That word is still weird as fuck to me.
I come through the doorway, and the scene I’m greeted with stuns me.
Shawn has set the table with a blue plaid cloth and Jess’s nice china and silver cutlery. There’s a plate of fried eggs and bowls of fruit, as well as freshly made coffee. When I come in,Shawn is carefully arranging some lilies in a little vase in the center of the table.
“What’s all this?” I ask, not believing my eyes.
“I just wanted to make breakfast for you,” he says, smiling. “We don’t have much, just some fruit from the garden and eggs from the chickens. We’ll have to get some supplies today.”
“Yeah,” I answer, still staring at the setup in disbelief as I sit down. “The others will be expecting us in town.”
“I thought as much. Can I get you a cup of coffee?”
“Sure.”
“There’s no milk, but we do have sugar. Plenty of tea and coffee, if you want more.”
“Okay. Thanks.”
Shawn sits down and begins to demolish a plate of eggs and bacon, and I take a few eggs. Plain fried eggs aren’t my favorite thing—I’d much rather have eggs with toast—but I appreciate his effort so much, I don’t say anything.
When we finish, he immediately washes the dishes, and my sense of unreality grows.
Have I been dropped into an alien world? What kind of man cooks and cleans up without even a whisper?
The lack of talking is something I note. Several times, Shawn seems to take a breath as if about to speak, but then lets it go, leaving nothing but silence between us.
What’s going on with him?
“Okay,” he says, stacking the clean dishes on the rack. “Should we go?”
“Yes,” I reply. “I’m surprised Father hasn’t knocked on the door already.”
A look flashes across Shawn’s face, and for a moment, it’s like I see a deeper truth to him, but it disappears quickly. When we leave the house to walk around the hall to the main street, my mind is a tangled web of confusion.
Is he just being nice so he can get something from me? That’s how Father plays everyone. Why should Shawn be any different?
When we reach the park on the other side of the hall, the scene looks idyllic. Warm sunlight filters through the trees, dappling the long green grass. Children call out to each other as they run and play, and the adults standing in small groups all laugh and chat happily together.
I don’t think I’ve ever seen the pack so easy-going…what the hell is happening here?
“Alpha Shawn!” Father calls out as we approach. “And our lovely luna. You had a restful first night together, I hope?” Father winks a little, no doubt referring to our supposed consummation.
“It was lively as hell,” Shawn says, winking back. He even puts an arm around my waist and gives me a tight squeeze, making my father laugh.
Now he’s bragging? What the fuck?
I can feel my cheeks flaming red, but no one is paying much attention to me. I stand a step behind Shawn, feeling utterly mortified by their disrespect.
“I’m so glad you found her satisfying,” Father says. “I did worry for you. I’m prepared to do whatever is necessary for this alliance to work.”
“It’s working very well, don’t worry,” Shawn says, elbowing him. “I’m more than pleased by her compliance and her… ah…skills.”
Father laughs, leaning forward and grabbing his knees. “So far as I knew, she was untouched! I have no idea where she learned these skills you speak of, but I’m glad you found it an asset.”
“I absolutely do,” Shawn says, giving Father a hard slap on the shoulder. “Let’s move on to business, shall we?”
“Yes,” Father says, gesturing to some of the others. “Everyone’s excited to meet you.”
