Late at night, in the middle of a tender moment, my boyfriend suddenly asked, "Honey, why don't you join my family for Thanksgiving dinner this year?"

"It's time you experienced our traditional feast."

I hesitated, holding him closer to make sure he wouldn't notice the faint gills on my neck.

"A special feast, is it better than me?"

---

Tomorrow is the day before Thanksgiving, and I was supposed to go home to spend it with my mom. But when I went back a few days ago, I couldn't find her.

Jon noticed my unease and has been doing his best to comfort me. He even invited me to celebrate with his family. We've been dating for four years and living together for two, yet neither of us has ever mentioned meeting each other's parents.

Now, with him bringing up the traditional feast, it seems like there's more to it than meets the eye.

The next day, Jon took me to the mall and indulged me with luxury clothes and handbags. He also thoughtfully selected gifts for his family, organizing everything so seamlessly that I didn’t have to worry about a thing. When I tried to pay, he stopped me, smiling as he gently kissed my forehead in front of everyone.

“Why would I ever let my wife pay?” he said with a grin.

He reached out, tenderly tucking a strand of hair behind my ear as he looked at me with deep affection. “All I ask is that you come home with me and trust me enough to follow my lead. When it comes to money, I have more than enough for both of us.”

Looking at him, tall and handsome, I nodded, feeling truly touched. He was always such a gentleman. Jon fell for me at first sight back in college and pursued me for two years. At first, I didn’t want to get involved, but he was charming and always respectful, eventually winning me over. We've been together ever since, our relationship growing stronger through graduation and into our careers.

Jon is competent in every way, and I admire men like him. Now, when he talks about being wealthy, I don’t doubt him for a second. I willingly followed him to a secluded seaside village, where an electric fence and several fierce-looking guard dogs awaited us.

As we approached the village gates, Jon asked me to stay in the car. He stepped out to undergo an iris scan, and the gates swung open. Climbing back into the car, he explained, “The village is remote, with no cameras on the road here. To prevent any unexpected guests, we’ve put in place heavy security measures.”

“Don’t worry,” he reassured me. “Nothing will harm you as long as I’m around.”

I shifted my gaze away from the growling dogs, eager to leap into the car and have a go at me, offering a gentle smile instead. “I trust you,” I replied.

Once inside, there was still some distance to cover. Along the way, we passed countless cats of various sizes, all wild and baring their teeth at us. I thought to myself, no wonder Jon referred to them as “these creatures.” It wasn’t entirely clear if they were here to keep people out or something else in.