Page 29 of Fractured Empire

“You’re doing this for your boys,” I gather, having already suspected that could be the case. “I…are you telling everyone this?”

“No.”

Gulp.

“So…why⁠—”

He knows what I’m going to ask, so he replies before the question can even be uttered. “You know why I’m telling you, Katya. Why I’m speaking to you so frankly. I’m looking for a woman to marry, to be there for my children. A wife in name, and in honor, but a nanny and eventual mother in practice. I need them to feel comfortable around the woman I choose, and eventually, choose her themselves.”

“Chloe will make a good wife,” I tell him, in denial about what he’s implying while biting my lip and looking down.

“You’ll make a better mother.”

My breath catches and I look up, unsure how to react and reply. “I’m supposed to be here to help her…I don’t⁠—”

He stops my stammering with a tilt of his head. “Linus wouldn’t have sent you here if he wasn’t okay with you being chosen. I’ve always known your stepfather to be a pragmatic man.”

“Do you know him well?” I ask, swallowing nervously. “He didn’t mention…well, I suppose he didn’t have much time to.” Not with Chloe stealing every moment of my time since finding out we were invited here.

Leon nods. “We’ve had our fair share of meetings. A few of my brothers like the Gabris casinos, and since we occupy the same coast, we share information quite a bit.”

“That makes sense,” I say lamely, not sure what else to add. “Ares has mentioned your family a few times—stories from Empire mostly.”

“I can believe that,” he says, chuckling lightly. “You never attended the college yourself, did you?”

“Gosh no.” I shake my head quickly. “I’m not ashamed to admit that the idea of that place has always frightened me a bit. It’s a little eerie, isn’t it? An island that’s more like a Washington forest than a tropical paradise? It wouldn’t help matters that I tend to get seasick and the semester begins with a ship ride to the location.”

“It’s a little eerie,” he allows, lips twitching. “My sister thinks it’s beautiful, though. Beautiful enough for her wedding venue.”

“Oh, I didn’t mean to insult⁠—”

“You didn’t,” he cuts in before I can blurt out a thousand apologies. “Honesty is a good quality in a wife, and in a mother.”

My breath stalls in my lungs and my body stiffens tightly. I’d almost forgotten what he pulled me over to discuss; I’d let myself relax and now I was stunned yet again. He’s interested in marrying me, something that I’m completely unprepared for. I didn’t give myself the time to ponder this possibility, or consider what I might do or even feel if I was presented with it.

“I really did come here to help Chloe,” I tell him quietly. “I don’t know what to say.”

Leon looks at me, his sad blue eyes shifting curiously. “Are you not interested in the proposal?”

My heart gives a funny beat, hearing the word proposal. “What?”

“Do you not want to be picked because you’re uninterested or do you not want your friend to be upset that you were picked while she wasn’t?”

My mind spins and I swallow tightly. His blunt question hits me hard, but I understand why he’s asking it. He knows my intentions in coming here, but that doesn’t mean I can’t be swayed to change my intent.

“Your sons are amazing,” I tell him in a rushed breath. “Anyone would be lucky to be their nanny or to be their mother.”

And I mean it completely. I only spent a few moments with the young boys, but I already find myself missing them. Leo and Bastian are polite, and silly, and cute as buttons. I started picturing what it would be like to be important in their lives the moment Leo’s infectious laughter and Bastian’s shy smiles came out.

I could see how much they adore their aunt and uncle, and I couldn’t help but want something like that for myself. A child’s love and friendship is a wonderful thing.

“And you want to be a mother, don’t you?”

His smiling reply makes me hesitate, unsure how to answer.

Probing further, Leon asks, “Do you not believe you could love them as much as you’d love a child of your own?”

“What?” I gape at him, horrified by the question. “Of course not. I mean, yes, I’ve always wanted to have children of my own. But if I married you I would never treat them anything less than my own.”