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I smile sadly but step forward and kiss Nic’s cheek, although it hits more of his jaw than his cheek due to the height difference. ”Who do you want to call, Mr. Singh or Mr. Scott?”

I completely understood why Nic hesitated to deal with the police, but that was because he was a human, and they were trying to keep him away. Of course, when his parents initially went missing, they didn’t know it was a supernatural incident. It wasn’t until they called Caden and me that they figured out what was happening. Working with them was frustrating; sometimes, this treaty created more roadblocks than anything, but they were trying. I just hoped that Nic wouldn't be hurt if we went through with this.

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I turn my head when Nero enters and look into their arms to see their cats. I grin when I see them. That was a good sign. I offer my hand to the cats to sniff and take the one who seems more inclined to me and hold them to help Nero out. I scratch the cat’s head and look back at Kimiko.

”I appreciate your concern, Kiki. I know you worry about me like I worry about you, but I want this. I want this like I haven’t wanted anything in a long time.” I look from Kimiko back to Nero and put my fingers under their chin to turn their head to look at me. ”They make me feel like living for something again,” I say softly, looking into Nero's eyes.

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Nero enters the room carrying cats, and I shift awkwardly again. Oh great. I expect the situation to get more awkward, but it oddly deflates. I glance between all three of them while they talk. Caden’s declaration makes me happy for him but also sad at the same time.

Werewolves mate through a mating bond that is supposed to snap into place by the wolf inside the human immediately, but it won’t take if the human doesn’t accept it. Of course, humans almost always accept it. Of course, I’ve seen it happen, but I’ve never believed it. Mostly because I am in my eighties and haven’t found anyone. I’m glad Caden has found someone, but it just reminds me that I haven’t.

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“Let’s see if my charm can help us with Mr. Scott.” I say with a nod. I feel like Cass might actually like talking with Mr. Singh about fountains. I just hope that John Scott isn’t a complete stereotypical contractor bro when I talk to him.

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I beam up at Caden at his words, happy that Mika seemed to be happily enjoying her new perch in his arms. Of course, Caden’s words make me blush, but I can’t help but wiggle happily. “I feel the same.” I let Caden hold my chin still while I glance over at Kiki.

“Caden’s been helping me regain my humanity too.” I tell her. “I really do want to be good enough for him.” My eyes shift back to Caden and I grin again.

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Caden’s declaration makes me feel all the more awkward now. I’m jealous of what these two have - not because Caden and I slept together in the past but more because I wanted to find that great love too. “Well, I feel like I want to crawl into a cave and die, so how about Avery and I leave you two alone for a bit.”

I look over at the wolf, silently begging him to agree and get me out of here.

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”Mmm, try that charm I’ve been hearing so much about,” I say. I pull up my phone and dial Mr. Singh while Nic handles Mr. Scott.

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I want to protest Nero’s statement. They are more than good enough for me as they are. I don’t, though, because they really want it, and they deserve it, even if their becoming human means I’ll lose them one day. At the very least, I’ll have a few decades with them before they pass on.

I watch Kiki go to leave, and I stop her. I pull her in and kiss the top of her head. ”We’ll see you in a few hours for supper,” I say before letting her and Avery go.

I look back at Nero and raise an eyebrow at them. ”Clearly, something happened during girls' day that you didn’t inform me about.”

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I practically shoot out of the chair when Kimiko suggests she and I go off and leave Nero and Caden to their own devices. ”I know a great cave; let me show you,” I half-joke and beeline out of the room and down the hallway.

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I grin at Cass and shake my head at her before I take a couple of steps away from Cass to call John Scott. It takes a couple of rings, but a man answers and I go into my spiel about fountains like I did with the workers.

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I make a face and look anywhere but at Caden. “I didn’t want to worry you and I didn’t think it was a big deal…” I mumble as I have a sudden interest in scratching Luci very thoroughly.

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Not expecting it, I snort at Avery’s response before I nod at Caden. “See you then.” I say before I run after Avery, catching up with him easily.

“Sorry you had to be there for that.” I say sheepishly when I reach him. “I owe you one.”

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Luckily I get a hold of Mr. Singh right away. He has an accent but it isn’t too strong, so I can still hear him clearly over the phone. I’m usually good at understanding people even with accents, but it’s easy when it’s not over the phone.

”Mr. Singh, my name is Cassiopeia Alistair and I recently went to the Hindu temple in Cary, Illinois and I noticed the fountain in the back had been recently restored, but there are some discrepancies. There seems to be a stone missing,” I explain to them. ”Do you know if the stone was moved anywhere?”

Mr. Singh seems quite unhappy when I tell him what’s been going on with the fountain. From what it sounds like, his ancestors had a great deal to do with the original making of the fountain.

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”Nero… If I made you uncomfortable or was too forward in asking you to move in with me, I apologize. If you want to maintain your own space, I completely understand,” I assure them.

I hold the cat for a little longer before I set them down to explore the room. If the cats are staying, I’ll have to do some rearranging to make sure they don’t damage anything of great value.

I cup Nero’s face in my hands and kiss them softly. ”You can talk to me about anything. Even if you think it might hurt my feelings, you can still tell me.”

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I give Kimiko a sideways glance. ”Oh? How about you go jump in the pool and I’ll hide all the towels.”

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“I actually got your number from some of the workers at the Hindu Temple in Cary. I was hoping you might come by and look at this Chinese fountain my family and I own. It’s been passed down from generation to generation, but it’s been struggling lately. Do you know what kind of openings you might have in your schedule.”

John asks a lot of follow-up questions, most of them regarding the fountain, but one in particular stands out to me. “Is it an antique? More like a priceless heirloom to my family. We usually get maintenance for it with a family friend, but they’ve passed and so we’re trying to find someone who might be able to help.” I glance over at Cass, giving her a look that I hope conveyed I had some interesting news to share.

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I fidget under his gaze, letting Luci chase after Mika. “It’s not what you think,” I tell him, staring into his eyes. “As soon as you asked, I wanted to agree, but I keep thinking something will go horribly wrong.”

Something in the back of my mind is begging to be brought out into the light, but I ignore it.

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“You’d have to find said towels first.” I remind him, fighting the smirk that threatens to take over my face.

“By the way, what did Nero do that had you screaming like a puppy earlier?”

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Mr. Singh shares some of the story behind the fountain and his family’s involvement. It’s a good story, and I ask if he has any pictures of the stone in question to send to me. I try to assure him that we’ll find the stone. He seems ready to phone the police or the temple, but I tell him we might have a lead already when Nic gives me a look.

”Please, give us a day to find it before you call anyone, Mr. Singh.” He reluctantly agrees, and I sigh, thanking him before hanging up the phone. A few moments later I got an email with pictures of the stone.

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”Like what?” I asked, confused. I rub my thumbs along their cheeks. Despite the conversation we are having and the reception I had coming home, I’m grateful to have Nero in my arms again. To be touching them again and in their presence.

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”I did not scream,” I said and smoothed down the front of my shirt. ”And they teleported above my head before cannonballing into the pool.”

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“Thank you John, I look forward to meeting you too. Bye.” I hang up and make sure. To write down key points in our conversation in my notes app.

I turn to face Cass. “Okay, so you might have been right about it being stolen.”

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I close my eyes, the way his thumbs run along my cheeks helps me feel safe. “There’s something or someone that scares me shitless even though I can’t remember who or what they are.” I open my eyes and look back up at Caden.

“Just know it’s definitely not you.” I say earnestly.

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I put my face in my hands. “I feel like if I had known this I probably wouldn’t have cornered Caden as soon as he got home.” I peek out from behind my hands to glance at Avery.

“Why did he make you stay for that anyway?”

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I nod my head, putting my phone away when Nic tells me I might be right. Sometimes I hated being right. ”What did he have to say?”

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I frown when they tell me they are scared of something or someone. I pull Nero in close, wrapping my arms around them. ”I won’t let anything happen to you,” I murmur. Even if it was a demon from hell wanting to hurt Nero, I would do everything in my power to make sure they didn’t touch Nero.

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We walk into the living room, and I collapse on the large couch facing the fireplace and TV. I rest one of my arms on the back of the couch, the other on the armrest, and put my feet up on the coffee table.

”Apparently, I’ve hurt your feelings, and I must be more accommodating. I guess the big bad wolf persona is dated these days.”

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”Not much at first, but he became very interested in the one-of-a-kind fountain my family has that needs repairs.” I say to start before I go join Cass where she is. “Wanted to know if there was anything special about our fountain, so I told him it had gemstones that needed proper handling. We have an appointment with him tomorrow morning. Will that work?” I ask. I have a feeling if I make up some story about needing the repairs done tonight, he might consider it.

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I wrap my arms around him, burying my face into his chest. The real deal was so much better than just the leftover scent in his bed. I take a deep breath in before I move my head so I can look up at Caden again. “Alright, I’ll move in.” This seems to be the best option if we want to keep each other safe. Besides, I’m basically living in his house already. “If you’ll still let me?”

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I sink into the couch on the opposite end from Avery and groan, burying my head in my hands as I feel my whole face flush. ”Please don’t tell me he actually worded it that way.” Now I definitely feel like the annoying kid sister trying to play with her brother’s friends.

“Either way, thanks for helping me escape, even if it was my big mouth that got me into the situation in the first place.” I run my hands down my face before I look over at Avery. “Any chance you want to watch a game or something while we wait for supper?” I gesture to the TV hanging over the fireplace.

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”That should be fine,” I said, nodding happily. ”Where is he located?” At least meeting him in the morning meant I would have enough time to prepare in case he became agitated or resistant to our being there.

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I chuckle and relax my hold on Nero. ”Of course, it’s still okay. I’ll let the staff know, and you can tell them how you want your cats cared for when we are away,” I say and brush my hand over their hair. ”Now, when do I get to see everything you bought? Particularly the items in that little brown bag.”

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I laugh at Kimiko and her discomfort. ”In a roundabout way. He also reminded me I need to relax, but it’s difficult when my wolf is so agitated around you,” I confess.

I reach for the remote and toss it to Kimiko. ”Feel free to find whatever,” I tell her, fine with a little TV to distract.

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”Much closer to Chicago than Cary, thankfully.” I say. “He’s in one of the suburbs.” I send the address to her in a text before I look at her again. “Any other fountains you want to climb into today?” I ask.

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I beam at this. Luci and Mika will probably love having anything but demons caring for them. “Little brown b- oh!” I realize he means the bag I used to tease him and laugh.

“I don’t actually know what’s in it. The surprise I was talking about was the cats. Buuuut, it’s all in the flirty room if you’d like to take a peek. Be warned, Kiki took her role very seriously.”

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I catch the remote and quickly find a football game to watch, or soccer as the yanks call it. I set the volume on low. “Well, I think my fox doesn’t get along well with you either if that makes you feel any better.” I confess, pulling my legs up so I can wrap my arms around them.

“I’ve never really encountered a situation like this before - not many werewolves left in Europe and certainly not any that want to cross paths with a Men of Letters legacy.” My father’s secret society had eradicated most monsters from England. I always wonder that if I lose control, will they hunt me down too?

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I laugh and shake my head. ”No, I think we are safe to head back now. I can do some more research to prepare for tomorrow. Are you sure you want to go tomorrow morning? You’re doing that workout with Avery, right?”

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”Oh!” I laugh and turn around to look at the cats. I smile as they roam around, smelling the instruments and furniture. ”We’re going to have to reorganize the house a bit. Are they like normal cats and knock things off of high shelves?” I ask, looking back at Nero.

I’m tempted to ask Nero for a fashion show, but part of me also wants to be surprised when they put on a new outfit every day.

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I nod as I watch the football game. I was happier that her fox was on edge as well. It did make my reactions seem a bit more justified, although it seemed Kimiko had a better handle of her fox than I did, and she was younger than me. That made me feel ashamed more than anything.

I was unstable, slated to be killed when Caden entered my life. I was still struggling with that, even though it had been ten years. I was still learning to trust my wolf.

”Men of Letters legacy, and yet you're a supernatural creature yourself?”

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I smack my forehead. “I forgot about that.” I confess in a sheepish tone. “That’s planned for like the crack of dawn I think, so I think we could go after?” I offer her my hand to help her off the bench.

“I probably should have gotten Avery’s phone number when I had the chance.” I muse.

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I tilt my head. “Is that normal of cats? These are the only two I let in the house, the strays have to stay outside otherwise my furniture gets destroyed.” I watch the furballs dash about, but they’re just exploring what’s new to them.

“They’ve always been good at doing what they’re told.”

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I nod, placing my cheek on my knees to look at Avery. “My da fell in love with a beautiful Japanese woman who was visiting London. Little did he know she was a kitsune. Nine months after she broke his heart and ran off, I showed up on his doorstep.”

“So to be fair, I’m only half supernatural. I reckon the Letters might have tried to kill me if Caden hadn’t shown up to teach me how to control the fox half.”

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I send Nic Avery’s contact information before I slip my phone into my bag. ”If you are feeling up for it,” I told him. ”Just make sure you shower before,” I tease him and start walking towards the parking lot.

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I chuckle and caress Nero’s cheek. ”Of non-supernatural cats, yes. Some of them can be destructive.” I relax further when Nero says they are good at listening. I look at them curiously. ”Are they your familiars?”

Most demons end up that way because they are witches. Witches get their power from making demon deals, and if Lucifer turned Nero into a Knight of Hell, they must have had power already. It makes more sense as I think about it. Witches usually only have one familiar at a time, though.

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I feel Kimiko’s eyes on me while she talks. I wait for a commercial before I look at her. My eyes widen in surprise at her story and how eerily similar it is to mine, at least where Caden is concerned. ”Your mom abandoned you?”

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“Are you saying you don’t like my manly musk?” I ask Cass, holding my chest like she hurt my heart. I take my phone out to see Cass had sent me Avery’s phone number.

”Thank you for his number.” I tell her, wrapping an arm around her shoulders as we walk. “And for not insisting I have a crush on him like you did with Caden.” I knock her hip with mine.

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I close my eyes as he caresses my cheek, slowly coming to the conclusion that I really did miss him while he was gone. Peering at him owlishly, I blink at Caden’s question. “I don’t know, the two have been with me for a long time. How can you tell?”

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I note his reaction, but otherwise ignore it. ”Yeah, funny thing about her, she does whatever she wants. I’ve been chasing her for nearly 50 years but I still can’t catch up to her.” I’m not even really sure what I would do if I did manage to meet her. Probably yell and cry since that seems like my mode of operation when facing anything stressful.

“Da didn’t even know she was supernatural. When I started leaving little fires everywhere I went, he called Caden to help.”” I still remember first meeting Caden at the age of thirteen.

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”Oh, that’s because you haven’t seen Avery shirtless lifting weights. If that doesn’t turn you gay, nothing will,” I say, knocking my hip back into his.

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I looked away from the cats running about to Nero and smiled. I wrap my arms around their waist, looking down at them. ”Well, them not acting like regular cats for one, and your power. I think you were probably a witch before you ended up in hell. Most demons were witches since they make deals for power, which is one of the reasons Cassiopeia doesn’t like witches or being called a witch. Her power comes naturally,” I explain to Nero, my curiosity about their past growing with each word.

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I look away from Kimiko and pick at the fibres on the armrest of the couch. It made sense why Caden was called in. He had this way of connecting with anyone and anything, not to mention he was good at healing people. I try to ignore what Kimiko said about chasing down her mom and never finding her, but I can’t.

”Are you sure you should even be looking for her? I mean, it doesn’t sound like she wants to be found.” Or know you, I think to myself. I glance back at Kimiko, thinking I probably crossed a line and she’ll storm off now.

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I laugh. “It might be too late for that - I’m bisexual already.” I tell her, looking at her to gauge her reaction. I have a feeling it won’t change anything with Cass, but it had caused rifts in the past. The stigma around bi men was a confusing and stupid thing to me.

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A memory flashes and I clutch Caden as I can only let it happen. I’m on the ground and looking at a large shadow facing me. An outstretched hand appears before me and I shake it, my own hand covered in cuts and bruises. A ominous doom blankets me, but I feel a surge of power course through me. The flashback fades away and I’m back in Caden’s music room.

I take a shaky breath, blinking several times. “I think you’re right.” I finally say. How had I never noticed before? It seems silly that I hadn’t thought of this as a reason for becoming a demon. I want to know more, know why I made the deal, but I’m also scared to do so. I bury my face in Caden’s chest again, taking deep breaths.

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I turn my head away to look back at the television with a sigh. “Of course she doesn’t - being fount would mean she’d have to face reality and deal with consequences.” I say, a little surprised I’m not angrier with Avery for what he said

“I just want answers and I feel like she’s the only one who can give me those.”

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I look at Nic and gasp. ”Well, I'm definitely going to lose you to Avery or Caden now,” I state. I sigh forlornly, looking off into the distance.. ”Oh, well. Maybe Kat and Jane will take a third. I'm bi as well,” I say, looking back at Nic with a smile. For some reason, Nic being bisexual makes so much sense.

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I hold Nero close when they go rigid in my arms and start to shake. The only reason I know what's happening is because of Cassiopeia. Nero getting flashback visions make the witch idea more and more plausible.

I rub their back when they speak, knowing they've returned. ”We'll get to the bottom of this,” I whisper.

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I look back at the TV a few seconds after Kimiko does. Her reasoning for looking is valid, but it seems pointless to me. Whatever she's actually searching for, the answers from her mom aren't going to cut it. I don't tell Kimiko that. There's no point because she's stubborn and going to do what she wants anyway.

”Gallivanting all over the world to look for someone who doesn't want to be found. You sure know how to party,” I say, making a joke out of it instead.

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Laughing, I shake my head. I knew I had nothing to worry about when it came to her. “Look at us, just a couple of goofballs being bi and hella fly.” I squeeze her closer in a sort of weird hug with the arm around her shoulders as we approach the SUV.

“Hey, so, I’d love to take you on another date.” I say it a little awkwardly, my ears burning red. I don’t know why I’m embarrassed - I should know that after everything yesterday and today, that Cass enjoyed my company as much as I enjoyed hers. That doesn’t stop the small doubt in the back of my mind though.

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“Wie konnte ich so lange ohne dich leben?” I mumble into his shirt, clinging to Caden still. Even though it’s barely been a week, it feels like forever with Caden and I barely can recall what life was like without him.

I peek up and look at Caden with a soft smile. “Ich liebe dich, Caden.”

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I snort, glancing sidelong at Avery. How did he always manage to get this sort of reaction out of me? It’s usually harder for me to let the walls down enough to broach the subject of my mother, but here he is making jokes and somehow not pissing me off. “You know, if you had made that joke a few hours earlier today, I might have pounced on you for it.” I say with a small laugh.

One of the teams scores a goal and I return my focus to the television with a smile.

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