“Mom will be so happy. Now you can be with my Mom. I can take you home to surprise her, and we can be a real family,” he says, smiling with all his teeth on display. Somehow, I do not see that happening, but it raises another question: how the hell did I get her pregnant when I hadn’t slept with her?

“Valarian?” I murmur, making me wonder if he was named after me—and what a resemblance to my mother’s name: Valarie; she died when I was a baby. I like his name, but I’m shocked Everly would name him after me. How did she manage to keep him from me? More importantly, how is he here without her? This can’t be real.

“How old are you?” I ask him.

“Five,” he answers, holding up his hand, fingers splayed out, and I look at Marcus.

“How?” I ask him, and he shrugs.

“Well, I’m sure you knowhow,” Marcus says, and I raise an eyebrow. Of course, I knowhow. But I want to know how it’s possible; it makes no sense.

“He’s Everly’s,” I repeat to him, and he nods.

“Get in and close the door,” I snap at them both in case someone comes up here looking for me. I definitely don’t want anyone overhearing how the mother of my child kept him a secret from me.

“I’m hungry, Dad. I haven’t had lunch. It took all day to find you,” Valarian says. Marcus walks over to take him, but I tug away, not wanting to put my new son down. Instead, I hug him closer and smell his scent.God, we smell good together, I muse.

“I’ll make the food then,” Marcus says, and I nod to him. I hate Marcus’s cooking, but right now, I’m not willing to put Valarian down, as if doing so might somehow make him vanish, and it would all be a dream—one I didn’t want but now suddenly can’t imagine not having. Please be real; if I wake, and it isn’t real, I may just consider that I’ve lost my mind because who dreams this shit up? And actually desperately want it to be true? I always wanted kids, but never dreamed of actually having them.

“Uncle Marcus will make you something to eat.”

Valarian nods and eyes Marcus curiously as he walks away. “He doesn’t smell like you.”

“I’m an only child, so he’s not a real uncle, but he’s like my brother.”

“Oh, you have a village too? Mom and I have a village: Auntie Zoe and Auntie Macey are Mom’s village. Did your dad make you leave too, like Mom’s did? He called her names, and we had to build our own family,” Valarian states, and I blink, surprised to hear all of this come from him.

“How about you tell me all about your village, and then I think we should call your Mom.”

Valarian nods. “So, you aren’t coming home with me?” he asks.

“How about we try to bring your mom here?” I tell him while walking into the living room.

“Thirsty? There’s chocolate milk?” Marcus calls out to him, and he nods. Marcus continues to the kitchen and I place Valarian on the couch, sitting across from him on the other. Marcus brings him a glass of milk, and he takes it from him, gulping down half the glass before looking around at the coffee table. His brows furrow, but he doesn’t set the glass down and I clench my teeth. I know Marcus did it to see my reaction by the smug smile on his face, but I’m shocked by Valarian’s following words.

“Where are your coasters? You need coasters,” he says, sitting like a statue, as if the thought of placing the cup down would make the world stop.

“Definitely your kid,” Marcus says, rolling his eyes before walking off and coming back with a coaster. I watch as Valarian places the coaster on the coffee table when Marcus gives it to him, then makes sure his cup is perfectly centered. The coaster is straight, making me remember Everly finding me coasters when I visited her.

She had said one of the kids of the rogues was a little OCD. Now I wonder if she meant our son. Valarian clasps his hands in his lap, looking around and twiddling his thumbs.

“How did you find me?” I ask him.

“Mom showed me a picture on the internet, and I got maps, but I couldn’t find your street. Casey got the wrong maps. And then I found him, and Tatum brought me here.”

“I take it you’re the missing rogue boy I heard about on the radio?”

“I was on the radio?” he asks excitedly, and I smirk.

Tatum chuckles, watching as he stands by the couch Valarian’s on.

“Yes, and I bet your mother is quite worried about you.”

“Mom always worries about me.”

“I imagine that is what mothers do?” I tell him, and he nods.

“So, tell me more about your village,” I ask him.