ok hi! sorry for the delay BUT! perhaps he was one of her first people in Seattle (about 5 years ago now), and she felt rather bonded to him/liked that he smelled dead but wasn't exactly. she was coming from a number of quick-dying humans so it would have been a treat for celine! even letting him skip over the particulars of her required ritual so royce benefited from taking care of her for a few months until she began to short circuit from a sort-of-dead caretaker - making him feel physically ill, specifically, and tugging on her few heartstrings until she revealed her ability to shapeshift and convinced him to let her go? they could still be close, too, because celine liked him and wanted to see him do well in his career!