“The kitchen is at the end of this hallway,” Onyx said, pointing. “You can ask them for anything you’d like.”
Martin’s stare did not waver.
“What about my room?”
Onyx motioned to a spiral staircase at the center of the foyer.
“Yours is upstairs and two doors to the left,” Onyx said politely. “You can use the PA system to call for some food if you’d like. Like having room service.”
Martin did not react to Onyx’s attempt at humor. He merely nodded, then ran upstairs like he had been there a thousand times. Both Azura and Onyx cringed as he slammed the door behind him.
“Jesus,” Azura muttered.
She crossed her arms and spun around to face him.
“I’m sorry about him,” she said. “I’d love to see the rest of the place if you’re down for it.”
Onyx felt himself light up.
“I would love to,” he said.
Onyx guided Azura through the hallway and passed the sliding doors. He opened them dramatically, revealing a refined garden that spanned the entire backyard area. Her arms dropped away from her chest, and Onyx hoped that it meant she was feeling comfortable with him.
“Holy shit,” she said.
Onyx chuckled, then touched her shoulder to guide her outside.
Flowers and vegetation native to Nova Aurora ran along the pathway in dazzling shades. The tall purple trees that cluttered the planet stood strong and with solitude, casting shade over the couple as they strolled through the greenery.
“I am friends with a botanist,” Onyx said as they walked. “He gives me a lot of deals on landscaping and ownership of some of the rarer flowers of this planet.”
They had reached the small waterfall that stretched out into another presentable-looking pond. The water cascaded gently as Azura stepped closer, gazing into the reservoir at the fish that thrived within the wet environment.
“What are those?” she asked.
“We call themneonz,”Onyx said, stepping closer to Azura and the pond. “I have been told that they resemble Koi fish on your planet.”
Azura smiled, still looking down.
“These are somehow fatter, and they look like they’re changing color.”
Onyx looked down at the water with Azura. Maybe it was the sound of the waterfall or her lovely cherry scent, but Onyx hadn’t felt that relaxed in a long time.
The bulbous fish did, indeed, change the shade of their scales to match their surroundings. Azura’s eyes sparkled, watching them, letting out a cute giggle now and then.
When she lifted her head, she let out a sigh. Onyx watched her, so curious and intrigued.
“This has all been such a whirlwind,” she said, crossing her arms again. “I haven’t been able to process this whole matchmaking thing, what shifters are, or even that fated mate stuff.”
Onyx watched her mind processing, wondering how beautiful the cogs inside that brain of hers would look if he could just climb inside of it.
He held his arms out to her.
“Where should I begin?” he asked.
She tilted her head to the side, as adorable as ever.
“Shifters,” she said with wide eyes. “Let’s start there.”