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He hums, the sound vibrating from his chest. “Did you know? Before you bit me?” He moves a hand to my wrist, his fingers pressing to my pulse point.

“No. I didn’t even know I had a fated mate. I’ve never heard of it in my species before.”

“There are more of you?” he asks, sitting up straighter.

“I have met a few. And to answer your next question, yes, there are other monsters, other cryptids around. The world is a remarkable place, Caspian. All you have to do is open your eyes and you’ll see.” The wind picks up, rattling the trees above us, a flock of birds squawking as they take flight. Caspian looks up, eyes tracking their movement, before falling back on me.

“Why didn’t you tell me? Why leave me to find out the way I did?”

“Would you have believed me if I’d introduced myself that day on the beach as a sea-dwelling cryptid?”

He shakes his head, no hesitation in his answer.

“But you lied about why you were there.” He scoffs. “A fucking marine biologist!”

That draws a chuckle from me. “I didn't say that’s what I was. You implied it and I never corrected you.”

“I di-” Caspian’s mouth falls open, his brows pulling together. “Bloody hell, you’re right. You sneaky fucker!”

“I saw an opportunity, and I took it. There wasn’t a day that went by that I didn’t want you to know the truth, but there was never a good time. I’m sorry, Caspian-like-the-sea.”

He smiles, the corners of his eyes crinkling. “I still have so many questions.”

“I know, and I’ll answer them all. No secrets.”

He adjusts his position on the log, so that he’s facing me. His hands land on my cheeks and he rests his forehead against mine.

Thud, thud, thud, goes my heart.

“I see you, Sterling, my big, scary monster.” And then his lips are on mine and the tension in my body bleeds out of me. I wrap my arms around his hips and haul him closer. He straddles my waist, his weight leaning into me. Our hearts connecting through layers of skin and clothing. Mine thuds and then his does too, as though in sync.

I deepen the kiss, swiping my tongue into his mouth, a sound escaping the back of his throat when I bite his bottom lip. He slides a hand up my back, making me shiver when his fingers trace a pattern over the skin covering my gills, before carding a hand into my hair. Caspian tugs to the point of pain, and I growl into the kiss.

When he finally breaks away, his eyes are dark and there’s a hint of a smile on his face.

“Show me?” He wiggles off my lap and stands in front of me, cheeks pink and his hands playing with the edge of his t-shirt. “I want to see all of my mate.”

“Say it again.” I can’t keep the command from my voice, not when he’s admitting what we are.

His smile grows coy. “My mate. Let me see you. Show your human who you really are.” Caspian takes a step back, his arousal spiking, clouding the natural scent of the woods. There’s a hint of fear there too and my canines drop, my mouth watering.

Standing, I strip out of my shirt, my boots, socks and trousers, until I’m standing naked in front of him. The air is warm, and the ground is damp beneath my feet. I lay all the clothing on the log, then stretch out my arms.

Caspian takes a breath, holding it as my limbs bend and stretch. My claws extend, my ears sharpen into points, and my fins, gills and tail pop from beneath my skin. Fur and scales cover my body and I shake much like a wet dog does, letting the feeling of the shift settle.

He doesn’t move. Eyes wide. Lips parted on a shaky exhale.

“You’re…” he shakes his head and I brace for the rejection, my clawed hands balled into fists, eyes cast downward. “Beautiful.” My gaze snaps up to his, and the truth is there in his eyes. He likes what he sees.

“You’re not afraid?” Caspian takes a step forward, one tentative hand reaching out to touch my chest and the green scales glowing in the centre.

“Oh, I am, and I’m betting you can smell it on me.” I grin, moving closer and bringing my nose to his ear. “The sniffing makes sense now.”

“I love your fear.” He shifts, and I slide one large leg between his, noting the hard length that greets me. “And your arousal.”

“Fuck,” he mutters under his breath, bringing his hands to my shoulders, then working them over my body. He touches me everywhere – my arms, my claws, the soft skin on my pointed ears. Then he steps out of my reach and circles to my back, warm hands running along my fins, and down to my tail. He maps me like uncharted territory and I stand motionless while he does it, drinking in the feel of his skin on mine.

When he comes around to my front again, I flick my tail and wrap it around his waist, using it to drag him forward and pin his smaller body to mine. Then I cover his mouth with mine and kiss him hard. His tongue dips into my mouth, wiping over my canines, one catching and making him grimace. Metal fills my mouth and I swallow it down, sucking on his tongue. Caspian moans, hips gyrating against my thigh, hands clinging to my back. One hand finds my stomach, the muscles bunching when he rakes his nails up, working higher until he’s teasing my gills.