Adrienne strolled down the stairs holding firmly on the railing. The brothers gazed at her. They stood with admiration and amazement. Wilder thought, a job well done when he chose the woman of his dreams. She was everything he thought he could ever want. Loving, strong, and beautiful. She wore a flowing off white long silk dress cut low showing her full pregnant breasts.
Lycell impressed by her grace and strength, in his eyes, she had to be the most handsome, sensual, sexual woman he had laid eyes on, and he had seen many. He rushed to the stairs and helped her on the last step. He took her hand and led her to the table with Wilder pulling out her chair. She looked up at him and his eyes lit up. “Thank you Wilder.” His heart grew full the way she said his name.
Wilder and Lycell sat after Adrienne. “Where is Drayton?”
“He’ll be here, he never misses a meal,” Lycell said with a grin. At that moment in walked Drayton with his hands in his pockets and his head bent. He sat at the table on Adrienne’s right. Still silent.
“What’s wrong Drayton? We are a family, you can tell us,” Adrienne said. Wilder and Lycell’s ears perked up, their faces changed from smiles to gloomy as they turned to Drayton.
“I did something without getting permission,” he said sounding like a child, looking in Wilder’s eyes.
“I’m sure it’s nothing serious,” You were always fretting about the animals you had to kill to eat. You even brought a doe home for a pet and Lycell ate it. You cried and walked around here with that same look on your face,” Wilder said to Drayton.
“It’s far more serious than that,” Drayton said looking to Adrienne.
“With you everything is serious,” Lycell said sipping a glass of wine. “Let us be the judge. Now get on with it and tell us.”
Drayton looked around the room meeting everyone’s eyes then hesitated before saying, “I killed a man.” Wilder jumped to his feet. His eyes small slits. “Adrienne go to your room,” Wilder and Lycell said in unison.
“I’m not going to my room like a child,” Adrienne shouted to Lycell and Wilder.
“This is family business and you shouldn’t hear this,” Wilder snorted.
“You just said I’m part of this family and now you change the rules in mid-stream. I guess it’s time to tell you that I’m going to marry Drayton.” Wilder fell into his chair. “Now. What do you think of that?” she said, her eyes wavering between Wilder and Lycell.
Finally there was silence and then Wilder turned to Drayton. “Did you know about this marriage arrangement?”
“Yes. Adrienne confided in me that she wanted this,” Drayton said.
“And you didn’t try to talk her out of it?” Lycell questioned.
“Why are you two questioning Drayton? It’s my choice and can’t you see he’s upset?” Adrienne reached for Drayton’s hand and held it as Lycell and Wilder gazed at them remembering their time with her. Their faces smoothed and they wished Drayton the same wonderful experience.
“I was just asking,” Wilder conceded. “Now tell us what happened.”
Drayton held Adrienne’s hand tight looking into her eyes. “We stopped at this hotel outside of Lake Tahoe returning from Adrienne’s visit with her parents.”
“Yes, we know that. Get to the part where you killed the man,” Lycell insisted.
“It’s not as simple as that,” Drayton said looking in Adrienne’s eyes.
“I think I know what happened,” Adrienne said. “I revealed to Drayton why I thought I couldn’t have children. It was because I was raped by a gang of young men. I didn’t recognize their faces, it was in the dark in the apartment I shared with Paul. They were his friends.” Tears welled in her eyes but she controlled her feelings. “On entering the elevator in the hotel, I recognized the voice of one of my attackers. I told Drayton that one of the men raped me, and I told him which one,” Adrienne said searching the faces of Wilder and Lycell.
“Why didn’t you tell me?” Wilder said concerned.
“Because you left me and when you came back you were distant.”
“What about me. You could have told me,” Lycell said putting his arms around her but she pushed away from him.
“You were so hostile, Lycell, I couldn’t trust you before. But now I trust you and love you as I do all of you.”
“Are you sure it was him?” Wilder asked.
“What kind of question is that?” Drayton said turning to Wilder.
“Let me answer the question, Drayton.” She looked in Wilder and Lycell’s direction, “I will never forget that voice and the other voices.”
“Then it’s over. There’s nothing to be done about it now,” Lycell said.
“I’m afraid it’s not,” Wilder said. “He’s the son of a state senator in our district. He’s conducting an investigation of all the hotel guest. There are cameras. When I read the news I didn’t connect his death to you or the hotel. He wants me to use my influence to find whoever killed his son.” Wilder’s steely eyes roamed the room looking for answers. “I have a meeting with him tomorrow.”
Adrienne walked to Wilder kissing him on the lips, “When you are through conducting business then come to my room.” Lycell glanced at her. “You’ve had your time with me. I want to tell Wilder about the preparations for the wedding,” she held her stomach, “because as soon as I have these pups,” she said rubbing her growing stomach and glancing at Lycell, “Drayton and I will have a wedding. I need a break from you two,” she said smiling at Wilder and Lycell.
Wilder had an idea. “You and Adrienne can go to Hawaii and stay there for a month, until we can calm things down here.”
“Maybe I don’t want to go to Hawaii,” Adrienne said with Drayton glancing at her not saying a word. “But maybe I will go. After all, it is my wedding...I mean our wedding.” She scanned Wilder’s face, he was calm, and she strode out of the dining room, and up the stairs. The three werewolves never took their eyes off her. They were in awe of this woman.
Wilder would wait until the meeting was over. He was eager to rush to her, after all she did say that she wanted to be with him. Or did she?