[Forrest]Pyla and I started walking toward her house. I was beside myself with happiness. Her little tail swished behind her. I wondered if her tail felt as smooth as the rest of her looked. Her lizard genes had given her scales that looked like little gems all over her. I smiled when she looked up at me and glanced away quickly. This area of the fae lands was predominantly trolls. I could see some of them looking at us while we walked. Some of the more obvious troll women were looking at me. I knew Shay would hear about this. I could imagine she would be pretty jealous, but that wasn’t my problem. We weren’t actually promised to each other. It was more of a mutual hope, until I met Pyla. She was dressed in a simple white dress that had a skirt that seemed to float around her. It made the swishing of her tail even more enticing. “Forrest, you really don’t have to walk me home. What about your girlfriend, Shayle?” Pyla asked. “She’s not my girlfriend. She wants to be my mate, but that’s the goddess’ call, not ours. Plus, she went to go fuсk Elbio.” I shrugged. She blushed. “Are all trolls this... vulgar?” “Pretty much.” “This is so different from my home. No one would ever talk to me the way people have talked to me since I arrived two days ago.” I couldn’t help but laugh. “Welcome to the troll lands, Pyla.”She looked up at me with her big eyes and smiled. As we turned down her street, I could see her house at the end of the little lane. Her family wasn’t as wealthy as mine, but they were still better off than most in the area.It wasn’t enough time with her. I wanted more. I never wanted to just walk and talk with someone before. It was strange to me. I was smitten with her, and I knew I would be back to see her soon. Now I knew where she lived and I wouldn’t forget. A troll never forgot something important to them. We stopped at the front door and she turned to me. I scratched the back of my head. Normally, I’d assert my dominance over her to show her that I was strong enough to be of interest to her, but she was raised around lizard people, not trolls. “It was nice to meet you, Pyla. Maybe we could do it again sometime. Maybe something where you came with me instead of Elbio....” “That would be nice.” She beamed up at me.“Can... can I hug you?” I asked. “Sure....” I bent down and wrapped my arms around her. She let out a little squeak. She was so small compared to me, but she felt good in my arms. Her soft scaly skin against mine made my heart race. Pyla tensed. I hugged her a little tighter. She hugged me back, and the warmth of her body was making me throb. When I pulled away, she ran inside her house. She looked back and waved at me. I waved at her as I turned and walked home. I had never felt so... alive.After she closed the door, I started back toward my house. I didn’t realize she would be soft. It was entirely different from how soft Rock was. She was more like Carmen in her softness. Did that mean she couldn’t handle me, like another softie might? I prayed to the goddess that it didn’t mean that. I wanted Pyla to be my mate. After hugging her, I wanted her even more. This was something I never felt before, and I had to know more about it. I hoped she felt something for me. I hoped that what I felt for her wasn’t one-sided. When I got home, I started looking up things like how human security guards dressed. I wanted to be able to make something that looked believable. Something that wouldn’t be ridiculous, but would give me that air of authority. It would be perfect because I could tell Pyla I was a security guard if she asked what I did for a living. It was better than saying I lived off my family’s money. A real job with a real title. I took a shower after and practiced my glamour. I liked the look of a basic security getup, slacks with a t-shirt that said ‘security’. I could probably get one made. I had pants like that. They were made with magical cloth that wouldn’t rip on my skin. Quickly, I sent an email to one of the tailors that worked for my family. He said he would have something for me tomorrow afternoon. Magical tailors were a fantastic thing. I’d have something I could wear to work and it would be official. I sent a picture to Rock and he agreed to it.When I went to bed, I only had Pyla on my mind. I imagined what it would be like to kiss her and feel her submit to me. I couldn’t get her out of my mind. Would she blush when she realized I was stronger than her? Would I see her eyes flash with passion and heat? Was she as expressive as Carmen? What were lizard people like? What other differences were there in our cultures?Sleep was harder for me than it had ever been. Never in my life had I been kept awake thinking about a woman. No woman had ever gotten into my head like that. On Sunday, I spent most of the day with my parents. I wanted to talk to them about the job I was taking. It wasn’t to get permission or anything like that. It was to let them know what I was doing and how it would change my availability. Most of the day was quiet. Mom had me help her move and rearrange things in the second parlor. She wanted to have it ready for the cooler weather. It was her favorite for the holiday season and she liked to change it around every year. When it was time for dinner, I was ready for whatever reaction they might have. I proved that I’d have time for them.We sat down at the table and loaded our plates. My parents were both northern mountain trolls, like I was, but mom wanted us to be able to attend functions with other fae and not embarrass ourselves. She always said we were trolls, but we weren’t animals. “Anything new going on with you, Forrest? You look constipated,” my dad said. “I got a job and I start tomorrow. I didn’t know when the right time to talk to you was,” I replied. “A job? Why would you need a job? I thought we gave you enough to do whatever you wanted.” Mom scoffed. “Because I want to be able to tell my mate that I do more than collect money from my mommy and daddy,” I growled. “Don’t act like a little bіtch. It’s dinner time, not drama time. What the hell is this really about?” Dad growled back. “I think I met my true mate and I want to show her I’m worthwhile. It’s time I got my ѕhit together.” “What part of your ѕhit don’t you think you have together, Forrest? It’s embarrassing that you’re willing to work. What’s wrong with the money we give you? You have a place to live and it’s paid for. You have no bills. What more do you need?”“I fuсking told you! She needs to see me as someone who can work to provide her a life if it ever comes to that! I need to prove to myself that I’m more than some trust fund baby who doesn’t know how to do anything but spend money!” “Shayle doesn’t need that. She doesn’t care where the money comes from as long as it’s available. I know her family and they spoil her more than we spoil you. What’s this really about?” my mom asked. “Shayle isn’t my true mate. I know everyone thinks we’re perfect for each other, but I don’t feel this way about her. I never did,” I told her. It felt good to finally get it out.“Why? She’s everything you could want. What more could you want than a princess of her kind? She’s beautiful, charming, and smart. What more could this other woman offer?” Dad asked.“You don’t know who your true mate is, Forrest. If you shun Shayle for this other woman, she might not take you back. It’s only six months until your coming-of-age. Keep living the way you have been and reevaluate when you’re older,” Mom told me. “No. I’m going to work as a security guard for Rock’s company. I’m not sleeping around anymore. From now on, I’m going to be a different man.” My parents were quiet for a few moments. They looked at each other with the same frown. I wasn’t going to be moved on this. They knew it, too. “You’re going to work for Rock?”“Yes. He needs someone around the office to protect Carmen and her friend when he can’t be there. I’m going to go watch over them instead,” I replied. My mother smiled. “Alright, you go work for Rock. I’m fine with that. He’ll keep an eye on you.” “Rock’s a good man. I agree to this. It’s not some minimum wage slave labor. He’ll pay you right and give you real world experience,” my dad agreed. “You should have said you were going to work for Rock ahead of time. If you boys want to work together, then we’ll definitely back you.” They didn’t like the idea until I mentioned Rock. That’s the whole reason I didn’t mention it earlier. Rock was doted on by all of our parents because of how hard he worked to make a life his mate would benefit from when he was gone. Elbio hated it, but I didn’t mind that my parents loved Rock. They loved me, too, but the whole reason Elbio and I existed was because my mother and Elbio’s mother wanted to make friends for Rock to grow up with. Our older siblings were all much older than us, so we all grew closer to each other than to them. It was all part of our moms’ plans. They wanted us to be like brothers, and we were. We went back to eating with everything settled. I thought of Pyla. She would never think of Rock and his happiness first. He was my little buddy, but I wanted someone who cared more about me than him. Part of the reason I didn’t think Shayle would work as my mate was that she didn’t like or respect Rock. He was my best friend and I wasn’t going to give him up because of my mate. I genuinely liked him, it wasn’t just because that was how I was raised. Rock would stand up for me if I needed it, in the same way I stood up for him. Now that I was getting to know her, I knew Carmen would stand up for me, too. She did in a way yesterday. If it came out that we spread a lie, people wouldn’t trust us. For a troll, being dishonest was practically a sin. Being a liar was a great shame. I knew no one from dinner last night would tell about it because we were all close. We’d find a way to fix it without outing the lie.Shayle wouldn’t because it would shame the man she wanted to be her mate. It would reflect on her in the future. We would have time to fix it before she found out she wasn’t my mate. “So how is Rock and his wolf?” Mom asked. “He’s doing well. She’s his office manager at the company now and they’re talking about their future. She met his brothers and their mates. They all liked her, especially Ilana,” I replied. “Oh, that’s wonderful. Ilana needs someone to connect with. I heard Rock’s mate is also blind.” “She is, but she has eyes. They’re this really intense icy blue.” “That’s interesting.” She smiled. “Is she as ugly as I’ve heard?” “Yeah, she’s pretty in a human way, but I think she’s prettier on the inside. She’s like a troll in a lot of ways, but she looks like a human. It’s a really odd mix to see in someone.” “Almost as odd as Peri’s daughter. The one she gave to her father to raise. Apparently, she looks like a mix of her mother and father, but more troll-like. Since she was raised by her father, she doesn’t act like a troll. I heard she’s really strange. Have you met her yet, Forrest? Her name is Pyla,” Mom asked. “Yeah. Elbio brought her to Rock’s yesterday. She and Carmen got along really well. I think it was good for her to see someone who acted like a troll but also not like a troll. Pyla is really beautiful,” I replied. “Ah, are you sure you’re done playing the field? It sounds like you’re interested in this Pyla girl,” Dad said. “I’m done. I know what I’m about, Dad. I’m going to learn how to be friends with women instead of trying to get into their beds.” He scoffed. “I raised you to be stronger than that. You should be sowing your wild oats before you’re shooting more than blanks.” I glared at him. “Maybe you were never strong enough to think with anything other than your diсk, but I’m not that weak. It takes a lot more strength to be friends with them than to get one into bed.”My dad growled, but Mom put her hand on his shoulder. He looked over at her and she shook her head. “He has a point. He’ll have to literally fight them off if he’s refusing them all. You know some of those women are going to see it as weakness. They’ll try to dominate him and he’ll have to take control to put them in their places. I think it’s a wonderful idea. Our daughter-in-law will be proud of his strength.” She nodded and smiled. “I’m proud of you for thinking this through. All sorts of women will come to your coming-of-age for a chance to be your mate.”That wasn’t what I wanted. I would talk to Rock about sending Pyla in first. I didn’t want another woman until it was her. I wouldn’t have another until then, either.