Total pages in book: 77
Estimated words: 72065 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 360(@200wpm)___ 288(@250wpm)___ 240(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 72065 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 360(@200wpm)___ 288(@250wpm)___ 240(@300wpm)
Commander Sylvan held out his hand politely to both of the women in turn.
“It’s very nice to meet you. And the two of you are…?”
“These are my wife’s relatives,” Bear said, frowning as he spoke. It was clear he still retained his dislike of her stepmother and stepsister, though they hadn’t seen either of them since their Joining ceremony. “Grindelia is Aleena’s second mother—‘stepmother’ as they say here. And Faleesha is her half-sister—they share a father. Where is Sir Greggor, anyway?” he added, directing his question to Grindelia.
“Oh, off doing business no doubt.” Aleena’s stepmother waved one hand airily. “Faleesha and I saw our dear little Aleena here and decided we just had to say hello. Though I guess she’s not really exactly little, is she?” she added and tittered unkindly behind the elegant blue velveteen fan she held in one hand.
Aleena felt her cheeks getting hot but she did her best to keep her composure. She was about to ask a question to move the conversation in another direction, when Faleesha spoke up.
“I was the one that Ambassador Bear was supposed to Join with, you know,” she said to Commander Sylvan, who looked surprised to hear this news. “At the last minute though, Aleena demanded to take my place because she’s older than me. So poor Ambassador Bearick got stuck with her instead of his first choice. Me.”
She preened as though she’d just won some kind of beauty contest, tossing her hair over one shoulder and giggling as she looked up at Bear through her lashes.
Aleena wanted to protest that none of what Faleesha said was true, but before she could get anything out, her stepmother chimed in.
“Yes, well I’m afraid my stepdaughter only agreed to marry Ambassador Bearick for money,” she said, sneering at Aleena from behind her fan. “Such a mercenary girl! But then, she was like that when I married her father and I’m afraid I was never able to train it out of her.” She shrugged and waved her fan with an elegant flip of her wrist.
Aleena wanted to sink through the floor and die from embarrassment! How could they be so horrible? And in front of Bear’s commanding officer too!
“I assure you, I have been made aware of the reasons Aleena Joined with me,” Bear said blandly. “I know that you promised to pay for her true mother’s medical bills if she agreed to take her sister’s place as my wife. I also know that you reneged on the deal and would have left her mother to die of her illness because you refused to pay like you promised.”
He directed these words to Grindelia, whose poison green eyes got wider and wider behind her fan.
“Why…you…how—?” she began.
“But please don’t worry,” Bear continued smoothly. “Aleena’s mother has been taken care of. I administered the cure for her illness myself just a few days ago and she’s healing nicely.”
“You…she…” Grindelia still seemed to be at a loss for words and Commander Sylvan looked surprised as well. Aleena was casting around desperately for something—anything—to say to get things back on track when Faleesha spoke up again.
“So you already knew about Aleena Joining you for money?” she said, looking spitefully up at Bear. “But after all, it’s not like you’ll be Joined for long, right? Father told me that you’re planning on disavowing her as soon as the negotiations are finished. So I guess you’ll be making a formal announcement tonight?”
“What?” Aleena felt like all the blood in her face had suddenly drained away, leaving her pale and cold as a statue. Surely her spiteful little sister was lying! She looked up at Bear. “My husband?” she asked faintly. “This cannot be true…can it?”
To her horror, Bear didn’t at once refute the awful words.
“Well…” He cleared his throat. “Aleena, sweetheart, you have to understand—”
“Oh my Goddess!” Aleena took a step away from him. “So that was why you refused to change the color of my eyes! You’ve been planning to disavow me all this time—even though you promised not to!”
“Baby, please…” His voice took on a pleading tone. “If you’ll just let me explain—”
Aleena held up a hand to stop him.
“Have you been planning to disavow me or not?” she demanded. “Just tell me, right now. I need to know!”
“Well…” Bear’s face twisted as though in agony. “Yes, but—”
“Thank you. That’s all I need to know.” Aleena nodded stiffly at him. “Since you no longer want me, I’ll be leaving now.”
As she fled blindly through the crowd, her skirts flying out behind her, she could hear her stepmother talking.
“Of course, no one could blame you for wanting to disavow Aleena—she’s so ugly and fat! But if you’re still interested in taking a wife among our people, Faleesha is free. Sir Greggor and I will be happy to let you have her as soon as you get rid of Aleena.”