It'd been a fewdays since we brought Sagar to the Sanctuary, and I'd seen the siren a few times since. He was settling in well in his new home, and I felt confident he would become a permanent resident.
Keoni and I had spent every night together this week, and I'd thought about asking him to fully move in with me more than once.
The only reason I hadn't was because I knew how much Keoni liked living in the Forest. All his closest friends lived there, and if I could, I would offer to move to his place. I didn't think I wouldfeel comfortable being that far away from the foundation spell, though. From my office and bedroom, I could sense every little fluctuation in the spell.
Shaking my head, I decided to delay the question until I felt sure Keoni wouldn't mind living at my place. It wasn't like things would be any different for the most part. Neither of us spent our days in my bedroom. We were always out and about in the Sanctuary, so we'd only be there during the nights anyway.
Right. I needed to focus on the now and stop worrying.
"Do you know where Keoni is?" I asked Rei as I left my office, and she glanced up at me.
"I was with you all day."
"You're right. Sorry."
"But I think he's in the Library," she continued, her eyes sparkling, and I huffed.
"Why didn't you just say that?"
Rei stuck her tongue out at me, then clutched her hands behind her back. "I'm gonna go to the kitchen and find something to eat."
I shook my head as she hurried off toward the Dining Room, smiling at her back. I'd never thought I would get her back, and now I felt like she'd always been here. Everyone in the Sanctuary loved her, and she seemed to adore them too, especially the naga babies.
I pushed the Library door open and stepped into the quiet room, letting the door fall soundlessly shut behind me.
The Library had been Keoni's preferred spot to hang out when he first got here, which made sense because centaurs were well known for their hunger for knowledge. Keoni loved reading, but he was a friendly man, and also enjoyed gaining knowledge by talking to people. Over the years, he'd stopped spending all his time here, but he still passed through a few times a week to getsome books, return others, or add some to the collection that he purchased on his trips outside.
The first few aisles were empty, but in the fifth one, I found Keoni standing in front of a shelf, a book in his hand. He was reading the back cover, a soft smile curving his lips as his curls hung forward like a curtain.
He didn't look up as I approached him, but he knew I was there. His fingers twitched on the book, but he kept reading as he stuck the tip of his tongue out and licked his upper lip before biting the lower one.
"Hey," I murmured when I was beside him, and he finally glanced up, his gaze meeting mine as he smiled.
"Hey, Zephyr. Looking for something?"
I nodded, and his grin widened. "What are you in the mood for? Fiction? Nonfiction? Poetry?"
I pretended to think as I ran my gaze over the spines on the shelf beside us before resting my eyes on him. "You."
Keoni gave a startled laugh, his eyes sparkling as he slid the book back into its spot and turned to face me. "Is that so?"
Humming, I stepped closer to him and clasped my left hand on his hip. While I loved it when he took charge and made me take whatever he wanted to give me—God, did I love it—I never wanted him to think that my feelings for him weren't just as strong as his for me. I knew he'd had a crush on me when he first got here, but I'd never felt that way about him, not until he'd told me we were mates.
Maybe it was because I'd walled my heart off a long time ago, or maybe it was because I'd never allowed myself to think of any of the Sanctuary residents as anything more than my charges, people I was supposed to look after and protect.
Or maybe the fact that Keoni had called me out like that was exactly what had made me feel things for him. The fact that he'dcared enough, that he'd been worried about me, it had meant something.
Keoni gazed up at me patiently, like he could tell this moment meant something to me. With a soft exhale, I leaned down and pressed my lips to his, brushing them softly, like we were doing this for the first time. Kissing Keoni was like that first sip of cool water after a day in the blazing sun, or the way the first rays of the sun felt against your night-cooled skin. Like a cool breeze brushing your face after you'd been trapped in a stuffy little room for far too long.
He was light and freshness. He was life and breath. He was everything.
And I loved him.
It wasn't a shocking realization. I'd been headed here since the day Keoni told me we were mates. Every kiss, every conversation, every moment spent together... it had all been leading to this.
I'd thought it would be... terrifying. I knew what it was like to love someone and lose them. I'd thought the fear of losing Keoni would never let me truly love him, but I didn't feel afraid.
Okay, maybe a little, but not enough to pull away.
