Darkness loomed in the distance as late afternoon turned into night.

Small footsteps rang to my right. I peered down the massive hallway and then ran toward the laughter of children. Laughter meant I was closer to finding Robert. I needed to ask him questions, get to know what happened and stick to his side.

As my feet pounded onto the polished hardwood floors, I heard louder giggles. I turned the corner and saw Robert’s kids with a beautiful young blonde who looked like the portraits all around Hallimore.

The huge playroom was littered with fantasy portraits instead of headshots of old family members. The entire house could be a museum I thought. As I stood in the doorway, all three of them stared at me like I was the intruder. Granted, we’d driven past the children but I had no idea if they’d even seen me with their father. Robert should have introduced us, but it was too late now. The children stiffened as the woman placed her hand on her hip. "Who are you?"

I glanced into the blonde's blue eyes. She was magnificent in appearance. Even dressed in a non-fitted winter jacket, the puffiness didn't take away from the brilliance of beauty. I lowered my gaze. "Daphne De Marco."

"Are you related to Robert?"

Her innocent question had me reeling. I coughed and cleared my throat. "I'm his wife."

Her face went white as she gathered the children closer to her. "He's married again so fast. Are you one?"

What was with these odd questions? Did she think I was rich? "One what?"

"I can't say.” Her voice held a sharp edge. “When did you get married?"

Clearly no one in this house knew about me before our arrival. I shrugged, wishing Robert was at my side. "Yesterday." I offered my hand in greeting. “Are you Samantha?”

“Yes.” Whatever had happened to her sister, Serena, I needed to know. Aura had warned me that there was a mystery to be solved, Grayson scared me, as did Mrs. Adams. If I could make friends with someone, maybe Samantha, then I’d have an ally. I then glanced at the children who stared at me like I had wings or something else. I tilted my head. "Robert told me about all of you."

She crossed her arms. "I wish he'd told us about you ahead of time. I'd have prepared the pups."

“Pups” was not a nice connotation. I studied them. "His children."

"But they are not his kind.” She rubbed Helen’s arm like she was trying to comfort the girl, but the girl stayed stiff next to her as Samantha said, “They have their mother in them."

The scowl on her face made me pause. If she was on the defensive, she wouldn’t tell me what I wanted to know. I bowed my head. "The kids are beautiful, as are you."

"I'm trying very hard to be the new alpha, but Serena was the best." The sniff in the air told me without me looking up that she’d upturned her nose.

What the heck did she mean “the new alpha”? Everyone in the house talked in euphemisms—if anyone was top dog, it would be my husband as it was his house and his children. The boy tugged on Samantha's white winter shirt. "Auntie, who is this?"

“Harper.” Samantha placed her hand on the boy’s back in a gesture meant to comfort and protect him. "This is your new stepmother."

His blue eyes pierced through me. I’d guess he was eight and Helen about six. Then he turned away and stared at his sister. "I don't want one of those."

Though smaller, Helen nodded her agreement.

Samantha hugged the girl too and knelt down to speak to the children. "It seems your father remarried."

Harper glared at me. "Why?"

I sucked in my breath, unsure what to say. Love didn’t seem the appropriate answer to an eight-year-old as it would lead down the path to more questions.

Samantha placed her hand on his shoulder as if to encourage the boy. "Why don't you ask her what she truly is?"

The question made it seem like I didn't know myself, but I couldn't let Samantha get to me. I went down on one knee, despite my skirt, to be eye level with the children. The boy stood in front of his younger sister like a protector, so I focused my attention on him. "Are you Harper?"

He looked like Robert only with lighter hair. "Yeah."

I gestured with my head toward his sister behind him. "And the lovely girl behind you is Helen, your sister?"

He crossed his arms as if to block my view of Helen. "We don’t want a stepmother."

Samantha made a noise of disapproval aimed at me. I had to ensure I spent more one on one time with them.

I stood and faced their nanny who was also a loving aunt, who had just lost her sister. The children had lost their mother. I knew this was hard, and I had to be kind. "Samantha, I'd like to meet these two on my own."

Her sharp gaze narrowed. "Are you sure? Night is almost here and they must be protected."

Nothing was in the house and it seemed more like a scare tactic she and Mrs. Adams had concocted. This wasn’t right. I chose my words carefully. "If it makes you feel better, then stay close. If something happens, we'll call for you." I preferred to make friends with Samantha, but Harper and Helen had to come first. I had to win them over if I had any chance with Robert in the future. "Is that okay?"

Samantha knelt down and hugged Harper who still stood beside her. With her hands wrapped around him, she signaled for Helen, who ran into her arms as well. Then as she hugged them both, she said, "It seems Daphne is kicking me out. Be good for her."

"Don't say that." I inhaled sharply. I didn't want to begin on a war cycle when I was trying to blend our families. This wasn't how I thought to win the children over.

Samantha ignored me and stood up. She pinched Harper's cheek. "I'll be close enough if either of you need me tonight. Now behave."

Helen wrapped her arms around Samantha's legs. "No, don't go."

She leaned down and tugged the girl into a hug, again. "I have to. Give me one last hug for the day."

Both of the children did as she asked as they said in unison, "We love you, Aunt Sam."

This time when she rose she nodded at me, letting me know with cues that she was the caretaker. "I love you both. Good night."

I stared at the door, unwilling to move until Samantha was gone. I'd find time to speak to the woman in private. I'd not further sabotage my relationship with Robert's family. Near the door of the playroom, she took her time with her scarf, hat and winter jacket, though it was only autumn still, but finally she slipped out the door. Once it clicked closed, I stared at both of the children.

The children stood united, like they wanted to run away from me. I pasted a huge smile on my face. "Do you both need to clean up before dinner?"

Harper took charge. He held his sister's hand and shook his head. "Madison will cook dinner and get our pajamas. Don't bother yourself."

Then he turned and took his sister out of the playroom and toward the stairs to their rooms.

Robert would value his children. Any man worthwhile would. I had to at least try to make these children my friends so I could be a good stepmother. I stopped on the step three below them. "Wait."

Harper and Helen turned around with identical glares. Harper again acted the spokesperson. "Why?"

Though they were young, they were still people. I bit my lip as I stared at both of them, willing them to see my heart and that I only wanted what was good for everyone. I wiped my eye. "I need your help."

Harper's left brow lifted reminding me of his father. "What for?"

My grandmother would say you “get more bees with honey than vinegar”. I swallowed. "I don't know where your dad's bedroom is and my bags are there. Can you help me?"

Harper and his sister shared an indecipherable look. Then he nodded at me. "Follow us."

"Thank you." We climbed the stairs slowly, giving me time to study the portraits on each wall. The images seemed pulled from my dreams. One battle scene at the top of the stairs made me flinch. A white-faced dead man punctured through by a dragon. The kids didn’t seem bothered by the art that surrounded them.

I covertly glanced at them. The present was more important and they both stole peeks at me. I prayed they weren’t scared of me. At the top step Harper faced me, though it was obvious whatever he was about to say came from Helen, who had been whispering in his ear. "Are you really our evil stepmother?"

I smiled. "I'm your stepmother but I don't want to be evil. Can I be good instead?"

Harper didn't smile back. He averted his gaze and started walking down a long hall. "I guess you can."

"If you’re a dragon, you're good." Helen spoke in a hushed voice.

"Be quiet,” Harper said. “She doesn't know anything."

A dragon? Even the kids think I don’t know anything. “Just because I’m not a writer and have never been a mom before, doesn’t mean I can’t care about you. You are clearly as creative as your dad. I want us all to be a family.”

Harper lowered his head and said, “I guess.”

I followed behind Harper and Helen, who walked hand in hand. There was a white space where a portrait had once hung, but it was missing. "Why did you think I was evil?"

Harper pointed to a large door as if he’d just completed a distasteful mission. "Aren't stepmother's usually evil?"

"I wouldn't know. I never had one. When my mom died, I had to go live with my grandmother and she wasn’t evil. I've never been evil."

His mouth curved upward and I thought I saw an outline of a dimple. Helen's big doe eyes continued to stare at me—the mastermind even though she let her brother talk. Harper and she shared a look and then he said, "What do we call you?"

I looked to each of them. "Daphne or Stepmom are both fine.” Talking helped build relationships and I should talk about their interests. Helen had been asking about dragons, so if that was her interest, I’d start with that. “Helen, what do you know about dragons?"

Harper stepped between us. "She doesn't know anything, right."

I realized they were testing me. I grew up caring for the elderly and it seemed children were very similar. As these are Robert’s children, they must be imagining lots of adventures, and this house must fuel that fire in them. I curled my lower lip down as if I was sad. "Why? I think you both know a great deal about dragons. I see all the portraits in the house and the dragon fountain, so you and your dad must like dragons too. I'd like to hear the story from you."

Helen tugged on her brother's arm, but he shook his head in warning and said, "We're not dragons. We're like our mom. When you and dad have babies, yours will be like you."

I sighed. While I was not their mother naturally, I would never push them to the side. Helen still didn't say a word, but I nodded at Harper. "I don't want to take your father from you if that's what you think. I want us to be a family. I'll never cast you aside."

As I opened my bedroom door, Harper took his sister's hand and then pointed with his nose to an open window. “Why is the window open? They are supposed to be closed once the sun goes down.”

“Close it!” Helen cried.

Harper turned toward me like I’d opened it. "While you're here, make sure you lock all of the windows unless you want to invite the others inside.”

I slammed the window closed and locked it. Now that was a strange comment. "Why would I do that?"

Helen's voice sounded close to tears. "Mom forgot to close one. Then the others came. It's how she died."

Others came. I paused. They probably meant a stranger. I'd hug them both but they weren't ready for me to even offer. I stared at Harper again. "I didn't know that.”

“We're better off with our aunt."

“Oh, Harper. Don’t say that. Where does your dad work?"

He shook his head at me. "We're not allowed to go there."

I straightened, deciding that there was no need to push, we had time. I'd have to search for Robert myself, it seemed, but first I needed to make sure that this was my room so I had my bearings. I brushed my lap to free the wrinkles in my skirt. "Why not?"

Harper's chin stuck out. "Our father wishes we were different than what we are. I want Samantha."

If they wanted their aunt for comfort, they should be with her. I'd not force anything. Did Robert want them to be different? "No, I'm sure that's not true. Your father loves you."

He swiped his tears and Helen snuggled closer to her brother. "You don't know anything."

My knees were shaking. The draft in the hallways allowed the cold into the house. "Like what?"

Harper shook his head again and led Helen down the hall, away from me. "Dad and my uncles always talk about finding their flight to leave us."

I spoke to the back of their heads. Helen's hair had a curl to it that bounced as she walked. "Whatever this flight is, I can assure you he won't leave you.”

Perhaps flight was the new way of saying death, but my grandmother had never been into new anything. Or maybe it was a really old way of talking about death. “My grandmother spoke about her flight and rejoining them the moment she died and she lived till she was almost a hundred."

Harper spun on his heels, clearly upset. "Mom said she never should have married our dad because he'd never understand us. Now that you're here, you'll join him and forget us. And we're not strong enough to defend ourselves yet."

"Absolutely not.” What kind of upbringing had these two experienced? Clearly Robert and Serena had issues if they were talking about leaving. “I won't let anything happen to either of you, ever. I swear it." I hugged my stomach, wishing I could hug them. "You seem like good children."

Harper's shoes dug into the floor. "We're not. We're wild sometimes."

My inhaled breath echoed in the hall. "It doesn't matter. You're Robert’s. Therefore you're mine now and I keep what's mine safe."

"If you can remember. Night is almost here." Harper's eyes misted like he hated the words he spoke. "Samantha will be waiting."

If they were wild kids they'd not cry. "You're both good children with caring hearts. I can see it."

Helen squeezed her brother's hand. Harper stared at her and then nodded. "Dad will come down those steps when it gets dark. He won't leave you alone."

If they were afraid, then I had to help them and yet they were concerned for me. I called after them as they walked down the darkened hall, "If you want anything, please come find me. I'm pretty lonely and have no friends here. I'd rather greet the night with the pair of you."

"We're staying with Samantha." They disappeared from my sight.

Alone again I opened the bedroom door. I saw my suitcase in the middle of the bed. Frigid air greeted me and I realized the window was open. I quickly closed it. My stomach had too many knots in it to be hungry. I needed to shower and change into my pajamas before it became too dark to even think about moving. I hustled to finish.

Robert would find me soon.