I was still finding it difficult to merge both sides of my life together. My brain didn’t compute that we were all a family.
“Grayson,” Elva continued, dropping her voice. “Which means we have Erik and Sloan and their children. Not to mention Larkin and, unfortunately, Hunter. Gray’s parents. Quentin, we’ll have so many people around us.”
The reality settled around me quickly. I’d gone from having Cassidy and Sophie to having an entire room full of people that could be considered family.
“Isn’t it wonderful?” Elva asked me, grinning.
A traitorous part of me swelled with happiness and kicked my heart into double time. It happened more often. I gave in to the possibility of having it all. Why shouldn’t I be able to enjoy having a large family around me? A sense of belonging and contentment that I’d craved my entire life?
Because it felt like I was abandoning Cass. My brother had always looked out for me and while I was enveloping myself in a large family, he only had Sophie. What was wrong with me?
Gray’s hand ran along my back and pulled my attention to him. There was a crease in his brow as he tried to decipher my thoughts. We were in tune with the other’s feelings, but it was a guessing game to understand what brought on the emotions. I offered him a smile, burying my internal battle. There was no need to ruin the night with my overthinking.
“Grayson.” Malachi had made his way across the room to the group. “Would it be possible to take Quentin for a few moments? Some of the Gods would like to meet her properly.”
He motioned towards one side of the room where a God and Goddess had their eyes trained on me. My gaze quickly flicked back up to Malachi, searching for any threat or deception.
“I’ll be happy to make the introductions,” Gray said tightly.
Placing a hand on his arm, I shook my head. “I can do this alone.”
“I don’t think so.”
“Gray, I’ll be on the other side of the room. You can watch me the entire time.”
His hands cupped my face. “If they try anything, I will not be held responsible for my actions.”
I tensed momentarily as he brought his face close to mine. For months, we’d kept ourselves a secret, but there was no need to do so amongst the Gods. They knew of our bond, but it still felt strange to be openly affectionate in front of the entire council.
When Gray’s lips met mine, the familiar liquid warmth flooded my veins and pooled in my stomach, melting me into his touch. He broke away and whispered, “Go and dazzle them, golden girl.”
He straightened, stepping away from me, and it took all my strength not to pull him back. Even when I was with Ethan, I rarely relied on him for a supportive role. We were two lines that ran in parallel through life, heading in the same direction but never overlapping. With Gray, we intersected so much that I found it almost impossible to untangle our threads.
Pushing down on the sensation, I turned to Malachi and smiled. “Lead the way.”
Malachi nodded his head before crossing the room. I walked behind him, letting his large frame shield me temporarily. Music and laughter flowed around us, but the most prominent noise was the thumping of my heart in my ears.
“Flynn. Waverly,” Malachi said, stepping aside, so I was in sight. “This is Quentin Scott. Quentin, let me introduce you to Flynn, God of travels; and Waverly, Goddess of rest.”
“It’s nice to meet you both.” The fact any words left my mouth was a small miracle considering how dry it suddenly became.
Flynn leaned forward, grabbing a hand I didn’t offer him, and shook it enthusiastically. “You’ve made things a lot more interesting in the heavens.” His dirty blonde hair danced around his shoulders while he drank me in.
“Interesting isn’t always a good thing,” I muttered in return, taking my hand back.
“It’s not a good thing if you plan on revolting and murdering us in cold blood.”
“Flynn,” Malachi groaned. “You promised to ease her in.”
“Why waste the time?” Waverly asked. “It’s the most precious commodity, even to us if things continue the way they have been.”
Waverly looked younger than the rest of the Gods. She had plump cheeks that were rosy pink and large brown eyes that reminded me of a doe. Her hair was cut short, but it did little to mature her.
“Grayson’s been singing your praises to anyone who’ll listen,” she said. “Says you’ve been working tirelessly on the project.”
“I’m doing my job,” I told her as she gave me a glimpse into what Gray was doing behind the scenes.
“Even after we destroyed your kin, you’re trying to save us,” Flynn said.
