Page 22 of Ridge

Did the kiss that morning mean they were together? They should probably talk before making that kind of decision, but this week hadn’t been the best moment for it, and it made Kael nervous. Part of him wanted to ignore that conversation, focus on what he was doing here, and hope that Ridge would forget they needed to talk, but another part of him wanted to know what was going on between them.

They were mates, or rather, he was Ridge’s mate. Ridge had said it meant something to him, and Kael was surprised by the fact that it meant something to him, too. He didn’t feel the bond the way Ridge did, but that didn’t mean he didn’t want it. He understood what kind of opportunity it was. He knew he would never get another, just like Ridge would never get another mate. He couldn’t give that up, and he didn’t want to.

He just wasn’t sure what to do about it.

“How was it when you realized, then?” someone asked.

He didn’t try to figure out who the person was. He and Ridge were surrounded, and Poppy was beaming at them as if she was a proud mother. It was a little odd, but it was why Kael was here.

He didn’t think Gregory had known he and Ridge were mates when he decided to send both of them, but it was a strange coincidence. The man would probably be over the moon when he found out. Kael was sure that if Gregory had his way, he would continue sending him and Ridge out to advocate for relationships between shifters and demons. He had more proof through their bond that it could work, and that it did work.

“I didn’t fully realize what was happening until Ridge told me,” Kael explained with a smile. “I could feel that there was something between us, but I never would’ve imagined it was a shifter’s mate bond. Why would I? I always thought I would end up with a demon, although as I mentioned before, it was hard to imagine that demon. I knew everyone in my town, and none of them fit the idea I had of the person I wanted to spend the rest of my life with.”

“But your shifter does,” the woman said.

Kael could see her now. If he remembered right, her name was Samara. She’d mentioned that she was single, so she probably understood better than most what Kael was talking about. She’d probably tried to find someone to love in this town but hadn’t been able to, and that was what made her interested in leaving to find love.

It was something that would be within reach for a lot of demons, but it wasn’t the only thing. If demons opened up their towns and allowed their inhabitants to leave, people could find jobs, create families, and be happy in ways they never would have had the opportunity to if they stayed stuck in their ways. Finding a mate was only part of that, but it was a big part of it for a lot of people.

Kael smiled at Ridge. “He does, more than anyone else and more than I could’ve imagined, which makes sense. Whoever decided that Ridge was the perfect man for me, I wish I could meet them to thank them.”

There was just the faintest hint of a blush on Ridge’s cheeks, as if he was embarrassed that Kael was talking about him that way. Maybe he was. From what Kael knew about him, he was more used to being in the shadows, watching everything from afar. Right now, he was at the center of attention, and it was obvious he wasn’t used to dealing with that.

Luckily, they wouldn’t have to stay much longer. They’d been sent here to talk to people, and it was what they’d been doing since they’d arrived. There was only so many things Kael could say to convince the people who were reluctant to reach out to the world outside their towns. In fact, he didn’t think he could get anyone to change their minds. The people who’d already been inclined to meet humans and other paranormal beings would take that step, and the ones who wanted nothing to do with the outside world would just stay in their towns.

It wasn’t a bad thing. In fact, it was a good thing. It was how things should be. No one should be forced to do anything, let alone leave their town. If some of the demons weren’t interested in that, it was their prerogative, but they shouldn’t have the power to prohibit the demons who did want to leave from doing so.

Kael cleared his throat. “At the end of the day,” he said, looking around, “I think that each and every one of us needs to make the decision individually. Some of you won’t want to leave this town, and that’s okay. Others will want to, though, and it’s not fair to take that away from them, especially when they might have a future that doesn’t include the town where they were born.”

“A lot of people might get hurt,” a man said.

Kael didn’t remember him. In fact, if someone told him this was the first time he’d seen him, he would’ve believed them. He’d been meeting so many people these past few days that they all mixed together in his mind. The only reason he remembered Samara’s name was that her color was so similar to Nymon’s. Still, he smiled. “Some people will definitely get hurt. It’s what happens when you’re in a relationship. I’m guessing that of the demons who want to leave, not everyone will be able to find their mate. Not all demons might have a mate, and even if they do, it’s not always easy to find them. But keeping everyone locked in when they don’t want to be is taking away a lot of opportunities. It’s fine for you to stick around if you feel more comfortable with that, but why should Samara be forced to do the same? What if she wants to see the ocean? To explore forests?”

Kael looked around again. He felt a little self-conscious with everyone watching him, but he needed them to hear him.

“I loved Starhaven. I still do, and sometimes, I miss it. I miss how green it is, how much easier life was for me there, how I was just one of the many demons in town. I miss seeing demons everywhere I went. Now, I see humans. They see me, too, and since a lot of them have never dealt with demons before, they’re intrigued. They stare, and sometimes, they have questions.”

A hand landed on Kael’s shoulder. He knew it was Ridge without having to look, and he leaned back slightly toward his mate. He hadn’t been planning on opening his heart to everyone in this room, and he still wasn’t entirely, but he felt like some of these people needed to hear all of it. They had dreams, and they might fulfill them, but just like that man had said, they might also get hurt, and that was something they needed to be prepared for. They would never be fully ready for it, but they might be able to handle it better than they would have if they hadn’t known.

“I’m not going to say it’s easy,” he said. “In fact, it’s not. It was terrifying, especially in the beginning. I still don’t always know where I stand or what my place is. I still have people stare at me every time they see me, whether I’m just going for a coffee or to the grocery store.”

Kael tilted his head back slightly so he could look up at Ridge. If he hadn’t left Starhaven, he wouldn’t have had this opportunity. He still didn’t know exactly what was going on between him and Ridge, but just the fact that there was something going on was a major win. It wouldn’t have happened if he hadn’t had the courage to leave Starhaven.

He straightened and looked around. “And yes, sometimes I miss my old life, but I wouldn’t trade what I have now for the world. I don’t know what my place is yet, but I’ll find it, just like any demon who leaves their town will. We can carve ourselves a spot in the world. And yes, it is scary—everything worthwhile always is. The people we become, the advancements in our medicine, and the improvements in our lives, all of that will come from a few people having the courage to take that step. We don’t expect anyone to decide to move out right now and go through with it. We don’t expect demons to open up their towns to anyone. We just want you to think about it.”

Hopefully, Kael had been convincing enough, because he and Ridge only had a few days left here. Whatever happened, though, he’d done what he’d been asked to do.

And he’d come out of it with a mate.

Chapter Five

“What do you think?” Ridge asked as they walked down the sidewalk on their last night in town.

Kael looked around. The place was peaceful, much more so than where he and Ridge lived. It probably had a lot to do with the fact that this town was tiny compared to their hometown, which unfortunately hadn’t helped them feel particularly welcome. Most people had been nice, but Kael had mentioned having a hard time dealing with people watching him, and Ridge felt guilty, even though it wasn’t his fault. There wasn’t anything he could do except scare people off, and he didn’t think that was the best idea. He needed to stay invisible most of the time.

He wasn’t sure he would still be able to do that. He didn’t want Kael to have to be invisible, but being with Ridge might put him in danger. Ridge didn’t want Kael involved in anything connected to his job, but some people might come after him. Some people might be looking for revenge, and if they couldn’t get to Ridge, they might try to get it through Kael.

Just the thought made Ridge feel sick. He didn’t think he could retire just yet, but at the same time, his job felt too dangerous to continue—not for himself, but for his mate.