Page 39

“Okay then. It’s a deal.”

Stretching out my hand, Calliope shakes it once and we both break into smothered giggles at our ridiculousness, but the laughter eases my tension, and I relax.

Our conversation flows easily over the next hour as Calliope goes over her recipes and I do end up talking about flowers. Specifically, the ones me and Kai assembled for him to take to his family’s house.

Chapter 13: Kai

My mother has arrived. Thankfully, with my father and oldest brother Ren in tow, along with his mate and devil spawn. For the first hour she paraded around the house criticizing the floral arrangements Daisy and myself put together. Most of her complaints are with the ones I assembled. I make sure she doesn’t blame Daisy and complain about her ability to others or Endo since she originally tasked him with this job. She already thinks less of me, so why not add it to the list? It’s only going to get longer when she finds out about Daisy.

Everyone finally settles in and returns to their own business. Leaving me and Endo with our parents as they linger in the living room and den, letting their personal assistants unpack their suitcases and put everything in its rightful place. That always bugged me. What kind of person can’t even unpack their own suitcase? Naomi Kingsley that’s who.

Naomi is a very proud female. Born into a millennia long pure blood family line. Elegant and beautiful with her mix of water and animal attributes, with powder blue skin and delicate midnight indigo markings, her hair a silvery white that matches her short nub horns that she polishes to a pearlescent shine. With ears that stretch into multi pointed fins, she was the diamond of her generation, raised to be the upper echelon of non-human society. Which is oddly similar to human societal standards. All about family names, blood lines, education, and financial status. Just mix in a helping of non-human holidays and species-specific bias and you get my family history.

“I’m so glad you were able to squeeze us into your busy schedule of drinking and women,” my mother states in a flat tone, as if she isn’t hiding ulterior motives to wanting me here. “It’s been a while since you attended an event with the family. It would be even better if you came to New York to attend other events, not just seasonal parties in the woods.”

Sneaky female is already trying to influence my decisions and sway me to accept her choice of mate for me.

Now is the time to tell her about Daisy, to put my plan to work, but something prevents me from speaking the words I had practiced when I first came up with the idea. Flat out telling my mom I’ve already promised to bond with someone else, a half-breed named Daisy, and there’s nothing she can do to stop me. But the words stick in my throat. I don’t want to tell my mother about Daisy. I don’t want her to know her, meet her, even speak her name. She isn’t worthy of the beauty and joy that is Daisy Rosenfeld.

I’ll figure out a different way to get away from my mother’s meddling. Keeping Daisy away from her and the family won’t last forever, especially since we’re going to the equinox celebration together. At least there, there’ll be hundreds of people to use as a buffer to hide from them.

Airi already knows about Daisy, I’ll just let her and mom gab with each other about our relationship and who she might be. But I won’t lie and tell anyone that me and Daisy are going to form a mate bond, at least not yet. The future may hold a mate bond between us, but not until we decide to do it together.

Until then everyone can speculate what they want, and I’ll just have to tell mom no. No, I will not bond with the female of your choosing. No, I will not return to New York to meet her to decide. No, you cannot spend time alone with Daisy. No, I don’t give a damn if you cut off my access to your money. Because Endo was right, Daisy is too good to be put in the middle of our family. She’s definitely too good for me, but for as long as she wants me, she can have me. I’m a greedy male, and I want all of Daisy.

Set on my new plan, I set out to manage my mother as I usually would and try to keep the Daisy talk to a minimum. If Airi has spoken to her already, she’s probably going to have questions. I’ll just have to do what I do best, skate over topics and give vague answers.

“I don’t think so. I’m not a fan of New York. Nor am I a fan of anyone who attends those events.”

“You seem to be a fan of the local girls here though. One in particular as a matter of fact. There’s even talk of you mate bonding with her.”

Well fuck.

I turn to face Endo, because he’s the only one who could have told anyone that. He raises his brows at my glaring scowl, likeI thought that’s what you wanted me to tell them?Perhaps I should have clued Endo in on my change of plans and feelings towards Daisy before our parents arrived.

“Nothing like that yet, but it is serious,” I say to her while trying to convey to Endo to keep his mouth shut from here on out. He rolls his eyes and shrugs at me, yielding to my wordless demands. Poor guy, I’ll have to explain everything when we get a minute alone.

“Oh? So, you don’t plan on mate bonding with this female?”

“I didn’t say that.” I don’t elaborate, it’s none of her business.

“So, you are bonding?” Mom narrows her eyes at me and glares. I can tell she’s getting frustrated and that makes me grin.

Leaning back against the armrest of the couch—something I know drives her crazy—I cross my ankles and shove my hands in my pockets. The picture of calm and collected.

“Maybe.”

“For goodness’ sake Kai make up your mind. Are you, or aren’t you?”

“Yes.”

She throws up her hands in frustration, widening her eyes at my father for assistance. He sighs, wanting to be involved in this conversation even less than I do. Crimson eyes a mirror of my own round on me. I look most like my father in coloring and appearance, although my features lean towards animalistic predator, and his are more square and classically handsome. His red markings more like living flames than stripes.

“Don’t sass your mother, Kai.”

“I’m not sassing her. I’m just answering her questions.”

“We both know what you’re doing, and we both know how it’ll end. Just give her what she wants and make this a whole lot easier for us all,” he demands in a low stoic voice, one that might have worked on me as a teenager but has absolutely no effect on me now.