Page 129 of Noctis

I nodded. “Good. Because I want us to do this properly.” I took a breath. “I love you, Cal. You said it to me before, and I couldn’t say it back, but now I can.”

“Do you mean it?”

“Yes.” I gave a shaky laugh. “I’m aware that my timing could be better.”

“I love you too.” He closed the distance between us and rested his forehead against mine. “I know you were afraid of how much I wanted you.”

“I was afraid of a lot of things. Losing you turned out to be worse than any of them.”

When he kissed me, his new lips were firm and warm, his hand solid against the back of my neck, and for a moment, I let myself enjoy the unfamiliarity of it. Then I pulled back.

Caligo’s brow furrowed. “You don’t like how I look.”

“That’s not it. This body is gorgeous.” I let my hand slip around to squeeze his arse. “And I fully intend to spend some time appreciating it.” I brushed my thumb across his cheek. “But today, I want the real you. This form is for my friends, and so we can go out to dinner or go on holiday. I don’t need it, though. If you’d come back without it, I’d still be asking you to stay.”

“Are you sure that’s what you want?”

“I’ve never been surer. Give me the horns, baby.”

The warmth beneath my hand gave way to shadow, his clothes slipping off him to pool on the carpet. His features softened and disappeared, then formed again from darkness as he grew taller. Horns curved from his head, a tail unfurled behind him, and his eyes began to glow.

“There he is,” I said, lust turning my voice husky. I stepped into his arms before he’d finished changing. “I missed you.”

His tail wrapped around my waist. “I missed you too.”

“Then take me upstairs.”

He lifted me off the floor, and I laughed against his neck as he carried me to the bedroom. For once, the bed didn’t look too large as he laid me down and came down on top of me. I pulled him closer, his claws curling harmlessly against my back as he kissed me again.

We could work out the rest of the practicalities tomorrow. Or a week from now. My wealth meant he’d never need to work, so that simplified matters greatly in creating a realistic identity.

Chapter Forty

Rowan

I waited a month before putting my plan into action, figuring that introducing a new boyfriend I was clearly head over heels for would be far more convincing to my friends if some time had passed. Besides, it gave me more time to drill into Caligo the finer points of being human.

It wasn’t just about getting the backstory right. It was a hundred little things, like reacting to a joke at the same time as everyone else rather than waiting for me to explain, recognizing when a question was rhetorical so he didn’t answer it with terrifying honesty, remembering that most people couldn’t hear a heartbeat from across the room, and understanding that someone saying they’d “kill for a coffee” was a figure of speech, not a request for assistance.

It didn’t need to be perfect. It just needed to be good enough that people wouldn’t question whether he was an alien—or worse, a monster. Not that it would change anything. I loved him and he loved me, so my friends would have to accept him, come what may. But it would make my life immeasurably easier if they weren’t all questioning why he was a complete fruitcake.

Given that Laura was the most likely to see through the facade for obvious reasons, I’d decided to start with her. I’d arranged to meet her at a restaurant, deliberately orchestrating alone time with her before Caligo, in the guise of Pascal, arrived.

She arrived bang on time in a figure-hugging blue silk dress that plunged low enough to show a considerable amount of cleavage. “That’s wasted on me,” I said as she took her seat at the table.

She narrowed her eyes at me. “It’s not for you.”

“Who’s it for, then?”

“There might be a hot waiter serving us today. Or the man of my dreams might sit at the next table.”

Just as she said that, someone helped a frail man who looked to be in his nineties into his chair at the next table.

I raised an eyebrow.

“The other side,” she said with an emphatic eye-roll. She reached for the drinks menu and began studying it. I plucked it out of her hand, turned it to the non-alcoholic side, and gave it back. She immediately flipped it over again.

“Laura,” I said reproachfully. “Don’t ruin it. You’ve done so well.” She had. She hadn’t touched a drop since leaving rehab the last time, and she never missed a meeting. I attended some of them, but I had to admit that the urge to drink or take drugs had all but vanished since I’d almost killed myself. Plus, Caligo’s promise that he’d take anything straight back out of my system helped as well.