As she stared at the determination in Jose's eyes, she knew he would, too. He really was unlike any man she'd known before.
And if he kept it up, she'd fall for him completely without even learning one embarrassing childhood story.
Chapter Nine
Victoria survived Cris's extensive lecture about clan rules—she even had a thick tome to read through—as well as Dr. Carter's exhaustive questions about her health. While she didn't know either one well enough to judge if they'd merely tolerate her or actually warm up to her, they at least treated her respectfully and not with disdain—she'd read online that some dragon-shifters didn't like humans at all—which she'd take for now.
Once done with both appointments, Jose insisted she take a quick nap, but now she walked next to her dragonman, trying to dredge up the strength to be nice and charming for his family.
Since being charming didn't come naturally, Victoria had to work at it. She always asked herself if the effort was worth the emotional and mental toll. And in this case, it was. Not just for her unborn child, but for her place in the clan, too.
At least the brief meeting with his sister gave Victoria hope that Jose’s family would all accept her eventually.
Maybe.
Jose squeezed her hand in his and said, "It'll be fine, love, you'll see. A dragon-shifter finding his true mate is a huge deal on PineRock, especially since it hasn't been happening as much in the last decade or two."
She glanced at him. "So you mean they'll accept me, even if I am a lowly human?"
He grunted. "You're not lowly."
She'd been half-joking, but his grunt and words made her smile a little. "Thanks. But what I meant was that you didn't exactly seem thrilled when you first entered that ballroom, back in South Lake Tahoe. I had no idea if it was because we were all human or because of the situation."
"Most definitely the situation. I was dragging my feet for the sake of my sister." He brought her hand to his lips and kissed the back of it. "But then I saw you."
There went her belly doing summersaults again.
However, she wanted to know more than just how he felt about one human, so she asked, "Do you interact with many humans, then?"
He shrugged. "My dad and I both work with humans almost every day in the Forest Service. So I've met my fair share. Not all of them are bad."
Realizing how little she knew of her baby daddy, she jumped at the chance to learn more. "What do you do with the Forest Service?"
He shrugged. "Mostly help clear downed or dangerously teetering trees, clean up avalanches or mudslides, and keep an eye out for trespassers or other criminal activity."
"And they trust you and other dragon-shifters to do those things?"
He sighed. "Don't listen to all the rumors, Tori. In most areas, in the US at least, the dragons and humans work together for their community. If nothing else, the economy depends on a good relationship between the two."
Maybe the clan accepting her wouldn't be as insurmountable as she'd first thought. "I had no idea. Dragon-shifters aren't allowed anywhere near Vegas or its suburbs. Something about it scaring away the tourists."
He snorted. "We have the opposite problem here—tourists flock to Tahoe to see us flying in the sky, swimming in the lake, or keep an eye out for a dragon perching on one of the mountaintops. There are even tour groups specifically geared toward dragon sightings."
She blinked. "Really?"
He raised an eyebrow. "Just how much did you research Tahoe and its surroundings before coming here?"
"Er, not much. I mostly was focusing on dragon-shifters in general, not in one particular area. As I mentioned before, I didn't think I'd be picked out of a crowd of two hundred."
He stopped, pulled her close, and kissed her gently. "You were the only one I wanted in that entire room. Don't forget that."
As she stared into his eyes, her heart rate kicked up. It would be so easy to love such a man.
No. It's too soon. Men tended to flee if a woman mentioned feelings too early, at least in her experience. She needed to take it slow.
He kissed her again before placing a hand at her back and gently pushing her forward to walk again. "Okay, since we're nearly there, it's time for a quiz. Do you remember the names of my immediate family?"
She stood up a little taller. "Gaby, Maria, and Jorge," she stated. "Remembering names and faces is one of my specialties. I'll be fine."
He grinned. "We'll see if that ends up being true. I don't know how much of my family will be here, so there may be a few surprises and a whole lot of new names to learn."
She blinked. "I thought it was just your parents and sister?"
"That's what they told me, but that's unusual for a get-together at their house. Most of my family on PineRock always find a way to drop by. That makes me think some of my aunts, uncles, and cousins will 'accidentally' stop by to meet you."
Victoria groaned dramatically. While her family was small—just her and her parents—she'd had students over the years with large families, ones that would come to a high school play and take up several rows. Maybe Jose's family was like that, which meant the night would take a lot of effort to survive without seeking out some corner to recharge mentally and emotionally. "In that case, I should've taken a longer nap."
He squeezed her waist. "If you get tired, just tell me and I'll get us home ASAP. If you haven't guessed it already, dragon-shifters can be rather overprotective, especially with a mate or a family members' mate. So if any sign of exhaustion shows on your face, the entire Santos family will gather around you, carry you to a bed, and lock the door, standing guard outside until you rest long enough by their standards."
Victoria wasn't entirely sure how to respond to that. Neither of her parents had siblings, just like her.
Even her grandparents had died a number of years ago.
The only other constant person in her life was her best friend, Sasha Wolfe. And since Sasha had three siblings and tons of cousins, her best friend would probably enjoy a large, boisterous family dinner a lot more than Victoria.
However, she was going to give it her best. She may be an introvert unless she was with a very small group of people, but she would try. To try and make a future work with Jose, she'd try. She replied, "I'll make sure to let you know if I need to leave."
As they neared loud music, emanating from one of the older but well-loved houses on the street, she heard Jose sigh. "There is definitely more than just my parents and Gaby in there."
She looked at the house again, several shadows passing in front of the lit windows covered with curtains.
Her heart sped up, and her palms started to sweat. How could she make a good impression with so many people?
Fight for want you want, Tori.
Doing her best to stand tall, she took a few deep breaths until her heart calmed a little. Drawing on what strength she possessed, she pasted a smile on her face. It was time to pretend she was good with crowds.
Jose loved his family, but right then and there, he wanted to murder a few of them.
Victoria had mentioned to him how she didn't like large groups, and he'd told his parents this.
Apparently they thought the solution was to invite as many family members as possible to prove him and Victoria wrong. It was as if somehow, someway, his family was different from every other group of strangers on the planet.
His inner dragon huffed. They are different, though. They'll try to make her feel welcome.
Still, that may be too much. Going forward, I need to learn even more about our mate so we can avoid situations like this in the future.
Agreed. His dragon paused a beat before adding, We could turn back right now, though, if she wants. Let her know that.
He glanced at Victoria. "We could still leave, and I could tell my parents you're still exhausted from the frenzy."
"No, no, don't do that. I'll be fine for a short while. However, I'll let you know if it becomes too much, and you can sneak
me out." She glanced warily at the house. "If that's even possible, given how many people are probably in there, judging by the shadows in the windows."
"Oh, I'll find a way out, love. I promise you that." As he stroked his human's waist, he tried imagining what it was like to be her. Jose, while not the most charming male at first meeting, didn't have a problem with strangers or groups.
Dragon-shifters, in general, had rather nosey and close-knit communities, both out of necessity and tradition. To try and stay away was futile, as almost every teenager learned super quickly.
Victoria glanced back at him with a smile. "I'll just think of it this way—it's more people who can answer my questions about dragon-shifters."
He snorted. "Then go for it. Ask some rather scandalous ones while you're at it. I'd pay to see the reaction of some of my aunts and uncles to anything deemed racy or embarrassing. I don't know, you could ask how instinctual their inner dragons are, especially about sex."
She blushed. "Maybe. Although I have to be careful about not going too far if I want to make a good impression."
The fact his female wanted to try so hard to win approval made both man and beast stand tall with pride. "They'll love you, just wait and see." They approached the bright yellow house and Jose put a hand on the doorknob. "And here we go."
Opening it, the music grew even louder. It was always a mad scramble for who controlled the playlist for the family get-togethers. The rule was that whoever got their phone connected to the speakers and played music first would have control of it for the entire dinner or gathering.
And judging by the Spanish-language pop music blaring, his cousin Luna had won. Again.
His dragon chuckled. She does it because it annoys the older ones, but most especially Gaby.
I know. But it's getting old. I can't remember when someone other than Luna or my sister have won dibs on the playlist.
No sooner had they stepped inside than his mother rushed right up to them, a big smile on her face.
She was only slightly shorter than Jose, which meant she still towered over Victoria. His mother took Victoria's shoulders and then pulled her into a hug. "You must be Tori. My son has told me all about you."
He'd had exactly one fifteen-minute conversation with his mom earlier in the day—dragons didn't call others during a frenzy, so he'd never had the chance before.
But regardless, he'd learned long ago not to waste time correcting his mom on minor things or it could take up an entire evening.
His mother leaned back and studied Victoria. "But he didn't mention how thin you were. Come, I have a table of food for you to choose from. With a little work, we'll get you nice and plump for the baby."
He groaned. "Mom."
His mother raised her brows. "She's human, Jose. That little dragon baby will steal most of her calories if she's not careful. So, yes, she needs to put on some weight."
He glanced at Victoria. At the amusement in her eyes, his irritation eased a fraction. After all, to his mother, cooking was love, and she wanted everyone to have it.
His mate's reaction also meant she didn't offend easily, which should make the night—and blending in with his family—all the easier.
His dragon murmured, Mom will be good for Tori. They all will.
Laughter broke out in one of the nearby rooms and his mother looked over her shoulder. "If we don't hurry, my brothers will eat half the table in the next twenty minutes, and the rest will go to my nieces and nephews. And since everyone brought something to dinner, you can have your pick. The more you eat, the more we can learn what you like."
Victoria blinked. "What I like?"
"Of course, Tori. We rotate favorites at our house." His mother frowned. "Even though that can take a while to rotate through, we'll make an exception for you. After all, it's not every day I have a new daughter and a grandchild on the way."
As Victoria stared blankly, no doubt trying to figure out how to handle that statement, Jose stepped in. "Mom, Tori just got here. Let's try to tone down your master life plan until later, okay?"
His mother waved a hand in dismissal. "I don't have a master life plan."
She did—she most certainly did. It involved a dozen grandchildren and her entire extended family moving up from California, Arizona, and Mexico.
With Victoria and his mother’s first grandchild being added, his mom would probably find a way to bring the human's family to PineRock, too.
He decided to change the subject so as to not spook his mate. "You could at least introduce yourself to my human before rushing her to the kitchen?"
He silently stared at his mom, telling her not to have Victoria call her mother. Not yet, anyway.
His mom smiled back at his female. "I'm Maria. There, introductions are done. Come, I'll introduce you to my husband, Jorge, after you eat." She leaned closer. "The rest of the family will try to get some words in with you, too, but let me handle them. I'm very good at distracting them when needed."
His mother, the master manipulator.
Too bad it was true, at least when it came to their family
He moved to take Victoria's hand, but his mother came between them. "You've had her all to yourself for weeks. I can have an hour or two."
He was tempted to growl, but Victoria smiled at him. "I'll be okay for a short while. It may be easier to ask those questions you mentioned without you standing at my shoulder."
His mom looked between them. "What questions?"
He ignored her. "Are you sure?"
Victoria nodded. "I'll be fine for a little while."
Jose was torn. A dragon-shifter didn't like to leave their mate's side, especially in the early days after a frenzy. If anything went wrong and she needed a doctor, he wanted to be there to ensure she got the help she needed.
His beast grunted. But this is our family. They would never hurt her, and we'd trust them with both her life and ours.
I suppose, he muttered.
He leaned over and kissed Victoria's cheek. "I'll give you fifteen or twenty minutes, then I'm finding you again."
Before his mate could say anything else, his mother guided her away and started chattering.
His sister instantly appeared at his side, almost as if she'd been spying and waiting for him. "It's probably best this way—for Mom to take charge for introductions instead of you doing them."
He glanced at Gaby. "And will you be singing the same tune when you bring your soon-to-be guy around, after your turn with the lottery?"
His sister frowned. "If I'm that lucky."
The lottery contracts were slightly different for the female dragon candidates. They only spent time with the human males for a few days each month—during their most fertile time—and after three months, if there was no conception, the human male never had to see the female dragon-shifter again.
Jose didn't know why the rules were different, nor did he truly understand why his sister had entered in the first place. She'd made it clear for so long that she wasn't ready for children or a mate.
And yet she'd thrown her name into the lottery and nearly begged him to go along with it.
However, weeks of asking hadn't given him answers about her true motives, so he wasn't going to bring it up again. Instead, he lightly bumped his shoulder against her arm. "Well, in honor of my female's first dinner, I think tonight definitely calls for co-opting the music away from Luna, don't you think?"
His sister's eyes lit up with anticipation. "Oh, definitely. Maybe one day Luna will learn to pick something less annoying to play. It wouldn't be so bad, but she picks the same fifteen songs every damn time."
"Then lead the way, little sister. You know how Luna's mind works better than I do, which means you probably know where she keeps her phone."
"I have a few ideas, although she keeps coming up with new ones." Gaby rubbed her hands together in anticipation. "Let's do this."
As he followed his sister to find the secret location of Luna's phone—which controlled the
music via a Bluetooth connection to the speakers—his thoughts still went back to Victoria. His mate was being brave, but he hoped it didn't send her into a panic. The Santos extended family was colorful, to say the least.
His dragon huffed. Have faith in Mom.
In any other circumstance, he would in a heartbeat. However, his newfound protectiveness was hard to shake off.
Then Gaby picked up her pace and he pushed it aside temporarily. He'd find his mate soon enough. And for the moment, he could work on changing the music to something Victoria could at least understand.
Victoria kept waiting for the panic to creep up on her. She'd learned early, at her first kindergarten play in elementary school, that she didn't like being surrounded by strangers. The walls would start to close in on her, it'd get hard to breathe, and she'd eventually freeze up. Time had shown it wasn't merely stage fright, but that it happened anywhere and everywhere.
Only her focus on studying a dragon-shifter up close for the first time back in the ballroom of that hotel had kept her cool and mostly calm in that crowd.
But as Jose's mother pointed out one relative after another, and most of them waved to her, none of the usual symptoms showed up. Maybe it was because they were dragon-shifters and not humans?
Or, it could just be how most everyone smiled at her and gave some sort of knowing, almost wistful look she couldn't define.
Maria finally pushed her into a large, connected kitchen and dining room. While the actual cooking area wasn't that big, there was a huge table just beyond it, in the dining section. On top of the long, wooden table, card tables were placed along the wall, laden with more food than she'd seen in one place for quite a while.
It was almost like some sort of buffet restaurant.
There was everything from pizza to tamales to plates of fruit, and her stomach rumbled loud enough to be heard above the music.
Maria clicked her tongue. "Let's hurry up and feed you and the baby, Tori. I'll never hear the end of it if the others hear that stomach of yours."
The Dragon's Choice (Tahoe Dragon Mates Book 1) Page 8