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I rock my feet from side to side again, smiling as I watch them and process Kimiko’s statements. ”I guess I don’t understand why you find me so interesting. Surely, you’ve met more exciting people in your travels.”

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Keeping up the act for now, I hang off of Nic’s arm, the powder in a container in my hand. It takes a while, but the door eventually opens, and I smile wildly at the woman on the other side. She smiles shakily, looking like a wounded bird. Maybe we should set up a meeting with Mr Scott, so I can teach him a few things about women and how they should actually be treated.

”Hi there! Our vehicle just broke down, and we were wondering if we could borrow a phone to call for a tow. We’re from out of town and, of course, didn’t spring for the international cell phone plan,” I said, laughing.

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”I can’t wait to show you all of them,” I said, beaming from the joy that they want to see all my places and travel with me. ”Ah, not through the whole property, but the majority of it. I had the creek extended for the wolves and for other animals, so they had something to hunt safely,” I explained to Nero.

I push back a few low-hanging branches and encourage Nero to walk ahead of me. On the other side laid a secret garden of sorts. I bridge went over the creek, leading to a gazebo that was surrounded by flowers and trees. Seating lined the inside perimeter of the gazebo with a small fire table in the centre and string lights through the roof of the gazebo.

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I turn my head to look at Avery. “Well, you’re handsome, you have some of the nicest muscles I’ve ever seen, you’re a trainer to Caden, a practical demigod, and you’re a werewolf without a pack.” I turn my face back towards the sky.

“I dunno, maybe it’s attraction or just my dumb human brain going ‘good mate potential hurr durr’, but you’re an enigma that I’d like to figure out.”

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Mrs Scott looks at us warily, like she’s weighing her options, going over pros and cons. “Yeah, we’ve got a landline you can use for a moment.” She finally says, opening the door wider to let us in.

“Thank you so much, you’re a literal lifesaver, ma’am.” I glance over at Cass as if to ask if I’m just going to distract her while Cass sneaks off or if I need to get ready to catch the woman. I’ve already made a note for me to leave a mini first aid kit with the poor thing.

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My eyes go wide as I look around, amazed by the beauty of it all. It seems like a perfect metaphor for leaving demons behind and finding the beauty in life. I keep glancing back at Caden, my smile wide as I spin around and look at all the details surrounding everything.

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I smirk as she starts to compliment me. Some of the things she says I expect, some of the other things she says I don’t. All in all, it serves to render me speechless.

”Wow. I should have recorded that. No one is going to believe you complimented me,” I declare. I rub the back of my neck and turn my head away from Kimiko, feeling oddly uplifted by all her compliments.

It wasn’t that I didn’t know I was desired by people or oggled. It just sounded different coming from Kimiko. They were forward compliments, but I could also see nothing happening between us. Like Cassiopeia and I. Despite my initial crush on her. Unfortunately, she never reciprocated the feelings. We now had a rather strong brother/sister relationship that I treasured.

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”Oh, thank you so much!” Nic and I step in. I look at Nic and nod before I pop the container open and blow a little of the powder into Mrs Scott’s face. Her eyes roll back, and she instantly passes out, falling backwards. I close the front door quickly, hoping Nic’s reflexes are quick.

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I chuckled when Nero looked back at me, probably for the tenth time. ”I rarely make it out here anymore. It’s nearly overgrown,” I noted.

I walked across the bridge, removing some dried-out vines and tossed them into the water before I started cleaning up the gazebo.

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“That’s the best part of it though.” I tease, glancing over at him. I catch his body language, but decide to not tease him about it, turning my head back to the sky.

“Did you ever find the towels, by the way.”

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I step forward quickly, catching Mrs Scott in my arms easily. I pick her up princess style and carry her over to the closest couch, setting her down gently. “Alright, if you were a wife beating, racist, white man, where would you hide a yellow sapphire?” I tuck a pocket first aid kit into Mrs Scott’s pocket before straightening.

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“I think that’s the appeal of it.” I say as Caden clears some of the dead plants around. ”Can’t have a secret garden if it’s easily found.” I prance over to the gazebo, looking closely at some of the flowers.

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I laugh, thinking about the straws, but I shake my head. ”No, never even looked. I figured if you don’t want to see me wet, you’ll return them to the pool,” I teased her in return. I couldn’t wait until she discovered the straws were missing.

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I snorted, placed the container back into my bag, and scanned the room we were in. [color=#DB7093]”Well, if I didn’t keep it on my person, I’d want to keep it as close as possible but in a place where no one else would see it or be able to go. So, in a locked room in a safe would be my best guess.

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I smiled, brushed some of the old cobwebs away and lifted up the bench to pull out some cushions. I examined them, impressed they still looked decent. ”I suppose you are right.”

I set the cushions out and sit down. I watched Nero prance around, looking at the different plants and flowers. I smiled as I watched them, amused and enchanted by the way they were fascinated by the simplest things.

”For someone who has seen so much and been around so much death, how is it possible that you still look at the world with such wonder?” I find myself asking them.

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I grin. “Funny, usually it’s the girl the guy wants to see wet.” I quip back.

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I nod. “So, let’s see if this house has a home office.” I say, trying not to think of this as some kind of Indiana Jones adventure. I head into the closest hallway, trying all the doors.

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I look over at Caden sitting on the bench and traipse over to him, hopping into his lap. “I don’t think I spent much time up here before.” I muse out loud as I look around still.

“And from the looks of it so far, my human life didn’t have many high points either.” I curl into Caden so I can listen to his heartbeat. “I’ve always been curious by nature and meeting you has given me an opportunity to really explore up here more.”

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”Mmm, usually, but this is the twenty-first century. Women can want things now, too,” I counter.

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I go in the opposite direction, looking for locked doors or something. I eventually find a door, but I think it leads to the basement. ”Nic, over here,” I call. I scrounge through my bag until I find my lock pick set. I kneeled down, placed the instruments into the lock, and finessed the tools until the door unlocked.

I stood back up, putting my tools away before I opened the door.

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I grinned when Nero effortlessly hopped into my lap. I rest one of my hands on Nero’s legs, rubbing my thumb along their smooth skin. ”I’m happy I make you so curious.”

I was genuinely glad I could. It validated the feelings Nero brought out within me. I knew we didn’t make sense as a pair. A demon and a part shapeshifter, part dragon, and my friends were concerned, but I knew how Nero made me feel and how I made them feel. I couldn’t explain that to them, but I didn’t need to. All I needed was to know Nero loved me as I loved them.

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“Must you always have the last word?” I ask with a laugh, finding a pebble near by and flicking it at him.

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I watch in amazement as she picks the lock and opens the door. “Can you teach me how to do that?” I ask, cutting by her to go down the stairs first. Logically, I know she can handle herself just fine, but part of me still wants to protect her by instinct.

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I pull away from listening to his heartbeat to stretch up and kiss his nose. “Thank you for letting me be curious and helping me understand the world.” I don’t know how to explain it, but before I met Caden, I approached most of my existence with cruel intentions, but that’s changed. Even though the journey to him was rough and I still had much to unlock of my past, I want to stay with him.

“Caden,” I start, placing my ear over his heart again. “I want to be your mate.”

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”Yes,” I say with a grin and flick a pebble back at her. I like this. I like the back-and-forth banter with no real meaning or end goal in mind. I like just talking with no real focus or intention. It’s a nice change of pace from always having to answer questions or give something of myself to someone else.

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I go to step down the stairs, but Nic sneaks in front of me to go first. I blush, unable to help myself after he does that. Only the best for my little tomato. I hear his words from earlier play over in my head, and I can’t help but think Nic would hand me the world on a gold platter if I asked him to.

”Oh, um, ya, sure,” I say and give my head a shake, so I can focus. I put one hand on Nic’s shoulder, the other in loose at my side in case we come across anything unsavoury.

Like Mr Scott’s office, this place makes me uneasy. The only different is Mr Scott’s office was cold, whereas his home is full of pain.

We reach the bottom step, and I find a light to turn on. There are tools all over the place, along with blueprints and maps, a computer, and, in the corner, a safe.

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I smile, shutting my eyes after they kiss my nose. I continued to rub my thumb along Nero’s leg, concentrating on the sensation. Nero placed their head back on my chest, and I hummed happily. However, it’s short-lived.

My eyes snap open and I’m certain my heart stopped beating before it started to pound. The dragon stirs inside me, coming awake at the sound of Nero wanting to claim me.

”What?” I stutter. ”I mean, are you sure? It’s only been a day… You don’t have to make this decision right away.”

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“I can’t wait until you finally meet your match.” I say, flicking a twig at him this time. ”I’d buy front row seats to that.”

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”How are your safe breaking skills?” I ask Cass as my eyes find the safe in the corner. I head over to it, looking around to see if there might be a sticky note with the combination somewhere nearby.

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I pull my head off his chest once I’m able to hear his heart beat again and shake my head. “I’m sure.” I say with a nod for emphasis.

“I think we saw the worst point of my existence and you still love me. You’ve accepted me at both my worst and my best. I’d be a fool to not want to be your mate.”

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I think I might have, I think to myself, but I don’t voice that. Instead, I just chuckle and nod. ”Maybe I’ll be so lucky,” I say. I sigh and lean forward. ”Do you want me to take you back now?”

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”Not as good as doors or windows. When you were not looking in Mr Scott, were there any important dates or number combinations you came across that you might remember?” I go over to the safe while Nic examines the room.

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I look into Nero’s eyes, searching them to make sure Nero is genuine. I break into a grin and pull Nero in, kissing them desperately. ”I am so in love with you,” I whisper onto their lips. ”I don’t deserve you.”

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I look over at him again. “Only if you’re ready to go back. You were nice enough to let me tag along in the first place, even if this little detour was unexpected.” I say, genuinely meaning it.

“Honestly, I could probably spend hours here, it’s so serene.”

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I pause in my search through papers to recall what I remembered. ”1976 was the year they got married.” I offer up. I don’t think it will be that easy, but here’s hoping. I resume looking through papers just in case.

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The kiss leaves my head spinning for a moment until he says he doesn’t deserve me. I pull back from his lips and grab his face so I can look him square in the eye. “I know both of us find ourselves thinking that and it’s hard to convince your mind to just accept happiness after all the bad, but maybe we just don’t say it out loud anymore.” I say, cocking an eyebrow for a moment.

”Oh, and I love you too.” I say with a bright smile before kissing him back.

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I look around the space we are in and nod. ”It is. There are a whole series of trails and hikes throughout this park. The roads are amazing to ride on, too. If you’re up for it, we could take the long way back to Caden’s on the bike,” I offer.

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”Hmm, I doubt it would have anything to do with her. Something he’s accomplished on his own. Maybe when he graduated school, or if he’s won some sort of award,” I said.

I walk away from the safe and join Nic in looking through papers and blueprints of different projects the man has worked on.

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I chuckle and nod. ”Okay. Deal,” I say and pull Nero in for another kiss. I leave my hand on their leg while the other slides up Nero’s back, pulling them closer to me. Mate, my mind repeats over and over again.

My dragon growls their assent, and the noise filters through my lips from somewhere deep in my belly. I nip Nero’s bottom lip and kiss them with a deeper hunger than I ever have before.

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I sit up a bit to give him a flat look. “It’ll only be a scenic route if I can keep my eyes open long enough.” I say with a small smirk.

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I can’t help but chuckle. “That’s not usually something we ask for when doing medical history.” I tease. “His birthday is June 19th, 1958 and the last four of his social is 7452.” I say, giving her some options.

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The low growl that emits from Caden shocks me a little, but the almost desperate way he’s kissing me right now distracts me. And if I’m completely honest, kissing him is one of my favorite activities anyway. I suck in his lower lip and nip it, dragging my teeth on it before letting it go.

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”Well, keep your eyes open,” I say and make my way to my feet. ”Do you want me to go slower?”

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I write the numbers down on a little scrap piece of paper, but I don’t try the combinations yet. I’m not sure if the safe has a limit on how many combinations you can try, so I want to be careful with it.

I keep searching through papers and glancing around the room. That’s when I see something that looks like a trophy. I walk over, pick up the glass, and examine what it says. Apparently, Mr Scott won some lifetime achievement award. I bring the trophy with me to the safe and type in the month and day. The safe opens, and I grin. I set the trophy aside and opened the little door to see several gems inside.

”Someone has been busy,” I note. There are gems, notes, money, and even a gun in the safe. I pull out the yellow sapphire and cradle it in my hands. ”Hello little one,” I crooned. I slip the gem into a small bag before tucking it away. I look at the other items in the safe before I pull them out and pocket them the same. These don’t belong to him, and Mr Scott definitely doesn’t need a gun.

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I shiver from the way Nero kisses me. My hand slides up their back to cup the back of their head while my lips parted. My tongue slips out to taste Nero’s lips.

As we kiss, I think about how incredibly lucky I am to have found Nero and have found someone to finally call my mate. We still need to go through the process, and I need to talk to them about the traditional ceremony, but for now, I keep kissing Nero, completely thrilled that they’ve chosen me.

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I flip him off for the first comment before I also get to my feet. ”If you think you can go slow.” I challenge.

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I watch as Cass goes through the safe and pockets much of the items. “Are you going to try and find the original owners for all of those?” I ask, crouching nearby to observe. The gun doesn’t surprise me - in fact it tracks with what we know about the guy.

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”It’s not nearly as much fun, but I can make it work,” I state.

I make my way back to the bike, feeling better even though I didn't tell into the void as much as I thought I would have to. I didn't mind talking to Kimiko when it wasn't all about me all the time. Even if she did find me interesting.

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I release the mag from the gun and empty the chamber just in case before putting those in my bag as well. ”We can swing by the police station, and I can drop everything off with Costa. There might be reports of missing gems from other places. If he finds them, then we could properly restore them, but I'd feel better if he had them rather than me walking around with all of these,” I explain to Nic. I close the safe and lock it before standing. ”We should get going.”

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“Then the scenic route sounds good to me.” I say with a nod before heading towards the bike as well. I put on the helmet and wait for Avery to get on before I climb on behind him.

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“I like that plan much better. What about the yellow sapphire? Is that going to go to Costa too?” I make Cass go up the stairs first so I can walk behind her - something I do subconsciously in order to help if someone falls.

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”Do you want me to teach you hand signals to use on the way back?” I ask as I get on the bike.

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”No. I'll document it, so Mr. Scott gets charged, but I already know where this stone needs to go and how to restore it. Are you up for another long drive?” I asked Nic. I could always do it myself on a different day but I really wanted to do this as soon as possible.

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I think about it for a moment before I nod. “Yes please.” I say. “Are they anything like Caden’s hand signals?”

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I grin lopsidedly when Cass asks if I’m up for a long drive. “With you? Always.” I say as we exit Mr Scott’s house.

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