Alaric found her shyness endearing. After a brief hesitation, she leaned down and placed a chaste kiss on his lips.
"You were curious that night," he said, his tone softer now. "I simply let you in."
"Thank you for scaring the hell out of me," she teased with a laugh.
"You were adorable," he admitted, a dreamy smile playing on his lips.
She didn't respond, instead focusing on massaging his head again, her touch light and deliberate.
"I've been trying to find a passage to another realm," Alaric began after a long pause.
Her hands slowed slightly as her interest piqued. "Your origin?"
"Perhaps," he murmured, resting more fully on her lap. "I believe there's a place where my kind dwells—hidden, distant. I've been searching for a way to reach it for years."
"It must feel so lonely," she said softly, her heart aching for him. "To be the only one like you."
