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He was absolutely and unequivocally in love with my daughter.

“And her? Does she understand the primal aspect of your nature?”

He tensed up again, clearly protective of his connection with her, perhaps worried about interference. But then I saw something spark in his eyes, and he spoke, “You know how that is with Jaxon, him being not just a wolf, but an Alpha wolf.”

“I’m very familiar with it, yes.”

And it was complicated, something I couldn’t help but wonder if Ariana needed some assistance with navigating.

It hadn’t been easy for me when Jaxon and I had first found one another, and there had been a steep learning curve. With Lucian, too, where the vampire aspect was concerned. With Ryker it had been easy. We’d known each other for so long andwe’d had our magic-wielder backgrounds that had fit so well together. Although, Ihadbeen very closed off to him for a long time before the four of us had come together. To all of them for a while.

I just hoped that Ariana hadn’t been damaged in that way because of me, because of all the rest, and how we’d approached things with her.

I’d hoped that the healthy relationship between Jaxon, Ryker, Lucian, and I had at least been something we’d done right where she was concerned, something positive that we’d shown her.

From what I’d seen of her relationship with her boyfriends, that seemed to be the case.

But I didn’t know the ins and outs of it. Nor could I. And I couldn’t push it too much or probe too deeply. It wasn’t my place.

I couldn’t messthisup also where she was concerned.

“She does understand that part of me, yeah. More than I imagined possible, actually. In an effortless way, really. It just… fits. She just fits with me.”

Before I could react to his beautiful confession, a towel came at him, and he caught it with his dragon reflexes, snatching it out of the air just before it smacked him in the face.

A second later, Kai Hunter came into view, strolling into the living room and smirking at Vorzyr. “Wow, V. That was incredibly touching. You should write it in a card and put it on a tray along with some waffles doused in maple syrup and sprinkled with bacon, then take it in to her tomorrow morning when she wakes up. It would be one hell of a romantic gesture that I’m certain she would revel in.”

Vorzyr rolled his eyes at him.

Although Kai’s tone was sarcastic, those touches he’d added were very true to Ariana. He was actually revealing just howmuch he adored her, too. Just not in a direct or vulnerable way. He was trying to shield it.

Well, he’d already displayed that emotional vulnerability with her openly outside during her struggle with her power. In a profound way. Perhaps now he was feeling a little raw after the fact.

He couldn’t take it all the way, though, because then he was stroking Vorzyr’s wet hair and telling him, “If you insist on not drying yourself off, either magically or physically, at least use this towel to wipe off the excess. You’re drenched.”

“I can’t get sick.”

“You can feel mighty uncomfortable, though.”

Vorzyr smiled out at him. “I love when you care about me.” He eyed me. “He’s not just thepsychopathic shitthat Jaxon took him for, huh?”

I couldn’t help chuckling at their antics.

“Jaxon will settle. Once he sees your relationship is a positive thing for Ariana, he’ll be fine.”

Kai frowned at me, seeming more than a little stumped, something I was aware was rather rare for him.

“You know who I am, and yet you’re saying that? You’re… supporting this? No reprimand, no threat, no disgust, no concern?”

“I know that there are three versions of you that all contradict one another,exceptwhen it comes to the thread of the need to control running through each. There’s theperfect sonversion that you save for your parents and the Maven Coven members, where you demonstrate only what you know they want to believe you to be. There’s thestoic and unaffected sorcerer with the dark and dangerous edge, which you show to most everyone else. And then there’s thecaring and thoughtfulversion, the one you show Vorzyr, Nyx, and my daughter.”

“Whoa,” Vorzyr spoke, eyeing him. “Lucian was watching you much more closely than we even realized.”

Kai eyed me. “And you interpreted what he saw, didn’t you? Based off what you know about Ari?”

“Yes, something along those lines.”

“That’s how Lucian saw the truth to what Kai was doing initially?” Vorzyr asked me.