Something flickered across her face—distress, unmistakable and raw. "A couple of weeks," she repeated quietly, as if testing the weight of the words.
"Yes."
She was silent for a moment, her gaze distant, then seemed to come to a decision. "Would you... would you like to come by the bakery tomorrow? Around eleven? I usually close for a bit after the breakfast rush, and we could talk more. If you want to."
"I'd like that," I said, and meant it more than I'd meant anything in a long time.
"Good." She offered me a small smile, genuine this time, and it was like watching the sun emerge from behind clouds. "Ruby's Bakery, on Oak Street. You can't miss it. There's a giant cupcake sign out front."
"I'll be there."
She moved toward the door, then paused with her hand on the frame. Turning back, she looked at me with an expression I couldn't quite read. Soft, vulnerable, something like gratitude mixed with wonder—and perhaps something deeper, something that made my heart skip a beat.
"Cristox," she said, testing my name on her lips. "Thank you. For saving me back then. I never got to say that to you."
My throat tightened. "You don't have to thank me."
"I do, though." Her smile grew a fraction wider, reaching her eyes this time. "It's nice to finally know the name of the person who gave me my life back."
Before I could respond, she slipped through the door and closed it softly behind her.
I stood there for a long moment, staring at the place where she'd been, my heart racing like a war drum. Ruby. My mate. Here. Real. And I was going to see her tomorrow.
The thought sent a surge of pure joy through me, and my tail—which had mercifully remained still during our entire conversation—suddenly came alive. It whipped back and forth with such enthusiasm that it knocked a lamp clean off the side table. The crash barely registered. I was too busy grinning like an idiot, already counting the hours until tomorrow, when I could see her again and maybe, just maybe, begin to explore this connection that had bound us together from that first impossible night.
Chapter 6
Ruby
My stomach was in knots, twisted so tight I could barely breathe. I'd thrown up twice the night before. Once around two in the morning, hunched over the toilet with my hair plastered to my sweaty forehead, and again just after dawn when the first pale light crept through my bedroom window. I kept watching the clock, the minutes crawling by, each tick of the second hand feeling like an eternity. I'd been so distracted all morning that I burnt a whole pan of cinnamon rolls, the sugar caramelizing into black, acrid smoke that filled the kitchen and made my eyes water. Then I did it again with a pan of scones, leaving them in too long while I stared out the window, lost in thought, my mind a thousand light-years away.
Teddy was at Mei's for now, but he would be home around noon. The thought made my chest tighten, my ribs feeling like they were closing in around my lungs. I was so nervous I was about to scream, my hands trembling every time I tried to knead dough or frost a cake, leaving fingerprints in the buttercream and uneven ridges in the bread.
I'd made up my mind, though. Cristox was a good male. He always was, even back then when everything went to hell. And he had a right to know he had a son. The realization hit me like a freight train the night before when I saw him standing inthe cottage. I hadn't realized just how much Teddy and Cristox looked alike until that moment. Teddy had his father's eyes—those same warm, honey-brown eyes that seemed to see right through you and caught the light like molten gold. He had Cristox's soft pelt, too, that downy fur that covered his arms and legs in a fine, velvety layer, and that thick dark blonde mane that I'd always loved running my fingers through when I braided it. But Teddy's other features were mostly human—my nose, my mouth, my bone structure. He was a perfect blend of both of us, a living testament to what we'd shared.
I was going to tell Cristox. I had to. And I was going to let him see Teddy, let him meet his son. But I was also going to insist that Cristox not reveal to Teddy who he really was. Not yet. Especially if he was only going to be on Tau Ceti for a few weeks before leaving again. It wouldn't be fair to Teddy to have his father walk into his life only to disappear just as quickly, like a comet blazing across the sky and then vanishing into the dark. No little boy deserved that kind of heartbreak.
Mei agreed with my plan, and she'd offered to help keep Teddy occupied and away from Cristox if he didn't agree to my terms. I hoped it wouldn't come to that, but I was prepared to do whatever it took to protect my son.
The chime above the bakery door rang out just as I was boxing up Mrs. Durray's order, the cheerful tinkling cutting through my anxious thoughts. I glanced up, my heart lurching into my throat.
Cristox.
He was early. Of course he was early.
He stood in the doorway, his massive frame filling the entrance, those golden eyes scanning the shop until they found me. The sight of him stole my breath. He wore simple clothes—a dark tunic and pants that looked like Tau Ceti standard issue—but nothing could make him look ordinary. Not with thatleonine mane that framed his face in waves of bronze and gold, the powerful build that spoke of strength and grace, and that tail that swished once behind him before going still, the tip twitching with barely contained energy.
Our eyes met, and for a moment, the world narrowed to just the two of us. The bakery, the customers, the smell of fresh bread and sugar—all of it faded away until there was only him, only those eyes that had haunted my dreams for years.
Then Mrs. Durray cleared her throat, and I snapped back to reality.
"Sorry," I said, forcing my attention back to the boxes in front of me, my vision swimming slightly. My hands were shaking so badly I nearly dropped the twine. "Here's your buttercrust, Mrs. Durray. Two loaves, still warm."
"Thank you, dear." Mrs. Durray took the boxes, but her gaze had already drifted past me to Cristox, her eyes widening with undisguised curiosity. "My, what a handsome male. Don't see many of them on Tau Ceti."
"He's just a friend," I said quickly, too quickly, the words tumbling out in a rush. "Visiting from off-world."
Mrs. Durray collected her loaves with a knowing smile that made my cheeks burn hot enough to bake bread on. "Good to see you, Ruby. Same time next week?"
