Chapter 20
Twenty
Some of the weight had disappeared from Rafe’s chest when he strolled into Marcus’s house the next night.
At the very least, he was more focused on the things he could control.
No more endlessly checking his phone for texts from Philippe.
He was trying to trust the clan leader to contact him as soon as he figured out his own needs and desires.
With any luck, they would include Rafe in some way.
But until Philippe reached out to him, Rafe needed to take care of his own family. His clan.
His feet naturally started to take him toward the library, but Bel’s voice on the stairs and brisk footsteps had him looking up toward the second floor.
“There you are!” Bel cried. His twin was dressed neatly in a dark suit with a bright-blue tie that matched his wide eyes.
He’d largely abandoned his research over the past week in favor of haunting Rafe’s penthouse.
At least until Rafe kicked him out so he could obsess about Philippe without Bel’s watchful eyes.
Rafe glanced down at the Patek Philippe on his wrist and frowned. “I’m not late.”
“No, but you’re usually early, so you can give Winter grief when he does show up late.” Bel huffed a little when he reached the ground floor and shook his head. “Winter is already here.”
“Then I guess I shall have to come up with a new reason to tease Wee One.”
Rafe met Bel’s worried gaze, knowing the smile he offered up wasn’t quite what Bel was hoping for, but it was the best he could muster.
His brother’s mouth opened and closed again without him saying a word.
Instead he opted for grabbing Rafe up in a tight hug that threatened to knock the air out of his lungs.
A soft, breathless chuckle left Rafe as Bel’s grip eased on him. “I’m okay, Bel.”
“Of course you are,” Bel said stiffly. He tilted his chin up, trying to put on a facade of being insulted by the idea that Rafe might be anything but completely pulled together.
His twin could be fucking adorable when he tried.
“Now come upstairs before the others arrive. Marcus wants to do this formally.”
“Really? A formal meeting? Since when?”
Bel was already starting up, and Rafe had no choice but to follow.
The idea of the Varik brothers doing anything formal was ridiculous.
They’d never done anything in a formal manner in all their years.
Every meeting they’d had—usually at Marcus’s—was informal and impromptu.
They discussed all manners of issues while lounging about his library.
These discussions devolved into shouting, teasing, and name-calling when necessary.
He suspected that would not be happening this time.
“Since tonight. Marcus insisted that for once we do this properly. Give it the respect and dignity it deserves.”
Rafe frowned, but he couldn’t argue. If he didn’t treat it with the proper respect, how could he expect anyone else to?
He followed Bel through a pair of open double doors but stopped just over the threshold.
The room likely served as Marcus’s office, with the usual bookshelves lining a couple of the walls.
But all the typical furniture had been removed.
There was no desk or computer. At the far side of the room was a large chair with a high back.
Flanking the chair on either side was a pair of smaller chairs.
Aiden sat in the center chair, talking with Winter, who stood in front of him. He paused for a second and smiled at Rafe as he entered, then returned his attention to the youngest Varik.
Despite years of antagonizing the Ministry, Rafe had never actually stepped foot in their meeting hall. Yes, he’d been summoned plenty of times, but Marcus always appeared in his stead, arguing that Rafe would only make the situation worse if he met with the Ministry.
But now, standing in Marcus’s study, he had to admit that he’d always imagined the Ministry meeting looking just like this.
“Come, Rafe. Sit beside me,” Aiden invited. He reached out and patted the arm of the chair on his left.
Marcus was already in the chair immediately to Aiden’s right, but he pushed to his feet and met Rafe halfway across the room.
While his older brother kept his face blank, there was a weight to his gaze, as if he were silently assessing Rafe’s mental health.
Whatever he saw pleased him, because he smiled and pulled him into a hug.
“Bel says we are being formal tonight,” Rafe said with only a hint of mocking.
“For a bit.” Marcus released him and smirked. “And then we will go back to being our usual selves.”
“So keep the ‘Wee One’ and ‘Little Varik’ shit quiet for now,” Winter growled.
Rafe placed a hand to his chest and batted his eyes at Winter in his best innocent look. “Are you accusing me of being incapable of proper behavior? Of being unprofessional? You wound me, dear brother.”
“An hour at most, Rafe,” Aiden said in what was likely supposed to be a firm voice, but laughter was lurking under his words.
Rafe opened his mouth but was interrupted by the ringing of the doorbell.
“Got it!” Ethan shouted. Rafe twisted around to see Marcus’s lover dart out from where he’d been standing by the doors and down the hall to welcome their newest guests.
His brothers all took their seats. On the right of Aiden sat Marcus and Winter.
On the left, Bel had taken the farthest chair, leaving the chair immediately next to Aiden empty.
Something fluttered in his stomach and his mouth had suddenly gone dry.
His feet refused to move. This…this moment was so very big.
A new, different kind of weight pressed on his chest, making it difficult to even draw a breath.
He thought he’d wanted this, but now that it was here…
Aiden smiled at him and patted the arm of Rafe’s chair again. “It will only make us stronger.”
God, please be right.
With a small, sharp nod, Rafe finally got his feet to work.
He crossed to the chair and sat, trying to ignore the tiny thrill that shot next to him.
He glanced over at his twin to find him with a happy grin as he sat up perfectly straight, his hands folded in his lap as if he were excited to take in all that was about to happen.
Just another science experiment to him with results to be mentally catalogued for later study.
They had to wait only a minute before they could hear Ethan’s soft and pleasant chatter up the hall accompanied by the carpet-muffled clomp of heels. Ethan grew quiet as he reached the door and winked at Marcus as he entered. Lola, Ryder, and Gideon followed him.
Ethan hurried over to stand right behind Marcus, his hand on his eldest brother’s shoulder.
His three companions looked unsure and nervous as they stopped in the center of the room.
He hadn’t been allowed to warn them of the reason for the meeting.
Only asked them to come at a specific time.
Lola stood in front of the other two, her arms folded over her chest and her chin up, as if she were preparing for a confrontation.
“Thank you so much for coming to meet with us today. I am Aiden Varik, leader of the Varik clan,” Aiden began.
Lola’s eyes immediately shot to him, and her lips parted ever so slightly. It was the first time Aiden had claimed the position of clan leader to anyone. The first time they’d ever officially claimed being a clan. It was a little heart-stopping, to say the least.
And as Rafe stared at his long-time friends, the weight on his chest lifted, leaving him with the feeling of butterfly wings brushing against his heart.
“Over many years, you’ve been friends and trusted companions of Rafe Varik.
You have been his protectors. You have acted to protect the other members of the Varik family.
It is that type of loyalty, compassion, and bravery we value most. For that reason, we would like to invite you to become members of the Varik clan.
” Aiden paused and leaned forward in his chair, his smile growing into something warm and fatherly. “Please, join our family.”
Lola looked over at Rafe and then down at the ground, but not before he saw the surprising sheen of unshed tears in her dark eyes.
Her hands rested on her hips and her throat worked as if she was trying to swallow, but something was blocking the passage.
His fierce and violent Lola was trying very hard not to cry.
He wanted to go to her and wrap her in his arms. His beautiful Lola.
She’d been with him the longest. His companion in mischief.
“Rafe…” she said in a rough voice.
“It’s so very long overdue,” Rafe replied.
“Because you feel like you owe us. For the Black Wolf clan.”
“No,” Marcus said. “Because it’s deserved. Even before the Black Wolf clan.”
Lola nodded several times and looked up at Aiden. “Then yes. Yes, I’ll be a Varik.”
Rafe chuckled. “You’ve always been a Varik, love.”
Lola turned and took a step away from Gideon and Ryder so that they were fully standing in front of Aiden. The small, lithe dancer had his arms folded tightly over his chest and was staring at the ground.
“Not without Gideon,” Ryder said in a low, hard voice.
Gideon’s head snapped up, his mouth falling open in his shock.
Rafe was not at all surprised by the sentiment, though it was a little stunning to hear Ryder speak next.
He also had a suspicion that if Gideon didn’t agree, Lola might back out.
They were a tight group. It was all of them or none of them.
“But…I…I don’t understand. It’s a mistake,” Gideon said near a whisper.
“Are you saying the leader of the Varik clan has made a mistake?” Winter drawled.
Gideon gasped, his cheeks flushing bright red.
“Winter!” Rafe snarled, nearly coming out of his chair, but Aiden’s hand came down on the one gripping the chair arm closest to him.
“No! No, of course not!” Gideon stammered.