"Everything has settled down now," Vincent said, alerting Aurora of the noise they both heard. She had forced him to listen in on what was happening in Timothy’s room. "When she somehow finds out you were aware her brother came here, please leave out that you use me."

"Why? I didn’t think you would care if anyone knew you were eavesdropping. You’re the big bad wolf who does whatever he wants," said Aurora.

"I’d rather not seem like I go around listening to everyone’s conversation. Now that both of them are alright, can we prepare for bed? I’ve been patient this entire time while you deal with this family," Vincent said as he wanted to lay around and enjoy the peace in their lives.

His uncle was dead and now the Hamiltons were dead. For right now, there was no one threatening their lives and before that could happen, he wanted her to stop worrying about everyone else and enjoy their time together.

"I’m sorry," Aurora apologized. These few days she had hardly paid attention to Vincent. He allowed her to deal with her problems on her own and did not once interfere. "We should wash up and go to bed. I can’t wait to sleep in your arms. It brings me so much comfort."

Vincent would prefer if they could just do more than sleep but he knew Aurora would think about her sister. He should inform her of the other couple currently kissing and see if Aurora would now be open to being intimate. "Are we going to bathe together? We can be quiet."

"As much as I would like to be intimate with you, I feel really drained. I’m sorry-"

"Do not apologize," Vincent caressed her cheek. "I am satisfied with just holding you. I won’t do anything. I promise."

Aurora did not believe he would not try anything but she was too tempted to bathe with him. It had been so long since they just thought about their relationship and nothing else. "When we return, I will marry you."

Vincent grinned, pulling her in for a hug. "I have already started the preparations for us to get married," he revealed.

Aurora pulled back from his hug a little and looked up at him. "I knew it! There were so many things that hinted that a wedding or party was being planned. How could you not inform me back then you had started planning? I would have enjoyed doing it with you. Who better to pick out flowers than me?"

"You were focused on the Hamiltons so I decided to plan and surprise you. Everything can be scrapped if you do not like it-"

"No," she stopped him. After years of living with the Hamiltons and being made to learn the rules humans had in place, it was rare she heard the groom take charge of picking out things for the wedding. Aurora was curious to see what Vincent had come up with. "I want to be surprised so don’t tell me anything more. However, don’t be surprised if the flowers magically change." 𝓯𝓻𝒆𝙚𝒘𝓮𝙗𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝒍.𝙘𝓸𝙢

"Alright," Vincent replied before hosting Aurora up in his arms. "Let’s get you washed up."

"Remember that nothing is going to happen inside of here," she chuckled. Aurora would never say it out loud but she enjoyed having a strong partner to leave her up into the air as easily as Vincent did.

Vincent took her into the bathroom and placed her on the counter. Timothy might be wealthy and own a large house but his bathroom did not compare to the one in Vincent’s home. "Do not move or I will break my promise," said Vincent.

Aurora nodded her head and watched him fill up the tub with water and soap for the two of them. She doubted such a large man like Vincent would fit in the small tub but somehow he would not let this opportunity for them to bathe together go by. Aurora watched with great amusement as Vincent took off his shirt and folded it before placing it on the ground.

’I have been blessed with such a perfect man,’ she thought.

’Thank you,’ Vincent replied inside her head.

Aurora blushed due to forgetting Vincent and her were connected like this. ’Get out of my head. I should be able to mentally think about you without you hearing it.’

"There’s nothing to be ashamed of," Vincent said out loud this time. "Would I rather keep to myself when I can hear you talking about me in your mind? Then you would go on and on about things you wouldn’t want me to hear."

"I want you to tell me how to make it stop. What switches it on and off? Or maybe you have always been able to hear me but never said anything?" Aurora squinted her eyes at him as the suspicion nestled in. It would explain the times when she caught him randomly smiling at her.

"I have not made my presence known as I knew it would make you uncomfortable. I can only hear you if you open your mind to me. You’ll have to figure out on your own how to stop that from happening. When we go back, you can talk to one of the elders or maybe Cherry and Jane. They will have experience when it comes to blocking out their lover."

"I see. Vincent, do you remember when you told me that Regina and Samuel would end up killing each other? Has that changed?" Aurora asked as he now remembered that problem.

"It hardly ever changes and from the way he was speaking to his sister, he is consumed with rage. They need to reconcile soon or they have to separate. Your sister will marry Timothy and live here so the boy Samuel has to go. Tell her and let her deal with it. I do not want you to be in the middle to get hurt," said Vincent.

"I should tell Regina about it right now instead of sitting around. What if one of them tried to hurt the other when we are all sleeping? I’ll be back."