By now, enough time has passed for Liam and the others to return. They look equal parts angry, worried and thoughtful. What Marius saw must have been seriously upsetting. They don’t say anything, though, probably not wishing to disrupt the peaceful, relaxed atmosphere. Instead, Liam and Annie join Silas, Marcellus and Gwen, while Dad walks towards Mom. Marius himself, however, doesn’t linger in the room for long. His eyes scan everything quickly before he turns around to leave for the terrace.
I hurriedly follow him, since catching him alone, with all his family and friends here, will be difficult. But in private, I can ask him about Marina and how he sees the situation. When I step through the corridor to follow him, my attention is immediately pulled towards something else. There, in one of the empty rooms that Gwen and I don’t know what to do with yet, I spot Dario.
He is looking at his phone, a frown on his face. That alone wouldn’t be unusual, but somehow his expression makes me halt immediately. I can’t quite put my finger on it, but he looks troubled.
Or is it just my imagination?
I am usually good at reading my brother, but I have never seen this expression on him before.
“Dario?” I ask. “Is everything okay?”
Dario raises his eyes to look at me. “Yes, everything’s okay.” He smiles, suddenly looking much more like himself again. “But I need to leave now,” he tells me. “I know it’s late, but there is a group project I am involved in, and the others are having issues. Sucks, but I want a good grade.”
“Oh, you are heading out?” I nod. “I get it.”
Dario smiles, but again, it’s weird. It might be my imagination, but it looks strained. I watch him leave the room, briefly talking to Dad, who just nods and waves him goodbye. For a moment, I am torn. Should I follow him?
What do you think, Kiran?
My lycan’s presence gets stronger in my mind while he tries to reach out to the bond to our brother.I don’t know. It’s not an emergency. I’d feel it if it were.
Yeah, me too.I usually know when Dario feels upset or when something happened, just like he feels it with me, but right now, all I am receiving are mixed signals. Maybe it’s really about the group work, and he is annoyed because his group can’t get anything done without him.
Wouldn’t be the first time.
I decide to let him be. If there is something he wants to talk about, he will seek me out as he always does. I need to respect his privacy and not always be so pushy.
So, I resume following Marius outside. Still lost in my thoughts, I step through the door quietly, just to pause immediately. My eyes fall onto Marius, who is standing close to the fence, our alpaca close to him, almost nudging his shoulder with its nose. But it’s not that scene that catches me off guard.
It’s…
He is holding Celine in his arms. I have seen my brothers and my dad hug and flirt with their mates. I’ve gone through all phases of being grossed out and embarrassed when watching them, but this here is different. He is not flirting with her, he is not there to kiss her or touch her; he isholdingher.
Celine clings to his back, her fingers digging into his shirt.
The soft breeze carries Marius’s voice to me. “Are you alright, babe?” he says quietly, and after a while. “I know you aren’t.”
And then: “It’s okay. Everything is okay.”
And: “I am with you all the way. Please believe me.”
That’s when I realize I need to retreat. Silently stepping back into the house, I close the door behind me, equally as silently. The last thing I want is to eavesdrop on my brother when it’s about something that is obviously private.
Back inside, the first person I bump into is Liam. He is standing a little away from the others, and I am almost afraid he is facing a difficult moment too, but he just smiles at me.
“Thank goddess,” I mutter.
He blinks. “What’s that about?”
“I thought you weren’t feeling well.”
“Why? Because I am standing here?” When I shrug, he just chuckles. “You know, big social gatherings sometimes drain me. Not that this isn’t fun, don’t worry. I am just recharging my batteries and need some silence for it.”
“I get it,” I say.
“And you?” he asks. “You look troubled, actually.”
Oh fuck! I was so preoccupied with not disturbing anyone that I didn’t realize I might look troubled, to boot. “It’s not about me,” I inform him.
