Sergio’s house is a literal medieval castle—with a moat and drawbridge, tall rectangular towers, sweeping courtyards and crenellated walls—the whole deal. But inside, it’s been gutted and everything is modern and cozy. There are glass atria, granite countertops and pine floors. The lighting is all recessed, so everything is cast in warm spotlights and shadows. It’s a bold juxtaposition compared with the outside, but somehow it works, and I applaud his design choices.

When we all arrive, an after-party kind of gathering starts to form in the main sitting room. Giovanni plops down onto the couch in his suit and tosses his jacket aside. Sergio walks toward an impressive wall made of dark maple wood and glass that clearly functions as a large liquor cabinet. Cellina and Haruka are walking arm in arm toward another cozy-looking couch, while Nino trails behind them, walking beside Cosimo, Cellina’s brother. Nino is clearly displeased as Cosimo passionately explains something to him that I can’t quite catch.

Leaning, I whisper to Jae, “Should we join everyone? Or have you had enough for today?”

“A lot has happened today… I’d like some quiet time to process it.”

I nod, then swiftly announce our retiring for the night and that we’ll see everyone in the morning. Immediately, Giovanni calls out from across the room, “Is the deer feeling a little less skittish?”

I don’t know why the fuck he keeps picking on Jae, but it’s grating me.

“If he’s a deer, then Junii is unquestionably a wolf.” Matteo is smirking at me as he saunters past in his loud, sequined pants. He and I cross paths quite a bit if I’m working in Italy. He’s highly sought after for the makeup he does in photo shoots for magazines. Apparently, he and Cellina are very close, which I wouldn’t have guessed.

“I agree with that assessment.” Jae is looking up at me all innocent and doe-eyed. Right.

I frown. “What?”

“That’s not far off.” Cellina is leaning on the arm of the couch, staring at me. “You’re a little wolfish.” Haruka is sitting beside her and tilting his head like he’s about to say something, but I’m done with this.

Bowing slightly, I rest my free hand at my stomach. “I bid you all fucking goodnight.” I turn, pulling Jae along behind me as everyone chuckles.

Our assigned bedroom is on the first floor, toward the back of the castle and through a small courtyard. It’s very private, and the entryway is covered in hanging vines and ivy. At first glance, it looks like a room or closet that might have been forgotten centuries ago. But inside is a beautiful square-shaped bedroom with stone walls, lamplights and an oversized bed.

There are exposed wooden beams overhead supporting the low ceiling, and connected to the room and through a narrow archway is a glass atrium that serves as our bathroom. There’s a private wooden area with a door for the actual toilet, but the large bathtub is freestanding, and there’s a space with a shower head just off to the side. There are plants everywhere—hanging in pots from the ceiling, covering the floor at our feet and on a ledge that runs all the way through.

This part of the castle was likely a greenhouse and gardening shed that Sergio decided to convert into a bedroom. I can see how it worked in its original state, but it’s been transformed exquisitely. Again, bold choices that I’m very impressed with.

“I feel like I’m in The Hobbit.” Jae is standing in the middle of the bedroom and looking around. We arrived in the day, and it was bright and sunny here then. At night, it’s taken on a different form. A fairy tale setting with soft lights, mysterious wonders and hidden treasures.

Meeting him in the center of the cozy space, I grin. “Are you tired?”

He shakes his head. “Not really.” He steps away from me to examine one of the stained-glass lanterns on the shelf beside the bed. He’s still nervous. Apprehensive. I can feel it pulsing off of him.

“I’ve never had a bath in a greenhouse,” I announce.

“A greenhouse in a medieval castle off a lake in Italy?”

I chuckle. “Well, when you put it that way, it feels a little excessive.”

“Quite.”

“Nonetheless…” I slide my jacket off my shoulders and toss it onto a nearby chair, then move toward the archway leading into the greenhouse. “I’d like to take advantage. Will you be joining me? You can relax, and I’ll let you know when it’s ready? We should shower first, though. I can’t help myself—it’s an engrained behavior.”

Jae laughs. “Okay, sure.”

We shower, but I don’t touch him in any significant way, because apparently, I’m wolfish and mated with a deer. Well, fuck me.

I don’t touch him, but I playfully bump him a few times to take the obvious edge off. He laughs when I do this, and we talk about the day while we get clean. How beautiful the villa and entire ceremony were, how Giovanni is an asshole but he means well. How Nino’s present anxiety is obvious, but he’s going to be a great father and we’re not worried about him.

The moon is high and so bright overhead that it lights up the night. I can see it as I settle down into the tub first. Jae’s phone rang while we were in the shower, so he went to check it in case there’s some emergency with the hospital or Nino and Haru’s surrogate. I relax down, then notice a switch on the edge of the shelf holding about a million potted plants right by my head. Curious, I flick it. A line of tiny white faerie lights glows all along the shelves, their string hidden between the plant vines and leaves so that they appear to just float in midair. The water is perfectly warm, and the glass gives us a wide view of the courtyard, trees and flowers beyond this beautiful space.

When Jae comes back into the greenhouse, he’s still naked and looking all around in wonder. “Well, this is something… Hopefully no one is taking a stroll back here.”

“Indeed. Is everything alright?”

He stops at the opposite end of the large tub, then gingerly climbs inside, avoiding stepping on my feet as I draw them up a little. “Mmhm, everything is fine. It was my father. He left a message and was just checking on me.”

“Did you tell him you were coming to Italy for the week?”

“Yes,” he says, sitting and folding his knees up against his chest. “He wanted to know if I arrived safely.”

“Did you tell him that you’re bonded?”

He grins. “No, not yet. But I will later. That’s a longer conversation.”

“You told me that your father left and moved to Korea when you graduated high school, but he seems to keep contact with you fairly often?”

“Yeah, my father isn’t a bad person by any means. He just didn’t want to be alone in that cottage with me off in university. It made perfect sense for him.”

“But it inadvertently left you alone.”

Jae shrugs, running his wet hands up and through his hair to push it back. “I managed.”

I don’t say anything because I’m not sure that he did. Not well, anyway.

Silence falls between us, and crickets are chirping beyond the glass, the soft call of a nocturnal bird. I look at Jae, and he smiles politely before turning his head to glance away from me. I know what he wants: to come over here and be closer to me. But he’s hesitating and doubting himself.

I don’t know, maybe it’s the wolf in me, but I’m starting to get a little frustrated. How many times do I need to prompt him like this?

Sitting forward, I reach underneath the water, grab one of his ankles and pull. He slides down, his arms flailing up in shock just before his head dips underneath the water. I know he’s going through something right now and trying to get his bearings. I know. But I’m really over this shy shit.

He breaks the surface again, gasping and pushing his soaked hair back and away from his eyes. “Shit, Jun—”

“Why are you hesitating?”

He surprises me when he slaps the surface of the water, sending a wave directly into my face. “Because I bloody hesitate now! That’s what I do!”

“You weren’t like this before.”

“That was before.” He inhales a deep breath, smoothing his hair again.

I wipe my face with my palms. “You’re the same, sunshine.”

“Not biologically speaking. I’m quite different.”

“You’re overthinking.”