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The rain still pelts against the house, and I’m itching for a shower and a change of clothes. “I guess I have to face the rain then.”

Making my way to the front door, I eye the oil paintings hanging on the walls; all of them are beautiful. Either landscapes or animals, each has its own little quirk. From dark and angry to bright and full of life. I wonder who painted them? Xander is some kind of crazy collector.

Meeting the front door, I open it and nearly trip over my two suitcases that sit at the threshold. Staring at them, I rub my eyes until I see stars and check again. Sure enough, both of my suitcases are waiting at the front door, safe beneath the porch overhang.

Had Xander taken them from my car for me?

I check the street, finding it empty, and the growl of Xander’s bike is long gone.

Turning back to my suitcases, I pull them inside and shut the door before putting my hands on my hips and letting out a giggle.

“No one has ever moved my bags for me.” I grin at Pumpkin, who lies belly-up on the plush rug in the living room. A laugh rolls through me, and I enjoy how it feels. I haven’t laughed in a very long time.

Chapter Two

Xander

Noah.

My mind doesn’t stray far from the adorable, red-haired, young man who now resides in my house. I bite back a smile as I pick a few towels and washcloths from the shelf and throw them in my basket.

The store is quiet this time of day as I browse the endless options of supplies. I’ve already chosen a simple black bedspread for Noah and some other amenities I think he’d appreciate.

Is it weird? Sure. Will Noah think I'm a complete creep for doing all of this? Probably. But I can't get past the two sad-looking suitcases I had carried up to the front door. I would have taken them straight to his room, but it’s been a very long time since I've spent much time around someone… living. And the last thing I want is to be any weirder than I already have been around Noah.

Little does the young man know that I've seen him before. In drifting thoughts and passing scents that are carried in the wind. Every time I’ve wandered the forest beyond Moonfell, I've caught his scent. Yet it was always faint, like a whisper about to be spoken.

I’ve seen his locks of red hair in dreams, like a blur on the horizon. And his bright green eyes I see everywhere. In the mountains, and the first light of day. Even in the corner of my eye, I've captured only a flicker before it disappears.

I’d been taking my usual circuit around my territory when I scented him. Not a wisp of fresh air but a lungful of spice and vanilla. So, of course, I tracked him down to the gas station earlier today and watched from the tree line.

I couldn’t take my eyes away from his tiny frame as he leaned against his car with his phone in his hand and a sad look in his eyes.

So when my phone buzzed with a new application, and his face popped up on the profile, I didn't think twice before accepting. My entire body shook with anticipation to meet the man who had been following my subconscious everywhere.

And now here he is. Living under my roof, where he’ll be sleeping a few feet from me every night and filling every room with his mouthwatering scent.

I shake my head clear of my racing thoughts before they turn into something inappropriate towards someone I met less than an hour ago. Yet I can't ignore the way the air around him shifted with spice and lust as his gaze swept over me. It’s undeniable he’s attracted to me.

I grin to myself and take my haul of supplies to the counter and pay. Even with the cashier chatting away about the weather, I can barely focus on the words that tumble from her mouth. Instead, like a lovesick schoolboy, my thoughts float to Noah, and I wonder exactly why he’s suddenly here.

I must ask him. I want to know everything about him. His childhood, his hobbies, the movies he likes, and the food he hates. Maybe I should cook for him. Would that be weird?

The rain has turned into a drizzle as I step onto the sidewalk and pull out the keys to my bike. My helmet sits on the seat just where I left it. The joys of a small town. Collecting it and slotting it over my head, I throw my leg over my bike and start it up, before racing back home.

My heart thumps in my chest as I weave down the suburban streets until I glimpse the dark looming shutters of my house and Noah’s bright yellow car still parked before the driveway. I check the front door and notice his bags are gone.

I guess he found them after all. Yet I still sniff the air, checking for anything beyond the ordinary. I catch the new scent of Noah and Pumpkin and even the faint hint of Nyx, but she isn’t nearby.

As I pull into the driveway, looking up at the windows lining the hallway, I notice a shadow passing right in front of Noah’s bedroom door, but it’s not him. For a second, I tense, my jaw aching as my fangs try to descend, but I grind my teeth tightly.

“Nyx!” I hiss, knowing she’d hear my voice over the growl of my bike, but she doesn’t appear. I roll my eyes as I slide into the empty spot next to my car and kill the engine. “Useless cat.”

Nyx has a very specific job, and she seems to be taking a day off if there are shadows wandering in my residence.

Pulling my helmet and riding jacket off, I suck in a deep breath. Noah’s vanilla fragrance coats the back of my throat, and I instantly relax. Out of the millions of humans wandering this planet and the many more supernatural creatures, Noah seems to be the only one who has this effect on me. As if my soul has known him far longer than I have myself.

Stepping into the house, Pumpkin comes bounding down the stairs with a cheerful chirp and wraps himself around my ankle, begging for pats.