He freezes. “Wonderful?”
“Very kind. Just like she was before.”
His brow furrows. “Before?”
“When I met her. And Vera, and Catherine, and Eloise.” I tilt my head at him. “They came to see me ages ago. They wereall lovely.”
Seth goes completely still. “They what?”
“Your sisters came to my quarters. Introduced themselves. They were very welcoming.”
“When?” His voice comes out strangled.
“Right after we mated. The morning after, actually.” I watch the color drain from his face. “You don’t remember me telling you?”
“No.” He looks confused, his brow furrowing. “There was too much going on, I guess.” He runs a hand through his hair. “Those conniving—I’ve been avoiding them for months because I didn’t want them to meet you yet. Didn’t want them to overwhelm you or interrogate you or—”
“They already met me,” I finish gently. “And they were wonderful, Seth.”
He stares at me like his entire world has changed. “They met you. Months ago. And they were kind.”
“Very kind.”
“And I’ve been dodging them like a coward.” Something between a laugh and a groan escapes him. “They must think I’m an idiot.”
“Probably,” I agree. “Marina did say you’ve been avoiding her for months.”
“Because I thought she’d terrify you!” He looks genuinely distressed. “Here I was, trying to protect you from my family, and they’d already met you. You all got along fine without me.”
I reach up to cup his face. “They love you. And they were excited to meet me.”
“She sent me a message a little while ago that said, ‘I have your mate.’ Just that. Nothing else. I actually thought she had kidnapped you.”
“In a way, she did.”
“But she already met you. Already approved of you.” He shakes his head. “I’ve been running scared for nothing.”
“Not for nothing. You were trying to protect me.”
His eyes darken as they travel over me. “Is that my shampoo?”
“Yes.”
“Selene.” His voice drops. “You’re in my room. Smelling like me.”
“Your sister prepared all of this.”
He pulls me closer, sighing heavily. “I’m definitely not going to survive this dinner. They’re going to destroy me.”
I stand on my toes to kiss him. “But I’ll be there.”
“That’s the only thing that’s going to get me through it.”
Dinner is exactlyas chaotic as Seth predicted.
Marina sits at the head of the table like a queen holding court, with Vera, Catherine, and Eloise arranged on either side. Seth and I sit together, his hand finding mine under the table within the first five minutes.
“So, Seth,” Marina begins, her tone deceptively casual as she cuts into her chicken. “Tell us about the last few months. You’ve been so busy, we hardly see you anymore.”
