“Sure, because Hunter and Larkin sure think it’s something you’d do to wind them up. I’m not being humiliated by you so you can get some enjoyment out of it.”
Her anger was morphing. There was a quiver in her voice as then anger turned into upset at being embarrassed in front of a room full of people.
I stepped towards her, and she stopped pacing, sticking her hands out, warning me to keep away. She wasn’t crying, but her eyes became glassy, and I didn’t know how to deal with someone when they cried.
“I wasn’t trying to embarrass you,” I told her calmly. “On my duties as a God, I swear that wasn’t my intention.”
“What was your intention then, Gray? Because you knew what you were doing.”
“I wanted people to know you were with me. I wanted them to know you belonged to me, especially after Ignacio —”
“Excuse me?” The sadness was replaced by anger again, and I was struggling to keep up with her. “I do notbelongto anyone. Do you understand me? And I sure as fuck do not belong to you!”
Scott turned on her heel and walked out of the room.
“Scott!” I called after her, following her steps into the hallway. “Quentin, wait! I still don’t see the problem.”
She didn’t look at me as she climbed the stairs. “Oh, fuck off, Gray, and stay away from me!”
Scott wouldn’t even look at me. She moved around the house in silence, aside from the slamming doors. I usually thrived off the anger, but I couldn’t understand why she’d be so angry over such a small thing.
It wasn’t my concern. I had better things to preoccupy myself with.
“I miss you, monsters!” I said, lounging on the sofa at Erik’s place while his children clambered over me. All except for Beckett, who, as a teenager, believed he was too old to join in with the mess his younger siblings made.
“Do you think you’ll have more?” I asked Erik.
Sloan beat him to the answer. “Definitely.”
“She still refuses to tell me how many,” Erik mumbled as Cato fussed in his arms. He rocked the baby gently. “Are you up for more nieces and nephews? More godchildren?”
I laughed at the question. Erik and Sloan’s children were my life. Much to Hunter’s dismay, Erik had made it clear I was his first choice as godparent, and I wouldn’t let them down.
Cato continued to fuss, and Erik kissed the top of his head.
“Let me take him,” Sloan said. “I think he needs to feed and sleep.” She took their latest addition out of her husband’s arms.
“Can you take them all for a little while?” Erik asked. “I want to speak to Grayson.”
Sloan shot him a look and nodded. “Come on, little ones.”
The brood followed her out of the room, and I straightened up. Without the kids around, the unease and anxiety rose again because Erik would only want to discuss one thing.
Most people assumed I had the most difficult job in the family, but I’d come to expect disaster at every turn, and I revelled in it. Erik’s responsibility, on the other hand, was two-fold because love could be wonderful and exhilarating, but it could also be damagingly heart breaking.
I’d seen the early days when the heartbreak made him fall apart. We learned to dampen the sense of feeling so we could continue with our lives. When Erik learned to control it, he was happier, but he was wavering again.
As a general rule of thumb, we didn’t interfere in each other’s lives. No Gods did unless they were directly asked, but Erik was my little brother and boundaries were always blurry, so I had no doubt he’d let himself into my affairs more than I’d have considered polite.
“What happened between the both of you?” he asked, and I tensed. Erik leaned forward. “You looked very cosy yesterday. When Scott held Cato and you… You’d make such a good husband and father, Gray. Despite what the others think, you have a big heart.”
“You’re seeing things that aren’t there. I don’t wish to discuss this.”
“Well, we are,” Erik said, in a show of strength. “You need to keep your emotions in check, or the others are going to ask questions.”
It was rare that he told me what to do, but this was Erik’s element. And maybe he could help rid me of the nagging feeling I had.
“I made her angry,” I blurted out.
