Secret Santa Surprise: Book 29 in the Kindred Tales Series - Evangeline Anderson Page 0,46

Clear asked. He looked at Strong. “We’ve offended her somehow. We need to find out what we did!”

“We stopped before we bonded her to us,” Strong pointed out. “Even though we did other…sexual things, we held ourselves back from making a rash decision before discussing it.”

“She’s upset she did anything at all!” Sonja said, frowning at them.

“Anything at all? You mean she feels that she demeaned herself by allowing two younger, low-status males to pleasure her?” Strong demanded.

“But she didn’t treat us like she thought we were low-status last night,” Clear objected. He frowned. “Though she has pointed out several times that she thinks we are ‘too young’ for her. Maybe you’re right, brother. Maybe she decided that a mature Elite like her is too good for the two of us.”

“No, no, no! You two just do not understand at all!” Sonja exclaimed.

“Darling…” Sahran put a hand on her shoulder to steady her and she shook her head.

“Sorry, honey. This headache is just the worst.”

She pressed her fingers to her temples and took several deep breaths before opening her eyes and looking at Strong and Clear.

“Okay, let me explain this to you…I know, because Sahran here explained it to me, that on Twin Moons, a woman with extra curves—an Elite—is valued, right?”

“Of course.” Strong and Clear both nodded.

“And it’s apparently even better if she’s a mature Elite—a woman who’s a little older and secure in her profession, correct?” Sonja asked.

They nodded again.

“Okay so try to wrap your heads around this,” Sonja told them. “It’s the exact opposite down on Earth.”

“What do you mean?” Strong growled.

“I mean older women who have more curves are valued less, not more by men on Earth. At least in the society Melanie and I both come from, they are,” Sonja explained.

“What?” Clear looked as shocked as Strong felt. “But…how can that be? An Elite is the most beautiful creature the Goddess ever created!”

“And a female with wisdom as well as beauty is the pinnacle of perfection,” Strong pointed out.

“Not on Earth, unfortunately,” Sonja said firmly. “Men prefer young, skinny women down there.”

“They do?” Strong shook his head.

“I had a hard time believing it too, Brother,” Sahran told him. “Especially the part about wanting stick-thin females over those with curves.” He shrugged. “But it’s true.”

“Exactly,” Sonja put in. “So when Melanie was saying that you two are too young for her, she didn’t mean it as a put down and she wasn’t trying to act superior. She honestly thinks the two of you don’t want her because of her age and her curves.”

“But…but nothing could be further from the truth!” Clear protested. “We thought she wouldn’t want us because of our youth and lack of status.” He turned to Strong. “We must go find her and tell her at once about this misunderstanding!”

“Not so fast, there,” Sonja said, frowning. “She’s not just upset about the age difference thing. She was also pretty rattled about whatever it was the three of you did together last night.”

Strong frowned.

“I told you, whatever ‘primate business’ we ‘got up to’ is private.”

“Monkey business,” Sonja corrected him. “And whatever it was, I think Melanie feels like she acted…” She cleared her throat. “Inappropriately.”

“I didn’t think she did,” Clear objected. “Although I was surprised to see her in the present that Sahran had bought for you. I wondered why she wore it. I…” He snapped his fingers. “Oh, I know why! I told her to wear it.”

“You did?” Strong raised his eyebrows in surprise.

“Of course!” Clear exclaimed. “Because I invited her to bake Christmas cookies with us and I told her to wear the gift I got her. Because I thought I had given her this…” He brandished the oven mitt at Strong triumphantly.

“But instead, she came over in that little red and white nothing of a dress,” Strong growled.

“This has all just been a big misunderstanding!” Clear said, smiling in apparent relief. “We just have to go to Melanie and explain it to her and then the three of us can be together again.”

“I’d put a lid on that for a minute if I were you,” Sonja advised. “I think that Melanie is pretty upset and embarrassed right now—she might need some time to cool off.”

“But if she believes we don’t want her because of her age or her curves—” Clear began.

“She also believes she behaved inappropriately last night,” Strong pointed out. He frowned. “Though she really didn’t. Although I was surprised at the way she was dressed and how she was