My heart grew warm when Daniel bowed his head, and a small smile appeared on my face, even though I couldn't help but be confused and wonder why he was doing this and what he was doing.
"He's submitting to you, Katie," Aunt Jess said, and I looked at her and cocked my head with furrowed brows. "That's what that means." She gestured to her son, and I looked at him again before I looked at her.
'Why?' I asked and furrowed my brows while I pressed my lips into a thin line. 'I am n-'
"Now, now," she said, interrupting me and scolding softly. She furrowed her brows and frowned while she stared at me with deep green eyes. "Do not finish signing that sentence. Is that understood?"
I hesitated before I slowly nodded and placed my hands on the table again, not signing a thing.
Aunt Jess chuckled and shifted in her seat while she looked at her son. "You can go ahead and lift your head, Daniel," she said with a small hum in her voice. "What are you waiting for? An invitation to the ball?"
I bit back a small snort while my mate snorted and lifted his head, looking at her with a playful look on his face.
"Haha, Mom," he said sarcastically and winked, teasingly, and her face seemed to beam with an unknown light as if she was feeling pleased with herself. "Very funny."
She smiled and bowed her head a little, looking at him before she took a bite of her food. "I know," she said before she cleared her throat and shifted some more in her seat. "I thought it was."
"Knock knock," someone said and entered the dining room while they knocked on the door, and we looked that way to see Parker was standing there with Roger behind him, who looked more intimidating and angry than he did when I first met him. "I have a special delivery for Aunt Jess."
Aunt Jess looked at her watch and bit back a small smirk. "Hmph," she said and looked at her mate, who was biting back a laugh. "11:45 in the morning," she said while she dipped her head closer to her chest, and her smirk grew wider. "Pay up, David."
David bit back a small chuckle and nodded. "Fine," he said with a small grumble in his voice, earning a snort from his mate. "A deal is a deal." He sighed teasingly and shook his head while he handed her some money.
Roger raised an eyebrow in question and looked between the two of them, and the anger seemed to disappear as quickly as it came, even though he still looked very intimidating. "What is this about?" he asked, looking a little amused. "What are we missing?"
David sighed and shook his head again, clearing his throat to hide another chuckle. "You aren't missing much, Roger," he said before he cleared his throat again and grew serious. "Jess and I made a bet as to when you were going to be arriving. Jess thought you were going to come in the morning, and I thought you were going to come later in the evening after getting some rest."
"Hmph." Aunt Jess bit back a small smirk before she cleared her throat and shifted in her seat. "My initial thought was that you were going to come in the evening yesterday, but then it grew later and later in the evening until it turned to midnight and then we tried to decide when you were going to come today."
Roger shook his head and bit back a small sigh. He moved a hand through his hair, and I frowned, not liking that he looked tired. "When are you going to talk ab-"
"Later," Aunt Jess said, interrupting him, and he scowled and narrowed his eyes while he pressed his lips into a thin line. She gestured to the kitchen with a small frown on her face, and concern flashed through her eyes. "For now, go ahead and get some food and coffee, Roger. Do you want a guest bedroom made for you for the time being so that you can get some rest before you do something else?"
Roger hesitated before he shook his head. "No," he said. "I don't ne-"
"Roger, are you lying to me because you don't want to seem to be like a burden?" she asked and raised an eyebrow in question, interrupting him again.
"Jessica," he softly scolded while he narrowed his eyes and scowled. "Do-"
"Hush, Roger," she said, interrupting him again, acting more like a mother, even though she was younger than him. "You're staying."
Roger pressed his lips into a thin line and looked at my mate. He didn't say a word while he stared at him, and I could tell that he wanted Daniel to go against what Aunt Jess said and have him leave.
However, Daniel did the exact opposite and bit back a small smile before he shook his head. "Go ahead and do what Mom said," Daniel said and gestured to the kitchen. "We both know that she isn't going to allow you to leave until you are taken care of."
Roger pressed his lips into a further line and narrowed his eyes a little while he looked at him. He didn't say a word, and I could tell that he didn't want to.
"Please," Aunt Jess said and dipped her head closer to her chest, offering him a tight smile, and he looked at her. "We can talk later, Roger. I know that you are tired, and I don't like it that you are."
Roger bit back an annoyed sigh before he slowly nodded and moved hand through his hair and across his face. "Fine," he said and cleared his throat before he looked at Parker. "Can you get a room ready for me, please?"
Parker bit back a small smile and nodded in confirmation. "Of course," Parker said before he cleared his throat and shifted on his feet. "I'll get the room that you have been staying in. The room next to yours is taken. I know that it hasn't been taken before now."
Roger raised his eyebrow while he looked at Parker before he looked at Aunt Jess. "It is?" he asked, and she nodded in confirmation. "By who?"
Aunt Jess set her jaw and slowly blinked while she looked at him. She didn't say a word, but her face was the thing that told him she was unimpressed by his comment.
Roger didn't say a word either and looked at her, patiently waiting for her to answer his question.
Finally, she sighed and shook her head before she looked at him again and gave him a pointed look. "You know who," she said and leaned back in her seat while she raised both eyebrows. "Do not try to play games with me, Roger. I am not in the mood."
Roger bit back a small chuckle and silently nodded, moving a hand through his hair while he grew serious. "I won't," he promised before he cleared his throat and shifted on his feet. "Are you going to talk after you eat?" he asked and raised an eyebrow in question.
"Yes," she said and nodded in confirmation. "You are more than welcome to join us, but for now, why don't you go ahead and get something to eat? I am sure that it had been a while since you had last eaten."
She gave him a pointed look and slowly nodded, trying to get him to agree with her, not blinking.
Roger chuckled sadly and nodded, relenting control. "Yes," he said before he cleared his throat and looked at Parker, growing serious. "Can you take my bags to my room, please?" he asked and raised an eyebrow in question.
"Of course," Parker said and nodded before he looked at Aunt Jess, growing serious. "Is Sarah and I needed for this meeting?" he asked and raised an eyebrow in question.
Aunt Jess pressed her lips into a thin line before she slowly nodded in confirmation. "Yes," she replied before she cleared her throat and shifted in her seat, moving a hand across her belly. "Can you go tell her, please?"
Parker bit back a small chuckle while he nodded. "Yes, Luna," he said and nodded before he went off to do what he was told to do while Roger went into the kitchen to get food.
I watched them with amazement before I continued to eat my meal, not saying a word. I wondered why she wanted Sarah with us when we discussed this and wondered if she was a high rank.
My heart ached, and I yearned to have a conversation with her, especially since she knew all of this stuff and didn't tell me.
It was for my safety, however, I thought and pressed my lips into a thin line. We will talk about this sooner or later, and I hope she will answer any questions that I have that I am not comfortable sharing with either Aunt Jess or Daniel.
All I hoped was that this conversation would be soon rather than later, but I would be fine with either or.
I hope...