Page 24 of Rogue’s Reckoning

"Oh, and Ivy's bringing her boyfriend to dinner on Saturday night," my mother gushes. "Lochlann, such a charming young man. So successful for his age."

I perk up at this. "Really? Ivy invited me to dinner with them tomorrow."

My mother's smile falters for a moment. "Oh? Well, I'm sure she just wanted to introduce him to you separately. You know how overwhelming it can be to meet the whole family at once."

The implication is clear—Ivy didn't want me there for the "real" family dinner. I swallow hard, fighting back the hurt.

"Right," I mumble. "Of course."

The rest of dinner passes in a blur of Ivy praise and snide criticisms of my life choices. By the time I leave, I'm emotionally exhausted.

As I walk back to my dorm, I can't help but compare my family's treatment of me to how Ezra makes me feel. With myparents, I always feel inadequate, invisible. But with Ezra, I feel seen, cherished; like I'm the most important person in the world.

The thought of him brings a smile to my face, chasing away some of the darkness from dinner. I pull out my phone, debating whether to text him. In the end, I decide against it. He seemed stressed when he left this morning, and I don't want to bother him if he's dealing with work stuff.

Instead, I throw myself into schoolwork, trying to push aside thoughts of both my family and Ezra. But as I lay in bed that night, I can't help but wish he was here with me, his strong arms wrapped around me, making me feel safe and loved.

The next evening,I arrive at the Italian restaurant a few minutes early. I'm nervous about meeting Lochlann, especially after my mother's comments last night. What if he's as judgmental as my parents? What if he looks at me and sees all the ways I don't measure up to Ivy?

I spot Ivy at a table near the back. There’s a man beside her who I assume must be Lochlann. As I approach, I'm struck by how tense Ivy looks. Her smile seems forced, and there's a tightness around her eyes that I've never seen before.

"Willow!" she says, standing to hug me. "I'm so glad you could make it. This is Lochlann."

I turn to greet him, and immediately feel a chill run down my spine. Lochlann is handsome in a sharp, predatory way. His smile doesn't reach his eyes, which are cold and calculating as they assess me.

"So you're the famous twin sister," he says, his voice smooth as silk. "Ivy's told me so much about you."

Something about the way he says it makes me uneasy. I force a smile, taking my seat across from them. "It's nice to meet you, Lochlann. I've heard a lot about you, too."

As dinner progresses, my unease only grows. Lochlann dominates the conversation, his charm seeming more and more like a carefully constructed facade. He asks probing questions about my life, my studies, my friends, but there's an intensity to his interest that feels off, like he's looking for specific information rather than just getting to know me.

Ivy remains oddly quiet throughout the meal, only speaking when directly addressed. I catch her shooting nervous glances at Lochlann when she thinks he's not looking. It's so unlike my usually vivacious sister that alarm bells start ringing in my head.

"So, Willow," Lochlann says, leaning forward with an unsettling intensity. "Ivy mentioned you've been seeing someone new. Tell me about him."

I freeze, caught off guard by the question. Something in Lochlann's tone makes me wary of sharing too much about Ezra. "Oh, it's nothing serious," I lie, trying to keep my voice casual. "We've only been on a few dates."

Lochlann's eyes narrow slightly, as if he can sense my deception. "Really? What's his name? What does he do?"

"Um, his name is Rogue," I say, using Ezra's road name instinctively. "He works in security, I think. I don't know much about it."

"Rogue?" Lochlann repeats, an odd expression crossing his face. "Interesting name. And you say you don't know much about his work?"

I shake my head, growing increasingly uncomfortable under his scrutiny. "No, not really. We don't talk about work much."

Lochlann hums thoughtfully, exchanging a loaded glance with Ivy. My sister looks pale, almost scared.

"Well, you should be careful, Willow," Lochlann says, his voice dripping with false concern. "There are a lot of dangerous men out there. You never know who you can trust."

A chill runs down my spine at his words. There's a threat lurking beneath the surface, though I can't quite grasp it.

"I appreciate your concern," I say stiffly, "but I can take care of myself."

Lochlann smiles, but it doesn't reach his eyes. "Of course you can. I'm sure your... Rogue... takes good care of you, too."

The way he says Ezra's road name makes my skin crawl. I glance at Ivy, silently pleading for help, but she avoids my gaze.

"Well, this has been lovely," I say, standing abruptly. "But I should really be going. I have an early class tomorrow."

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