Total pages in book: 105
Estimated words: 99485 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 497(@200wpm)___ 398(@250wpm)___ 332(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 99485 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 497(@200wpm)___ 398(@250wpm)___ 332(@300wpm)
“As a bachelor, of course you could be happy—even in a tawdry place like that,” Lyrah said dismissively. “But your new bride needs a place of her own! I’ll have a suite on the East Wing prepared for the two of you.”
“Yes, Son—I think it’s proper that you come home now that you’re officially Bound,” my Sire agreed, nodding.
I clenched my jaw in irritation. One of the worst things about Lyrah was the way she led my father around by his nose—or more honestly, his dick. Just about everything she said, he agreed with. And once he decreed something, it was difficult to refuse since he was the Chieftain of our Clan.
“I’ll think about it after my honeymoon,” I said firmly. “Speaking of which, Aurora and I have a reservation at Chez L’ronge very soon.” I glanced pointedly at the gold chronometer on my wrist.
“Oh, I just love Chez L’ronge!” Lyrah exclaimed, her eyes going wide. “We should all go! That way we can get to know the new member of our family better.”
There was no way in Hell that I was going to have my stepmother coming along on the first night of my honeymoon. I cut my eyes at Rive, who stepped in smoothly.
“Unfortunately, I was the one who made the reservation and they only had a table for two available. It’s a very busy night, apparently,” he said to my stepmother apologetically.
Lyrah got a pouty look on her fake-pretty face.
“Well they can just make room for more! I’m the wife of the Chieftain of Clan Cruel, after all! You call them and tell them that we need a bigger table and they’d better have it ready within half a standard hour or they’re going to be sorry—very sorry!”
This was another thing I hated about Lyrah—the way she used my Sire’s position to throw her weight around and threaten people. She was so fucking spoiled it made me sick.
But for once, my Sire shut her down.
“Now Lyrah, I’m sure these two love-birds don’t want us around during their honeymoon,” he said firmly. “We’ll have plenty of time to get to know our new daughter once she and Slade move back home.”
Which told me two things—one that he was willing to let me be, at least for now. And two, he was going to insist on me living at home with him now that I had a wife.
Just fucking great.
Of course, it was traditional for all members of an extended family to live together—it was the Brutal way. But I had moved out ten years ago when my father had brought home Lyrah, not even two months after my own mother had died. I wanted nothing to do with my stepmother, and my Sire, sensing the tension between us, hadn’t said anything about it. Until now.
“We’ll talk about it later,” I said tightly, taking Aurora by the hand. “Right now, we have to go or we’ll miss our reservation.”
Seeing that she had lost this round, Lyrah took a different tactic.
“Are you really going to take your new bride to Chez L’ronge dressed like that?” she purred spitefully. “I mean, don’t get me wrong—it’s a lovely gown my dear, but it’s a bit old-fashioned,” she added, giving Aurora her fake-sweet smile again.
I watched Aurora look down at herself and saw the concern flicker across her lovely face. She looked beautiful as far as I was concerned. True, her long, gauzy dress, which was proper for the Court of L’Crist, might look a little outdated in a modern restaurant, but I didn’t give a damn about that.
“Aurora’s dress is fine. She’s beautiful, no matter what she wears,” I said firmly. I turned to my Sire. “We really have to go.”
“You’ll move back home directly after your honeymoon,” he ordered, frowning. “I want you under my roof when your wife conceives the Clan Cruel Heir.”
I wasn’t about to argue with him now. It wasn’t wise to contradict the Chieftain of a Clan—even if I was his second in command as the Head Enforcer.
“We’ll talk about it,” I repeated. “Now, we really have to go.”
Not waiting for any more protests or orders, I took Aurora by the hand and pulled her out of the Holy House.
I had to get out of there before I said or did something I was going to fucking regret.
10
AURORA
“So…your family seems nice,” I offered tentatively as the ship whizzed with what felt like reckless speed through the air. Slade hadn’t said a thing since we’d left the Holy House and his face was like a thundercloud.
“Yeah, really fucking nice,” he growled, scowling at the viewscreen. Then he took a deep breath and seemed to make an effort to shake off his bad mood. “Sorry,” he apologized. “It’s my stepmother—she makes me fucking crazy.”
“She did seem rather…opinionated,” I said.
He nodded.