Page 65 of Starlight

Cole licked his lip. “How many others out the back?”

“I don’t know, but the house is full, so there will be lots of monsters around.”

Cole swallowed loud enough that every monster in the house probably heard. “Oh.”

“You’ll be fine. Think of it as practice for solstice?”

“Yeah. That’s what I was thinking. Keep your claws to yourself.”

Akai lifted his hand and grinned. “Just my claws?”

Cole leveled a gaze at him and put the truck into gear. “You know what I mean.”

“Don’t worry, I wasn’t planning on doing anything. I don’t like an audience.”

Cole’s eyebrows lifted. “I’m sorry, how many times have you distracted the driver with your tongue in my pants? Do you not think that is public?”

“No, we are inside, and no one can see.”

Cole shook his head and sighed. “I’ll see you ‘round there.”

Akai followed the truck, stretching his wings as well as his legs. He’d jumped off a few logs at lunchtime to see if his wing could take the strain, and it had held up, though he wouldn’t have called it a glide. He should wait a few more days and see a healer at solstice instead of pushing.

Cole parked to the side, and while the truck was off, he was still inside. He saw Akai and got out, bag slung over his shoulder. “Tell me there is a bathroom?”

Akai led him over to the house, noting the three monsters sitting around a fire staring at them. “I’ll wait here?”

“You don’t have to. Do you want to sleep on the ground or in the tray of the truck?”

There wasn’t enough room to stretch out on the tray. “Ground.”

“Then find us a spot and set up. The sleeping mats and blankets and such.”

“You’re okay?”

Cole appeared rather too calm.

“Freaking out on the inside. I’ll be fine.” Cole put a hand on his chest and leaned in and kissed him, then went into the house, leaving him to set up.

He glanced at the truck and then the monsters around the fire. He couldn’t avoid this forever. With a grimace, he made his way to the truck and grabbed the gear out of the back, before walking over the fire where the others were sleeping. There was a small tent set up, and while he wasn’t sure who it belonged to, it probably only slept one.

“Hi, I’m Akai. My human is Cole.” His human. The words had rolled far too easily off his tongue.

“Hey. Set up and join us,” the jackalope said.

“Your kind doesn’t usually stop at rest houses,” said the lizard-like monster.

“Humans can’t fly, so adjustments were made.”

There were murmurs of agreement. The jackalope talked about how their great aunt had a human mate, a woodcutter, and how she’d only been to solstice once after taking him as her mate. He spoke as if it were a warning about human mates, but perhaps his aunt had never liked solstice. Some found it too busy and noisy and preferred smaller gatherings.

Going to solstice was important to him, and he wasn’t giving that up for anyone. But with Cole, he wouldn’t be able to fly there; no, they would drive together, and it took less time, and he could carry more. Both of which negated the awkwardness of pretending to be a dog for the trip.

Cole chose that moment to reappear. He sat next to Akai and smiled rather tightly.

Akai did some quick introductions, and everyone was very polite about the human sitting with them, even though Akai could tell they weren’t too sure about him.

It wasn’t long before they all found excuses to go to bed.