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Hot springs.

I leaned against the pure white side of the hot spring, swallowing my moans.

The hot springs were as glorious as I’d been led to believe.

There were private ones, public ones, inside ones, outside ones, and all were fucking lovely.

I was in an outside public spring. The snow covered the ground, though the resort had cleared a path leading to the pools, flat gray stepping stones leading the way to the edge.

The water was robin’s egg blue and perfectly warm, though it did have a sulfur odor that you couldn’t get away from.

From the flush on Teddy’s cheeks last night, it was safe to say Mindy had gotten the fuck he’d wanted. I’d decided to rent a private hot spring for me and Don.

But it was only humans this morning. Seth had been hard to convince to come and bathe with us, but he’d finally agreed.

Caleb leaned back against the edge, arms spread.

Camden, Pierce, Shannon, and Roman were chatting.

Brad and Teddy grunted in their usual conversational tone.

The other humans moved around the pool in groups, chatting and laughing.

All the hot springs were mixed gender and everyone was sans clothes.

At first, I’d thought it might be odd, but Pierce had just raced in, boobs bouncing in a way that had to be uncomfortable.

After that, everyone else hadn’t cared. Even shy Seth had walked in without covering himself, though he’d been bright red.

I moved around the pool until I was next to Seth, who was in the water up to his neck, trying to hide most likely. I asked, “Glad you came?”

“Yes, though Kal threatened to challenge you or anyone who stared at me too long.”

I burst into laughter, and Seth followed suit. Seth could protect himself, something I was supremely glad for, but Kal was overprotective to the extreme.

My head went back, resting on the lip of the spring. “Don’s leaving.”

“What?” Seth asked, water splashing as he sat up straight. “You two are breaking up? I don’t believe it.”

I gripped the thin chains around my neck. I never took off the two necklaces he’d given me. Not ever. “We’re not breaking up. We’re not together.”

“That’s a fucking lie. You’re basically living together.”

I hadn’t slept in my apartment or even been back since I’d gotten drunk, except to get all my clothes and stuff. It felt natural to sleep in Don’s room, whether we were going to fuck or not. I said, “That’s not what I was talking about, anyway.”

“Then what did you mean?”

“He’s going to leave shortly after we get back to the Drakcon home world. He has responsibilities.”

Seth nodded, chewing on his bottom lip. “That makes sense.”

A growl started in the back of my throat. “It might make sense, but I don’t like it. I thought he would stay until I left.”

“Until you leave? So is this about Don, or about you being upset that he’s not catering to you?”

I frowned, but Seth didn’t relent, staring directly at me. I was a selfish bastard. I knew it. Seth knew it. Hell, everyone but Don knew it. More like he refused to accept it.

“Both, I guess,” I confessed. “I want him to stay because I like him and I don’t want him to leave. I want more time.”

“How much time?”

Forever , I thought, and my heart thudded.

I wanted forever, but I was terrified of staying, because the trauma was still there.

Nightmares continued to plague me almost every night.

The thought of people touching me made me feel sick, let alone the panic that ensued when someone grabbed me.

I couldn’t even think about Don fucking me without a cold sweat.

Everything that had happened remained, and I didn’t want it to.

“You can’t ask him to stay or give up his duty when you can’t even answer that question, Vinnie,” Seth said gently. “Don cares about you.”

“I know.”

He wanted me to stay. He wanted me for the rest of his life, which shocked me. Who would want me? Don knew me, my baggage, my fears, and he desired me, and more than that, cared about me. I had a hard time believing that.

“I want to ask you a question,” Seth said, voice careful. “If you don’t want to answer or this is totally inappropriate, tell me.”

I frowned. Seth usually never asked hard questions. Though looking at his red face, he wasn’t exactly comfortable. I nodded. “Ask away.”

Seth played with the water, eyes averted.

I nudged him. “It’s really fine.”

With a deep breath, he asked in such a quiet voice that I had to lean toward him to hear, “Is your wanting to leave about forgetting everything, or about not wanting to commit to Don?”

Angry words battled to escape, but I swallowed them, not wanting to hurt Seth. I said, tone rough, “Of course this is about forgetting. I don’t expect you to understand.”

His shoulders hunched. “I don’t, exactly.

I’ve never been hurt like that. But I do know you.

You never committed to anyone in the past. When relationships got too serious, you’d run.

I just want to make sure that’s not what’s happening.

” Seth glanced at me. “I’m pretty sure Don wants to remain with you. ”

There was some truth to what Seth had said. In the past, I’d never been in a long-term relationship, but that was because I’d been in love with Seth. Now, that wasn’t the issue.

If I did stay, it didn’t mean I had to remain in a relationship with Don.

I scoffed. I would. I couldn’t imagine not being with him or allowing anyone else to touch him.

Don was mine. I recognized how unhealthy and possessive I was, but it didn’t change my feelings.

If I stayed, Don and I would be a couple; we would become mates—I had no doubt about that.

Fear coiled in my gut at the mere thought of being Don’s mate. The permanence. I would never be able to escape, not even if he got tired of dealing with my past or all the baggage that came with me. And what if some soulmate showed up one day, but we were already mated? Everyone would be hurt.

A hand gently grabbed mine, and I sighed.

“You don’t have to answer,” Seth said. “If you would think about it?”

“I will,” I whispered.

After a long day of wandering the snowy woods, it was nice to relax in a private hot spring with Don.

I was straddling his lap, head on his shoulder.

He traced his fingers up and down my spine as we simply cuddled.

We’d barely even spoken when we’d climbed in.

I’d merely settled on his lap and snuggled close.

My thoughts were blissfully empty. The water was bone-melting hot, hella relaxing, but I wouldn’t be able to stay for that long. However, it was nice, and Don was comfortable. I was safe, utterly safe. Don would never let anyone hurt me.

He kissed the top of my head, probably in response to my thoughts, but he didn’t speak.

I nuzzled his shoulder, kissing the joint, before going back to resting.

“Did you have a pleasant day?” Don asked after a moment.

Memories of the day whirled before my eyes.

Seth knocking Kal into a snow drift. Fyn and Caleb disappearing when they found a cave with glowing moss.

Mindy retelling stories from the planet he and Teddy had crash landed on.

Don holding my hand. He’d stayed by my side for the whole of the day. No matter what we’d done, he was there.

“I did,” I said with a smile, kissing him again. I laved my tongue over his smooth scales, unable to help myself. He tasted of salt and sulfur, but not unpleasantly so.

“Don’t,” Don said, and I flinched at the rejection. He caught my chin and ran his nose along mine. “I liked it, my Vince, but too much, and you will get sick from the water. It’s not meant to be consumed.”

Worrywart , I thought.

Don grunted, but his fingers returned to my back, brushing over my skin.

Either he’d understood what I said, or, more likely, he’d gotten the context from my thoughts.

He skated over the knobs on my spine. “You’re finally gaining weight.”

It had gotten easier to eat. I refused to drink those slurries Klars recommended, but I was eating all three of my daily meals with Don. And I often had snacks as well when I was hanging out with Teddy and his demon pet or Seth and his cat, who I hadn’t caught more than a glimpse of.

“Yep, though, just so you know, humans don’t like to discuss weight.”

“I apologize.”

I nipped him, careful to keep the pressure soft. “It’s fine, Sweetheart. I don’t mind, but some do. It’s better not to talk about it.”

“I shall refrain in the future.”

“You can with me, if you want.” I looked at him. “I know you like that you can’t see all my bones anymore. Though I wasn’t nearly as bad as Teddy. He used to give me his food, which is why he was so much thinner than I was.”

His thumb rubbed over my bottom lip. “I don’t care how you look, Vince. I care about you being healthy.”

My Don worried about everything. I snuggled against him, warm.

Part of me wanted to initiate something.

Frotting would be hot, in the best way, but another part of me worried someone might see us.

I wasn’t embarrassed about my attraction to Don or the fact we fucked.

I didn’t want to chance anyone seeing us, even though this was supposedly a private space.

Every one of Don’s intimate expressions and noises belonged to me; I didn’t want to share them.

Don growled, kissing the top of my head.

I chuckled. My possessiveness might be toxic by human standards, but Don seemed to like it.

“I do,” he said in a gravelly voice. “I need it.”

“Me too,” I whispered. My eyes ran over his strong features as my fingers followed the same path. Don bit my forefinger when it brushed his lips. Helpless but to confess it, I said, “You are so beautiful.”

He squeaked. An honest-to-god squeak. I laughed, loving that sound.

“You are, Dontilvynsan,” I said, using his full name. I rarely said it, but I did love how it rolled off my tongue. Seth might struggle with the long names, but I didn’t, and Don’s was lovely. “So beautiful. I’ve never seen anyone as pretty as you.”

His breathing turned harsh, and he looked away.

He was embarrassed. Don hadn’t been complimented enough in his lifetime, and I aimed to change that. Everything I said was the truth, and he deserved to hear it.

“But you’re more than beautiful,” I said, kissing his neck. “You’re kind, smart, funny, caring, and so giving. You are lovely inside and out, Sweetheart. I’ve never met someone like you.”

Swallowing, Don lifted his hand, and I placed it against my cheek. A wave of embarrassment crashed over me. My compliments were overwhelming him, but beneath the discomfort and unfamiliarity was happiness.

I kissed his palm. “Do not doubt your worth. You are more than your gift and what you do for people. You’re unbelievably you, and that alone makes you special.”

“Thank you,” he whispered.

“No thanks needed. It’s nothing but the truth.”

Don trembled, and I knew it was enough right now.

He couldn’t handle anymore. I went up on my knees and claimed his lips.

He groaned, and I pillaged his mouth, claiming him softly but no less thoroughly or possessively.

Grabbing his free hand, I placed it on my ass.

I had a single moment of fear before it faded.

His fingers wandered over the round globe of my ass cheek but didn’t really go anywhere.

“Room,” I whispered. “I want to go to our room.”

With one last kiss on my lips, Don stood and helped me out of the hot spring.