This is a series of short stories, detailing the adventures of Chelsea Childling. You can start with her origin story or pick any story from the index.

Keegan rubbed his long, thin fingers together as he blew on them. His knees bumped against the only other piece of furniture that fit in the bunk, the bed her giant mutt of a dog was currently hogging.

The tiny, windowless shack she rented was warm and dry, and definitely made for a single person to stay in. Chelsea wasn’t sure she could get around Keegan to the bathroom.

He flipped his dark hair out of his eyes. “By the way, this is bullshit. I hate this weather.”

Chelsea pulled the covers tighter around her and Bentley. “I didn’t call you.” She might have to have words with Florence. She wasn’t sure if she dared.

He glared at her. “If you had called, I could be in my own bed, nice and warm.” He blew on the red tips of his fingers again. “Hell, if you had stopped by, we could be both be in my bed, warm.” He froze and then swore under his breath.

Chelsea buried her face in Bentley’s fur. She didn’t want to care about whatever was bugging Keegan. Instinct told her it wasn’t entirely her, though.

From the dark beyond her, Keegan let out an enormous sigh. “Did you ever wonder why I left you here last winter?”

She debated not answering. He’d annoy her until she did. “At the time, no. I was too devastated to care about why. Later, I assumed your sister called and asked for help.”

The rickety creak of a chair announced Keegan’s feet a moment before they rested on her knees. “I left because you were waking up.”

“Waking up?”

He jostled her with his feet. “I talk. You listen.”

“Then stop addressing me.”

His laughter settled something in her chest. Chelsea took a deep breath, snuggled in next to her dog, and listened to her former hunting partner.

“When I found you out here, you were… hibernating. I can guess why, but I didn’t care about why, or who. I just wanted to help. Like I said then, we were friends.”

Chelsea hated the wobble in her voice. “Past tense?”

Keegan rolled his eyes. “Well, I was talking about the past, but yeah, we aren’t just friends, are we?”

Chelsea’s heart thudded, and fear washed over her. She shot up, afraid of what she might say.

A knowing grin and waving hand met her. “Calm down, princess. I’m not here to try and steal you away from Jackson. I like whatever we have now, exactly as it is. So, let me get to my point.” He gestured back to the bed. “Relax. Please.”

She settled against the wall instead of laying back down. She needed to see his face.

He folded long arms over his stomach and met her eyes calmly. “I have no idea how to start, so fuck it: I was seventeen and in love. Joaquim was taller than me, older than me, and just vicious in a fight. But friendly, and open, and so funny. I followed him around like a puppy, totally unsure how to handle being in love, but knowing I didn’t want to have sex. I’d been down that road already. Men, women, didn’t matter. I didn’t enjoy it. He did though.” A smirk floated over to her. “Truthfully, Joaquim and Jackson had quite a bit in common and got along really well.”

Chelsea wanted to snort, to have a snappy comeback, to play with Keegan. Instead, she fought back tears. Jack still hadn’t contacted her. “You talk. I listen.”

Keegan sighed and continued. “It took weeks for me to talk to him. And then, I had to find reasons to avoid him after hunts, when I knew he’d be looking for a hookup. I couldn’t stand not being chosen, even though it was something I didn’t want or need.”

Keegan stopped, and Chelsea let him. He’d get to his point in his own time. She also didn’t want to talk. She didn’t want to think. She just wanted Jackson to call.

Eventually he continued, dark eyes clouded by the past. “Joaquim noticed something was up with me. Started picking at me to find out why.” Keegan’s eyes closed for a moment as his face pinched. “Then he got me drunk one night, and I spilled my guts. Everything from how fucked up my family was, to me being asexual, and ending with me being in love with him.”

A hopelessness washed through Keegan’s voice as he continued. “He was intrigued, and for a while, it was good. We had this little bubble of just us. But Joaquim was…” Keegan sucked in a deep breath. “Joaquim wanted… and I understood. I tried, because I loved him. But I’m… me. And eventually, he came to the genius compromise–”

Anger tore through her. “Fuck him.”

“Chelsea–”

“Fuck him for doing that to you. I’m allowed to hate him indiscriminately because I’m your… whatever we are.”

Keegan’s smirk slashed sharper than usual. “I told him to go find someone to enjoy. Just be honest with me. And he was. He was so honest he brought Dinah over for me to meet.” Keegan stared at the floor. “And I lost my shit.” He swallowed. “Called them names, threw stuff, tried to start a brawl with him.”

Chelsea tossed the blankets aside and threw herself at him. Keegan trembled, but hugged her back. She settled in his lap and let him continue when he was ready.

“When I finally calmed down, he wanted to talk. It was the worst thing. He was calm and sweet. So understanding.” He settled against the wall. “I couldn’t even look at him.”

“I’m…” Sorry was the stupid thing to say. “My stomach is burning in empathy.”

Keegan snorted a half-hearted chuckle. “The real kick to the nuts was listening to him be nice to me while I knew it was over. I was who I was, and he needed something else. But I walked away knowing what I wanted going forward, and what I didn’t. No compromises. Not for me and not for whoever I was dating.” He squeezed her again, and she grabbed him back. “When you threatened to leave me on the side of the road if I tried to flirt? I thought maybe…”

She sat up, trying not to cry. 

Keegan pulled her back down to his chest. “It was good. We were good. But you aren’t like me. You just were depressed. Once that started to pass, and you woke up… I saw how you looked at Rick.”

“Rick?”

Keegan’s smirk was clear in his voice. “Big guy, blonde, bad at lying, but an absolute menace with an axe. I’m sure you remember him.”

She snorted. “Yeah, I remember him turning me down after you left because I was on the rebound. Way to cockblock me, asshole.”

Keegan’s laugh warmed her. “My abject apologies, princess. Especially as I was trying to do the opposite.” He squeezed her again. “Seriously though, I didn’t want to hurt you, ever. And I knew you’d try to compromise yourself for me. I didn’t want that for you, and I sure as fuck wasn’t losing you like I lost Joaquim. I left so that we could be this. Because this is enough. You are enough.”

Chelsea squeezed him as hard he held her. The xylophone ribs under her arms felt good. “I never deserved you.”

He laughed. “Did you miss the parts of my story where I was an absolute ass to a nice person and a complete stranger?”

She sat up, anger blazing in her chest. “I must have. Because I heard you talking about being a literal child trying to navigate through a new and difficult situation. You might not have made the best choices, but even Joaquim seemed to understand that he hurt you.”

He swallowed and blinked back tears.

She sat back, relenting in the face of his hurt. “If I ever meet him, I promise not to punch him, but I cannot promise to be nice.”

“And I would never ask you to try.”

Their laughter warmed the bunk, seeming to hang on the empty walls. Tension left Chelsea’s shoulders and back. She pushed herself onto the bed and into Bentley. “Why does this matter right now?”

Keegan sighed as he put his feet beside her. “Because, sometimes, you think you know what you want, until you actually get it.”

The tears she’d held back for weeks finally spilled over. “I…”

Keegan threw himself across the tiny space and settled his arms around her. As soon as she relaxed into him, Bentley flopped across their legs.

He kissed the top of her head. “Where is he?”

“With Amber, I’m assuming. He hasn’t even texted.”

His sigh shifted all three of them. “Those two together are toxic as fuck.”

She barely had the strength to whisper, “They don’t have to be.” 

He shifted underneath her, and she knew he was rubbing at his eyes. “You really believe that when he’s been radio silent for weeks?”

“They… she’s after the demon lord who killed her family.”

“And Charlotte.” Ice dripped from Keegan’s voice. “Joaquim was part of the survivors.” He rested against the wall. “But why are they keeping you out of this hunt?”

Chelsea pushed away from him. “He’s trying to talk her out of it.”

“You really believe that?”

She nodded. “He’s done with her half-baked plans.”

“And what if the plan isn’t half-baked?” Dark eyes, serious and sad, studied her. “What if she really has something this time?”

Anxiety bubbled in her gut. “She’d have a hell of a time convincing him.”

“But what if she did?”

Chelsea swallowed. “Then it’s a good thing Andy adores me. I’m about to rack up a hell of a favor.”