Page 40 of Ruling in Flames (Reborn 5)
Suddenly another rumble sounded, and Henry muttered a curse. “Marco is getting worried.”
I nodded in understanding and looked down at the boy. “I promise I’ll come back.”
His smile was warm and trusting as he hugged me. “I know, Mommy.”
I closed my eyes, loving his hug—
My eyes openedas I found myself sitting up in bed, Marco talking in concerned tones as Henry smoothed a hand over my back. Unlike before, there was no chance of me forgetting anything that had just happened. Instead I was filled with warmth as I looked at Henry, who had a goofy smile on his face that was so incredibly cute.
“That was crazy,” he breathed out.
“What was it?” Marco asked, impatient.
“I had a dream, and this little boy was there,” I started to explain.
Henry took a deep breath. “I think that was our future son.”
Marco began to ask a million questions, but all I could think was thatI had a feeling Henry was right.
* * *
After two cupsof Atlas’s coffee that he’d managed to scrounge up in the compound, as well as morning snuggles with Bella, the sleepiness of the previous night faded. In its place I felt well rested, rejuvenated, and also slightly on edge about the answer the mountain community would give me. I understood their hesitancy completely, I was just hoping they would give me a chance.
It was shocking how fast this had become important to me, but seeing all their earnest faces and the situation they had been placed in…it had inspired something in me. I wanted to make sure they would be okay; I just had to be patient and wait for them to decide if they wanted me involved.
For now, we sat in a library that was filled with hundreds, possibly thousands, of leatherbound books that filled shelves stretching from the polished marble floors to the ceilings. This place was legitimately beautiful, and if it wasn’t for the tragic history and deaths that took place here, I would’ve even suggested it as a possible future living space.
That was one of the elements we were discussing today—where the heck we would manage to find the space to have a ‘kingdom’ of sorts here on Earth. It would obviously have to be somewhere we wanted to stay and live, because I didn’t think it was a job I could just step out on… So it had to also be somewhere I wanted to raise a family. I muttered a curse and ran a hand over my face, trying to not showcase my confusion.
“Angel,” Atlas said, the sound causing his chest to rumble soothingly against my cheek. “You’re going to think yourself to death.”
“It’s just a lot to consider,” I murmured. “I really like our house in France…like, I love it. I love being on the coast and the nest I started to build. I just thought that we would be able to start over there, I guess. Away from Seattle and everything that happened there. I guess it doesn’t work as a castle, though.”
“Who said we need to live in a castle?” Sai asked, looking up from where he’d been staring down at a map, Atlas and the twins sitting nearby. “We just need homes for everyone and a city center. My priority is you, kitten, and where you’re going to be happy.”
Marco, Croy, and Henry were talking in hushed tones, and while I was interested in what they were saying, I was far more comfortable on Atlas’s lap. Plus, I knew my mom and dads would probably be down here at some point, so I would rather be curled up with my mate for now before everything got more serious again.
Talking about serious things, Az was sitting on a couch nearby, buried in a book. The man always seemed to have his eyes on me. Even when I was looking away, I could still feel it. Unlike before, there was a comfortable ease between the men and him. I didn’t think they were best friends or anything, but there was a level of respect.
“I would love to be able to live there,” I admitted and closed my eyes. “I just feel like it can’t be both, and it’s exhausting to try to figure out the right thing to do.”
“Well ,that’s why you have the eight of us.” Anani winked. “We can help you, peanut.”
“Seriously, though—if you want to stay there, we will make it happen,” Ledger said. “Let’s look at towns around there. Marco, we need to call the real estate guy.”
“What?” Marco looked towards us, his eyes filling with a lightness and even a bit of excitement. I was almost positive that Marco loved buying real estate more than he let on.
“Maya wants to live in the coastal home in France but doesn’t think it’s possible since it’s not a castle, so they want to find a possible solution. I have to assume they are thinking of buying out a section of real estate, commercial property, or maybe even a town?” Az translated, his eyes on me. I nodded because he was right…well, except for one part.
“Not if people are already living there!” I squeaked.
“I think we can make that happen.” Henry hummed, his gaze filled with interest. “I actually think there are a few abandoned villages near there. They aren’t on super solid land, so they haven’t been developed—somewhat rocky, not good for tourists, growing, or building. But we would be able to afford the fix for that.”
“They have abandoned villages?”
“Italy and France are especially known for having abandoned villages,” Croy said. “They’re on the small side—not more than ten or so houses—but the farmland that surrounds most of them would allow room for us to build.”
I perked up at that. I was already trying to imagine what they would look like and if we could use the original buildings for maybe the town center. I swallowed, wondering how we had gotten to this point—planning out a village.
