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“Your house is so beautiful,” Nikolai said from behind me as I led him across the entrance hall and into the kitchen. His voice was filled with awe. “I love the living walls and the old furniture. Reminds me of the house I grew up in. My mother is an antique dealer.”

I didn’t know what to say. Family was a topic I didn’t want to discuss.

“Did you grow up here?”

“No, Bunny. I grew up in my mother’s castle.”

“Castle?”

I could hear her voice in my head, warning me not to give her secrets away. But this was my story, and I wanted to share it with this wondrous human.

“My mother is the Elven Queen of the Zeitelmoos.”

“Seriously?” Nikolai blurted out. “So you are, like, aprince?”

“I suppose you could say that. I haven’t seen her or been to the court in over three hundred years, though.”

“Oh, I’m sorry. That must be hard.”

“Thank you, Bunny. I think I am used to it now.”

“Still. I’m super close to my mum. I couldn’t imagine not being in touch with her.”

For a moment, I wanted to ask if he had told her about me. But I thought the answer would disappoint me, so I didn’t.

Back at my house, I made a quick lunch for Nikolai and brewed some coffee for us.

“Thank you so much. That looks so good.”

He likes it!

Maybe it was a little sad how happy his praise made me, but I didn’t care. I soaked up every last morsel of his affection.

“I made some cookies today and pie…as if I knew you’d visit.”

“You made cookies? The idea of you baking is fucking cute, Jules.” He grinned at me as we walked across my kitchen. “Do you have an apron on when you bake?” he asked me.

“Are you teasing me?” I couldn’t help but grin back at him.

“Maybe a bit.” He leaned his hip against my countertop, standing so close his warmth seeped through my shirt. “But the idea of an Elven prince wearing an apron while he bakes cookies for me is pretty cute.”

“I do, indeed, have an apron. I even sewed it myself.” With a wink, I placed the cookies on a plate and added some dried fruit and nuts.

“I’ll have to work this off in the gym tomorrow but I might have to try a cookie.”

“Please do. Are you sure, though?” I tried to see his stomach. From what I remembered it was flat and perfect.

“Yeah.” Nikolai giggled. I wanted to lie down in the sound of his laughter, to bathe in it like in warm sunlight. “I train hard to stay in shape.” He snatched a cookie from the plate and munched it in one bite. “Oh my God, Jules, they’re amazing! What’s in them?” Nikolai took another.

“Chestnut flour, dried raspberries, and white chocolate,” I said. Watching him eat made me happy.

I’m feeding him!

“Hockey is a tough sport. We burn tons of calories, but ideally you want to fuel your body with whole foods, not cookies.” He leaned in even closer, his sweet breath fanning over my face. “Unless they’re as delicious as these.”

“Can you grab two glasses and some water, please?” I asked him in a choked voice. I wanted to run away. Hide. And bury myself in his embrace.

I’d never let go again.