Though I had noticed an affinity for nature and that she regarded animals and flora with more warmth and interest than people, she was also reserved. She didn’t engage in what she deemed unnecessary conversation, and I always got the sense that she had her own motivations for being here besides protecting Cair. She would vaguely tease or smirk, but she never smiled, and her glares could be cutting.

I’d long since learned not to judge a race solely based on what I’d read. Even those in the palace archives only gave a general idea of a species’ characteristics, but they weren’t one size fits all. There were factors to consider: upbringing, experiences, trauma. It was obvious there was a story behind her joining the Shades, but until she felt like sharing, it was none of my business.

Even if I desperately wanted to know every detail.

Gary, on the other hand, was an open book. He showed his emotions freely and let whatever was in his head tumble out of his mouth with very little planning. I could relate. He also wasn’t even pretending to be on guard. Less than an hour, and he’d already caved to the flirtations of both a mermaid and merman—twins, it looked like. I really couldn’t fault him for it. In fact, I silently cheered him on.

Get it, Gary.

I huffed a laugh, and my gaze drifted over to Cair as he gracefully hoisted himself from the pool like a slow-motion clip for men’s perfume. His thick chest was speckled with water droplets, and his underwear clung like a second skin, leaving little to the imagination. Luckily, being in a secluded corner of the lagoon, only I could see the view from the front. It was a nice view. Mouthwatering, really. Clearly sensing eyes on him, my mate’s lips curved with a wicked smirk as he began wiping himself down with the towel he’d left on the bank.

God, I love this guy.

It may not have been the right time to get mushy, but he honestly was my everything. Since the day we’d met, he’d shown me more care, kindness, and devotion than I ever thought I’d deserve. Being here was just one small sliver of proof of that attentiveness. Not only had he known I’d love it here, he’d sensed that I needed it, and that was an obvious theme throughout our whole relationship. He’d saved me from a sheltered past, coaxed me from my shell, and the thought of an existence without Cair in it was empty, meaningless, and hollow—like it was before him. He had breathed life into me, healed me in ways I never even knew I needed healing, and given me a place to feel safe, a home when nowhere else stuck.