Cassian moved toward me with unhurried confidence, his hazel eyes assessing me from beneath a sweep of dark hair. The corner of his mouth lifted in a knowing smirk that suggested he'd never met a boundary he hadn't crossed. He was taller than Alaric by a few inches, his frame imposing and filled out.
Derrick stood beside him, straightening to his full height without a word. The light caught on his ebony skin as he tilted his head, close-cropped curls framing features that could have been chiseled. His eyes held mine—sharp yet somehow warm—as if he could dismantle my defenses with just that steady gaze.
"There she is," Cassian announced, extending his hand as he came closer. "Welcome to the lion's den, Selene."
"Cassian," Alaric warned, the single word carrying weight.
His brother’s smirk only deepened.
Derrick reached for my hand next, his grip confident but not overwhelming. "Ignore him. His charm only appears when there's someone to impress."
I smiled, feeling immediately at ease with him. "And when are you charming?"
"When I'm bored," he quipped with a grin before he stepped aside.
Next came a woman who moved like fluid grace in emerald silk, dark waves framing features that belonged in Renaissance paintings. She introduced herself as Penelope. Her perfume reached me first, bergamot and rose, before her arms enveloped me and a tight hug.
I wasnota hugger, but I stopped myself from tensing up and hugged the woman back.
"Oh, you're stunning," she breathed against my cheek, pressing kisses to both sides. "Alaric wasn't exaggerating for once."
A man she introduced as her husband materialized behind her—Jason—all clean lines and quiet confidence. Where sheradiated, he observed. His handshake was firm but not imposing.
"It's a pleasure to meet you. Welcome to the family, Selene. I’m the most normal one here."
“Him saying that should tell you he’s full of shit,” Cassian objected good naturedly.
The room seemed to inhale as two final figures approached, Dominic and Eirene Kostas. The current Kostas patriarch and matriarch. Eirene floated toward me in black silk and some kind of diamond hairpiece woven through her perfect chignon like stars. Her smile appeared warm, but something sharp glinted behind it.
Dominic Kostas followed, silver threading his dark hair, his presence commanding the space without effort. His blue eyes that were so much like Alaric’s, missed nothing.
"What a vision you make together," Eirene remarked, her voice like honey, before turning to murmur to her husband in Greek.‘A fine match, a clever choice.’Then, to me, “You understand that, don’t you?”
“Of course,” I replied, in the same melodic tongue “I appreciate the compliment.”
Her eyes flashed with approval and a hint of curiosity. “I know we’ve known one another for a whole sixty seconds, but I can tell you’ll do just fine here with us,” she stated, stepping aside so that her husband could greet me.
He stepped forward, taking my hands with unexpected gentleness. He inclined his head, studying me. "Selene. At last, we meet. The wait has been considerable my dear."
At last?Hadn’t this just been arranged?
“And now that you’ve been made to stand in a receiving line, please make my son take you to sit down.”
I laughed lightly, and Alaric guided me to a plush settee. I sank into the cushions, surprised by the depth of comfortdespite the rigid elegance of the room. I took a moment to study the space—tastefully adorned with art that looked like originals rather than reproductions, furniture that didn't scream wealth but whispered it in understated tones.
Everything after that blurred together in a haze of genial laughter and conversation. Penelope was quick to make me feel welcome. She spoke fast, her hands animated. Her husband balanced her energy with quiet charm—his humor subtle and not as bold as hers.
Dominic and Eirene Kostas asked questions they seemed genuinely interested in having the answers to. I met their gazes steadily and answered with ease.
Eventually we moved into their formal dining room. The table stretched like a runway, polished to mirror-brightness, each place setting arranged with military precision. Alaric's palm brushed the small of my back as he guided me to his right, a touch so light it barely disturbed the fabric of my dress yet somehow branded me as his in front of everyone present.
Penelope made sure she sat on my other side. Eirene took charge then, her smile never faltering as she guided us through topics with grace, never letting anything breach a subject that would make me uncomfortable. Across from me, Dominic observed in silence, his eyes missing nothing while Cassian and Derrick exchanged barbs with friendly banter.
Beside me, Alaric remained a study in stillness, as silent as his father. His shoulder occasionally brushed mine, his voice a low rumble when called upon, but I felt the weight of his attention like a physical touch. Not for show. For assessment.
At some point, uniformed employees appeared with delicate glass bowls of lemon custard garnished with crystallized citrus and purple blossoms. As talk turned to vineyard yields and spirit preferences, I gradually began to relax.
"So, Selene." Cassian's called softly, smile glinting like the platinum at his wrists as he leaned forward. "How does it feel to be thrust into the Kostas fold? I doubt the whispers did us justice."
