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CHAPTER21
Sariah
“So, you’re my brother’s new wife.”
I snap my gaze up to meet Aurelia’s. I’ve been busy in the kitchen since she arrived, fixing us both something to eat. I have no idea what to say to her. I’ve never been good with people, largely because my father kept me hidden for so long, and I’m certainly not good at small talk, though I should be. This woman, who is more or less my age, is my new sister-in-law. I should make an effort to know her, to engage, but in truth, I am terrified of her.
Not because I believe she will hurt me or upset me, but because I want her to like me. I have seen how important Luke’s family are to him in the short time I have known him. I want him to see how much his family mean to me also.
“I didn’t realise you were in the church. I wish Luke had introduced us properly. But it’s nice to meet you now.”
“My brother can be difficult.”
Her words incite something in me I didn’t expect. The need to defend him.
“That’s not what I’ve experienced of Lucas. He’s been nothing but good to me.”
She tilts her head to the side, and I wonder what her motive is here. Is she trying to make me say things I can’t take back? Is she testing my loyalty to her brother? I have no idea, and that makes me nervous.
“The Fraser men are hot-headed, difficult, impulsive, and a myriad of other adjectives. You need to learn how to control Lucas, or he will control the both of you and you will fade away to nothing. My mother has done this perfectly with my father, and as much as I think my mother is a terrible excuse for human, she is talented in what she does. Make him love you and you will have the power in the relationship.”
“You think I need to keep myself protected from Luke?”
“Out of my brothers, he is probably the best. But he still has that dark streak that Zeke and Kane possess. He has Fraser blood pumping through his veins. And that lust for blood is difficult to ignore.” She leans forward, clasping her hands together in her lap, her dark hair falling over her shoulder. “You seem like a nice girl, Sariah. Try not to get lost in my brother’s shadow.”
Neither of us speaks for a while, and she turns the TV on, pulling up some old film that she gets engrossed in. I don’t know what to make of Aurelia. Her warning suggests some sort of friendship, but she is still a Fraser, and that means her loyalties lie with her family. Could she be a friend though?
I peer towards the lift where her bodyguard is waiting. Like most of the men who follow the Frasers around, he is intimidating without even saying a word. I’m not sure what to make of him, but I know he scares me less than Winters does. There’s something about that man that is off-putting. He looks at Luke sometimes in a way that makes my stomach twist. It’s not hate, but it could be close to that. I don’t trust him to save his life if it came to it, and it’s clear Luke doesn’t trust him either.
“Sit and watch the movie with me, Sariah,” my sister-in-law says. I give the TV my attention, even though this film is not my kind of thing. Too many car chases and explosions for my liking. I prefer drama, or to get lost in period costumes from another time. I prefer the fantasy of it.
“In the church, it seemed like you knew Luke from somewhere else before you met him at the altar.”
I’m not sure if I should talk about my secret, but I don’t suppose it hurts for anyone to know how I met Luke. It’s not as if my father can punish me any longer or as if I have to hide my transgression from Jeremiah.
“When I learnt I was to marry Jeremiah Wood, I snuck out of my house and went to a club. I didn’t want to….” I’m not sure how to explain my situation without sounding pathetic.
Aurelia leans forward and takes my hand in hers. “We are family now. You can tell me anything.”
I want to trust her. I’ve lived a life without trusting anyone for fear of my father and his long arm. He had many spies when I was growing up, and I quickly learnt that people could not be trusted. I want desperately to trust the girl sitting in front of me. I need a friend.
“I went there to lose my virginity so that it wouldn’t be taken forcefully from me. I wanted that to be on my terms, to experience it without fear or damage.” And I have absolutely no doubt that Jeremiah would have damaged me.
Aurelia cocks a brow and I’m not sure if my words have impressed or surprised her.
“And you met my brother?”
“Luke and I were drawn to each other immediately. He was so gentle, so loving. I don’t feel any fear with him.”
“So you got quite a shock when you were standing in front of him in that little chapel, ready to be married to a stranger.”
“I did. I think he was shocked too. Neither of us knew who each other really was. I used a false name, and I didn’t put together that Luke was Lucas Fraser.”
Aurelia tosses her hair, drawing her feet underneath her she sits back on the sofa. “Why would you? It’s not as if Luke isn’t a common name.” Her eyes go a little hazy as she stares at nothing. “Soon it will be me standing in a church in front of a man I don’t know, taking vows I don’t believe in. I think my brothers would protect me from that fate if they could, but we must all play our part. Mine is to provide an alliance with the man of my parents’ choosing.”
I squeeze her hand, giving her all the strength I possess. “If you don’t want to marry, I will help you in whatever way you need help. I know what it’s like to have all your choices taken from you, and if you truly do not want it, then I will save you however I can.”
I can tell my words have surprised her. Considering everything I’ve told her, did she expect me to encourage her to do what her family demands?
