"Are you sure this is enough pillows?" Alejandro carefully positioned the last of the ones they'd bought amid the mountain of blankets on the pullout couch.

"That's more than enough, thank you." Miguel suppressed a laugh at the memory of the store they'd gotten the bulk of the bedding from. The employees had clearly been far more accustomed to young families preparing to welcome children into their lives or elders looking to spruce up their dens. They'd been too busy gawking at the dozens of pillows piled into their shopping cart to ask why a chupacabra and a human were shopping together in the first place.

The sleeping situation wasn't the only aspect of Alejandro's apartment he'd overhauled for Miguel. Half the fridge was now filled with all the meat Miguel could possibly ask for, and several thick, wooly scarves that no sane human would ever wear in Texas had been added to the closet in case Miguel needed help bringing up his body temperature in the morning.

And the knitting! Alejandro had always loved losing himself in the clicking of his needles at the end of the day— a habit he'd picked up from his abuela along with her fondness for flan— but it had been something he'd done to relax. A hobby. Now, he was constantly working on projects for Miguel. At this point, it was easier for Miguel to count the garments he owned that hadn't been graced by Alejandro's needles than the ones that had been.

"Something's still not right." Alejandro ran a hand over the stubble lining his jaw before snapping his fingers. "I've got it!"

He sprinted into his bedroom, reemerging a minute later with the giant stuffed bear from Zest Fest. Its rainbow fur had been ruffled by many weeks of bedtime cuddles, but it still looked as soft and huggable as ever. "I know it's not the same as having your old pack around, but hopefully this big guy will help you feel less lonely."

Miguel cradled the bear close to his chest, drinking in the same lavender scent that lingered in Alejandro's hair before carefully adding it to his makeshift nest. "He'll definitely help. You know who else will?"

"Me." Alejandro wrapped his arms around Miguel and pulled him into a tight hug.

This was home for Miguel now. Not with Saguaro Pack and not inside this strange yet pleasant apartment, but with Alejandro.

But that didn't make his old pack's absence hurt less.

"They'll come to their senses someday," Alejandro whispered. He always knew when Miguel's mind was drifting back to his old pack, sometimes before he realized it himself.

"You don't understand what Isabella is like," Miguel said. "She's as stubborn as a mule and twice as irritable when she thinks something will harm the pack."

"You're right, I don't understand what she's like. But I do understand that even the most stubborn people can change their minds." Alejandro sighed, a wisp of air brushing against Miguel's scales. "When I told mamá I only like men, she didn't believe me at first. She said I was confused and would 'change my tune' once I found the perfect woman to give her grandkids with."

"And now?"

"Now she keeps trying to set me up with every guy who comes to get his nails done and wants me to adopt, or at least get a cat. The thing is, even though it was hard for her to accept that part of me at first, she just wants me to be happy. If Isabella cares about you as much as you keep saying she does, I'm sure she'll take you back."

"Don't talk about her like that." Miguel winced at the sharpness that had slipped into his voice, forcing his spines to lay flat. "She has to put the pack above all else, even me. That's her job."

Whether Miguel was trying to justify how Isabella had treated him more to Alejandro or himself, neither of them was entirely convinced. "I didn't mean to upset you," Alejandro said gently. He bit his lip as he so often did when something was bothering him. "I just don't understand why she'd let a little thing like you working at The Crimson Goat get between you two."

"This isn't just a little thing to her," Miguel said. "The pack's been having a hard time, and Isabella isn't who she used to be. She's stressed and scared of how much control humans have over our lives. Things are changing for the better for a lot of packs, but even that's hard because it's different."

And it wasn't just hard for Saguaro Pack, although he'd never admit that to Alejandro. Keeping himself supplied with plenty of venom suppressant wasn't cheap, and not even generous scoops of the salsa he'd won at Zest Fest could banish the bitterness from his tongue. The taste lingered along with the increasingly familiar dryness that filled Miguel's mouth as his latest dose of venom suppressant finally took effect.

Even now that he could finally kiss Alejandro without fear of harming him, the world was still full of reminders that they weren't like other couples. From the pairs strolling down the riverwalk to the romance movies Alejandro loved, they all had one thing in common: humans only dated humans. Chupacabras and humans simply did not belong together for more than a quick release, and even then only in seedy motels far from judgmental eyes.

"Speaking of families, " Alejandro said, "mine is coming to visit next week." He winced as Miguel tightened his hug. "And now you're squeezing a bit much."

"Sorry." Miguel loosened his grip. His heart thundered as he struggled to process what Alejandro had just said. Alejandro's family. Stars, he'd only seen them in pictures. Considering how poorly chupacabras were taking their relationship, he couldn't even imagine what humans would think. "Have you told them about us?"

"Sort of. They know I've been seeing someone from the restaurant, but that's about it." Alejandro chewed his lip, refusing to meet Miguel's eyes. "They don't know you're a chupacabra."

Oh. So he was a burden to Alejandro. A secret to be kept until it was forgotten, forever unsaid.

Miguel swallowed his tears, forcing them past the lump forming in his throat. "I-I-If you want me to head out and grab some wings with Ralph or something while they're over, I—"

"No!" Alejandro took a deep breath, letting it out in a long sigh before cupping Miguel's face with his hand. "No. They're going to find out sooner or later." His lips curled into a shaky smile. "Besides, mamá has been dying to meet you. She's going to start thinking I made you up if I don't introduce you soon."

"Aren't you afraid they might not react well?" Stars knew Isabella hadn't been happy about him falling for a human. If Alejandro truly feared his own family would react badly too, he'd understand. He wouldn't wish that pain on anyone, let alone Alejandro.

"Terrified, but that's just another reason to get this done." Alejandro's lips caressed Miguel's jawline. "It's going to be fine," he whispered. "I promise."

"You and I both know you can't promise that," Miguel said quietly. His lips found Alejandro's, giving them the gentlest peck.

Alejandro leaned forward, bringing his hand around the back of Miguel's neck and caressing his spines. His raised eyebrows asked a silent question as he kept his lips pressed against Miguel's.

Miguel's heart skipped a beat. He and Alejandro had kissed each other plenty of times before, but never like that. Never gone inside each other in such a terrifying act of intimacy.

But Alejandro trusted him enough to try, to bring himself as close as possible to Miguel's fangs and all the danger they represented.

Miguel parted his jaws, uttering a breathless, "Yes."

Their kiss began slowly. Cautiously. Alejandro's tongue caressed Miguel's fangs as if he might hurt Miguel and not the other way around. A deep, rumbling thrum echoed from Miguel's throat as equal parts elation and anxiety sent his heart into a frenzy. One false move, and his serrated teeth would slice Alejandro open. But the kiss felt so good. In that moment, Miguel was not just a chupacabra, but Alejandro's beloved partner.

He needed to show him how much this all meant to him.

Slowly, Miguel brought up his hand and cradled the back of Alejandro's head. His fingers got lost in those soft curls as he deepened the kiss. Alejandro let out the tiniest gasp before strengthening their embrace, leaning against Miguel's chest.

This was going much better than Miguel had expected for their first real kiss. Perhaps a little too well. He fought to keep his spines laying flat as a wave of anxiety scorched through him. What if Alejandro wanted more than a kiss? As much as he loved the feeling of Alejandro's lips on his, this was as intimate as he wanted to get. Could he even muster up the courage to tell him no if Alejandro tried to take things further?

Before Miguel could think of the answer, the iron tang of blood washed across his tongue.

He yanked his mouth away from Alejandro's. "You're bleeding!" he screamed.

Miguel scooped Alejandro into his arms more quickly than he'd ever done anything in his life, ignoring Alejandro's yelp of surprise and the surge of pain shooting through his leg. His pain could wait. Alejandro needed to get to the hospital fast.

Alejandro's arms clung to Miguel in a trembling vice grip. "Put me down!"

Miguel couldn't wait for him to walk to his car, not with his venom burning through him. "The less you move, the easier this will be for both of us." And the less likely his venom would be to damage other parts of his body.

One kiss. One damn kiss had been enough for him to hurt his partner. Miguel swore as his traitorous leg gave out under the extra weight, sending him and Alejandro crashing to the floor.

The impact knocked the wind out of Miguel. "Phone," he wheezed as he fought to pull air into his lungs. "Give me your phone, and I'll call an ambulance."

"I'm fine." Alejandro groaned as he rolled off of Miguel. "I think. Probably going to have a hell of a bruise tomorrow."

"There was blood in your mouth!" Miguel bit back a growl as he dragged himself to his feet. He'd hurt his partner, and Alejandro was too sweet to admit something was wrong.

"Blood in my— oh!" Alejandro's finger probed his mouth until he found a spot that made him wince. "There it is. Must've bitten my lip too hard again."

"May I?" Miguel raised a trembling finger to Alejandro's mouth, letting out a rattling sigh when it came away with the tiniest speck of blood on it. No burning. Not even a tingle. "Thank the stars! I thought..."

Miguel couldn't finish that sentence. He collapsed back onto the floor as the adrenaline left him sobbing.

Alejandro knelt beside him, wincing. "It's okay," he whispered. A strong, warm hand stroked Miguel's back. "I'm okay."

"I-I-I thought I h-h-hurt you." Miguel's throat constricted around the words, choking him with the aftermath of his fear. Stupid. He'd been so stupid. In one thoughtless moment, he'd hurt them both. But no matter how much his body throbbed, his heart ached worse. "I did hurt you."

"Because you were scared. You just wanted to make sure I was safe." Alejandro scooted closer to him, stroking Miguel's spines until they lay flat.

Miguel pulled him close. But not too close. Just enough for him to feel Alejandro's hammering heart calming down as their labored breathing echoed through the apartment. "I'm so sorry," he whispered hoarsely.

"Sh, it's alright." Warm lips brushed away Miguel's tears, smiling against his skin as they coaxed out a weak thrum. "Just don't pick me up like that again without warning me first, okay? You're strong!"

Then why did he feel so weak? "If I can't handle something as simple as a kiss, how in the stars' name are we going to handle your family?"

"No matter what happens," Alejandro said, cupping Miguel's chin with his hand and forcing him to meet his warm brown eyes, "I promise we'll get through it together."

Miguel prayed to the stars that was a promise he'd keep.