Chapter Three
There was only one fight left. Between Robert Cade and Michael Nevsky. Over the past couple weeks, Serena had had half a dozen talks with each of them. Out of the two of them, Michael was the more attractive, with thick golden hair and an Adonis-like figure. She was rooting for Robert, though. And not just because he was Tristen’s brother. He had a sense of humor and made her laugh, while all Michael did was wax poetic.
She sat in the chair next to her grandmother, with her aunt on the other side. Serena stared above the heads of the people on the other side of the arena. There were cheers coming from all around her, but she stayed utterly still and quiet. Perhaps she ought to be faking more interest, but she couldn’t make herself do it. Not today. Not when her mate was being chosen by who could beat the other better.
Tradition, in some cases, had to be done away with. If she was a regular girl in the clan, people would be horrified at the prospect of her not being able to choose her own mate. Any restrictions on it at all, actually. Although—she glanced from the corner of her eye at her grandmother—there was extraordinary pressure on people to mate before they reached a certain age. Isaias Durant came to mind. Her grandmother had all but forced him into the relationship he had with Becky Lake. That they fell in love and turned out to be mates regardless, they had been put into a situation neither of them wanted in the beginning.
She shook her head, bringing herself back to the present. Yes, once she was matriarch certain traditions would be done away with. But she herself had to accept this one.
She spied Tristen shouting instructions to Robert and her bear growled. It was angry at him for not fighting for her. She pushed those feelings aside, though. She had embarrassed herself in front of him enough. He had been very kind about it, though… which only made her want him more…
There was a sudden cry from the crowd and she jumped. She looked down into the arena to find Michael on his back, panting and shaking his head. Robert, a black-furred bear, backed away from his opponent and shifted back to his human form. He had a strong, muscular body and was attractive enough. Even though he looked nothing like Tristen…
She stood and moved to the edge of her box. Robert spun on his heel and bowed toward her. The winner. The one she had been hoping for. Her shoulders relaxed as he straightened and threw her a lazy smile. This would work out just fine. She knew it would.
When she rose her hand, the arena quieted quickly. Robert waited expectantly. Everybody stared at her. She took a deep breath and allowed the practiced smile to surface on her face.
“Our clans have always been sisters, bound together in times of trouble and surplus. It has been a tradition for generations that the matriarch take the mate chosen for her by the McCloud clan. Today I am happy to continue that tradition. Robert Cade will be my mate, joining our two clans together once more. Thank you, all of you who tested his strength and resourcefulness. You are all to be honored for your dedication.”
She said more, but the memorized speech rolled off her tongue without her even thinking about it. After that was done, she and her new mate held a welcoming celebration. He quickly washed up and put on a tux. Natasha and Lori helped Serena into a tight-fitting sequined gown that hugged her every curve and made her feel like a sexy beast. Then they came together for a celebration that was more like a wedding reception than anything else. The two of them would be married within the next couple of weeks, but they were mates already.
It was dark by the time they returned to her house. Or rather, her quarter of the four-plex she shared with the rest of her family. She had her apartment space away from the rest of them, but they were still there if she needed them.
The twins were crying from Clifford and Lori’s side. Serena frowned a moment at the noise, but knew that they’d quiet soon enough. Lori and Clifford never let them cry for more than a few minutes. Still, in the meantime, she turned on the white-noise machine that she’d invested in shortly after the twins’ birth. The sound of birds chirping and trilling helped to relax her tense muscles.
“So…” Robert fiddled with the buttons on his jacket. “Tristen says that you like gardening. Maybe you can give me a tour of the greenhouse I saw out there.”
“Maybe later,” Serena said quickly. The greenhouse was hers. It didn’t matter what else was going on, she knew she’d be able to find tranquility there. She wasn’t ready to show it to Robert just yet. “Would you like some tea? I’ve got a great jasmine brew. It’s delicious. Perfect for relaxing after a long day. How are you feeling? You got beat up pretty badly earlier.”
Robert shrugged and sat on the couch. He patted the seat beside him. “Why don’t we sit and talk for a minute? You’re going to wring your hands off if you keep twisting them.”
Serena glanced at where her hands were wound together and dropped them to her sides. Slowly, she moved to perch on the couch beside him. “This dress won’t really let me sit back comfortably.”
“Well, it looks great.” His gaze trailed down her figure and he let out a small breath. “You look great. I’m glad Tristen convinced me to join in this thing. I thought it was kinda weird, but now that I’ve met you… well, I look forward to getting to know you better.”
Serena’s mouth was dry. “Yes. And I look forward to getting to know you better. Now… we need to talk about what’s going to happen from here. We’re technically mates, but—"
“No.”
Serena’s brows rose.
“I wouldn’t call us mates. Mates have that deep connection. The feeling that they are more important than anything else in the world. We don’t have that. Sure, maybe we’re called mates, but I’d classify us as a couple right now.”
Serena jumped to her feet. “I’m going to make that tea.”
She hurried to the kitchen. The twins had stopped crying. Good. That was something, at least. Her hands shook as she set the kettle to boil and readied the teapot. What was wrong with her? It wasn’t like he was throwing himself all over her. He was just saying what she wouldn’t admit that she privately thought.
Grandmother was happy in her arranged marriage. Why can’t I…?
Robert followed her into the kitchen as the water started to boil. “Serena?”
She turned to him with a vague smile.
“I know that you’re nervous. I am too.” He stuffed his hands into his pockets and gave her half a smile. “We haven’t really had a serious talk about this. About us. I guess it was because it was uncertain if there was going to be an us. So, I just want this out there. I, uh… I never thought that I’d want a mate. I’m… not experienced. With women.”’
Serena’s eyes widened. “Oh! I’m not either. With men. Or women. I’m not attracted to women, but I’m not experienced with them. I mean…”
Robert laughed. He crossed the space between them. “I understand what you mean. You’re super nervous and so am I. I just want things to be open between us. I find you… very hot. And I would like to make love to you, but I want to make sure that this is going to be okay between us first. So, we need to get to know each other a bit better, right?”
The kettle started to boil and she unplugged it and poured the water into the teapot. As she did so, she caught sight of Tristen outside, headed toward the house. Her heart nearly stopped. Her bear slammed into her ribs, and she put the kettle down. She whirled to Robert. She couldn’t face Tristen right now. No, he was coming to see how it was going between them and how was she meant to take the necessary steps with Robert when she couldn’t forget his face?
“Do we?” she blurted. She grabbed his hand and started to pull him towards the stairs. “I should show you the bedrooms.”
Robert’s brow puckered as she tugged him to her room. She had made sure that everything was neat and orderly when she left that morning. Her desk and vanity were organized, the handmade bedspread pulled tight. Not a wrinkle in sight. Now, however, she wished that she would have left it a little less pristine. It hardly looked lived in.
“Nice,” he said. His hands moved to her hips. He turned her around and leaned her against the door as he pressed his body to hers. “So… you don’t want to take time to get to know each other first?”
Serena made herself smile. “Well, I mean, it’d be good to start to get to know each other physically as well as emotionally, right? Have to make sure we’re compatible.”
“Hello?” Tristen called from downstairs.
Serena tensed. Robert froze. They stared into each other’s eyes while they listened to the stairs creak. Tristen was halfway up before he suddenly stopped and retreated. A rush of disappointment washed over her, but there was relief, too. Relief that she wasn’t going to have to see him and battle with her feelings at that moment. A giggle burst from her throat, and soon enough Robert was chuckling along with her.
“Wow,” he muttered. “That felt like almost getting caught by my girlfriend’s father.”
Serena flinched. “More like your father,” she said quickly.
Robert stepped back from her, though he kept his hand in hers. “Actually, that’s not too far off. Mom and Dad were pretty old by the time I was born. I was a whoopsie. Tristen was already an adult. For part of my growing up, I wondered if I was actually his son and not his brother, the way he acted. Always the responsible one, him. But that’s just who he is.”
Serena breathed a sigh of relief as more distance was put between them. Robert sat on the bed and she took a spot next to him. When he reached for her again, though, she put up a hand and shook her head.
“I’m too nervous.”
Robert nodded and moved back a little. “It was a bit fast… I honestly want to get to know you better. But I wanted it to go at your pace, so…”
Serena managed a smile. “Don’t push yourself because it seems like I want to go faster than you. This goes at a pace we’re both comfortable with. Not faster than either of us wants.”
“Right.” Robert loosened his tie. “So… anything you want to know about me?”
I want to know what Tristen is like through your eyes. She managed to make herself smile. “Actually, yes. Tell me about your favorite childhood memory.”
“Favorite memory? Hmmm…” Robert leaned back, face twisted in thought.
Serena tried to make herself admire the handsomeness in his face. But she could feel nothing, except for the wish that he was Tristen. She repressed a sigh… She had to get over this silly crush. She had to.