Chapter 24 " All right , take this and him , and go pick up the medicine from the front . " Six took the prescription , glanced at it , then at Zachary , nodded , and led him out . The door creaked shut behind them . At Xander's gesture , Alessia slipped quietly into the seat Zachary had just vacated . " So , when did you suddenly get a second brother ? You're not here about a patient , are you ? Seems more like you're here to introduce someone . " Xander hadn't missed the subtle tap of Zachary's finger - a little signal , seemingly casual , but timed perfectly to answer Six's silent question about the quantity of herbs . " The illness isn't hard to treat , but at this rate , he won't make it to twenty - five . We could only bring him here , let you nurse his health for a while . " Alessia wasn't the least bit flustered at being seen through . She slid a neatly folded note across the table to Xander , then , with practiced ease , began preparing some tea . Her careful movements made it obvious she'd learned this on purpose . " Let's set that aside for now . Tell me what's really going on ." Xander unfolded the note , gave it a quick scan , and set it aside . He recognized Alessia's handwriting at a glance - he already had a pretty good idea what this was about . Alessia poured the freshly brewed tea and handed him a cup before giving him a quick rundown of recent events . " I'm glad you left the Tate family , but why not come here ? You could have any room . you wanted , do whatever you pleased - no one would get in your way . Why go to the Mortons and put up with all that ? " Xander frowned , but Alessia just shook her head , calm as ever . " It wasn't so bad . " " You child … So much happened and you never said a word to me ." " I'm telling you now , aren't I ? As soon as I got things settled , you were the first to know . " " Seems the Mortons made a good impression on you ." Alessia just smiled , saying neither yes nor no . " We'll be together for a year , so I'll help where I can . Once college starts , everyone goes their own way . After that , what happens is up to them ." Xander studied her, his clouded eyes impossible to read . After a while , he let out a 7/2 15:38 Chapter 24 long , quiet sigh . " I don't know if the Tate or Morton families are really worth it for you - or for an old man like me . But this place will always be yours , you know ? " Alessia refilled his cup , a soft smile on her lips . " I know , Grandpa . " " Come on . We'll start with this regimen and move on to acupuncture after . There's no rushing this . As for everything else , we'll see how it goes ." Xander tucked the note away and stood up . Alessia set down the teapot and hurried over to steady him . " I'll do whatever you say . " Xander patted her hand , his touch gentle and full of affection . There was no need to say anything more . In the front of the house , Six led Zachary into a small side room , then went behind the counter to gather the medicine . Some of the ingredients were rare and kept locked away , so only Six was allowed to retrieve them . Zachary sat waiting , glancing through the window at the main hall . If it weren't for the people in modern clothes coming to pick up their prescriptions , he could almost believe he'd stepped back in time to an old - world apothecary . The place was busy , a mix of ordinary folks and the well - heeled . Some kept their faces hidden , making it impossible to see who they were . Strangely , despite the crowd , the hall was quiet - conversations were rare and always hushed . The air was scented with the same fragrance as the private room he'd just left . Bored , Zachary pulled out his phone and started jotting down notes . " This packet's good for two doses - morning and evening . I wrote down the exact amount of water you'll need . When you finish it , come back for more . " Six's sudden voice jerked Zachary back to the present . " Thanks . How much do I owe you ? " Six shot him a suspicious look , sizing him up . " Did I say something wrong ? " Zachary asked , confused . " So , who exactly are you to Alessia ? I've never seen you before . Her boyfriend ? No way - Cole would never let that slide . " Six rubbed his chin and fired off questions in rapid succession , leaving Zachary unsure how to respond . " I'm Lessie's second brother . Zachary . " He had no idea who Cole was , but his gut told him not to ask . כוף 15:38 " Second brother ? How come I've never heard of that ? Cousin or something ? " Six leaned in , eyes narrowed . " Her real brother , " Zachary replied , a little uncomfortable with the sudden closeness and inching back . " Her real brother ? Don't mess around . Her brother's Max Tate , and trust me , that guy's in a league of his own . " Six didn't even hesitate to shoot him down .