Chapter One

The air smelled of dust and fresh wood. It had become familiar in a way few things were in Chris's life. Chris couldn't say he minded. In fact, he didn't. The smell reminded him that he was building his future.

He took a step back and stared at the wall in front of him. Okay, maybe his future would be a little crooked, but it was the thought that counted, right? The house didn't have to be perfect. It just had to be perfect for Chris, and as far as he was concerned, it was.

All the houses in the village needed work, including this one. It was decent enough that he could live in it, but every room needed a fresh coat of paint, and some needed more. He'd started getting rid of the old wallpaper, and the thought of the insects he was finding under it made his skin crawl. That was why he'd decided that painting would be easier than putting up new wallpaper, but he'd been wrong there, too.

It didn't matter. He was the only one living in this house, so he'd be the only one to see how crooked everything was. He had no idea what he was doing when it came to renovating his house, and he thought he was doing a pretty good job.

As long as he stayed away from anything more significant than painting, he should be able to continue. He needed help with anything more complicated, but that wouldn't be a problem. He had friends in the village.

He grinned at the wall like an idiot. He did have friends, and they were all part of this clan now. In his life, both before he became a hunter and after, he could never have imagined he'd be a clan member. He was human, and there was nothing special about him, yet Clay and Rowan had decided to take him in. He was safer than he'd been in years, and no one was yelling at him to fight like a man, like in that Disney movie.

He snorted at the thought of Cornelius shirtless and with long hair. It didn't fit, and Cornelius was much more cruel than the guy in the movie—and not nearly as handsome. Luckily, Chris would never have to deal with him again.

Thank God for small mercies.

His phone vibrated on the kitchen counter, and he put down his paintbrush to see who it was. It could be Rowan or Clay with orders to gather so they could go kick Kudlak ass. In that case, Chris would have to be quick leaving the house. Luckily, it wasn't them, and Chris's smile widened as he answered the call. "Ronnie," he exclaimed.

There was a pause before his childhood best friend answered. "You sound happy."

His words made Chris feel guilty. "I'm okay, I guess. What about you?"

Ronnie sighed. "I didn't mean that you had to stop being happy or apologize."

"I didn't apologize."

"You might as well have. I want you to be happy, Chris. It makes me feel better about you joining the hunters." He sighed again. "I wish you would come home. I miss you."

Chris closed his eyes and leaned his hip against the kitchen counter. He had so many feelings when it came to Ronnie that it was hard to make sense of them.

Ronnie was his childhood best friend. They'd grown up together, and they'd had each other's backs. They'd seen each other every day until the night they'd been attacked by a Kudlak.

They'd both survived. Chris was pretty sure that sometimes Ronnie wished he hadn't, but even though he was scarred, he was alive. That was all Chris cared about, but it wasn't all Ronnie cared about.

Chris had thought that by joining the hunters, he'd make Ronnie happy that someone was avenging him and making the world a safer place, but he didn't think he'd succeeded, at least not entirely. He suspected Ronnie was still angry at him for leaving him behind, and he didn't blame him. They'd promised each other they'd always be together, but Chris had left, and Ronnie hadn't been able to follow.

But things were different now. Ronnie didn't know all of it, but it was time to tell him so he could make a decision Chris had known was coming for a while now.

He pushed away from the counter and flopped into one of the chairs at the kitchen table. "I miss you, too. Maybe you could come visit," he offered.

"You know I can't." Ronnie's voice was small, something Chris didn't think he could ever associate with his friend.

Ronnie had always been bigger than life. He'd been popular and open and had always had a smile on his lips. Everyone loved him. Knowing what he'd become because of the attack made Chris's heart ache, but he knew from experience there was nothing he could do about it. He couldn't help Ronnie where he was now. Ronnie himself was the only one who could do anything, but Chris could gently push him along.

"No, I don't know that you can't. I know you feel that your house is the only place you can be safe, but I told you about the village the last time I called, didn't I?"

"The village where you live with Krsniks?"

"They're good people. They were literally born to kill Kudlaks, so you'll never have to worry about that or them hurting you. We also have more people arriving daily who can help with the magic surrounding the village, so it's definitely safer than your apartment. It's only going to get safer once we get more of those people."

Chris couldn't say he understood everything Rowan had explained about Krsniks and their traditions, but he did know that some of the people who'd recently arrived had magic powers or something. They could create wards and keep the village safe while the Krsniks hunted the Kudlaks. Rowan had said that was how things had always been, and he wanted the village to be safe.

Everyone did. This was their safe haven, the only place where they could be sure the Kudlaks wouldn't get to them. Here, Ronnie would never have to worry about them.

"Besides, we're also under the protection of the Whitedell pride," Chris added, knowing Ronnie had heard of them.

Who hadn't? Their alpha was part of the council that had been created more than a decade earlier, and he barely looked any older than he had back then. Everyone had been shocked by the knowledge that shifters existed, but Chris had always thought it was cool. He still did. He was human, and he'd never be anything else, but that was fine with him. He didn't need to be anything else, especially when he could do what he had to as he was.

As long as he could fight Kudlaks and protect the people he cared about, he was happy.

"Have you met their alpha?" Ronnie asked.

"Not in person, but he's visited the village a few times. I did meet several pride members, though. There's one especially that I'm sure you would get along with. He has pink hair and more piercings than I've ever seen on anyone."

"Maybe I should visit," Ronnie said.

Chris told himself not to hope too much. It wouldn't be the first time Ronnie said he wanted to join him only to change his mind or realize he couldn't.

He'd been stuck in his apartment for years now. He was terrified of leaving the only place where he felt safe, and Chris understood that. It was why he'd been trying to make the world a safer place. He wanted Ronnie to be able to live his life the way he deserved.

The village was safe. Ronnie would still be afraid, but it was time for him to start living his life again, and Chris couldn't think of a better place to do so. Moving here wouldn't be enough for him to get over his fears, but it would be the first step, and that might be all he needed.

That, and to talk to a therapist, but Ronnie had always refused. Even though everyone knew about the paranormal world, Ronnie still didn't want to talk about the Kudlak who had attacked him. The only person who knew everything was Chris, but only because he'd been there. No matter how much Chris wanted to help Ronnie, he wasn't sure he could.

"Think about it," he said, aware that he sounded like he was begging. "We have more Krsniks arriving every day, along with the Vila, who take care of the magical part of the village's protection. The Whitedell pride is so close that if we need anything, they're here in minutes. I know thinking about that much change is scary, but this is the safest place on earth, and I don't want you to say no to coming until you've really thought about it."

Chris didn't expect anything to change, so he was surprised by Ronnie's answer.

"I'm not making any promises, but I'll think about it."

That was all Chris wanted.

* * * *

Gary loved his new house. He didn't feel like he deserved it, but that was an entirely different problem.

Everyone he loved was dead. They'd been killed, had their lives cut short, and he'd stood there, not doing anything. He'd always thought he should have died with them, and he still did. That was why he didn't deserve this place. He should be long gone now, yet here he was.

He shook his head. No matter how guilty he felt about not doing more when his village was attacked, he could hear his parents' voices scolding him in his mind. His mother especially would be pissed if she found out he was thinking of himself like that. She wouldn't want him to feel guilty for something he'd had no power over. Even if he had fought the Kudlaks, he would have died with his family and the rest of the village. He wouldn't have been able to stand up to the Kudlaks.

He still wouldn't be able to, even today. The fact that he and the other Vila he'd joined had been on the run from a group of Kudlaks pointed to that. Gary had tried fighting them off, but Dermot had dragged him away, and he'd been right to do so. That time around, too, Gary would have died if the Kudlaks had come close enough.

He balled his hands up into fists but resisted the urge to punch the wall. It wouldn't hurt anyone but himself. It certainly wouldn't hurt any Kudlaks.

Gary despised them. He despised what they did, the way they destroyed families and villages, the way they'd been hunting Krsniks and Vila for decades. Gary had lost everything, and he'd been on the run for years because of them.

But he wasn't anymore.

He looked around his tiny yard, smiling at the thought that he could grow herbs and plants. It would take some time and work before he could, because the village had been abandoned a while ago and everything was overgrown and crumbling down, but he didn't mind. Working hard would make the place feel more like his.

As long as he could let go of the guilt, anyway.

And the fear. It was always present, even though he was safe in the village. They could be safer, though, and knowing that bothered Gary. His role was to use his magic to protect the Krsniks and their families in the village, but he wasn't enough. There weren't enough Vila here for now, which meant the protective ward around the village wasn't as strong as it should be. That meant there was a chance the Kudlaks would find and attack them, and if that happened, Gary would need to be ready.

He wouldn't run this time. He wouldn't hide. He wouldn't lose another village and another group of people he cared about. If the Kudlaks attacked, Gary would fight them.

Which was a problem because he had no idea how to fight. Kudlaks were strong and fast. The only beings capable of holding their own against them were the Krsniks, who'd been born to do so. Gary would never be a Krsnik, but maybe he didn't have to be. It wasn't like he had to kill every Kudlak in the world—although that was tempting. He just had to be able to fight them off if they attacked the village, and he believed that was entirely doable.

His mouth went dry at the thought of fighting a Kudlak. They'd decimated his family, had erased his village from the surface of the earth, and had been hunting him ever since. There wasn't a day in his life in which he hadn't thought about Kudlaks and hadn't been afraid.

He wasn't sure he could ever get over that.

He wanted to. He finally had a place to call home again, and he was ready to do anything in his power to defend it. That meant having someone who knew what they were doing teach him to fight. He would never expect to defeat a Kudlak, but if he could hold them back until the Krsniks arrived, he'd consider that good enough.

He didn't know the fighters in this village yet, but there was one person he could ask. Alexis had been part of the same village and the same clan as Gary. They'd both lost everyone they cared about. In fact, they'd each believed the other had died, too, and had only recently found out they were alive. They hadn't lost their entire clan. They still had each other, and that counted for something. Hopefully that would be enough to convince Alexis to give Gary self-defense lessons.

Gary stood where he was in the center of his yard for a moment longer. He tilted his head toward the sky, enjoying the heat of the June sun on his skin. It was too late in the year to plant many of the things he wanted to grow, but he had a list, and by this time next year, he'd have the yard exactly the way he wanted it.

He couldn't wait.

He couldn't remember the last time he'd been so excited about something. It had probably been when he'd still lived with his old clan. After they'd been killed, his entire focus had been on surviving, and that didn't leave much time to dream. When he did dream, all he saw was blood and pain, and that wasn't what he wanted, either. He'd been there when the village had been attacked. He didn't need to be reminded of what had happened that day. He'd lived it on his own skin, even though he'd survived.

After enjoying the sun for a few more moments, Gary decided he needed to stop wasting time. He was afraid of what Alexis would say when he asked for help, but he hoped Alexis would consider the fact that they'd both belonged to the same clan before. Besides, he wanted the village to be safe as much as Gary did. It would be safer if Gary and the other Vila could defend themselves. Alexis hadn't argued about the humans going on raids, so why should he about this?

Gary was about to find out.

He was nervous as he went to look for his friend, but not so much so that he didn't notice how much the village was changing day by day. Everyone had been assigned their own home if that was what they wanted. Gary had said yes right away when he'd been offered one, but he was starting to wonder if he should have waited. He didn't need an entire house to himself, even though there were plenty of them, and the only payment the clan wanted was for the new owners to fix them up. He felt he didn't deserve it and that he should suffer for what he hadn't been able to do in the past, even though he knew he was the only one who felt that way. He didn't think Alexis did, even though the village had been his, too.

Over the years, Gary had realized that guilt was the hardest emotion to let go of. He could ignore fear and sadness but not guilt. Every time he did something that made him realize he was still alive, he thought about the people who weren't. He thought about how they should be the ones enjoying this life. Maybe they would be if he'd been more capable of defending them.

He shook his head. Thinking about that wouldn't help. It never had.

He debated going to Alexis's house, then decided that first he'd go to the training area. It was there that most of the humans and Krsniks spent their day, so he wasn't surprised to see the place was crowded. The leaders of the clan, Rowan and Clay, were talking about building a gym or renovating one of the bigger buildings for that purpose, but for now, it was warm enough for everyone to train in the open.

Alexis was there, talking with another Krsnik at the edge of the wide area. She was nodding at something Alexis was saying, and when she looked up, she noticed Gary staring at them. She winked, flustering him. Thankfully, he didn't have to wait long. Alexis looked up and saw him, too, and after saying something else to his friend, he came toward Gary.

Gary sucked in a breath. This was it. He just had to say the right words, and Alexis would have to let him learn how to defend himself.

And the people they both cared about.

* * * *

Ronnie hadn't decided to move to the village yet, which meant Chris could still influence his decision. No matter how many times Chris told his friend that the village was safe, he didn't think Ronnie would believe it until he saw it with his own two eyes. If he ever visited, Chris would have to convince him to stay, which was why Chris needed to make the village even safer.

How was he supposed to do that?

He hoped Boyd and Alexis would have answers to that question. He was headed to their house for dinner, and he was excited about it. He and Boyd had lived in the same warehouse before. They'd stuck together, along with Kendrick. It had been the only way for them to survive, both during fights with Kudlaks and in the warehouse with the other hunters. Many of them had been even more vicious than the Kudlaks, something Chris hadn't thought possible after seeing what some of them had done.

But now, the three of them lived in different houses. It felt good to have privacy and space, but Chris also missed their closeness. For years, they'd been in each other's pockets, but now, those pockets were empty.

Luckily, the three of them lived in the village, which meant they could see each other as often as they wanted. It was a little more complicated with Boyd, since he'd met his mate and lived with Alexis now, but Chris liked Alexis. He didn't care that Alexis was a Krsnik, even though they were scarily similar to Kudlaks.

They had to be to defeat them.

As long as Boyd was happy, Chris wouldn't judge or care about what kind of being Alexis was, but he couldn't imagine allowing anyone to drink his blood.

He shuddered as he walked. He'd seen Ronnie's scars, and most of them were on his neck. The Kudlak who'd taken him had used him as a chew toy, drinking from him again and again without caring that he would eventually die from it. It was pure luck that Ronnie hadn't.

Chris would always feel guilty that the Kudlak had preferred his friend. He'd been knocked unconscious, and by the time he'd awakened, Ronnie had been wounded and almost drained of blood. The Kudlak hadn't believed Chris would be a danger, so he hadn't tied him, and Chris had managed to grab Ronnie and drag him away while the Kudlak was drunk on Ronnie's blood. He'd always associate blood drinking with that.

Boyd had lost his sister to Kudlaks, yet he didn't seem to have a problem allowing Alexis to drink from him. Chris supposed things were different because of who Alexis was to him. He wasn't just a Krsnik, and he definitely wasn't a Kudlak. He was Boyd's mate, and they were happy together. Of course Boyd was fine letting Alexis drink his blood.

Chris wondered if he'd ever be anyone's mate. It was possible. He lived in a village surrounded by paranormal beings, so it made sense that he might be the mate to one of them. So far, he hadn't met that person, but he was still young. He didn't need a mate. He was fine by himself.

He'd be fine as long as they didn't want to drink his blood. He hoped his mate wouldn't be a Krsnik, although he was sure that if they were, he'd accept it. He'd seen how happy Boyd was with Alexis, and he wanted the same for himself.

He reached Boyd's house after only a few minutes of walking and quickly knocked on the door. It was the first time for him to have dinner with them since Alexis had entered Boyd's life, but he knew Alexis well. He couldn't help but wonder how odd it would be to have dinner with a Krsnik. He knew Alexis could eat human food, but he also drank Boyd's blood. Was it something he'd want to do tonight?

The door swung open, and Boyd smiled at Chris. "Hey."

"Hey."

"I just wanted to warn you before you walked in," Boyd said, stopping Chris in his tracks.

"Warn me about what?"

"We have another guest for dinner. Alexis came home with him after training today, and I thought it wouldn't hurt anyone for him to stay. He's Alexis's friend from their old clan."

Chris had heard the story. He knew Alexis had lost his entire clan to Kudlaks, which wasn't an unusual story. The hunters had all lost someone because of the Kudlaks—sometimes a friend, other times a family member, and the worst times, their entire family. Chris couldn't imagine what it had been like for Alexis and his friend, and he was glad they'd found each other again.

"I don't have a problem with that."

Boyd beamed. "Great. Well, they're in the kitchen."

Chris looked around as he and Boyd made their way over. Boyd's house had been in disrepair, just like Chris's, but Boyd seemed to be better with his hands. Alexis had probably helped, too. The house wasn't finished, but it was well on its way, and it looked good.

"You're going to have to help me do the same back at my place," Chris said as he gestured at the newly repaired stairs. "I'm a little scared to go up and down the stairs because it feels like they might break anytime I do."

Boyd frowned. "Maybe you shouldn't use them, then."

"Probably not, but the bed is upstairs, and I spent too much time sleeping on the floor to want to do that again." Although even if he did, it would be very different from sleeping on the floor at the warehouse. At least his place was clean and warm.

He and Boyd stepped into the kitchen. Alexis was sitting at the island with his friend. They were both talking, but Alexis turned when Boyd walked past him. Boyd leaned down to kiss the top of Alexis's head as if it were a natural movement for them.

It was, and it made Chris yearn for the same.

"It's good to see you," Alexis said when Chris neared him.

"It is. Thank you for allowing me to come to dinner."

"You're Boyd's best friend. You can come over for dinner every day if you want."

Chris laughed. "I'd be careful what you offer me. You might never get rid of me."

Alexis's smile was easy. "I wouldn't offer if I didn't want you here." He turned toward his friend. "Chris, this is Gary. You were there when we rescued him and the other Vila from the Kudlaks hunting them. He was part of my old clan, but I don't think I introduced the two of you. Gary, this is Chris, Boyd's best friend."

Gary turned around in his seat. Knowing he was a Vila, Chris knew what to expect. From what he'd seen, most of them had blond hair and blue eyes and were incredibly beautiful. Gary wasn't an exception, but somehow, he seemed even more stunning than the other Vila Chris had seen around the village. Older, too, but Chris thought that was part of his charm.

He smiled and offered Gary his hand. "It's a pleasure to meet you."

Gary simply stared. His eyes were wide, and Chris had to resist the urge to look behind himself to check what Gary was staring at. He wasn't sure why the man was reacting to him like this, but it made him nervous.

He rubbed the back of his neck. "I'm sorry we didn't meet sooner. I guess we were both busy trying to survive those Kudlaks." Chris was pretty sure he would have remembered Gary if he'd noticed him that day. The people under attack had been whisked back to the village quickly, though, while Chris had stayed behind with the others to fight the Kudlaks.

Gary was still staring. Chris decided that meant he could stare, too. After all, Gary was a sight to behold.

Chris wasn't sure how aging worked for Vila, but most paranormal beings aged much slower than humans. Gary appeared to be in his early forties, which probably meant he was three hundred years old or something like that.

Chris almost snorted. Okay, maybe not three hundred, but definitely older than Chris, and not by just a few years.

"Anyway," Chris continued. "How have you been finding the village? It's new for me, too, although I lived with a bunch of hunters for a while. I guess that's why it's odd. I have my own place now." And he was babbling, which wasn't like him.

He turned to Boyd, who was looking at him, clearly amused. Chris resisted the urge to roll his eyes. He didn't know what to do to get an answer out of Gary, and he was starting to get worried. Did he have something on his face? Why was the man still staring without saying a word?

And why did it make Chris want to kiss him?

* * * *

Gary knew he should say something. It was rude to stare and even more so not to participate in the conversation. Chris was trying to be nice, and here Gary was, staring at him like he'd seen a ghost.

He might as well have.

When Alexis had asked him to come to the house he shared with Boyd for dinner, Gary hadn't expected to find his mate there.

"Everything all right?" Alexis asked.

Gary finally snapped out of it. He cleared his throat and smiled at Chris, still unable to look away from him. At least he didn't look like a dead fish anymore. "Being in the village is nice. It's been a while since I felt this safe."

Chris visibly relaxed, probably because Gary wasn't freaking him out anymore. "Yeah, that's definitely a plus. I'm trying to convince my best friend to move here, but it's complicated."

"When isn't it?"

Gary didn't know what to do. Should he tell Chris he was his mate? How would Chris take it? Gary was pretty sure he was as human as Boyd, which meant he wouldn't know they were mates unless Gary told him.

Chris turned to Boyd, and Gary leaned back against the kitchen island. He needed the support if he didn't want to topple off the stool he was sitting on.

"Okay, it's clear something's happened, and I need to know what," Alexis said as he sat back down. He leaned close to Gary, cutting off Gary's view of Chris.

Gary leaned around Alexis. He wanted to look at his mate. He was very different from Gary, but Gary wouldn't have it any other way. He loved Chris's messy brown hair and his dark eyes. Chris was younger than Gary, but the difference in age didn't bother Gary, although it might bother Chris because Gary wasn't only older—he also looked older.

"You're freaking me out," Alexis warned.

Gary needed to stop it, because if Alexis was freaking out, Boyd would start doing the same, and it would become even more awkward.

Gary leaned forward and put a hand on Alexis's arm. "I'm fine. I promise that what's happening isn't a bad thing." Or at least, he didn't think it would be. It all depended on how Chris took the news.

Alexis narrowed his eyes. "You realize I'm not going to believe you just because you say it's not, right? You already surprised me when you asked about self-defense lessons. That's enough unexpected stuff from you for today."

Gary smiled. Alexis had been surprised, but like Gary had expected, he'd agreed to help him. "Chris really was there when you and the others rescued me?" he asked.

Alexis frowned, but thankfully, he answered without asking where Gary was going with his question. "He was. I'm not surprised you didn't notice him. It was a mess."

It had been, and it also had been dark, and Gary had been terrified. It had been chaos until he and the others had been shimmered to the village. Once here, they'd been taken care of. People had asked if they needed medical help and had shown them to one of the empty houses. Alexis had been there for Gary when he'd returned, but Gary didn't remember anyone else except for Boyd.

He couldn't believe his mate had been living a few houses down from his since he moved to the village and he hadn't known. He didn't even understand how it was possible. How had he never seen Chris around?

Asking himself those questions wouldn't change anything. Now, he had seen Chris, and he needed to decide what he wanted to do about it.

"What is it?" Alexis asked in a whisper. "Do you recognize Chris from somewhere? Did he hurt you in the past?"

Gary quickly shook his head. "Of course not. I'd never seen him until tonight."

"And seeing him was enough to shock you." Alexis's eyes widened. "Wait. I know that expression. You're in shock and overwhelmed, and I remember all too well how I felt when I met Boyd. Is that what's happening?"

Gary looked at Chris, but he was busy talking with Boyd. He glanced at Gary, then quickly away when he saw that Gary was looking at him. "It is," he confirmed.

Alexis leaned back. Gary wasn't sure how his friend would take the news. Maybe they weren't even friends anymore. They hadn't been close when they'd been part of the same clan, but they were the only ones left, and they shared a certain kinship. Maybe that wasn't enough for Alexis, though. He loved his mate, and he seemed protective of his mate's friends. He might think that Gary wasn't good enough for Chris.

Gary didn't think he was.

Chris was a hunter, and he deserved to be bonded to a fighter, someone who could protect him. He put his life in danger every time he left the village, especially because he didn't have anything more than his strength and ability against Kudlaks. He wasn't a Krsnik.

He could die so easily.

Gary shivered in horror. He didn't know if he could do this. How was he supposed to watch his mate leave the village time and time again to protect people, put himself in danger, and possibly never come back? How was Gary supposed to stay behind and accept it? He couldn't protect Chris. He couldn't do anything to help in the fight against the Kudlaks.

"You should tell him," Alexis finally said.

"I don't know. I'm not sure it's the right thing to do."

Chris seemed like a good person, which probably meant he'd give Gary a chance. He didn't know that Gary wasn't worth it. He didn't know that Gary had allowed his clan to be decimated. He'd run instead of fighting for his life and the lives of the people he loved.

Gary was glad to be part of a new clan, but he could never ignore the fear that he'd lose these people, too. With the Kudlaks more active than ever and attacking in groups, it was a possibility. Gary didn't think he could survive if it happened to him a second time. If it did, he'd fight to the death. He wouldn't abandon the people he cared about again.

He wouldn't abandon Chris.

"I know it's a lot, especially after everything else," Alexis murmured. "But at the very least, he deserves to know. Besides, I see you're working yourself up, and I don't think you have a reason to. Chris is a nice person. He's a reasonable guy. Don't give up on your relationship with him just because he's human and might not understand how important this is."

"That wouldn't be the reason," Gary said as he peeked at Chris again. "He deserves better."

Alexis got to his feet. "He should be the one deciding that." He turned to his mate. "I need to show you something outside."

Boyd frowned. "What?"

"Come on. I'll show you."

Boyd was clearly confused, but when Alexis held his hand out, he took it without hesitation. That was what their bond meant. They trusted each other with their lives.

But Chris could never trust Gary with his.

Boyd and Alexis quickly left, and Gary and Chris were alone. Chris was staring at Gary with his head cocked, probably trying to make sense of what was going on. "Something tells me Alexis didn't really have to show Boyd something," he said slowly.

"I don't think he did."

"Unless it was a code word for sex, but I don't think they'd do that with us here."

Gary's body flushed at the thought of sex, but it had nothing to do with Alexis and Boyd. He couldn't start thinking about sex with Chris, though. "They left us alone because there's something I need to tell you."

Chris moved closer and leaned against the kitchen island. He was in front of Gary now, separated from him only by the counter. "What is it?"

"Do you know much about my species?"

Chris shook his head. "You look a bit like a Nix, but I know you're not. You have blue eyes, for one, and while I haven't seen your ears, they don't look pointed."

Gary pushed his long hair away from his ears. "They're not. We have some things in common with Nix, but not a lot. One of those things is that we can identify our mates by sight."

Chris stared at Gary for so long that Gary wondered if he understood what he'd said.

"Okay," Chris eventually said. "You're going to have to be more specific, because I don't know if I can believe what I think you just told me."

Chris deserved for Gary to be completely honest. If he rejected Gary, it would hurt, but it might as well happen now that they barely knew each other.

Gary swallowed. "I'm saying that as soon as you walked into the room, I knew you were my mate."