“I betrayed my brothers’ trust some time ago, and it doesn’t seem like they’re interested in an apology.”
Dex bit his lip and took a moment to consider, his sharp gray eyes narrowing slightly. The assessing nature of his attention was refreshing. No one had seen Luc in forever. Or at least, no one had seen anything he hadn’t curated.
He’d tried with Onyx. Luc had let his distress surface, but it had angered his younger brother. Onyx hadn’t believed him, and that was no one’s fault but Luc’s.
“Did your apology fit the, uh, betrayal, as you called it?”
“I don’t know if that’s possible.”
There were no words to encompass Luc’s regret for stealing his brothers’ magic, and that was only the beginning of his transgressions.
Dex’s lips parted, but he snapped them shut like he’d reconsidered. “Maybe you need to keep apologizing.”
“Even if they asked me not to?”
Dex’s nose scrunched. His face was soft-featured andboyish, a hit of stubble preventing him from being completely baby-faced. “If they asked you not to, you should respect their boundaries.”
“That’s what I suspected.” Boundaries were annoying. Luc would rather not deal with them, and that was part of the problem. “One of them said he’d hear me out.”
“That’s good. If he’s willing to talk, then there’s hope. It’ll take time.”
Dex’s encouragement was sweet, but Luc couldn’t take solace in it. He might not mean it if he had the whole story.
Unless being Luc’s mate meant Dex would understand.
Were they mates? The question was a thorn in Luc’s heel. He wanted to believe the signs, but hope did terrible things to him.
He tamped it down.
“I suppose I’ll have to find a place to stay in the city while I wait and see. But enough about my problems. I didn’t follow you in here to burden you.”
Dex snorted. “I can’t believe you’re admitting to following me.”
“Does it make you uncomfortable?” Luc’s heart skipped. He hated the idea when he normally wouldn’t give a shit.
Dex shrugged one shoulder. “Not unless you’re planning on following me anywhere else.”
“I won’t,” Luc promised. Damn it, now he’d have to stick to that.
Usually, he wouldn’t care about the ethics of stalking or false promises. With Dex, it seemed vital to care. If there was one thing in his life Luc could get right, it had to be this.
Each honest piece of himself Luc offered up, each promise not to lie, seemed to ignite something inside him. A flame wrapped around his heart, urging him on like he was headed in the right direction.
He’d never felt anything like it. Not even when he’d fallen to Earth and been sure beyond all doubt that he was on the path to his mate. Luc had no idea anything could feel as right as sitting next to Dex and trying to figure out what lay beneath his vast array of masks.
They had to be mates.
Dex hopped off his barstool. “Glad I won’t have to worry. I’m going to get another drink. Are you good?”
Luc glanced at his nearly full glass. “I’m fine, thank you.”
He should have bought Dex his next drink. That was a thing humans did when dating. Right? Luc didn’t know much about modern romance. He should have done more research.
Luc’s stomach dropped at the idea of asking Dex on a date and being turned down. He wasn’t ready for his mate, not without a plan to win his heart. Luc always had enough plans to fill a book, accounting for every scenario.
Guaranteed outcomes were all Luc tolerated. Hoping things would work out was for fools.
Maybe he should say to hell with modern dating. It brought no guarantee. Instead, he could show Dex magic, prove it was real and not a delusion, and seduce him with power and possibility. Promise Dex the world. Anything he desired.
