by Leela Ash
“Yes, they are in trouble and it is very important to me that they are safe.”
“Sure, I will sign the partition,” TJ said, scrawling his signature on one of the lines. “I hope it helps.”
“It will. Thank you so much,” Naomi said, choosing to politely refrain from correcting TJ’s pronunciation. Partition. Petition. What was the difference to a man who had never heard of them?
TJ nodded with a brief smile – he looked almost relieved, as if he were glad to move on from the topic – and then continued on with the tour without missing a beat.
When they made it to the back yard, Naomi let out a small cry of shock. It was big, open, spacious, and beautiful. There was a tall fence enclosing the area, one that could easily make it possible for a dozen feral cats to roam comfortably.
“Come on, I will show you the shed,” TJ said, leading Naomi to a large building within the enclosed space. “It has light, heat, electricity. Whatever you might need. We have a few handymen who lived here, and they liked having somewhere to work with their hands.”
Naomi nodded, eyeing the shed eagerly. It would be perfect for feral cats. They would be so safe and warm and happy there. She wouldn’t even need to adopt them out. They could just live out there. All she needed now was a miracle to bring them there.
“This is perfect,” Naomi said. “If I gave you the deposit and first month’s rent now, would you let me sign the lease? When is the earliest I can move in?”
TJ looked surprised. “Well, I didn’t move out yet, but I mean, I don’t have much stuff. I guess you could come as early as you want to. I will just hang out with a buddy of mine until my apartment is ready.”
“Apartment?”
“Well, the guys didn’t know I was gonna rent the house out. Someone was talking about selling it outright, but I thought this would be a better investment for now. I don’t wanna let go of it entirely, you know what I mean? It’s home.”
“I understand,” Naomi said, offering TJ a kind smile. “I really do understand that. I wouldn’t worry about it too much, though. Some people say you can never go home again, but home does come to you. And I will take really good care of this place if you decide I am someone you might want to allow to live here.”
“Oh, you seem like you would make a great tenant,” TJ said chuckling. “Let me go get the lease ready for you.”
“Thank you so much!”
Naomi watched TJ disappear inside and took another look around the yard. It was beautiful and spacious. What more could she ever ask for? There was really nothing holding her back from being able to pursue her dream of helping animals. It had always been one of her greatest callings, and this was a way she would really be able to get things rolling in her favor. Once she had her feet back on the ground, maybe she would be less embarrassed to reach out to the friends she had previously shunned. She would at least be more confident.
“Here it is,” TJ said, returning to the yard with his own clipboard. He offered it to Naomi. “Look over the conditions of the lease and then we will know for sure if this is something you want to do.”
“I know for sure this is what I want to do right now,” Naomi said. “You did mention that you were pet friendly when I asked before. How would you feel about me running a business from home here? A shelter for animals.”
“Hey,” TJ said with a casual shrug. “As long as no property is damaged, or you are willing to repair the damages yourself, you can do whatever you want here. The place might as well be yours. You can paint, redecorate, whatever you want. Just make sure nothing is too broken to fix, and if it is, you have to call me, so we can figure something out, you know? But you don’t look too destructive. I trust you.”
“I’m very mindful,” Naomi promised. “And if the cats aren’t, then I will take care of it.”
“Good deal,” TJ said with a grin. “I’ll have my stuff out of here tonight. You can start bringing your stuff over whenever you’re ready.”
Naomi couldn’t believe her luck. This seemed almost too good to be true, and she stared quietly at the big house in front of her, shocked that she had suddenly had a stroke of such good luck. Maybe she was really doing it right. Gavin had told her that if she wanted something to happen, she had to let go of the resistance. And she had been so preoccupied with trying to get people to care about those cats that she hadn’t been hyper-focusing on the terrible situation she had found herself in.
Now, almost as if by way of miracle, she had somehow found a way to dig herself out. And she was starting to have the feeling that, from this point on, her life would never be the same.
9.
“You’re renting the house? And you want to stay with me at my apartment. Really, TJ?”
Gavin sighed in agitation. TJ was standing outside in the hallway in front of his apartment, holding a suitcase and leaning against a stack of about four boxes. All of his worldly possessions right there in front of Gavin as he waited expectantly to be welcomed inside.
“Really, Gavin! I don’t see what the big deal is. We’re both bachelors. We can make it work. It will be like those sitcoms you had us researching before. You’ll love it!”
TJ grinned, clearly hoping to lay on the charm. The others often seemed to forget that Gavin had a life outside of making everyone else’s lives easier, and at times, it really got on his nerves.
“I really don’t think I’ll love it,” Gavin muttered, sighing. He had gotten used to finally having his own space. It had been nice having somewhere to retreat to where nobody was constantly seeking him out for his advice or input on something. He had been a busy man, especially in regard to the task that the Elders had entrusted him with. It was very important that he make sure the others stayed on the right path, no matter what world they found themselves in. They couldn’t forget their Dragon shifter heritage, no matter what happened.
“Oh, don’t be a spoil sport, Gavin. You know you love those sitcoms, or you wouldn’t have ever shown them to us, right?”
Gavin shook his head and stepped out of the way, allowing TJ to step inside and carry in his things.
“I think they are funny,” Gavin begrudgingly admitted. “Sometimes. But that doesn’t mean that just because we live together random whimsical things are going to start happening.”
TJ’s eyes twinkled. “It’s not like either of us have anything better to do. You don’t have a girlfriend. I don’t have mine either. It’s better that we stick together. We could get lonely on our own. I know that huge house felt way too empty after everyone else left. I thought you would be happy to see me.”
Gavin suddenly felt guilty. It was true. He had left TJ alone to his own devices in a huge house where he was used to living with all of the other dragonborn men that had been banished with them to Earth. “It’s not that I am not glad to see you, TJ,” Gavin said, doing his best to console the man. “It’s more that I just really like to be by myself. But we can make it work, I guess. And if it is too much, maybe we will be able to find a different space. One that works for the both of us.”
So much for letting himself relax and letting go of the resistance preventing him from acquiring his fated mate. Apparently, there was nobody out there for him. Just beautiful humans who would never be able to help him carry out the Dragon shifter legacy.
But maybe that was for the best. A woman would just distract Gavin from his duties. He couldn’t allow that to happen any more than it already had. He was tired of living his life based on the needs of others, though. What about what he needed? He needed a mate. He needed family and normalcy and somewhere he felt safe. He missed home. He wanted to make a new one of his own with the right person. Just like all the others had. Why was it so difficult for him?
“Nobody really likes being by themselves, Gavin,” TJ said, raising a brow. In fact, it can be extremely difficult to be alone the way we have been alone. That’s why I thought of you. I could always move out if things don’t work out, but for the time being, what’s the harm i
n having a roommate?”
“Well, not asking me in advance, for one,” Gavin said. “You know how much advanced notice I need on these types of things before I’m comfortable. I like to be able to plan things out, so I know exactly what is going on. It would be really nice if you guys would just, I don’t know, start respecting that a little bit more. Things don’t just magically fall into place. It takes work to make them that way. It takes a little bit of freaking leadership, you know?”
TJ quirked his brow and then frowned thoughtfully. “Well, that’s just the kind of thing you’re good at. Better than everyone else. So, we just kind of come to you about these sorts of things. I thought it was okay.”
“It’s okay if you give me enough time to plan! But just suddenly appearing on my doorstep – what if I didn’t have enough food for the both of us, or … or … something! I have to go out and buy you a pillow and−”
“A pillow? Really, Gavin? You need a week’s notice for a pillow?”
TJ’s eyes twinkled, and he turned around to dig in one of his boxes. He pulled a pillow out and presented it to Gavin, who sighed heavily. “Come on. There’s more to it than that. What’s really on your mind? A week ago, you would have been thrilled to have me over here. You were complaining about how lonely it is to live on your own. I thought this was what you were hinting at.”
Gavin pursed his lips and his mind turned back to the week prior, when he had been speaking with TJ before the barbeque had begun. He had been considering how difficult an adjustment it was to be living alone. He had grown to enjoy it though, and especially with his focus now being on finding his fated mate. How was he going to do that with big goofy TJ bumbling around and asking him how to make the toaster toast, or if it could make him pancakes? It was mindboggling how many toasters they had gone through when they had first arrived on Earth, and half of them were due to TJ and his curious experiments.
“I was pretty lonely, but I thought that maybe I would start doing what you said and try to let go of the resistance, so I can find my fated mate. What if I find her and I have a roommate living with me?”
“Then I’ll move back out! It’s not like I sold the house, I’m just renting it. And it’s a month by month lease. I don’t know, it’s not a big deal either way.”
Gavin shook his head and sighed in defeat. “All right then. It would be nice to have you around a little more. Just … stay away from my toaster.”
TJ grinned. “Got it!”
Gavin rolled his eyes and sighed, heading down the hallway back to his bedroom. “I’m going to make dinner. It’s at–”
“Six o’clock sharp!” TJ interrupted. “I remember. You’re pretty predictable, Gavin. I’ll do my best to abide by your boot camp rules, don’t worry.”
Gavin couldn’t help but smile a little as he retreated back to his room. He needed some privacy; a refuge where he could process all of this in peace. It wasn’t that big a deal to open his home up to one of his best friends. They could probably use each other. And it would be nice to have someone around to lighten the mood when he was feeling discouraged about finding his mate.
Everything was going to be fine.
At dinner time, Gavin had prepared himself enough to speak with TJ about the bombshell of renting the house out. He had been exceptionally curious and couldn’t help but feel a little bit nervous. He had used that place as a place to store all of the most important things they had brought with them from home before they had set up the secret bases where they kept the relics and artifacts from Fiora. What if he had accidentally left something behind that a human who was living there would find? It could reveal their secret and alert their enemies to their whereabouts, especially if that human tried to investigate it themselves or turned it in to the newspapers or scientists. If their enemies knew where they were, then the sacred children that had been borne to the other Dragon shifters would be in untold danger.
“Who did you rent the house to, TJ? What’s their name?”
“Oh… I forget,” TJ said with a casual shrug. His careless, lopsided grin nearly gave Gavin a panic attack.
“Are you sure you cleaned everything up well enough? What if there is something left that they could find that might point out our identities?”
“You know what, Gavin? You worry way too much. That’s why you haven’t been able to have any luck in finding your fated mate yet. You really need to let things go sometimes, you know?”
“No, TJ, I don’t know! That’s completely absurd.”
“I mean, no, not really,” TJ said with a casual shrug. “You know how the universe works, sometimes. If you hold on too tightly, things get all messed up. Things have to happen naturally. Path of least resistance, right?”
Gavin gritted his teeth. “I just need to know that we didn’t leave a trace. I have to go back there.”
“Go back? But she’s already moved in!”
“She?” Gavin asked, knitting his brow in concern. “Where’s the lease?”
“Oh, I don’t know, it’s around here somewhere. I’ll find it when I unpack, and you can see it then.”
“Ugh,” Gavin said with a low groan. “Well, I guess that means we’re just going to have to be patient. But I am going to go back there, you know.”
“You have no right to be in that house, Gavin,” TJ said. “Remember how you are always on us about legality? I did do some research about tenant and landlord laws before I decided to rent things out. It’s all legitimate. There is no reason for you to be there.”
“If you’re getting it appraised to sell, there is. Or if something needed repaired. I can go undercover and say I am checking things out. For safety purposes. That will give me a chance to look around and make sure we didn’t leave anything behind.”
“You’re being paranoid,” TJ said, stuffing his mouth with food and shrugging casually at Gavin. “But do whatever makes you feel better.”
“I will,” Gavin said with a firm nod. “And if I find anything incriminating, you will thank me. It’s more important now than ever to protect the sacred children. You can feel it, right? The air is oppressive. The shifter magics are waning. We need to protect them all. We have to.”
TJ nodded. “You’re right, Gavin. I’m sorry it seems like I’m blowing it off. I just know that I didn’t leave anything behind and it would be nice for you to just relax and trust me.”
“I trust you,” Gavin said with a sigh. “But it’s better safe than sorry.”
TJ gave a short nod and they finished their meal in silence.
10.
Naomi sighed.
“No, sir. It’s about the cats over on−”
“Look, I told you already. I don’t give a damn. Please, just leave.”
“Of course,” Naomi said. “Have a great day.”
She was fuming when she made it back to her car and tried to fight back the tears of rage that were pooling in her eyes. He had been one of the more particularly challenging people to speak with. It was as if he had taken it personally that she had hoped he might care. Why couldn’t people just be polite about it? She wasn’t asking for a kidney or something. Just a signature so that they could buy a little more time to get the cats out of that building before it was demolished. What was so hard to understand about the cats having lives that mattered too? They weren’t just pests, they hadn’t asked to be born into the situations they were in now. It didn’t seem fair to let them suffer for it. They didn’t know any better.
She looked down at her clipboard, her heart sinking in discouragement. At this rate, she was definitely not going to be able to get enough signatures to make a damn bit of difference. She would have to find another way to get the cats out of the building before anything bad happened to them. Community outreach had been a big undertaking, but most people were simply just too wrapped up in their own lives to care about what happened to the cats in the building. A signature, sometimes not, but overall, the fact of the matter remained that nothing could truly be done withou
t major involvement. And she simply wasn’t getting any of that.
It was time to face facts. If she couldn’t get everybody on board in preventing the demolition, what she was going to have to do was bring someone to the cats who would help her get them out of there and into the safety of the shelter she had in mind for them. It would be difficult, sure, but it wasn’t impossible. She had always performed exceptionally well during difficult times. It was one of her saving graces. Especially when times were particularly hard with Stu.
She cringed, heading back toward the house she was renting. She had a lot of preparation to do, because she was going to capture as many of the cats as she could and bring them back to her place to give them a chance at life. There was no way Stu would ever have allowed her to get so invested in something like this that she cared about. She wished so many times that she could have just had the foresight to listen to her friends when they had tried to tell her what was going on. She regretted deeply her reluctance to acknowledge the painful truth because it felt better to her to be living in a fantasy.
She had held on so tightly to the thought that she and Stu were star-crossed lovers and that, at some point, things were going to get better. They would settle down and reach a good balance in their relationship; their fighting would come to an end and they would talk about taking the next steps. Maybe marriage and children. She had so desperately wanted to be a mother. It was a secret desire she had carried with her all her life.
Now, though, she was forced to face up to the fact that things were not as she had imagined they would be, and she had wasted valuable time on a bad relationship when she could have been working to build herself up and heal and grow as a person. Prepare herself to have a good relationship with a man worthy of her attention, who might be willing to give her the family she had desired.
Stu hadn’t been very interested in children and had always changed the subject whenever it would come up. But for some reason, Naomi had assumed that when it happened, it would be a blessing that opened his eyes to the reality that having a family was an incredible opportunity.