Page 74 of Starlight

“A little, but…” He shrugged, not wanting to mention how he’d seen Akai once before. “Like I said, it was the right thing to do.”

He wasn’t sure when getting into bed with Akai had felt like the right thing to do, but once the idea had taken hold, he hadn’t been able to shake it. And once, just to try it, hadn’t been enough. Even though he’d known seeing Akai again would shake up his life, he still couldn’t have imagined sitting there being interviewed by a monster.

Bob considered him for several seconds. “He wanted to bring you as a thank you.”

“He wanted me to drive because he can’t fly yet.”

“And you want to be here, why?”

That was much harder to answer. This was clearly the essay part of the exam. “Meeting Akai introduced me to the monster world, and the more I learn, the more interested I am.”

“Many will be able to smell your fear.”

Cole licked his lower lip. Clearly, Bob was one of those monsters. “Is it wrong to be afraid of the unknown? That doesn’t mean I don’t want to be here.”

“It also doesn’t mean you won’t return with friends and guns.”

Cole’s jaw tightened.

“People who want to hunt and kill and take,” Bob continued, describing Cole’s cousins perfectly. Was he hinting that he knew about their past connection? Akai claimed it was a secret that he had gone after them.

“I am not that kind of person. I saw a wolf and fired over its head to scare it away. I did not expect the wolf to take flight.” No human could’ve predicted that.

“Yet you are the kind person who is unbothered by lying, letting others believe you are his mate because it makes your life easy. Word will spread that you are his mate, and you are not.”

Cole chewed on the question as he stared at his hands. To him, that was a white lie, and yes, it made things smoother, but what was wrong with that? He also didn’t want to drop Akai in the shit by saying it was his idea, but it was hard to avoid. “Akai wanted to see how I’d react to being surrounded by monsters, and I agreed it was a good idea. What harm is there in letting them think we are mates?”

Bob shook his head. “They opened their home to you and trusted you, and you, and Akai, misused that trust for your own gains.”

“Oh.” That made it sound far worse than intended. “Can you clarify the mates thing, because by human standards we are definitely…” Hooking up? Dating? “Seeing each other.”

“Seeing each other?” Bob tilted his head. “You are doing more than looking at him.”

“Err…” Heat bloomed on his cheeks and spread fast. “Yes. We are seeing where it goes.”

“There are only two options. Mates or nothing.”

“We know. But it’s not easy to figure out, because he’s…” He looked at Bob. He had a human mate, according to Akai.

“A cryptid?” Bob offered.

“I can’t take him home to meet my parents or my friends. I don’t know how to have a monster mate. But there are humans here with mates, and I’m hoping to find out how they marry a human life with having a monster mate.” As the words slipped off his tongue, he realized the truth in them. He wasn’t there for the monsters; he was there for the humans. He wanted to see people who’d figured out how to make it work because if they could, perhaps he could, and maybe Akai would see that it was possible. “I don’t know if Akai wants a human mate.”

Bob nodded. “He is young and has had to negotiate the loss of his sister and the relocation of his family. I am not sure he knows what he wants yet. But he invited you and wants to pretend you are his mate. Perhaps to see how you fit in his life. I will allow you in, but you must maintain the pretense.”

“I thought you didn’t like lies.”

“I am not sure it is a lie, but a truth still growing.” Bob held out a metal token engraved with some kind of symbol. “This will grant you access to solstice. Your vehicle must remain here. You are free to leave whenever you want, but you must hand your token in when you do.”

Cole nodded. This was temporary.

“Perhaps next year will be different.” Bob stood. “Get your things so I can show you where Akai will be setting up.”

“You didn’t tell me what mates means.”

“There is a binding ceremony, as many monsters live far longer than humans. It would not be right to allow that loss.”

“Of course.” He was too scared to ask what happened in cases of divorce, and the human had overstayed their life span. Was the magic broken and the human left to die? Was that so bad if they had lived far longer than they could’ve ever imagined?