the
deal.
*
* * *
Once
the women were gone Draven warily turned to look at Bracken. He kept his mouth
shut and his eyes on him as the man lazily walked around his office. This could
go very bad, or it could be fine. He unfortunately had no idea which way it was
leaning.
“How
long?”
Blinking
at Bracken’s words, Draven could have played dumb but he knew better. “I’ve
known since she was nine. The day I hauled her out of the mud puddle. I kept my
distance until she came of age, but by that point it wasn’t exactly easy to
gain access to your parents’ home. Especially since you seemed determined to
never go there, and I didn’t feel right telling your mother we were bond mates
given her reaction to you and Sadie.”
Bracken
nodded slowly, his steps measured as he continued to move. “Likely wise,
considering what we uncovered while planetside.”
Most
men would have relaxed at those words. Draven knew they were only the beginning
of what was coming and didn’t let his guard down. Draven knew what was
happening as he had been there at his friend’s side through much of it and had
gathered much of the information for Bracken.
Lucky
for him, since Bracken was nearly nose-to-nose with him a moment later. “You
hurt her in any way, you make her cry, you make her regret this bonding and I
will make sure you suffer. She seems to believe I don’t actually have any use
for her, but she truly doesn’t understand how sick Mother is if she believes
that. I kept my distance and kept up appearances to keep her safe. I hope to
make her understand that one day, but that’s on me. What is on you is to keep
her happy, keep her safe, and to never, ever hurt her.”
“She’s
my bond mate, Bracken. I would rather do myself harm than hurt her, as you are
the same with Sadie. She is everything to me,” Draven said softly.
He
got a grunt for his words. “Keep it that way. Now, when are you two getting
married?”
Rolling
his eyes when Bracken turned away to go back to his chair, Draven scratched at
his jaw. “She wants to keep it small and intimate. I suggested maybe asking the
general if he’d do the honors so that you could walk her down the aisle and, if
you are willing, also stand at my side for the ceremony.”
“Cecilia
has always hated being the center of attention. She used to have dozens of
diversionary tactics to get Mother’s attentions on one of the other sisters any
time she came under her direct attention. I’ll talk to Fintan before we leave
port, see where our first rendezvous might be, and that will give us the time
frame we have to work in to get this arranged.”
“She’ll
appreciate that, sir.”
Bracken
shot him a look that was hard to read. “Catch me up on everything I need to know
prior to our departure tomorrow.”
“Right.”
He nodded. Letting out the breath he’d been holding, Draven passed over the
data pad he had in hand and began his report.
*
* * *
Sadie
looked to Cecilia and smiled. “For so long they hid you from me. Now I understand
why. You were never like them. They were so good at showing me just the parts
of themselves that they wanted me to see. They did it to Adira too. They are
good. Very good.”
Cece
nodded and sighed. “They are. It wasn’t just the two of you. It was everyone in
their sphere of influence. Everyone that they wanted and needed to do as they
wanted them to. They are master manipulators.” She smiled and looked toward the
door. “It’s over, though. I’m not under their thumb any longer. Now I’m able to
be with the man that I’ve loved for far too long. I’m able to be me.”
“I’m
glad you were able to get away from your mother and sisters. Those women were
toxic. I just hate that I didn’t see it. That I allowed myself to be blinded
for so long to what they were.”
Instead
of saying anything, Cece rose and walked to her new sister-in-law and hugged
her. When she pulled back she nodded. “Now then. Enough sadness. You have
deal.
*
* * *
Once
the women were gone Draven warily turned to look at Bracken. He kept his mouth
shut and his eyes on him as the man lazily walked around his office. This could
go very bad, or it could be fine. He unfortunately had no idea which way it was
leaning.
“How
long?”
Blinking
at Bracken’s words, Draven could have played dumb but he knew better. “I’ve
known since she was nine. The day I hauled her out of the mud puddle. I kept my
distance until she came of age, but by that point it wasn’t exactly easy to
gain access to your parents’ home. Especially since you seemed determined to
never go there, and I didn’t feel right telling your mother we were bond mates
given her reaction to you and Sadie.”
Bracken
nodded slowly, his steps measured as he continued to move. “Likely wise,
considering what we uncovered while planetside.”
Most
men would have relaxed at those words. Draven knew they were only the beginning
of what was coming and didn’t let his guard down. Draven knew what was
happening as he had been there at his friend’s side through much of it and had
gathered much of the information for Bracken.
Lucky
for him, since Bracken was nearly nose-to-nose with him a moment later. “You
hurt her in any way, you make her cry, you make her regret this bonding and I
will make sure you suffer. She seems to believe I don’t actually have any use
for her, but she truly doesn’t understand how sick Mother is if she believes
that. I kept my distance and kept up appearances to keep her safe. I hope to
make her understand that one day, but that’s on me. What is on you is to keep
her happy, keep her safe, and to never, ever hurt her.”
“She’s
my bond mate, Bracken. I would rather do myself harm than hurt her, as you are
the same with Sadie. She is everything to me,” Draven said softly.
He
got a grunt for his words. “Keep it that way. Now, when are you two getting
married?”
Rolling
his eyes when Bracken turned away to go back to his chair, Draven scratched at
his jaw. “She wants to keep it small and intimate. I suggested maybe asking the
general if he’d do the honors so that you could walk her down the aisle and, if
you are willing, also stand at my side for the ceremony.”
“Cecilia
has always hated being the center of attention. She used to have dozens of
diversionary tactics to get Mother’s attentions on one of the other sisters any
time she came under her direct attention. I’ll talk to Fintan before we leave
port, see where our first rendezvous might be, and that will give us the time
frame we have to work in to get this arranged.”
“She’ll
appreciate that, sir.”
Bracken
shot him a look that was hard to read. “Catch me up on everything I need to know
prior to our departure tomorrow.”
“Right.”
He nodded. Letting out the breath he’d been holding, Draven passed over the
data pad he had in hand and began his report.
*
* * *
Sadie
looked to Cecilia and smiled. “For so long they hid you from me. Now I understand
why. You were never like them. They were so good at showing me just the parts
of themselves that they wanted me to see. They did it to Adira too. They are
good. Very good.”
Cece
nodded and sighed. “They are. It wasn’t just the two of you. It was everyone in
their sphere of influence. Everyone that they wanted and needed to do as they
wanted them to. They are master manipulators.” She smiled and looked toward the
door. “It’s over, though. I’m not under their thumb any longer. Now I’m able to
be with the man that I’ve loved for far too long. I’m able to be me.”
“I’m
glad you were able to get away from your mother and sisters. Those women were
toxic. I just hate that I didn’t see it. That I allowed myself to be blinded
for so long to what they were.”
Instead
of saying anything, Cece rose and walked to her new sister-in-law and hugged
her. When she pulled back she nodded. “Now then. Enough sadness. You have
Similar Books
