Page 75 of Haze

Dinah pulls me close and sways back and forth, holding me. “I promise you, Lena, you are loved. Cade loves you, and had he known you aren’t his blood sister, he would have never ever, in a million years, ever said those words to you. You should hear the way he talks about you. That man is so proud to be your older brother. And Deacon, I’m pretty sure you’re his favorite person in the entire world.”

Ugly tears stop falling from my eyes, and I laugh thinking about my older brother and his peculiarities.

“You will always be loved. You’ll never be homeless. Because even if the most outrageous unspeakable things happen with Cade and Finn, you’re an Ardelean by blood and have full access to the fund regardless of who you live with.” Dinah lets me go and meets my eyes, continuing. “Also, let the record state that you’re literally everyone’s favorite person. Even if you’re grumpy sometimes. If you tell Wyatt that I like you more than him though, you’re not getting the awesome gift I got you for Solstice. And third, your mate, who marked you, will never reject you. I’ve had the pleasure of spending nearly a week with him, and one thing is for sure: that man is head over heels, madly obsessed with you. If you don’t have pups, you don’t have pups. It doesn’t matter to him.”

Dinah’s every word is perfectly picked. They come from the heart, and I know she believes them. But, deep down, we’re both falling apart. The least I can do is pull myself together and hide it away like she is too.

“I need to know why Mom and Dad split us up. When I figure it out or get Ezra to make them tell me, I’ll offer you the information. If you want it at any time, it’ll be there for you.” Dinah shakes her head. “Besides, I wouldn’t worry too much about Revecca. She doesn’t scare me. I’ll give her an attitude adjustment before I leave. We’re family. Blood has never mattered. Let’s not worry about things we can’t fix.”

After I pull myself together, Dinah helps me down the stairs and deposits me into my office before bringing me a boatload of snacks. She’s yawning and stretching as she walks out the door on her way upstairs to sleep.

Chapter 24

Lena

“Knock knock.” Thalia’s voice comes from the door.

I look up from the circle of houseplants around me and give Thalia a soft smile, trying to welcome her into my space.

Thalia flops down on the couch. “We need to talk.”

“Uhhh.” I look her over, trying to figure out what this ‘talk’ might be pertaining to.

“There’s a sexy God of the Green Isles we absolutely need to discuss.”

My face heats, and I’m positive I’m as bright red as Thalia’s hair.

She has no problem pointing it out. “Wait, are you losing your cool?”

I draw a deep breath and steel myself. “He sounds sexy, he’s sufficiently endowed, he can cook, and we have good sexual chemistry.”

That should cover the bases. I bite my lips together, hoping it’s a satisfactory answer.

“Okay.” Thalia draws out the last syllable, and if the look of mischief in her eye says anything, she wants to press. I look away. “I mean, does he check all your boxes?”

“Check boxes?” I play dumb, picking at the pot in front of me.

“You know, the list that everyone makes about what they want out of their future spouse?” Thalia rolls her eyes.

“Okay, want to get super personal about it?” I challenge, setting the plant in front of me off to the side.

If it weren’t for an incredibly awful vision, I would worry that my deviant sexual preference would terrify her. But knowing the mischief she and Cade get up to, I’m not super worried.

“He’s definitely experienced, and he’s a Dominant,” I say, watching Thalia’s eyebrows raise. “He’s a really good match for the specific breed of darkness I crave.”

“Awww, that’s so romantic!” Thalia croons excitedly, clasping her hands together in front of her chest.

“So, what’s your bond like?” I can almost feel Thalia cutting off the second question she wants to immediately follow up with.

It’s one of her quirks that I love, but I suspect she thinks it annoys me when she asks them two at a time.

Shaking my head at her, I shrug. I have no idea how to answer that.

“He bit you, right? Like. He claimed you?” Thalia’s voice flutters as though she’s second-guessing everything. Her hand goes to the spot where her mating mark sits on her shoulder.

“Yeah. He did.” I pause. That’s not fair to Finn to spin this like it’s his fault. He didn’t do this alone. I catch her eye, trying to reassure her. “We claimed each other.”

“Okay.” Thalia chews on her bottom lip.

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