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She wasn't quite sure why finding herself in the past and being torn from everything she knew had become easier to accept than she'd ever dreamed.
Oh, she still wished she could see her mom and stepdad, and even her coworkers from the bakery.
But she knew she couldn't go back. As was her way, she ignored the depressing stuff to spend more energy on the good stuff.
Such as Stone.
Smiling, she remembered him donning the apron and how ridiculous the tall, muscled male who glared more than anyone in the world had looked in the frilly getup. Almost like a fancy dress costume gone horribly wrong.
And yet, he'd done it and even cracked a smile a time or two.
Maybe some people would be irritated at his mostly silent nature. However, Reika saw him as a challenge. One that gave her something to focus on instead of worry about.
As the clock on the mantel chimed the hour, she sighed and wondered how the meeting with the fae witch Dark Lord would go.
Finally getting herself out of bed, she rang for a maid to help her—stupid corsets—and soon sat inside the main parlor used to welcome guests in the family side of Leo's casino building.
As she sipped her tea and ate scones, Yesenia waltzed in and sat next to her. After nabbing her own treat, she said, "I heard you and Stone were making out last night. Is that true?"
She resisted groaning. "I'm about to meet this powerful fae witch guy and you want to hear about me kissing Stone?"
Yesenia waved a hand in dismissal. "Khan's not that bad. He looks scarier than he is. Be respectful, but honest, and things should be fine. Especially if you negotiate with him. As much as he complains about it, he likes a challenge." Yesenia leaned forward. "So?"
For a beat, it was hard for Reika to believe this fae witch female—who was only a few years older than herself—had one of the most powerful types of magic known to the world.
Reika had worked so much back home that she hadn't spent a lot of time with friends in recent years. And even if she had just met Yesenia, it felt as if she could tell her anything. So she blurted, "Yes, it happened. Although your husband stopped it from getting too intense."
Yesenia sighed. "He said he was going to do that. He can be a killjoy at times." She eyed Reika a beat. "So does this mean you'll let Stone claim you once? Maybe even more than once?"
"Once, yes. I don't want him to go crazy. After that? I don't know. He doesn't talk much, and I feel like I need to learn a little more about him before thinking of the future."
Yesenia nodded. "That's fair. I only know bits and pieces, thanks to Leo, but it's not my story to share. But regardless of how short a time you've known him, you've already done that man a world of good. I wish it was easier to take pictures in this time because I'm dying to see Stone in a frilly-ass apron."
Reika smiled. "It was super funny. He even smiled for a few seconds."
Yesenia placed a hand over her heart and put on a mock expression of horror. "No, not a smile!" She relaxed. "But truthfully, that's huge for him, for sure."
She was about to ask Yesenia if she could share anything at all personal about Stone and why he liked to grunt all the time when there was a knock on the door and Leo entered, closely followed by a male she didn't know.
He had black hair, medium-brown skin, and a stern look on his face. The pointed ears that peeked from his hair confirmed he was a fae witch. But it was the way his dark brown eyes studied her, as if trying to figure her out, that put her a little on guard.
To her surprise, the unknown male moved to stand near the fireplace, more than two meters away, instead of sitting in the chair across from her and Yesenia.
Before she could wonder too much about that, Leo spoke. "Miss Reika Hashimoto, may I introduce you to the fae witch Dark Lord, William Khan. Khan, this is Reika Hashimoto, our latest arrival from the twenty-first century and the fated bride of my head of security."
She nodded. "It's nice to meet you, sir."
Yesenia murmured, "Dark Lord is better."
Khan shrugged. "Either will do." He stared at a Reika a second before adding, "From what Yates has told me, you know you can't return to your time." She bobbed her head and he continued, "Then you essentially have two options: leave with me to live in the fae witch territory or stay here for the next two weeks to see if you and the half-vampire suit. Either way, you can't remain here long-term without marrying him."
She blinked and echoed, "Marrying him?"
Yesenia sighed. "Khan, really, this again? First with me, then my brother, and now Reika. Two weeks is super fast and not much time to make a life-altering decision. Maybe if you were married, you'd understand."
Khan brushed some invisible dirt off his sleeve. "You are well aware, Yesenia, of how things operate here. But I'll elaborate for Miss Hashimoto." His dark-eyed gaze met hers again. "Unlike in the future, we have our respective territories for a reason. Until recently, there was a great deal of war, and retaliation, and lives lost. The territories allow us to protect our own. And even if relations have improved, there is bad blood between the vampires and fae witches. Until that opinion changes, allowing fae witches to live in the vampire territory without a husband, wife, or committed poly-pairing makes my people uneasy. To prevent any of them from doing something rash, such as an ill-planned rescue attempt, I have strict rules in place. Marriage is a serious step, and so if a fae witch is willing to take it with a vampire, my people understand they made their choice and aren't being held against their will." He paused, and then asked, "Do you understand?"
So basically, marriage was super important in 1890. "Someone could be forced, though, into marriage. The reasoning seems silly to me."
