Alaric
My brain stalled. My eyes went wide, and before I could even attempt to formulate a coherent thought, my heart began to hammer violently against my ribs.
"I..." I opened my mouth, but the words died in my throat, resulting in another pathetic stutter.
"My family is incredibly conservative," Nico's warning from the night at my place echoed fiercely in my mind.
The last thing I wanted was to accidentally out him to his family, especially to an uncle who radiated this much power. Coming out was a massive, life-altering deal, and even within the few hours I had spent under this roof, I could tell this family was a viper's nest.
There was a sickening undertone of hostility here; ever since we arrived, I had noticed how seamlessly the relatives antagonized, judged, and undermined one another under the guise of polite tradition.
Anderson must have caught the panic in my prolonged silence. He raised his hands in a reassuring, defensive gesture, letting out a soft laugh.
