TEX WAS GOING TO REGRETthis.He could already tell, but he was powerless to stop it.How could he refuse anything his mate wanted?
Apparently, what his mate wanted was for Tex to follow him home and shower.Maybe Tex stank?It wouldn’t be a surprise considering he’d spent a few days in the forest, but it hadn’t been that long, and he’d been in his wolf form.Surely it couldn’t be that bad.
The temptation was too strong.Tex wanted to know more about Nymon.He’d been surprised when Nymon had told him that he knew he’d lied.Maybe he shouldn’t have been.Nymon couldn’t feel what Tex was feeling yet because their bond wasn’t complete, but he was Tex’s mate.Even now, he probably knew Tex better than a lot of people in Tex’s life.
Tex followed his mate as Nymon walked away.He kept a careful distance in case anyone saw them, but Nymon didn’t seem to care, or maybe he did but was good at hiding how he was feeling.He walked as if this was any normal day for him, as if he hadn’t just met his mate.
Well, he didn’t know he’d met his mate.
Was Tex going to tell him?Nymon wasn’t the reason Tex was here, but hewasthe reason Tex was planning on staying for a while.Maybe he wouldn’t have to if he told Nymon they were mates, and Nymon deserved to know, anyway.At the same time, it might be a lot to throw into a conversation considering everything else Nymon needed to know.He knew that Tex had lied about just being interested in demons.It probably wasn’t a good idea to tell him about the council assassins and all of that, but Tex could tell him that he worked for the council and had been sent to investigate demons selling their magic to humans.Maybe he knew something, not because he was involved, but because the town was small.
Tex had no idea how to get himself out of this mess.Gregory would freak out if he found out what was happening and that Nymon had been able to see through Tex the way he had.Hell, he was probably freaking out already because Tex had told him about Nymon.He couldn’t drag Tex home because it was against the council laws to keep mates apart, but he also had to think about the reason Tex was here.This couldn’t be easy for him, but right now, Tex didn’t care much about making Gregory’s life easy.
He trotted behind his mate, keeping his eyes and ears open.At one point, they got closer to town, and Tex was once again able to hear people.They weren’t close enough for him to tell what people were saying, and they didn’t go any closer.Instead, the forest enfolded them again, and Tex recognized the area of the town in which they were.He would never forget where his mate lived because it would mean forgetting where he could find him.
He could smell Nymon, and not only because he was walking in front of him.Nymon’s presence was everywhere in this area.It leached out of his backyard, and Tex was pretty sure that he noticed a few plants moving closer to his mate as he walked past.It shouldn’t be possible, but he knew what he was seeing.It was kind of freaky.He knew that demons had different powers and abilities depending on what color they were, so he was aware of the fact that Nymon’s magic had to do with plants, but seeing it was different.It drove home exactly how different they were—as if Nymon’s green hair and swirling green eyes hadn’t.
They reached the gate Nymon had come out of last night.He opened it as if it was something he did every day, and it probably was.A long strand of ivy reached out for him, and he raised a hand, stroking one of the leaves.Tex blinked at the sight, but he didn’t say anything about it or ask how it worked.He didn’t think it mattered, and he couldn’t right now anyway.
“We’re home,” Nymon said as he gestured for Tex to follow him.
Tex did.He looked around as soon as he stepped into the backyard.He wasn’t surprised to see plants everywhere, both outside and in a greenhouse that had its door closed.It didn’t stay close for long, though.Nymon quickly opened it and gestured at Tex to go in.
“I’ll be right back,” he promised.
He turned and left, and Tex watched him go.He desperately wanted to follow his mate inside the house, but he respected Nymon’s need for safety.Nymon didn’t know if he could trust him, so he didn’t want to invite him inside the house, and that was okay.Hopefully, they’d be able to trust each other soon.
But they’d only be able to do that if Tex was honest.He didn’t want to lie to his mate.He didn’t want to have to come up with a story that would explain his presence in Starhaven.Besides, he suspected that Nymon would see right through him even if he did.No, he needed to tell his mate the truth, even if it meant that Nymon never trusted him.It wasn’t like Tex had been sent to kill someone or do something nefarious.He was here to gather information because some of the demons in Starhaven were hurting people.Surely, Nymon would understand.
It didn’t take Nymon long to reappear.Tex was still standing in the same spot when he did, and Nymon frowned when he saw him.“I thought you’d have at least sat down,” he said.He was carrying a bag and a bunch of clothes.He dumped the clothes on one of the comfortable-looking chairs by the greenhouse door.“I don’t mind if you use my chair.I got you some clothes and food, though.Maybe you can shift, get dressed, and eat something as we talk?”
It was a thoughtful gesture, and Tex wanted to kiss his mate for it.He kept his lips to himself when he shifted, though.He could feel that Nymon was watching him, and maybe he moved more slowly than he normally would.He was pretty sure his mate was attracted to him as much as he was attracted to his mate, and no one would blame him for preening a little bit.He knew he looked good.He’d spent hours upon hours training as a council assassin, and he still trained, even though he hadn’t become one.It had shaped his body.
Once he was dressed, he dropped into the chair Nymon had left empty.He waited for Nymon to open the bag he’d carried in earlier, not knowing what to expect.He waited for Nymon to demand the real reason why he was here, but instead, his mate limited himself to handing him a sandwich.
“I’ll cook dinner later,” Nymon said.“But I thought you’d like to have something to hold you over until then.”
“This is perfect,” Tex told him.
“It’s really not, but it’s good enough for now.”He leaned back into the chair.“How’s life outside of Starhaven?”
That wasn’t what Tex had expected.“It depends.What do you want to know exactly?”
“Whatever you’re willing to tell me.Where do you live?In a house?”
“In an apartment.”
“Do you live in a big city?”
“No, I live in a small town very much like this one.It just has fewer demons.”
Nymon snickered.“I bet it does.Are you really interested in demons?”
Tex was interested in one demon in particular, but he couldn’t tell his mate that yet.“I am.It’s hard not to be interested in a species you haven’t ever met before, you know?”
“But that’s not the main reason you’re here.”
“It’s not,” Tex admitted.
