They sat in silence for a moment.
Finally, Alec spoke. "I'm sorry. I never intended for this to happen when I came here."
Cassie sniffled, letting out a soft laugh. "You didn't come here willingly. I picked you up, off the riverbank and brought you in." She couldn't help grinning. "Put you in the damned tub."
"The water was nice," he offered, reaching out to cup her chin. "But I much prefer being out here on dry land, with you."
The soft kiss soothed over the rough edges Jean had brought to the surface, tamping down her nerves.
"I'm not leaving you, at least not right now," he whispered as he drew her back into his arms. "I've got an idea that might work for what we both want... but first, no more tears."
Before she could ask, he reached over and turned off the oven.
"We'll eat later. Much, much later." Alec picked her up in his arms and headed for the bedroom.
Chapter Five
Later on, when he'd fallen asleep, she rolled over and looked at the otter pelt, folded and placed on the side table.
She drew her fingers along the fur, marveling at the softness. For a second, one wild second, she thought about hiding it from him—keeping him in human form and with her, as long as she wanted.
A cold, greasy ball of fear rolled around her belly as she contemplated the action by its true name, free of the fantasy romantic notions the fairy tales gave it.
Blackmail.
No. She was better than this.
Cassie patted the pelt before turning over and wrapping her arms around Alec, hating herself for the brief moral lapse.
"I'm sorry," she said.
He didn't ask for context, taking hold of her hand and entwining their fingers.
"I have a plan. Well, sort of one. I'll figure it out." He squeezed her hand. "We'll make it work."
Cassie pressed her cheek against his back, wallowing in the body heat.
***
It was eight months, almost exactly to the day they'd first met, that he went, on a hot August morning. He'd spent the last few weeks working hard, taking on odd jobs in town to fill an old coffee tin almost to bursting, the folded bills stacked thick and high.
He'd shrugged off her complaints. "While I'm gone, I want you to be financially secure." Alec cocked his head to one side. "Don't tell me that you can't use the extra cash."
She couldn't dispute the facts. While the income from the bar was good, it wasn't enough for her to contemplate going back to Philly—not with the higher cost of living in the bigger city. Selling the house wouldn't bring much, so she was where she was.
Selling everything and moving to be with Jean in Arizona wasn't even on the radar.
The day arrived sooner than she thought.
She woke first, staring at him in the morning light until he opened his eyes and smiled, cupping her face in his hands.
"I do love you. I want you to know that. Now and forever."
"I know." Cass drew a deep breath. "Do you want breakfast? Or at least coffee..."
"No." He shook his head, pulling her into his arms. His long, dark hair fell over her face, turning the sunlight in small, shiny slits with darkness between each one. "Just a few more moments here, then I'll have to leave. Easier to do that on an empty stomach."
They went to the riverbank, near where he'd crawled ashore. Where she'd first found him.
Where he'd stolen her heart.
Alec shuffled his feet in the dirt before taking hold of her hands. He wore a black t-shirt and jeans, both showing the wear and tear of his time on land.
"I won't be long. All I need to do is make arrangements for you to join me. Or, if they won't let that happen or it's not possible, tell them I'm not going to be coming back. Say goodbye to my friends and let them know where they can find me—if they'd like to visit." He let out a soft laugh. "Just imagine, the house filled with otters, running all over the place. It'd be crazy."
"Do you think it'll be that simple? To ask them to let me in... And the alternative—" She could barely speak, emotions clogging her throat. "Just walk away from your people?"
He tucked a strand of loose blond hair behind her ear. "As far as I'm concerned, you are my people." Alec kissed her forehead. "I haven't heard of it being done before, but that doesn't mean it hasn't been done, just that I don't know about it. I don't care who I have to ask or how many elders I need to visit, I'll get an answer. After that—we'll deal with the results, no matter which way it goes. "
He drew a deep breath. "Might be a week, maybe a month before I can come back. Just tell people I had a family emergency to attend to—which won't be far from the truth."
"What if..." She hesitated, the words numbing her tongue. "What if they hurt you?"
He frowned. "'Hurt' me? Cass, these are reasonable people. We've been around for hundreds of years, living in peace with your kind." He pointed at his chest. "They won't hurt me."
She reluctantly pulled back, stepping away from him. "I hope so."
"Have a little faith in me. Just don't do anything until I return—like move to Arizona." He pulled out the otter pelt from his waistband and handed it to her.
She took it, pressing it against her light blue blouse, right over her heart.
He toed off his running shoes and peeled off his socks, tucking them inside. Then Alec stripped down, carefully folding his clothing and placing it in a neat pile on a nearby flat rock.
Cassie found it hard not to smile as she dragged her eyes over his naked form, taking in every inch and committing it to memory. The tight, sculpted abs, the broad shoulders, the definitely squeezable, grabbable butt...
He cocked his head to one side and eyed her. "I can practically hear what you're thinking."
"If you could, you'd be dragging me to bed," she shot back, laughing through her tears.
"Don't tempt me." He put out his hand.
She gave the pelt to him, restraining herself from throwing her arms around him and never letting go.
"Be careful. When you come back, I'll be here," Cass said.
"Thanks." He leaned in for one last kiss. "I love you. I'll be back soon."
She watched as he placed the furred square against his chest and took a deep breath.
Over the past few months she'd only seen him change once or twice, Alec choosing to remain in human form first to heal, then to be with her. Both times had taken her breath away, seeing the magic happen in front of her—confirming that there was so much more to this world that she'd ever thought.
This time was no different, a cold fist gripping her heart as she worried that this might be the last time she saw him in either form.
The fur spread over his body in an instant, matched by an amazing transformation as he morphed into a smaller form, dropping to all fours. Within seconds a river otter lay where Alec had stood, peering up at her with his dark, brown eyes. He reached up with one paw and rubbed his face, repeating the motion with the other paw. Alec gave himself a shake, the small furry quills rising and falling as they fell into place.