His feelings were genuine. Our souls were fated to be together. He’d never leave, never cheat, never decide he no longer loved me, because we were a part of each other. The deep sense of security grounded me, leaving no room for the anxiety that was my constant companion during my fraught marriage.
The look on Derek’s face when Caspian threatened him—I would never forget that moment. After seeing them side by side, I loved Caspian all the more.
I loved him.
My eyes traced over his face, softened in sleep. He was so beautiful, my heart ached. I loved every little thing about this man—loved spending time with him, loved his thoughts and reactions to things, loved the way he prioritized me, the way he noticed little details and remembered. I loved his boldness, his sense of humor, and also his gentleness.
I was completely smitten.
Warm light poured in through the sheer curtains. We’d slept the afternoon away, and my stomach protested the lack of lunch. Caspian would be hungry too when he woke up, and he’d made me enough meals. It would be fun to surprise him with food.
My lips pressed into a thin line as I slowly slid out of bed and padded across the room to the closet. I found a drawer of old t-shirts and selected one that said “Crescent Cove Summer Solstice 5K”. It fell to mid-thigh.
The door was quiet on its hinges, and I was able to sneak into the hallway without waking up my selkie mate. I hadn’t paid any attention to the house when he’d brought me here. I’d been too overcome with emotion. But now I glanced around, taking in the open space and modern finishes.
Silently, I slipped down the stairs. The living room and kitchen were shades of beige with navyaccents—distinctively masculine—moreso because both his brothers were home.
“Um, hi,” I said, halting halfway down the staircase.
A selkie man dressed in athletic clothing stood in the kitchen, a spatula in hand. His features were similar to Caspian’s, but his hair was a lighter gray with a distinct blue tone to it. He smiled wide, revealing longer canines.
“You must be Juniper,” he said. “It’s nice to finally meet you. I’m Adrian, the older and more handsome brother.”
A flush rose up my neck to heat my cheeks as I gave him an awkward wave.
The second brother twisted in his seat at the kitchen counter. Glossy black hair was pulled back in a bun at the back of his head, and shockingly blue eyes flicked over me cooly.
“And this is Malik, who has the social skills of a potato,” Adrian drawled.
Malik’s mouth tightened into a displeased scowl. “Shut up, Adrian,” he grumbled.
“So should we assume you and Cas worked things out?”
His bluntness surprised me, and I blinked at him. “Um, yeah. Mostly. We need to talk about some stuff, but we’re definitely together.”
“Yeah, you are,” Adrian said, grinning. “I hope you like clingy, because you’ll never be rid of him now.”
He waved the spatula and turned back to the stove. You could hear the clear affection in his teasing words.
“Cas is going to kill you for talking to his mate like that,” Malik said without looking up from his computer.
Caspian was close with his brothers, so I wanted them to like me. Their casual banter relaxed some of the anxiety bubbling up in my stomach.
“Come sit down. Ari is almost done making dinner,” Malik said, pulling the chair beside him out for me.
“Thanks,” I said, my shoulders tensing as I descended the rest of the stairs and cautiously walked into the kitchen. Swallowing, I tugged Caspian’s shirt down to make sure I was covered, and climbed onto the barstool beside Malik.
My anxiety melted away completely as I watched Malik and Adrian. They reminded me so much of Caspian, from their expressions to the way they moved.
Malik typed away on his laptop while Adrian traded his spatula for tongs. He sang a pop song under his breath as he cooked.
“So, Juniper, you work in marketing?” he said, glancing over his shoulder.
“How much has Caspian told you about me?”
“Not much, just the basics. I think he’s only texted twice since he left. He was obsessed with you, and we were quickly forgotten.” He sighed dramatically.
“I studied graphic design, but I got stuck in marketing.” My blush returned, and I studied the veining of the marble countertop. “What about you guys? You own a company together?”
