The thundering sound of the helicopter was beginning to give him a headache. Calder had never been a fan of flying like this, but it was the quickest way he could reach the Alma Venus Agency in Myrtle Valley, Kent, from London. He wanted to see Andrea Evans as soon as possible, and that had immediately eliminated the idea of driving there. Of course, if he had shifted into his dragon form and flown there at shifter speed, it would have taken him less than by helicopter, but Calder didn’t want to dump so many surprises onto Andrea’s shoulders and then expect her to deal with them. He had to take things slowly. As the representative of the Dragon Faction in the Council, he had known all along that finding himself a bride wouldn’t be easy.
Calder looked out the window. Below them lay the sprawling grounds of Alma Venus. Just thinking that Andrea was so close to him made his blood boil. Calder had been careful with her, taking his time to reveal his identity, in hopes that she was the right one. Now that he was here, he felt like it was the first time he was courting someone. He wasn’t sure if he would know how to look at her, how to speak to her, and how to touch her once they were face to face. It had been so long since he had last been with a woman…
He stretched his legs as best as he could, attempting to clear the cramp in his thigh. It wasn’t easy to fit his massive form inside the helicopter’s rear space. Aside from the fact that Calder hated to fly when it wasn’t by his own wings, he was taller and bulkier than most men, which made it difficult for him to make himself comfortable in the small seat.
“Are we going to land soon?” he asked into the headset, impatiently. “I would rather like to get off this metal bird.”
“Yes, Mr. Councilor. We’re close now.”
Calder smiled at the pilot’s reply. The young man had been working for him for a couple of months, and he was slowly getting used to his moods. Whenever they were flying together, Calder would get impatient, and the pilot would try to reassure him, or distract him with other topics of conversation. This time, however, the pilot wasn’t as talkative. He knew where they were going and why, and he was doing his best not to ask Calder about his future bride.
As the helicopter landed, Calder felt giddy. It was all he could do not to jump off the chopper and run to the gates. But he couldn’t behave like that. He was an ancient dragon-shifter, not a hormonal teenager, so he took his role seriously and walked through the gates and over to the tall main doors at a measured pace. Monique Delacroix, the manager of the Agency, was the one who welcomed him.
“Miss Delacroix,” he said as he shook her bony hand, “it’s such a pleasure to see you again.”
The woman smiled. “Mr. Grimmr, I’m happy you made it here so early in the day. I do apologize, but this was the best time to arrive, as our girls are in their morning classes and shouldn’t be out and about. Neither of us wants any undue attention. If you please…”
“Please, lead on, Miss Delacroix.”
The middle-aged woman led the way to her office on the ground floor. Her private study was guarded by Miss Jones, her secretary, and no one got to her without being first questioned by Miss Jones.
They entered her study and she motioned for him to take a seat. Calder undid the buttons of his cream-colored suit jacket to make himself more comfortable. Sitting down in the leather chair opposite Miss Delacroix’s desk, he rested his hands on his knees and waited for the woman to initiate the conversation. Of course, she already knew why he was there.
“If I remember correctly, you’re here for Miss Andrea Evans?” she asked, opening a document, her mouse hovering over the “print” button, which she only hit when Calder nodded in confirmation.
“Yes,” he said in a confident tone. “I have already made my donation.”
The manager smiled. “It was the first thing my secretary let me know about this morning.”
“I feel like I should specify it is non-returnable. Your services are impeccable as always, so regardless of the result, I leave the donation with you, and I want you to know that you have my full support. I think your agency is the best of its kind.”
Miss Delacroix raised an eyebrow. She fetched the papers from the printer and placed them in front of her guest.
“So far, there have been no problems with the Alma Venus mail-order brides,” she said. “Even though we don’t have as much time as we used to have to prepare them, they have proved time and time again that they’re hardworking, open-minded, and truly interested in the culture and traditions of shape-shifters. Since the agency was founded, not a single shifter has regretted choosing one of our brides. I know Andrea very well, and I can vouch for her.”
Calder waved his hands as if to show that was not what he had meant.
“No, no! I would never dare doubt your professionalism!” he sighed. “My wording was wrong, and I apologize.”
Now, Miss Delacroix was even more curious about what was going through his head. It was unlike Calder Grimmr to be so distracted, almost anxious.
“Andrea is an amazing young woman,” he continued. “But when she joined the agency, I doubt she expected to have to deal with a Councilor, with a man who has so many responsibilities and is more often at the office or away on business trips than at home. If I feel like she cannot adapt to the new lifestyle this marriage will, unfortunately, impose, I will set her free. I’d rather she came back to Alma Venus and tried again, than know she is unhappy with me. And, if that ever happens, I just want you to know neither the agency, nor Andrea will be at fault, and you should definitely keep the donation and use it to improve the mail-order brides’ opportunities.”
Miss Delacroix relaxed. A genuine smile brightened her face, and she looked at Calder with kind eyes. Now she understood why he was so distracted and anxious. He was afraid this whole business he was getting himself into might fail. How long had it been since Calder Grimmr had had a bride? Monique Delacroix had no idea. She had heard rumors about this man, gossip about how he had only had one bride in his long life, then refused to take another after she died. It didn’t take a genius to figure out why he was considering a mail-order bride now, after decades of loneliness: the cure. The antidote for the shifter venom ensured no shape-shifter would ever have to watch a mate die again.
“That will never happen,” she said softly. “As I said before, I know Andrea. Yes, she can be a bit of an airhead at times, but if she accepted your proposal, then we can both be sure she has thought very well about it.”
“Oh, I know she did!” Calder chuckled, remembering how she had made him wait for her decision. Then, his tone turned serious: “Still, even for someone so cautious and calculated as Andrea, the future can hold unforeseeable surprises. All we can do is hope for the best. And do our best, of course.”
Miss Delacroix agreed with a nod. As Calder took a pen and started filling out the papers, an idea popped in her mind. She stood up and excused herself. When she reached her secretary’s office, she opened her mouth, then closed it before any word had managed to come out.
“Miss Delacroix?” Miss Jones furrowed her brows in worry. “Are you alright?”
The manager smiled, then grabbed a paper and a pen. Even though a massive oak door separated her from the man she had left in her office, she had enough experience with shape-shifters to know he would hear her no matter how softly she whispered.
The secretary watched as Miss Delacroix started writing down a couple of odd requests. By the time the note was finished and pushed in front of her, there was amusement dancing in her eyes.
“No worries, I’ll get it done,” she said.