Page 12 of Ridge

“I did discover a world I didn’t expect when I left Starhaven,” Kael confirmed. “It was similar to the movies, yet at the same time, completely different. I do think it would benefit everyone for demons to open up, although I understand why they’d be hesitant.”

“That’s why you’re here,” Poppy said with a nod. “You’re not political. That’s why demons will trust you more than they trust the council member.”

A timer dinged, and she turned to focus on dinner. Kael had no idea what to say, so he kept his mouth shut and listened to Poppy chatter about their plans and the town. It seemed like she wanted him and Ridge to experience all of it, but Kael wasn’t sure that was what he wanted anymore. He’d been eager to come, but now he was mostly confused.

The chatter helped him relax, though, at least until she declared she was going to bed and that they were welcome to use the kitchen and the living room as much as they wanted. Kael was tired, but he knew what would happen once he went to bed, and he wasn’t sure he was ready to face it.

Still, he didn’t feel he had a choice when Ridge turned to him and asked, “Are you ready to go to sleep, or would you rather wait?”

Kael got to his feet. Delaying the inevitable wouldn’t help. If anything, it would make things harder, and that wasn’t something he could deal with right now. He already had enough to focus on.

Tomorrow, he’d need to meet the town leaders. They were responsible for his presence there, although he was sure that Poppy had pushed hard to have them here. He’d have to convince these people that they should give the human world a chance, just as he had, even if under different circumstances. He’d have to convince them that not all humans were dangerous and that opening up would benefit them as much as it would benefit the human world.

He wasn’t sure he could do that.

“I’ll take the floor,” Ridge murmured, leaning closer even though Poppy had already left. “If you want, you can go ahead and get into bed. I’ll wait until you’re settled.”

Kael wanted to say it wasn’t necessary, but at the same time, he wasn’t sure that it wasn’t. He felt awkward and tense, and he didn’t know how to get over it. He didn’t know what was happening between him and Ridge, and he was too afraid to ask. He wanted to know the answer, but at the same time, he didn’t. He was a walking contradiction, and he was annoying himself.

Maybe once this mess was over, he and Ridge should talk. In the meantime, Kael was here for a reason, and that was what he needed to focus on.

Chapter Three

When Ridge woke up, his back hurt. He wasn’t sure how long he’d slept, but it wasn’t long. He hadn’t been lying when he told Kael that he’d been trained to sleep wherever he could in both his forms, but that didn’t mean he enjoyed it or that it was comfortable. He could shift, but that might make things awkward because of the nakedness of it all.

He had a pillow, at least, and Kael had left a blanket for him at the foot of the bed. Since the house wasn’t cold, Ridge had used it as a makeshift mattress, but it hadn’t been enough. He really hoped no one would try anything with Kael today because Ridge wasn’t sure how he’d react. Either he’d be so irritated that he’d end up strangling that person, or he’d be too slow to move because his back felt like he was a hundred years old.

He groaned and stretched. From what he could see, Kael was still in bed, buried under the blankets. He was probably still asleep, which meant Ridge had a few minutes to use the bathroom before things turned awkward again.

He got to his feet and stretched again. His back cracked, making him wince, but he felt a little less stiff once that was done. He made his way to the bathroom slowly, glancing at the bed to check in on Kael.

He looked adorable. His eyes were closed and his mouth slightly open, and he was breathing lightly. He always looked young, but then, he was young, especially compared to Ridge. Ridge wasn’t old in shifter terms, but he was several decades older than Kael, and he wondered if that was one of the reasons Kael had been avoiding talking about them. Part of him wanted to believe that Kael was avoiding him because he truly didn’t know if there was something between them, but was that the truth? Was Ridge trying to fool himself so he wouldn’t have to face the reality that Kael didn’t want him?

He shook his head. He couldn’t start thinking like that, especially when they hadn’t even talked. Now might not be the right moment, but that moment would come eventually—hopefully as soon as this mission was over. Ridge had accepted the job because he hoped that being away from home would make things easier on both of them, but instead, Gregory had stuck them together. This might be the worst or the best thing that could’ve happened, and Ridge couldn’t tell which yet.

Kael was still sleeping when Ridge left the bathroom after taking a quick shower. He had his hand under his cheek and his lashes were fluttering, which told Ridge he was about to wake up. Since he didn’t want things to be uncomfortable, he quickly finished getting ready and stepped out of the bedroom. He heard the creaking of the bed as he closed the door, which hopefully meant that Kael was awake.

Ridge found Poppy in the kitchen, drinking coffee. She grinned when she saw him, something she seemed to be doing a lot. Maybe she was just a happy person, or maybe she had that much faith in Ridge and Kael. He knew Kael didn’t want to disappoint her, and Ridge felt the same, even if not with the same intensity. In the end, it wouldn’t change anything for Ridge personally if people didn’t trust Kael and the council enough to give them an opening, but Kael would probably feel rejected by his own people, and that wasn’t something anyone wanted.

“I wasn’t sure what you’d want for breakfast, so there’s a bit of everything,” Poppy said.

“We’ll eat as soon as Kael is here. He shouldn’t be long.”

Sure enough, Kael shuffled in fifteen minutes later, dressed and still looking half-asleep. He made grabby hands when Poppy offered him coffee, making her laugh.

“What’s on the schedule today?” Ridge asked once they were settled.

“Well, the leaders want to meet you. They’re excited to talk to Kael and ask him questions.”

“Excited?” Kael asked, sounding anything but.

“They know you’ve been living with humans for the past few months. They’re curious. So am I.”

“Is that why they agreed to meet me? Just questions about my life?”

“In part. We’ve had several demons lately who’ve requested authorization to leave town and move into the human world. So far, they’ve been denied, but they’ve been pushing, and I understand why. I think some of the town leaders do, too. They’re curious, and they want to know what it’s like and whether it would be safe for us to move out of our towns.”

“Is that something you would want?”