Page 13 of Code Mages & Empty Pages (Frostfire #2)

Luc

I t surprised me how much I liked having Dawn in my house.

After a few weeks of sharing a home, her little routines crept up on me and became comfortable.

Her quiet steps in the hall, the low hum of her voice when she thought she was alone and talked to herself, the way she always seemed to bring warmth with her, they made me… happy.

Late one night, I found her in the kitchen after another sweaty encounter in my bed.

We’d gamed a bit and then things sort of spiralled out of control.

I’d just got out of a cold shower, but my skin burned, and I thought I still tasted her slick cunt on my tongue.

Dawn was curled on a kitchen chair, staring out at the yard.

The soft light from the small lamp above the stove illuminated her outline.

She looks like an angel.

My chest went tight. Things between us were easy, at least physically. We’d found comfort in each other more than once since that frantic hookup in the server room. But the quiet between us now felt different. It was laden with everything we hadn’t yet said.

She looked over her shoulder, blinking quickly. “Luc, hey.” Her voice was thick, and she wiped at her face, pretending I hadn’t seen.

I filled a glass at the sink, letting the familiar routine calm me. “Mind if I sit?”

“It’s your kitchen,” she said, half smiling, but her shoulders were drawn tight.

“Maybe you’d rather be alone,” I offered, softer than I intended. “Just say the word.”

Dawn gave a tired little huff and motioned to the chair beside her. “Sit, please.”

I lowered myself beside her, our knees brushing under the table. “You okay?”

She shook her head. “No. It’s just… a lot.” Her laugh was small, barely there.

“Yeah. Same,” I admitted. I was still raw, like I left pieces of me with her whenever we slept with each other.

After a moment, I reached out and slid an arm around her shoulders. She leaned into me, pressing her cheek against my collarbone. Her hand found the fur at the back of my neck. I let myself breathe her in, just for a moment.

“It’s going to be alright, Roe. I promise.” The nickname slipped out easily. I barely called her anything else these days.

She hummed and settled closer. I wanted to be her anchor, even though I was barely holding my own shit together.

“You’re not alone in this,” I murmured and kissed her brow. “I’m here. And you’ve got Mia, Harper, and Des. We’ll figure it out, together. Teamwork makes the dream work,” I quoted some bullshit I’d read on a business blog once.

The quiet of the house settled around us. We sat together in silence for a while and looked out into the dark garden.

Usually, when my rut was at its worst, being this close would only make things harder. But with Dawn, this was the only thing that helped. Her warmth grounded me, and I breathed a little easier.

Eventually, I cleared my throat. “Hey, Roe?”

“Mm?” Her face was still pressed into my neck, and the soft tickle of her breath made me smile, even if she couldn’t see it.

“I was thinking,” I said quietly, “maybe we could check out that shelter tomorrow. They’re open in the morning.”

She nudged me, pulling back just enough to meet my eyes. “Lucien Atkins, have you been scoping out rescue cats without me?”

I grinned, unable to help it. “Guilty as charged. Scouting’s my thing. And that Cat-Sìth, Ruffles, he’s still there. It’s been four months now.”

She laughed, the sound lightening the air between us. The tension in her shoulders finally eased.

“I checked him out, too,” I admitted. “The longer they stay, the harder it is for them to find a home. He’s basically the rescue version of forgotten cheese at the back of the fridge.”

She wrinkled her nose, but her smile was real. “So, you want to go just to look?”

“Yeah. Just look.” I tried to sound casual, but she could probably hear the hope in my voice.

She nodded and rested her forehead on my shoulder for a moment longer. “Okay, let’s go tomorrow.”

We took my car out to the shelter, a quiet place on the edge of the old woods outside Kirkmuir. There was something deeply satisfying about driving Dawn anywhere, like I was finally doing something right.

“This is him. I saw him online but didn’t think he’d still be here.” The little fairy cat started purring the instant Dawn approached.

“Isn’t he adorable?” she cooed and dropped to her knees by the kennel door. My brain thoroughly misinterpreted her intention.

She’s not going not blow you right here!

“He is,” I managed, though my voice came out a little strained. Dawn caught my eye and smirked. She read my dirty thoughts perfectly.

But when Ruffles turned those wide, hopeful eyes on me, every stray thought vanished. Don’t worry, Ruffles. Operation Extraction is on.

“Why don’t you take him home?” I suggested.

She blinked. “Sorry?”

“I mean it. Keep him at my place until your house is sorted. He’s practically yours already.”

“Don’t enable me, Comte,” she said, standing and nudging me with her elbow. I caught her arm and squeezed.

“Why not?”

Before she could answer, a cheerful volunteer named Edgar appeared. “Perky said to meet you here!” he said with a bounce.

“We’re here for Ruffles,” I told him.

Edgar brightened. “He’s had some interest, but we’d prefer to place him with a couple. He’s a sensitive soul. You two are together, right?”

Dawn took a breath, probably about to clarify, but I stepped in before I could think better of it. I wrapped an arm around her, pinched her ass for show, and gave Edgar my best lovesick sigh.

“We just moved in together. Dawn’s already fallen for Ruffles, and I do whatever she wants.

” I glanced at her and almost cracked a smile when she rolled her eyes at me.

I knew what we’d said and the rules she’d put down but I didn’t give a single fuck if Edgar went and spilled the beans to Samuel Carson himself.

It was my truth. “He is cute, though. What do you say, Dawn?”

She hesitated for a moment, then she whispered: “Yes, let’s take him home.”

Later in the car, Dawn cradled Ruffles in his basket and shot me a look. “We lied, Luc!”

I grinned. “Not really. You did move in. And”—I leaned over to kiss her—“I am at your beck and call.”

She bit her lip, glancing at me over the top of the basket. “He heard what he wanted to hear.” She hesitated. “But I’ll move back when my house is fixed…”

“So? Ruffles won’t mind. Would you rather leave him there?”

She looked down at the purring kitten, then shook her head. “No, I wanted him.” She leaned over and kissed me, soft and quick. “Thank you, Luc.”

I squeezed the back of her neck gently. “You’re welcome.”

On the way home, I stopped at Dwarfoods. “Want to wait in the car? I’ll grab stew stuff, cat food, and a litter box for Ruffles. Anything else?”

She hesitated. “I need a new menstrual cup. But don’t worry about it.” She said hastily and waved me off. “I’ll grab one later.”

“Just send me a picture or a link.” I frowned at her. “Are there different kinds? Different colours or sizes?”

She grinned. “The colour doesn’t matter. I’ll text you the right size, okay?”

Inside, I picked a large yellow cup. She wore a lot of yellow, and I thought it would brighten up her days. Then I grabbed up everything for lamb stew, cat food for sensitive stomachs, and a glittery purple litter box. When I came back, I handed her the cup.

“Is this the right one? If not, I’ll go back and swap it.”

She checked it, then beamed at me. “It is. Thank you.”

I finally exhaled. “Good. What’s so funny?” I asked when she started to laugh.

“Morgan never even bought pads for me. He was too embarrassed.”

I scoffed. “Moon Goddess, some guys are assholes. Sorry.”

“No, you’re right. Thanks for proving it’s not all guys.”

I grinned, but the warmth between us made me uneasy in a way I hadn’t expected.

Am I being too obvious?

The thought of Hector and Mason coming over tomorrow made my stomach twist as I drove us back to my cottage. Hector always had a way of knowing when I was hiding something, like things I shouldn’t be doing with a housemate.

I pushed my worries firmly aside when we arrived at my house. We realized we’d left windows open, and Dawn and I dashed around the house to make sure everything was closed. Then she perched on the floor and let Ruffles out of his wicker basket.

The Cat-Sìth wasn’t shy at all. He ventured out as soon as the door was open and seemed to adjust instantly, as if he’d always belonged. By the time the lamb stew was ready, he’d eaten, found his litter box, and lay sprawled across Dawn’s lap, purring away.

I’d worried that taking care of a pet together might feel awkward at first, but I couldn’t remember a time when I’d been happier.

Dawn stroked his glossy fur, and I watched her, half amused by my own contentment.

Who would have guessed I’d crave this kind of domestic bliss?

I was already scheming to build him a cat tree so he could nap somewhere high.

The next afternoon, Hector and Mason arrived. As soon as Mason dropped to the floor in the living room, Ruffles jumped into his arms, purring louder than I’d ever heard.

“Hello, old friend,” Mason crooned in his Demon voice.

“You two know each other?” I asked, unable to keep the grin from my face.

“We recognise each other,” Saor clarified in his slightly distorted voice. “We hail from the same realm.”

Ruffles rubbed his cheek against Mason’s, leaving a few stray hairs in his stubble. Mason beamed at Hec. “He’s so precious. We should get a pet, Cub.”

“I’m allergic,” Hec deadpanned, then faked a sneeze that had everyone laughing. After setting a tray of sandwiches on the coffee table, he bent low to kiss Mason. They were disgustingly cute together.

Once we’d all found a spot on the couch, Mason turned to me. “Any plans next weekend? We were hoping for a family day, and wanted to invite Ed and Asp, Penn, Desmond, Mia…”

“We can’t, sorry,” I said without thinking. Hector’s eyebrow ticked up. He’d caught my slip-up. I’d said we, not I.

I was tired of hiding how I felt about Roe.

I think I love her.

“We’re taking Ruffles for his next set of vaccinations.”

“Are you sure he needs that?” Mason asked. “Being from the Otherworld and all. I can’t get sick.”

He leaned into Hec’s legs, careful not to disturb the dozing Cat-Sìth. Ruffles seemed utterly worn out from his time in the shelter.

“Yeah, that’s the recommendation,” I said. “Shadowpox is going around. I don’t want him getting sick. And I don’t feel right leaving him alone after his shots.” I didn’t mention I’d arranged to work from home that week, just so Ruffles wouldn’t go from constant company to sudden loneliness.

Mace nodded. “Makes sense. Maybe next time. We liked hanging out at Kalon Gardens. We should make that a regular thing.” He shared a glance with Hector that spoke volumes. We all craved a pack.

It would be good, I thought, to have Roe there, too. Like a real-life guild, not just our online team. No one scolded me for not being online as much. Except for Dante, until I’d finally put my foot down.

Having a pet, a roommate I loved being with, and a new gym routine filled my days in a way games never had.

I still enjoyed R&G, but it wasn’t a focal point in my life.

I was sure the time would come again when I’d play more, but I wanted to squeeze everything out of the limited time I had with Dawn and Ruffles.

We cooked together, went for evening walks in the little woods behind my cottage, and just chilled on the couch. Sometimes we had sex so good it left me seeing stars, and I still found time for Riddles & Guilt. But reality was starting to taste better than the escape.

Even mundane things like taking your pet to the vet on a Saturday morning felt fucking fantastic when I did it with her.