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“Yeah That was part of it”

Tori couldn’t sit still a second rabbed Lisette around the waist, hauling her into a tight hug that lifted her toes from the floor Tears slipped over his cheeks as he buried his face into her shoulder “Thank you”

Lisette hugged him fiercely back “You shouldn’t thank me, Tori This is what you’re owed Your skills alone denition Oh, just wait until I meet your clan I’ll tear a new hole in each of them”

“I’ll help,” Baldewin assured her flatly

Pulling back, Tori carefully put Lisette back down Old people were fragile He probably shouldn’t break her As soon as he set her down, he was inundated on all sides by his neorkers and clan him into the clan Tori was overwheled shamelessly in it

He was a e of the Burkard clan It was all too perfect If this was a dream, he refused to pinch himself He’d live the rest of his life asleep

Tori was still riding the high later that evening He’d eaten dinner in the main hall with everyone else, and this ti with everyone but a Burkhard, himself

The official announceht not have happened yet, but everyone seemed to be aware of it, as many cahout dinner, handling introductions to anyone that he didn’t know He appreciated it beyond words, as it beca

Tori had grown up with the same two hundred people until he was thirty-five and had fled for Helsinki

And Helsinki had been , with all its people craether

The Burkhards weren’t a large clan, either, fortunately But still, talking to people all in a rush like that had sent his head spinning That hen he had a lull, he made a break for his room Tori just needed a few minutes of quiet time

He ended up in the cozy, winged chair in his sitting roo to have—with a pad of paper in his hands He practiced writing his new naiddy not to, even if it did feel so to it Ca hie his nae in citizenship, all of that Tori honestly didn’t mind In fact, he looked forward to it

Tori Burkhard