Dante watched from just behind her, his arms relaxed at his sides. His face was hard to read at first, but if you looked closely, you could see a softness there, something proud and deeply tender in the way his eyes stayed on the little boy. "It suits you," he added, his voice calm and steady. "You look very handsome little one"
That only made the blush on Sable's cheeks deepen. He ducked his head again, hiding his face for a second, but this time, a tiny, helpless smile tugged at the very corner of his mouth. He took one small, shuffling step closer to Alina, as if standing near her made all the attention feel safer, and whispered, "Lucien is still changing…"
"I know," Alina said gently. She brushed her thumb over the small knuckles of his hand in a soft, reassuring touch. "You can wait right here with me."
Sable nodded. A quiet sigh of relief seemed to go through him, and the tightness in his little shoulders eased. He stayed right there beside her.
