Page 10

Was he embarrassed? Do I embarrass him as a mate?

The thought settles like a weight in my stomach. All this time, I've been worried about people judging me for being mated to the town grump. But what if Randy is equally disappointed to be mated to a disorganized autumnal gnome with a penchant for looking at the bright side and absolutely no ability to keep anything clean? A brief glance at myself reveals nails with garden soil under them and grass stains on the knees of my pants.

"Willoughby!" He barks my name, and I look up, realizing I haven't heard a word he's said.

"Sorry, why can't we go home?"

There's a brief pause as our eyes meet.

I said we. Like we live together. Like a real couple.

From the way Randy stills, he definitely noticed it too. I glance away first and don't correct myself, as it would only draw more attention to the faux pas.

"Because there's a town hall meeting tonight. And since I'm on the council, I need to be there."

I groan in earnest now.

"Besides, that's where Laz will be. We can have the meeting and then catch him after."

"What on earth do we do until then?" I fasten my vest with an irritated tug.

"Food?" Randy asks.

My fingers freeze on the button. New mates often share a meal during the early stages of courtship. And there's a specific name for it.

"Courting? You want to go on a courting date? In public?" I ask, surprised to find butterflies fluttering in my stomach instead of the sickening dread I expected.

I consider how Randy looked at me before I admitted I'd told someone about our bond. All that unexpected trust, which Randy likely doesn't give easily. I unexpectedly enjoyed having that trust.

But then Randy starts talking and reminds me exactly who I'm dealing with.

"It seems like the traditional thing to do."

My face falls. Randy must see my disappointment because he begins to respond. But my stomach, the little traitor, chooses that exact moment to grumble... loudly.

Randy's eyes widen. He looks down at my stomach, then back up at me. "So, food?" he asks.

"Yes, food," I mumble, and we turn together toward the island's downtown.

Randy

The Cozy Charm Café is the place to eat during the day on Moonfall Isle, but directly across the street is Nocturnal Nibbles, a restaurant that only opens once the sun sets. The lights flick on as we approach. The sign in the window flips from closed to open, and the door swings wide. A beautiful man with clear, marble-like skin, long black hair, and piercing red eyes steps out. I smile and realize it's genuine. I can't remember the last time I smiled simply because I was happy.

I'm taking my mate on our first courting date.

A slight sour note creeps into my elation when I remember that half the island may already know about our bond without hearing it from us, breaking tradition. But when I glance at Willoughby and find him genuinely grinning too, I can't bring myself to care quite as much about the broken tradition as I was just a little while ago.

"Good evening, Lori," Willoughby says heartily.

Loric Van Helsing glances between us, and I know he knows. His smile is broad and inviting. For a man who's hundreds of years old, he wears every emotion on his face without a hint of shame.

"Good evening, dear fellows. Ready for something to eat?"

If the delectable scents drifting from the dining room are any indication, Loric has been very busy during the daylight hours. The place is all dark wood and the warmth of a crackling fireplace. Big picture windows look out onto Main Street.

The furniture is a collection of mismatched antiques. Tchotchkes from Loric's many decades of travel sit as centerpieces. Tea-stained, faded maps hang on the walls. As we step in, smells of fresh bread, herbs, red wine, and, ironically, garlic, drift toward us.

Loric shows us to a table in the corner. We're the first customers of the night. A Moroccan brass lantern glows at the center of the table, casting patterns of colored light around us. He hands us our menus with a wink and leaves.