Irene stormed out in anger, but Griffin wasn’t concerned. His mother, for all her fire, was not an unreasonable woman. She would never do anything reckless that might jeopardize her son’s safety.
Besides, his father, Arion, was present.
If there was anyone who could get through to her, it was him. That man could charm the moon down from the sky if he tried.
Now, if it had been the other twin, Father Aeron, who came along, then maybe there’d be real cause for alarm. So yes, Griffin counted his stars—lucky him, it was Arion who made the trip.
With Irene gone, they all settled into the couches in Griffin’s room. And frankly, the whole setup felt strange. It wasn’t like Asher and Roman hadn’t been in his room before, but this was the first time they were all gathered with an air of friendliness. And it was all because of one girl, Violet Purple.
Violet was sandwiched between Roman and Alaric, while Griffin sat across from them beside Asher Nightshade. Yet, even amidst the rare harmony, Griffin could still sense the tension between Violet and Asher, one that he intended to resolve.If they were going to make this harem work, there was no room for negative energy.
Griffin’s eyes locked with Alaric’s from across the room and with a slight tilt of his head toward the door, he signaled the obvious message: it was time to go.
But Alaric, lounging a little too comfortably beside Violet, gave the smallest shake of his head in reply. He didn’t want to leave. Not when Violet was right next to him, warm and close.
Griffin’s jaw tensed, and then a growl rumbled from his chest. It was quiet enough to not seem aggressive, but loud enough to draw every head in the room.
Violet blinked, startled, turning to Griffin with a puzzled frown. "Are you okay?"
Griffin cleared his throat quickly, relaxing his shoulders and covering it up with a casual smile. "Yeah. Sorry. Something was stuck in my throat."
Violet didn’t believe him. Griffin was a bad liar and she wondered if he knew that.
"Idiot." Asher muttered from the side.
Griffin turned to him with a glare. To think he was trying to save his ass here and he was being an ungrateful ass. Perhaps he should just let him drown in his shit.
Thankfully, before Griffin could respond, Alaric stood and announced casually, "I think I have to go. My parents are here already."
"Oh, okay," Violet said, turning to bid him goodbye, only to gasp slightly as Alaric swooped down and pressed a quick, soft smooch to her lips. The kiss, though brief, caught her completely off guard. Her cheeks flushed instantly, blooming red.
When Alaric straightened up, he gave her a knowing look, then turned and clapped Roman on the shoulder. The motion was rough, and carried meaning. He was to leave as well.
"Huh?" Roman blinked, confused. "Wait—why am I leaving? My folks aren’t even here."
That was until his eyes connected with Griffin’s, who mouthed clearly, "Go."
Roman narrowed his gaze, his quick instincts kicking in. His eyes shifted to Asher and Violet, catching the tension radiating off them like static. Ah. Understood
With a stretch so lazy and elegant it might as well have been choreographed, Roman rose from the couch like the cat he often became. "I guess this is my cue to leave as well. We’ll settle all this later. But for now, the Brotherhood calls me."
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