Sanctuary

What were the chances of running into my mate the first time I visited the human world? Almost none. And yet, there he was, with sparkling blue eyes, brightly painted nails, a wide smile, and a sassy as fuck mouth. There was no way I was dropping the ball on this, but it wasn't as easy as asking him out, even though he'd left me his number on my coffee cup. Being a supernatural in the human world was tough, but bringing a human into your world? Yeah, I was going to need some help.

My first visit to the human realm in decades was…memorable. I visited a comic book store, and made a new friend. Liam was just as geeky as me, and while he might seem scary to humans, all I saw were his sweet smiles and kind gestures. Discovering he was my mate was a surprise, but when Liam didn’t react the way I expected when I accidentally revealed I was a jorogumo, hope unfurled. Maybe he would be the one to accept me exactly as I was.

Losing your sight at the age of ten was not fun. Losing your best friend was even worse. Not every kid befriended the monster under their bed, but Shade hadn’t been a monster. He’d been sweet, kind, and the best friend I’d ever had. He’d also saved my life. I’d thought I would never see him again, but then the thing that kept me safe and stopped me from getting hurt started tugging me somewhere, and following its pull led me straight to Shade. Finding him again was nothing short of a miracle, and there was no way I was letting him go again.

The Sanctuary gave me a home, and the ability to survive without killing like the rest of my kind. Life was good… until all my friends started finding their mates. I thought I could drown my loneliness in alcohol, but instead, I found him: the ancient, impossibly hot dragon who owns the bar…and who happens to be my mate.