Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

“Hold the elevator!”

The doors are already halfway closed, and my arms are screaming under the weight of the last two moving boxes. After spending the entire day hauling our crap up here, mostly on my own, I swear I’ll throw these boxes across the damn lobby if I miss this elevator. Luckily, someone inside sticks a foot out at the last second, forcing the doors to jerk open again with a soft ding.

“Thanks,” I huff, stepping inside. My shoulder twinges as I shift the weight. “Really appreciate it—”

“Do you need a hand with those?” The voice is deep and rough, like gravel smoothed over with honey.

“I got it, thanks — oh, okay then—” I try to wave him off, but the top box is already out of my arms. And of course, it has to be that one — the one with the leftover fandom junk I couldn’t bear to part with: collectible figures, old paperbacks, a framed signed print from a Comic-Con panel in 2017. Kill me now.

I look up to thank him and freeze.

Holy shit.

The man holding my box is tall, like really tall, easily a few inches taller than Halden, and built like he could lift a couch with one arm and make it look like an afterthought. His tawny skin looks like warm bronze in the low lighting of the elevator, stretched over a body that belongs on the cover of one of those slow-burn fantasy romance novels I only read on Kindle so no one sees the cover. His black T-shirt clings to his arms just enough to highlight the ink spiraling up his forearm — a swirling, almost runic pattern that disappears under the sleeve and reappears at his collarbone.

Then I see his face. Sharp jaw, pillowy lips, and dark, almost black eyes that watch me with amused curiosity. His hair is messy in the intentional kind of way, and it falls just enough over his brow to make him look like trouble. Trouble with a capital T.

Focus, Violet.

“Four, thanks,” I manage, my voice comes out too light, betraying the mask I’m wearing to hide any sign I'm attracted. I just gave a tall, hot stranger my floor number. It’s fine. Halden’s upstairs, probably heroically organizing our kitchen… or more likely, glued to his headset and ignoring the chaos.

The man nods and presses the button. “You took 4C, then? I’m in 4A. Just a few doors down.” He shifts the box effortlessly in his arms and tilts his head. “Xaden.”

I blink. “Violet. Yeah, my boyfriend and I just moved in today. Nice to meet you.”

“Likewise.” His lips tug into something close to a smile. Not quite flirtatious, but not exactly neutral either. He studies me for another moment, not in a creepy way, just observant. Like he’s filing details away.

The elevator glides to a stop, and the sleek silver doors part with another soft chime.

Halden and I picked this building because of how traditional it looks. It’s not quite vintage, and there aren’t signs of wear and tear but it’s cozy. It has modern touches where it needs them, like the large pane windows on the street facing side, the updated elevator, and the resident lounge. But it has “cute building in a big city sitcom” vibes as well, like the majority of the facade’s stone, the layout having separate bedroom areas but a good open concept kitchen-living room combination, and quiet hallways with mood lighting and carpet to catch the sound of residents.

We step into said hallway, and I guide him toward the open door at the end. Why is the front door wide the fuck open? I drop the remaining box just inside the threshold and turn to retrieve the one he’s holding.

“Just anywhere, huh?” he teases, glancing around the chaos that is our new apartment. Boxes are stacked in every direction, zero rhyme or reason to the layout. “You weren’t going for any kind of system, then?”

I let out a tired laugh. “I was in charge of hauling. Halden said once the furniture was in, he’d unpack while I did the rest.”

I glance down the hallway. The second bedroom door is closed, but the unmistakable sounds of gunfire and swearing from a video game filter through the thin walls. Of course. So much for being productive.

“Ah,” Xaden says, catching the sound. His expression doesn’t change, but something unreadable flickers across his face.

He bends slightly to place the box gently next to the others. “I’d offer to help more, but I have to relieve my sitter.”

“Sitter?” I ask before I can stop myself. The curiosity slips out too fast.

He doesn’t seem offended, if anything, a smirk tugs at the corner of his mouth.

“For my daughter. She’s three.” His tone is light, but proud. “It was nice to meet you, Violet. Welcome to the building.”

“Oh, thanks. You too,” I say, still trying to process the ‘daughter’ part. He gives me a final nod and turns to head down the hallway, disappearing into his apartment with quiet ease.

I close the door behind him and lean against it for a second, catching my breath. My arms ache, my back is shot, and apparently the last functioning brain cell I had left evaporated somewhere around ‘distracted by hot single dad with tattooed forearms.’

I turn to face the room, wincing at the protest of every muscle I own, and immediately want to scream. The place is a disaster zone. I push off the door and march toward the second bedroom, blood already rising.

Halden’s voice, cheerful and oblivious, pipes up through his headset. “Dude, that was totally a headshot. No, I swear it was—”

I swing the door open, arms crossed. He barely glances away from his screen.

“We’re adults now,” I say flatly. “So maybe it’s time you started acting like one.”

I find him shirtless at his computer with his controller in his hand. At least he had the motivation to unpack his desk and gaming set up, while I see my desk is littered with boxes. He built this gaming computer as a graduation present to himself and I swear he loves it more than me. He’s lounging at his sleek black desk with golden edges, a feature that my best friend Rhiannon and I roasted him for when he bought it. He looks up at me in surprise but quickly masks it and puts on his best soft look, his striking emerald eyes pleading for me to let him off the hook.

“Alic called and said he got a new mod he wanted to try out so I thought I’d hop on and play.”

We met my sophomore year at a party after a particularly exciting football win. Halden was a lacrosse player, along with his twin brother Alic. He was a smooth talker and caught my attention with those eyes of his and his “prince charming hair”, as my sister calls it. 

He pauses the game and explains into his microphone headset that he needs a minute, before he stands to wrap his arms around me. “ViVi, we’re both tired. I don’t have work tomorrow, let’s do the boxes then.”

He brushes his nose on mine back and forth, a habit he’s done for years when he’s trying to butter me up. I let the tension leak from my body, and he knows he’s won.

“Fine. Let’s go get some food and maybe a drink, check out the neighborhood?” I offer. There were a few bars and restaurants we saw when we were looking at places, and there’s a bookstore down the street I am dying to check out. I also saw a cute little coffee shop that advertised their gluten free options, which means I’ll be able to find something for my allergies.

I’m met with a pout from Halden’s lips, making his strong features look boyish, “We’re in the middle of a campaign. Can you bring back food for us? You can go to the store tomorrow and stock up the fridge.” Because Halden Tauri wouldn’t be caught dead in a grocery store.

Ultimately I give in, because I’m famished and Halden would complain about the bookstore anyways. He knows I get lost in there and time has no meaning, so this way I can take my time. I tell him I’ll be back in a few hours with his food and grab my phone and keys to check out my new area of town.

We just graduated a few months ago from Basgiath College, so most of the city is familiar to me. But this area is more of the residential side of the city of Navarre. It’s a typical college town in the northeast, where one side is heavy with college buildings, bars and apartments, and the other side has cute old shops with apartments on the top floors. That’s the side of town we moved to, and even though I just spent the last ten years in this city as a child and then student, I’m more familiar with the college side of it. We didn’t really venture this way, as Halden always stayed close to campus with his teammates. But I’m excited to start a new chapter.

I walk out of our building, pulling my leather jacket on to keep out a small chill in the air. It’s the beginning of summer, but every now and then a breeze whips by that gives me a chill. I pass a few small businesses, revel in the charm of them, and finally find the coffee shop I spotted earlier. As I wait for my latte, I am pleased to see a display filled to the brim with delectable pastries, donuts, cakes, and muffins. I will definitely be here often, especially since they are allergy friendly. 

I make my way to the book shop and before I know it, I have an armful of books and am considering more as I enter the fantasy section. I’ve been wanting the new printing of my favorite series, but before I can be tempted further, my phone buzzes and pulls me from my trance. I rest my bundle on my hip and grab it.

Rhi 🖤🦎: Hey Vi. You and his highness get unpacked? Meet us for drinks at the Vale!

Rhiannon, my best friend since freshman year, has never been shy about her feelings toward Halden. She can’t stand him and constantly reminds me I could do so much better. She’s seen him in full spoiled brat mode too many times to count, which is exactly how he ended up with the way too on the nose nickname “Prince Halden.” Normally, we’d be heading to The Vale tonight—our favorite dive bar just off campus that does dollar pints on Thursdays—but I can’t bring myself to go. Not today.

Me: You’re funny. We’re in the apartment but have lots to do. Next time. 

I send my reply back, and make my way to the counter. I may have grabbed a few new novels but most of these books are on my reading list for my graduate courses that start next week, so I can justify the credit card charge.  I realize looking at my phone for Rhi’s response that I’ve been gone for nearly two and a half hours so I head next door to the deli to grab us some sandwiches and make a note to stop at the corner store for a six pack. I hope Halden’s not mad I took this long.

Back in the apartment, I set the books down on the counter and spot the half-empty pizza box on the table. A note sits beside it in Halden’s handwriting: Went to meet the guys. Be back later.

Of course he did.

For a second, I think about knocking on my neighbor’s door—just to ask if he’d meant it when he offered help—but I remember the daughter he mentioned. He’s probably busy being a decent parent.

Instead, I unwrap my sandwich and settle onto the couch with Tairn at my feet. I flip open the novel about the boarding school full of witches and sorcerers I picked up earlier and try to lose myself in a world that isn’t mine. When the words start to blur, I crawl into bed with Tairn at my feet and Andarna curled against me.

The apartment still feels too big, too quiet, and far too full of unopened boxes.

Unpacking can wait until tomorrow.

Chapter Text

“All I’m saying is we could’ve been done with this if you had just moved in with me to save yourself from the inevitable annoyance of finding a new place when you come to your senses.”

I’m down to our last three boxes in the kitchen, and about two glasses of wine down. Rhiannon came over at the end of the week when I begged for help to get it done, not happy with my full progress. I wanted to be fully unpacked before classes start Monday, and Halden has been working late all week.

She’s on glass number three, which means we’ve been discussing getting rid of Halden for at least an hour.

“Rhi. You don’t have to like him but for the last time— we love each other. We wanted to start our life together and we needed to do that away from roommates and college dorms.” I answer. I know she wants what’s best for me, but I also think she sees what she wants to see. Halden was a star athlete in college, and had a surefire job with his father’s real estate firm right out of school so he wasn’t exactly Mr. Maturity the whole time we were in undergrad. But when I said I wanted to try this thing as real grown ups, he agreed to move in with me closer to his father’s business. I really think this is the best route for us.

“You’re lucky I love you more than I hate him. I’ll shut up but you know I’m here if you need me.” She touches my hand and smiles, “Hey are we done? Let’s ditch this cheap wine and go play darts. I saw that tavern on the corner?”

“Sure, let me feed Tairn and text Halden, then we’ll head out,” I tell Rhiannon as she loops her hair into a knot on top of her head and checks her eyeliner in the hallway mirror. Rhiannon is what we would describe as ethereally beautiful, in my mind at least. She has dark skin and equally dark braids, brown eyes on an oval face with high cheekbones. She carries herself with a confidence I have never been able to match, but she is my biggest hype woman.

I send off a quick text to see if Halden is out of work.

Me: Rhi and I are going to play darts at the tavern on the corner. Meet us there?

💘Halden 👑: Wish you would’ve said something earlier. Just sat down at the Vale with Alic and the crew. See you at home later.

Figures.

“Girls’night it is,” I say, grabbing my jacket. Rhiannon pumps a fist in the air, and we’re out the door.

Of course, “girls’ night” usually has a pretty flexible definition in our group. It rarely stays just the two of us. True to form, as we walk into the tavern, we spot the rest of our “squad”, Ridoc and Sawyer, already posted up at the dart boards, pints in hand and shit-eating grins ready.

Ridoc and Sawyer have been part of our story since day one of freshman year. They lived a few doors down in the dorms and bonded with us over burnt popcorn, a shared hatred of physics lectures, and a deep love of anything competitive. Rhiannon, who decided from the moment we were assigned as roommates that we’d be fast friends, wasted no time pulling them into our orbit.

Sawyer’s girlfriend Jesinia, my best friend from high school, isn’t here. The bar scene doesn’t always work for her, as groups usually move too fast for her to follow their lips, and not everyone remembers to sign properly as we drink more. She visited during sophomore year and never really left—not after she and Sawyer started spending every spare minute together. Now they live closer to campus in a place way too nice for two people who mostly live off late-night takeout and iced coffee.

It’s always been like this. Easy. Familiar. A little messy, a little loud. But us.

🌙💜🌟

“I can’t believe you’re going to do more school, Vi. I never want to open a book again” Ridoc jokes. 

“Did you ever open a book before?” Sawyer quips, before hitting the final points in his game against Rhiannon.

“I feel at home at school and I want to publish my dissertation at some point. This is the next logical step. Besides, any excuse to stay young a little longer.” I reason, followed by chugging the last of my drink. “Anyone need a refill?”

“Please!” Shouts Rhi, “Besides Ridoc, you can still hang out with Vi on campus and find more co-eds to corrupt.”

“You make a good point. I encourage your studious behavior Violet.”

The tavern sits on the corner of the stretch of road our building is on, the kind of hometown bar that’s been around longer than any of us have been legal. Inside, the space is open but cozy, dimly lit with just enough neon signs and old jerseys on the walls to make it feel lived-in. There’s a pool table in the back, two dart boards by the window, and enough big screens to keep every sports fan happy no matter the season. The air smells like fried food and familiarity, and there’s always someone behind the bar who knows at least one person’s name. It’s the kind of place you go for pub trivia on a Thursday or a nightcap after a long day—nothing fancy, but it gets the job done.

I’m giggling as I weave toward the bar for another round. My head’s buzzing in that warm, fuzzy way that says it’s almost time to call it a night, but Halden hasn’t asked where I am, so I assume he’s drunker than I am. I lean against the bar, waiting for the bartender, and check my phone for what has to be the hundredth time. Still nothing from Halden. He’s not big on texting, but usually he’ll at least ask where I’m at so he can swing by on his way home. He never shared his location with me either—something about not knowing how to set it up, though I’ve always suspected he just didn’t want to. I decide I’ll try calling him on my walk back.

“Every time I see you, your arms are full,” says a low voice, rough around the edges in a way that makes it stick. I turn and spot Xaden, hot neighbor, leaning casually against the bar, a half-smile tugging at his mouth. He’s dressed down tonight, dark hoodie rolled at the sleeves, exposing the edge of that inked forearm again, and for a second I forget what I’m doing.

“Oh, I got it. Not my first rodeo,” I say, fumbling to gather the drinks, but he’s already grabbing two from the bar and gesturing for me to lead the way.

“You get a night off dad duty?” I ask as we head toward the others.

“Yeah, something like that,” he says, and I catch the subtle way his shoulders ease when I bring it up. His whole face softens, like the word dad unlocks a different version of him, one that’s warm and steady and unexpectedly charming.

“How’s the move going?” he asks, eyes scanning the crowd before settling back on me.

“Good. Finally finished today. This is the celebration. Friends from school.” I pause beside the dart board. “Guys, this is my neighbor Xaden. He helped me with some boxes on Monday.”

I catch Ridoc practically ogling him and shoot him a warning glare.

“Well hello . I’m Ridoc,” he says, already laying it on thicker than necessary. “You can help me move anytime.”

I groan. Xaden just sets the drinks down on the high top table, brushing a hand through his hair, that amused smile never leaving his face.

“Are you here alone, Xaden, or are there… more of you?” Rhiannon asks, trying and failing to sound subtle.

He laughs, a low sound that rumbles in his chest. “No, I’m with some friends. Just saw Violet trying to carry half the bar and figured I’d help.”

“Oh, Violet can handle more than she lets on,” Ridoc mutters, just as Sawyer smacks him on the back of the head.

I groan, wishing the floor would open up and swallow me. “Okay, cool! Well, Xaden, we wouldn’t want to keep you from your friends,” I say quickly, trying to shepherd him away from the worst people I’ve ever met who just happen to be my best friends. My cheeks are on fire.

But he doesn’t move. He studies me, pausing like he’s weighing whether to speak. “It’s fine, Violet. You seem like the kind of person who can handle just about anything.”

The words catch me off guard. Not just the way he says them, low and even, but the way his gaze lingers. Something flickers there, dark and sharp, like he knows more than he should.

I force a laugh. “That’s a lot of confidence for someone who’s only known me for five minutes.”

“Five minutes is long enough,” he says, and the edge in his tone makes me blink. “Sometimes it only takes a glance to know what someone’s capable of.”

There’s something almost dangerous about the way he says it, though the curve of his mouth softens the blow. He’s still the single dad with the soft smile and the steady presence, but underneath, I catch a glimpse of something else. Something hard-earned, maybe even haunted.

“Sounds like you’re speaking from experience,” I murmur before I can stop myself.

His jaw ticks, just once. “Maybe.” Then his expression shutters, as if he’s said too much.

The silence that follows isn’t awkward, exactly; it thrums, alive with something I can’t name. A look that says there are entire histories locked behind his eyes. Histories he doesn’t share.

Ridoc lets out a low whistle, reminding us we’re not alone. Xaden shifts his weight and shakes off the tension in his shoulders. He tips his heads to my friends and turns to me, “See you around, Vi.” and he’s gone, off to the other side of the bar, getting lost in the crowd.

“Yeah. See you around,” I say, watching him head off to his friends, my voice quieter than I mean it to be. I turn back to my friends quickly before I start making choices I’ll regret.

“Okay spill, Vi,” Rhiannon practically yells as she yanks my arms across the table to hold them, like that will give her more details. “Who was that ?”

“Just my neighbor. He helped me with a box during the move. Lives a few doors down. That’s all I know,” I say, and then add, “Oh, and he has a daughter. I’ve never seen her, though.”

“Hot Daddy. Damn. Can I move in?” Ridoc grins, and I punch him in the arm, trying to hide my smile as I take a long sip of my drink.

I glance around the bar, searching the crowd for another glimpse of Xaden, but the place is too full. He’s disappeared. I think about going to find him, just to say thanks again, but my phone buzzes before I can decide.

💘Halden 👑: Headed home. Meet me there? In the shower, perhaps?

“Halden’s almost back, so I’m gonna dip,” I tell the group, grabbing what’s left of my drink and tossing it back. “See you guys later.”

Rhiannon gives me a knowing look. Ridoc whistles again, and Sawyer just turns his attention back to the dartboard. I roll my eyes and wave them off before slipping out the door and into the night air. The buzz is starting to fade, replaced by something I can’t name. Not guilt, exactly. Restlessness, maybe. Something sharp and strange beneath my skin.

The apartment is quiet when I get back. I drop my keys into the bowl by the door and pause, hearing the water running. He’s already in the shower.

I step into the bathroom without knocking. Steam curls around the mirror, and Halden’s outline moves behind the glass. He doesn’t look surprised when he sees me. Just grins.

“Took you long enough.”

I strip slowly, letting the heat of the room settle into my skin, and step in behind him. His hands are on me in an instant—eager, familiar. It’s easy to fall into the rhythm of it, the push and pull we’ve had for years. I let myself lean into it, let him press me against the tile and forget everything else for a little while.

Later, damp and flushed, but not entirely sated if I’m being honest,  I towel off as Halden walks by and gives me a playful smack. “Buzzed Violet is my favorite. You can’t keep your hands to yourself.”

“Maybe if you were here more often, you’d get more,” I murmur, pulling on a nightgown. He doesn’t hear me, or pretends not to. 

“How was your night?” I ask as I climb into bed.

“Work was a buzzkill. But we played a few holes after and then went to the Vale. Good to unwind.” He clicks off the lamp and rolls onto his side.

And just like that, he’s out. Snoring within seconds.

I lie still, staring at the ceiling, Andarna, my orange tabby, curled against my ribs. My giant black lab lies next to the bed in his orthopedic dog bed. Tairn gives me a warm look, his golden eyes ever watchful over me. My skin is warm, my body tired, but my mind won’t settle.

I can still feel the weight of a different kind of gaze. One that lingered, like it was trying to learn something about me I wasn’t offering. Something patient. Dangerous.

I tell myself it was nothing.

I close my eyes and try to believe it.

Tomorrow, I’ll believe it more.

Chapter Text

Grad school sounded like a great idea when I graduated, but two weeks in and I’m rethinking my entire point of view on school. The classes are super interesting to me, but it's taking up so much of my time I feel like I have zero room for anything else. My birthday was the first week of classes and I spent it in the library, Halden bringing us takeout to eat while I worked one of my first assignments.

Between long lectures, endless reading, and group study sessions, I barely have time to walk Tairn before rushing back to campus for my work study shift at the library. Halden’s been swamped at work, staying late every night trying to prove he’s more than a family hire. It leaves me juggling everything else, and it's starting to wear me down.

I’ve been working at the campus library as a work study to bring in my half of the rent. I’ve always felt at home here, probably because my dad was chief librarian here until he passed five years ago. My parents met at this university and when my mother took the Dean of Admissions role here when I was ten, my dad began working in the library. I spent so many days after school in this building, reading anything I could get my hands on. My dad always ordered stories about princesses, dragons, monsters, magic… anything that expanded my imagination. My brother and sister were athletes and hated to be stuck indoors, but I never minded. My muscles and joints have a habit of…not working, so athletics were usually out of the question. When he died, I would come here to hold onto pieces of him as best as I could. So when I needed a job, I immediately asked if there was a role I could take on, even if part time. The money is  fine, nothing special, but getting to be here is worth it.

It’s getting towards the end of my shift and I’m stocking my last cart of books. My phone buzzes where it sits on the research volumes in the cart.

💘Halden👑: Stopping at the Vale. When do you get off work?

Me: Right now. 

I reply, put my cart back and wish the new chief librarian a good night. I’m off earlier than expected and definitely longing for a night with Halden and no reading. We’ve both been so busy, I can’t remember the last time we hung out. I’ll meet him out if that’s what it takes to spend some time with him.

It’s early enough I didn’t expect Halden to be tipsy yet, but when I spot him at the back table with his twin brother Alic, Alic's girlfriend Bridget, and a woman I don’t recognize, he’s already two drinks deep.

“VI! My beloved, hello!” Halden nearly shouts as I approach, yanking me into a hug and planting a sloppy kiss on my temple. He smells of beer and peanuts, and he sways slightly as we pull apart.

“I assume I have you to blame for this?” I ask Alic, nodding to Halden’s glassy eyed stare as I wrap my arms around his waist trying to steady him.

“We had a golf outing and he skipped out on lunch. You know how it is.” Alic says, before turning back to his discussion with Bridget. 

"Vi, this is Anna," Halden slurs slightly, gesturing to the unfamiliar woman. "My assistant. She's got a killer drive. Anna, this is Violet, my beautiful, brilliant girlfriend."

Anna is taller than me, nearly as tall as Halden. She has strawberry blonde hair falling just past her shoulders, fair skin and brown eyes. She’s beautiful, with full curves and plump lips. She greets me with a simple look, nothing harsh, but nothing kind either. Indifferent.

"Nice to meet you," Anna says politely with a quick nod. "I really need to head out. Enjoy your night."

She leaves quickly, tossing a last glance at Halden before disappearing. I slip into her seat and turn to him.

“Golfing?” I ask with an arched eyebrow, “You told me you had a busy day today and that’s why you couldn’t grab groceries or walk Tairn. I had to race home after class and pay the delivery fee for the groceries—“

“Oh ViVi, ” Halden pouts dramatically and leans onto me with a grin, “Don’t be mad. I had to go for work. Besides, Tairn likes you better than me.”

That is true. Tairn, and Andarana, were a gift from my sister on graduation, rescues from the shelter. We went to find me a dog “as a companion and protector” like Mira’s Husky Tiene. We found the massive black lab, who was bonded with the orange tabby that was Andarana. They came as a pair, and as soon as I saw them, they attached themselves to me. It was over. They both merely tolerate Halden.

“I’m exhausted, Halden. I need some help, I can’t be the only one doing this stuff. And I feel like I haven’t seen you in weeks.” I say, realizing how tired I am as I say it. 

“I will make it up to you. We can go to those stuffy bookstores you like tomorrow, and I’ll get you one of those pastries from the coffee shop in the morning so you can sleep in.” Halden says with a peck on my lips. Those green eyes bore into mine, willing himself to come out on top of this argument.

“Fine. But let’s go home and you can start making it up to me tonight,” I mutter as I kiss him again. 

🌙💜🌟

I’m jolted awake by Tairn howling at the door, meaning someone must have gotten too close in the hallway. Overprotective curmudgeon, I think before stretching and opening my eyes. The sunlight is coming through the drapes, and the quiet of the apartment is peaceful. I reach across the bed to snag some of the last bits of warmth with Halden, but I’m met with cold sheets. I turn towards the bathroom to see if the light is on and notice an iced latte and pastry bag on my nightstand with a note.

Got called into work for the day. Sorry about the bookstore, but got you coffee anyways. - H.

I open the pastry bag and frown. Pistachio. He knows I’m allergic. With a sigh, I toss it to Tairn, who gobbles it in one bite, and get up to start the day. After a quick shower, I dress in joggers and a BC tanktop quickly, grab an apple and Tairn’s leash and head out to the park behind our building to let him get some energy out.

We haven’t been to the dog park since our first visit to this building. It’s behind the main structure, and is attached to a small man-made lake where the dogs can swim. There’s plenty of room to run, and a playground and sports court is next to it for the human residents. As we approach, I’m pleased to see not too many people are out here at this hour. Tairn can get territorial, and doesn’t like to be around too many other dogs. I unhook his leash and sit on the bench to read as he takes off towards the lake.

It’s early, the kind of morning that smells clean and green. The park is nearly empty, save for a few dogs and their owners. I unclip Tairn, who immediately charges toward the lake.

"Daddy! Can we go to the playground?" a small voice chirps nearby.

"In a bit, let me get Sgaeyl inside first," a familiar, deep voice replies.

My head snaps toward the voices at the mention of the dog’s name, as it's taken from the very same comic book series I got Tairn and Andarna’s names from. 

Of course, it’s Xaden.

He’s got a blue leash wrapped around his tattooed forearm, the other end attached to the collar of a large bluish gray pit mix. His other arm is wrapped around a tiny form on his opposing hip, a little girl with his same skin and bouncy dark haired curls. She has his dark eyes and truly looks like his clone. She is adorable and is also completely dwarfed by his sheer size. He leans down to unhook the leash from his dog’s collar and the pitty takes off, heading right for the lake where Tairn is splashing around. 

"Fancy seeing you here," I call.

He turns at my voice, recognition blooming slowly across his face. "Morning, Violet. Didn’t know you had a dog."

"Big black lab, always barking at the delivery guys? That’s Tairn."

He blinks. "As in Empyrean Heroes Tairn?"

I grin. "The very same. The pit is Sgaeyl, right? I caught that earlier. I also have a cat named Andarna. She’s... less sociable."

"Clearly, you have great taste."

The little girl wiggles. "Daddy, playground!"

He sets her down gently. "Luna, this is Miss Violet. She lives in our building. Violet, this is my daughter, Luna. Want to join us?"

I nod and follow them over. We move out of the fenced dog area to the playground just on the other side, where we can still clearly see the dogs. The two of them seem to be getting along fine. Luna takes off running as soon as Xaden sets her down and begins climbing the play structure to get to the slide.

"She’s adorable," I say.

"She’s trouble," he replies, though there’s no mistaking the fondness in his voice.

We settle on a bench nearby. Sgaeyl and Tairn chase each other across the grass while Luna conquers the slide.

"So, are you from Navarre?" I ask.

Xaden shakes his head. "Just moved. Needed a change."

His tone makes it clear not to press. So I pivot. "She seems happy. You must be doing something right."

He gives me a sidelong look. "Kids are stronger than we think. Luna’s good at seeing the good in things."

We sit in silence for a moment. It’s not awkward, just... loaded. Like there’s something just under the surface neither of us wants to acknowledge.

“So how do you like the building?” Xaden asks, not taking his eyes off Luna. 

I give a small laugh as I answer, “It’s fine. I’m barely there with classes and work. But we’re settling in.”

“Are you still in undergrad at the college?” He asks.

“No, I graduated in May. I’ve started my graduate track, getting my Masters in Anthropology. I’m hoping to get a PhD one day but right now I’m too overwhelmed with schoolwork to think that far ahead” I lament. I glance at him and his gaze is fixed on me, his face full of wonder. I can see little flecks of gold in his onyx eyes that I never noticed before.

“Damn, that’s impressive,” he says as he huffs a breath over his lips, going back to watch Luna, who is on her fifth descent down the slide. “You said you live with your boyfriend?”

“Yes, we graduated together but he wanted to be closer to his new office so we moved a bit off campus.”

“What does he do?”

“He’s in real estate development. Well his dad is, and he joined the firm after graduation. I think he works with the Tauri Residential sector, but I’m not really sure, it’s so boring to me,” I explain. Tauri real estate is well known in Navarre, having built most of the buildings here. He has other developments farther north and east, but Halden works with the suburban neighborhoods outside of the college proper sector of this city. At least I think that’s what he said.

“Oh a Tauri,” Xaden says with no shortness of distaste in his tone, “And you guys couldn’t get a free stay somewhere they own?” He quirks an eyebrow at me, and I notice a long scar bisecting his eyebrow down to his cheek. It’s unnervingly hot.

“I wanted to do it on our own, prove we’re grown ups,” I answer, just as Luna’s giggles as she goes backwards down the slide. 

Before I can ask more about Xaden, Luna interrupts by bounding over. "Miss Violet, want to see me do the monkey bars?"

"Of course. Show me your skills."

She takes off, and I stand to follow. Xaden trails behind, close enough I can feel the heat radiating from his skin.

"She likes you," he says quietly.

"I like her too."

He nods, gaze fixed on the playground. "Not everyone takes the time with her."

I glance up, studying him. There's a flicker of something guarded behind his eyes—grief or guilt, I can’t tell.

"She’s lucky to have you," I say, watching Luna hang upside down from the monkey bars. 

He exhales, something between relief and resignation. "Yeah. It’s not just me. My dad, my cousin, some friends. We make it work."

"You’re doing more than that," I say, and I mean it.

His jaw tightens, like he’s chewing over something unsaid. But then he just nods again, eyes trailing after Luna as she races across the mulch.

"We should get back," he says. "But thanks. For being kind."

We walk back together, dogs dragging their feet, Luna bouncing between us. She chatters about a book she’s reading, something about a princess saving her island.

“And daddy says if I get on green all week at school I can get the next book, where the princess goes to the island kingdom to save magic!” Luna says as we exit the elevator.

“That’s the coolest book I’ve ever heard of. Can I read it after you?” I ask and she bounces with glee nodding her head. 

“Miss Violet, do you want to come get donuts with us?” Luna asks when we reach my door.

“Little Dragon, I think we’ve taken enough of Miss Violet’s time for now,” Xaden says to her, resulting in a small pout from Luna that nearly breaks my heart. 

“I’m full on breakfast today Luna, but if your dad says you're good this week at school, I’ll go with you next Saturday?” I explain, glancing at Xaden for permission. He nods slightly, and we part, with Luna near skipping towards their front door.

She nods, grinning. Xaden meets my eyes with a quiet nod, and I feel something settle low in my chest. Something that won’t be ignored for long.

🌙💜🌟

Halden comes home as I’m packing up dinner to store in the fridge. He’s been at work all day and has only texted me the bare minimum. I’m pretty crunchy about it and I let it show on my face and in my body language as he shuts the door and throws his bag on the counter.

“I was hoping we could order in and watch that new show we started.”

If he could see my face, he would see the world’s longest eye roll.

“Well not sure how you think I would know that, seeing as I haven’t heard from you since 2 pm when you said still at work with no other context.” I slam the fridge door shut a little too hard but I’m trying to convey that I have been sitting here stewing in my lonesome since ten in the morning.

“ViVi,” which earns him another eye roll and a huff of breath. I hate that nickname, “it’s crazy at work right now. I can’t just sit there and text you all day.”

“I just wish you had been here today. It’s been a while since we spent more than an hour together, other than in bed.” I turn around and face him, squaring up on my side of the kitchen bartop. He mirrors my stance, but where I’m donning a face for battle, he softens and gives me guilty eyes.

“I know. Tell me what you did today. You don’t want to hear about acquisitions and contract negotiations.” He swishes his hair out of his eyes and it works. I let the tension out of my shoulders, turn to heat him up a plate for dinner and start rattling off my day. I tell him about taking Tairn to the dogpark and his new girlfriend and how he was completely smitten. I tell him how I met our neighbor and his daughter, focusing mostly on Luna and how cute she is. I’m about to launch into the plot twist of the book I finished this afternoon when he stops me.

Halden is mid-bite when he pipes up, “So you spent the morning with a guy and his daughter?”

“It’s not like that Hal. I went to take Tairn out, who fell in love with his dog, and we struck up a conversation.”

“I believe you, Vi.” He seems like he does. He doesn’t seem threatened, but I still wonder if I should be spending time with Xaden at all. “What about the mom?”

I never asked Xaden where Luna’s mom was. I noticed he didn’t have a wedding ring, and he made it sound like he shares parenting with his dad and his friends. No mention of “Luna’s mom”. 

“She wasn’t there. I didn’t pry, it really was just a casual dog park conversation. I was more focused on the adorable toddler.

We settle on the couch to watch some baseball game Halden bet on, me with my book. I glance at Halden, who is already scrolling through his phone, but my mind drifts back to Luna’s missing mom. That’s the last thing I need to get wrapped up in. Tairn gives a soft whine, nudging my leg like he knows I was miles away. Maybe next week I’d find the answer.

Or maybe some questions were better left unsaid.

Chapter Text

The Saturday dog park trips have settled into a steady rhythm. It started the Saturday after our first meeting when Luna first banged her tiny fists on my door, shouting for “Tawn” to come with “Scale.” Since then, every Saturday morning for the past month, my old boy has been practically vibrating at the front door around eight, waiting for that familiar knock and the chance to run alongside Sgaeyl. Halden’s had to work every Saturday, so these mornings have become my little sanctuary — a routine that keeps me busy and oddly grounded. After dropping the dogs off, we always stop at the donut shop, because Luna insists she’s “ always on green at school” and deserves a treat.

I’ve never asked about Luna’s mom. It’s a silent line neither of us crosses. Xaden remains quiet on the subject, his broody, stoic demeanor rarely cracking, except when Luna talks to him, and then the weight he carries seems to lift, if only for a moment. Around other people, especially at the park or on the street, I notice how others give him space, like they instinctively know he’s someone not to be messed with. There’s a sharpness to him, a “don’t fuck with me” aura that feels as natural as breathing.

Yet with me, he’s different — there’s a strange comfort, a subtle ease that makes me wonder if we’re old friends reunited rather than new acquaintances. Luna clearly feels it too; her small, sticky hands find mine after donuts, and she holds on tight all the way back to the building.

I want to know more about Xaden, but I’m cautious. Not just because he’s private, but because something about him feels guarded, like the surface is only part of the story. Most of what I learn is small stuff: Luna’s favorite snacks, the restaurant he frequents, the few local spots where he unwinds. 

But I’ve done a little digging on my own, especially on the quiet Saturdays when our morning routine ends and time is all I have. Riorson Trade, his father’s company, turns out to be a major player in commercial construction—supplying building staff and materials all over Navarre. The company’s reputation, though, is complicated. A few years back, there was a public feud with Calldyr, a commercial building firm, following an accident that made headlines. Apparently there were injuries and even some employee deaths. The fallout was ugly, and Riorson Trade’s public image has struggled ever since. I don’t know the full details, and Xaden never mentions it.

He did give me a little information about himself willingly, although I did have to pry and give him my “please tell me” eyes. Navarre was supposed to be a fresh start for him. After graduating from Aretia Military College and spending a few years in special ops, he left that world behind, or at least tried to. I catch glimpses of that past in the way he carries himself: the taut muscles beneath his jacket and the careful way he surveys every situation, as if danger could be lurking just out of sight. But the scandal, the pressure of his father’s legacy, and something unspoken that I think ties to Halden’s family somehow all feel tangled up in a story I’m only beginning to glimpse. For now, I settle into the Saturdays, the dogs and donuts and Luna’s bright chatter. Beneath the surface, I know there’s more to Xaden and to the life he’s trying to build here, away from the past he won’t talk about.

“Do you work today?” I ask this Saturday morning. Halden woke me up before sunrise rummaging around in the kitchen. I gave up trying to sleep through the blender when the sun poked through the window shades and got out of bed to find him bouncing around making a protein shake.

“I might have to go in for a bit, but I can be back by the afternoon. Poker night at Alic’s later, but we can hang before?” He doesn’t ask permission.

Since that Sunday together, he’s barely been here again between work and his highly active social calendar. Sundays are the only time I get with him, and usually it's not much, as he plays golf with his dad and Alic, or he’s “out with the guys”. It’s beginning to weigh on me and I am desperate to keep him here tonight to have a whole evening with him.

He glances at me, waiting. I can’t hide the disappointment on my face.

He crosses the kitchen, flicking my chin up with a finger. “What’s wrong, ViVi?”

“I feel like we haven’t seen each other in weeks. We haven’t had a proper meal together in ages, and you’re always out with Alic or at work. I was hoping we could spend the day together.” I admit. 

He turns back to the counter to clean out the blender, shaking his head. “You’re the one who wanted to do this grown up thing, and now that I have grown up things to do, you’re mad?” I don’t miss that he skipped over the parts where he’s out, not doing grown up things. 

“I meant I wanted us to not live with three other people and try and start a life together. You have work, yes, but you’re out with the guys nearly every night and we haven’t spent any significant time together in weeks.” I bite back. 

This isn’t about being busy with work, it’s about wanting to spend time with the man who loves me.

“You went out with Sawyer and Jesinia yesterday to some book shit,” he argues, his voice rising, “you know I hate that shit. I had the night clear and you were gone, so I found something else to do.”

I sigh in frustration. God forbid I spend one night with my friends at something I want to do. “Fuck, Halden, that’s the only thing I’ve done all week outside of school. And it was a book signing I told you about weeks ago, and you told me you’d go with me. When was the last time we did something I wanted to?” I’m beyond flustered now and nearly yelling.

“Violet, you know I don’t like that nerd shit.” He throws it at me like an insult.

“You could do it for me,” I plead, “to spend time doing something that makes me happy. Instead you’re always out with the guys and god knows who else…”

“Don’t fucking do that Violet!” He screams, “Don’t accuse me of shit. You know nothing is going on.” He storms towards me, voice rising.

Tairn hops off his bed to growl menacingly, in warning.

Before I can reply, we’re interrupted by a knock at the door. Shit is it already eight? I really hope Luna didn’t hear us yelling like that. Halden gets to the door before I can save them from his wrath and he whips it open in anger, “What!”

Luna is standing there, holding a stuffed blue dragon and a pink book, and her eyes are wide at the appearance of Halden. I can see she’s scared of how he opened the door and her bottom lip quivers just a bit.

“Oh Luna —“ I start,

“Hey man what the fuck!” I hear Xaden yell down the hall boisterously. From the sound of stomping, I hear his boots come down the hall, and it sounds like someone else is with him. Sure enough, moments later he scoops a now crying Luna up and faces Halden, a tall muscular blonde man behind him.

I quickly get to the door and push Halden out of the way a bit.“Xaden, sorry about that. We’re both worked up right now and I don’t think he knew it was Luna,” I say, hoping to diffuse the tension. 

“I don’t care what’s going on, you don’t yell at children that way, especially not my fucking daughter.” He argues, eyes never leaving Halden. Xaden is many inches taller than Halden, and he’s using it to his advantage with a look of calm but collected rage.

“You know this guy Vi?” Halden asks, much to my further frustration. I’ve told him about the little girl and her dad I go to the dog park with every week. He’s doing this as a power play.

“Yes, Halden, this is Xaden and Luna. They’re just here to go to the dog park,” I say, taking the door out of Halden’s hand and pushing him further behind me. “Luna, baby, I’m sorry. Can Tairn and I meet you guys at the park in just a minute?”

She nods her head where it lies on Xaden’s shoulder, and I glance at him for permission. He puts his other hand on Luna’s back, and looks at me, his eyes immediately softening. As he looks at me, it’s as if he’s asking Are you okay?

I give him a reassuring nod and close the door, turning back to my ass of a boyfriend, “What the fuck was that Halden? We’re yelling at kids now?”

“Like I knew it was her,” he says, heading towards the bedroom, “Have fun at daycare. I’ll talk to you later when you’re done being a bitch.” With that, he slams the bathroom door.

🌙💜🌟

A few minutes and some colorful cursing to myself later, Tairn and I are approaching the dog park, spotting Luna and the tall blonde man on the swings. Xaden stands just outside the fence, almost on guard, tension apparent in his shoulders. As I unlock the gate to the dog section and unhook Tairn, he turns towards me, watching. 

"I’m sorry about him, it was just a bad morning,” I say, sounding more defensive than I’d like. I’m watching Tairn and Sgaeyl play in the lake, but I can feel Xaden’s assessing glare to my left.

“You sure?” He presses, and when I look over, he’s dawning a cold look that implies if I wasn’t, he’d probably march up and kick Halden’s ass.

“Yeah, I’m good.” I sigh, looking toward Luna on the swings, “Is she okay? I’m embarrassed and I am so sorry.”

“She’s fine, calmed down as soon as we got here. But she’ll try to rope an extra donut out of you today, I’m sure.” Xaden’s mouth turns up at the corner just a bit at that.

“Miss Violet!” Luna shrieks as she runs and barrels into me, arms wrapping around my legs. “I brought my new book for you, but Uncle Liam wouldn’t let me bring it on the swings.”

"Violet this is Liam,” Xaden gestures towards the tall blonde making his way to us, “Liam, this is Violet, who I told you about last night.”

“Nice to meet you Violet,” Liam says. He’s nearly as tall as Xaden, and just as built. He has spiky blonde hair and piercing blue eyes. He also sports a swirling tattoo on his arm, similar to Xaden’s. He looks at me with soft, pleading eyes, as if to say he’s sorry about what occurred earlier.

We head to the donut shop shortly after that, and Luna gets two sprinkle donuts out of me. Then we take her to the bookstore next door and in my guilt, I load her up with all sorts of new stories. Liam walks out the door ahead of us with an arm full of books in all colors, and as we exit, Xaden is shaking his head with a smirk as Luna tells me which books she wants to read first. 

“You didn’t need to do that. The girl is going to need a whole library after this,” Xaden chides playfully.

“I’m feeling extra guilty, and we can always trade them back in if she wants more after this.” I argue, knowing I’ll never apologize for book buying. 

“Violet, are you coming to the party tonight?” Liam asks over his shoulders, still hauling the books as we get back to the apartment. Xaden opens the door for him and Luna and I follow hand-in-hand.

“I hadn’t had a chance to bring it up to you, sorry.” Xaden explains as he presses the up button for the elevator. “We’re just having some people over to play some games, since Liam is in town. You should come.”

“What do you think Luna?” I ask, leaning down to hear her answer.

“I don’t get to go to the party. I’m going to Grandpa Fen’s and we’re going to build a whole castle with my blocks!” She exclaims. 

“Oh well, if Princess Luna isn’t going…” I glance at Xaden and Liam, the latter with a wide smile on his face. “I’ll see if I make it over there.”

“You can bring your friends, if that makes you more comfortable.” Xaden says. I note he doesn’t say boyfriend but I’m not keen on bringing Halden to this event anyways. But I just nod as we get to our floor. Luna gives me a big hug goodbye and barrels down the hall, stuffed dragon in tow. 

As I close the door behind me, I’m eerily aware of how silent the apartment is and I don’t see Halden’s keys so he must have left for work. I also doubt he'll be back for our “afternoon together” so I plop down on the couch and call in reinforcements.

Me: Hey squad. Fancy a game night at the neighbors tonight?
Ridoc 🧊🐈: The hot neighbor? From the dart bar?
Me : The one and only. Rhi? Sawyer? 
Rhi 🖤🦎: I’m in, Ridoc and I will come over later. Sawyer and Jesinia are at her moms, remember?
Sawyer 🗡️📚: Try and keep Ridoc in line though.

Chapter Text

“I swear your boyfriend has the worst taste in video games!”

Ridoc appears out of the second bedroom with a sour look on his face. He has always referred to Halden as a ‘jock nerd’ as in his taste in video games and movies are ‘mainstream macho trash’, whatever that means.

“I’ll be sure to let him know next time I see him.” I grumble, catching the quiet look Rhiannon gives me. It’s not pity. It’s soft, sympathetic. She doesn’t say anything. She doesn’t need to.

I haven’t heard from Halden all day, and he still hasn’t responded to my text about dinner. So when Rhi and Ridoc show up around six toting a case of beer and chips and salsa, I’m more than ready for the distraction.

Fuck men and their ridiculous bullshit. Game night. Should be fun.

We hang at my place, tossing Andarna’s favorite toys and feeding her too many treats. Xaden didn’t give us a time, so we wait until we hear some commotion down the hall. Around 7:30, I finally work up the nerve to knock on Xaden’s door for the first time.

It swings open, and Liam stands there grinning. “Violet! You made it.”

“Hey Liam. This is Rhiannon and Ridoc. Are we late?”

“Nope. Come in. Xaden’s still out dropping Luna off, so I’m on host duty,” he says, stepping aside and taking the beer from Ridoc.

The apartment is similar to mine, except with a better view. A long balcony stretches along the back wall, overlooking the twinkling lights of the main strip of our little corner of Navarre. It's spotless — not party-prep spotless, but lived-in immaculate, like it’s always this clean. There’s a dog bed for Sgaeyl, sharp-lined black and gray furniture, and fridge art in crayon and marker that has to be Luna’s. It’s the only color other than black and gray in the place.

The apartment hums with unspoken structure, like every item was chosen with precision. Every edge sharp. Every line clean.

Liam introduces us to the others scattered around. An impossibly large man stands near the snacks, all shoulders and quiet bulk. His fair skin and dark curls contrast sharply with his watchful hazel eyes. Not the lazy kind of watching, the kind that takes in exits and angles. He gestures to the pink-haired woman next to him, who looks like she could break my kneecaps and then compliment my eyeliner. She’s taller than me, all athletic confidence, half-shaved pink hair and piercing green eyes that track everything in the room.

“Garrick, Imogen,” Liam says. “This is Xaden’s neighbor Violet, and her friends Rhiannon and Ridoc.”

We trade introductions. I notice Garrick and Imogen both have those swirling tattoos, snaking up from their wrists. They’re intricate. Purposeful.

“Do you have to have those tattoos to be part of this crew?” Ridoc asks before I can.

A laugh breaks out behind us, an easy, familiar sound. I turn and nearly double take. The guy could be Xaden’s twin if Xaden ever smiled like a golden retriever.

“No, Masen and Soleil don’t have them,” the newcomer says. “We used to draw those swirls on everything growing up at Xaden’s coastal place. It matched the wallpaper in our bedroom there, so we got annoying with it. One summer we made it permanent.”

“I blame the alcohol for that one,” Garrick mutters, but there’s something else in his tone. Almost... somber.

“Hi, I’m Bodhi. Xaden’s cousin. You must be Violet.” He extends a hand, grin bright and a little too smooth. I shake it and introduce Rhi and Ridoc. Masen and Soleil greet us warmly, but I can feel something under the surface between all of them.

Still no sign of Xaden.

“You all grew up together then?” Rhannon asks, keeping the conversation flowing.

Bodhi nods, “I obviously came with the family package. But all of us had family members who worked with Xaden’s dad, so we just formed a group as the years went on.”

There’s a somberness that falls over the room, and most everyone gets quiet. I make it a point to not pry.

Liam notices and tries to take over, “My sister Sloane and I started living with Xaden and his dad when I was twelve. So we’re basically brothers. Sloane is a senior at Basgiath, but she is too cool to come hang with us.”

I make a note to figure out how Liam and his sister came to live with Xaden and his father, but it doesn’t seem the time. A silence falls over us again.

“So are you all, like, ancient gods or something? You’re ethereally attractive,” Ridoc says, breaking the silence. Almost everyone snorts or barks a laugh.

“Thanks, I think?” mutters Garrick.

The front door shuts behind us with a soft finality.

“From the brief encounter I had with him, that comment tracks,” Xaden says, entering the room like a silent thunderstorm. He rakes a hand through his hair. “Sorry I’m late. Had to drop Luna off. Hey Vi.”

And he fucking winks . I hate that it works. My cheeks betray me instantly.

Conversation picks back up, and we blend into the room. But a minute later, my phone buzzes.

Rhi 🖤🦎: Saw that Vi. Details.
Ridoc 🧊🐈: Dirty. Descriptive. Details.
Me: I hate all of you.

We end up in a heated round of charades. Xaden, Bodhi, Rhi, and Masen are on my team. I’m miming a tandem bicycle with increasing desperation and zero success.

“A rowboat?”

“She’s clearly on a bicycle. Why does that not count?”

“Maybe a motorcycle? A monkey on a motorcycle?”

“That’s time!” Imogen shouts.

Their team erupts into smug cheers and all donning shit-eating grins. I flop onto the couch between Rhi and Xaden, face burning.

“Could’ve done better with the whole tandem thing,” Xaden murmurs near my ear. I jab him in the ribs, a little harder than necessary.

“If you had that prompt you’d be flailing too.”

“You’re a violent little thing when you lose,” he says, watching me like I’m something unexpected. And for a second, I forget to breathe.

“Okay, I need a smoke break,” Garrick says, standing and pulling out a small bottle from his pocket that looks like it came from the dispensary near campus.

“Count me in,” Ridoc adds, grabbing Bodhi by the jacket arm and pulling him toward the balcony. The others split into groups, and I head to the fridge for another beer. Xaden follows.

“Luna wanted to make sure you got this,” he says, handing me a drawing from the counter. Tairn and Sgaeyl stand near a playground in a field of purple flowers, all drawn in delightful toddler chaos.

“This is a masterpiece,” I say, placing it gently beside my phone. I quickly tap the screen.

No new messages.

“You guys still fighting?” he asks, clearly noticing the change in my expression.

“It’s nothing. Just a rough patch. He’s not great at… communicating.” I force a laugh.

Xaden watches me. There’s something unreadable in his face. The kind of stillness that comes from years of training to hold it all in.

“You don’t have to put up with that,” he says. His voice is quiet but sharp. “You’re too strong for someone that weak-minded.”

“You don’t know how strong I am.”

“I know enough.” His eyes linger. There’s something there. Not pity. Recognition. Like he’s seen this before. Strength beneath the surface.

Before I can say anything, Ridoc bursts back into the room.

“SHOTS!”

Thank god for that. I turn away from Xaden, suddenly desperate to drown the strange warmth in my chest.

Because the fact that he sees me? Through the masks?

That’s more than anything Halden’s ever done. And that’s dangerous.

🌙💜🌟

Me: Are you just going to ignore me all night?

I shouldn’t have sent the text. But it’s past midnight, I’ve had too much to drink, and Halden hasn’t responded to anything I’ve sent. Not a call, not even a stupid thumbs-up reaction. I’m sure he’s off somewhere with Alic, drinking until he forgets he has a girlfriend. But a heads-up that he’s alive wouldn’t kill him.

At this point, it’s just me, Rhiannon, Liam—and Xaden. Our host, still moving quietly through his apartment like he isn’t exhausted from keeping everyone fed, entertained, and just tipsy enough. I’m slouched in a barstool at the kitchen island, watching him rinse dishes while I swirl flat beer in the bottle and try not to cry. Or throw up. Or both.

From the way Ridoc and Bodhi exchanged heated glances before they left, I have a feeling Ridoc will be back for his car tomorrow. Rhiannon and Liam have all but melted into each other on the couch, and I can’t even be bitter. My friends fit in here like they belong. It’s just me who feels like a kicked puppy.

A kicked puppy with a guy who’s way too good at noticing.

“Want to head to the balcony with me for a minute?” Xaden asks, his voice soft but firm enough to cut through the static in my brain. “Looks like those two need an excuse to sneak off without making it weird.”

I follow his gaze to the couch. Yep. Liam’s hand is somewhere it probably shouldn’t be in public, and Rhiannon’s not exactly protesting.

I slide off the stool, legs a little too loose beneath me. I stumble, and Xaden is there before I can blink, his arm wrapping around my waist. His grip is steady. Warm.

“Easy now, Violence.”

“MynameisssViolet,” I slur, but I lean into him anyway.

The night air slaps some clarity into me the second we step outside. It’s quiet out here, the street below slowly emptying. I brace my arms on the railing next to him, breathing in deep like that might fix everything.

Xaden glances sideways at me, something amused and quiet in his expression. “Yeah, okay. I’ll remind you of that next time we play a game and you try to maim me for losing.”

I huff a laugh. He remembers the stupidest things. Halden doesn’t even remember my class schedule.

We fall into silence. Not awkward. Just… calm. It’s always like this with him. Peaceful.

“You’re really good with Luna,” he says after a beat. “She thinks you’re the coolest person alive.”

“ She’s the coolest,” I reply.

“She has this dance thing at daycare next Friday,” he says, still staring out at the street. “A little showcase for the parents. You should come.”

I look over at him, surprised. “I’ll skip class and work if I have to. No way I’m missing the world’s best dragon princess in action.”

His laugh is low and full. I file the sound away like something precious.

We fall silent again, but something heavier lingers now. I don’t think about Halden, not really, but I do feel the weight of his absence more sharply in Xaden’s presence. With Halden, I always feel like I’m reaching. With Xaden, it feels like someone’s finally reaching back.

Call it liquid courage. Or maybe I’ve just run out of patience for wondering. “If you don’t mind me asking…”

“She’s never met her,” he says, cutting me off gently but without hesitation. “Her mom. She handed Luna to me when we were discharged from the hospital and walked out the doors. Her sister picked her up. That was it.”

He exhales like he’s been holding that breath for years. His voice isn’t shaking, but I can hear the tight edge behind it. The kind you learn to control.

“Were you guys… together?” The words tumble out before I can stop them. Maybe I want to understand. Maybe I’m just drunk. But there’s something about the way he says all this, like it still feels fresh.

“We tried,” he says, finally looking at me. “Our parents were close. There was always pressure to make it work. We were on and off in college. But it was never real. Not really.”

He pauses. His eyes drift just past me, like he’s watching something only he can see. A memory.

“When we found out she was pregnant, I told her I was in. Fully. That I didn’t care what it meant for us—I’d show up. But she didn’t want any part of it. She made that clear.”

There’s something else in his tone. Not bitterness, not exactly. More like… disappointment wrapped in resignation. The kind that comes from giving everything and still losing.

“I thought we could at least co-parent. I thought… I don’t know.” He shakes his head. “She signed her rights over on Luna’s first birthday. Haven’t heard from her since.”

He doesn’t say it, but I can hear what’s left unsaid: She wasn’t the first person to walk away. Not from him.

“I’m sorry,” I whisper. “That had to be awful.”

He shrugs like it doesn’t matter anymore, but I can see it still does.

“She has you,” I say, gesturing back toward the apartment. “And all of them, I assume. Luna’s not just okay, she’s thriving. Because of you.”

“I can’t let her grow up thinking she wasn’t wanted,” he says. “That no one chose her. She deserves better than that.”

His eyes find mine. There’s a softness there, one he usually saves for Luna. And something else. Something quieter. Hungrier.

I sway.

Xaden’s hands find my shoulders, steadying me again. I wonder if he notices how often he does that—catches me just before I fall.

“Let’s get you home, Violence,” he murmurs. “I’ll make sure Rhiannon gets back to yours tomorrow.”

Inside, he grabs my phone, my keys, Luna’s drawing, and walks me to my door like it’s second nature. Like protecting people is a reflex.

I fumble for words. “Tell Rhiannon there’s a key under the mat.”

Xaden sighs like I’m his biggest problem. “Remind me to install a keypad for you. That’s entirely not safe.”

“Stop calling me Violence or I’m going to prove you right,” I mutter.

He just smirks. I hate how much I love that smirk.

“Thanks for the invite. We had fun. My friends… they like your friends.”

“Anytime,” he says. Then adds, “I’ll see you next weekend, Violence.”

I watch him walk back across the hall, tall and solid and impossible to ignore. I close my door, lean against it, and let out a breath I didn’t realize I was holding.

There’s a smirk on my face. From the nickname. From him. From this quiet something that’s starting to live between us.

Then Tairn whines and nudges my leg, and reality crashes back in.

I groan and stumble toward the bedroom, heart too full and head too heavy.

🌙💜🌟

“Violet. Wake up, I have salacious details for you.” Rhiannon whispers and the rush of weight to my head causes a small whimper to escape my mouth. I crack open one eye and see her sitting on my bed in last night’s clothes.

“Coffee first. And aspirin.” I grumble, as I reach for my phone. Omg it’s eleven am. “Shit I have to walk Tairn.”

“Xaden already did it. He took him this morning with his own.”

“Oh. That was nice of him.” I say, dragging myself to the kitchen to find something for the elephant that’s sitting on my head. “So how was Liam?”

“Scrumptous. I just woke up not too long ago and I am deliciously sore,” Rhi coos in my ear, handing me the bottle of pills. “He also told me that Xaden couldn’t shut up about you on Friday when he arrived.”

I glare at her, before realizing that I haven’t confirmed where Halden is. I look around frantically, but I still see no sign of him. I grab my phone to check if he texted me.

💘Halden 👑: Slept at Alic’s. Be home soon.

That was only a few minutes ago so at least I know he’s alive. I slam the phone down again and go back to my coffee mission, ignoring Rhiannon’s revelation about my way too attractive neighbor. I can’t handle this infuriatingly good looking man when I’m dealing with Prince Halden and his…crap. She continues giving me too many details of her tryst with Liam. After I’m sufficiently caught up, she leaves me to my hangover and I lounge on the couch with Andarna and Tairn and watch bad tv.

About an hour later, Halden strolls in like it was simply his time to be home. He comes to the couch and kisses my head before heading to the shower. We don’t talk about yesterday’s fight or how he ignored me all day, and I’m too hungover to care. 

Finally as the sun is setting, after I haven’t moved or showered and he played video games all day, he comes behind me and wraps his arms around my neck, whispering in my ear, “Let’s go get dinner. Anywhere you want.”

“You can’t ignore me for two days and just wine and dine me.”

“Sure I can Vi. You were being pissy, I gave you space. Let me make you feel better.” He coos, kissing my cheek as he does. “ ViVi . You know you want a cheeseburger with onion rings. And a root beer. From one of those hipster bars you love.”

A small smile cracks my lips and he knows he’s won. We go to the overly hipster bar near campus and gorge on greasy food, while he regales the night's antics with his friends from work. I told him I hung out with Rhiannon and Ridoc at the apartment, but decided to keep Xaden’s game night from him. I don’t usually lie, but after their minor altercation yesterday morning, I don’t want him flying off the handle again.

Later, long after he’s passed out and I’m tossing and turning I get up to shut the curtains. I see his phone light up and glance at it. There, on the screen, is a text from “Anna”:

Anna: See you then.

Chapter Text

I don’t bring up the text to Halden. She’s his assistant, and it easily could have been innocent. I also don’t feel like fighting him on this, especially if I’m wrong. I bury it and resume our regularly scheduled programming. Besides, things are much better with us since that day. I’ve never truly thought he could be cheating, and assistants text things, specifically about appointments, and also I am the one who lied about what I did Saturday night.

Halden has made it home for dinner everyday this week, even bringing me food to the library on the nights I have to work later than dinner time. Grad school is really kicking my ass, but I love it. I spend my days in class or researching for my assignments. We’re approaching midterms so I stay on campus between classes and work to get more work in. Things feel beautifully right, which is usually the way I feel when I’m in study mode.

It’s Friday morning and I cleared with the professor for my afternoon class that I could skip the lecture today. There is a special performance I need to make, so after my morning classes, I run to the student union to grab a quick lunch before making my way to Luna’s school. I had to ask Xaden where it was located yesterday, and ended up staying for an hour after Tairn barged his way into the apartment and cuddled with Sgaeyl. I swear that dog likes that family more than me.

I’m waiting on my food and engrossed in my new book when I notice someone waving their hands in front of my face.

“Should’ve known you wouldn’t be able to hear the world around you when you’re reading.”

“Dain!” I nearly leap out of my seat to throw my arms around him. He graduated a year before me and took a job in a different state. It’s been over a year since I’ve seen him.

“Hey Vi,” he hugs me fiercely. We’ve been friends since we were five and this past year has felt so strange without him around, “it’s good to see you too.”

“What on earth are you doing here?” I notice he looks well, with a glow to his skin and his curls are shorter than the last I saw him.

“Here for an interview, they have an adjunct professor spot opening up in the history department,” Dain informs me. He has that smile on his face that would’ve melted me in high school, “I was hoping to meet up with you this weekend, I just haven’t had a chance to call you.”

“That’s great! I hope you get it, having you back in Navarre would be great.” Dain will definitely get it. He was top of his class at Basgiath and his dad is Assistant Dean of Admissions under my mother.

I’m just about to launch into a barrage of questions to find out what he’s been up to all year when I hear a shout from the counter, “BLT for Violet?” 

“Shoot that’s me,” I turn to grab my things on the table, “I’ve gotta run but maybe we can get a drink this weekend? I can see what Halden’s up to.”

Dain wrinkles his nose. He also was never Halden’s biggest fan, but I always chalked it up to the youthful crushes we had on each other growing up. “You guys still going strong?”

Strong would not be the word I would use, but I wouldn’t dare admit that. We’re essentially….fine. But still, I fluff it up a bit for Dain. “Yep, we’re living across town.”

Dain nods and watches me like he knows I’m hiding something. “You off to class? I can walk you…”

“No, actually, my neighbor’s daughter has a dance recital she invited me to.”

“That sounds like a story I’ll need.” He smiles. We hug and say our goodbyes and I’m off to daycare.

🌙💜🌟

“Is this the VIP section?” 

I find Xaden sitting in the front row, dressed in black slacks and a black button up with the sleeves rolled up. He must have come from work and damn does he look good. Stop it Violet.

He half-smiles and stands so I can take the seat next to him. I see Bodhi, Garrick and Imogen down the row and wave. Garrick has a bouquet of flowers with him that I’m assuming is meant for the star of the show.

“She will be so excited you came,” Xaden murmurs in my ear once we’re all seated again. I ignore the shiver it sends down my spine. 

“I’m so excited to see her,” I reply, and pull a wrapped package out of my bag, “I bought her a dragon ballet book as a token of my appreciation for the arts.” Xaden rolls his eyes. For the life of me I can’t stop buying this little girl books.

The setting for this performance is oddly comforting. The preschool classroom smells faintly of graham crackers and disinfectant. Fold-out chairs are arranged in crooked rows in between the activity centers, some already wobbling under the weight of the other parents and distracted siblings. The stage is a foot off the ground, ringed in construction paper stars and strung with twinkle lights, one strand blinking out of sync with the others.

Xaden’s long legs bend awkwardly to fit the preschool seating, one leg bouncing, seemingly impatient for the show to start. We sit in our comfortable silence, waiting. Soon the teacher comes into the room, quieting the parents behind us. She introduces the dance program and the progress they've made this year, explaining the mission of the company who offered the dance classes, and then she exits quietly.

Finally, from the hallway comes the "Tiny Twinkling Stars" class—eight toddlers in mismatched tutus and plastic tiaras. Luna is front and center, her bun already coming undone and her sparkly tights bunched at the ankle. She's lifting both arms above her head, scanning the crowd until her eyes landed on our row.

"Hi Daddy!" she shrieks, mid-step and stumbles a little, her voice slicing through the canned rendition of Twinkle Twinkle Little Star .

Xaden—grim, brooding Xaden— smiles. A real one, the one only reserved for Luna. His face softens, his entire posture relaxes, and he lifts his hand in a small, steady wave.

I’m already beaming, glancing past him to see Bodhi clasp his hands together like he’s holding a kitten. He sits forward with bright eyes and a tender little smile, rocking slightly as Luna twirls with what could generously be called “intention.”

Garrick has his phone out, filming with intense focus. "She nailed that spin," he whispers to no one. Seeing all these giant men melt for Luna is a sight to behold.

Imogen sits on the edge of her seat like she’s judging Olympic figure skating. Her arms are folded, but her eyes never leave the stage, and every so often she gives the smallest nod—like yes, yes, just like we practiced. 

I lean over slightly toward Xaden. "She’s good," I whisper. "Better than some of the older kids.”

“She’s the best,” he says flatly, eyes still locked on his daughter. No smile now, but that faint glow of quiet pride hasn't left his expression.

Onstage, Luna executes a two-second hop sequence, loses a shoe, kicks it off with ballerina flair, and curtsies with her entire spine.

The crowd erupts into polite laughter and applause.

I giggle and clap my hands until my palms sting. "She killed that," I whisper to Xaden.

He doesn’t reply, but he glances at me, with something warm behind the usual storm in his eyes. It's not the same softness he has for Luna, but, as always, it's enough to make time stand still. 

The ballerinas finish their bowing, all of them waving at their respective supporters. The same teacher rushes back up to the front and thanks us all for coming, and tells us we can scoop our prima donnas from the courtyard in a few minutes. Luna snags one last look at us, absolutely beaming with pride, and turns to follow her class. Her shoe is forgotten on the small stage.

Xaden is standing a moment later. “Let’s go find her,” he mutters, tugging his sleeves down. Imogen darts to the stage to grab Luna’s shoe and returns to our row.

I stand, grab my bag and the wrapped book, and gesture towards the door. “Lead the way, dance dad.”

He shoots me a look, but he smirks.

Behind us in the row, Bodhi is already on his feet with his arms wide. “She’s going to want hugs,” he says. I can tell they are waiting impatiently for Xaden to begin moving.

Garrick nods solemnly in agreement. “I brought snacks.”

Imogen checks her watch. “We’ll debrief while we get donuts.”

I can’t help but chuckle under my breath as we start walking to the courtyard to congratulate our dragon ballerina. This crew loves Luna so much you’d think she was the principal of the New York City Ballet.

Once we reach the courtyard, we stand in a small circle waiting for the ballet class to appear, near the other families. We’re all simultaneously in a joint conversation and our own side conversations, breaking down Luna’s performance. The consensus is she is the best dancer of all time and still has room for improvement.

“Oh, by the way,” I say, tugging gently on Xaden’s sleeve to lower my voice. “When I signed in at the front desk, they made me fill out one of those contact cards. Said it’s standard if you’re on pick-up duty.” I chew my lip, suddenly nervous. “If you’d rather, I’m sure you can take me off their list—”

Xaden cuts me off with a shake of his head, his mouth curving just slightly at the corner. “Don’t worry about it. If anything happens and they can’t reach me, it’s cool if they call you. If you're comfortable, of course."

“Oh.” The word comes out softer than I mean it to, my chest tightening. “Are you sure? I don’t want to overstep…” I drift off. I was so caught off guard when they asked, I didn’t know what to do. 

“Violence,” he says firmly, eyes holding mine. “It’s fine. She loves you. And you live in the same building. It’s perfect.”

I don’t know how to answer that, the weight of it sinking deep into my ribs. I've fell seamlessly into their lives from simply having a dog and moving into this building. Before I can dwell on the impact of that, the yard bursts into commotion as eight tiny ballerinas come screeching out, bolting towards their fans.

I spot Luna sprinting to us with the biggest smile on her face. Her bun is nearly non-existent, as all her dark curls are escaping the tie and falling in every which way. She runs directly to Xaden, who meets her halfway and scoops her in a firm hug. She has no shoes on, her other slipper in her hand, the forgotten stage slipper still in Imogen's bag.

We all wait our turns to congratulate Luna and give her our tokens of appreciation. She animatedly sniffs the flowers from “Uncle Gawwick”, admits they smell great, and passes them off to Xaden. By the time she gets through Bodhi and Imogen, Xaden has an armful of flowers, stuffed animals, candy bags and even a plastic crown. 

“Miss Violet! You came!” Luna says as she launches herself into my arms. I hug her back and plop her down in front of me, crouching to get on her eye level.

“I wouldn’t miss it for the world, little dragon.” I brush back one of her curls to see her smiling face better. “Here, this is for you.”

She yanks the wrapped package out of my hand, ignores Xaden chiding her for being rude, and rips through the paper, “A book! It’s a dragon…” her little face scrunches while she tries to read the title. I’m not sure if she can read on her own, so I help her out.

“ Dragons Don’t Dance Ballet. I thought you’d like to see other dragons dance.” I supply. She hugs me again and turns to chuck the book in her pile before going back to Imogen to ask when they can get donuts. I chuckle and stand back up and join the group as we make our way to the parking lot. Imogen leads the pack, ready to help Luna into her seat in what I’m assuming is Xaden’s SUV.

Luna is bouncing beside Xaden’s car, cookie in one hand, the other waving animatedly as she talks excitedly. Her sparkly tutu is twisted around her waist and one sock is halfway off, but she looks triumphant. Glowing.

“ And then I jumped but my shoe came off, but it was okay 'cause I’m a star!” she tells the group, absolutely beaming.

“You are a star,” Bodhi says as he goes to take her cookie, directing Luna to Imogen when they reach the car.

Imogen straightens Luna’s tutu one last time. She hasn’t smiled exactly, but there’s a glint in her eyes like she’s cataloging every second of this chaos so she can replay it later when no one’s looking.

Garrick solemnly hands her a juice pouch once Luna is in her seat. “Post-performance recovery. Respect the craft.”

I’m standing a little off to the side, not part of the circle exactly, but close enough to feel its warmth. My arms are folded, an old habit when I’m nervous or uncomfortable.

Xaden steps up beside me, tall and solid and quiet. His keys dangle from one hand, catching the light. He doesn’t say anything for a second.

“She’ll love that book,” he says eventually, his voice lower than the buzz of parents and kids all around us. “It will be in heavy rotation, I’m sure”

I glance over. “It’s a good one. And the dragon is blue.”

“Thanks for coming,” he adds. His voice is quieter now. More open. “She was looking for you before it started.”

That lands right in my chest. “Wouldn’t have missed it.”

He looks at me for a moment longer than he probably means to, and I hold his gaze because I can’t quite make myself look away. He opens his mouth, like he’s about to say something —

“ BYE MISS VIOLET!! ” Luna yells from the back seat, waving with her non-juice box hand.

I lift my hand and wave back, grinning like an idiot. “Bye, superstar!”

Bodhi gives me a warm, lingering hug. Garrick offers a casual salute. Imogen nods, sharp and approving, like I passed some invisible test.

Xaden doesn’t hug me, and I don’t expect him to. But he stays, just a little longer.

“See you tomorrow morning?” he says. Something like yearning glints in his eyes. I’m certain I imagine it.

I adjust my bag on my shoulder to keep from saying something too sincere. “We’ll be there.”

He gives me a soft smile and walks away. I can’t shake the fluttering low in my stomach.

I am so fucked.

Chapter Text

“I’m so excited you got the position! You deserve it.” I cheers my drink with Dain’s as we sit down at a high top at The Vale. He just accepted the adjunct professor position he interviewed for two weeks ago and asked if we could meet for a celebratory drink.

“Thanks, it’ll be good to be home. Even if that means having to see my dad more.” He wrinkles his nose in play disgust, although the feelings behind it are probably very real. 

Dain’s dad works in the Office of Admissions with my mother. He followed her into academia after their military days. At first he worked with admissions for the ROTC program at BC and now he’s the Deputy Dean of Admissions. Lilith Sorrengail and Marcus Aetos have always been a team, which is why Dain and I are such good friends. We have basically been living the same life since I was five and he was six. Dain’s father is a lot like my mother, but shockingly even colder. His mother died when he was four, so it’s always been the two of them. But really, Dain spent more time at our kitchen table for dinner and even breakfast than he did his own.

We hang for a bit, trading thoughts on the class and how he can best prepare for taking over mid-semester. We play darts, dish on the past year, talk about our favorite books. It’s nice to have him back here with me.

“So tell me about this neighbor. You’ve mentioned him at least twelve times tonight.” Dain says when he returns with round three? Four?

My cheeks heat a little. I didn’t realize I had mentioned Xaden so much tonight. “We struck up a friendship at the dog park. Tairn is obsessed with his dog. And Luna is a delight, I can’t get enough of her.”

He watches me for a beat, nods with his lips pressed in a line before taking a swig of his beer. “You sure you know what you’re doing there?”

I glare at him with minimal heat behind it. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

He sets his beer down and holds his hands up in mock surrender, “I’m just saying Vi, you’ve mentioned him a lot tonight and you’ve talked about Halden, maybe once? To tell me he won’t be meeting us. Not to mention, there’s a kid involved.”

I know what he’s implying. And maybe I just want to live in denial a little longer. I can admit, to myself at least, that Xaden gives me something along the lines of feelings. And that I spend probably too much time with him. I’ve been telling myself it’s because of how often Halden is working or away so I’m simply attaching myself to something that takes up my time. But that doesn’t explain how it makes my stomach flip when his gaze lingers a second too long. Or how Saturdays are my favorite days of the week.

“We’re friends. Less than, even. I barely know him.” I chug my gin and tonic, “I love Halden and that’s all there is to it.”

Dain looks amused, but thankfully changes the subject. 

🌙💜🌟

It’s been a little over a month since our big fight and Halden has been home almost every night. He even came to the dog park with Tairn and I last Saturday. Luna didn’t talk to him, and Xaden gave him a curt nod. They didn’t talk much, but they also didn’t fight, so I called it a win. I skipped donuts for the sake of everyone, much to Luna’s disappointment. 

Last night we went on our first real “date” since we moved in. We got dressed up and went to a fancy steakhouse to celebrate midterms passing and Halden’s big bonus from a deal he closed a few days before. I wore his favorite dress— a violet mini dress that I actually don’t love because I hate wearing violet — and we gorged on delicious food and even went to the rooftop bar for fancy cocktails afterwards. We crashed into the apartment after midnight, stripping our clothes on the way to the bedroom and fell into each other before passing out. Usually when we have sex, Halden is the main event and I’m lucky to get an orgasm, but last night I was able to talk him into some foreplay to achieve both our releases.

It’s Saturday and unsurprisingly Halden has to work so after the usual dog date and donuts, I said goodbye to Xaden and Luna, and decided to bring Halden his favorite sandwich from the deli as a surprise. All week he cooked us dinner and he hasn’t been out late at work for days. I have a paper due next week, so I need to squeeze in time when I can this weekend. Besides, he has to be exhausted and starving from our date and activities last night.

I grab the food and drinks from the deli and start walking the few blocks to Halden’s office. It’s a clear day, and I have a little bounce in my step. Tauri Real Estate has multiple offices scattered throughout the city, but this is their headquarters— a towering glass-and-steel monument to wealth and ego. It looms above the surrounding buildings like it’s trying to remind everyone who owns the block. The giant golden ‘T’ gleaming at the top is the final, gaudy touch. Subtlety has never been part of the Tauri brand. I smirk a little, knowing Xaden’s thoughts on this building have to be downright hateful.

I give a polite hello to the doorman, who barely glances up from his crossword, and head inside. The elevator is slow, old, and smells like cologne and lemon cleaner. It chugs up to the fourth floor, where the real work supposedly happens.

The receptionist at the front desk gives me a look. Almost cautious, vaguely annoyed. I don't come here often, so I'm not surprised. To most of the staff, I’m just the girlfriend who shows up occasionally with lunch or on his arm at the Solstice party. 

I walk down the quiet hallway to Halden’s office. His assistant’s desk is empty—probably off for the weekend. I don't knock. I’ve never had to. His meetings are always in the conference room or on the golf course, and he always says he loves when I surprise him.

I should’ve knocked.

I open the door and step inside, already forming a smile and some dumb pun about sandwich delivery. But the words evaporate.

There’s Halden, sitting on his office couch, shirt unbuttoned and pants to his ankles, showing his naked knees and golfer’s tan.

And there’s his assistant Anna, naked, perched on his lap like she belongs there, her long strawberry blonde hair falling in soft waves down her back. She's straddling him, her hands on his chest like it’s the most natural thing in the world.

It’s clear parts are connected. He’s practically buried in her.

“You have to be fucking kidding me,” I mutter.

They both freeze. It takes Halden a full two seconds to even register what’s happening. Then he moves, quick and defensive, grabbing Anna’s waist, pulling her off him, and covering her with his arm while he reaches for his pants, like that’s going to make her disappear.

“Violet,” he gasps, like I’m the one who’s broken something. “Vi, wait—just—”

I drop the bag of food, drinks and all. It hits the floor with a muted thud and a crack of plastic, something leaking instantly onto the carpet. I don’t give him another second. I slam the door behind me, the sound echoing down the hall, and bolt out of the office.

The elevator is too slow, so I take the stairs, four floors down at a half-run. By the time I’m back on the street, I’m walking fast enough to trip and my ankles and calves are screaming at me. By the second block, I’m halfway sprinting, and the tears hit so hard and sudden I nearly stumble. I wipe at my face, but they won’t stop, and my phone won’t stop either—buzzing, ringing, Halden’s name flashing over and over.

I don’t want to talk to him. I don’t want to go home. I don’t even want to breathe the same air he has. 

I think for a second to run back to Xaden, knowing he would give me the space I need. But I can't bring myself to go back to our building. Not yet.

I unlock my phone just long enough to call an Uber, giving it the address to the squad’s apartment. I can’t be alone right now. I don’t trust myself not to collapse under the weight of everything I just saw.

By the time I get there, my throat is raw and my hands are shaking. The second Rhiannon opens the door, I fall into her arms like my legs have given out. And maybe they have. Maybe I’ve been holding myself up too long on too many broken pieces.

She doesn’t ask anything. Just holds me as I sob, strong and steady as she guides me inside and over to the couch. It all comes crashing out of me. Shaky, breathless, ugly crying. It feels like I’ve been carrying this weight forever, longer than I ever admitted to myself. And now that it’s cracked open, there’s no controlling it.

Ridoc emerges from his room, wide-eyed. He doesn’t say anything either, just drops onto the couch beside us and wraps his arms around both of us. His warmth is grounding. Their presence is the only thing tethering me to the surface.

Through the sobs, I manage to get the words out: that I caught Halden with Anna, that it was every tired office cliché come to life. And still, somehow, it hurt worse than I could’ve imagined.

To their credit, neither of them says I told you so, even though they probably could. They just listen—eyes full of sorrow and fury and love—as I ramble through the shock and betrayal, and all the ways I feel stupid and blind and small.

And they stay with me, holding me like I’m something worth holding.

🌙💜🌟

The squad’s apartment is the type of college roommate cozy that brings out the best nostalgic vibes. Originally it was the three of us living here, the decor still an eclectic grouping of movie and band posters, plants that are thriving, and mismatched furniture. We’re in the living room which flows into the dining area, the kitchen off to the right of the dining table. The couch I'm currently curled in a ball on was mine, brought from my dorm to this place when we moved in as juniors. It’s a deep brown leather and well worn, having been in my dad’s office for a decade before. I donated it to the cause when I moved out, as all of our furniture in our place was Halden’s.

Halden’s. Our place. God. What am I going to do?

“You can stay here. You don’t need to go back there until you’re ready.” Rhiannon says after a few hours of sulking.  My head is in her lap, and my feet are in Ridoc’s lap on the other end of the couch. Rhiannon’s bearded dragon Feirge is on my chest munching on some lettuce. Rhi is brushing my hair off my forehead repetitively in a soothing motion. It reminds me of my sister Mira and how she did this for me growing up when I was sad or hurt. Sawyer has joined us at this point, arriving just a few minutes ago silently, and he hands me a cup of hot chocolate.

“I need to go home. I have Tairn and Halden won’t take him out. Besides, I want to end it.” I say, sipping the cocoa to ground myself.

“Are you going to move back in?” Ridoc asks, but there’s no presumption in his tone. He is genuinely asking what my choice would be.

“I don’t know. I can’t think about that right now,” I whisper, unsure what to make of the thoughts in my head. 

Sawyer offers to drive me home and I take him up on it. We ride in silence, not even listening to the radio. It’s a short drive, but it feels like it takes ages and also seconds. I’m not ready to hash this out with Halden but I also don't think I can sit on this any longer. When we pull up, I lean over to give Sawyer a hug and he wishes me luck. I check my phone for the first time and see a barrage of texts from Halden asking me to pick up and call him back. Not a single I’m sorry.

I can’t bring myself to go upstairs, so I go to the dart bar on the corner for some liquid courage. I down a few drinks in my silent stupor and wait until I can’t anymore. It’s past ten when I unlock my door, and I know Tairn has to be losing it without me all day. He greets me softly, nudging at my hand for head pets. Andarna hops off the counter to rub her body between my legs and it feels as if they know what happened today and are here for support and protection.

I quickly notice how cold the place feels. Not temperature wise, but infinitely less cozy than the squad's place. Less cozy than it was even this morning when I woke up the happiest and most content I’d been in months. Everything seems gray and uncomfortable and very him. Not us. Not me. Him.

“Where have you been?” Halden all but snarls from the bedroom door.

“Don’t start with me. I needed to be away from you.”

“ViVi—“

I slam my keys on the kitchen island counter and whip around to face him, “Don’t talk to me. There’s nothing you can say.”

“I can explain if you let—“

“What’s there to explain Halden? It was pretty clear what you were doing!” I shout, neighbors be damned. There’s no way he’s getting out of this and the faster I get him out of my life, the better.

All afternoon I replayed how many things I ignored. The late working nights, the “drinks with coworkers” multiple times a week. Who likes their coworkers that much? I wondered if he ever even needed to work on Saturdays or if that was just their time together. Was she the only one? How many girls at Basgiath were there? Did everyone know but me?

He’s driven me so mad today alone I know I will never look at him, or our time together, the same again.

He starts to walk towards me, his face contorted into barely controlled rage. “We haven’t been good for a while, and it just happened. She came onto me—"

I am seething with anger, but I grit through my teeth enough to get it out. “Don’t fucking lie to me. I know this wasn’t the first time. I know she’s been texting you!”

“You went through my phone?”

“I saw it on your phone. I didn’t snoop! Stop making me the bad guy, you fucking cheated Halden!” I scream, now only a few steps from him. “Every time you were out with your fucking friends, I should have known.” I scoff a dark laugh.

“ViVi, think about it. I wouldn’t do this to you if I didn’t feel like you were pushing me away!” He growls, his voice on the edge of screaming back at me, “and you’re clearly so fucking insecure with yourself that you went through my phone. What does that say about you?”

The audacity of him. He would try to make this about me. “Don’t do this Halden. Don’t make this about me. You have been absent since we moved in here. You never put me first and I’ve been ignoring it.”

He shifts on his feet, with his hands on his hips glaring at me. It’s as if everything is so clear. His face is giving him away, as I can see him trying to figure out how to get out of this and pin it back on me. I can feel my heart pounding in my chest but I won’t back down or let my guard down. He’s only steps from me, but in between me and the front door and the bedroom. I’m standing near the kitchen island, but I can tell I’m getting close to the wall behind me. I'm aware that I have to get through him to leave or go to bed. It’s intentional on his part.

“I made a mistake, ViVi, but we can get past it—“ he starts. Absolutely not.

I scoff, crossing my arms at my chest. “No. There’s no fixing this. I can see you clearly now.”

“She doesn’t mean anything —“

“Stop Halden.”

"It’s just that—“

“I don’t want to hear it”

“— You haven’t been giving me what I need and—"

I see red. I grab his own keys from the counter and throw them at him, barely missing his face, “Get the fuck out! We’re done.”

Everything happens so fast. 

Halden gets right in my face, screaming “We are not fucking done! You won’t kick me out of my own fucking place!” And shoves me against the wall. I hear Tairn growl and bark, and I vaguely hear the crash of the picture frames falling off behind me, one of them hitting me in the temple. I try to get back up to shove him out the door, but Halden has me pinned against the wall as soon as I stand, hands on my shoulders. He shoves me back and I cry out, my shoulder screaming in pain.

“I’m not going anywhere. You’re going to stop being a bitch and talk to me” He screams in my face and Tairn’s barking and snarling grows louder, and I can see him approaching us out of the corner of my eye. Halden’s grip does not let up and I would bet there will be fingertip shaped bruises on my arms tomorrow morning.

Before I can respond, the door bursts open and splinters as it hits the wall, and there are suddenly two enormous hands yanking Halden off me and back into the kitchen counter. I slip down the wall, sobbing, and hold on to Tairn as I watch Xaden throw a punch at Halden’s face. “You don’t fucking touch her!” He screams as he lands another punch on Halden’s jaw. Xaden all but yanks him up by his collar and tosses him towards the door, where Garrick stands. Garrick muscles Halden out into the hallway, throws his keys into his chest, and shuts the door in his face.

I’m vaguely aware of Halden yelling from the hallway but all I can do is sob into Tairn’s shoulder, my body trembling with the adrenaline of what just happened. I don’t know how much time has passed, but I hear a shuffling of boots and a soft hand on my chin a moment later. I look up into Xaden’s onyx eyes, the gold flecks shining in the low light of the room. “Violet. Tell me where you’re hurt.”

My lips part, and I can’t seem to form words, so I just swallow and gesture towards my forehead, where I can feel a small trickle of something that I hope is sweat but I know is probably blood. It doesn’t hurt that bad, but I know the frame nicked my head. He studies me for a moment, only inches from my face, so close I can feel his breath. He smells like leather and mint and safety. He leans down and scoops me up in his arms bridal style, leading me out the door.

“Garrick, grab her phone and bring Tairn with you.” Xaden orders as he carries me into his apartment and places me on the couch. I’m praying the commotion didn’t wake up Luna, since she definitely doesn’t need to see this. I look around the apartment in search of her, and Xaden must notice. “She’s still asleep, don’t worry.”

“I’m sorry—“

“Do not apologize to me. Is your head the only thing that hurts?” Xaden asks, his eyes boring into mine, pleading for answers. Suddenly, reality hits hard and I can feel the bruises forming on my back where I hit the wall and on my shoulders. I am also overcome with nausea but I’ll be damned if I throw up on this man in front of me.

“I’m fine.” I gasp, trying to catch my breath, still shaking uncontrollably.

“Never lie to me Violence,” Xaden demands. “Pull your shit together for just a second and tell me where you’re hurt.”

I’m grounded in place, Xaden’s hands gently on my biceps, holding me still. “My head…a p-picture frame hit me…” my breath stutters, but I go on, “and my back is going to be bruised. But it’s nothing.”

Tairn jumps on the couch next to me, his large head in my lap. Andarna made the trip too it seems, as she curls next to Tairn. I see Garrick hand Xaden a white plastic box that looks like a first aid kit, and the two exchange a nod. As Xaden dabs a cotton ball on my temple, I hear the click of the front door close, and I assume Garrick left. It’s just Xaden and me in here, and I hold in my tears while he dabs a cotton ball on my forehead.

“You won’t need stitches and it won’t scar, do you want me to check your back?” Xaden asks and I collapse into him with a shuddering sob. He wraps his arms around me with ease and lets me cry into his shoulder, never letting go.

Chapter Text

I’m counting the princess crowns on the blanket I’m wrapped in on Xaden’s couch, my knees to my chest as I lean against Tairn and the back of the couch. Sgaeyl lays on the couch next to Tairn, and Andarna is between myself and Xaden, who sits at the other end of this side of the sectional. I have barely looked at him, just shuttered breaths and my silent counting to calm my racing heart.

We’ve been sitting in silence for a few minutes as I come down from the events of tonight. I can’t believe Halden got that angry. I know he has a temper, and I’ve seen him escalate things too far with other people, but he’s never been that way with me. 

I keep replaying all of my thoughts from earlier today. How long has he been cheating? Is this the first time? No, it can’t be. Did he ever love me? Did I love him or was he comfortable? Do I have to move out? Where do I go?

“I don’t know what to do.” I whisper. I’m not even sure who I’m talking to, or if I just said it in my head.

“You can stay here tonight if you want. I have an extra bedroom. You can stay on the couch, if that’s better.” Xaden looks at me with a firm look, as if he can will me to feel safe. “I can sit with you as long as you like.”

I lean my head back and contemplate his offer. I don’t want to go home, not when Halden could come back at any point. But I don’t want Luna to wake up and see me on the couch either. “I don’t want to confuse Luna—“

“She will be more than excited if she wakes up and sees Miss Violet here,” Xaden smirks, his tone playful, just for a moment. But his jaw sets firmly again, “Violence, you can’t go back there tonight. Sleep. I won’t let anything else happen.”

The thought of being alone terrifies me, even with the two behemoth dogs next to me. I open my mouth to ask Xaden to stay, but I’m not sure how to get the words out. Andarna shifts in my lap and that must give me the courage.

“Can you….” I start... “I don’t want to be alone.”

Xaden nods, and stands, offering me his hand. He guides me to my feet and wraps his hand around mine, completely enveloping it. He leads me to the right of the kitchen to a small hallway, and steers me to the door on the right. We enter the pristinely clean room and he flips a switch that turns on the bedside lamps on the back wall, emanating a warm glow throughout the room. There’s a bed, probably a queen size, dressed in dark linens, with a wooden slatted headboard. A glass top desk is in the corner, also perfectly clean. A guest room. 

“I can sit with you as long as you want, but I think you need to sleep.” He turns to the closet on the opposite wall and rummages for a moment, before turning around holding a black shirt and a red plaid pair of shorts. “These are left over from Liam’s last visit. They’ll be too big, but probably comfortable and definitely clean. Change, I’ll be back in a minute.”

He leaves, and I take my time changing, hands still trembling a bit. When I’m done, I sit on the edge of the bed and look around the room. There’s a framed photo of a baby—Luna— on the desk and another of her and Xaden on one of the bedside tables. It looks like she was about one there, and she’s on Xaden’s shoulders. I smile, reveling at how precious the world can be, and before I can think about how awful it can be too, there’s a soft knock on the door. “Come in,” I call out quietly.

Xaden enters and Tairn and Andarna barrel past him. Xaden places a mug on the bedside table, and turns to me. I scoot up the bed towards the headboard and grab the mug— tea. Xaden sits on the edge of the bed next to me as I burrow under the covers, Tairn and Andarna claiming the other side of the bed. “If you want to talk about it, I will listen.”

I sip my tea and am quiet for a moment, settling into the silence. “He was cheating.” I choke out, “I walked in on him and his assistant today.” I laugh, but there’s no humor in it. “How fucking cliche right?”

Xaden’s jaw ticks, but he doesn’t say anything. He just watches me. He reaches to grab the mug out of my hands, and only then do I realize I’m gripping it so hard it’s shaking. The brush of his hands on mine sends sparks up my veins and brings me back to reality, and our eyes lock. 

“He never deserved you.” Xaden says firmly. There’s truth in his eyes, like it's the most sure thing he’s ever said.

“I’m an idiot. Everything I’ve been ignoring for so long is all so...clear now.” Silent tears stream down my cheeks, and Xaden brushes them away with the back of his hand.

“You are better than him. And tomorrow, you can figure out what to do. You are strong, and you will get past this. But for now, sleep.”

I nod, and roll to my side, still facing him on the edge of the mattress. Before he can think about leaving, I reach for his hand, willing him to stay a little while longer. And we stay like that until I fall asleep, hand in hand.

🌙💜🌟

The weight of the night before slams into me the minute I open my eyes. My head is pounding where the frame cut my temple, and as I roll over towards Tairn, I can feel every bruise and painful muscle in my back from being shoved into the wall. I wince and tears prickle my eyes. It takes a moment to remember I’m in Xaden’s guest room and not at home. There’s faint sounds from the kitchen making its way into the room. The sound of sizzling, the closing of the fridge, and a high pitched voice asking for more juice. Luna. 

I sit up and look at my phone. Rhiannon asked how it went sometime this morning, but nothing else. At least I don’t have to handle Halden yet. The squad can…wait. I will tell them in due time; I’m going to need their help figuring out what to do about my apartment anyways. I scratch Tairn’s belly absentmindedly while I gain the courage to show my face to Xaden. I’m so embarrassed I needed to be saved like a weak little girl who put herself into a situation she couldn’t handle. I’m embarrassed he seemed to know exactly who the type of guy I chose to be with was.

“I made breakfast and there’s coffee, whenever you’re ready.” Xaden is in the doorway and brings me out of my own head. I startle a little and he winces at that. He’s holding a coffee mug, in long sleep pants and a black t-shirt and holy shit does he look even more chiseled than I thought. The shirt grabs every dip and curve of his body shape. I internally shake off those thoughts and look back at him. He looks me over, assessing if more injuries appeared overnight, and waits for my reply. “I already told her you were here and she’s chomping at the bit to see you, but take your time.”

I nod, and climb out of bed to follow him. I’m suddenly very aware I’m wearing Liam’s sleep clothes that are swallowing me whole, and that more of my legs are showing than ever before in front of him with these shorts. My hair is a tangled mess laying on my shoulder, and I know I need a shower, but the thought of going home alone sends terror up my spine.

When I enter the main living area and kitchen, all of my terror disappears at the sight of Luna’s smile when she sees me. She bounces off the couch and runs to me, where I scoop her up and hold her against my chest, ignoring the protest of my muscles all over. Her tiny frame does her best to give me a bear hug and she fills up my soul with her love. “Miss Violet! Daddy said you slept over! Do you want to watch DragonTales with me?”

“Give Miss Violet a minute to wake up, Luna.” Xaden says from the kitchen, glancing at us with the corner of his mouth turned up.

I give him a reassuring look conveying “It’s fine” and put Luna down, “Sure, let me get some coffee and I’ll watch with you.” She scurries off to the couch and I see Andarna already cuddled up on the blanket Luna had left there. 

Xaden hands me a mug of coffee and points to where the sugar and cream are on the counter. I find my place on the barstool across the counter from him and begin putting together my coffee. He watches me intensely, as if I’m going to fall apart any minute. “Thank you…” I mutter, not making eye contact.

“Don’t worry about it,” he says just as softly, finishing up breakfast and dividing up scrambled eggs and bacon on two ceramic dark blue plates and a plastic pink unicorn plate. He hands me one of the grown up portions with a wink, and walks the unicorn plate over to the couch where Luna is holding court with the dogs and Andarna, singing along to her cartoon. Xaden takes the stool next to me and eats quietly, his stool turned slightly towards me, leaving it open to conversation.

“I didn’t know you cooked,” I muse to break the silence. There’s so much I want to say and ask, and even more I need to figure out on my own, but I can only manage this small talk.

“Someone has to feed the tiny dragon rider,” he replies, taking a bite of his bacon, “I had to cook for Liam and Sloane a lot as a teenager, and then when I was on my own post-grad. Picked up some tricks.”

I huff a laugh and continue eating. We eat the rest of the meal in companionable silence, occasionally watching Luna react to the cartoon and snuggle with Sgaeyl and Tairn. It’s such a stark contrast to the heaviness of last night, I want to stay in this moment forever.

Finally, as Xaden washes our plates in the sink, I decide I have to start making decisions for how to move forward. “I think I need to call Rhiannon.”

He silently nods and continues washing dishes, waiting for me to say more. “How did you know…”

He looks up and quirks his scarred eyebrow at me in question. 

“How did you know… that he was… that I needed help?” I ask. I know we weren’t quiet with our argument, but Xaden is two doors down and he and Garrick were there so fast. 

He dries off his hands and puts both arms on the counter behind him, leaning back. “Rhiannon had Liam tell me that you and Halden were fighting again and that she wanted me to… listen out for if you needed…assistance.”

“So you were outside my apartment listening to me fight with my ass of a boyfriend?” I ask, wholly embarrassed that he heard everything.

He huffs an annoyed laugh before answering, “No, I just made sure I didn’t have any loud noises to distract. Garrick was already here just hanging out. I heard him shout at you and started moving… that’s when I heard what I now know was you hit the wall.” He has icy rage in his eyes as he recounts the events, his jaw clenched. His hands curl into fists on the counter, knuckles whitening. For a second, I swear he’s not here with me at all. His eyes are far away, like he’s reliving something he’s fought to bury. "You screamed, Violet. I just...I needed to help."

“Thank you. I could have gotten out of it, but I’m grateful you two were there to stop it from getting worse.” I avoid his gaze again, though I don’t think he’s looking at me. If he looks at me, if I let him meet my eyes for more than a moment, he will see how broken I am. I will break even more. 

“Miss Violet, come watch cartoons!” Luna shouts from the couch in her high pitched voice that's near a squeal. I take a sip of my coffee and slink out of the stool. Luna is standing on the couch, her upper body barely over the back of it, grinning at me. Her curls are absolutely wild in the morning. I can feel a lightness within me when I look at her

“Violence,” Xaden whispers, and I turn to see him directly in front of me, inches from my face, “I will always be here…for whatever you need. You don’t have to do this alone.”

Chapter Text

Luna is bouncing up and down on the couch, nearly missing Tairn each time. He grumbles low and deep, tail twitching as if debating whether it’s worth moving. Violence takes her seat beside the pile of pink blankets and stuffed animals that have claimed one side of the couch, grinning as Luna throws herself into her lap mid-jump.

“Careful,” Violet says gently, brushing Luna’s curls out of her eyes. “You almost squished Tairn.”

“He likes it,” Luna insists.

It’s a lazy Sunday morning, breakfast dishes drying in the sink, sunlight cutting across the floor. The scene in my living room makes my chest ache.

I want this to be normal— for Violet to do this every Sunday. To eat breakfast with Luna. To drink her coffee with that sleepy smile. For it to be routine.

Until last night, I thought it could be. A comfortable arrangement. Neighbor. Friend. Someone close, but not mine. Safe enough to keep a line between us. I’ve never allowed myself to go there, not since Luna was born. To want.

Until I saw the terror on her face.

Until I saw Halden Tauri screaming inches from her, his hand clenched, her back against the wall. Violet bleeding from her temple, curled on the floor, shielding her head while Tairn pressed close, growling low, waiting for her command. Something feral snapped inside me.

A need to protect her. To claim her. Not as a possession, not as a conquest, but a soul-deep promise: she will never stand alone again, not while I’m here.

And then the weight of it hit me.
I’m falling.

When Liam called, saying Rhiannon had warned him to keep an eye out, I told myself she was being dramatic. Halden never impressed me. Not since the day I helped Violet carry boxes while he sat on his ass playing video games.

And then I learned his name. Tauri.

That was enough.

I’d crossed paths with Alic Tauri before. Arrogant bastard with too much money and too little restraint. He wore cruelty like a badge, the kind of weasel who doesn’t see people, just pawns. We nearly came to blows more than once, and if Garrick hadn’t stepped between us, we would have. I’d never met his twin though. Halden. Didn’t need to. The Tauri rot runs in all their veins.

The Tauris have been circling my family for years. As if they didn’t do enough damage after Basgiath. Calldyr Holdings swallows contracts, spreads lies and buries truth. Every time, Riorson Trade is left holding the blame. Every time, it’s our people who bleed for their greed. So when I heard Halden’s voice break across the hall, when I heard her cries breaking beneath it— I went fucking feral.

I don’t remember telling Garrick. I just ran. And for one wild second, when I saw him towering over her, I wanted to kill him. If Luna hadn’t been in the next room, I might have. That’s how fast the fire rises in me. That’s how fucking dangerous I still am.

I should’ve gone sooner. I should’ve knocked, created a distraction, neutralized. That’s what I was trained to do: get in, protect, remove the threat. Too many times I’ve been too late. Too many times I’ve stood over battlefields, both literal and figurative, wondering if I could have changed the ending. I can’t let Violet become another ghost on that list.

Now she sits beside my daughter, barely five feet tall, hair falling forward, silver tips catching the light. God, that fucking hair. Her lips quirk in a smile as Luna chatters about the dragons on TV, with toddler certainty.

And I think: how could anyone not treat her like she’s everything?

I don’t know when it started. Maybe the first Saturday with dogs and donuts. Or the night at the bar. Or that first time in the elevator. Somewhere in all those little moments, she lit up Luna’s face. She lit up mine. Saturdays became sacred. And somewhere in the quiet between friendship and something more, I started imagining what more might look like.

But I’m playing a dangerous game.

Letting her into Luna’s life from afar was one thing. But now? Now I need her. Not just for Luna. For me. And I can’t let that happen. Not when she’s still reeling from the mess Halden left. Not when the Tauris are still circling. 

Fuck how did she even get involved with that fucking family?

If I bring Violet into this life, it can’t be temporary. It has to be forever. And if she leaves, it won’t just break me. It’ll break Luna.

I glance at Violet again, and it feels too natural. Like a family. Like everything I never thought I could have. And that terrifies me more than anything.

Because she doesn’t know what she’s standing in.

The Riorson curse. The Tauri manipulation. The military secrets. The lies. The blood.

If she finds out about my demons, my past? She will leave. Everyone does. I’m not capable of keeping precious things around. Luna is the exception, and I’ll burn the whole world down to keep her here. I don’t know if I have space for that kind of loyalty to another person.

And if she finds out, she might look at me and see what I’ve always feared I am— someone born into a war he didn’t choose, someone too dangerous to love.

So I do the only thing I can. I break the moment.

“Luna, time to get dressed for the day,” I say softly.

Violet rises, phone in hand. “I’m going to call Rhiannon. Figure out what to do next.” She hesitates, then points toward the guest room. “Can I…?”

I nod.

She disappears down the hall, and I scoop Luna into my arms. My chest feels like it’s splitting open.

Using every ounce of self-control not to ask Violet to stay. Forever.

With us.

With me.

Chapter Text

I’m staring at the broken frames on the floor of my kitchen. Our kitchen…or at least it was. One of my father and Mira and I, shattered glass obscuring our smiles. God, Mira. I’ll need to call her. Good thing she’s in another state and can’t murder Halden. I'd hate to lose a sister, an apartment, and a boyfriend in one week.

Another of Halden and I at a football game sophomore year. That one has a crack bisecting the glass just over Halden’s face. Fitting.

Xaden walked me back here about twenty minutes ago and has been standing in the living room, back to the wall, silently watching me. He asked Bodhi to come over and hang out with Luna so we could figure out next steps without her being tainted by all this….grown up stuff, as he called it. Luckily Bodhi suggested taking her to the zoo, so she shouldn’t be back anytime soon.

His presence has been steady. Firm. I can’t think too much on it, or why it’s making me feel safe. Right now I’ll take whatever I can get in the realm of support. And the way Xaden commands the room with his presence, the hint of danger and violence behind his eyes…it’s the only reason I’m standing in this apartment right now. 

“Oh Vi…” I hear Rhiannon whisper from the doorway. Rhiannon, Ridoc, Sawyer, and Jesinia are all crowded in the hallway. As I turn around, Rhiannon surges forward inside and wraps me in a firm hug, the others filing in to stand near her, surveying the mess. Tears flow freely and Rhi hugs me tighter. Soon, more arms are around me as Sawyer and Ridoc envelope the two of us. If only I could stay in this warmth and escape all the decisions I need to make.

The mess is worse than I thought. It seems the stools to our kitchen bar had fallen over in the scuffle between Xaden and Halden, and there’s wood splinters from the door being broken down all over the floor. There goes that security deposit… And the glass from the frames is scattered on the floor.

“I’m okay,” I lie, extracting myself from their group hug. All three of them give me their own looks of disbelief. 

“What did we say about lying, Violence?” Xaden mutters from his post.

I sigh, not willing to look at him. “I’m going to be fine. We just need to figure this out.” The truth is I’m not okay. I’m lost and overwhelmed, my whole life and future turned upside down. I’m embarrassed that everyone seemed to know what I didn't. Everyone tried to tell me he wasn’t worthy of me. That I deserved better. I’m embarrassed I didn’t see the signs until now.

Rhi looks back at him, and then comes back to put my face in between her hands. She stares straight into my eyes with conviction. “What do you need?” All I can do is smile.

I met Rhiannon freshman year, we were randomly assigned as roommates. Since that first day she has stood by me as a firm presence, my rock in all good things and bad. She doesn’t hover, she doesn’t waver either. She allows me space, pushes me towards the next right thing. I will forever be grateful for the Basgiath College roommate algorithm. 

Sawyer starts to pick up the barstools and Ridoc finds the broom from the closet to clean up the glass. Jesinia walks up to me and signs “I’m so sorry Violet” and gives me a small smile. 

“Thank you.” I sign back, not knowing what else to say.

I go to sit on the couch, my back and knees hurting me extra today thanks to the kitchen wall. No…thanks to Halden.

“Honestly, Rhi…I don’t know where to begin. It’s all so fucked.” Andarna jumps into my lap and rubs her head on my upper arms. Tairn lies at the foot of the couch, but he’s more alert than usual.

“You can stay with us as long as you need. We haven’t rented your room, so you could come back to the lease,” Rhiannon says, joining me. Xaden still observes silently from the doorway, but I swear I see him tense. He’s observing the room. His eyes never leave me, but he's very aware of every movement in the room. “But if you want to try and stay here, we can coordinate talking to Halden for you.”

I shake my head a little, “I don’t need you to talk to him. I can do it.”

“No.” Xaden growls. I whip my head around to him with wide eyes. He’s straightened his stance a bit, arms still crossed, but his eyes are dark and promise death. His jaw is tight and he stares at me like it will make his point more strongly.

“I’ve known him for years, and we’ve both calmed down. I can talk to him.” I scoff.

“Not alone you can’t," he argues.

Ridoc of all people chimes in, “I’m on the hot dad’s side, Vi. After what Rhi told us…”

“Vi… he could get angry and worked up again when you talk,” Sawyer argues calmly.

“I know that,” I argue, “but I can handle myself.” Xaden growls again from the spot on the wall, but the look he gives me has a shred of fear in it. “Fine, you all can be here, but in the other room.”

 🌙💜🌟

In the end, the squad retreats to the second bedroom, their hushed voices a comforting hum behind the closed door. It was agreed that I’d handle this part alone. At least, that was the plan, but Xaden hasn’t moved from his post in the living room. He planted himself next to the door almost an hour ago, arms crossed, back against the wall like a guard. He hasn’t said much since we made the plan. Just one quiet sentence: “I’m fine right here.”

But he’s not just “here.” He’s watching me.

Every time I glance up from the counter— where I’ve been rearranging the same glass over and over—his eyes are on me. Dark, sharp, focused. He’s not even trying to pretend otherwise. It’s like he thinks someone will take me if he glances away.

His gaze sends heat through me, curling low and tight in my stomach, flooding my limbs with lightning. It’s unshakable. Like a predator watching his prey from the shadows, except I’m not sure if he wants to tear something apart or keep me safe. Maybe both.

It anchors me. 

Then I hear it, the soft ding of the elevator in the hall, and the calm I’ve been faking starts to crack. My breath hitches. I grip the counter edge to stop my hands from trembling.

Halden is coming.

I move into position behind the kitchen island, where we agreed I should stand. A neutral buffer, a literal counter between us. I want it to be enough.

The door opens.

I tense, every muscle in my body drawing tight as a bowstring. Halden steps in like he owns the place, slow and smooth, the kind of calm that only comes from practiced arrogance. He shuts the door behind him and turns toward me. The right side of his face is bruised badly— blues and blacks blooming over his cheekbone and jaw where Xaden punched him yesterday— but he’s otherwise immaculate. Pressed shirt, polished shoes, not a hair out of place. It’s infuriating how unbothered he looks.

He starts walking toward me, hands in his pockets, measured steps that remind me of a lion stalking a kill. His expression shifts from neutral to something smug as he closes the distance, two feet from the counter, when a sound stops him cold.

A low, deliberate ahem from the corner. Or was that a growl?

Halden’s head turns toward the voice, toward the man he clearly didn’t realize was here. Xaden hasn’t moved. He’s still leaning against the wall, arms folded, but there’s something lethal in his stillness now. For the first time since we entered my apartment, his eyes slide off me and onto Halden with predatory aggression.

Halden’s jaw tightens. “Can you give us a moment?” His tone is clipped, trying to sound in control, but there’s a flicker of surprise in his eyes.

Xaden just smiles, sharp and cold. “I’m fine. Just here to watch.”

“Halden,” I snap, drawing his attention back to me. “Leave him. Talk to me.”

He exhales through his nose like he’s already bored. “You move on quickly, Vi,” he bites out.

Xaden steps away from the wall. His hands fall to his sides, fists clenched, his entire body suddenly coiled and ready to strike. I throw up a hand without looking, stopping him.

“Don’t,” I say, glaring at Halden. “Don’t start.”

Halden smirks like he’s won something and shifts his focus fully to me. “I think we both know we’re no longer together. So. What are we doing here?”

“We’re discussing the apartment,” I say, flat and emotionless. “I’d like to take over the lease. How soon can you get your stuff?”

He blinks, almost startled by the bluntness of it. “You’re kicking me out?”

I shrug. “I’m sure Anna will take you in.”

From the second bedroom, I swear I hear a muffled “Hell yeah,” which has to be Ridoc. I don’t look. I don’t want to break focus.

Halden clenches his jaw and drops his gaze for a second, clearly rattled. He looks around the apartment, then back to me, his expression shifting to something falsely tender.

“You’re going to stay here?” he asks, voice low. “And, what? Play mommy to some other guy’s mistake so he’ll fuck you?”

It happens too fast to stop.

Xaden is across the room in a flash, grabbing Halden by the collar and slamming him into the wall by the front door. He pins him there with one thick arm, elbow digging into Halden’s throat. Halden’s face reddens almost instantly, legs kicking uselessly against the wall, fingers clawing at Xaden’s arm like a drowning man. Xaden doesn’t so much as flinch.

“You don’t speak about my daughter,” he growls. “Ever. And Violet stays. You’ll sign the lease over today. Your shit is gone by the end of the week, or we burn it.”

Halden gasps, eyes wide with panic, the smugness stripped from him in seconds. He taps frantically at Xaden’s arm, wheezing, until finally, desperately, he nods.

Xaden lets go. Halden collapses to the floor in a coughing heap, clutching at his throat. Before he can scramble away, Xaden leans down until their faces are nearly touching.

“If you ever come near her again Tauri,” he says low and calm, “I’ll kill you. And no one will ever find you.”

The quiet intensity is chilling. There’s no theatrics, no bluster. He means it. Every word.

I should be terrified.

I'm not.

Halden stumbles to his feet, still choking on air, eyes darting everywhere but Xaden’s. “I’ll send for my shit later,” he rasps, voice thin and broken, before turning back towards the door. He stops just before exiting and glances over his shoulder. “You don’t know what you’re getting into, Violet, but I can’t wait to see it all fall apart around you.” With that he’s out the door.

Xaden slams it shut, the sound rattling through me. As the silence settles, I finally feel safe in this room.

A whistle breaks the silence.

“Hot damn,” Ridoc says, standing in the doorway of the bedroom, a shit-eating grin plastered across his face. “Gonna start calling you Xaddy.”

I snort despite myself. Xaden shoots him a look so dark it could melt concrete.

“Don’t,” he says. One word, and Ridoc just raises his hands in surrender.

The others filter out slowly, one by one, Rhiannon coming to stand beside me, looping an arm around my shoulders. Jesinia signs something behind her, and Rhiannon translates without needing to ask.

“Now what, Vi?”

I look at my friends, all of them here, standing with me.

Then I sign it back for Jesinia and say it aloud. “Now? I need a drink.”

🌙💜🌟

They’ve been bickering for the last ten minutes and I’m about to bang my head against a wall. I called Mira to explain my break up and have “sister time”, but once she heard, she immediately three-way FaceTimed my brother to have a “family meeting” about how to handle “that dick”.

“I’m just saying Brennan, we can’t let her stay there alone. You are closer, I’m soon-to-be deployed.” Mira argues, as if I have no say in this at all. Mira is in the Air Force and is currently stationed on the West Coast. She’s a badass pilot and I always wanted to be her when I was younger, but I could never live up. She’s definitely the less overbearing sibling, but when it comes to my safety, she’s nearly as insufferable as Brennan.

Brennan, my brother and the oldest of us, lives in Aretia and works as a trauma surgeon in the emergency department at Aretia General. He’s glaring at Mira through the screen as if what she’s asking is impossible. “Mira, I work nearly eighty hours a week and Aretia is hours away from Basgiath.”

If they would just ask me, I would explain for the tenth time that I am fine and I just wanted to complain to my sister for an hour. I should have expected this. I love my siblings, but when it comes to protecting me, they decide first and then tell me later.

“I’m truly fine guys, I have a system here.” I argue. Again.

“Vi, are you sure you're safe? Did you change the locks?” Mira asks, no trace of sanity in her voice.

“I swear I’ll fucking kill him next time I see him,” Brennan mutters with malice in his tone, “Did you tell mom? She can get you back into campus housing.”

I actually do roll my eyes at that. “Oh yes I told her on our weekly walk in the park where we hold hands and update each other on our lives.”

Mira snorts and Brennan scowls. Our mother is a lot things, not all them good. One thing she isn’t is the doting mother from sitcoms. We haven’t had a meaningful conversation since I decided to major in Anthropology and History and not go into a field “that means something.”

Mom has been in higher education my entire life, way more powerful than a simple educator should be. Living in a college town, as the Dean of Admissions and on her way to being the first female President of Basgiath, she has influence everywhere here and enjoys it. Brennan was her golden child until they had a falling out about ten years ago, when he dropped out of Basgiath Med and enrolled in Aretia Military College. It did not go over well. Mira finished at BC and went into the Air Force on an officer track, one Mom was proud of. Once my father died, just a year before Mira left for the military, I became a memory to my mother. I think I reminded her too much of my father. Or too much of her disappointment. Either way, she might not even had known I lived with Halden, so there’s no need to inform her of our break up. I'm sure his father will inform her.

“I promise you I’m fine. I have a new electronic lock and Halden doesn’t know the code. I have my friends,” I gesture to Tairn, “this old man who can protect me, and my neighbor is two doors down.”

“Yeah, let's talk about that!” Mira says with a wink.

Brennan huffs. “Please don’t. You barely know him and moving on to something new right now is a terrible idea… especially with a kid involved.”

He’s not wrong, but I have no worries there. I genuinely can’t think about dating anyone. Even someone with muscles for days, a tattoo I want to lick every inch of, and the most intensely beautiful eyes I’ve ever seen…

No. Stop Violet.

Mira flips my brother off through the phone, “Oh please. You are practically married, Bren, and Violet is a big girl. She deserves to do whatever she needs to to get over that prick, and it sounds like this hot dad neighbor has that sexy hero vibe!”

I snort and Brennan grimaces, his usual facial expression when talking to us two. Mira’s not wrong; Brennan and his partner Naolin have been together for years and are all but married in every way.

“Look. You don’t have to worry. I’m good on my own. I have classes to finish. I am not going to hook up with anyone, even hot dads who live down the hall. I just wanted to talk to my siblings to make me feel better.” I say with resolve. I make sure to put a sadder look on my face to get them to stop bickering.

That seems to do it. They agree to back off, Brennan and I make plans for a visit soon in one of our cities, and Mira tells us she’ll find some leave in the fall to come back to our coast. 

For the first time in a long time, if not ever, I feel empowered being on my own. Not forgotten, like with mom, or pathetic like how I thought I’d feel after this breakup. But like I can finally figure out who I am.

It's exhilarating and terrifying.

Chapter Text

Someone is pounding on the door. It’s fucking seven in the morning relax..

Since school wrapped earlier this week for the summer semester, I have no class today so I was looking forward to sleeping until the last possible moment Tairn let me. I guess that’s not possible.

That’s life now. Waking up alone, spending mornings with Tairn, handling bills and dishes and my schedule by myself. A month on my own, and it’s been some of the most healing days of my life. 

It took two days to pack up Halden’s things, and in the end he showed up himself, because of course he did, strutting through the doorway like he was doing me a favor by taking his own crap. The only real entertainment came when he discovered that Tairn had chewed through two pairs of his Italian leather loafers, and Andarna had left a very deliberate puddle in one of his gym bags. I almost smiled when he turned an alarming shade of red, muttering curses under his breath as he tossed the ruined shoes into the box like they were contaminated. He didn’t say much else, just shot me a sour look, and a murderous glare at Xaden who demanded to keep watch, on his way out, and that was it. No grand speech. No apologies. No closure. Just silence and the faint smell of ammonia lingering.

After that, I poured myself into my classes. If I wasn’t at the library desk or working on assignments, I was buried in my laptop, chasing down threads of research I couldn’t seem to let go of. The days blurred together until suddenly the summer semester was over, my library shifts went quiet, and the whole campus started bracing for the rush of fall.

The library has granted me more hours every time I’ve asked, which is greatly appreciated as now I need to pay rent on my own, not to mention buy some new furniture. Halden left the bed but took the couch and barstools, and the guest room is so pathetic with just my desk and small bookshelf in there. I can swallow my pride and ask for help from Mom, move back to campus and stay in the faculty residence, but I can’t give up seeing Luna. I also think if I took Tairn away from Sgaeyl he would willingly run away from me and live with Xaden permanently.

Which brings me to this morning. 7 am, no coffee yet, I wrap my robe around me and pad my way to the front door and the very loud pounding, Tairn on my heels. I peek through the peephole, unlock the door and greet Xaden, who looks quite frazzled.

“To what do I owe this wake up call?” I quip. He doesn’t smile, he actually looks guilty.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t…I wouldn’t… I need help.” His shoulders sag on that last part.

“What’s going on? Is Luna okay?” 

“Yes.. well,” he pauses and huffs a breath. I peek behind him down the hall and don’t see the little dragon, “her daycare is closed this week while they transition to the new school year. She’s been with Bodhi or Sloane or my dad all week, or I’ve worked from home…I’m rambling.” I’ve never seen him this flustered and it’s quite entertaining. I giggle a little.

“Sorry. I’m desperate. Sloane's sick and Dad and I have a huge meeting today. I have to go in…are you available to hang with Luna? Just until after lunch.” Xaden pleads. His eyes are trying to be soft and pleading, but they're really a little wild with how desperate he is. 

A day with Luna sounds great. And knowing he trusts me with her? That makes me feel warm. And other things I’m ignoring.

“Xaden, it’s totally fine. I can go to your place or she and Sgaeyl can play here.” I promise him with ease. 

Xaden looks like he wants to object, but at that moment I hear little pounding feet and Sgaeyl and Luna push right past him.

“Hi Miss Violet!” she chirps. “Scale came to see Tawn and I want to see the kitty!”

He sends me an apologetic look, which I wave off, laughing. After he explains a little about Luna’s rules and schedule, he kisses her goodbye, thanks me twelve more times, and heads off to work.

We have a great day. I make us breakfast and Luna talks for an hour straight. She tells me about her day with Grandpa Fen yesterday and how she taught him how to build a dragon castle out of her blocks. She asks me questions about all my books, and wrinkles her nose when I tell her I don’t have fruit snacks or raspberries.

“That’s silly. Everyone has fruit snacks.” she informs me. “Even Uncle Bodhi.”

She abandons her battle when I show her my cheese assortment, and eats me out of house and home when it comes to my colby jack slices and crackers. 

Xaden told me she usually naps around noon and I haven’t heard from him with an ETA on when he’ll be by to pick her up. I feed her a “girl lunch” of more crackers and cheese with an apple and a few Oreos, and tuck her into my bed for her nap. She goes willingly and I’m feeling pretty amazing about my first day babysitting. Sgaeyl and Tairn are curled in the corner, and Andarna abandoned me for the spot next to Luna in bed. 

The knock on the door comes right as I finish rinsing Luna’s juice cup.

I towel off my hands and go to open the door expecting to see Xaden’s broad frame, but instead I’m met with my big brother, Brennan. Amber colored eyes start darting, giving my apartment a quick assessment as he crosses the threshold without an invitation.

“Hey, Vi,” he says, leaning in to kiss my cheek before brushing past me into the apartment like this isn’t his first visit.

“Don’t bother asking if you’re welcome,” I mumble, turning back to the hallway.

His partner, Naolin, is right behind him, balancing a pastry bag and a coffee tray in a way that makes him look like a brunch-carrying angel. He plants a kiss on my other cheek, then pulls back to inspect me.

“Are those bags under your eyes or are you just thrilled to see us?”

I try to smile. “Good morning to you too.”

“We come bearing flaky, buttery gifts,” Naolin says, lifting the bag high. “If you’re not thrilled, I’m taking your croissant.”

He breezes into the kitchen like it’s his own, already narrating his exploration. “Still no dining table. Excellent.”

I ignore him, and turn to Brennan. “You could’ve texted.”

“You would’ve said not to come.”

“Yeah, because I have a life and a mountain of laundry and zero warning that you were about to barge into my weekend. Also I’m babysitting Luna today, so be quiet.”

He doesn’t apologize. Just studies me again, quiet, observant.

“You sound tired.”

“You sound like Mom.”

That gets a flicker of anger from him, that quickly turns to mild amusement. Bringing up mom around Brennan always does that.

Brennan and my mom do not get along, and that’s putting it nicely. When I was in high school, they had a falling out. I don’t know what it was about, but Brennan stopped coming home from med school in Aretia to visit. He barely talked to us while he was serving overseas, and I knew it had more to do with not wanting to cross paths with mom than not being able to communicate. Mira and I would get letters from Naolin that also had letters from Brennan in the envelope.

Either way, I can always bring up their personality similarities to get under his skin when I need to.

Naolin has already pulled out croissants and a cinnamon twist the size of his head, plating everything like we’re about to sit down for a brunch spread.

“So,” he says, hands on hips, “do I get to meet the famous toddler or what? Or even better, her hot dad?”

“She’s napping. Please don’t wake her.”

He groans dramatically. “Fine. But I expect at least one sticky hug before we leave. Preferably with glitter involved.”

“She’s three, not a fairy.”

“She can be both.”

I huff a laugh and turn back to Brennan. “When are you leaving by the way? I don’t have a guest bed and you two won’t fit on the couch.”

Brennan finally takes off his jacket and slings it over the back of a barstool. “Don’t fancy a weekend with your dear old bro?” He starts passing out coffees and grabs a piece of the cinnamon twist before getting his hand batted away by Naolin. “We didn’t just show up to annoy you, you know.”

“Oh guess that was just a bonus.” I snicker and make a face.

He doesn’t rise to the bait. “You told me about Halden. I know you’re trying to act like you’ve got it under control, and maybe you do. But I needed to see you.”

I glance away, suddenly very interested in a stray crumb on the counter. “I’m fine.”

“Say that again, and this time try to mean it.”

Naolin leans against the counter, eyes softening. “We didn’t come to smother you, Vi. Just to make sure you’re not falling apart behind a stack of library books and passive-aggressive texts.”

“I’m not.”

Brennan nods slowly, like he hears me but doesn’t quite believe it.

“And since you finally gave in and admitted your guest room is a glorified storage closet,” Naolin cuts in, “we figured we’d help fix that. At least it’s no longer gamer bro central in there, I’m assuming?"

I blink. “You brought a bed with you from Aretia?”

“No, but we’re going to go pick one out,” Brennan says. “And if you insist on living in this shoebox, we’re going to at least make sure there’s a place for people to sleep when they check in on you.”

I sigh, but my chest tightens in that traitorous way that happens when someone is just… kind. That has to come from being raised by Lilith Sorrengail. I do sidestep his comment about this being a shoebox since I know he’s used to finer things, living with Naolin who has very strict requirements. “You two are ridiculous.”

Naolin beams. “We know.”

I turn to finish the small amount of dishes, still flustered, still adjusting to the sudden shift in energy that comes with my brother showing up, a little on edge that Luna will wake up. I don’t think Xaden will be mad if she meets them without him here, but I don’t know the parenting rules.

“I’m serious though. You could’ve warned me. What if I’d had a guy over?”

That gets Naolin’s full attention. He leans forward so fast he nearly knocks the cinnamon twist off the counter.

“You don’t have a guy over… do you?”

I narrow my eyes. “No.”

Naolin gasps. “But the way you paused. Violet Sorrengail, do not withhold gossip in this house. Is the hot dad in the storage closet bedroom right now?” He glances towards the second bedroom, nearly drooling.

“Stop. Nothing’s happening.”

“Which means something almost did.” Naolin is jumping out of his skin with his excitement.

Brennan gives me a long look, his voice dry. “You’re talking about the guy across the hall?”

“He helped,” I say, swallowing the lump in my throat, “The night everything with Halden happened, he was the one who…”

“I know,” Brennan says. “You told me. I still need to meet this guy. He saved you, after all, and according to Mira, you’re spending a lot of time with him.”

Naolin is eating this up, eyes wide. “Little Sorrengail, please tell me you’re hooking up with hot daddy”

“You’ve never seen him,” I point out, “you don’t know he’s that hot.”

“I’ve heard enough. Broody, tall, suspiciously quiet? Single dad? Scar on his brow? I already made up an entire backstory for him. Probably a veteran. Tragic past. Deep soul. Good with children. Owns exactly one pair of boots.”

“Two,” I mumble. “I think.” Naolin is ridiculously on the mark with the rest of the description.

Naolin gasps. “You know how many shoes he owns? You’re in deep, babe.”

Brennan looks less amused. “What’s his name?”

“Xaden.”

Brennan stills, just slightly, barely noticeable but I see it all the same. He repeats it under his breath, then absentmindedly brushes nonexistent crumbs off the counter. “Interesting.”

I give him a look. “What?”

“Nothing.”

Naolin leans in again, eyes gleaming. “You haven’t hooked up with him, have you?”

“Naolin.”

“Because if you have, you need to be giving me way more details.”

“I have not. And even if I had—”

“He’s picking up Luna soon, right?” Brennan interrupts, changing the subject with surgical precision.

I glance at the clock. “Yeah. Probably any minute now.”

Brennan nods, then grabs his keys off the counter. “Then we’ll head out before the place gets crowded. Furniture run, then back for dinner?”

“Sounds good.” I can’t help but think Brennan is fleeing, which would not align with his “overprotective brother” energy he carries. He has never passed up a chance to play dad when it comes to my dating life, even from afar. “That room will fit maybe a queen, and don’t pick out anything ugly.”

Naolin grabs one more croissant and gives me a quick hug. “I can’t believe you would even consider that a possibility. I want all the dirty details from daycare pickup today, Vi.”

“You’re unhinged.”

“I’m invested. There’s a difference.”

They head out, and the apartment feels too quiet for half a second. I finish cleaning the kitchen and start to pack up Luna’s things.

I’m cradling Luna’s shoes and her rainbow backpack when there’s another knock at the door. 

I open it and Xaden stands in the doorway, dark hair mussed like he’s been raking his hands through it all morning, sleeves pushed up, tattoos visible. His presence is so solid it makes the room feel smaller.

“Hey.” His gaze catches on my face. “You okay?”

“Yeah,” I say quickly. “Just… my brother is visiting, unexpectedly. He and his partner came to ‘surprise me’.” I say the last part while making air quotes with my fingers to make sure I convey my annoyance.

“Everything alright?”

“They just wanted to check in.” I step back to let him in. “They’re good at making sure I’m still upright. Usually against my will.”

He watches me a second longer, like he knows I’ve only told half the truth, but he doesn’t push.

“How was she?”

“Oh she was great,” I hand him the bag and her shoes, “She’s still sleeping, but I was just about to wake her up.”

He gives me a small smile and holds my gaze for a moment, but we’re broken out of the spell when we hear “Miss Violet?” from the bedroom door.

Xaden crouches down as Luna stumbles into the room, hair wild and arms wide, toothy grin spreading across her face.

“Ready to go, little dragon?”

“Can we have popsicles today Daddy?” she says, climbing into his arms without hesitation.

He chuckles low in his throat. “You talked me into it.”

I watch them together, ready to hand over her juice cup.

Something about the way she leans into him. The way she steadies him. How he looks at her.

I realize it’s similar to the way he looks at me. With soft reverence, wonder, and a hint of pride. Warmth spreads through my chest and I feel a bit anxious all of the sudden.

“Any big plans for the weekend?” Xaden asks, tapping his leg with Luna’s shoes to signal for Sgaeyl. 

I start walking towards the door to see them out, “I imagine it will be consumed by my brother’s unexpected visit. They didn’t tell me how long they were staying.”

He nods as they enter the hallway, setting Luna down, who takes off with Sgaeyl towards their own door. “Still on for the dog park tomorrow?”

“I think so, I’ll text you if I can’t make it.” A look of confusion and disappointment passes over his face, “I don’t want to subject you to them. They can be…overbearing.”

He huffs a laugh and spares me one last glance, thanks me for watching Luna, and heads off towards his door. 

🌙💜🌟

“I’m telling you, I think this leg goes on the other side.”

“And I’m telling you the Swedish instructions say differently!”

Naolin and Brennan have been bickering while installing the bed for close to an hour, Tairn and I enjoying the show from the small table I put together in that time. Their banter can get brutal, but there’s always love in it. The type of argument that comes after spending nine years together, where you’ve seen each other grow up and been to literal war together. I smile out of happiness for my brother.

“See. It faces the right way, and once we put these slats in, we can put the mattress down.” says Brennan. I lean farther forward to see the bed frame and I can tell that he’s wrong and Naolin will bask in his victory for days.

Naolin notices it too, and has a shit-eating grin on his face, “Love of my life, how are we going to put the slats on when the ledges are facing outwards?” I snort a laugh that I can’t keep in any longer. 

Brennan scowls, curses under his breath, and avoids Naolin’s gaze when he says he’ll fix it himself. I’m flat out laughing when I give Naolin a high-five as he comes into the kitchen to finish off his beer. 

Naolin plops down on one of my new chairs, setting down a new beer in front of him, his grin too wide for proving that Brennan was wrong about the bed. Here we go…

“So,” he drawls, stretching the word out like he’s savoring it. “Tell us about this neighbor. The one with the forearms. Don’t give me that look, Vi, Mira was very descriptive.”

I groan and drop my head into my hands. “I hate you.”

Brennan snorts from his work zone, but he isn’t laughing the way Naolin is. His gaze stays on the task at hand, but I know he’s listening intently. Naolin is undeterred, “Mira said he helped you carry boxes, shows up at the dog park with a kid, and then also swoops in like an avenging hero during…the incident. What else do we know about this guy?” He waggles his eyebrows.

I lift my head and sigh. “Xaden. And his daughter, Luna. They’re nice. Yes he is attractive, but he’s one big mystery. Broody, quiet. And we’re barely friends, just neighbors.”

Naolin leans in like I’ve just handed him a fresh bag of secrets. “Nice, but not too nice, hm? You know, most single dads don’t come with broody stares and tattoos that scream I have a dark, mysterious past.”

I grab a carrot from the plate in front of me and chuck it at him. He dodges like he’d been expecting it, cackling the whole time.

Brennan enters the kitchen, either giving up or he’s finished with the bed. “You said his name’s… Xaden?” His voice is careful, too careful.

I frown. “Yeah, we went over this. Why?”

He shakes his head a little too quickly. But his jaw is tight, the kind of tight that means he’s holding something back. “Where’s he from?” 

“His family is from Aretia… he actually went to the same college you went to, but he’s gotta be way younger. He’s my age, give or take a year.”

Brennan doesn’t look at me… he goes to get a drink from the fridge, but I can tell he’s avoiding me. At least he’s not voicing his disapproval, like he does anytime he’s reminded Mira and I have dating lives.

Naolin, oblivious or maybe just ignoring Brennan’s shift in mood, wiggles his brows at me. “Well, neighbor or not, single dad or not, I need details. How tall is he really? Did he give you the smolder? What about the arms, Vi. Don’t skimp on the arms.”

“Naolin,” I warn, but heat still creeps up my neck.

He claps his hands together like he’s won something. “That’s what I thought.”

Brennan hasn’t stopped watching me. And even though he’s pretending otherwise, I can see it plain as day, he knows something.

Naolin keeps needling me with ridiculous questions until I threaten to kick him out, but even his chatter couldn’t drown out the quiet weight of Brennan’s stare. He doesn’t say anything else, but the unease radiating off him clings to me long after the laughter fades. Whatever he thinks he knows about Xaden, or this situation, he isn’t ready to tell me.

The rest of the weekend passes in an easy blur. Saturday morning found me back at the dog park, the air crisp and bright. Tairn barreled after Sgaeyl, mud flying, while Luna squealed from the swings, her little curls bouncing as she waved at me. Xaden was quiet beside me on the bench, the way he always was, but it didn’t feel strained. Not after the past few weeks.

Brennan did finish the new guest bed frame and continued to doddle around the apartment all weekend, double-checking the locks on my windows, hanging new frames where the old ones broke. Naolin and I mocked him for acting like a dad dropping his kid off at college. Per usual, Naolin talked me into too many shopping sprees to “spruce the place up a bit.” By Sunday afternoon, I have a few new plants I will definitely kill, a new bathroom rug and shower curtain combo for the guest bath, and a few new dog toys for Tairn. My old guy has taken to Naolin this weekend, barely leaving his side except for when I went to bed.

Naolin blows me a kiss from the passenger seat of Brennan’s car, Brennan giving me my fifth hug. “Call me if you need anything baby sis. I mean it.”

“I promise, now get out of here. I’m sick of seeing your face.” I joke. He chuckles and gets in the car, heading back to Aretia. I head back up to my space, a space that feels infinitely more mine than it ever has. The space feels bigger and less hollow. Like it, too, is healing.

Chapter Text

“Miss Violet, I need more glitter.” Luna nearly shouts at me across the table. 

We’re in the library, me finishing up a shift, her creating a drawing for Xaden for when I take her home later. Luna and me hanging out has become a bit of a staple in my life lately. Since that first day she stayed with me while Xaden had to go into the office, I find my time taken up by Luna more often than not. It started the Tuesday following Brennan’s visit with a tiny knock on my door around dinnertime. She was there to deliver a popsicle, since she ate all her dinner and that was her dessert. Xaden was in the hallway smirking at her, making sure she got there safe. She handed me the popsicle, came inside and sat down with Tairn and Andarna without another word.

We’ve found ourselves doing that more often. Sometimes Xaden asks if I can help out, but usually Luna simply shows up, like she’s claiming me. Xaden truly only asks if he has no other option, and I can tell he’s fighting a war within himself each time. Today, I asked if I could pick up Luna from daycare and have her hang out with me while I worked at the library. I could tell Xaden needed a break, since it’s been weeks since the game night and I’m not sure he’s had time without Luna. I could tell he wanted to protest, but Luna practically begged him to say yes. 

“I think that’s enough glitter, my little dragon.” I chuckle, and double check that the makeshift box I put her artwork in is still keeping the glitter off the table. Not that it would be a problem. I’m certain I could clean it up, but just to make my life a little easier.

“I mean, dragons could stand to have a little more glitter I think.” a voice says, pulling my gaze from Luna. It’s Dain, in a dress shirt and tie, khaki slacks and his leather briefcase across his chest. 

“To what do I owe this pleasure, Professor Aetos?” I smile at him, and a little pink flushes his cheeks at his title. 

“Just finished class and wanted to see if you had plans for dinner. Who’s this?” He asks, sitting down at the table, face to face with Luna, who’s face has pink sparkles all over it.

“I’m Luna. I’m a dragon rider. Whoawu?” She slurs out the last part in the most adorable toddler voice, and pushes her curls out of her face, getting more sparkles in them. I snort, but allow Luna to handle this introduction. 

“Well hello, Luna, I’m Dain,” he introduces himself, glancing to me with a smile, “Dragon riders are very rare. I’m excited to meet you.” She accepts that introduction, nods her little head and goes back to her art work. It’s a blue dragon with pink sparkles on it. And on the mountains behind it. And on the entire bottom of the box she’s drawing in.

Dain glances at me asking for more explanation as to who this child is in a college library. “Luna is my neighbor’s daughter. We have a standing dog play date every Saturday. I’m helping him out today, giving him a little break. And we thought we’d bring her dad a little art project.”

Dain observes me for a beat. I’m sure he’s preparing to grill me on how well I know my neighbor, if I’m being careful, other overbearing stuff. We’ve been friends since we were kids, but he’s always been a little too protective. Especially with me, especially when I have a bad muscle day or get injured. As we got older, his overprotectiveness centered on my dating life, but I learned early in college that was from a hidden crush. We tried it out for one date and it was just too weird. With Halden, he kept his mouth shut a little but always hovered enough to show some support. 

“You guys seem close,” is all he says, continuing to watch Luna color. I start to roll my eyes, thinking this is his way of starting his speech about being careful, “and she’s clearly the best dragon rider around.”

“We’ve struck up a fast friendship.” I say carefully, not wanting to open myself up to more right now. I check my phone — fifteen minutes until my shift ends. 

“Is this the neighbor Mira mentioned?”

I sigh heavily, and look right at him, “Here we go. Let’s hear it.”

The asshole laughs. “I promise I’m not going to go all high-school Dain on you,” he explains with a soft look in his eyes, “Mira did mention the whole Halden thing, and something about a neighbor you’re crushing on, but I trust you Vi. I know you’ll tell me if you need help.”

I let my mouth hang open a little. This is…so unlike Dain. “Who are you and what have you done with Dain Aetos?”

He barks out a laugh, startling Luna and a few tables around us with the sound. Luna shushes him cartoonishly and he giggles more. “I’m…growing up. I kept my distance with Halden — although I could argue now I should have been more annoying.” He shoots me a playfully accusatory look. I slap his shoulder.

“No, seriously Vi,” he puts his hand over mine on his shoulder, “I trust you. I don’t want to be overbearing and lose you. I… I’m trying to be better about that.”

I watch him. He has a softness to his face, and there’s something in his gaze that holds the key to why he is trying to be better. I don’t press though. I give him a small smile of acceptance and ask if he can chat with Luna for a few while I wrap up. I agree to dinner, and he offers up the pizza place around the corner that has a good kid vibes. So I text Xaden to check.

Me: Hey there. Luna has been great. My childhood friend is hanging with us in the library and asked if we wanted to go for pizza. Do you want to meet us? I can also bring her home first.

Xaden 🌙🐉: Hey you

Xaden 🌙🐉: Near campus? We were just doing leftovers tonight, and I’m by campus already

Me: Yea, Devera’s. Meet you there in 20?

Xaden 🌙🐉: Sounds good

We make our way across campus to my car. We could walk to Devera’s if we didn’t have Luna, but her little legs would increase the travel time by a half hour. The entire time from the library to my car, Luna tells Dain of all her favorite things, how she is always on green at school, and about ‘Scale’, ‘Tawn’ and ‘Darna’. He listens intently, never getting a word in, and we exchange amused glances.

We’re halfway to the car when Luna darts ahead, pointing out a squirrel in the trees. Dain jogs after her, keys jangling, and I’m still smiling when the sharp clip of heels cuts through the quiet.

“Violet.”

My mother’s voice. Lilith Sorrengail appears, composed as always, suit pressed sharp even though it’s the end of the day. And at her side is Dain’s father. Colonel Marcus Aetos is a retired military commander who works at Basgiath within the student conduct department. He served with my mother before they both went into higher education administration. I am not his biggest fan to say the least.

He also isn’t mine. He never liked my father either, and I know he thinks I’m weak, and definitely not good enough for Dain.

I stop short. So does Dain, though the way his spine goes rigid tells me this is less surprise than dread.

“Mom,” I say carefully.

Her gaze flicks over me, then lingers a beat too long on Luna before sliding away. Too smooth. “It’s good to see you out of the library,” she says. Her smile is small, not unkind exactly, but… distant. “I’m told you’re finding your footing again. A shame about you and Halden though.”

So someone has told her about Halden. Great. 

“I’m better off.” I reply. I keep my chin high, not cowering before her. Leaving Halden was definitely the right choice for myself.

General Aetos makes a low sound in his throat. “The Tauri’s are a strong family. You would have done well to align yourself with them.” His eyes snap to me, then Luna. “Instead of surrounding yourself with… less than desirable company.”

Before I can launch into him about insulting a literal child, Dain steps half a pace forward, voice clipped. “Father.”

Aetos’s lip curls. “Ah yes, Dain.” He meets Dain’s stare. “How is the teaching going?” he spits the word like it’s filth. “I thought you’d gone into higher education, or is it babysitting you’re more interested in?”

Dain’s fists tighten at his sides, but he doesn’t rise to the bait. Not here. Not in front of Luna.

My mother exhales, a sharp sound, laying a hand on Aetos’s arm. “Marcus.” she says evenly, but with finality. 

Mom’s eyes flick to me again, unreadable. “Come for dinner soon, Violet. We can catch up. I’d love to hear more about this…new friendship you’ve found.”

She turns away, heels clicking, leaving Aetos to follow with a muttered curse about weakness and wasted potential.

For a beat, no one moves. Then Luna tugs on Dain’s sleeve, breaking the silence. He manages a smile for her, but when his eyes find mine again, the storm there is impossible to miss.

🌙💜🌟

We get to Devera’s five minutes late thanks to our parking lot meeting. The ride over was short, but Dain and I were definitely on edge. Luna seemed to notice the tension, as she also didn’t say much. When we opened the doors to the restaurant, her eyes found her father sitting in a booth in a back corner, and she launched into a sprint that ended in a toddler-level bone crushing hug with Xaden.

“Sorry we’re late,” I say as Dain and I take our seats across from Luna and Xaden, “this is Dain, my oldest friend. Dain, this is Xaden Riorson, Luna’s dad.”

They shake hands and give each other a terse nod, jaws clenched. Men. Xaden observes me and Dain for a moment. “Everything okay?”

I sigh heavily and run my fingers over my face, “We ran into our parents. They are…intense…to say the least.”

Dain huffs a laugh with no humor, “Let’s just say Vi and I bonded growing up over never being able to please our parents.” I definitely laugh at that.

The conversation flows from there easily enough. Dain and Xaden aren’t going to be fast friends, but we make it all the way to dessert without any casualties. Luna gave Xaden her artwork, spilling even more pink glitter on him. He beams at her, as if being covered in pink glitter is an expected outcome to his days. Luna is enjoying a small cup of gelato while the grown ups enjoy our after-dinner coffees. Dain and I have just regaled how we once got caught sneaking pizza up to my room on a night we didn’t want to eat the healthy meal my father made for us for dinner and had to eat brussels sprouts with dinner for a week.

“I still can’t eat brussels sprouts, blegh.” Dain makes a disgusted face while I laugh into my coffee mug.

“My foster sister Sloane has a similar story, but it was me making her eat the healthy meal. Can’t say I’m on your side here, Vi.” Xaden supplies. 

“Sloane Mairi?” Dain asks with a furrowed brow and a tilt of his head.

Xaden slides his eyes over to him, a sense of protectiveness behind them, “Yeah, you know her?”

Dain’s eyes widen for a flash, I barely catch it. He coughs and adjusts his posture, “Um, yeah. A little.”

I can tell Xaden is going to pry, and he has the look Brennan usually has when he gets overprotective, so I make it a point to interject by asking Luna about her gelato. The distraction works, shaking Xaden out of his Dad Zone. He gets up to pay the bill, insisting that our money is no good here, and we start to head towards the exit. 

“It was nice to meet you Dain, thanks for entertaining the little dragon here.” Xaden says with a handshake. Luna is snoozing on his shoulder. I really hope we didn’t ruin her bedtime. 

“Likewise. See you around,” he turns to me to give me a hug, “I’m going to walk back. Clear my head.”

We watch him head back towards campus, and Xaden puts Luna in the carseat, succeeding in not waking her up. “Thanks again for hanging out with her, she was so excited.”

I cross my arms, hugging myself. It’s not too cold, but with the absence of Dain as a buffer, I find myself needing something to do with my hands. There’s always been a comfortable silence between Xaden and I, but lately when we’re alone the silence gets deafening faster and faster. “She was perfect as always. I’ll see you guys Saturday, yes?”

Xaden licks his lips before answering and I think I melt right into the asphalt below my feet. I have visions of his perfect lips attaching themselves to my own, his massive hands in my hair. I shake myself out of it and catch the last part of what he says, “...and Liam is coming in two weeks for a bit to help me out.”

“Oh great. Well, get that little dragon to bed.” I say and turn to get in my car, giving Xaden one last goodbye before shutting the door. Get a hold of yourself Violet. I can’t believe I just got lost in something as simple as Xaden licking his lips absentmindedly. 

As I drive away, determined to be in my apartment before Xaden arrives with Luna, I see him watching me pull out of the lot with an intense mile-long stare.

Chapter Text

Luna has continued to make my space her own, bringing me all her new books and coming in without even knocking at this point. It took a few trips and many assurances to Xaden that I was totally fine with it before he stopped apologizing. I love that she feels comfortable spending time with me and she’s such a joyous presence in my life, I won’t deny her even if I’m exhausted from school. 

Tonight, she sits on the ground reading a book about astronauts to Tairn, Sgaeyl, and Andarna, who truly look like they’re listening, while I make us chocolate cupcakes with Liam in the kitchen. Xaden is working late with his father a few nights this week, so Liam came in town to help out.

“Do you think they know what she’s saying?” Liam asks, gesturing to Luna commanding the ginormous dogs and tornado of a cat on the living room rug.

I snort at the sight of them, “If anyone could get them to calm down, it would be Princess Luna.” We both beam at her.

Liam is such an infectious presence. I learn a little more about the fostering situation, and it’s tragic. Liam and Sloane’s parents died in an accident, and Fen took them in. Sloane is a year younger than him and is a senior at Basgiath. Liam went to Aretia like Xaden, and he joked that Sloane only went to BC to be a contrarian to the rest of them. Liam lives in Aretia, but he travels to see Xaden and Sloane quite a bit. He works in the same department as Xaden at Riorson Trade, so they seem as close as brothers could be.

“How’s life Violet?”

“Getting there,” I say, passing Liam a beer from the fridge, “I thought it would be harder to be alone, but I’m doing really well.”

Liam looks back at Luna, and then to me, “You’re not alone. You seem to have a good system, and I know I’m glad we’ve hung out this week.”

I smile at the thought. Halden and I’s break up really took a huge weight off my shoulders that I wasn’t aware I had been carrying around. In the weeks since the incident I’ve realized some of the red flags I ignored and how easier it is to be happy in my life without him and his selfishness dragging me down.

“Me too, Liam.” I smile and drink a little. “So, you gonna call Rhiannon before you leave?”

He nearly spits out his drink and starts banging his fist on his chest to stop from coughing. I can’t help but laugh at how I caught him off guard with that, “Did she say something?”

I shake my head while taking another sip, “Not Rhi’s style. She’s very casual, just figured you deserve some fun with all the babysitting you’re doing this week.”

“I’m trying to talk Xaden into a night out tomorrow, but he’s unsure if he has a sitter for Luna. Maybe I’ll see if Rhiannon wants to join.”

“I can watch Luna, you guys should go out.” I offer. What else am I doing but hanging out with Tairn anyways?

Liam gives me a smirk, tilting his head like I should already know what he’s hinting at. “Sorry, Vi, but if Xaden does get a sitter, he’s not going to want me dragging him out without you.”

I blink, caught off guard. “What are you even talking about? He sees me all the time. He probably needs a break from me, not another night together.”

Liam scoffs, leaning back against the stool with his beer. “You really are blind, aren’t you?”

“Blind to what?”

“To him,” he says simply, nodding toward the living room where Luna is still holding her audience of furry beasts spellbound. “The man watches you like you hung the moon, and you just don't see it.”

I open my mouth to argue, but nothing comes out. Because deep down, I have noticed the way Xaden looks at me sometimes, and it always leaves me unsettled in a way I can’t name. I shake it off, refusing to let Liam’s words plant roots.

But still…I notice how he watches me, intense and reverent. It never fails to send shivers down my spine in a delicious way, but I couldn’t risk ruining what I have with Luna to think it means more than him just being protective of Luna’s people. She — and him for that matter — doesn’t need to be involved in the mess that is me right now. I feel better, but I am in no state to bring romance or anything like that into my life again.

Before I can ask Liam what he means, there’s a knock on the door. It opens a moment later,  and Xaden walks through. He looks exhausted, his black collared shirt unbuttoned more than its normal amount, with his sleeves rolled up haphazardly, and there’s dark circles under his gorgeous eyes. He’s been working late every night this week on a new merger and it involves wining and dining the opposing counsel. 

“Daddy!” Luna shrieks and runs into his arms. He scoops her up instantly and gives her a strong hug. The sight never fails to make me smile, their love for each other on display. 

“Hey baby, ready to go home and get jammas on?” He says as he nuzzles her nose, a pout on Luna’s face at the thought of impending bedtime. Still, she nods and lays her sweet curly head on his shoulder. “Thanks for letting them hang Violet. I hope Liam didn’t talk your ear off.”

“Oh please,” Liam scoffs, “as if I could talk more than Luna.”

"Everyone was very welcome. It was nice to have company,” I muse, walking over to give Luna a hug goodbye. As I wrap my arms around her, I glance at Xaden with concern and mouth, “You okay?”

He solemnly nods, but I can tell things are weighing on him. He goes to head to his place, but Liam comes up behind us and takes Luna from his arms, cradling the box of cupcakes. “I got her, you stay and hang with Violet. You look like you need a drink.” Xaden lets out a heavy sigh in agreement, and walks inside. I close the door behind him and head to the kitchen to get him a beer. We make our way to the couch, me cradling the drinks in my hand.

He drops onto the couch beside me, the cushions sighing under his weight, and tips his head back against the cushions like he might melt straight into them.

“I hate schmoozing clients,” he mutters, voice rasped thin with exhaustion. “My dad is so much better at it. I couldn’t care less about them, I just want the job done.”

I tuck my legs beneath me, leaving a little space so he doesn’t feel crowded, though the gravity of him pulls at me anyway. “You need to stop working yourself into the ground, especially if you don’t love it,” I say softly, handing over the beer. He takes it, our fingers brushing for the briefest second, and it’s ridiculous how aware I am of the tension there.

He takes a long sip before letting his head roll to the side, eyes half-lidded as they lock on mine. The laziness of it steals the air right out of my chest. In the dim light, the edges of his face aren’t so sharp, softened in a way I almost never see. Without Luna here, without anyone else here, it feels like I’m seeing the unarmored version of him.

“You have more green in your eyes tonight,” he says, voice pitched low, almost reverent. “Usually the blue drowns it out.”

Heat crawls up my neck, and I laugh breathlessly because—what? How often has he looked at me close enough to notice that? I duck my head, trying to hide my blush, and the silence that follows crackles between us.

I lean my head back too, just enough that we’re aligned, my shoulder inching a little closer to his. The quiet feels charged now, louder than words.

Then his hand is at my face, calloused fingers brushing a loose strand of hair behind my ear. My lips part at the unexpected touch, my whole body going still. He doesn’t lean in. He doesn’t have to. Every nerve in me sparks like he might.

I give a little cough to break the moment. I immediately regret it. “Liam says you guys might go out. I offered to watch Luna if you need a sitter.”

Xaden furrows his brow a little, withdrawing his hand like it costs him something. “You can’t watch Luna if you’re coming with us.” He gives me a devastating smirk. I melt into the couch more.

“You have to be sick of me by now.”

He holds my gaze and looks almost surprised. He waits a moment before responding.

“Come out with me tomorrow night, Violence,” he murmurs, “You don’t have any other plans. I know it.”

My voice comes out cracked, betraying me. “How do you know I don’t?”

His jaw tightens, eyes burning into me. “Because I’m annoyingly aware of everything you do.”

The words hang between us like smoke, and I can’t seem to find a single coherent thought, let alone a response. He clears his throat, breaking the tension again, and sets the bottle down a little too carefully on the table. “I should go tuck Luna in.”

I follow him to the door, because, I can’t not. He opens it, but I catch it, leaning against it for balance before my knees decide to betray me.

“I’ll come tomorrow,” I whisper. The look I give him feels reckless, too close to everything I’ve been trying to bury.

His lips curve, just faintly, before he turns toward his place. The scent of him lingers in the hall as I shut the door behind him, and I press my back against it, breath catching.

I touch my mouth, as if that will steady me, but it doesn’t.

God, I am in deep shit.

🌙💜🌟

Ok Violet. You can do this. 

I’m staring at myself in the mirror. A small section of my hair is braided thinly across the crown of my head, blending from brown to silver, with the bulk of it falling down my back in soft curls. I put a little makeup on for tonight, mainly blush and mascara. And then I went a little crazy.

We’re going to a club with all of Xaden’s friends. I convinced Sawyer, Ridoc and Rhiannon to join us, but really I needed a wingman. Rhi came over after work and has raided my closet trying to find the outfit that will “seal the deal” as she says.

We went with a black dress, low cut showing off a scandalous amount of cleavage, with strips of leather along the abdomen that cross with sheer fabric showing my skin below. It’s deliciously short and something I’ve never worn around Xaden before. I objected for a full thirty minutes until Rhi basically forced me into it.

“You look so hot, Vi!” Rhi is practically squealing when she comes into the bedroom as I’m working up the courage to finish putting my shoes on and head out the door. Xaden wanted to get dinner with us before, but I wanted to wait on Rhiannon to finish work and bailed.

“I don’t know why I care so much. I see Xaden everyday and he’s never so much as held my hand in a romantic way” I sigh a long exasperated noise as I head into my closet for the silver strappy heels we selected earlier.

Rhiannon chuckles from my bed and there’s no shortness of smugness in it. “Riorson clearly wants to get in your pants. Might as well make it easier for him by not wearing any.”

I’m grateful she can’t see the redness blooming on my cheeks. After how close we were last night, I slept horribly, plagued with visions of how the night might have gone if I had just leaned a little closer…

Ding!

Liam☀️😎: Hurry up! We just got to Chantara!

Chantara is the biggest dance club, and a staple with Basgiath students. When Liam said he wanted to do more than just the tavern up the road, I suggested it. It’s not my type of night out, typically, but to say I haven’t suffered a Chantara headache would be lying. Especially on dollar jello shot night…

I take one last look at myself in the mirror. “This is stupid. How am I supposed to do this?”

Rhi comes up behind me and rests her chin on my shoulder, her metallic silver shirt pinching me slightly. “You start walking towards the door, get a little liquid courage, and just…leap.” A small smile breaks out on both our faces.

Chantara is slammed with sweaty bodies, shoulder to shoulder on the dance floor or in the lounge area. When we enter, we’re escorted by a bouncer towards the back area which is labeled VIP. Up on the dais, I can see Xaden and Garrick’s towering frames standing against a banister, and I can just make out Ridoc shouting, probably in the middle of a ridiculous story. We’re let in behind a velvet rope, and directed towards a group of plush couches where our friends are.

Liam is in the middle of the couch, Sawyer and Jesinia cuddled up next to him, and  a woman I’ve never seen next to the pair. To his right Ridoc is standing, talking animatedly with his arms, while Bodhi sits next to him, watching him with wonder. I see Garrick and Xaden against the railing across from the couches and Imogen is sitting to the left of the woman next to Liam. There’s an assortment of bottles and glasses on the table in front of them, with champagne and other spirits in ice buckets at the ends of the couches.

As we walk up the stairs, Rhiannon starts mocking Ridoc’s stories, signing for Jesinia, and beelines to sit next to Bodhi. When I reach the top of the short staircase, Xaden turns towards me and goes rigid.

I watch him as his eyes rake down my entire form, from the top of my braid, down my face and chest, to the tips of my toes in my heels. I fight the blushing that is rising in my cheeks, and force myself to not look down. We lock eyes again and I’m not sure either of us is breathing.

“You look…” he starts, but he can’t seem to finish that sentence.

“That’s Xaden for damn Violet.” Garrick laughs behind him, clapping him on the shoulder. It seems to break the spell on Xaden, who starts a little and swigs from his beer bottle.

“It’s amazing what a little makeup can do.” I say, now thoroughly blushing. I try to figure out where to sit, but someone taps my elbow. It’s Xaden, handing me a glass of champagne. He tilts his head slightly, signaling for me to join him on a chaise near the railing. 

We sit with our friends, just inches apart, but not touching, watching Ridoc hold court. The woman I don’t know is named Quinn, Imogen’s friend, and it's clear it's not the first time she’s been with Xaden’s group, as she takes it all in stride. The conversations evolve from stories of their days at Aretia, paired with whatever embarrassing things Rhi, Sawyer, and I can dredge up about our time with Ridoc at Basgiath.

The tension between Xaden and I could start a wildfire. Our knees have brushed a few times and we both go rigid at the sensation. I’m purposefully not looking his way but it feels like he can’t look anywhere else. At one point I grab Rhiannon’s eye contact and plead with her silently to help me. Help me with what, I’m not sure, but I cannot get a grasp on the situation. Luckily she remains my best friend and doesn’t make me suffer any further for her own enjoyment.

“Violet lets go dance!”

I jump at the chance, nearly toppling over in the process. Thankfully, Rhi is the one who catches me by the wrist because somehow I just know Xaden was behind me ready to steady me. He’s always there. And I always know. It’s like I can feel him, sense him.

We meander to the dance floor hand-in-hand, Rhi leading the charge. I vaguely feel people behind us, and I risk a glance, seeing Ridoc and Bodhi, Sawyer and Jesinia following, trailed by Liam, who catches the gaze of a brunette on his way to the middle of the floor. Soon, I drown out the butterflies and anxious nausea with the pumping of the music and the vial of shots Ridoc forces into my hand. We dance and move and get lost in it, until I forgot the tension I was running from. Luckily I don’t have to fight off any would-be dance partners, Rhi making it clear we are here together and are not taking further invitations. After a few songs, I feel calmed down enough to open my eyes for longer than a moment.

“So…you gonna act on all that sexual tension or…” Rhi shouts in my ear in between songs.

I flush pink and try to act like I don’t know what she’s talking about. She doesn’t buy it. “Come on Vi… you don’t have to marry the guy but you can get Halden out of your system.”

I wrinkle my nose at the mention of my ex but also at the idea of just using Xaden for sex. “It can’t be like that.” I reason.

“Why not?” Rhi argues, “he looks like he knows exactly what he’s doing.”

I’m sure he does. And I won’t do us the embarrassment of lying and saying that I haven’t imagined him knowing exactly what to do with me in the last few weeks, especially last night. My vibrator had a lot of work to do after Xaden left my place last night. But I can’t have that type of thing with him. I can’t risk getting involved and it not working. For my sake, but mostly for Luna’s.

“I’m going to get some water.” I say and leave Rhi on the dance floor as Liam approaches. If someone needs to let off some steam, it should be them. I make my way to the bar on the bottom floor and order a vodka soda and a bottle of water. I hand the bartender my card and unscrew the cap to the water, trying to drown out the heat of this place.

I can’t bring myself to go back to the VIP lounge yet so I lean against the bar and get my bearings. My ankles are killing me in these heels, so it will be short lived, but I know I need to get my head on straight before I get back into Xaden’s presence. I can’t deny the attraction, but he’s owed more than me using him for the purpose of a rebound. 

“Pretty thing like you shouldn’t be alone.”

I glance to my left and see a new person. He’s tall, muscular, blonde hair and blue eyes. A bit like Liam, but less welcoming. He’s leaning against the bar on one side, somehow blocking my exit from the stool at the same time.

I flash him a tight smile. “I’m not.”

“Let me buy you a drink.”

“No thanks,” I lift my glass so he sees I’m full, “I’m all set.”

“What about a dance, sexy?”

I’m so not in the mood for this. I do my best to hold my face steady to avoid frowning comically. “I’m just taking a break,” I start to get off the barstool, but that only brings me closer to him, “I should get back to my friends.”

He doesn’t budge from his stance, but puts his arm on the back of the barstool, boxing me in. “Come on, let me have one dance. You look…. like you need a man’s hands on you.”

Bile fills my throat at the descriptive comment he gives me, as fear trickles down my spine. I don’t feel inherently in danger, but I know a confrontation will have to happen in order for me to get out of here. I glance over his shoulder hoping to catch the eyes of literally anyone, hopefully someone I know, to no avail.

“I’ll pass. If you’ll excuse me...” and I try to shove past him, but he pushes me back towards the bar. I’ve had enough of men thinking I can be controlled and thrown around. I place my hands on his chest to shove him away, and use the momentary distraction he has at the fact that I’m touching him to raise my knee with as much force as I can muster.

Straight into his groin.

He bellows out and couches down, and I make to step over him. A few people around me react loudly, but I’m just trying to get out of his reach to return to my friends and calm down.

“You fucking bitch!” The blonde creep yells, and goes to grab my ankle as I step over him. I nearly topple forward, but I hit a brick wall. Not a wall, a chest. A chest that smells of mint and smoke and a little like beer.

Xaden.

I look up into his onyx eyes and am utterly mortified that I am once again being saved by this man. He gets me on two feet and turns his attention to the asshole behind me.

“I believe she made her point clear: she is not interested.” His tone is low and lethal and a shiver rolls down my spine. I’m not sure if it's out of fear or arousal. “Touch her again and you won’t walk away.”

The guy stands up and tries to regain his dignity, and it's then that I notice Liam and Garrick on the other sides of him. The asshole can tell he’s outnumbered, sneers at me, and stalks away. 

“I had it handled.” I bite out when Xaden’s gaze meets mine again, but just for a moment. He rakes his eyes over my entire body, looking to see if I’m injured.

Xaden gives me one of his smirks. “Oh I have no doubt Violence.” A small chuckle behind me comes from Liam or Garrick, and I feel them shuffle away. Xaden places his hand on the small of my back as we make our way back to VIP. It seems the rest of the group have made their way back to the dance floor, so we’re alone on one of the loungers.

We sit down and Xaden hands me another glass of champagne, as I had abandoned my drink at the bar. “I really didn’t need you to save me. I’m tired of men thinking they know what’s best for me.”

Xaden looks at me with a smolder. How does he look this broody and sexy all the time? “You think I thought you needed saving?”

My eyes meet his and it's like the world stops. My lips part slightly and Xaden’s eyes snap to them for the briefest of moments. My core melts and my heart beats erratically at the sight, at the thought of this man’s gaze on me and what might follow. I remember he asked me a question but just as I start to mumble a response, he brings his hand to cup the back of my neck and suddenly being trapped doesn’t feel as frightening.

“Violence, trust me, you do not need saving,” he whispers, his mouth only a breath from mine, “you are one of the strongest people I know.”

I can hear my heartbeat pounding in my head and I swallow, so I have something to do. “So how did you end up near me at the bar?” I respond.

His eyes darken and I can see the desire warring in his eyes. As if he wants to act on this tension but is unsure if he should. “Because I can’t seem to stay away.”

He leans down and I move slightly upwards to have our lips meet. It feels safe and right and any thought I had about avoiding this or not being ready goes out the window. All that matters is getting my hands and lips on him —

“Ms Sorrengail?”

Someone calls my name and I whip my head around to see a server from the club handing me a black book, seemingly containing my bill. “You forgot your card at the bar.”

“Oh thank you,” I choke out, stepping out of Xaden’s grasp with a shake of my head. I take the book, sign the receipt and put my card back in my purse. The server walks away, and I turn back towards Xaden, not sure how to proceed.

I’m met with a different glare. The shift in Xaden is clear. His warmth drains, replaced by something hard, sharp, dangerous. His body goes utterly still, and his gaze on me turns from hungry to hostile.The desire in Xaden’s eyes has changed to…anger? His jaw is tight, his body rigid and his fists are clenched at his side.

“Sorrengail?” He all but bites it out through clenched teeth.

“Yes? That’s my last name?” I’m confused by his sudden change of attitude, wondering what set him off.

“You’re a fucking Sorrengail?!” His voice rising, the words dripping like venom out of his mouth. I sense movement up the stairs from the dance floor. 

Someone behind me gasps or scoffs, and I turn to see the group observing Xaden and I. Garrick, Bodhi, Liam…they look confused, with a twinge of surprise. Imogen looks downright murderous as she glares daggers at me. Rhiannon, Sawyer, Jesinia, and Ridoc all look around for answers, then to me for their next moves, and I must have a plea in the look I return, because Rhi grabs her purse and starts to make her way to me.

“Xaden what’s wrong—“ I try to argue but he storms past me, his shoulders brushing mine with no heat involved. I whip around and follow him with my eyes as long as I can, losing him in the crowd. 

I look to Liam, for help or an explanation, and I try to convey my confusion with my eyes, words failing me. He gives me a sorrowful gaze, as if he is fearing what he has to tell me. This is all so strange.

Sure, I’m aware my mother isn’t the nicest person, but what does that have to do with me? Or Xaden? Or anyone in this group?

Liam comes towards me and puts his hands on my shoulder, pushing Imogen towards Garrick as he does. “Violet…” he looks down before he continues, “Xaden…we… there’s history with Xaden’s family, with all of ours…and…your mother.”

Garrick begins maneuvering a protesting Imogen down the stairs away from the VIP section, her arguing loudly about something the whole way. I’ve never seen anyone look at me with the amount of malice that Imogen holds in her face. Bodhi squeezes Ridoc’s hand as he walks out, a soft frown on his face. The seating area clears out, leaving Liam and I, 

“What kind of history?” I look at him, at the others leaving, hoping to figure this out. Everyone avoids my eyes. “Someone tell me what the fuck is going on!” I shout. 

“Let me talk to Xaden…” Liam says, and pulls me in a half-hearted hug, “I’ll get him to explain.”

None of it makes sense and I get no more answers. I stand there, frozen in time. I was a moment away from finally knowing what Xaden’s lips on mine feel like, from finally feeling this tension that’s been building for months snap, and now….

I don’t want to be here anymore. Rhiannon comes to my side, embracing me quickly and escorting me down the stairs where the rest of my squad is waiting. We don’t talk to anyone as we make our way out of Chantara and grab an Uber home. 

When we reach my building, I assure them I’m fine enough times to convince them, make my way up the elevator and glance down the hallway at Xaden’s door.

I could be brave, knock on the door and demand answers. 

Tell him I don’t care what he thinks about my family, he doesn’t get to storm out without explaining himself.

Tell him I’d choose him and Luna over my mother any day…

But I don’t.

Instead I open my own door, kick off my heels, and collapse on the couch with Andarna, sobs escaping me. I’m mildly aware of Tairn nuzzling near us, but I drift to sleep still crying minutes later, unsure how the promise of something was ripped away so quickly tonight.

Chapter Text

Light filters through the blinds, pale stripes crawling across the ceiling.

Dawn.

I haven’t moved all night. Just laying here with my hands clasped over my chest, staring up, trying not to think. Failing. Sleep was never going to happen. Not after last night. Not after her name.

A fucking Sorrengail.

I’ve gone and done the one thing I swore I’d never do: let myself want something. A woman who is sharp and kind and too damn beautiful. A woman my daughter adores. A woman who nearly unraveled me last night when she walked into that room in heels that should’ve been outlawed and a dress that gave me no chance of keeping my mind clean or my hands to myself.

And she’s Lilith Sorrengail’s daughter.

How did I not fucking realize? How did I never ask her last name? I was planning my whole fucking life with her in the blink of an eye and I didn’t even know her last name?

I should’ve known. Should’ve asked her last name, checked her mail one day, opened a social media account to find out, literally anything. Me, the man who was trained to see everything, to notice threats before they surfaced. But with her, I didn’t notice the one thing that mattered. Because all I saw was her. 

I should have pressed for more information when Brennan mentioned his sisters years ago.

Fucking Brennan. I’ll deal with that later.

But no. I allowed myself to get blindsided, and now the ground I’ve been carefully building under my feet feels like it’s giving way.

I shove off the sheets and stalk to the kitchen, needing movement, needing something to do before my head splits open. The coffee maker gurgles to life, and I grip the counter until my knuckles ache. I can’t see Violet today. I won’t risk letting Luna witness the kind of rage that’s been simmering in me since last night.

But Luna will want her routine. Dog park, donuts, Violet and Tairn. She’ll come barreling through that door any minute, all curls and laughter, asking for the one thing I can’t give her anymore.

Fuck.

I should have created more boundaries. This is why I keep Luna protected within my circle. People who won’t leave, won’t hurt her. Why I didn’t run to Violet as soon as that prick of a boyfriend left and ask her to be mine. Because I couldn’t risk Luna feeling…abandoned. Not again.

The elevator dings. Right on cue. I glance at my phone before the door opens and see a flood of texts I’ve ignored. A few in the group chat and more from Liam.

Bodhi: Call me if you need me, cousin. Don’t let this ruin things.
Imogen: Are you out of your fucking mind? A Sorrengail?
Garrick: Shut the fuck up, Imogen.

Liam: Left early to get a head start. Didn’t want to wake you.
Liam: Talk to her Xaden. She doesn’t seem to have any idea what’s happening.
Liam: Don’t fuck this up. For Luna or for you.

Liam’s words gnaw at me. He’s always mediating, always seeing the good in things, in people. But I can’t with this. The pain her mother has caused…especially to Liam.

The door swings wide and Luna rockets inside, straight into my arms. My lungs fill for the first time in hours.

“Missed you, my girl,” I murmur into her hair, holding her tighter than usual. She smells like lemon and crayons, like safety. “Did you have fun with Grandpa?”

“Oh, we had a grand time, didn’t we, Luna Tunes?” my father says as he sets her bag on the counter. Fen Riorson, retired Lieutenant Colonel, current CEO, still carrying himself like he’s in command. He’s been wrapped around Luna’s finger since the day he knew she was coming. He convinced me I could raise her alone, when panic clawed at me after Cat left. He stayed in my damn studio apartment in Aretia with me for weeks teaching me how to be a father. And he’s never once doubted I’d do right by her.

“Go on, little dragon. TV before breakfast,” I tell Luna, setting her down. She darts off toward the couch where Sgaeyl is already sprawled, toes twitching in sleep.

I busy myself at the sink, scrubbing dishes that are already clean. My father clears his throat, that practiced warning that he’s about to dig into something I don’t want to discuss.

“Luna couldn’t stop talking about ‘Miss Violet,’” he says, tone mild but eyes sharp. “Is this someone I should meet?”

“She lives down the hall. Her dog and Sgaeyl play on Saturdays,” I reply flatly.

“According to Luna, you usually spend every Saturday together. She even said she slept over.” His voice dips, threaded with disapproval.

“She had trouble with her boyfriend and stayed in the guest room,” I bite out, finally meeting his gaze.

He hums, clearly unconvinced. Then softer, almost fatherly in a way he rarely lets himself be: “Be careful, Xaden. Not just for Luna’s sake— though that’s reason enough. Be careful for yours too. Don’t miss the chance to be happy because you’re too busy carrying ghosts.”

Ghosts. That’s all they are to him. To me, they’re faces burned into my memory. The smell of smoke clinging to my uniform. The weight of casualty lists stamped with the government's approval. Of my friends’ fathers, sisters, and mothers who perished because of Lilith Sorrengail’s approval; of Rex Tauri’s corruption. To me, the ghosts are the back of Catriona’s head as she gets into her sister’s car at the hospital, leaving me with Luna in my arms, alone. I blink hard, shoving the memory down where it belongs.

“I’m fine, Dad,” I say stiffly. “Violet’s just our neighbor.” It hurts to dismiss her impact on us, but I have to start distancing myself from her. From the thought that we could have been more.

His appraising look lingers, but he lets it drop, offering a small, sad smile before saying goodbye.

The rest of the day is hell. I put off Luna’s questions as long as I can, but eventually she pads over, curls bouncing, asking, When are we going to see Tawn and Miss Violet?

My throat closes. I tell her today’s not a good day for Miss Violet, and offer a different park, a toy store, anything. She cries. Big, heaving sobs that cut me open. I finally get her out of the apartment with a promise of anything she wants. I buy too many toys to make up for it, but she’s irritable, restless. She skips her nap, fights me at dinner, refuses story time. She hasn’t thrown a tantrum like this in over a year.

By the time she collapses into sleep, I’m wrecked. Guilt has its claws in me, and I can’t decide if I’m protecting her or just punishing us both.

It’s past midnight when I finally collapse into bed, too drained to even shower. I close my eyes, but Violet is there anyway. Her hair catching the light, her cheeks flushed pink when she looks at me, the way her eyes change color depending on the day or her mood.

The way I almost had her last night. Almost kissed her. Almost let myself have something. Have everything.

I rub my hands hard over my face, like I can scrape her out of my head, like I can erase the ache of her. But she lingers everywhere. In the warmth of this bed that we should have shared, in the silence that should’ve been filled with her laugh, in the space beside me that aches with emptiness. I can see it so clearly it hurts: her tangled hair on my pillow, her sleepy smile when Luna bounds in at dawn, her soft voice coaxing my daughter into sneakers for the park.

It’s a picture I’ve never let myself paint before, because once it’s there, I can’t undo it. Once I see it, I want it. Fuck, do I want it. I want all of it. Mornings with coffee and donuts, laughter in the kitchen, the weight of her head on my chest at night. He hands in my hair as I’m buried in her. Her breath in my ear as I bring her to the edge over and over. The feel of her lips on mine.

In dinners as a family. In a future, watching Luna grow up. Shit, even giving Luna more. Siblings and a mother. I want her woven into every corner of my life until I can’t tell where mine ends and hers begins.

But she’s a Sorrengail.

And wanting her is the one luxury I’ll never be able to afford.

My phone buzzes on the nightstand. Once. Twice. I think about ignoring it. I fail.

Violence: You owe me a conversation. I don’t know what happened last night, or what my family has to do with it, but we need to talk.
Violence: Coffee and donuts tomorrow?

I stare at the screen, thumb hovering. I type out half a dozen replies, deleting every one.

Finally, I drop the phone back onto the table, my chest tight enough to split open.

Fuck.

🌙💜🌟

The week crawls.

Every morning I wake up before dawn, staring at the ceiling. I go through the motions: school drop-off, meetings, dinners, but it’s all mechanical. I haven’t texted Violet back. I haven’t gone to the dog park. Even Sgaeyl stops by her door on our way downstairs each day, waiting for Tairn.

Luna asks about her constantly. At first it’s small: “When can I go see Miss Violet?” 

Then, more insistent: 

“Did she get sick?”

“Did I do something wrong?”

Each question is a knife. I keep dodging, offering half-truths about how “Daddy can’t take you right now” or “We’ll see her soon.” I’m sure to not blame it on Violence. It’s not fair to her to do that. It’s not fair to Luna to keep her from her either. But it feels safer than the truth.

I tell myself I’m protecting my daughter. Protecting her from another Sorrengail. Protecting her from the scandal still hanging like smoke over Riorson Trade. If Violet starts digging— and she will because she’s fucking brilliant— it’ll put her right in the crosshairs of the same people who already gutted my life once. Fucking Brennan had to basically join the military and go to war to avoid Tauri’s revenge. I can’t put Luna anywhere near that.

Or Violet.

But deep down I know it’s not just about Luna. It’s about me. About the ghosts. About the way Violet makes me want to build something permanent and how dangerous that is.

By Thursday, Bodhi’s pounding on my door. He breezes in without waiting, makes himself at home at the counter, and starts making coffee. Typical.

“Make yourself at home,” I grumble and go back to my laptop on my counter. I haven’t been in the office all week, needing to avoid any questions from my dad. If Bodhi is here in the middle of the day, it means Fen has noticed.

“Thanks, I will.” he quips. He takes his time, letting me stew. I grind my teeth, preparing for a fight. My shit with Violet is none of his business.

“You know this could do irreparable damage to Luna right?” he asks, stirring sugar into a mug he didn’t ask for. “You think she’s just going to forget that Violet was a part of her life?”

“Leave it alone, Bodhi. I’m not doing this with you.” I’m firm but I know I’m not winning. He sets the mug down and leans against the counter, arms crossed. 

“You guys had something. Everyone could see it and you’re just throwing it away because of something that happened when she was…what… eleven?” He’s starting to raise his voice a little. I should quit. I don’t.

“Don’t act like you’re here for me. You just don’t want your shit with Ridoc ruined because I’m dragging the mood down.” I bite out.

Bodhi looks up sharply, something hard flashing in his eyes. “You’re a fucking idiot, you know that? You really think this is about me getting laid? About my love life?” He swings his arms open, yelling still, “You’ve always been so wrapped up in your martyr complex you don’t see when people actually give a damn about you.”

I scowl, but he barrels on.

“Look, Xay. You’ve been carrying that past like a goddamn anchor for years. We all know it. We’ve watched it. And fine, maybe you think you deserve it. But Luna doesn’t. And you sure as shit don’t get to use her as your excuse for being miserable. Not when there’s someone who actually makes you happy for once.”

The word lands like a punch. Happy. I open my mouth, but nothing comes out.

Bodhi jabs a finger at me. “Don’t you get it? Violet makes you different. Softer, yeah, but stronger too. She makes you want things you stopped letting yourself want. And that scares the hell out of you, so you’re trying to torch it before it can burn you.” He leans back, shaking his head again. “You’re not protecting her. You’re not protecting Luna. You’re protecting yourself. From your past and your fear. From the idea that maybe you could actually have something good.”

I squeeze my hands closed, knuckles white, jaw tight. The coffee machine clicks off, and we stew in silence, glaring at each other.

Bodhi lowers his voice, steadier now. “You’ve spent your whole life surviving. Maybe it’s time you try living. And if Violet’s the one who makes that possible? Don’t be a coward, Xay. Don’t fucking blow it.”

Bodhi finally grabs his coffee, downs it and put its in the sink. He heads towards the door, looking back at that last second. “And yeah, if you could figure it out so I could fuck my boyfriend that’d be great.” I chuckle for the first time in days as he closes the door behind him.

Later that night, after Luna’s finally asleep, my phone buzzes. Liam. Getting it from every fucking angle I guess.

“You need to get it together,” he says the second I answer. “She doesn’t know what’s happening. Luna’s confused. You’re brooding yourself into a corner.”

“I’m not—”

“Yes, you are.” His tone sharpens. “You think you’re protecting them, but you’re just hurting both. Violet isn’t Lilith. And Luna? She’s not a baby. She will remember this.”

He’s always been the optimist. The one who believes people can be better than their bloodlines or their past. I want to believe him. But I’ve lived this.

He sighs, “Look, I talked to her last night, she’s still really confused and really hurt.” That peaks my interest. She’s two doors down and hurting and I can’t even get over myself to return her texts. Meanwhile, Liam is hours away and has talked to her, comforted her. 

“Enough, Liam. I’ll figure it out.” I can tell he’s grinding his teeth, but he doesn’t press. He talks a bit about Sloane and says he’ll see me at Harvest before hanging up.

I stand in the kitchen in the dark, gripping the counter until my knuckles ache. Bodhi’s words. Liam’s words. My father’s words. They all circle, picking at the scabs I’ve kept sealed for years.

Rex Tauri. The Calldyr reports. Lilith’s signature. My friends’ names on a casualty list.

And Violet. Violet with her soft mouth and sharp mind. Violet asking questions I can’t answer.

And yet, when I close my eyes, all I see is her, kneeling to tie Luna’s sneakers at the park. Her laugh echoing off my kitchen walls. The way she looked at me the night I almost kissed her, like I was the only man in the world.

I don’t know whether to run to her or run from her anymore.

I pour myself a drink and stand at the window, city lights blurring. I should text her back. I should explain.

Instead, I drain the glass, still staring at the city, and mutter to no one:

“Fuck.”

Chapter Text

The night Xaden learned my name didn’t just end us— it started a silence that hasn’t let me breathe since.

The morning after it all fell apart, I woke up with swollen eyes and a headache that no amount of coffee or ibuprofen could cure. My body still ached from dancing in heels, and my chest ached worse from crying. I thought about going to the dog park like always, but the idea of waiting for Xaden and Luna, knowing they wouldn’t come, was unbearable. My heart clenched in my chest at the thought of Luna. She crept in my thoughts as often as Xaden did. Would she understand why I’m not around?

Do I?

I walked Tairn to the coffee shop, drowned myself in an iced latte and double my usual donuts, and came home to bury myself under a blanket with trash TV and my laptop. That’s when I started searching.

Day One turned into Day Two, and research consumed me. My tabs multiplied:

Riorson Trade collapse.
Basgiath construction accident.
Calldyr Holdings acquisitions.

Every article told the same story: a roof collapsed at a building under construction on Basgiath’s campus. Four employees died. Several were injured—including Fen Riorson, CEO. Faulty materials, rushed inspection, contract lost, company ruined. Too clean. Too rehearsed.

By the third night, I sat curled on the couch, where I had been all day. I didn’t attend classes today or go to work. I couldn’t will myself to do it. So here I was, with Thai food cartons and a pint of ice cream, my laptop long discarded. There was no more I could learn. Every article rehashed the same details. If I found a fringe article, there were still too many holes. Not enough names of those responsible, whether from Calldyr Holdings or Riorson Trade. All pointed to Riorson Trade being at fault for their materials, ignoring an inspection report, and causing the deaths of their own employees. 

But why would Fen Riorson cut corners and then be in the building where he would become seriously injured? Who died? What role did Calldyr Holdings play in this? And how the fuck does this relate to my mother and cause Xaden to rush out of Chantara by just learning my last name?

My phone buzzes on the table. “Liam calling…”

I almost didn’t answer, but if I knew Liam, I knew he was calling to check in. On his own behalf, not on anyone else’s. He was without a doubt my closest friend of Xaden’s group. Besides Xaden…

I swipe to answer and barely croak out a greeting.

“Violet? It’s Liam. I…I hope it’s okay I called.”

“Of course,” I whispered. I shift on my couch, causing Andarna to scatter off with an annoyed hiss. She and Tairn have been glued to me all weekend. Tairn is usually on the floor near me, or at my feet in the bed, while Andarna finds a way to be on whatever body part she can easily access. Usually it's directly underneath my chin. 

“How are you?” Liam asks, his voice with a pleading tone. As if he was begging me to be okay, as if he knew I wasn’t.

I sighed heavily. “I’ve been better. But I’ll make it through.”

He paused for a moment before continuing, “I am embarrassed how the group handled…everything. I’m sorry you’re hurting. What can I do?”

Liam was like this, I’d learned. He was fiercely loyal to anyone he called a friend, but he was so genuinely kind. He would do the same to Rhiannon or Ridoc, check on them after a rough time. He was doing this of his own accord, but I couldn’t decide if that was heartwarming or if I was disappointed Xaden didn’t want to know how I was…

“It’s not you who needs to do something.” I stated plainly. The truth.

He hesitated. “He’s not angry at you. He’s…stuck. The name. What it means. He doesn’t know how to separate you from it. But he cares. More than he’ll ever admit.”

“Then why is he ignoring me?” My voice cracked.

There was a long silence, and then: “Because he’s scared.”

🌙💜🌟

“I know how to bury a body.” Rhiannon says as she throws her hands on the books in my cart. I’m not surprised she came to see me at work. I’ve been all but ignoring her and the squad’s group texts for a week. 

I huff a laugh, continuing to shelve the group of research volumes left in order to wrap up another shift. Another shift I picked up to take up my time, so I don’t spend it on the couch crying, researching Riorson Trade, or staring at my door as if I can will Luna or Xaden to walk through it.

“I’m sure you could, but who are we burying? Wait, don’t tell me, I don’t want to know too many details.”

I can feel her eyes on me. She doesn’t laugh at my lame excuse for a joke. “Vi….”

I meet her gaze. “Don’t. I’m fine. I’m handling it.”

She just stares at me with those big brown eyes of hers, her dark braids cascading down past her shoulders. “You’re not. And neither is he, since you’re not telling me what’s going on. Which means you two still aren’t talking. Liam says you haven’t seen Luna—”

“You’ve been talking to Liam about me?”

She lowers her brow and gives me a side smirk like she’s done with my shit. “Violet Sorrengail, we love you and we care about you. You won’t talk to us so we talk to each other. Because we’re worried.”

I pause shelving the book in my hand, but keep my hands on the shelf above and just hang my head. “I miss them.” I whisper after a moment. 

She comes up behind me and wraps her arms around my waist, resting her chin on my shoulder. “I know.”

A week later and another Saturday rolls around. I lie in bed trying to muster the energy to get up. I have a few seminars for one of my courses to attend this evening, and I took a shift at the library today so I can get out of the apartment, avoid hearing Luna in the hallway on the way to the dog park. I know they’ll go. The thought of her little rainbow sneakers bounding down the hallway and not stopping at my door nearly breaks me. 

Two weeks.

That’s how long it’s been since everything shattered. Two weeks of silence, of pretending I’m fine when I’m not. Two weeks of questions without answers, and two weeks of learning how to plaster on a smile so my friends won’t see the wreckage.

I tell myself I should move on. That if he’s going to vanish without a word, then he’s not worth the ache he left behind. I say it every morning while I lace up my shoes, every night when I set my phone on the nightstand with no new messages. I say it so often that maybe, on the surface, I almost believe it. 

But deep down? I know better. Something inside me broke that night, and no amount of distraction, no number of classes or coffee runs or library shifts will put me back together. I can laugh with Ridoc, study with Rhiannon, even sit through Sawyer’s quiet company and pretend I’m steady again—but when I’m alone, the silence settles over me like a weight I can’t throw off.

I may look like I’m doing okay. I may even fool the people who care about me most. But I’ll never really be the same. Because he’s there, in the back of my mind, holding Luna by the dog park gate. Her chubby hands pushing her wild curls out of her face. His piercing eyes softening when they meet mine. And I can’t push that image out of my mind. Can’t ever get away from it.

🌙💜🌟

I can barely look down the hall when I sulk in that evening after a long day of seminars and working in the library. I set my bag down and take Tairn for a pathetic little walk, circling the block before returning to bury myself in homework. Some Saturday night. By eleven, I force myself to shower, ready to put another lonely day behind me.

When I turn the water off, I hear it—Tairn’s low whine and another muffled sound, thin and shaky, like a cry. My stomach drops. I tug a towel around my hair, cinch my robe, and rush into the bedroom.

“Luna?” I gasp when I see her tiny frame curled into my bed, her arms wrapped tightly around Tairn. She’s in pajamas patterned with little ladybugs, her long dark eyelashes damp with tears. Her face brightens faintly at my voice, but her eyes are still swollen from crying.

“What are you doing here? Where’s your dad?” My chest tightens with panic. Something must have happened. I glance toward the living room, half-expecting Xaden to follow, but no one is there.

“Daddy’s sleeping,” she croaks, voice tired and heavy with sorrow.

I move toward her, heart hammering. “Luna… why are you here?”

She presses her face into Tairn’s fur. “Missed you. And Tawn.” She moves to crawl over Tairn and her small arms latch around me, clinging with a fierceness that knocks the breath out of me. I hold her close, guilt surging as the truth clicks into place: she must have sneaked over after Xaden went to bed. I should have forced him to talk to me. To demand some sort of truce for Luna. What does she think? What did he tell her? 

I smooth her hair back, whispering, “Sweetheart, does your dad know you’re here?”

She shakes her head, refusing to meet my eyes.

“You know it’s not safe to go places without telling him,” I say softly.

“I know.” Her lip trembles. “But he said no more Miss Violet. And I don’t want no more.”

The words split me open. I hug her tighter, biting back tears as she sniffles into my chest. I let her stay there for a moment, let her calm down a bit, even as I know I’ll have to return her. She deserves at least a few minutes of comfort. Within moments, her breathing evens, her tiny frame sagging against me. She’s minutes away from sleep.

I lie her on the bed next to Tairn. He rests his large snout on her tiny belly, giving me sad eyes. She grabs the fur of his neck with her little fist, but its not a tight pull, her whole body riddled with exhaustion. 

I should call Xaden. He is going to absolutely freak out when he realizes she’s gone, and it’s better if I tell him before he wakes up in the morning. I grab my sleep clothes out of my drawer and go back to the bathroom to change and hang up my towel and robe. I run a brush through my hair quickly, and when I return to my room to grab my phone, Luna is asleep. I watch her chest rise and fall, her tiny lips open just a smidge for little snores to come out. I grab the blanket from the chair in the corner and drape it over her, letting Tairn adjust his position a bit. 

I go to grab my phone from the nightstand to call Xaden when a sharp, insistent pounding rattles the front door.

“I think I know who that is,” I mutter, putting my phone down on the nightstand and hurrying to the door. Tairn’s ears perk up but he doesn’t move from his spot.

The moment I open it, Xaden fills the doorway. His eyes are wild, his chest heaving, hair disheveled like he sprinted here while getting dressed. Which seems to be the case as he has sweatpants on and and his shirt is on backwards.

God, he’s beautiful. No, Violet, he’s not. Stop it.

“Is she here?” His voice isn’t a shout, but it’s frantic, desperate. His gaze darts past me, scanning every corner like a soldier clearing a room.

I nod quickly. “She’s here, she’s fine—”

But he’s already pushing past me, breath ragged, shoulders tense.

“Xaden!” I grab his arm, trying to anchor him. “I was just about to call you, she’s only been here a few minutes. She’s safe.”

His eyes snap to mine. For just a heartbeat, the fear there is raw and unguarded, like I’m the only one who can give him back what he thought he’d lost. Then the wall slams back down. His calm, lethal face back to calculating.

“Where is she?” His voice cracks.

“In my room.”

He’s gone before I finish, striding down the hall. I follow in silence, stopping at the doorway as he kneels beside the bed. He pushes Luna’s curls back with trembling hands, his shoulders shaking with relief as he watches her sleep. Tairn doesn’t move, only keeps his watchful gaze fixed on him, but the weight of the moment presses down on all of us.

“She said she missed me. And Tairn,” I whisper from the doorway. “I was about to call you, to bring her back.”

He doesn’t answer. Not at first. He just stares at her, grief and fear carved into every line of his face. When he finally stands, he doesn’t look at me. He rakes his hands through his hair, pacing, tugging, like he’s trying to pull himself back together but failing.

And I stay in the doorway, my own heart breaking at the sight. There’s more to his fear than I would expect. He’s frantic in a way that he has already played out the worst case scenario in his head, when he logically could have guessed she was here first.

“She’s safe Xaden.” I reassure him, softly. Besides the colossal amount of shit we need to figure out, I know Luna is the priority for him. As well as me. He needs to calm down before taking her home.

He turns to face me, his arms on his hips. He looks at me, but he’s not meeting my eyes. He looks wrecked. Not just from tonight, no. There are deep, dark circles under his eyes. His hair is missing the boyish curl they get at the ends of them, straightened out more as if he is constantly tugging on the ends or running his hand through his hair. His face lacks its normal hard lines, showing his emotional defeat. 

After a few moments, he sighs, “I should get her home.”

He turns and scoops her in his arms, Luna folding into him with ease, as if she belongs there. Because she does. He walks past me without looking at me, and I let him. I feel physical pain and grief in my chest as he brushes past me towards the front door.

“That’s it?” I snap and turn towards him, taking a few steps to get closer. He’s almost to the door. “You can’t even give me an explanation? Anything?” I’m almost yelling now. All of my buried anger while trying to make sure Luna got home safe is surging back up.

He stops walking as soon as I speak, but doesn’t turn. Just stands there. After a minute, he turns his head to glance at me over his shoulder, and his eyes finally meet mine. 

“I want to give you everything Violet.” A gasp comes out of me involuntarily. He looks pained as he swallows and says, “We’re just the wrong people in the wrong story.”

Chapter Text

I’m laughing for the first time in weeks. The only person who could pull that out of me at this point is Mira.

After another week of silence from Xaden, even after Luna’s midnight run, Dain knocked on my door one morning with a letter from my boss at the Library excusing me for the week. It’s fall break, a week of no classes.

“Brennan sends me on behalf of himself and Mira. Pack your bags, your flight leaves in four hours.” He’d explained. Apparently my brother had gotten wind of my…state… and he and Mira conspired to get me out of town for the week. After an hour of arguing with Dain, and Breannan and Mira on FaceTime, I found myself at Navarre International Airport with an iced oat milk latte and a bag for a week of “fall” weather on the coast with Mira. 

Which is how I found myself on Mira’s balcony, watching the crowds pass by her condo in various Fall Harvest costumes. She’s sitting with a bottle of wine in between us in her pajamas, matching the pair I’m donning as well. We bought them at the store while we were stocking up for a night in with wine and junk food. They have black cats on them and I want so badly to show Luna.

“I’m telling you the guy had no idea where any of the key body parts were, it felt like an anatomy lesson!” She regails a recent tryst with an infantryman from her current post. Mira has always been the more open of the three of us on her romantic life, never shying on the details.

I wrinkle my nose, “That’s truly awful.”

“Soo baby sis… you’ve got two more nights here. Should we find you someone to study your anatomy?” She waggles her eyebrows as she passes me the bottle. 

I stick my tongue out at her in a fake gag, “Gross Mira please do not discuss my anatomy in that tone.” She laughs and waves me off, finishing off her glass and reaching for the bottle again. We’re going to be good and drunk and it’s the best I’ve felt in months. “I think I’ll pass on any one night stands while I’m here.”

My phone dings and I pull it out from its hiding spot in the pile of blankets I’m under.

Liam☀️😎: Happy Harvest Vi from your favorite dragon.

I let a little gasp escape my lips. It’s a photo of Luna dressed as a pink sparkly dragon, holding an orange bucket in the shape of a pumpkin. I have to blink back the tears in my eyes, but it does nothing to stop the crushing weight on my chest. She looks adorable, a huge grin plastered on her face. There's large tawny hands holding her shoulders, as if to keep her still for the photo. I don’t have to see the rest of the body out of frame to know who they belong to.

I “heart” the message, and toss the phone next to me on the bench. I can feel Mira’s gaze boring into me, but I won’t look at her. We’ve gone my entire visit without discussing Xaden or anything related to that night at Chantara. I’ve mentioned Luna a few times, even picking her up a book and a stuffed animal from the local aquarium here. I figured I’d give it to Ridoc to have Bodhi deliver it. From what Rhiannon has told me, they are spending more and more time together. 

“Are we going to talk about it?” Mira asks. I know she’ll drop it if I ask her to. I can’t decide if I want her to, so instead I change direction.

“Have you ever heard of Calldyr Holdings?” If Mira notices my blatant dismissal of her question, she doesn’t mention it. I’m sure she knows, but she’s always known when to push and when to let it go. 

She finishes a swig of her wine, “Feel like they’re some building company, I’m not sure. Why?”

I want to see if she knows of the Riorson Trade accident at Basgiath. She would have been a freshman the year of the accident so she must have heard at least about the roof collapse on campus? Maybe she’ll have more insight into what my mother has to do with it.

“I guess there was an accident on campus with one of the buildings. A roof collapsed, and the building company and the supplier got in a big public feud about it. One of those companies is Calldyr Holdings but I cannot figure out where I’ve heard that name before.”

She’s quiet for a moment. “This was right before Brennan and Mom had their big fight? I feel like I remember a big thing on campus…people died. But I was more focused on getting drunk and laid in my freshman year than details about a school scandal.” I snort.

It was right before Brennan’s big exodus from the family. Well… from mom and dad’s official gatherings and such. He still communicated with us on the sly. Is that what they fought about? But why would that anger Brennan? What did he have to do with it? What did my mother have to do with it? Clearly the question of the hour.

I successfully push off any other inquiries about Xaden for the rest of the night, although I do get a little too drunk and show Mira the picture of Luna in her Harvest costume. We giggle and coo about how adorable she is, which causes us to go down a rabbit hole on my phone of all my Luna photos. We end the night with me completely breaking down and sobbing into my sister’s arms.

🌙💜🌟

Xaden

I’ve accepted that this pit in my stomach and anvil on my chest will be here for the rest of my days. 

It’s been three weeks since Chantara. Three weeks since the look on Violet’s face carved me hollow. Even with the encounter last week, Luna sneaking out to her apartment while I tore the house apart in a panic, I’m no closer to relief. Seeing her standing there, her fucking gorgeous hair falling over her shoulder, steadying me with nothing but her voice… it cracked something. But I still couldn’t.

Luna and I have never been worse. She still laughs, she still plays, she’s truly thriving like she normally does. But those first two weeks were awful. She begged me every. damn. day. To see Violet. I told her it wasn’t a good time, Miss Violet wasn’t home, we had other plans— whatever I could come up with. I didn’t want Violet to become a villain in her story. But I didn’t think I could fake it either. 

Since she ran away in the middle of the night to Violence’s apartment, it feels like there’s been a wall between us. Her hugs are not as tight, she doesn’t tell me random thoughts as much. If I didn’t know better, I’d say my three year old is mad at me. I’d say I deserve it too. I haven’t been the best…throughout all this.

But tonight is Fall Harvest. And no three year old can resist candy and costumes. I got Luna whatever decorations she wanted for the apartment and the dragon costume she begged me for. I even promised to also wear a dragon costume just so I can see her biggest of smiles and maybe get some giggles. Liam came in for the occasion, but I think it’s more to play middle man and beg me to “pull my head out of my ass” as he says. 

I’m hanging up the last of the batwings on the living room wall when there's a knock on the door. I promised Luna I would essentially make it look like Harvest threw up in here and with Liam’s help, I think we’ve succeeded. “I’ve got it,” I shout to Liam who’s hanging orange and black and purple streamers on the back windows where skeletons are already hung.

I open the door and immediately regret it.

Brennan Sorrengail stands there in scrubs, hands on his hips, that vein in his neck near popping out. He’s pissed. 

“Can’t believe it took you this long,” I say, stepping aside. He follows and shuts the door behind him. Guess we’re doing this.

“What the fuck Riorson,” he begins, his voice low and lethal, “why did I have to send my fucking baby sister across the country for a week just to get her to fucking talk to someone?”

So that’s why no one answered for Liam yesterday when he went over there. Not even a bark from Tairn apparently. 

“We’re not doing this, Brennan.” My voice comes out clipped. “We were friends, now we’re not. None of your business.”

“No,” he snaps, “we are doing this. She’s a ghost, Riorson.” I wince. Another fucking ghost. “After Halden, she was finally coming back to herself, finally breathing again. And you ripped that out of her.” 

I don’t answer. I can’t. The memory of Violet at Chantara, the way her eyes shattered when I brushed past her as I existed in my rage, claws me raw. Because when I see her, I don’t just see Violet. I see my father bleeding under a collapsed roof. I see Liam and Sloane, children clinging to each other after their parents were crushed. I see ghosts. And I can’t…

So I go back to hanging batwings. Let Brennan get his big-brother rage out.

“You’re a fucking coward,” he growls. “You got past it with me. You didn’t give a shit that I was a Sorrengail when we were bleeding side by side. You trusted me then. Why can’t you give her the same?”

The words lance through me. Images flash uninvited. Gunfire, smoke, my hands slick with blood that wasn’t always the enemy’s. I squeeze the tack in my fist too tightly, the edge biting my palm. I want to throw it. I want to break something. I steady myself instead.

“Brennan,” Liam warns from the corner, reading the storm brewing in me. He knows I don’t talk about those years. The things they made me do. The things I still dream about.

Brennan shifts on his feet and runs a hand through his hair. “Look Xaden…when I figured out that you were the neighbor, I thought about coming over and playing big brother.” I huff a laugh. That would have been a sight, “But I heard how you’d been there for her. How you protected her. I know how fiercely you guard the people you let in. So I trusted you with the most precious thing in my life.”

That lands. Because I trusted Violet with the most precious thing in mine.

“She doesn’t know, man.” His voice cracks with something between anger and guilt. “She doesn’t know what Lilith signed, what she buried. She has no part in it. Don’t you dare punish her for something she didn’t know happened.”

My hands flex uselessly at my sides. He’s right. I know he’s right. I wipe my hands on my jeans absentmindedly and drop his gaze. Fuck  I know he’s right. I don’t know why I can’t see past this. I’m ripping myself to shreds over this, and that’s nothing compared to what I’m doing to Luna, and to Violet. It’s not fair to her. And I am a coward. 

But if I face these ghosts…I have to face them all. And I can’t do that.

Brennan can tell I’m not going to answer and drops his shoulders in defeat. He nods to Liam, and turns to leave, pausing at the threshold. “She’ll be home in two days. Either fix it, or at least give her closure. She’s worthy of more than abandonment.”

“She’s worth everything.” I mutter. He must catch it, because he still doesn’t leave.

He laughs a little and shakes his head, “Naolin and I are staying with the dogs this weekend until she gets back. Bring Luna by and we’ll give her some candy.” And he’s gone. 

Silence settles heavily behind him. Liam leans on the bar top eyeing me. “So,” he says, bone-dry, “about that pulling your head out of your ass thing…”

I don’t respond. Because Brennan’s right. She’s worth more than this. I just don’t know if I can be the man who gives it to her. But I’ve got to find a way to try.

Chapter Text

After a week of laughing, shopping, drinking, and a little bit of depression, I’m back in Navarre. I feel lighter, like I cried out all of my initial pain, but it’s the kind of lightness that comes after a storm. A bit fragile. My visit with Mira had been exactly what I needed: loud music in the mornings, too much coffee, matching pajamas on the couch with old movies playing in the background. We spent hours walking through the crowded fall market, letting vendors talk us into buying spiced candles and overpriced scarves. At night, we hit the bars with her friends. I drank more than I should have, but the buzz blurred out the sharp edges in my chest.

Still, there were quiet moments, too. Like when Mira thought I was asleep and she called Brennan in the kitchen where they whispered worriedly about me, or when I caught my reflection in a boutique window and saw the hollowed out feeling that I thought was buried staring back at me. I kept telling myself that I was moving on, leaving that night with Xaden in the rearview. But the truth was that every time my phone buzzed, a small, traitorous part of me hoped it was him. 

It never was.

Back in Navarre, there’s still a twinge every time I look down the hall at their door. It’s ridiculous, the way my steps pause at the threshold. I’ve been carrying around a little stuffed octopus from the aquarium Mira took me to for Luna, meaning to give it to her, but I can’t bring myself to knock. What would I even say if Xaden answered?

Fall break is over, and the stretch of time between now and Solstice break always feels like a sprint. The library is packed with students panicking over papers and finals, which means I can pick up as many shifts as I want. I throw myself into the work— reshelving, manning the circulation desk, helping lost freshmen navigate the research database. Anything to fill the hours I’d otherwise spend in my too-quiet apartment with too many thoughts.

Friday afternoons are calmer, though. I’m sitting at the circulation desk, half-focused on my thesis research, when the doors open. A girl with long blonde hair walks in, laughing at something her companion says. Her companion being…Dain, of all people. He’s standing beside her, obviously flustered. She peels off toward the stacks, but not before they share a glance that’s way too pointed to be strictly academic.

I raise an eyebrow at him. “Anything you want to share with the class, Professor Aetos?”

His ears turn scarlet. “Student asking about her final paper,” he insists, his voice just a little too quick. Then, desperate to change the subject, he adds, “How was Mira’s?”

I grin. “Deflection noted. But fine, I’ll let it slide. For now.”

We fall into an easy rhythm while I catalog a stack of new research texts. He tells me about his classes—mostly freshmen, plus one senior-level seminar that Blondie must belong to. He’s enjoying teaching more than he expected. I tell him about Mira dragging me to karaoke and how I nearly sprained an ankle in her heeled boots. It feels normal, comforting even, to banter like this. Dain doesn’t push about anything deeper, and I don’t offer.

We’re in the middle of making vague plans for the weekend when my phone starts vibrating against the desk.

“Shit, this is Luna’s school. Hold on—” I tell Dain as I swipe to accept the call. “Hello, this is Violet?”

“Hi Violet, this is Pam at Little Stars Academy. I have you as an emergency contact for Luna Riorson?”

My heart stutters. “Yes, that’s correct. Is everything okay?”

“She fell on the playground. She’s talking and breathing fine, but we think her arm needs to be seen by a doctor. We tried her father and her grandfather but no answer.”

I’m already shoving books aside, adrenaline drowning out everything else. Dain reads my panic immediately. Without me even asking, he ducks into the chief librarian’s office to clear my sudden departure, then reappears at my side, eyes steady.

“I’ll come with you,” he says firmly.

🌙💜🌟

Dain is covered in sparkle stickers. His bag, his shirt, his face. He sits on the edge of the hospital bed in the emergency department at Navarre Children’s Center. I’ve been pacing non-stop since I finally got a hold of Xaden about ten minutes after we arrived here. He and Fen were in a closed door meeting and no calls were going through, but he had told me he already heard from the daycare and said he was on his way. He hung up quickly. He sounded frantic, worse than the night Luna snuck over.

We’re waiting on the x-rays but the doctor thinks she broke her wrist when she fell. They gave her a little pain medication and had it wrapped but her little sniffles were killing me. Dain stepped up and went to the gift shop and bought all their stickers and has been distracting her ever since. 

I can’t stop pacing. When we got to the daycare she came barreling towards me, tears streaming down her face. She cried the whole way to the hospital and all I could do was rub her head and tell her it would be okay. Dain was definitely right in driving, there’s no way I could have done this alone. She has since calmed down, but I’m riddled with worry and regret. Worrying she will be in more pain, regretting that I wasn’t there. Which I know is irrational, because I’m never at school with her. But the weight of this past month without seeing her has me regretting every time I talked myself out of knocking on Xaden’s door and demanding I at least get time with Luna. 

“Miss Violet is Daddy coming?” Luna croaks out. She’s out of stickers and Dain was reading her a book on getting a checkup, but it seems even that can't distract her for any longer. She looks so tired, laying on the big hospital bed in her pediatric gown. Just then the curtain rips open and Xaden storms in, followed by a man who looks like him, only thirty years older. His eyes are wild, his shirt half-buttoned, and just like the night Luna snuck over, his hands are shaking.

“I’m here, baby,” he rasps, rushing to Luna’s side. He checks her head, her arm, kisses her forehead over and over like he can erase what happened.

The older man turns to me. “You must be Miss Violet,” he says warmly, offering his hand. “I’m Fen, Xaden’s father.”

“Yes, it’s nice to meet you,” I gesture towards Dain behind me, who has to feel so out of place, “this is my best friend Dain. He was with me when I got the call and didn’t think I should be alone.”

“Nice to meet you as well Violet, Dain. Thank you for taking care of our girl here.” Fen responds, his voice rough, giving us a warm smile, then walks over to Luna’s other side to greet her in a hushed whisper. 

“I’m going to wait in the lobby, let me know when you’re ready Violet,” Dain whispers as he takes the opportunity to leave. I think being in this tiny room with all of these people is more than I can handle in my state, so I go to follow him, letting him know I’m right behind him. 

“Miss Violet! Don’t leave!” Luna asks from the bed, causing every pair of eyes to turn towards me. 

“I’ll check on you tomorrow, little dragon. Be with your dad,” I insist. Her little eyes are brimming with tears again, pinning me in my spot.

“No! I want Miss Violet!” She lurches toward me, almost using her injured wrist. I catch her just as Xaden reaches too, our hands brushing, and Luna clings harder to me, thrashing against him.

“No, Daddy! Miss Violet is mine!” The words seem to gut him the way they gut me. His eyes lock on mine, raw and broken.

“Bit crowded in here folks,” a nurse interrupts gently, “How about just Mom and Dad for now?” Fen coughs, but stops with a glare from Xaden. He walks toward Dain by the curtain and ushers him out, leaving Xaden and me, still holding Luna. She's used the distraction to her advantage, crawling up my body and wrapping her arms around my neck. Xaden’s hands are resting on her back.

“Mom, Dad, we need to take her to Radiology, but we’ll be right back,” and she’s followed by an orderly in different colored scrubs with a wheel chair and a large stuffed rabbit in it. I'm not touching the Mom comment with a ten foot pole. I have enough to deal with.

“Luna,” Xaden starts, pushing her wild curls out of her eyes, “they have to go take pictures of your wrist so we can get the doctor to fix it.” My chest aches at how soft he is with her.

Luna lifts her head from my shoulder and looks at Xaden, “Miss Violet…”

His eyes soften even more, if that were possible, so I save him, “I will be right here when you get back, Luna. I swear.”

After the promise of new books and the orderly telling her the rabbit gets to come home with her, she’s off, leaving Xaden and I in the bay behind the curtains alone. The silence is deafening as I sit back down in my chair. It takes everything in me to not look at him, so I prop my elbows on my knees and bury my face in my shaking hands. The weight of the last few hours comes crashing down on me and I’m breathing heavily, trying desperately to not break down. After a moment or two, I see two boots through my fingers, and watch as Xaden crouches down. He gently grabs my fingers and pulls them away from my face.

“Violence. Look at me.” The nickname does it. I meet his gaze and the tears flow freely. He’s still holding my fingers so I can’t wipe them away. A not-so-small part of me feels like he deserves to see me cry. 

“Thank you. For getting her, bringing her here. Making her feel safe.” He’s barely speaking, it comes out less than a whisper. Like he wants us in this small bubble where no one else can hear. “There’s no one else who could have kept her calm in that moment. Not even my dad.”

I sob a little more and he brings one of his giant hands to my cheek to wipe my tears away. It’s incredibly intimate. Visions of him comforting me after my fight with Halden invade my brain and it makes me break even more. How did we get here?

“I would do anything for her,” I answer between sobs, “Please don’t take her from me.”

He wraps his arms around me instantly, holding me through more sobs. He strokes my hair and whispers, “I won’t, I promise.” His embrace is strong and warm, and his voice is rough and cracking, full of emotion. I could live here, I think. In his arms. With him whispering to me.

After a minute, I calm down, and he pulls back, settling his hands on top of mine in my lap. “I’m so sorry Violet…”

The curtain draws open at that moment, the orderly wheeling Luna back in. She gives me a huge toothy grin and shows me her bunny. I cuddle up to her on the bed, per her request, and we watch DragonTales on my phone, Xaden sitting on the end of the bed rubbing circles idly on Luna’s legs. Eventually, the doctor comes in and informs us her wrist is indeed broken and she’ll need to get fitted for a cast. Xaden confirms some details with the doctor while I hold Luna still as the nurse preps her for her temporary splint. When Xaden finishes, I let him take my place.

“Luna, sweetie, I’m going to go home and take Sgaeyl for a walk so she can give you cuddles ok?” I tell her, needing to get the hell out of here and catch my breath. She nods her head where it lays on Xaden’s chest, and I turn to leave. Xaden catches my wrist before I get far.

“Dog park tomorrow?” he asks, his eyes pleading. This is his olive branch.

I nod and give him a soft smile, then exit. I find Dain in the lobby sitting silently next to Fen. Neither man is talking to the other. I walk up to them and give them the news, letting Fen know they shouldn’t be much longer. 

As Dain and I are heading towards the parking garage, the double sliding doors behind us open and Fen calls my name.

“Violet, wait,” he calls, waiting for me to turn. I do. “I want you to know that…I mean…” he looks at a loss for words. He studies Dain and I for a moment before beginning again. “It doesn’t matter to me. Never would. Please don’t give up on him. He’s my only son but he can be a stubborn ass sometimes.”

I snort a laugh in agreement, and I don’t miss the small smirk on Dain’s face. Fen just watches me more, so I nod. 

“He’s worth it, I promise. Just give him time.” Fen says finally. 

I think about it for a minute, then look back at Fen, “He’s worth everything.”

Chapter Text

I have never been more excited to be up at seven in the morning on a Saturday in my life. 

I have also never been more nervous. I have been pacing around my house, fully dressed in a casual set of athletic wear, since six. 

Tairn is giving me his most annoyed look from his dog bed in the corner of the living room, while Andarna is following me on my trek each way. I’ve made coffee, I’ve had breakfast, I’ve had more coffee. It’s only quarter past seven.

I tossed and turned all night last night, sleep coming in short waves. Maybe. I felt as if I never really fell asleep, just got really close, then woke back up. My mind was racing all night. The feeling of Xaden’s hands on mine, of his knuckles and thumbs wiping my tears away. The sound of his voice so close, rough but comforting.

I’m in deep deep shit.

In the matter of a month I went from angry at him, deciding to forget him, him telling me he wants to give me everything, sparking hope, more anger, and then whatever the hell last night was! Between the adrenaline running out of me from Luna’s trip to the emergency department and the adrenaline pumping into me from Xaden’s touch, I wasn’t sure if I should take a bath to get relaxed for bed or use my vibrator to bring to the edge over and over to get all this heat out of me.

Obviously I did both.

Back to pacing. And planning. I will not allow my stupid sexual feelings for this infuriating man to overpower my need for the truth. Or at the very least, an explanation. I need to know what my last name triggers in him. I need to know how my mother was involved in this scandal and why it hits so close to home to Xaden that he essentially ghosted me for a month. And sure, I also need him to get over this so I can finally get my hands on all those muscles—

Wait, what?

Tairn starts barking, as if anticipating a visitor, pulling me out of my own thoughts. A little knock at the door tells me I wasn’t the only one ready early. I open the door and am greeted by the little dragon herself, still sporting the temporary splint, but also a huge smile. She launches herself at me as soon as I open the door.

“MISS VIOLET!” She shouts as she does her best to wrap her arms around my neck. I scoop her up and hold her close, taking in the weight and warmth of her. I knew I missed her, but getting to hug her again, it hits me just how close I had become to Xaden and Luna and how wrong my life felt without them in it. 

“Good morning Luna! Does your dad know you’re here today?” I tease, even though I can sense him just down the hall. She giggles at me and turns her head back towards their door. 

“Yes, today she has permission,” Xaden says softly, rounding the threshold to lean against my door frame, Sgaeyl in tow. Tairn begins sniffing her enthusiastically. “We did discuss how we will not be doing that again, right Luna?” He delivers the last part with a pointed look down at Luna. 

“Sorry Miss Violet.” She looks at her sparkly purple boots when she says it, as if she’s ashamed she ran away and my heart breaks.

“It’s okay Luna,” I kneel to get eye to eye with her, “Should we take these pups to the park?”

Her face lights up and she jumps into me, arms wrapping her arms around my neck. I stand and go to grab Tairn’s leash, but Xaden already has him hooked in. We wordlessly enter the elevator, Luna clicks the button for the lobby, and we all make our way down to the parks. It seems normal, but I can tell Xaden is stiff, unsure of what to say or where to start. Once we get the dogs off their leashes and squared away, Luna runs out of my arms and takes off to play. There are other children here today, so hopefully she’s occupied enough for us to have a conversation without being interrupted. 

“So…” I start, once we’re alone. I’m not sure what to say other than that.

Xaden has his hands in his pockets, and he’s kicking dirt with his shoe mindlessly. He seems nervous. He sighs heavily before he starts, “There was an accident. Years ago. I was fourteen. A roof collapsed at a building under construction at Basgiath and it killed four members of my father’s company. My father was severely injured, along with a few others.”

I know this, but the way Xaden is setting it up makes me feel like there’s more he knows than I’ve already found out. He is still refusing to look at me, but I can’t look at anything else but him. I don’t say anything, hoping he will keep going.

“The investigation into the accident discovered that the materials my father’s company supplied were faulty. Something with the fasteners to the roof beams. Our lawyers argued we couldn’t have known. My father had ordered an inspection just a week before, and it passed with flying colors. Didn’t matter. Riorson Trade paid for damages, for lost employees, bled out millions in stock. Our reputation was ruined. And all of it while my father was in a hospital bed.”

I want to wait to see if there’s more to the story, I have so many questions, but all I can offer is…sympathy. “I’m sorry. That’s awful.”

Xaden glances at me briefly, just long enough for me to catch the sorrow flickering in his eyes. Something about it clues me into the fact that the tragedy hit closer to home than I know. “The employees that were killed… one was Garrick’s dad,” 

I suck in a breath. 

“One was Imogen’s sister.” His voice tightens. “The other two were Liam and Sloane’s parents.” 

Tears blur my vision. I knew Liam’s parents had died in an accident, but I always assumed it was something like a car crash. I never imagined this. That so many people in his circle, his chosen family, had their lives shattered in the same day.

“Xaden…” I whisper, but words fail me. What comfort can I possibly offer? He doesn’t want my pity. 

“The people you met at game night? Every one of them had a family member on the premises that day. No one got out unscathed. Bodhi’s mom…my aunt…” he swallows, “she had a traumatic brain injury. She’s never worked again. Masen and Soleil had family members there who had injuries that took months to recover from.”

His inner circle was literally built off tragedy. I force myself to ask what’s clawing at me. “I’m truly sorry. I am. But what does this…”

“Have to do with you?” He scoffs. There’s no anger in it, really. It comes out more like he’s annoyed that I don’t know. “The inspection report that cleared the site? It was signed off by your mother. And Rex Tauri. After some digging— and a source who came forward years later — we found out the inspection didn’t pass at all. Tauri and the university wanted the building finished on time. So they buried it. Faked the report. Cut corners so no one would lose money.”

Rex Tauri. Halden’s father. “Tauri… What does he have to do with this?”

Xaden’s look is incredulous, like he can’t believe I’m asking. “Rex Tauri is Calldyr Holdings. He built half this city. And he owned the inspection company that signed off on the site.”

So Calldyr, owned by Tauri, owned the inspection company. They said the roof was safe when it wasn’t. Then it collapsed. Then the blame landed on Riorson Trade.

“You think Tauri put the blame on your father’s company to protect himself.” It’s not a question. My voice is barely a whisper, but I’m stating it as a fact. 

“I don’t think.” His tone is pure conviction. “I know.”

“If you know, then why didn’t your dad fight it? Why is Tauri not to blame?”

We’re momentarily distracted by Luna’s giggles as she chases another little girl on the playground. I’m pulled out of our conversation to realize where we are. I check on Tairn and Sgaeyl, who are unaware that we even exist sprawled on the grass, and turn back to Xaden. 

“My father couldn’t fight,” he says, running his hands through his hair. “He had multiple surgeries, had to relearn how to walk. And we didn’t have the resources to go after someone like Tauri or Basgiath. You don’t take on Calldyr Holdings without being crushed. People who tried…” he swallows hard, jaw tight, “they lost more than lawsuits. Tauri makes problems disappear.”

The weight of his words presses into me.

“And me?” He huffs a bitter laugh. “I was a kid, but someone had to hold it together. Garrick. Imogen. Liam and Sloane— they all needed someone. So I stepped up. Whether I was ready or not.”

My head is swimming.

Basgiath. My mother. She co-signed the inspection. Maybe she didn’t know the full extent, but she knew enough to look away. Our family’s ties to the Tauris go back decades. It was practically expected I’d end up with one of the brothers once we crossed paths. Now, the likelihood she knew something… is revolting. I can’t form words. I know nothing I say will erase what was taken from him. But I want him to know I’m not her. That I’d never look the other way. So I just meet his eyes, letting him see the sorrow in mine.

He lets out a long sigh, and his shoulders sag a little bit. “Violence…” The sound of the nickname makes my heart shoot in my throat. Something changed with him telling me the history, as if he feels we can still be…. Neighbors? Friends? “When I heard your name at Chantara…I freaked out. I felt like I had been betrayed, like this was all some ruse. Like I’d let the enemy get too close.” The shadows in his eyes take over any form of light. He has that look like he’s fighting his demons inside, the memory of the worst days of his life.

Something inside me snaps. Not loudly. Not violently. But enough. I gave him my sorrow and empathy, which was deserved. But I’m not moving forward with this until he knows how he hurt me.

“So you disappeared.” My voice is soft, but there’s steel laced through it. He lifts his eyes to me, startled by the shift. “You decided who I was without giving me a chance to be anything. You made me feel like I’d done something wrong when I didn’t even know any of this.”

He flinches slightly. Good.

“I spent weeks wondering what the hell I did,” I continue, crossing my arms. “I went across the fucking country to get some clarity. You don’t get to tell me you felt betrayed while you were the one shutting me out. That’s not fair, Xaden.”

His jaw tightens, but not defensively. It’s guilt. He runs a hand through his hair. “You’re right,” he admits quietly. “It wasn’t fair. None of it. I just…panicked. Everything about that day, that history— it’s carved into me. And hearing your name was like ripping it open again. But that’s not an excuse for hurting you.”

For a moment, neither of us speak. Luna’s laugh carries across the playground, light and joyful, grounding us.

I swallow hard. “I’m not my mother,” I say, steady and sure. “And I didn’t know. But I do now. And I am so, so sorry for what happened to you, to all of you. But don’t you ever make the mistake of deciding who I am based on someone else’s choices again.”

His shoulders ease, just slightly, like the air’s finally coming back into his lungs. He steps closer, the world narrowing to the space between us.

“You have nothing to apologize for, Violence,” he says, voice soft in a way that makes my chest ache. “You’re not her. You’re…good. Kind. Better than I deserve.”

His hand lifts almost without thought, tucking a stray piece of my braid behind my ear. His fingers brush my skin and a shiver runs down my spine. I should look away, but I don’t. Neither does he.

“I’m sorry,” he continues, voice rougher now. “For cutting you out. For hurting you. You deserved better than that.”

I nod slowly. “Yeah. I did.” My voice isn’t sharp now, it’s honest. And then, softer, “But I’m glad you told me.” I give him a soft smile, trying to convey that we’re good now. I’ve said my piece. 

The corner of his mouth lifts, just barely, like he can’t quite help it.

🌙💜🌟

We spend the rest of the day together, the three of us. Xaden treats us to donuts, per usual, and then we spend way too much time at the bookstore. Luna seems the most pleased that her routine is back on track, and she practically keeps her non-cast hand glued to mine.

We find ourselves at a little arts market, where different vendors are selling their wares. Garrick has joined us after donuts. He claims he was just in the neighborhood, but the “run-in” outside the donut shop and the glare Xaden gave him clues me in that he was planning to be here either way. I giggled and didn’t pry.

Luna beams as she drags Garrick and me to each booth, showing us what she fancies. I’m admiring a table of hand-painted mugs when Garrick appears at my side like a shadow I didn’t invite. He picks one up, turning it in his hands.

“You know,” he says loudly enough for half the market to hear, “I’ve never seen Riorson hover like this before. He’s pretending to check out the knife stand, but his eyes haven’t left you in ten minutes. Man’s practically vibrating.”

Heat rushes to my cheeks. Sure enough, when I glance up, Xaden is two booths away, glaring like Garrick is the biggest threat to my safety.

“Don’t be ridiculous,” I murmur, but Garrick’s shit-eating grin pulls a chuckle out of me.

“Oh, come on, Sorrengail. Back in our service days, he could go weeks without showing a single emotion, months without talking. Now? You talk about one of your books and he has a smile on his face. You accidentally brush hands with me and suddenly he’s ready to commit war crimes. He’s losing control and I fucking love it”

I swat his arm, laughing in spite of myself. “You’re making it up.”

“Am I?” Garrick waggles his brows, then leans closer conspiratorially. “You’ve turned Broody McBrooderson into… Softie McHoverpants. I bet he’s about two seconds from marching over here to reclaim you.” As if summoned, Xaden moves. Purposefully. A wall of black shirt and scowl, coming straight for us. Garrick cackles, delighted. When he reaches us, he doesn’t even acknowledge Garrick. Just brushes his shoulders with mine, inserting himself between Garrick and I with all the subtlety of a possessive dragon.

“Find something you like?” he asks me, voice low, rough, completely ignoring Garrick, who is practically vibrating with glee at the show.

I hold up the mug, biting back a smile. “Maybe.”

Garrick claps his hands, loud and obnoxious. “God, this is better than cable. Don’t worry honeybear, she’s all yours.” Xaden shoots him a look that could kill. Garrick only winks, taking a massive bite of Luna’s cookie while she squeals in protest.

“Uncle Garwick! That was mine!” she whines, stomping her little foot.

“Sharing is caring, princess,” he teases, handing her the last crumb. “Besides, I’m keeping you from a sugar crash. You’ll thank me later.”

“Nooo, I want another one,” she insists, tugging at his sleeve.

He leans down conspiratorially. “Tell your dad Miss Violet said cookies build strong bones, and maybe you’ll get lucky.”

Luna’s eyes go wide. “Really, Miss Violet?”

I bite back a laugh. “Don’t drag me into this, little dragon.”

A few booths and at least three treats later, Luna starts yawning on Xaden’s shoulder. We decide it’s time to head home. As we walk, Garrick lingers beside me, his grin softening just a fraction. “Don’t let his scowl fool you. He needs this. Needs you. He’s been carrying that scandal and his family’s mess for too damn long. You make him… lighter. Which, for Xaden, is basically a miracle.”

Before I can answer, Luna pipes up sleepily from Xaden’s arms. “Daddy, Uncle Garwick talks too much.”

“You’re damn right, Luna,” Xaden affirms, his mouth twitching. Garrick just roars with laughter and says his goodbyes, heading towards his car. 

We walk in silence back to our building and up the elevator, and I take my leave at my door, not allowing myself to look back. The tension is palpable and I need some space to figure out my thoughts.

I busy myself for the rest of the day, trying to not give into my desire to march down the hallway and knock on Xaden’s door. I prepare for the week ahead, watch trash tv, and even fucking meal prep. I’m so pent up, I consider going to the gym on the first floor. It’s only early evening when my phone lights up.

Xaden 🌙🐉: Luna and I made burgers if you want some.
Xaden 🌙🐉: She’s asking for you 

Well, shit.

Me: Thanks, I just made dinner. Tell her rain check?
Xaden 🌙🐉: K but next time you get to deal with her wrath
Xaden 🌙🐉: Left something at your door for you though

That gets my attention. I wait a few minutes, not ready to face him because I know my lie about dinner will come spilling out of me. When I open the door, I completely melt at the mug that I was looking at this morning, sitting on my welcome mat with a single flower inside it.

🌙💜🌟

It takes everything in me to avoid them for the next week. Sunday I spent the entire fucking day out of the apartment, basically planting myself on Rhiannon and Ridoc’s couch to avoid running into Xaden in the damn elevator. Ridoc made fun of me extensively for my naughty naughty thoughts, but ultimately we all agreed I have to figure out what I want before doing anything rash. Of course, Rhiannon took that as her personal mission and by the end of the day, I had my answer.

I am falling for Xaden.

Shocking, I know. But after trying to explain away the feelings he physically and emotionally gives me, there was no denying I just need more with him. But that doesn’t mean I can act on them. Luna is too important and if this isn’t….forever…then it’s way messier than any other breakup.

I make it to Wednesday before anyone else mentions Xaden. Thankfully school is still in session for a few more weeks, which means I can distract myself with term papers and picking up library shifts. But as I’m getting ready for bed, Liam reaches out.

Liam☀️😎: Just got off a video call with Luna & Xay. He says she hasn’t stopped smiling since your dog date on Saturday. Pretty sure she thinks donuts with you are the pinnacle of life.
Me: She’s too easy to please.
Liam☀️😎: Don’t sell yourself short. It’s you she’s glowing over. He is too, you know. He tries to hide it, but he’s different when he lets you in.
Me: Different how?
Liam☀️😎: Like he remembers what hope feels like.

I’m not sure what to respond to that. I try to let it go, but if I know Liam….

Liam☀️😎: I know you’re second-guessing everything, but let me say this: you’re good for him, Violet.
Me: We’re just friends, Liam.
Liam☀️😎: Sure, Vi. Xaden doesn’t see it that way, trust me.
Me: …
Liam☀️😎: Don’t wait for him to figure out how to say it. You already know. Be brave for both of you.

I make it to Friday without any more reminders that I’m completely, hopelessly, and dangerously falling for my neighbor. Xaden hasn’t texted or called once, and Luna hasn’t knocked on my door. A not so small part of me was hoping now that things are going back to normal, she’d start showing up unannounced like she used to, but I’m assuming the radio silence Xaden and I are giving each other might be the cause for Luna’s absence. 

Still, I decide tomorrow at the dog park I’m going to try and take him up on the dinner with Luna invitation. For Luna’s sake, obviously.

I don’t make it that far. It’s just after my final class when my phone rings and I pull it out of my bag to see Xaden’s name on the lock screen. I mentally freak out, try not to throw up, wish I could run away, and slide my finger across the screen to answer all in about thirty seconds.

“Hello?”

“Violence. You wouldn’t be avoiding me, would you?”

I can practically hear his smirk through the phone.

“No,” I nervously laugh, “You know how the end of the semester can be.”

“Excuses.” He scoffs, but it’s playful.

My throat is suddenly scratchy and I fight to regain control of this conversation. “To what do I owe the pleasure of this phone call, Riorson?”

“I’m making you dinner tonight. Luna will be there. So will Tairn. And you. Six o’clock. Don’t be late.”

Chapter Text

The smell of pasta sauce and boiling water fills my nostrils as I walk into the apartment. Xaden called from the kitchen for me to come in after I knocked. So casual and comfortable. I put my jacket on the rack and my bag on the floor, turning towards the kitchen to put down the bottle of wine I’d grabbed and Luna’s stuffed octopus from the aquarium.

“Smells good in here,” I muse, trying to break up my nerves. I feel like running back out that door into my own apartment and hiding under the covers. I’m not even sure why, this isn’t the first time I’ve had dinner with Luna and Xaden. But it feels different.

Xaden looks up from where he’s chopping garlic and gives me a smirk. “Spaghetti Fridays are a thing at our house. Since I was little.”

I start to ask him about that, trying to put more of the Xaden puzzle into place, but Luna pulls a Luna and barrels into my legs from behind, screeching as she hugs me tight. “Miss Violet! You came!”

I turn to scoop her up, placing her on the barstool. “Of course little dragon, wouldn’t miss having spaghetti with you.” I wiggle my nose on hers, rewarding with the cutest giggle. I reach back and grab the octopus, handing it to her. She's sporting a more permanent fluorescent cast on her injured wrist, but it doesn’t seem to slow her down in the slightest. She grabs my hand and hops off the stool, pulling me towards her room, talking nonstop about how I just have to see the new bookshelf Uncle Liam made her.

In all the times I’ve been here, I’ve only ever seen the main rooms, and the guest room on that one night. Luna’s bedroom is exactly as I’ve pictured it. Compared to the sleek black and gray tones in the main rooms and guest room, this room is full of color. Her bed is a white wood frame, with a scalloped headboard. It’s decked out in pinks and whites and purples, with unicorns and castles and princesses on the sheets. She has at least seven stuffed animals on it, including the stuffed rabbit from the hospital. I also notice the bed is meticulously made, and I can’t help my smile at the picture of big and strong Xaden using military precision to make the unicorn bed.

There’s a table in the corner with a rack full of art supplies on the wall behind it. Along the wall next to it are dozens of art projects— drawings, paintings, macaroni art. All with ‘LUNA’ written in the corners, in the best toddler handwriting. She has a toy box in the other corner and a dollhouse…no, castle… at the end of her bed. And then I see the main event. Her bookcase is opposite the door, directly in the view of anyone entering the room.

She bolts over to it, letting go of my hand at the threshold and stands next to it, turning slightly to me and holding her hands up like a game show host. “It’s blue like my dragon! Uncle Liam made it for me!”

“Oh my goodness Luna! It’s perfect!” I exclaim, and it’s not a lie. It has a scalloped top to match her bed, six shelves in it and it’s completely filled to the brim in books. I notice a few on display, rather than tucked in order with the rest of the books. And there at the top, I smile with pride as I notice Dragons Don’t Dance Ballet is the most prominent book on the shelf. I walk closer to get a look and notice the hand painted dragons on the side with beautiful mountains.

Luna and I spend time going through her favorite books and toys, and she ends up making a mess of her clean room. I am helping her tidy up when Xaden appears in the doorway with a chuckle to let us know dinner is ready. Luna jumps up and rushes to her bathroom to wash her hands for dinner. I put the last of the stuffed animals back on her bed and turn to head out the door. Xaden stops me at the threshold, and wraps his arm around my waist gently so I look at him. 

“Thank you for coming. She missed you.” He murmurs in my ear. Our shoulders are touching, my long braid falling in between, and his hand rests on my hip. The energy is so charged where his finger tips rest on my jeans. It would be so easy for both of us to bridge the gap and have our lips meet. A shudder goes through my body and his hand flexes on where it rests. 

When our eyes meet, he continues “I missed you too,” before letting go and stepping aside so I can continue towards the dining table. I practically bolt, needing some distance between us before I do something entirely inappropriate. I have decided to approach my feelings about him directly, but at dinner in front of Luna on Spaghetti Fridays is not the time or place.

We settle into our respective chairs and Xaden starts to serve our food. Luna talks the entire time— about her day at school, the drawings she made, what she thinks of spaghetti, how she had a dream about a cat, why can’t Andarna come to dinner— and I laugh the entire time. She has endless energy and joy, it’s a wonder to witness. Xaden simply listens, eats, smiles. He is so enraptured in her, so at ease, it pulls at my chest.

“How about we walk to Dylan’s for some ice cream?” Xaden offers up as we finish up dinner. Luna shrieks and runs off to her room, presumably to put shoes on. We both giggle.

“I’ll treat!” I offer. Xaden gives me a sideways glare that tells me you wish but I am nothing if not determined.

In the end, I do win. I strategically have Luna ask Xaden a question as soon as the ice cream is handed out and then swoop in with my card. He glares at me, but there’s no malice behind it. We sit out on the storefront patio and eat, chatting and taking turns wiping Luna’s face. 

“Spaghetti Fridays seem like such a good tradition. You said you had them when you were young?” I ask, trying desperately to get every kernel of information I can about him. 

Xaden nods, giving one more go at wiping Luna’s chin, “Yes, it was important to my mom. She wanted to ‘embrace these days while they lasted’ she used to say. I think they would have fallen off a bit when I was a teenager with my own plans.” The shadows in his eyes have returned. He’s never mentioned his mother before, and Luna has never mentioned a grandmother. 

“Thank you for sharing it with me.” I don’t want to push but I’m silently begging him to keep talking.

His attention is back on me, “She would have liked you.” I give him a shy smile but hold his eye contact. “She died when I was ten. But she would have loved the way you love Luna.”

My heart aches for him. He has such sadness in his eyes, and for once he’s not masking it. It’s different than when he’s clearly remembering memories he wishes he didn’t. Like when he told me about Catriona or the few times he’s mentioned his time in the military. This is sorrow. I reach over to put my hand on top of his. He shifts and laces his fingers with mine.

“My dad died.” I blurt out. I think I’m trying to show him common ground. “When I was in high school. It gets easier to pretend, but the pain…it stays.”

He nods, a somber look on his face. Our hands are still interlaced, and he squeezes gently. 

“What a pretty little family you make.”

I know that voice. The same sharpness as Halden, only darker, more mocking. My shoulders tense as Xaden’s head snaps up, onyx eyes narrowing. Without hesitation, his arm snakes around Luna, pulling her into his lap. He has gone from a sorrowful boy with too much pain in his eyes to the special ops soldier I’ve only seen once. Only there’s no shadows in his eyes now. Instead, it’s pure rage.

Alic Tauri stands just a few feet away, a smirk carved into his face. Beside him, his younger brother Cam shifts uncomfortably, his posture tight, jaw set in a way I’ve rarely seen.

“Alic, don’t,” Cam says firmly, his voice low but full of warning. He flicks an apologetic look my way, soft and regretful, but it doesn’t match the stiffness in the rest of his body. He’s bracing for when something goes wrong, as if it's inevitable.

Cam and I grew to be good friends after Halden and I started dating. While the Tauris were always attached to my family throughout my life, it was always in a business sense and I only saw the Tauri boys at official functions, where we would do our best to sneak off and do kid things, but mostly we were the kids stuck at stuffy events. Halden and I reconnected at college and started dating, where our families fully merged. Cam is so unlike his older brothers. He’s more like me— quieter, academic, kind. He played sports because he’s simply too built to not, but rather than do lacrosse like his brothers, he played soccer. And rather than major in business to follow the Tauri name, he is journalism major at Basgiath, where he should be graduating this year.

“What?” Alic spreads his hands, false innocence dripping off him. “I’m just making an observation. Violet looks so comfortable. Almost domestic. And with a Riorson, no less. Isn’t that… something?”

Xaden doesn’t flinch. “Alic. Leave,” he growls, low and lethal, the kind of voice that doesn’t need to be raised to feel like a threat.

Alic laughs, sharp and humorless. “Relax, Riorson. I’m not here to start anything. Just curious. Last time I saw Violet, she was tangled up with my brother. Didn’t take long to move on, did it?”

Heat floods my cheeks. “What I do is none of your business, Alic. I know my worth and chose it.”

He tilts his head, eyes glittering with cruel amusement. “You always did aim low, Violet. From the wrong twin to this broken soldier.”

Xaden’s entire body goes rigid. His knuckles are white where he holds onto Luna. Her big eyes bounce between the grown ups, landing on me. She doesn't look scared, but she definitely isn’t calm.

Cam quickly steps up to his brother, grabbing his arm, voice raised. “Enough. Alic, you’ve made your point. Let’s go.”

Luna twists in Xaden’s lap, “Daddy?”

But Alic isn’t finished. He leans around Cam, his gaze sliding to me. “Poor kid. She thinks this is a family, but she’s a Riorson. She’ll learn soon enough that’s not a blessing.”

Xaden stands, shoving his chair backward and handing me Luna. His voice cuts like a blade. “Say one more word about her and you’ll regret it.”

Cam grabs Alic’s arm, dragging him a step back. “That’s enough,” he snaps. He glances at me again, eyes apologetic. He mouths a quick I’m sorry. Then he pulls his brother down the street, who’s laughing maniacally.

I let out a shaky breath I hadn’t realized I was holding.

“Who was that?” Luna asks innocently.

Xaden doesn’t answer. He reaches to pull her out of my arms, his hand resting on the back of her head, protective, while his stare stays fixed on the space where Alic disappeared. The air feels heavier now, charged with an unspoken truth I can’t ignore.

For the first time, I wonder just how dangerous the Tauri family really is— and what I’ve stepped into by sitting at this table.

🌙💜🌟

We walk back in silence, Xaden shaking off his anger as he walks with Luna in tow. I keep my hand on his back as much as I can, trying to anchor him. 

“Daddy can Miss Violet read me my story tonight?” Luna asks in the elevator. Xaden looks at me as if asking if that’s okay.

“Sure thing Little Dragon.” I answer.

After her bedtime routine, she hops onto the bed with her book and I dive right into the story. Xaden excused himself after pajamas, his entire body still tense from our interaction at the ice cream shop. 

“Miss Violet?” Luna asks as I’m on the last few pages of the book.

“Hmm?”

“Is Daddy okay?” She’s fidgeting with her stuffed blue dragon, not looking at me or the book.

That tugging in my chest is back. “Yes, sweetie. He just loves you and wants to keep you safe. Sometimes he has to be…strong…to do that.” I’m not sure how to approach this topic, but I try my best.

She thinks for a minute, “and you.”

I look at her in question, “What do you mean?”

“He wants to protect you too, Miss Violet.”

I kiss her head rather than responding. She snuggles close, so I call it quits on the book, tuck her in and turn out her light. As I shut the door, my whole body is near trembling with tension. This beautiful little girl can notice that her dad cares for me, and I’ve tried to deny it for so long. But I’m overcome with my feelings as I make my way into the main rooms again. I see Xaden standing in the kitchen, his back to the cabinets, his arms holding him up on the counter. But his head hangs, his jaw tense. 

Be brave, Violet.

I walk up to him and put my hand on his cheek. He startles a little, and lifts his head to look me in the eyes, and I see him soften, so quickly I almost miss it. But it’s there.

“You okay?” I say, low and soft.

He leans into my touch ever so slightly and sighs heavily. “I’m terrified.” I furrow my brow, and he continues, “I’m terrified he’s right and Luna will suffer like I did, and lose people she loves.”

“Alic is an asshole. And you are a perfect Dad. Luna is so loved.” I say, putting all of my confidence into my tone. “She will be okay.”

He puts his hands on my hips and pulls me closer. My heart is shooting out of my chest and I hope he can’t feel me shaking. “We don’t deserve you.”

We stand there in silence, gazing at each other. My mouth feels like a desert, and I’m certain you can see my pulse actually pounding in my neck. I lick my lips and Xaden gently pushes me back just a smidge, dropping his hands.

“Damnit,” he rushes out a harsh breath, “touching you was a bad idea.”

A small gasp comes out of my mouth. I decide to lean into this, to choose this. Choose them. “Was it?” and I take a small step forward. 

His eyes flash like I’ve shocked him. Then they turn completely black with desire. 

“Fuck it.”

His lips crash into mine before I can take a breath. One of his massive hands cups my cheek, warm and firm, the other tangling into my hair and pulling me closer until I can’t tell where I end and he begins. I clutch at his shirt, desperate, opening for him in invitation, and he takes it like he’s been starving for years. His tongue sweeps into my mouth, tasting, claiming, and I’m undone, absolutely ruined.

Kissing him feels like freefall, like flying straight into fire. My stomach somersaults, heat pooling low as lightning races through my veins. He kisses like it’s his job, his duty, his obsession, and I know without a doubt no one will ever kiss me like this again. His mouth devours mine, every stroke and slide pulling another whimper from me, while his hands roam like they can’t decide where to stay.

In the next breath I’m airborne, his grip firm on my thighs as he lifts me like I weigh nothing. My ass hits the counter beside the sink, the cool of the countertop seeping through my jeans. I wrap my arms around his shoulders, then bury my fingers in his hair, yanking just enough to make him groan against my lips. The sound is guttural and raw, and it spurs me on.

He steps between my parted legs, pressing in, his mouth never leaving mine. We’re a tangle of tongues, teeth, and gasps, our lips colliding over and over, chasing something wild neither of us can stop. His hand slides up my waist, fingers skimming dangerously close to my waistband, until he moves further up my abdomen and brushes the underside of my breast. The teasing touch makes me whimper, the sound embarrassing in its need.

“Fuck, Violence,” he growls into my mouth, the words vibrating against my lips. I answer by shoving my tongue into his mouth, desperate to claim him in return. He takes it, sucks it, gives it back with a ferocity that has me panting, dizzy, utterly consumed. His hips rock into my body, and I can feel the hard length of him even through our clothes. He groans and I melt.

It’s too much. It’s not enough. I want more. More, more, more.

“Xaden,” I whimper. He stills and tears his mouth from mine, resting his forehead against mine, both of us breathing hard. His eyes are blown wide, dark with lust, and I can feel the restraint trembling in his body.

“I can’t,” he rasps, voice raw. “Not tonight.”

I feel as if a bucket of ice water has been tossed on us. “Wh-what?” My voice cracks in disbelief. How could he possibly stop this?

His jaw flexes, his gaze pinning me with a hunger that makes my pulse stutter. “Trust me, Violence. I want to. So fucking badly. I want to strip you bare and fuck you senseless on this counter until all you can do is scream my name.”

Well okay then. Yes please.

He brings a hand to my swollen lips, rubbing his thumb over it. “I’ve never…I can’t go there with Luna in the house.” His tone is regretful, like he hates to have to tell me this.

Shit, Luna. I was so overcome with my need for this man, I completely forgot we aren’t technically alone. My already flushed cheeks redden severely and I’m suddenly overcome with embarrassment. All I can do is nod.

Xaden finishes massaging my lips and brings his own to my forehead in a soft, lingering kiss. He pulls me off the counter into a hug, dropping another kiss into my hair. When he pulls back, he’s running his fingers over the silver tips at the end of my braid. “This fucking hair…”

I tuck a stray piece behind my ear, shyly. Finally I look at him and his eyes have not lost their desire. I can’t find words yet.

“Tomorrow night. Are you free?” he asks, still not letting me go. It’s like he has to touch me. 

I clear my throat, searching for something to say, “Y-yes.”

He smiles, and it reaches his eyes, crinkling the skin around it. His eyes sparkle with adoration, replacing some of the desire there. “Can I take you out? On a proper date?”

If you had asked me a week ago if I was ready to date again, I would have hesitated. I would have made excuses, shifted the conversation, denied everything I was feeling. But I’ve been denying the effect Xaden has on me for months, even before Halden and I broke up. I won’t deny it any longer. I want this. I want him.

I smile back at him. “I would like that.”

He leans down again and his lips meet mine in a sensual kiss. It’s no less passionate, but he doesn’t open for me, nor do I for him. He follows it up with a few chaste pecks and I can feel him smiling on my lips. 

I gather my jacket from the rack and hoist my bag over my shoulder, preparing to leave. I whistle for Tairn, and he begrudgingly rises from the dog bed where he’s snuggled with Sgaeyl. Xaden opens the door and I turn in the threshold before exiting. Our eyes meet and we both go in for another kiss, this one a little more passionate. It’s like now that we opened the floodgates, there’s no stopping us. We both pull back giggling. I revel at that— that this huge man, made of muscle and dark secrets, is fucking giggling after kissing me. 

“Tomorrow, Violence, I will take you out.” His voice is low, rough. “Just us. And when we’re done, we’ll come back home,” he leans down to whisper in my ear, “and I’ll worship you like you deserve.”

Chapter Text

To say I slept would be a lie.

I couldn’t sleep after that. I had to take care of that ache between my legs. I nearly ran out of battery before I gave up in the wee hours of the night, knowing no matter how many times I found release, it wouldn’t be enough. Not now that I know what his lips taste like. What his tongue feels like in my mouth, exploring. How his muscles flexed when he lifted me up effortlessly to kiss me closer, pressing his body to mine before setting me down on the counter.

Not when he left me practically dripping for him with the promise that he would worship me tonight.

Tonight. On our date. 

God I’m so fucked. I am not prepared for this. I haven’t shaved my legs all week. I have no idea what to wear. Do I bring condoms? Shit, does he use condoms? Halden and I stopped using them a year ago, but I have an IUD. I got tested shortly after we split, since obviously there was a chance he was spreading something. But Xaden has a child. And it seems as if she was not planned. I can’t imagine proposing him and I have sex without protection.

I can’t do this. I am simply not prepared.

Tairn’s bark jolts me out of my panic attack. Shit. It’s eight already, which means I have to face him. I’m terrified, but I’m near sprinting to the door to lay eyes on that delicious man. 

Again. I’m fucked.

Luna opens the door without knocking and runs into my legs in a crushing hug. I lean down to meet her and tell her good morning. Tairn and Sgaeyl greet each other, with Andarna winding herself between their legs. I pull away from Luna and look up to see Xaden leaning against the doorframe in that sexy way he does. He’s wearing dark jeans, his ever present boots, and a dark grey henley with the sleeves rolled up, showing off the ink on his right forearm. He has a leather jacket and a lavender puffy coat draped over his left arm, and the most devilish smirk plastered on his face.

“Hi.” I say sheepishly. I can feel my cheeks and neck flush and I inwardly cringe. He smiles wider as Luna starts to hook the dogs up to their leash.

She finishes her job and hands the reins to Xaden. “Morning Violence. Sleep well?” he says in the most chipper tone I’ve ever heard from him.

I gasp a little and sputter out my reply, “F-fine. You?” his smirk fucking grows and he laughs. It’s like he knows I was so turned on, I couldn’t sleep.

“No, actually. But it’s okay,” he says as he grabs my coat and shuts the door behind us, “anticipation is good for us.” He mutters the last part close to my ear and it sends shivers down and back up my spine. 

I whip my head to him and smack him on his arm, “Xaden!” I hiss, and look at Luna to make sure she didn’t…I don't even know what. Notice that I’m turned on? 

He chuckles, but thankfully lets it go. We ride the elevator as a unit and make our weekly walk to the dog park and playground. Once Luna runs to the playground, I am relieved to see there are other kids here, which generally means she needs less interaction with us. I follow Xaden to the bench we normally sit on, and before I can sit down, he tugs my arm to ensure I’m snuggled up next to him. I give him one of my own smirks, but indeed do snuggle closer. I breathe in the scent of him and realize how right this feels. He throws his arm behind me on the back of the bench, running his fingers over my shoulder briefly, before leaning over and kissing my hair. I whip my head up to him in disbelief and am met with the softest, onyx eyes I’ve ever seen. He looks so…light. So content. 

“What?” he asks, before turning his attention back to Luna.

I clear my throat and follow his gaze, settling back in on the bench. “I just don’t know if we should…I mean, should we…”

“Tell her?” he finishes for me. I can hear the amusement in his voice. Ass. “Violence, I’m just sitting on a bench.”

I smack his stomach playfully, earning me another chuckle. The sound of it is music to my ears. I think I might try to make him chuckle every day for the rest of my life. “I’m serious. I’m trying to figure out what’s…allowed, I guess.”

“Let’s discuss it tonight, shall we?” he muses, squeezing my shoulder quickly. 

Minutes pass in silence. Luna runs from the swings to the play structure to find the slide, giggling endlessly and her curls bouncing everywhere. I choose to not dwell on the hundreds of questions running through my brain. Questions like What does this mean? What should I wear tonight? Are we together? Why am I already wondering if our kids will have curly hair?

No.

Instead I focus on the lack of tension in my body, how I’m not fidgeting with my fingers or my braid. I focus on the smell of mint and leather and the warmth it brings me. I focus on how I can still feel his fingers reaching for me, like shadows trying to cover the sun on my shoulder. He starts to shift a bit and I watch as he pulls his phone out of his pocket with his free arm. When he taps the lock screen to light up, I can’t stop the smile spreading on my face. The time is plastered over a picture of Luna and I eating ice cream from last night. We’re both mid laugh, ice cream in hand, more ice cream on Luna’s nose and chin. 

He changed his fucking lock screen to me and his daughter. I am so fucked.

“I’m going to take Luna to my father’s house after donuts.” Xaden says, still watching Luna on the playground. “Can I pick you up at six?”

There’s fluttering in my stomach immediately, as if it ever left. I swallow, trying to bring moisture into my throat that suddenly feels like ash. I’m so keyed up for this man, I can’t think straight. “I can be ready by then.” 

“Relax, Violence,” he nudges my shoulder, “It’s dinner. Maybe some darts.” It’s after the darts that makes me nervous. How am I supposed to function for the rest of the day and during our date when I know what he has planned?

🌙💜🌟

“The black one, definitely.”

“I agree, but with the motorcycle boots from two outfits ago.”

Rhiannon and Mira’s voices float through the phone propped on my nightstand. I’m darting in and out of my closet, trying to figure out what one even wears to be… worshiped.

I rush back so Jesinia, who is also on the call, can see me sign. “Don’t you think it’s too… slutty?” I beg them for a little conservatism. The shirt in question is a black satin halter that plunges dangerously low, practically to my belly button, draping loose over my breasts. I paired it with tight jeans, but I’m already regretting the boots.

“Yes,” Rhiannon and Mira say in perfect unison, Jesinia signing it with a little smirk.

Rhiannon raises her wine glass like she’s making a toast. “Violet, you look hot. And slutty is good. Slutty is great. Especially when you’re finally cashing in on months of unresolved tension with the hottest single dad in existence.”

Mira fans herself dramatically. “Honestly, I’m jealous. If you don’t wear that, send it to me so I can get some use out of it.”

Jesinia motions for my attention, fingers flying with mock seriousness: Wear the block heel. Or the skirt if you insist on the boots. But stop pretending this is about comfort. You’re not going for comfortable.

I groan but run off to swap shoes anyway. When I come back, Mira actually claps.

“Perfect,” Rhiannon announces, signing along. “Silver jewelry. Hair down. Loose waves. Done. All you have to do now is sit there and let him undress you with his eyes.”

Jesinia signs quickly, her grin wicked: “And then with his hands.”

My face goes up in flames. “You guys are no help.”

“On the contrary,” Rhiannon says, topping off her glass. “We’re saving you from showing up in librarian chic. You are not his neighbor tonight. You are a goddess about to be worshiped. Now repeat after me: slutty is a service to mankind.”

“Slutty is—oh my god, I hate all of you.”

They cackle. And even though my stomach is still a pit of nerves, I feel lighter. 

Ridoc pops in the screen next to Rhiannon, and whistles. “Damn, Vi. Xaddy is going to love this!” This only encourages Jesinia to bring Sawyer into the fold, who simply blushes slightly and says “You look very nice, Violet.”

My sister calls for the floor by shushing the boys.

“Seriously, Vi,” Mira begins, “let the man worship you. He’s already treated you leaps and bounds better than that boy you just broke up with, even with his month long brooding session. You deserve to be a little reckless. You deserve happiness. Take a risk.”

Rhi and Jes nod and the latter signs: Especially if it gets you an orgasm. I snort, noticing how Sawyer’s face is completely red under his freckles. The call ends in a chorus of laughter and threats from Rhiannon that she’ll personally drag me back into the closet if I change outfits again. I toss my phone onto the bed and for a moment, the silence is deafening. It continues to be deafening while I apply the finishing touches of makeup and jewelry.

Without their voices filling the room, the nerves come flooding back in. My reflection in the mirror doesn’t look like a goddess; it looks like me, trying too hard, stomach tight with anticipation. The satin clings in ways that make me blush even alone, and every brush of my hair over my bare shoulders sends another wave of butterflies tumbling through me. I sit on the edge of the bed, gripping the comforter, willing my heart to slow. It’s just dinner. Just Xaden. Just… the possibility of finally unraveling everything simmering between us. I tell myself to breathe. To remember Rhiannon’s words: slutty is a service to mankind. That earns me a shaky laugh, but it doesn’t quiet the voice in my head whispering that I might be in way over my head. 

When the knock finally comes at the door, my pulse nearly leaps out of my throat.

I open the door as casually as I can muster. My heartbeat is dangerously high and I’m a little dizzy. I can guarantee my cheeks and neck are flushed. But as the door swings open into the apartment and my eyes meet his, I’m suddenly anchored. He stands upright, not leaning on the frame. He’s wearing dark jeans that look expensive, and a black button up. The sleeves are already rolled up, showing off his delicious forearms. His hair is perfectly tousled on his hair, that tiny boyish curl showing up at the end. And in his hand is a bouquet of violets.

His eyes though, those are what pull me in. They’re shining onyx beams, the gold flecks in them on full display. They widen when he looks me over, and I see the moment they go from surprise to desire, where the gold flecks lose a little brightness as the darkness of his gaze takes over. He licks his lips and rakes those beautiful eyes over my frame and back up to my own eyes. 

“You look…” he starts, but he doesn’t finish, just lets out a whoosh of breath. I blush intensely.

“Thank you,” I look down shyly, but correct myself and meet his eyes once more, before gesturing to the flowers, “are those for me?”

He startles a little, clears his throat and hands me the bouquet. I may hate wearing violet, but the only other person who has ever given me the flower I’m named after was my dad. Holding these sends a pang of grief through my chest, but it morphs into warmth. I lift the bouquet to my nose and sniff them lightly, smiling as I step aside to let him in. I shut the door and move to put the flowers in water, leaving Xaden with his hands in the pockets of his jeans at the doorway. Once the flowers are sorted, I grab my purse and jacket and head towards the elevator.

After I push the elevator button, I feel strong arms snake around my waist and turn me so I crash into Xaden’s chest. His arms are wrapped around me, and my feet are lifted off the ground slightly so our lips are almost at the same level. When his lips meet mine, I fall. My brain leaps off the proverbial ledge and I feel weightless, floating in space. The only thing I’m certain of is that I’m here, wherever this is, in Xaden’s arms. He keeps the kiss slow, chaste, but no less passionate. When he pulls back, he’s smiling. “Beautiful. You look beautiful.”

I giggle and tap his chest to set me down. I leave it at that, because I’m so out of words already. How am I supposed to make it through the entire night when he ruins me when he does stuff like that? If anyone had seen us, they’d never know this was our first date.

“We can walk if you’d like, but I wasn’t sure how your joints were doing today.” He says when we make it out to the front of the building. “Or we can take my car, it’s just down there.” as he points down the street. 

I look up at him, because I’m so surprised he knows my joints have good days and bad days. I’ve never had the full conversation about it, just mentioned it offhand. “How far is it?”

“Just down past the burger place on the corner,” he gestures down the main street, “Feathertail.” I’ve never been there, but I’ve walked by it. It’s the type of place you wouldn’t need to dress up too much for, but you’re still getting a date night atmosphere and a strong menu. 

“We can walk.”

So we do. We start our three block jaunt in a casual stride, talking about our days and the restaurant. Xaden informs me the owner, Nyra, is an old colleague and she opened up the place a few years after being discharged. After the first street crossing where Xaden grabbed my hand to cross in time, he never let it go. We reach the restaurant, where he opens the door and drops my hand, only to move his to my lower back while he informs the hostess of our reservation.

Feathertail sits tucked on the corner where warm light spills through tall windows, making it glow invitingly at night. Inside, the space is intimate without being pretentious. Low lighting, low candles in glass bowls flickering on each table, and wood accents that give it a vintage look. There’s a soft hum of conversation, clinking glasses, and the occasional burst of laughter, giving it a local feel. The music leans toward acoustic covers and subtle jazz, just enough to create a mood.

The hostess directs us to a table towards the back, separate from the rest. There was a full row on the adjacent wall with bench seating on one side, and chairs on the other, split between four and two top tables. I was truly hoping we didn’t sit there, so we could have a little more privacy. The table we’re directed to is a four top, but set for two. It’s not quite at the very back, but it’s behind a pillar, giving us a fair amount of privacy. Xaden waves the server off and pulls my chair back himself, allowing me to get settled before pushing it back towards the table and taking his spot opposite mine.

Dinner is incredible, and not just the amazing food. Xaden truly knows how to make a girl feel special, asking me questions about my schooling and my work at the library, what I want to do after I finish my master’s. We talk about his life growing up and I get to hear story after story of Luna’s first three years. He laughs— really laughs. It brightens his whole face and I wish I could stop time and live in this moment forever. By the time they’re clearing our plates for dessert, I’ve laughed more in this single meal than I have all year. He’s long since abandoned sitting on the opposite side of the table, shifting his chair to be next to mine. We’re leaning in towards each other, our foreheads almost touching when someone clears their throat to gain our attention.

“Sorry to interrupt,” says a woman in a fitted maroon suit jacket and pants, no tie, greets us. Her brunette hair is pulled back into a tight bun, and I notice a scar on her chin that bisects her lips and goes down her neck. She stands just opposite our chairs and sets down a plate of miniature versions of desserts, “I had to deliver the final course myself.” She chuckles and places her hands behind her back.

Xaden straightens up and gives me a shy grin, draping his arm around the back of my chair, and brushing his fingers along my arm. It’s grounding, but still manages to make me shiver. “Nyra, nice to see you.” The woman gives a subtle bow, and shoots a glance my way. “Oh yes,” Xaden coughs, “this is Violet. Violet, this is Nyra Voldaren. She owns Feathertail.”

“It’s very nice to meet you, this restaurant is lovely and the food was amazing.” I say, offering my hand. Nyra takes it and gives it a firm shake before letting it go and returning her hands behind her back.

“Thank you. A dream come true,” she answers, and tilts her head towards Xaden, “all thanks to this man here. Without Xaden, Feathertail would not have happened.”

“Don’t listen to her Violet, Feathertail is all Nyra’s creation” Xaden says. His jaw ticks a little as he holds the gaze of the restaurant owner, but his tone is light. The shadows that are so present in his eyes when someone mentions his past flit across them, but disappear when he returns his attention to me, “You pick a dessert first.”

I choose a lemon tart, and hand the plate to Xaden, before returning the conversation to Nyra, “How long has Feathertail been here?”

“Two years.” She clears her throat, “I finished my service abroad earlier than expected, and decided to retire and follow my dreams. We’ve been doing well.”

“Oh, did you two serve together?” I ask, my eyes darting between Xaden and Nyra. I know he doesn’t talk about his military service much, and I have always respected it. I’m desperately hoping I didn’t just overstep, but he mentioned Nyra was a colleague, so I assumed it was from Riorson Trade.

Nyra and Xaden share a loaded look. Her eyes have those shadows too, I notice. “A bit,” she confirms, “This one stayed in a bit longer. But he was a good leader. I was proud to serve with him.” The silence between us all is stifling. Xaden keeps his attention on the dessert plate, taking an extreme amount of time to take the small chocolate lava cake off the serving platter to his own plate. He doesn’t look up at either of us, but I see the tension in his shoulders.

“Well, thank you for the dessert. I will definitely be back.” I reach down and grab Xaden’s hand and give Nyra a small smile, hoping she catches on. She does, nodding her thanks and turning towards the kitchens. I squeeze Xaden’s hand and rub my thumb on the back of it, before letting go and taking a bite out of his cake. He scoffs playfully, and looks at me with his big beautiful onyx eyes. I playfully eat the cake off my fork, but I tone down the heat. He leans over and kisses my cheek softly.

“Thank you,” he whispers.

🌙💜🌟

 
We leave the restaurant and Xaden wraps his arm around me while we walk. It’s quiet between us but comfortable. I reach up and hold the hand draped over my left shoulder, interlacing our fingers. He kisses my hair.

“I think we should talk about Luna,” I say firmly. “I want to respect your boundaries, so tell me if this changes anything.”

We walk a few steps before he answers, his voice low and careful. “I haven’t dated anyone since her mother. This is new territory for me. Any…partners I’ve had were on nights she was away. And never in my home.” The word partners sends a jealous twist through me, but I shove it down. Of course he’s been with other people. It would be insane to think otherwise.

He glances at me. “I want us to be solid before she sees anything has changed. She’s still little. I need to be sure it’s… real.”

I nod, even though my chest aches with the thought of it not being real. “That makes sense. I don’t want to confuse her either. She deserves stability.”

His jaw tightens, but there’s a softness in his eyes when they meet mine. “Exactly. She adores you. If she thought you were part of us and then you weren’t…” He shakes his head. “It would break her.”

“And me,” I murmur.

His fingers tighten in mine, deliberately, his voice rough. “So we take our time. Build this right. We can date and get to know each other when it’s just us, but act normal around her.”

Be brave Violet. Be honest. 

“Is that what we’re doing?” I look at my shoes, “Dating?” The last part comes out as a whisper.

Xaden stops us, pulling me out of the middle of the sidewalk, and wraps his arms around me. I look up at him and see a beautiful look of devotion and wonder on his face, “If you’ll have me. I meant what I said the night Luna ran away, Violence. I want to give you everything.”

He’s barely finished before my lips are on his. I crash into him, pulling him by his button up shirt to get him closer to me. Our mouths devour each other, tasting and sucking and biting. His hand shoots into my hair and threads his fingers through them, giving it a light tug. I’ve noticed he is obsessed with my hair, always flashing his eyes when I mess with it when he’s around. I moan at the tug and he breaks the kiss, trailing his lips in sensual exploratory kisses down my jaw and to my neck. He finds that spot on my neck and my knees buckle, an even more passionate moan falling off my lips. I move my hands to his soft hair and tug. 

“Fuck.” he groans and moves his hands to my ass, squeezing gently. “I had planned to take you to play darts but I don’t think I can wait any longer to worship you.”

I breathe out a sensual huff and bite my lip. My stomach flutters in anticipation. “Are you sure?”

He kisses me again, strong and firm. “We’re alone tonight until tomorrow afternoon. I plan to use my time wisely.”

I smile. I need this man to put his hands on me. I need to see if he knows exactly what he’s doing. “Fuck the darts, then.” He gives me a wry smile that promises deviance, and tugs me down the sidewalk.