Page 29 of My Demon Neighbor
Eleven
Pythor
Oh right, we weren'tdone yet. Damn it, I'd started to relax.
Codie peered at me, his dark eyes full of curiosity and about a million questions. I liked how engaged he was, how in the moment. He had this tendency of drifting off—usually into the past—at random moments, but right then, he was fully in the present, and I didn't want that to change.
I just hoped he reacted just as favorably to this part as he had to the demon thing.
"Is it okay if I shift back? I'd like to sit while we talk."
Codie blinked, then nodded quickly. "Of course!"
He took a step back as I switched to my human form again, then followed him to the couch. We sat closer to each other than we had before, and I turned to face him, my knee almost brushing against his.
"Have you heard about the concept of soulmates?"
Codie pursed his lips as he thought about it, then asked, "Like the red string of fate thing?"
"Something like that."
"Yeah, I have," he said, and then his eyes widened, "Don't tell me that's real!"
"Notexactly," I hedged, then jumped into an explanation before he could draw his own conclusions. "In this universe, every sentient being has one or more fated mates, a person or people whose soul perfectly aligns with theirs. The bond can be romantic or platonic, or even between siblings. It just means that the people the bond is between could share an emotional bond with each other that they'd never have with another person. Supernatural beings can usually recognize their mates through one of their senses, or rarely, through mate marks or other signifiers. Humans struggle a bit more, but usually, their instincts or subconscious can recognize their mate if they're willing to listen to it."
Codie gazed at me unblinking the whole time I spoke, and when I finally stopped—a perk of not needing to breathe? I could ramble as long as I wanted to without needing to pause—he stared at me some more.
"Codie?"
He shook his head, hard, and his hands twisted in his lap, telling me that while he'd accepted my demon nature quite easily, he was struggling with this part.
"I..." He shook his head again, like he was struggling to gather his thoughts.
"If you'd like me to leave..." I offered, really hoping he'd shake his head again.
My stomach sank when he nodded instead, but I tried not to show it on my face as I murmured, "Okay."
Getting to my feet, I lingered for a moment before making my way to the living room doorway. "I'll lock the doors behind me," I said, and he nodded without looking up, even though he must have questions abouthowI'd do that.
Holding back a sigh, I went to the front door, using my magic to lock it back up once I was outside. I made sure to add a ward of my own around the place so I'd know if anyone tried to break in, then went back to my place.
Fuck, I really hoped Codie would be able to accept the mate thing. He'd been so adamant about not wanting anything romantic, and I'd tried to make sure he understood that it still didn't have to be, but I wasn't sure if I'd gotten the message across.
I wished I knew a platonic mated pair I could get Codie to talk to, but all my demon friends were stupidly romantic with their mates.
Still, maybe talking to other human mates would help Codie see that a fated bond only ever paired people who were compatible. If he didn't want romance or sex, he'd never be paired with someone who wanted it, which was how he'd ended up with me. I didn't think he'd believe me no matter how much I said it, but maybe he'd believe the others?
Pulling out my phone, I texted Elijah, Dakota, Archer, Kat, Matthew, and Jerry, explaining the situation and asking if they'd be willing to talk to my mate. Their mates had given their numbers to all the demons, and all our numbers to them so they could always call on any of us in case of an emergency, and for once, I was glad for demons' overprotective nature.
Their replies poured in quickly, and I read them one by one.
Archer: I'd be happy to talk to him, but I think you should give him some space to absorb the news first.
Elijah: I can talk to him! Just give him my number!
Kat: Congratulations, Pythor! Fres told me your mate is your neighbor, and that you complained about him often, LOL. I'm glad that worked out well for you. I can talk to him, but I feel like this is a convo for you two. Maybe he just needs some time?
Jerry: Looks like you made some progress if you told him about the mate thing. I'd be happy to talk to him, but he might just need some time. It's easy for demons, but as humans, we've grown up not believing in fated mates, or magic, or any of it, so we struggle. Give him some time.
