"Hi," I said happily, walking into the house.
The familiar scent of Kastiel's home wrapped around me—wood and something citrusy, mixed with the faint hint of whatever he had been cooking earlier. The living room was warm.
"Hello," Kastiel replied from the couch.
He was sitting with Chow Chow beside him, his long legs stretched out, a book open in his lap. He looked relaxed in a way he rarely did outside these walls—hair slightly messy, sleeves rolled up, no trace of the Alpha King that the rest of the world saw.
Chow Chow's head snapped up the moment she heard my voice. She jumped down from the couch immediately, her little claws clicking against the floor as she ran toward me, her tail wagging so hard her whole body shook.
"Hi, babygirl." I crouched down to her height and ruffled her fur, scratching behind her ears the way she liked. She pressed her nose against my hand, then my cheek, then my chin, making sure I knew exactly how much she had missed me.
