Page 42 of Deceived

Adelina gives him a guilty glance before returning her attention to me.

“He asked me who to hire for you, but I couldn’t resist coming myself! Aksel has never talked to me about a woman before,” she gushes.

“Oh, well, thank you, but we aren’t together.” I need to make that clear before she tells anyone else.

“She’s mated to someone on my team,” Aksel says gruffly.

Adelina raises her eyebrows, looking at Aksel in disbelief like he’s an idiot. She turns back to me and drags me over to the chair.

“So, tell me, who are you mated to?”

She starts fluffing my hair, pulling it tight one way before trying the other.

“Felix.”

“Oh, how exciting for you! The women of the world will be disappointed. A shifter and a vampire, times really are changing. I’m so glad.”

I don’t know how to respond to that, so I change the subject.

“So you and Aksel are cousins?”

She starts braiding a section of my hair, pulling it away from my face until it joins up with another.

“Yes. I’ve always had a soft spot for him, hence why I’m here. We didn’t get to see him or Dorielle very often.”

“Dorielle?” I ask.

“His sister.”

So, Aksel has a sister.

I have to admit she’s good at this. In barely any time at all I can see the elegant swoop she’s building in my hair.

“Why didn’t you get to see him?”

If she’s giving out information, I’ll take it.

“Aksel’s father doesn’t get along with mine. His mom is my mother’s sister. Between you and me, they never approved of the match between Aksel’s parents.”

I nod. I can imagine no one likes dealing with Joka. Was he as horrible of a father as he seems to be a person?

“Enough sad talk. Tell me about yourself!”

I decide not to push her. As much as I want to know all of Aksel’s secrets, he did set this up for me to make me more comfortable. I want to honor that.

I tell Adelina all the good parts of my life, about bartending, Aly, being mated to Felix. She absorbs every deal with a huge smile on her face.

She finishes my hair and most of my makeup before asking, “Not that you need to be in any rush but have you thought about who else you might be interested in mating?”

That’s not a conversation that would ever happen in the human world.

“Oh, well I’m also dating Griffyn I guess,” I stumble over the words.

“An incubus! How fun! No one else? Perhaps a certain cousin of mine?” Her grin widens and she gives me a wink.

I burst out laughing. “Sorry to let you down, but that one is a definite no. I’m pretty sure he hated me on sight and has only warmed up to me slightly since I’ve been around.”

Adelina pouts. “Boo! Alright, I’ll leave you alone about Aksel. That stupid boy needs to get his act together. Although, maybe it’s for the best that he doesn’t notice how beautiful you are. His father is all about keeping species pure.”

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