Well, if that isn’t the most romantic damn thing.
I wrap my hands around the back of Rogan’s neck and pull him to me. Our lips meet in a gentle, tender kiss that tells him how sweet and beautiful I think his gesture is. I slip in a little teasing tongue so he knows that my full gratitude will be demonstrated later, and I feel him smile against my mouth in understanding.
I pull back, heat climbing up my neck, not only because I’m wishing we were suddenly alone right now so I could dramatically shove the dishes to the ground and then sit on Rogan’s face for a spell, but also because I just made out with him in front of my family.
“Sorry,” I mumble, looking around the table to find that Elon and Tad are focused on other parts of the kitchen, both with large smiles on their faces.
Hillen, however, waves a dismissive hand. “Please, it’s not like I didn’t already put together what the two of you were up to in the guest room,” she announces.
My eyes go wide, and Rogan chokes on air, hitting his chest a couple times to try and stave off a coughing fit. Tad snickers and Elon suddenly finds his glass of lemonadereallyinteresting.
“The bedding in your den of iniquity isn’t going to wash itself though. I expect it to be sorted before you go,” she orders, and Rogan and I both answer a contriteyes, ma’amat the exact same time.
Tad can’t hold in his laugh, and I slap his shoulder with the back of my hand and shoot him a glare, which just makes him laugh harder.
“I was going to fight with the High Council too. What do I get, Lennox?” Elon asks, all faux innocence, his eyes twinkling with merriment.
Without missing a beat, Rogan reaches across the table and flicks his ear.
“Ow,” Elon whines, holding his hands up in surrender before rubbing at his reddening helix. “I was joking, no need to piss a circle around her, you animal,” he accuses, and Rogan shakes his head, a smile working at his lips and giving him away.
I roll my eyes at the antics, but I also sit back into the easy comfort and levity that encircles this moment. It’s such a drastic and welcome change from everything that’s happened over the past couple of weeks, and I know this may be our last taste of it until the dust of whatever is going to happen with the High Council and the mystery demon settles.
Aunt Hillen clears her throat and lifts her thoughtful gaze to me. “I had a dream,” she announces awkwardly.
I can barely hear her over Tad and Elon’s teasing antics and laughter, so I lean closer.
“I had a dream,” she repeats louder, and everyone’s attention turns to her at the head of the table. She pauses, suddenly unsure, and I can see doubt etched in her features, which has concerns settling in mine. “I didn’t think anything of it, you know, because we were grieving, so it would make perfect sense that I’d be dreaming about mom and things, but now I’m not so sure.”
“I’ve been learning a lot about trusting my instincts, even when they don’t make much sense,” I reassure her, a supportive smile on my face, and she nods and releases a deep sigh.
“Mom came to me in a dream. I was crying. I was looking for you,” she starts, her eyes fixing on me and welling with tears that I watch her work to fight back.
I reach out for her hand, and she grips it tightly, like it’s more lifeline than comforting gesture.
“I kept looking for you, I was frantic, and then mom was there running her hand over my hair, trying to calm me. I tried to tell her I missed her, that I wished she’d come back, but no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t speak. She looked at me like she understood, and then she said, ‘Look for the marks.’ I didn’t understand what that meant, but she repeated it like I should. ‘Look for the marks,’ she said again before she kissed me on the head, and then I woke up. I chalked it up to too little sleep and too much heartbreak, but for some reason, ever since we all sat down, I just can’t fight the feeling that what she said was never for me, it was for you, Len.”
I squeeze her hand once and repeat the statement in my mind a couple of times. I say it out loud, trying to see how it feels in my mouth and if adding my voice to the strange message helps it click, but nothing comes to me. “It’s not ringing any bells or setting off any alarms,” I tell her, her expectant eyes fixed on me. “But I’ll definitely keep that in mind.”
Hillen nods and leans back in her chair, and it breaks the air of tension that’s crept into the room. All at once, I know that this reunion has found its end and it’s time to go.
Rogan clears his throat, shooting me a concerned look before sitting up a little straighter. “I know all of this has been a lot,” he starts, his gaze warm and set on my aunt. “I’m sorry I couldn’t tell you, but I didn’t know for sure, and I didn’t want to get your hopes up before I did. I know you and Tad will keep what’s happened to yourselves, and I wish that was enough, but it’s not,” he explains, and I get tense, wondering where the hell Rogan is going with this. “It’s not safe for you here,” he goes on.
My heart hammers, and a woosh of relief pours out of me at his last declaration. “Not going to lie, I thought you were headed in awe’ve told you, so now we have to kill youdirection,” I confess as I sag in my chair.
Rogan shoots me an indignant look, thehow could you think thatclear in his eyes.
I shrug. “Listen, I know we’re all bonded for life and crap, and I’m here for it—don’t get me wrong—but that doesn’t mean I know you through and through, and it doesn’t erase some of the sketchy history, even if I can understand why things went down the way they did.”
Rogan stares at me, and the atmosphere grows heavy again. “I would never hurt your family, Lennox. And I want you to know that I will never hurtyouagain. We have a lot to figure out, and I know I have a lot to make up for, but I want to be very clear that I will do everything in my power to protect you and the people you love.”
“And you’ll keep me in the loop?” I press. “No more making decisions without me or living thatit’s better to ask for forgiveness than permissionlife.”
Amusement ticks at the corners of Rogan’s lips with my questions. “I’m going to communicate so much you won’t even know what to do with yourself. Mistakes were made, but I won’t make them again. You will be in all the loops all the time, you have my word.”
“Ohh kinky,” Tad coos, and Hillen beams her son with a roll.
I laugh at Tad’s expense as he rubs at a red spot on his forehead, courtesy of his mom.
