I dozed off sometime during the drive and it was almost dark when Cole woke me up. “We're here.” He stated his face contorted into the intense mask he wore from time to time, a mask I had come to associate with his seriousness. I stretched out my arms as I waited for him to open the boot. The inn was almost as empty as the first time I saw it with one loan occupant sitting in a darkened corner nursing a half empty glass of ale.“How does Peter manage to keep this place running if he never has any customers?” I questioned quietly as I followed Cole through the back and up the stairs, giving a nod of greeting to Matt, the bar tender as we passed.“The inn isn't here as a business, it’s the gateway. The council pay the human bills on the inn. Ensuring this place is almost always empty is better for us, we can pass through with no one noticing us that way.”I shook off the final remna

  “It’s not really a rule so much as an expectation. I will spend all of my time with you so there will be no time to spend with my family.” He responded and I found myself appalled that he was actually defending such a thing.“That's, no that's terrible. Of course, you should spend time with your family.”“But I can’t, as I said.”“Yes, because you will always be with me. Well then I will just have to come with you won’t I.” I stated stubbornly, I was ready to fight him on this one. However, Cole didn't look like he was about to argue, he looked stunned.

  I was so lost in my thoughts I barely noticed when Cole stepped to my side. “Are you okay?” He questioned and glanced at him feeling the pull in my body as I took in his concerned look and handsome features. Like butterfly’s in my stomach and goose bumps on my skin, an ache between my legs and an twinge in my heart, the feelings were getting stronger and as I watched him staring at me from less than a foot away all I wanted to do was reach u an kiss him. I wanted to know how his skin felt under mine.The whole world fell away as I watched him, his own eyes darkening with desire as his eyes flickered from mine to my lips and back again. I have no idea how long we s

  After a surprisingly good night’s rest plagued by pleasant dreams for a change, I woke feeling a whole lot calmer about everything the next morning.Cole and I had managed to save enough of the food to stave off our hunger and ate in the living room discussing nothing of importance but getting to know each other better, or favourite movies and books and music preferences were pretty much the focus of the conversation before we shared a chaste kiss and retired for the night, both wearing smiles.I lay in bed contemplating how things would change and what this

  Breakfast was a happy affair with plenty of laughter and conversation that made me feel truly welcome. Jonah had gotten over his shock at some point and seemed to be treating me more like a friend of the family instead of an employer and I guessed Cole's conversation with him had gone okay after all. He even went so far as to tell me that I was welcome to visit any time I liked.We had a conversation about my integration into Primogentius and Cole suggested that I could benefit from knowing more about my own race. It was a very obvious hint, but Elsie didn't call him on it instead she simply insisted that when I had any free time she would teach