Five

Five

Kezan

It had been three days since my mate had kissed me, and I could still feel his lips on mine. Every time I closed my eyes, all I saw was Ezra.

My bottle had been owned by many people in my lifetime, and every single time, I’d known I would lose my keeper sooner or later. But now I’d found my forever keeper, and every day I had to wait until I could be his was a day too long.

Which was why I’d asked Ezra to go on another date with me today. It was Sunday, and he’d had no other plans, so he’d agreed pretty readily. Since he’d told me about his dog the other day, I’d decided on a picnic so I could meet Russ.

I had a basket full of picnic food in the backseat of my car, but before I could pick Ezra and Russ up, there was another stop I needed to make.

I pulled up outside TOSS, not parking in the lot since I’d just be in and out. Micah and Cam were handling the shop today, and though they were young, I trusted them to keep it running. My destination wasn’t Wish For It, though, and I headed toward She Bakes, He Brews, the best bakery in town. It was run by a witch, so no surprise there.

“Kezan! Long time, no see, honey. The boutique doing well?” Iris asked from behind the counter as I stepped into the warm, cozy store. She was a big woman who was equal parts sweet and snarky. I’d met her the day I opened my shop when she’d brought me a welcome to the area cake that had made me fall in love with her baking.

“It is. I have someone helping me now, actually.”

“The psychic kid, right? He’s a cutie, though I think he’s already taken,” Iris said with a wink, and I rolled my eyes.

“He’s taken, and he’s too young for you.”

“Psssh, age is just a number for us supes. It’s not like I was planning to throw myself at him.”

“Considering the fact that his mate is a dragon, you might not wanna flirt with him,” I warned, and a delighted smile spread across her lips.

“Oh, is he? That’s wonderful!”

“Iris, stop gossiping and get back to work,” Hector, her business partner and the tea guru of the shop, called from the back, his voice gruff.

“Yes, master. Working, master,” Iris teased, and Hector huffed. I’d never not seen the man in a grumpy funk, but he made damn fine tea. Iris was his exact opposite, but they made it work somehow.

“So, what can I get you, sugar?” Iris asked, and I ordered two slices of her magical—literally— chocolate caramel cake. It was infused with magic that amplified positive emotions.

“Two slices, huh? Is the other for the kid?” Iris asked as she cut the two slices before packing them in different boxes.

“Um, actually, it’s for my date,” I said, and she froze. Her eyes shot to mine, the question clear.

“Yeah, he’s my mate,” I answered with a blush, and she squealed happily. With a grin, she packed a bunch of cupcakes in a different box as well, putting everything in a reusable tote bag with the shop’s logo on it and handing it over to me.

“My treat,” she insisted when I started to pull out my wallet. “Have fun with your mate!”

I smiled at Iris before hooking my thumb back toward the exit. “Okay, I need to go pick him up. I’ll see you around, yeah?”

“Go!” Iris grinned, and I nodded as I turned around and headed out.

The drive to Ezra’s was pretty uneventful, and I found him waiting outside with Russ on a leash. Oh my God, the dog was adorable. He was a German shepherd, so he was pretty huge, but his tongue lolled out and he looked so excited that it was hard to find him intimidating. I got out of the car, glad I’d had the foresight to put all the food in the trunk, and walked over to them.

“Hey, Russ! It’s good to finally meet you. Aren’t you a good boy?” I scratched his chin as he slobbered all over me, making me chuckle.

“Oh, I see how it is. Russ is more important now, huh?” Ezra teased, and I laughed as I looked up at him. Sometime during our last date, Ezra had dropped his guard. He’d stopped thinking about the fact that I was the first guy he’d ever dated, and I loved it. I wondered how much of it was because of our bond, but I knew the bond would be useless if Ezra really wasn’t into me at all. I was glad he’d accepted his feelings for me.

“Hey, Ezra,” I said softly, pressing a chaste kiss to his lips since I didn’t know how he felt about PDA. He smiled against me before deepening the kiss, his arm wrapping around my waist as he pulled me closer. Well, that answered that question.

“Shall we?” I asked when we finally pulled apart, and Ezra smiled.

“Let’s go.”

Ezra

Kezan took us to Silent Creek Park. I’d been there a couple of times in the past few years, but each time I’d been there, I’d felt distinctly…unwelcome—like the trees were trying to keep me out, which I knew was supremely strange. The second time, I’d brought Russ, and he’d whimpered as if he was afraid of something in the park until we’d left.

But this time Russ happily followed after Kezan as he led us deeper into the park than I’d ever ventured. The unease I’d felt on my previous visits was gone too as if the park was accepting me this time around. Strange.

The air had a crisp bite to it, and greenery surrounded us on all sides. Trees with wide trunks hulked over us, while others twisted around each other like they were stuck in a never-ending hug.

Finally, Kezan found a clear spot he liked and spread out the blanket he’d brought before waving me over. I took a seat, and Russ laid himself out beside me, leaving barely any place for Kezan. He eyed the small scrap of blanket with his lips squished together, and I chuckled. I patted my lap in invitation, and his eyes widened.

“Come on. Stop looming over me and sit,” I said, and his cheeks turned pink as he carefully settled in my lap. He wasn’t much shorter than me, but he was leaner and fit perfectly. I pressed a kiss to the side of his neck before wrapping my arms around him and pulling him flush against me.

“This is nice,” I said with a hum, and Kezan relaxed into me.

“It is. The park is so…homey, isn’t it?”

“Well, I was talking about how you felt in my lap, but yes, it is. This time at least,” I amended, and Kezan turned his head to look at me, his cheeks still bright red.

“This time?”

I tilted my head side to side as I wondered if he’d think I was crazy. Then again, maybe a wild animal of some sort had snuck into the park last time, and that was why Russ had freaked out.

“The last time I came here, Russ whimpered the whole time. Before then, I always felt like I wasn’t welcome here, which sounds crazy, doesn’t it?”

“I don’t think—”

“Ollie, wait!” A voice cut Kezan off, and I looked up as a man with dark blond hair came running from the trail we’d just walked up. He was grinning, which made me relax a little. As he ran past, he shot us a look just as another man appeared at his tail. This one had a long, black-and-blue braid whipping behind him as he ran, which was all I could see since they were running so fast.

Just before the first man—whose name I guessed was Ollie—disappeared behind the foliage, he leaped into the air and turned into a cat.

I blinked, sure I’d imagined that, but then the man following him did the same, turning into a slightly bigger cat before disappearing after him.

I stared in shock at the spot where they’d disappeared, sure I hadn’t just dreamed that up. The clothes lying there—clothes those men had been wearing—were proof.

I turned my wide-eyed gaze to Kezan, who was staring at the same spot. The look in his eyes, though, was different. He didn’t look shocked. He looked confused.

“Um, Kezan? Did you see that?” I asked hesitantly, and his eyes shot to mine, something like fear flashing through them. What was he afraid of?

“Yeah, yeah, I did. How about we eat first, and then I’ll explain everything.”

“Eat? Explain? What are you saying, Kezan? I’m so fucking confused.” Russ snuffled against my palm, making me realize he hadn’t freaked out. At all.

“I’m saying there’s a reason you didn’t feel comfortable in this park before. There’s a reason those two idiots shifted in front of you. I’ll explain everything, I promise, but can we eat first, please? I want to do this right. I didn’t expect I’d have to tell you everything today, and I need to get everything straight in my head,” Kezan pleaded, his brown eyes wide, and I stared at him.

He was talking in circles, and what I’d seen just now was running circles in my brain, but I knew he’d keep his promise to tell me everything. What did it matter if he took a few minutes to get his thoughts in order first?

“Okay, let’s eat. Then you can tell me whatever it is I need to know.”

“I promise.”