Page 45 of Shaped to Be Yours

“The snakes around here aren’t venomous.” Jason shrugged, way more chill than I’d expected. “There are garter snakes around the lake, but nearer to the other access points, not in the woods. My dad planted too many snake-repelling flora. Species of perennial marigolds, lemon… grass.” He must have realized I was staring at him. “What?”

“Nothing! I thought I smelled lemongrass the other day. I didn’t think it could handle midwestern winters.”

“It can’t. Not usually. I guess it’s a hybrid. I’ve never been sure how my dad made it work as a perennial, but the lemongrass returns every year.”

“That’s amazing.You’reamazing. It’s so impressive how much you know about the ecosystem here.”

“It’s my degree.” Jason grinned. “All C average of it.”

I had always known he knew more than C average. He was just better at being in the thick of things than taking tests.

“We would never ask to experiment in an uncontrolled environment,” Zinnia said. “Would you be willing to meet with us at the facility tomorrow?”

“I guess. I’m really ditching on the work I promised my mom though.”

“I think she’ll be okay with it,” I assured him. “And maybe, afterward, we could take you through the official portal.”

“What?” Jason suddenly looked spooked again.

“Just so you can see how amazing it is there! I went yesterday, and their kappa kingdom is so cool. Not without its dangers, but not the awful place you worry about.” I took Jason’s hand. “You are never going to get sent there forever but seeing it might make it feel like less of a death sentence to visit. It could ease your nerves, and maybe prove to be a place you’d want to explore someday when all of this is over.”

“That’s optimistic,” Jason grumbled, running his thumb up and down the back of mine.

“Then it’s settled!” Zinnia clapped her hands. “Tomorrow.”

It felt good to touch Jason again, to know he wasn’t pushing me away, but we needed to get back to work in the woods and make sure the security team understood that while we would be in the lab tomorrow, whoever was assigned to the natural portal still needed to guard it—twenty-four seven.

I didn’t like what Jason had told us about the incident downtown. It reminded me too much of campus protests in Edgewind. A small gathering was one thing, but let it grow, let the crowd get angry enough, and a mob became dangerous all too quickly.

I think Kai wanted to stay behind with Jason, but his parents dragged him back into the woods. He was obviously a little smitten, and I felt as bad as I knew Jason did, because it wasn’t Kai’s fault that Jason’s profile had matched with his and gave him false hope. I still didn’t love that it had happened though.

Jason and I kissed again before parting. He wasn’t going back to the school but planned to check on the cat, and then to get back to job hunting. He also needed to message Whitmore.

“Oh, Kai mentioned a sister,” Jason said before I left. “Is she the monster who’ll be going to the high school?”

“I assume so.”

“Do you know if licking their species can get people high?”

“What?” I laughed.

“Just wondering! Probably only a rumor.”

Meaning he would definitely ask Kai about that eventually.

After five o’clock rolled around, I returned to the house at the same time Sandy did.

“Glad to see Minnie’s old litter box is getting some use!” she said, crouched to scritch under the kitty’s chin as I came in.

“I told Mom to pick up more litter and some wet food on her way home,” Jason explained. “Just until we turn the cat over to the shelter or… keep him?”

“You sure it’s a him?” Sandy studied the cat nuzzling her legs. Then the cat moved to Jason, who it clearly loved most.

“Oh yeah. Our boy’s gotballs.” Jason snickered.

He did, more than visible when he stretched his butt and tail in the air.

“Vet visit first,” Sandy said, “but I’ve missed having a furry friend around. You’ll have to think of a name for him.”

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