knew you weren’t teasing me about being…well, not human…but it’s very nice to see I was right.”
Because he’d spent a lot of his life having everyone doubt his sanity.
Leaning back against the end of the bed, he sighed and started petting me in a slow, almost hypnotic rhythm. “I’m going to learn what everyone is and how to tell them apart. I learned early not to ask my parents why people at the store were different or why my friend at school blinked and sometimes had different eyes. But I had so many questions. I didn’t like making them worry, though.”
All I could do was rumble louder and wrap myself tighter around him. He needed me in this form to be able to keep sharing, but a large part of me wanted hands and a human body to hold him better.
His soft chuckle and the way his scent started shifting again said I was making the right call, though. “They took me to a therapist that was sadly very human even though one of her business partners wasn’t. I’m not sure what the sparkly people are, but when it was clear I couldn’t talk to her without it being difficult, I lied and said I was playing a game with some of the kids at school.”
His sigh said he hadn’t liked that at all.
“For some reason asking for the other therapist made everyone think I had a crush on her?” The mix of shock and horror in his voice had me snorting out a laugh. “She was forty if a day and awoman.”
And clearly he’d known he was already gay at that point.
“My parents were doing their best but everyone around me was useless.” His long sigh and the way he shook his head made it clear he thought they were all well-meaning idiots. “That was one of the reasons I wanted to be a teacher, but it needs to be more socially acceptable to ask people what species they are.”
Sometimes I agreed with him…especially at solstice events and things like that.
“I hadn’t found anyone I knew I could trust without sounding insane until I met Emeric and then you.” His soft smile and the way he was petting my head made me want to hug him tight. “He was important enough I knew I had to find him help even if you thought I was crazy.”
His huff let me know something ridiculous and adorable was coming.
“But you just had to be you and the cranky man was nowhere around.” Yep, ridiculous. “Emeric remembered him but you were sexy and serious and I had no idea if you were the same thing as the cranky man who was there before. I don’t remember his name. It was something interesting.”
He frowned for a moment before shaking his head. “Never mind. But you were you and not him and now you’re my mate.”
Dorian’s expression turned serious again before he poked me. “Yes, you’re real.”
Eventually he’d get used to that, but until he did, I’d keep reminding him that he wasn’t insane and I was his mate.
Chapter 21
Dorian
“Everyone in the neighborhood is watching us, aren’t they?” I wasn’t surprised when Braun nodded while doing his best to keep a straight face as we headed inside my tiny cottage. “I always thought it was just me being paranoid but I don’t think it is.”
“No.” He finally shook his head and chuckled as I shut the door. “They’re using magical and nonmagical means, but they are watching everything you do.”
“Was the buzzing sound the nonmagical means?” Emeric didn’t wait for permission to go deeper into the house. He just bounced his way into the living room, studying everything. “Something near the mailbox sounded weird.”
Really?
Whatever Braun saw on my face had him laughing. “Oh yeah.”
My neighbors were weird, not human, and very nosy.
“Don’t say anything you don’t want them all knowing if you’re in the front yard.” Shaking his head, Braun closed the curtains by the front door. “Nothing in here sounds weird, so we’re fine for now.”
That was ridiculous.
“That’s not a non-human thing, is it?” I was relieved and slightly disturbed when they both laughed. “My neighbors have no manners.”
“No common sense either.” Braun seemed to find it funny and frustrating based on his expressions. “So I’m glad you’re getting out of here.”
“I think your whole house will fit in your new office.” Emeric was doing circles around the room like he was memorizing every detail. “None of this stuff is yours?”
“No.” Was that odd? “I had more stuff in the past when I was living with a roommate, but when I moved here, they wanted me to leave as much as possible, so they paid me for it.”
