Seven

Khush

Forget telling my family about Dustin. Telling Dustin about myself, about what I was? That was the hardest thing I'd ever had to do.

Dustin looked like it hadn't all clicked for him yet, but at least he wasn't running out the door.

"Are you okay?" I asked after a few minutes of silence, and Dustin hummed.

"Sorry, I'm still processing," he said after another minute, and I nodded.

"I know it's a bit much, but I wanted to tell you before we went any further."

"Thanks for that. I think it would've hit me a lot harder if you'd told me after we'd been together for a while."

"So…do you need some time to think?" I asked hesitantly, and Dustin gave me a confused look. "To decide if you want to date me after all?"

Dustin blinked, then shook his head. "Are you kidding me? Did you think this would change my mind?"

I shrugged. I hadn't been sure what to think. In all the stories I'd read in the group Keoni shared with me, the human had accepted their supe mate, but I'd still been worried. Unlike most of them, I couldn't be totally human. This was me in my default setting, and I'd been worried it might be too much for Dustin.

"My feelings for you haven't changed, Khush. But I'm really happy that you felt like you could share all of yourself with me," he said, a smile curving his lips, and I glanced away, suddenly embarrassed. "I'm curious, though. Why did you tell me? I mean, considering people don't know about the existence of supernatural beings, I'm guessing it's a well-kept secret. If you guys tell your new dates about it, how is it still a secret?"

"Are you going to tell anyone?" I asked, and his eyes widened as he shook his head.

"Of course not. But what if you told someone and then you broke up? Wouldn't they?" he asked, and I debated over whether or not to tell him the truth just yet.

While on one hand it felt like the right thing to do so I wouldn't put too much pressure on him, on the other hand, I didn't want to downplay how important he was to me.

"Well, I suppose no one would believe them even if they did, huh?" Dustin said, offering me the perfect out. Of course, I didn't take it.

"Yeah, that's true. But even so, we don't tell just any human about it," I said, swallowing hard. "I told you because you're special, and no, that's not just a line."

Dustin bit his lower lip, his blue eyes bright with curiosity as he asked, "How am I special?"

Okay, it was now or never. I hadn't scared him off yet, and I hoped this wouldn't be the thing that did it.

"Well, every supernatural being has a perfect match. A person—and sometimes more than one person—who belongs with them, completes them. They're called fated mates, and you're mine," I explained as succinctly as I could, trying to downplay the enormity of it.

"Fated mates?" Dustin murmured, a questioning lilt to his voice. "You mean like soulmates?"

"Yes. Humans can't recognize theirs except on a deeply instinctual level, but different supes recognize their mates through different senses. I knew it was you the moment we shook hands," I explained, and Dustin blinked.

"Just when I thought it couldn't get any crazier..." Dustin muttered, and I sighed.

"I'm sorry. I know this is a lot."

His eyes shot to mine, and he shook his head before stepping closer to me. Surprising me, he took my hands in his.

"It's a lot, yeah, but it's good, Khush. See, the thing is, I have a habit of rushing into relationships, and it's gotten me heartbroken more than a few times. So hearing that we're a perfect match, and that maybe you won't think I'm too much because of it? It makes me feel relieved. Relieved and excited," Dustin said with a grin, his eyes bright as he squeezed my hands.

Relief swept through me at his words, and I couldn't stop myself from pulling my hands from his grip so I could hug him instead.

He laughed softly as I wrapped my arms around him, and then wrapped the end of my tail around his legs too, holding him as close as I could.

"You could never be 'too much' for me," I whispered in his ear, fully aware that Silas, Keoni, and anyone who'd caught wind of this was eavesdropping on us from somewhere . I wouldn't expect any less from them, since I would've done exactly the same thing in their place.

Pulling back, I smiled at Dustin before taking his hand in mine. "So, do you want to meet the others? And see the rest of the place?"

Dustin nodded excitedly, his hand tightening around mine, and I smiled, finding his excitement contagious.

Making my way across the room with him at my side, I waited a moment before opening the door—giving my family ample time to act like they weren't eavesdropping, though I could hear their footsteps skittering off—and leading Dustin outside.

The door to the Forest opened, and Silas stuck his head out, the picture of innocence.

"Oh, hey, Dustin!" he greeted as if he hadn't just met him a while ago.

"Step aside, you troll," I grumbled, making him laugh as he held the door open for us while Dustin shot me a wide-eyed look.

"It's okay," Silas told Dustin, his eyes twinkling above his mask. "I am a troll."

Dustin blinked, and his brows shot up as the realization sunk in. I had a feeling Dustin was going to experience a rollercoaster of emotions today. I just hoped it wouldn't be too much for his frail human heart.

"Wow," Dustin said as he looked around, taking in my home. I wondered what the place looked like through his eyes.

I clearly remembered the day I came to live at the Sanctuary, and the awe I'd felt, and I wondered if Dustin was feeling the same way. I hoped so. I hoped he appreciated my home the way I did, because it was a magical place, in more ways than one.

Dustin

I was in a fairy tale, or at least, that was what it felt like. This place was wonderful.

The room was labeled Forest, it turned out, because it was a forest. Walking through the door, I'd stepped onto a grassy field that extended out into a dense forest. I could see glimpses of cabins scattered among the trees, and I wondered just how many supernatural beings lived at the Sanctuary.

"What do you think?" Khush asked, and I glanced up at him. He looked right at home in the greenery, and I realized I was seeing him on his home turf for the first time. He looked even more stunning here, probably because he was completely relaxed for the first time since we'd met now that he'd shared his biggest secret.

I didn't think I'd fully processed everything just yet, but I'd have more than enough time to do that once I went home, so for now, I focused on my surroundings, and on Khush.

"This place is wonderful. I don't think I've ever seen any place as beautiful as this," I answered honestly, and Khush smiled.

"That's how I felt the first time I saw it too," Khush said, and I tilted my head curiously.

"Have you lived here long?"

"Not really. I've only been here for a decade or so."

I blinked, filing that in the back of my head for later examination because apparently a decade was not long for Khush.

A clattering sound interrupted whatever he was about to say, and I glanced at one of the paths in time to see an honest-to-god centaur walking toward us. Their back legs seemed to be supported by a wooden cart, the source of the clattering sound.

"That's Keoni. He's one of the youngest residents here," Khush said a moment before Keoni came to a stop before us.

"You must be Dustin! It's so nice to meet you! I'm glad Khush didn't scare you off," Keoni rambled off with a grin, taking my hand without prompting and giving it an enthusiastic shake.

Khush actually hissed at Keoni, smacking at his hooves with his tail, and I chuckled. I could see how close the two were, and I wanted to get to know Keoni better. He seemed like my kind of people.

"Come on, brat. Help me with some stuff and leave those two alone," Silas said, throwing an arm around Keoni's shoulder. I'd almost forgotten Silas was still here, and judging by the look on Khush's face, so had he.

Once those two left, Khush shook his head before giving me a sheepish smile. "I didn't really plan this further than telling you the truth."

I grinned, linking my arm with his. He—like the gentleman he was—lowered himself just a touch so I wouldn't need to be on my tiptoes. "How about you show me your favorite spots? Do you have a cabin too?"

"I do, but I don't really use it much. I'm a bit claustrophobic, so I prefer to be out here, or in the trees."

I hummed thoughtfully, glancing around the place. Despite the dense trees, it was still very airy and open, and I could imagine Khush lounging under a tree, all coiled with restrained energy and grace.

Watching Khush move was fascinating. I'd always loved snakes—I wondered if that had factored into us being a 'perfect match?'—but the mix of snake and human mannerisms that Khush employed was captivating, and I found my gaze drifting back to him again and again.

"What?" Khush asked after I'd been staring at him for a particularly long stretch, and the hint of insecurity in his voice jerked me out of my musings.

His eyes searched mine, as if trying to figure out what I was thinking. I shook my head, a smile curving my lips, then leaned forward and kissed his cheek. "Nothing. I just realized how graceful you are. It's…enticing."

Khush's eyes widened, and he jerked his gaze away. I smiled as the tips of his ears turned pink, and tightened my arm around his, leaning into him for a moment.

Clearing his throat, Khush stopped walking, then pointed up at the tree we'd stopped under. "This one is my favorite. I spend a lot of time in its branches." His eyes flicked to mine, then skittered away, and I smiled to myself before gazing up at the tree.

I couldn't quite tell what type it was, but it had thick, arching branches, and I could very easily imagine Khush perching on one of them, his tail wrapped around the limb for stability.

"I wonder if I could climb it," I mused, pretty sure I'd fail. The trunk didn't seem to have any kind of footholds at all.

"Would you like to? I could take you up to the branches," Khush offered, and I turned my gaze on him.

"Really? Yes, please!"

Smiling, Khush unlinked our arms before wrapping an arm around my waist and picking me up, his other arm going under my knees. I shrieked in surprise before throwing my arms around his neck, and he smiled down at me before sliding closer to the tree.

I glanced down to see how he did it, and he wrapped his tail around the trunk—a tail that looked suspiciously longer than it had moments ago—before using it to creep up the trunk. He moved faster than any snake I'd ever seen—and I'd seen a lot; just check my YouTube history—and within moments we were on a thick branch, and he placed me beside him, waiting until I was settled to remove his arms from around me.

"That was amazing!" I exclaimed, grinning up at Khush. His tail was wrapped around the branch behind him, about a foot of the end part hanging off it.

"I'm glad you enjoyed it," he said, taking my hand in his. Smiling, I squeezed his hand, holding onto it tightly as I looked around from my new spot. When I left my apartment this morning, I never would've guessed this was in store.

Meeting Khush was—without a doubt—the best thing to ever happen to me.