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“Did you have a good day?” he asked.
“Yes. I think Valentin was a little put off at first that I was getting involved, but I pointed out to him that it is not just his alpha’s bonding day; it is mine, as well.”
“I will speak with him.”
“I don’t think you need to do that. I think we managed to work our way through it.”
“Good. We had dinner privately yesterday in deference to the long day of travel. I thought you might be tired and want to just settle in. Normally, I eat with the pack.”
“I understand. You don’t want them to feel neglected. I can just make a sandwich and eat it in my room.”
Mischa shook his head. “No, your place is at my side. You will sit at the alpha’s table with Valentin and me. We are usually joined by several other pack members, but I’m sure tonight they’ll all be clamoring to meet you.”
“I didn’t bring anything to go to dinner in.”
“We’re a lot less formal than at your father’s table. What you have on is fine. People who work with the vines get cleaned up, but mostly it’s a jeans or leggings and a sweater kind of thing.”
“I am still a bit jet-lagged. I would prefer to eat in my room.”
“You weren’t too tired to go for a long walk this morning.”Why is she lying to me?“You will eat dinner with your pack as everyone else does. This is a working vineyard, farm, and business. We don’t have the luxury of having an elite ruling class.”
“I worked in my father’s vineyard.”
“Then you will be among like-minded people.” Mischa glanced at his watch. “Dinner is at six. People often gather thirty to forty minutes before to have a beer or a glass of wine and there is usually cheese, crackers, and other snacks. If you’re too tired, you can skip the socializing, but I will expect you at my side promptly at six.”
“And if I’m not?” she asked, sitting up straighter in her chair.
“Don’t try me, Simone. I am trying to be considerate of the situation, but I will not brook deliberate disobedience. You are my mate and mistress to this pack, and I will expect you to act accordingly. Do I make myself clear?”
“Crystal. If you don’t mind, I’d like to go to my room and freshen up.”
She stood and headed up to her room. Mischa pinched the bridge of his nose. He wondered what life was like for her back in Sicily. He was willing to make some allowances for her age and inexperience, but she needed to step into her new role.
At five-thirty, Mischa left his office and joined his pack, grabbing a proffered beer and making his way through the people gathered there. He couldn’t understand Simone’s reluctance. She might not know everyone, but certainly his pack had been nothing but kind and gracious to his mate. She needed to be the same.
The dining hall had a large bell right outside the doors that led out onto an expansive patio. At six o’clock every evening, Mrs. Perkins went out and rang the bell to call everyone to dinner. The bell was more than three centuries old and had stood the test of time. As it started to knell, he looked toward the entrance to the dining hall to see Simone entering.
He watched with keen interest as she skirted around the fringes of the crowd to get to him. It wasn’t so crowded in the room that she couldn’t have walked directly to him. She might have been stopped by people wanting to speak to her or introduce themselves, but it wouldn’t have taken her but a few extra minutes.
She joined Mischa. “I’m here as ordered.”
“Yes, you are. I’ll show you where we sit. Breakfast and lunch are always buffets, except on Sundays when we have a served brunch. Dinner is served family style at each table.”
“Is there assigned seating?” she asked.
“No. People generally eat in the same spot out of habit, but no one forces anyone to sit anywhere.”
“Except you ordering me to sit by your side.”
Mischa inclined his head. “If you choose to view it that way…”
“There is no other way to view it, Alpha. You bought and paid for me. I had no choice in that, in how my bonding ceremony will be conducted, or in where I have my meals.”
“Did you eat your meals in solitude in Sicily?” he asked, holding out her chair for her.
“No, but I knew everyone there, and it was my choice to do so.”
What the hell had gotten into her? He’d need to speak to Valentin about how their meeting had really gone.
