Later that evening, Andrea stood in the shower, allowing the hot water to relax her muscles little by little. Her skin was still afire from her earlier encounter with Calder, and she couldn’t believe she had let herself succumb to his charm. She washed her hair, picking up her honeysuckle shampoo and lathering it into the long, dark tresses. It was the second time she was washing her hair today, but she felt like it smelled too much of sweat and sex to leave it that way. She winced when she raised her arms over her head. She was just realizing how sore she was, and not only between her legs.
“It’s my own damn fault,” she thought.
She had begged him to take her hard and fast, and he had complied. Then, she had had no idea she would end up with sore muscles and more than a couple of bruises on her white, milky skin. She rinsed herself quickly, stepped out of the shower, and wrapped herself in a plush towel. As she exited the bathroom, she stole a glance at her phone. She needed to hurry if she didn’t want to be late for dinner. She was going to meet Calder’s children, and the thought alone made her feel nauseated. She had no other option, though. Now, she regretted having been so loud and shameless an hour ago, screaming Calder’s name and how she loved what his cock was doing to her.
“Ugh!”
She couldn’t help but cringe. Everything was so cringe-worthy! This first day with the Grimmrs was proving to be pure hell. And it wasn’t even over.
Andrea mumbled to herself as she walked to the dresser and pulled out a black, simple dress. The hem went past her knees. She looked at herself in the mirror, approved with a nod, then slipped into a pair of black pumps and proceeded to put on some minimal make-up. Half an hour later, her hair was dry, and she looked classy and elegant. She hoped her tasteful appearance would make all the dragons she was going to meet in a few minutes forget about the noises that had filled the palace almost two hours before.
A knock on the door startled her. She was pretty sure it was Calder. When she hadn’t been very open and talkative after their explosive session of sex, he had decided to give her some space. Once again, he had showed her how much of a perfect husband he was. None of her exes had ever understood the notion of personal space.
“He’s messing with my head so hard,” she thought as she checked herself in the mirror one last time, then went to answer the door. He wouldn’t enter the room unless she invited him in, even though the bedroom belonged to the both of them. It was ridiculous how chivalrous he was.
“You look amazing,” Calder said.
And Andrea had every reason to believe him. His golden eyes moved from her plump lips to her subtle cleavage, then down to her generous hips and long legs.
“Thank you. You clean up pretty well, too.”
They both laughed.
Calder seemed to love white shirts, as he was wearing them for all occasions. He looked sexy, relaxed, and carefree, but Andrea fought the urge to ogle him. She couldn’t allow herself to be so weak all the time. Not if she wanted to still rob him blind at some point, preferably soon.
“Shall we?”
Calder offered her his arm, and Andrea took it. With a deep breath, she stepped over the threshold and followed him down the stairs, to the huge dining room. They stopped at the entrance, so Andrea would have time to take in the sight.
Servants were rushing between the dining room and the kitchen, but in a calm, collected way. The table in the middle of the room was already filled with drinks and delicious starters, and the three people around it were chatting and laughing while sipping white wine. They all fell silent when Calder and Andrea made their appearance.
For a moment, Andrea felt like a deer caught in the headlights. The woman and the two men at the table fixed their golden gazes on her, and she wasn’t sure if she should smile, nod, or say something. In fact, she wasn’t sure what kind of impression she wanted to leave. Did she want them to like her? Trust her?
“Yes, definitely,” she decided. “There’s no other way.”
So, Andrea smiled and waved. Her brown eyes were filled with innocence and curiosity as they studied Calder’s kids. It was obvious the woman was his daughter, and the silver-haired man was his son. They looked about the same age. Then again, all dragon-shifters looked as if they were in their late twenties. The third man at the table had long blond hair and a darker shade of gold in his eyes. Andrea had no idea who he could be, but she was soon going to find out.
Calder led them to their seats.
“Hey! I’m Sylvia. It’s such a pleasure to finally meet you.”
The silver-haired woman stood up and pulled Andrea into a quick hug before the brunette could even comprehend what was happening.
“Me too,” Andrea said. “I mean, it’s a pleasure to meet you, too. Sorry, I guess I’m a tad nervous.” She chuckled and gave Sylvia an apologetic look.
Sylvia took a step back and laughed.
“There’s nothing to be nervous about. We’re all family here.”
Andrea forced herself to smile. Calder’s daughter was the most beautiful woman she had ever seen, and a sharp pang of envy stabbed her in the chest. She was tall, athletic, with rich, smooth silver hair that touched her waist, and her laughter was contagious. Andrea could see she had inherited some features from her father, but the features she had surely inherited from her mother, Calder’s ex-wife, were exquisite, too. A straight, delicate nose, high cheekbones, and full, sensual lips. Andrea caught herself wondering what Sylvia’s mother looked like and just how much Calder had loved her. Quickly, she scolded herself for allowing such stupid, meaningless thoughts to distract her. It didn’t matter. She had no intention to stick around, so Calder could very well have as many women as he wanted once she was out of his life.
“Andrea, this is my son, Kaden,” Calder drew her attention to the other side of the table.
“Hi,” she said.
Kaden shook her hand, but that was it. He looked like a slightly younger version of his father, except his silver hair was short.
“Kaden is the Fyrstur of his own Grimmr wing.”
Andrea threw Calder a confused glance. The term “Fyrstur” wasn’t new to her, as she had learned at Alma Venus that it meant “Alpha” in the dragons’ ancient language. But she wasn’t sure she understood why Clan Grimmr, under the direct command of Calder, their main Alpha, needed to be divided in any way. In the dragons’ culture, “wing” meant what in the wolf-shifters’ culture was a pack.
Calder held the chair for her, and Andrea sat down. As he took his own seat at the head of the table, he started explaining everything to her.
“It sounds weird, I know. Despite being very ancient and influential, Clan Grimmr is not necessarily the most numerous within the Dragon Faction. However, my duties as a Councilor have always taken so much of my time, than when Kaden came of age, I decided to divide the clan into the Silver Wing and the Emerald Wing, and give him the leadership of the Emerald Wing, which is the biggest of the two. While I’m away on business, he takes care of everything here, and for that I am forever grateful to him.”
Saying the last words, Calder turned to his son and nodded with a smile. Kaden nodded back, then finally deemed Andrea worthy of his attention.
“Sylvia is my Annarr.”
Andrea knew the term “Annarr” meant Beta.
“It’s not very common in our culture, but when she refused father’s proposal to divide the clan even further so she could have her own wing, I begged her to become my Annarr.”
“And I almost refused him,” said Sylvia, jokingly. “He’s not an easy Fyrstur to deal with. All those whims and moods… Kaden can drive anyone crazy!” She leaned towards Andrea as if she wanted to tell her a secret, pretending the others couldn’t hear her. “Honestly, I accepted to be his Annarr because I couldn’t let another poor dragon-shifter of our clan suffer through such a stressful job.”
Andrea threw a glance around the table. When she saw Kaden was grinning, she chuckled lightly.
“Oh, I’m sure he’s not that bad. I mean, if he is anything like his father…”
“He’s not,” said Sylvia. “Don’t let his looks fool you.” She motioned towards Calder, then Kaden. “Character-wise, these two are nothing alike.”
In truth, Andrea could tell that from miles away. Calder was warm and friendly, while his son was cold, rigid, and had a certain look in his golden eyes, a look that gave Andrea the creeps. Every time he glanced at her over the table, she could read suspicion on his features. While Sylvia was pleasant and open, Kaden looked like a detective on a mission. And the mission was to figure Andrea out. Could it have been the fact that she was, practically, their stepmother now? Well, not yet. But if she let Calder mark her with the dragon mark, then she would become Sylvia’s and Kaden’s stepmother. That was a family role no one liked, especially not the children. Yes, that had to be it. It wasn’t as if Kaden Grimmr had telepathic abilities and could read her mind. There was no way he could know about her daring plan.
Andrea tried to relax. Calder helped by drawing her attention to the last person at the table.
“I’m sorry, this is Jared, my Annarr.”
Jared stood up, leaned over the table, took Andrea’s hand in his and placed a quick kiss on her knuckles.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, madam.”
“The pleasure is mine.”
Andrea was quite impressed at the Annarr’s fine manners. Standing before her, Jared was huge. Tall, bulky, and with rather rough features, he looked like a guy who spent most of his time doing deadlifts. Maybe he did; she had no way of knowing. However, the kindness she saw in his eyes managed to put her at ease. He was much friendlier than Kaden.
Finally, they all settled, ready to eat. The servants brought the first course, which made Andrea feel a bit sorry for not having had time to taste the starters. She and Calder should have come down to dinner earlier. As they ate, Sylvia made it her mission to tell Andrea everything she could think of about Clan Grimmr and the palace. Kaden ate in silence, and so did Jared.
Calder was paying attention to his daughter and to his bride’s reactions. He was delighted that the two women were getting along well. He hoped Kaden would soften towards Andrea, too, but he knew it would take time. His son could be rather stubborn, a trait which he had inherited from his human mother. In fact, all humans were usually stubborn compared to most shifters. While studying Andrea’s perfect profile, he wondered whether she, too, was as headstrong as his late wife.
“She isn’t who she pretends to be.”
Calder almost jumped when Jade’s words rang in his head so unexpectedly. He brushed them off for the second time that day, and placed his hand over Andrea’s. That drew her attention to him, and she turned to give him a quick smile. He smiled back and tried to remind himself that Jade, Andrea’s friend from Alma Venus, had just been jealous and envious seeing Andrea with him, the Dragon Councilor.
“So, how do you like it here so far?” Finally, Sylvia thought it wouldn’t be a bad idea to shift the discussion to Andrea. “I’m sorry, I talk too much, and mostly about myself. Ugh!”
“Oh, no! Not at all! I love listening to you.”
And, to her own surprise, Andrea wasn’t lying. Sylvia’s chatter was making this family dinner much more bearable. Half an hour in, and the brunette was getting the impression not only Kaden was suspicious of her, but Jared, too. The two men were sitting across the table from her and Sylvia, watching her every move and weighing her every word. She felt as if she was under close scrutiny, and that made her feel uncomfortable in her own skin.
“What’s up with Jared, though? He seemed to like me a few minutes ago.”
Was she betraying herself in any way? Could they tell her smiles were fake and her gestures calculated?
“If I’m giving you a headache,” said Sylvia, “it’s okay to tell me to stop. You’re my father’s bride, after all.” She giggled. “He’s our main Fyrstur, and that makes you pretty much the second most important member of Clan Grimmr.”
Andrea cocked an eyebrow. “I would never think of telling you what to do or not do. Really.” She raised her hands in front of her, waving lightly, as if to show she had no intention of accepting such a responsibility.
Sylvia shrugged and moved on.
“I know the palace can be overwhelming in the first few days. If you want, I can show you around.”
“Oh, that would be amazing!”
Andrea sighed in relief. Not because she was really interested in visiting the entire building and admiring its pompous architecture, but because she had to become familiar with the place and, hopefully, find out where the Grimmrs kept their treasure.
“After dinner, then?” Sylvia threw her father a questioning glance. “If you don’t have other plans.”
Calder patted his lips with a napkin and smiled at his daughter.
“No, you girls go take a tour of the palace and the gardens. I’d love to show you around, Andrea, but I have some business to attend to. I didn’t manage to focus much on work during the past few days, and I should really try to catch up.”
“Then, it’s settled,” Sylvia chirped and shoved a rather big piece of beef into her mouth, as if she wanted to finish her meal faster so she could show Andrea around.
“I can show you around the estate, though,” continued Calder. “Tomorrow.”
“I’d love that,” said Andrea.
“Maybe we could have a picnic. There’s a forest nearby. It’s one of my favorite places.”
Andrea encircled his strong arm and lifted herself a bit to kiss his cheek.
“Yes, take me there.”
Calder was surprised at her gesture at first, then relaxed and kissed her forehead.
Andrea wondered if she had just made a mistake. Maybe Calder didn’t want his children to see them acting so intimately towards each other?
“Aww… you two are so cute I could die,” said Sylvia.
That put Andrea at ease. Kaden, however, didn’t look very pleased with the situation. She wondered what his deal was. As if he sensed her doubts towards him, Kaden cleared his throat and addressed her.
“May I ask you something?”
Andrea let go of Calder’s arm and straightened her back.
“Of course.”
“Why did you choose to become a mail-order bride?”
“Kaden!” Sylvia almost hissed, kicking her brother under the table. “That’s not a nice question.”
Kaden shrugged. “Why not? I’m just curious.”
Andrea took a sip of wine and forced a smile on her face. She looked at Kaden with the most innocent, sincere eyes she could muster.
“It’s okay, it doesn’t bother me. I think it’s just natural for you to ask, actually. I’m a stranger to you, but I hope I won’t stay that way for long. To answer your question, I… I felt like it was the right thing for me. I haven’t been very lucky in love, so to speak.”
At least, that wasn’t a lie. She had to be careful to squeeze in some real facts in between the lies, so Kaden wouldn’t sniff her out.
“What do you mean when you say you weren’t very lucky in love?”
At Kaden’s next question, even Calder stiffened a bit. Things were getting a bit too personal.
Andrea tried to answer nonchalantly.
“Well, let’s just say the men I met before your father weren’t very nice to me. They didn’t treat me well, and eventually, I decided I couldn’t take it anymore. I had to make a change.”
Calder’s heart ached at Andrea’s words, and he squeezed her hand protectively.
“You don’t have to talk about this, my love.”
“It’s okay,” she said. “It’s all in the past.”
The mere thought of another man treating his bride badly made Calder’s blood boil in his veins. He felt like rushing out of the palace, running into the field, shifting into his dragon form, then flying straight to New York so he could teach those bastards a lesson.
Kaden shrugged. He didn’t seem impressed with her story.
“I’ve always thought people attract what they deserve,” he said. “I was reading this personal development book, and the author made an interesting point: if someone is abused in some way by their partner, it’s not 100% the abuser’s fault. The victim is equally responsible because, unconsciously, he or she wants, even needs, to be abused in that particular way.”
“Kaden!”
Calder’s booming voice startled everyone at the table. Even the servants waiting patiently with their backs almost pressed against the walls jumped in surprise. The Fyrstur of Clan Grimmr stood up, his back straight and all the muscles in his body tensed.
“I want you to apologize to my bride right this instant.”
Kaden threw his father an unimpressed glance.
“I was just expressing an opinion. Can’t people in this house argue amicably about issues concerning absolutely anyone, regardless of the Faction they belong to?”
Andrea placed a hand on Calder’s arm. She pulled slightly at his shirt, trying to convince him to sit down. Her cheeks were burning red with embarrassment. She wasn’t the type of person to accept such bullshit from someone who acted like a spoiled brat, but she had to keep her emotions in check. Normally, she would have snapped at Kaden, stood up for herself, and yelled at him that he had no bloody idea what he was talking about. Abuse, be it physical or emotional, was not something to argue about lightly, around the dinner table. And, most certainly, not when your arguments were based on a book on personal development.
“I believe it depends on each person’s perspective and personal experience,” she said. She smiled at Calder when he finally sat back down. “This book you’ve mentioned sounds interesting. I would like to read it, if you’re willing to lend it to me.”
For a second, Kaden watched her thoughtfully. He was considering whether she was truly that understanding and unaffected by his rude behavior, or she was just playing a role, and playing it well. Eventually, he smiled.
“Sure. Sylvia refuses to read the books I read, so I have no one to discuss them with. Maybe we could share notes after you read it?”
“Sounds like a plan.”
Sensing that the storm had passed, Sylvia asked for dessert. Since her father was too indisposed to participate in the conversation anymore, she decided to take the lead and help everyone through the rest of the awkward dinner.