We pushed the wedding back two weeks, it was impossible to do it any sooner with the schedules we all had, and Edana wasn’t going to be available until that weekend anyway. We’d spent that time on the house, on the preparations for the wedding at our home, and on each other. Henry still had to go to his world for most of his day, but we looked at it as no different to a commute other couples lived with.

He just happened to be a dragon who made a daily commute between two worlds. We spent our nights together, and some of our days, when he could be away. There was something going on in his world. He didn’t talk to me about it much but he’d told me some of it. Human women had been kidnapped and taken to his world to be the mates of wolves and bear shifters. I knew he felt a heavy weight over it all, but he didn’t want to burden me with it.

I understood and didn’t push. It was none of my business really. I focused on where furniture should be placed, which dress to buy, and which flowers needed to be planted around the house. I liked my world the way it was and didn’t really want that to change. It kept my mind off the disaster our wedding might be if I lost my control and started to zap our guests.

Edana turned up the day before the wedding and drove up to the house in a black SUV with tinted windows that were probably illegal they were so dark. She stepped out of the car. A tailored gray linen suit accentuated her curves, and I felt memories flood my brain. She’d been so protective of Arista and me, so full of excitement about her future, and then when she’d turned 18, she’d disappeared. Her family was gone, and with only distant relatives around, she’d taken a training opportunity in the city and left us all behind.

I didn’t really know a lot about her life after she’d left us but hoped to find out more. She was a beautiful woman, with similar features to the rest of the females in the family. The main exception was her eyes. Where most of us had some shade of brown or green, Edana’s eyes were a crystal-clear gray. They were almost colorless, a fact that startled me when I first saw them again. I’d forgotten how clear they were.

I went down the steps of my new home, a slight bulge already starting around my tummy, and felt some new emotion overtake me. It was like I’d found a long-lost sister after decades of separation.

“You haven’t changed a bit, Edana!” I was amazed at just how youthful she looked. You’d never guess she was thirteen years older than me, or that seventeen years had passed since I’d last saw her. She didn’t even have those fine lines around her eyes that women started to get after the age of thirty, or any of the little telltale signs that she’d aged. She was tall, with a little extra weight around her hips, but otherwise appeared to be quite fit.

“You have, little girl! Wow, look at you! What a beautiful woman you turned into!” She embraced me, a wide smile on her rose-colored lips.

“You’re being kind! Come in, let me show you around!” I led her into the house and to the kitchen. “Do you want a drink, something to eat?”

“A drink of some kind would be nice, thanks, Willow. What a beautiful house!” Her eyes took it all in, those exotic looking eyes, and I couldn’t believe she was real.

“I have wine or soda, tea, water, milk?” I listed things until she heard one she liked, and then I handed her a small bottle of apple juice with a glass. She left the glass and took a sip of the juice before she spoke again.

“So, this fella of yours, is he some kind of drug dealer or something?” I knew it was a joke, and I laughed with her.

“No, he just inherited his money.” It wasn’t really a lie, and I preferred to stay on the side of honesty, at least with my family. Edana was a distant cousin, after all.

“Always the best way to make it. When do I get to meet him?” We walked into the living room and she went to stand at the glass wall. It always took my breath away. I bent over to look through the telescope in the direction of Mom’s house. Henry was going to bring her over later when he came home.

“Later, he’s at work right now.”

“He works?” She seemed curious about that, and I knew she was the inquisitive kind.

“Yeah, he and his brothers run a security agency.” Another almost-truth.

“Cool. This is really great, Willow. I’m glad your mom tracked me down. I’ve always wondered what happened to you two girls.”

“We always wondered what happened to you too. It was odd how you left.” I was about to ask her more about that, but she shied away from the subject.

“Yeah, an opportunity came along that I couldn’t turn down. I didn’t want to spend my life up in these hills, where I’d likely end up barefoot, pregnant, and dead, like my mom, so I left when I had the chance.” She spoke brusquely, as if she wanted to get away from that line of conversation.

I found her a little hard on the edges, as if she had a lot to hide, a lot of hurt inside of her that made her standoffish. Her mother had died when she was tiny, and none of us knew a thing about her father. She’d been raised by her grandmother until that poor woman died too, and so Edana hadn’t had any reason to stay when opportunity knocked. I couldn’t blame her for leaving. Her words about our area were true, but that didn’t mean there still wasn’t a little bit of sting that came with them.

“You seem to have done alright for yourself.” I wanted to defuse the situation, so I went to the black leather couch and sat down.

“I have, I guess. It took a while, and a lot of fighting, but I manage okay, now.”

“What do you do?” I put my hand up to my head to prop it up, my elbow on the arm of the couch. I was relaxed and wanted to encourage her to do the same. She seemed tense, even when she wanted me to think she wasn’t. I was too observant not to notice it though.

“I work with the government. Justice sort of stuff. Where are you having the ceremony?” Again with the subject change. Interesting. She had a lot to hide it seemed. Maybe it was her job to be evasive about so much. Then again, maybe it was just that she barely knew me now and wasn’t the kind to be all girly and share her entire life with people she barely remembered.

“Over in the back, there’s a kind of glen there, you know the kind of place, they’re common enough here. We wanted to get married where we planned to spend our lives together.” I volunteered the information in the hopes it would help her to open up a little. It didn’t.

“That sounds really great. I’ll go get my things, shall I?” She was going to stay here at the house with us and keep an eye on it for us while we spent two days in another world, one without dragons.

I decided that my old babysitter might be a little bit odd, but I was still glad I’d invited her to the wedding. Beneath that calm exterior, I knew she had secrets and probably a lot of hurt that she wanted to hide. I’d let her have her secrets, for now.

Arista... I sent out a message to my cousin and wasn’t surprised when she answered back immediately.

What’s up, sweet thing? She’d become fond of giving us all endearments lately, and it had rubbed off on me to an extent. We were both happy, why shouldn’t we let the world know it?

I’m not sure Edana knows anything about what we are. I rushed to inform her, not certain of how long I had before Edana came back.

It wouldn’t surprise me, honey. We thought Mom was kooky for the longest time. Why should Edana know any different than we did?

You’re right. Okay, she’s coming back, I’ll invade you again later. I heard her laugh darkly as I cut the connection between us and shook my head. I knew that last part would make her laugh, but that laugh was so wicked it made me grin.

“I’ll show you up to your room.” I led Edana upstairs, on the opposite side of the house from our room. I wasn’t sure yet whether we’d reveal any of the truth to her, so I’d put her on the far side so she wouldn’t overhear anything if we talked. Henry’s side of the family knew my side weren’t all aware of their true natures so they’d all agreed to arrive by car. Even if that car only came from halfway down the mountain.

I left Edana to settle in and went downstairs to look out at the scenery. Something had bugged me about Edana, but I couldn’t put my finger on it.

I jumped when a knock came at the door. I’d been so lost in my own thoughts that I hadn’t noticed a car approaching. It must be someone Henry sent. Henry wouldn’t knock. I wasn’t surprised to find Henry’s brother, Aleric, on the wide back porch, his face a little sheepish. When he wasn’t around me he was a soldier through and through, but if he came anywhere near Arista or me, he turned into a shy little boy.

“Hi, Willow. Henry sent me to bring you these.” They were cut flowers from his world. Bright peach and purple blooms filled his arms and I took them as I held the door open for him.

“Thanks, sweetie. Come on in. Let me get you something to drink.” He loved my sweet iced tea, so I took him into the kitchen to get him a glass and to put the flowers in a special fridge we’d bought for the wedding foliage.

“Willow, I—”

I turned to see Edana come into the kitchen. Her words stopped as she spotted Aleric. All six-foot-four-inches, blond-haired and blue-eyed god of a man, Aleric. And he was god-like, Henry’s youngest brother. So god-like Edana just stared at him as if she’d been smacked in the back of the head with a board. “Uhmmmmm…”

I glanced at Aleric, immune to his charm because I was his brother’s mate and saw the same expression on his face. Oh damn. I waved a hand between them, but neither even blinked as my hand waved around. Instead, they moved closer together.

Yep, they were mates if I knew anything about it. I heard shocked inhalations as each reached out to touch the other, and decided it was time for me to vacate the premises. I didn’t want to witness whatever came next, even if both were beautiful examples of their species. I felt a giggle rise in my chest and left the room, the quiet “hi” that came from Edana finally broke me and I ran to my bedroom to laugh into my pillow.

That hadn’t been exactly what happened with Henry and me, so it was amazing, but I thought they’d prefer to have a private moment together. Whether she knew it or not, Edana was a hunter, and she was mated to a dragon. The cycle was about to begin all over again. Only this time, it seemed there was an attraction there that definitely negated the hunter part of me that had repulsed me from Henry at first.

Willow, you shouldn’t laugh. I think it’s sweet!

Oh, baby, little dumpling in my oven, it is sweet. I’m not laughing to be mean, I’m laughing because I’m delighted.

Hmm, are you sure?

Of course I’m sure, dumpling. Momma isn’t cruel, you know?

No, I know you aren’t, Willow. He is very handsome, isn’t he, Uncle Aleric?

Yes, he is, dumpling. She’s a very lucky woman.

She’s much older than him.

Not really, six years I think.

That’s an entire generation in your world.

Yes, but he’s a dragon, sweetheart, they age differently anyway.

That’s true. Do you think Grandfather can take another son being mated to a hunter?

He’ll just have to get used to it. It’s happening for a reason after all, isn’t it? Fate or whatever has chosen this path for all of us. It’s not like we chose to be mated to each other.

I suspect you’re right, Willow. I’m going to nap now. Goodbye.

The baby was a bit officious sometimes, far too precocious for her own good, and I had to wonder what she’d be like once she was born. Arista had said the bond had gone after Galen was born. Her psychic powers weren’t as strong as mine, and the only reason I could communicate with her that way was because of my own abilities. I hoped the bond between Marya and I continued after she was born, I’d come to cherish those moments with her. Even if she did sound rather like a 90-year-old woman that stood in judgment of her own child, not a child speaking to their parent.

I patted the spot where I thought Marya would be busy doing her growing and judging, and waited to hear something from downstairs. Not too loudly though, from the look of the pair, I might not want to hear whatever might happen down there. Henry sent me a warning a few minutes later. He was on his way in.

I told him to land in the trees and made a lot of noise when I went down the stairs. I didn’t care what they were doing, I just didn’t want to see anything. I was surprised to find them still stood together, they hadn’t moved at all.

“Hey, can either of you hear me now?” They snapped apart, and I grinned. “People are going to show up soon, get yourselves together. We have a glen to decorate, plans to finalize, and stuff to do. If you’re helping, get to it. Otherwise, there’s fresh sheets on your bed, Edana, and you have your own bathroom on that side.”

I went out to greet my husband and the pair soon followed behind me. I was in Henry’s arms when they came out and he looked at them with confusion.

“Surely not...” he began but then stopped.

“Yep. She’s Aleric’s mate.”

“Damn. Father will not be happy about this.”

“He’ll have to get over it. Look what happened when he tried to keep Mal and Arista apart.”

“I know, but will he?”

“It remains to be seen, dear. I’m heading to the glen. Bring me those chairs when you’re ready?”

“I will, I just need to get a drink, then I’ll be out.”

I left him, and Aleric and Edana followed along, barely able to walk because they couldn’t watch their feet and each other at the same time. It was adorable—the hard, stony woman I’d met earlier was now a woman who blushed and seemed somehow soft and sweet. Love did crazy things.

I spent the evening with my family, and Henry’s family, as we placed chairs, an arbor, and ribbons in a variety of places. The flowers would be added by Henry’s sister in the morning, and my mother and aunts were preparing the food. By the end of the night, Edana seemed to be lost in lust and more than a little bit confused. I couldn’t say much to her though, not without revealing things I wasn’t even sure I fully understood yet.

I watched her with Aleric and saw the way they danced around each other. They were going to burst into flames at any minute, and I just hoped she was prepared to have her life turned totally upside down. I hadn’t been, but I’d managed to get through it. For all of her hard outer shell, I suspected Edana might be the weakest of us all. I would hate to see her hurt and hoped that she had a much easier time with it all than either Arista or I had experienced. Mine hadn’t been so bad, actually, but Arista’s had been a nightmare. If only I’d known then that fate wasn’t done with any of us yet.