27. Sequin

27

SEQUIN

S lade is a shitty liar. I know he didn’t stab anybody. If he wasn’t lying to protect his brother, I’d be furious with him. But I saw the raw fear in his eyes when he realized what Jake had told me. Slade loves his brother so much.

If I want to be with him, I need to prove that he can trust me.

I return to the place where I’ve gone every time I felt lost during the last six years: Aunt Emerald’s doorstep. We haven’t chatted much about what happened with Slade yet. We haven’t had time. But I need her wisdom right now.

She answers the door in her green fuzzy robe and a towel wrapped around her head.

“Sorry, is this a bad time?” I ask.

“Absolutely not. I’ve been dying for updates. Let me grab a bottle of wine, and I’ll head over to your place.”

When Chime was little, we’d use a monitor to check in on her while we chatted in Aunt Emerald’s beautiful living room. My home isn’t decorated to receive other raccoon shifter guests. But as Chime got older, I removed the monitor from her room and accepted that I needed to invite guests over, even if I had no collection of shiny things for them to admire. I’ve noticed the way Aunt Emerald gushes over Chime’s art hanging on the walls.

She understands me so well.

I return to my own kitchen and get out the goblets I bought earlier today, rather than the cheap wine glasses I normally use when Aunt Emerald brings over a bottle of wine. She lets herself in, still wearing the robe and towel on her head. I love how comfortable she is around me now.

She glances down at the two goblets in my hand. “Oh, those are lovely, Quin. Let me see.”

I hold up one of the goblets, not to give to her, but to show her the way it reflects the light. She smiles up at the pretty glass, and for a moment, I swear her eyes twinkle.

“Beautiful. When did you get these? I haven’t seen them before,” she says.

“This afternoon. I also bought this nice glass case to put them in. Look.” I walk over to the counter where the case and the other six glasses are displayed.

Aunt Emerald stares at the glass case for a long time. She takes in every detail, admiring it exactly the way I need her to. After the drama with Slade earlier tonight, it’s a relief for her to see how wonderful my goblets are.

“You love him,” she says softly.

“You mean Slade?”

She nods.

“Yes. I can’t tell you how I know this, but I am absolutely sure he isn’t dangerous. And he loves Chime. He’s wonderful with her.”

She holds her arms out to me with a deep, satisfied smile on her face. “Come here, Quinny. Let me give you a hug.”

Aunt Emerald’s hugs always feel like home. She smells of soap and sweet white wine. I close my eyes and allow myself to revel in the comfort of having her so close. I don’t know how much things will change now that Slade is in my life again.

She releases me and walks over to the table. “Let’s celebrate, shall we? This wine is the cheapest white I could find with a twisty top.”

“As is tradition,” I say.

“Exactly. We aren’t pretentious enough to mess with corks, are we? Now give me one of your lovely goblets, so we can toast to your collection.”

I knew deep down that’s what the goblets were when I unpacked them, but hearing her say it out loud makes it real.

“My collection,” I repeat.

“Yes, my sweet boy.” She holds out her hand. I hand her one of the goblets. She holds it up to the light herself, twisting it to appreciate the way it sparkles. “Just gorgeous. Wait until your mother sees these.”

“Do you think she’ll like them? I bought them at a department store. Do you think they’re special enough?” I ask.

She sets the goblet down on the table. “That doesn’t matter. Your mom’s picture frames are all from Goodwill and garage sales. They sparkle because she infused them with the love she feels for your alpha mom. That’s how it works. Our paws aren’t only magic when we place them on our mates. Fate lets us claim our collection of shiny things, too. She’s very generous to raccoon shifters. I think we’re her favorite.”

I look down at the goblet in my hand. I didn’t realize the glass had absorbed my love for Slade. Is that why they’re so beautiful to me?

“What about your collection?” I ask. “Is it infused with love of your almost-mate?”

She shakes her head. “It has my love for other things. The crystals sparkle with my love for you and your brothers. My spoons gleam with my love for travel. My jewelry shines with the love I feel for my animals. My life is full, Quin. My collection is a reflection of that. Yours will be too, in time. Slade won’t be the only thing in this world that you’ll love.”

I never understood that all those days when I sat underneath my omega mom’s chandelier and admired the way it sparkled, I was really admiring the way she loved the world. Now I get why she insisted on that heavy chandelier in the dining room, even though the ceiling is cracking from its weight. It soaked up all the love in that room.

“Why didn’t you tell me how it all worked before?” I ask.

She twists off the lid to her bottle of wine and pours a generous amount in her goblet. “It’s a rite of passage. Someday, the first raccoon shifter Chime shows her collection to will explain it to her. And if she has children, the same will be true for them. It’s our way, Quin. There are some things about the world that you only understand when you’re older.”

I sit across from her, still staring at the way my love reflects the light. It reminds me of a conversation Aunt Emerald and I had long ago.

“Is that why the wise ones see a twinkle in an omega’s eyes when they’re pregnant?”

She nods. “Yes. Love is the shiniest thing of all, and children are pure love. It’s why we name them after shiny things, too.”

I love being a raccoon shifter. I even love not knowing this beautiful bit of information until now. It makes it more special. Sort of like finding out Santa Claus was my parents all along. That never made me feel disappointed, just loved.

I hold out my goblet to Aunt Emerald. “Pour me some cheap wine, then.”

She laughs and does as I say.

I raise my glass. “To love.”

“To love.”

We each take a long swallow. The wine is too sweet, but I don’t mind.

“Speaking of love. I’m having a bit of trouble with Slade. He doesn’t trust me. I get the impression that he doesn’t trust anyone. He’s been through a lot. But how do I deal with that?”

She raises an eyebrow. “He’s only been out of jail for a day.”

“I know.”

“Give him time, Quin.”

“Sure, but isn’t there something I can do to reassure him?”

She takes another sip of her drink. Slowly, as if she’s trying to preach patience by making me wait for her answer, too.

“When a scared animal ends up in my care, there are things I can do to reassure them: feed them, give them a safe place to sleep, make sure they get the medical care they need so they aren’t in pain. But at the end of the day, what happened to them before they got here has a much bigger impact on how safe they feel than how I treat them. People are the same way. Only time will prove to him that you’re different than the people who have hurt him in the past.”

It feels like I’ve already waited for too long. But maybe Aunt Emerald is right.

“What do you want me to do when Slade and I get together finally? Would it be okay if he lives here too?” I ask.

She thinks about that for a moment. “Do you believe he’s dangerous?”

I wish I could tell her about Jake’s confession, but I can’t. I need to figure out what I’m going to say to my family so they aren’t worried about me.

“Slade is only dangerous when he’s protecting someone he loves. The man he killed was attacking his brother.”

I hate lying to my aunt. Maybe that will grow easier over time.

“If you trust him, that’s enough for me. He can live here. Especially if you two end up having more children. Hint, hint.” She gives me a sly smile.

“Okay. I’ll keep that in mind.” I roll my eyes, because of course she wants me to have more children. I know she won’t push, though. My omega mom says that raccoon shifter grandchildren are always wanted, but never expected.

“If you need someone to shop with during the next few weeks, I am very available,” Aunt Emerald says.

“Shopping?”

“Of course. You’ll need more than a few goblets for your collection. I might have saved a few thousand dollars for the occasion. Since you’re a single dad and all, I figured you could use a little help getting your bling when the time came.”

I wonder what my moms would think about Aunt Emerald giving me money to buy my collection. Will they feel left out? Then I remember what my omega mom said about my brothers buying things for Chime. Spoiling your nieces and nephews is a time-honored racoon shifter tradition.

“I would love to go shopping with you, Aunt Emerald. Thank you.”

She smiles and raises her glass again. “To shiny things.”

I laugh and raise my glass with her. “To shiny things.”