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“Well, it’s not just for dances anymore. People use it for everything. And it’s not just for kids. It got really popular during the pandemic.”
Gracie frowned. “The what?”
“Another plague,” Larissa explained inaccurately.
Anna rolled her eyes. “Sickness is a tricky thing to explain here. I read about it, but it never hit us.” She shrugged. “Immunity is just one of the perks of being immortal.”
“I miss dancing.” Larissa sighed.
No alcohol or music. No television or social media. How would Delilah ever survive such a lifestyle? Not that she wanted to.
“It’s not as difficult as you might think, being here,” Anna said as if sensing her concern. “Adam lets me have a record player.”
“Really?” Delilah was certain that wasn’t allowed. “Like a wind-up one?”
Anna nodded. “Whenever he goes to town, he buys me records from the old consignment shop. I love the Beatles. That’s how Lucy got her name, Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds. It was either that or Elenore Rigby.” She laughed.
“Or Penny Lane,” Delilah joked, feeling closest to Anna.
“Lovely Rita!” Destiny chimed in and the warm sense of belonging expanded.
“Well,” Gracie interrupted their fun, sounding slightly left out. “As interesting as music is, I’m sure there are other things we can discuss. Like what you think of your new mate, Delilah. Is he kind to you?”
“He’s…”
The women leaned in expectantly. She was torn between telling them what they apparently wanted to hear—that Christian had claimed her and she was now living some sort of cosmic destiny with her destined mate—or the truth.
“He’s…”
A strange, protective instinct came over her, making her words difficult to share. She shouldn’t care what anyone thought of a man who abducted her and forced her to dress up like an extra in The Handmaid’s Tale. But she couldn’t bring herself to speak negatively about him to people who might unfairly judge him without all the facts.
What were the facts? Why was she cutting him slack? She’d waited all this time to get here and beg the women for help so she could escape and go back to her life, but now she didn’t want to betray Christian.
She couldn’t fathom where such loyalty stemmed from. He deserved nothing but her wrath. This was her chance to ask for help. She should be pleading with these women and telling them every horrid thing he did to her. So why wasn’t she?
“Actually, we’re still getting to know one another.” She frowned, unsure where that load of horse shit came from.
“Adam kidnapped Anna.”
“Grace! Honestly, what has gotten into you today?”
“What? It’s true. And look how happy you are now.”
“It wasn’t our proudest moment,” Anna told Delilah then turned back to Grace. “Thanks a lot.”
Gracie shrugged. “She’s not being honest with us. Maybe if she knew your story, she wouldn’t feel so self-conscious about her own.”
Delilah really needed to learn how to guard her thoughts.
“That’s her choice, Gracie. She’ll share when she’s ready.” Anna rolled her eyes and returned her attention to Delilah. “Is there anything we can do to help?”
She looked at each woman, unsure who she could trust and who she couldn’t. “Um…I…How do you block your thoughts?”
Anna sighed. “I got Gracie out of my head by picturing her brother naked. I’m not sure that will work with Brother Christian.”
Gracie snickered. “It doesn’t. She already pictured him several times. At least you got lucky in that department.”
Mortified, Delilah blinked at the girl. “You saw Christian…naked?”
“Only when you showed me.”
“I wasn’t showing you.”
“But you were.”
Larissa leaned forward and patted Delilah’s knee through her gown. “She doesn’t mean it. It’s actually quite a burden for her.”
Gracie nodded. “Mortals are the worst. Their thoughts are like standing next to a blaring siren.” There was no malice or accusation in her tone, just regretful acceptance.
Delilah supposed that sort of intrusive noise might drive a person crazy. “Sorry?”
“It’s okay. I feel like I’m getting to know the real you.”
Self-conscious and unsure what sort of first impression her unguarded thoughts gave, Delilah shrank a little in her seat. “I didn’t realize I was blasting my thoughts.”
“In time, you’ll learn better self-control,” Destiny said. “We’ve all gone through it.”
“And I’ve suffered each and every one of your filthy minds, thank you very much,” Gracie added with a touch of sarcasm and a dash of horror. “It’s nice to meet a female who isn’t picturing one of my brothers naked all hours of the day.”
Delilah hadn’t realized she’d pictured Christian naked at all, but apparently, she wasn’t fully aware of her deepest thoughts. “Are you married?”
“I’m still waiting for my calling. I won’t marry unless he’s my true mate.”
“They aren’t the same? Mating and marriage are two different things?” She didn’t mean to sound stupid, but she’d assumed they were synonymous by the way so many of them interchanged the two.
“Mates are chosen by God. It is our greatest sacrament,” Larissa explained.
