After showering, they ordered lunch, and Kenzie remarked on the silly grin Naya was wearing on her face. She flushed red, but she couldn’t deny that Vaughn and their night together had definitely been good for her. Or maybe she’d just needed to do something a little crazy and impulsive. Maybe she needed to find her own identity, like Vaughn had said, before settling down.
Either way, she hoped this content state would last because once she was mated, she couldn’t do anything like this again.
ARIANNA HEARD NAYA come home and hurried up the stairs to wait for her. Aunt Celeste and Uncle Marek were in their bedroom getting ready for the night, and Arianna wanted a chance to talk to Naya before they did.
Arianna waited outside her room until Naya came around the corner.
“Oh,” Naya said, stopping short, momentarily surprised by Arianna’s presence outside her bedroom. “Hi, Arianna.” Despite Arianna’s unexpected visit, Naya smiled sincerely, and her posture appeared relaxed for the first time in weeks.
Arianna tried to return the look, but she dreaded the upcoming conversation. “Naya, I must speak with you right away.”
“Okay. Come on in while I put my stuff away.”
Arianna followed her into the room, and Naya set her things down. She turned around and glanced at Arianna’s wringing hands.
Naya wrinkled her forehead and met Arianna’s eyes. “What’s going on?” she asked.
Arianna immediately dropped her arms and felt the blood rushing back into her fingers. “Would you mind if we sit?”
“Uh…no.” Naya gestured toward the sofa.
Once seated, Arianna grabbed Naya’s hands. “You know of Emerson Vanderbilt?”
“Yes, his parents own Vanderbilt Hotels, and his mother is on the Council. I have seen him at vampire functions, but I do not really know him well.” Naya paused and tilted her head to the side. “Arianna, why are you asking me about Emerson Vanderbilt?”
“Did you know your parents invited him over for first dinner last night? They want you to spend time with him. They are hoping that you two will be mated.”
Naya released Arianna’s hands and collapsed back against the sofa. “I knew this day would come. I really did. In fact, I was just thinking about it earlier. I guess a part of me thought I would have more time. I thought I was prepared. After last night…”
Last night? “Did something happen?”
Naya gave a weak smile. “It doesn’t matter, especially in light of this news. It’s just…I thought I was actually more prepared for an arranged betrothal. But at this moment, knowing it has started, I almost feel…“ She shook her head, took a deep breath, and squared her shoulders. “It’s not important. My family and people are counting on me.”
Naya’s bottom lip quivered, and Arianna was worried Naya might cry. Naya held her pose for several seconds before her shoulders slumped and tears streamed down her face. Tipping her head back, Naya took a few deep breaths as if trying to calm herself.
Arianna clasped her hand and squeezed. “Naya, it’s okay to cry.”
At first glance, Arianna had thought Naya should be grateful for all she had. While Arianna envied her, she now realized Naya had a right to be upset. Arianna would not want a mate forced upon her for political reasons either. With this turn of events, Arianna wanted to cry along with Naya. However, Arianna could not let Naya know how she felt about Emerson.
Arianna continued to hold Naya’s hand and waited until she composed herself.
She gave Arianna a shaky smile. “Thank you.”
Naya hugged her.
Arianna noticed a hint of something beneath Naya’s normal vanilla smell. She couldn’t quite place it, but she concluded that now was not the time to worry about it.
“So, what is Emerson like?”
“Emerson is a very handsome male. He has brown hair and beautiful hazel eyes. He is built nicely.”
Naya’s eyebrows shot up, and Arianna flushed.
As if she had not spoken her thoughts out loud, she continued on, “He seems very pleasant. He told your parents he wanted to meet you and get to know you before accepting a betrothal. Some males would accept immediately, and I found this very kind.”
Naya looked away, seemingly lost in thought. “Well, I’d better prepare myself. I wonder how Mother and Father expect us to get to know each other.” She turned back to Arianna and said, “Let’s go downstairs and find them, and we’ll see what they say. Thank you for the notice, Arianna.”
She offered Naya a supportive smile. “You are welcome.”
Arianna followed Naya downstairs to where Uncle Marek and Aunt Celeste were sitting in the parlor, waiting for first dinner to be served. They rose and watched the two of them enter. When Naya and her parents were together, it was obvious they were a family. Uncle Marek had blond hair, and he’d passed on the Kensington amethyst eyes to Naya. Naya had inherited her brown hair from Aunt Celeste, whose eyes were grayish-blue. Arianna’s red hair signaled her as an outsider.
“Hello, Mother. Hello, Father.” Naya kissed each parent on the cheek.
Arianna did the same.
“Anaya, dear, we are happy to see you this evening. You didn’t come home before sunrise.”
“Yes, Mother, I’m sorry, but I’m home now. Did you have a pleasant night?” Naya smiled politely, but it didn’t quite reach her eyes.
“We met with Emerson Vanderbilt. You do know Emerson, don’t you, dear?”
“Yes, I’ve seen him at most of our social functions, but we’re merely polite acquaintances.”
“Well, your father and I are hoping that will change.” Aunt Celeste beamed with happiness. “We’re considering him for your future mate, and we would like for you to get to know him better before announcing a betrothal.”
Naya gave a slight nod. “I understand.”
It astonished Arianna how well Naya could hide her displeasure from her parents. Arianna was pleased she had prepared Naya for the news.
“What do you have planned?” Naya asked.
“Your mother and I arranged for you and Emerson to have first dinner together two nights from now,” Uncle Marek said. “We know you have your…volunteering tomorrow night. As you recall, we leave for Australia before sunrise this evening.”
Every year the King and Queen would spend two-and-a-half months visiting the large vampire populations in Australia and New Zealand. Summer here meant winter there, providing longer nights and less sunlight to avoid.
“We will not be here to supervise. Therefore, you will have a chaperone. We’ve asked—”
“Excuse me, Father, but why would you insist on a chaperone? You’ve never required one before, not even when I was dating Andrew.”
“Yes, but you two rarely saw one another. The relationship was never serious, so there was no need to supervise your harmless activities. However, Emerson could be your mate and future king. We must ensure there is no hint of impropriety. The vampire species must not be given any reason to object to this union, and your purity cannot be called into question.”
Naya paled slightly.
“As I was about to say, we have asked Arianna to be your chaperone.”
Naya turned to her. “Arianna, are you okay with this?”
Arianna did not understand Naya’s concern. “Of course. You are my cousin, and I enjoy spending time with you. Why would I mind?”
Naya studied her for a moment. “Never mind.” She turned back to her parents. “Very well, Father. I will meet with Emerson.”
He clapped his hands together. “Wonderful. You will have over two months to court before your mother and I return, and then we’ll have a big celebration. The Council will be pleased.”
Uncle Marek grinned so broadly that his fangs, which were usually hidden by his lips, showed. Aunt Celeste put her hands to her mouth with a look of pure happiness. It was as if Naya had already told them she accepted the betrothal.
Vaughn was stepping out of the shower when Saxon, one of his roommates
and co-workers, poked his head into the bathroom. “We gotta go. Your dad said crazy old Maurice is drunk again.”
“Shit. Give me a sec.” Vaughn yanked on his jeans and T-shirt. He grabbed his boots and socks before running from the bunkhouse where he lived with Sawyer, Saxon, Zane, Reid, Camden, Phoenix, and Tegan. He jumped into the L & L Construction truck, and Saxon took off. They sped past the main house where his parents and sister lived.
Vaughn had moved out when he turned twenty-one and started working for his father. He felt he shouldn’t get special treatment just because he was the boss’s son. Plus, living together in tight quarters helped him and his partners bond and understand each other better when on the job.
They lived on five-plus acres of land located in Orono, a suburb of Minneapolis. Their home sat on a lake surrounded by trees that gave them privacy. Yet, it was also less than half an hour from downtown Minneapolis where the office of L & L Construction was located.
Saxon drove as Vaughn put on his socks and boots. “So, where is the old man this time?”
“Some hole-in-the-wall, Shantytown or something, located in Bloomington. According to the owner, he’s drunk off his ass. Kate is already on her way.”
Kate, Maurice’s daughter, had left her phone number in her father’s wallet, so she could be called when he got out of control. She was his only family, but he was a big guy, and she couldn’t handle him on her own.
Saxon pulled up to the bar, and they jumped out. As they walked through the door, Vaughn could hear Maurice singing at the top of his lungs. His gray hair stuck out on his head, and his jeans and white T-shirt were filthy.
Saxon flagged the bartender and pointed to Maurice.
The bartender hustled around the bar and over to Saxon and Vaughn. “Thanks for coming. I’m Dan, the owner.” He pointed over his shoulder. “He’s been here all afternoon and evening. At first, I didn’t think the guy would ever get drunk, even with all the liquor he’d put away. Now, he’s plastered.”
“Don’t worry. We’ll get him to leave,” Saxon told the owner before striding over to Maurice.
“He was talking crazy, dude. Something about cats taking over the world.”
Vaughn laughed awkwardly. “Sorry. We’ll get him out of your way.” He slapped the owner on the back and walked over to Saxon to help.
Saxon had already convinced Maurice to stop singing and set the microphone down.
“Maurice, hey.” Vaughn snapped his fingers in Maurice’s face. “Hey. You need to come with us.”
The snapping finally caught Maurice’s attention. “Vaughn, it’s good to see you. You know, I worked for your grandpa for over forty years. No one in construction was better than me.” Maurice used both thumbs to point at himself, throwing his equilibrium off and making him stumble. “Whoa, whoa.” He held his hands for balance and hooted with drunken laughter.
“Yes, Maurice, you were the best in the business. It was a sad day when you retired,” Vaughn said to humor him.
Every time Maurice saw Vaughn, he would tell the same story.
“You bet your ass it was,” Maurice replied with gumption.
Saxon grabbed his arm. “Come on, Maurice, let’s get you out of here.”
Like an errant child, Maurice tried to pull his hand out of Saxon’s grip.
“Maurice. Maurice. Look at me, please,” Saxon said. Maurice paused to stare at Saxon. “Now, who do you love more than anyone in the whole world?”
“Katie. My beautiful daughter, Katie.”
“Kate is on her way here. How do you think it will make her feel to see you like this again?”
Maurice heaved a big sigh. “Okay. Let’s go.”
Saxon and Vaughn both slapped Maurice on the back, and as they walked toward the entrance, Vaughn filled Saxon in on his conversation with the owner. Vaughn stopped to apologize again for the trouble and handed the owner some cash to compensate. When they got outside, they saw Kate pulling up. She leaped out of her car and ran up to them.
“Oh, Daddy,” Kate said, her eyes filled with defeat.
“Can I talk to you for a minute?” Saxon asked her.
She nodded, and he pulled her aside, leaving Vaughn with Maurice.
“My daughter. She’s beautiful.” Vaughn never really noticed Kate in that way before. He supposed she was pretty. She wasn’t overweight, but she wasn’t skinny either. She would probably be best described as voluptuous.
The word voluptuous brought to mind Naya and their time together the previous night. Although Naya was taller and thinner than Kate, Naya had beautiful curves on her.
Maurice elbowed him in the stomach. When Vaughn turned to him, Maurice had a big smile on his face, and he gave a couple of sly grunts. Vaughn’s thoughts about Naya had put a grin on his face, and Maurice obviously thought Vaughn had been thinking of Kate. He immediately dropped his smile.
“Yes, Maurice, your daughter is very pretty, but I don’t think we’re right for each other. Also, I don’t believe she’s interested in me.”
She couldn’t be with the way she was staring intently at Saxon. With naturally brown-and-blond striped hair, a soul patch, bright green eyes, and the build of a linebacker, the females loved him. Unfortunately for Kate or anyone else, Saxon was not a settling-down kind of guy. Vaughn didn’t really do serious relationships either, but it wasn’t because he was a commitment-phobe like Saxon. Vaughn’s issues had more to do with his family and females wanting to date him for the wrong reasons.
But at least Maurice dropped the subject. He was staring up at the sky, probably lost in his own intoxicated thoughts. Vaughn was grateful when Saxon and Kate returned.
“Come on, Daddy. Let’s get you home,” Kate said, helping her father to the car.
Vaughn and Saxon watched them get in before Kate drove away, and then they headed back to the truck.
Saxon said to him, “After that, I need a drink.”
“Me, too. But I think we’d better find a different bar.”
“I think you’re right.”
NAYA ARRIVED AT Second Chances Animal Shelter seven minutes before her ten o’clock shift. She knew her parents could never understand why she felt the need to volunteer, especially with animals. For her, it provided an escape. She loved the animal shelter for the same reason she loved going out to clubs. No one knew she was a princess, and no one expected her to say and do the right things.
Animals were even better than humans. Humans judged each other, but animals just wanted someone to love and care for them. It didn’t matter to them if you were the Queen of England or a homeless man on the street.
After she walked through the door, she went to find Shelly, the person she was replacing for the night. The waiting area in front was empty since the shelter closed at eight in the evening, so she headed for the back and found Shelly in the bird room.
“Hey, Shelly.”
Shelly turned around. “Oh, hey, Naya. I’m glad you’re here.”
“Oh? Bad day? Or do you have something big planned tonight?”
Shelly laughed. She was a sixty-seven-year-old widow who considered bridge club to be her excitement for the week. “No, Leo is getting restless. I swear, that cat knows what days you volunteer. He’s been pacing for the last hour.”
“Oh, Leo. Is there anything I need to do immediately? I haven’t been here in a little over two weeks, and I miss him.”
“Nope, me and Elaine took care of everything for now. This was my last stop. You go and see your boy.”
Naya beamed at Shelly. “Thank you, but I’ll help you first.”
Naya quickly assisted Shelly in finishing up the bird room, walked her to the door, and locked it behind her. Then, Naya went to the cat room to find Leo, her very favorite animal at the shelter.
Leo had a special place in her heart because she’d personally found Leo right outside the shelter door two months ago. She’d been letting a few of the dogs out for bathroom breaks when he’d walked right up to her, looking lonely an
d sad. She’d scooped him up, cleaned him, and fed him, and then he’d slept with his head on her lap for the rest of her shift. They’d been close ever since.
Leo presented a kind of mystery. No one, including the two vets who volunteered their services, knew what kind of cat he was. They could tell he was an older kitten, but he was already bigger than every other cat in the shelter. He was the only cat in a kennel big enough for a dog, and while his paws were the size of Naya’s hands, they didn’t fit his body, indicating he wasn’t done growing. They’d even considered he might be a big cat that had escaped from one of the zoos, but his description didn’t match any cat in the wild, and there had been no reports of any missing exotic animals.
His coloring matched a chocolate lab, and his eyes were a sea green color. Some had speculated he might be a sort of hybrid. He was a beautiful cat, but for a time, Naya had fought to save his life. Everyone had been afraid when Leo first came to stay with them. He was big, and they’d worried that he might hurt someone. But she had known otherwise. Leo was a sweetie.
He was always gentle with Naya, and he quickly became her favorite.
Since he didn’t have any identification or microchip in him, she was the one who had named him Leo.
He had, however, come to them with a stunning collar around his neck. They’d later determined the collar was made of silver. Everybody had figured it was probably an expensive dog collar that someone had put on the cat. Yet, in an effort to locate the owner, they’d been unable to find the manufacturer, because it was absent of a brand or signature.
It hadn’t seemed to bother Leo, so they’d left it on him. That way, when the owner came for him, he would already be wearing it, and no one could accuse them of trying to steal such an expensive piece of merchandise.
That night, when Naya walked inside the cat room, a chorus of meows filled the room, each feline wanting her to open the door. When she’d first started volunteering at the animal shelter, she hadn’t known if the animals could sense she was a vampire and if they would treat her differently than the humans. It had turned out her fears were silly because they had treated her completely the same, and as Leo had proved, she was actually some of the animals’ favorite volunteer. Now, Naya felt bad she didn’t have time to hold them all every shift, but she would always try her best to hand out attention to everyone. However, she always gave Leo the most.
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