Page 13 of Married to the Beast

Ambassador Bearick seemed to share her feelings.

“I’m tired as well. Thank you again and please thank Sir Greggor for me and let him know I’ll take good care of his daughter,” he said politely to Aleena’s stepmother.

“I’msureyou will.” Faleesha remarked and laughed nastily. “Have a good Joining night, dear sister,” she added, speaking to Aleena. “We’ll see how much your new husband likes your ‘curvy’ body once he sees you bare!”

“Faleesha!” Grindelia frowned at her daughter. “As an un-Joined female, you must not speak of such things!”

“Well, it’strue,”Faleesha pouted. “Aleena’s too fat to be pretty—youalways say so!”

“I never—” Aleena’s stepmother began.

“Anyway, it’s probably agoodthing she’s fat,” Faleesha went on spitefully. “At least her new husband won’t break her in twowhen he takes her for the first time!” She gave Aleena a nasty smile. “I bet you’ll be walking funny for a week—ifyou can walk at all once he’s done with you! He’s sobig.” And she gave Ambassador Bearick a flirtatious look from under her lashes and giggled.

“What we do on our Joining nightisn’tyour business,” Aleena said quietly, though she wanted to shout at her half-sister for being so lewd in front of her new husband. It was a shame and a disgrace for an un-Joined female to speak so openly of the things a man and woman did together in private! The Ambassador would think she came from a low family.

“Forgive my daughter—she’s just high spirited,” Aleena’s stepmother said quickly. “This was supposed to beherJoining, after all, until Aleena stepped in and demanded to be Joined first, since she is the eldest.”

Aleena couldn’t believe the outright lies her stepmother was telling! Acting likeshehad complained until she got to Join with the Kindred Ambassador instead of her little sister! It wasn’t right!

“As I said before, I believe the Goddess had her hand on the situation—she made certain I was joined to the right female,” Ambassador Bearick answered. “And now if you’ll excuse us, we need to go.”

He took Aleena firmly by the arm and pulled her out of the clearing, leaving Aleena’s stepmother and half-sister standing there with sour expressions on their faces. As they left, Aleena could plainly hear Faleesha complaining.

“It’s notfair,Mummy! You never told me he was so handsome. It’s not right that Aleena got him instead of me!”

“Hush now—he’ll tire of her soon enough and he knows where to find you once he does, my sweet,” Aleena’s stepmother answered clearly.

Aleena felt like she might melt from pure mortification! Theymustknow that their voices carried and she and her new husband could hear them. Why must they be so shameless and awful?

Ambassador Bearick said nothing, however. He kept her arm hooked through his and walked so rapidly Aleena had to almost trot to keep up. They had gotten out of the clearing where the ceremony had been held and halfway to the parking area before he suddenly burst out,

“Is thatnormalaround here? I mean, is it normal for a bride’s own family to say such rude things to her? Especially on her Joining day?”

“I’m sorry about that,” Aleena said quickly. She was blushing miserably and feeling hot all over with shame. “No, it’s not normal. Faleesha shouldn’t have said such shameful things to you but I believe she was flirting. Letting you know that she’s available in case you decide you don’t like being Joined to me,” she explained.

“Well, I damn sure wouldn’t want to be Joined toher,”he growled. “I mean, I know she’s your sister, but if she wasn’t a female, I’d have made her sorry for those things she was saying about you!”

Aleena felt surprised. So he was angry because Faleesha had insultedher?She’d thought he was just upset that her half-sister had been speaking so crudely in a way that was unbecoming of an un-Joined female.

“Faleesha is probably just jealous,” she said, hoping to calm him down. “She didn’t know what a handsome male you are or she never would have given you up to me.”

He looked down at her and smiled—it was like the sun breaking through thunderclouds, Aleena thought, feeling slightly dazed. Faleesha hadn’t been lying—the Kindred Ambassador really wasveryhandsome.

“Well, I’m glad you insisted on Joining with me instead of letting her do it,” he rumbled. “Idefinitelygot the right sister.”

Aleena bit her lip. How could she explain now that her stepmother had been lying—that shehadn’tactually demanded to be the one joined to the Kindred Ambassador? If she told him the truth—that she’d made a bargain to Join with him in exchange for the money to pay her mother’s medical bills, he might be mad!

So though she hated lying to him, she smiled and nodded.

“Thank you, my Lord Husband,” she murmured. “I’m so glad you’re pleased with me.”

“I am—very pleased.” He nodded firmly, but then looked troubled for some reason. “Come on—let’s get home.”

Aleena wondered why he looked worried and upset but the next minute his furrowed brow smoothed out and he gave her another smile. She must have imagined the expression, she thought—or misinterpreted it.

At any rate, her new husband said he was pleased with her and that was all that mattered.

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