would be you, of course.” He sounded both confused and affronted, and it made Lena’s heart clench.
“I love you.” Whatever had been holding those words back dissolved, and Lena felt relief in saying it. She loved Solan, Solan loved her, and they would deal with whatever issues there were with his family as they came up.
That brought a huge smile to Solan’s face. “And it only took one interrogation from my mother for you to realize it. I wonder what you will tell me after lunch.”
Lena’s stomach growled. “You better feed me dinner or we’re not going to make it to lunch.” She wasn’t sure when she had eaten her last full meal. They hadn’t managed to finish breakfast. She had no idea what time it was. This had been the longest day of her life.
“Was she horrible?” he asked with a sympathetic grimace. “We don’t have to go to lunch.”
That he was ready to take her side comforted her. And one day they might have to make a choice between putting up with his mother’s attitude or living happily. But Lena wasn’t ready to give up just yet. “Remember how I said some things are strangely similar to Earth? I can’t say I was completely surprised. A bit disappointed, but not surprised.”
He put his arm around her and kissed her forehead. “You and me above all others,” he promised. “My mother will have to get used to that.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
THE NEXT TWO WEEKS went by quickly. It was a mix of preparing for the war that everyone knew was coming and getting ready for his brother’s wedding. The day had been a long time in coming, and sitting at a table while the grooms looked lovingly at one another, Solan had never been happier for his brother. But he was ready for the party to be over. His Match sat beside him, smile beaming and looking delectable in a tightfitting green dress. He’d finally worked up the nerve to give her the necklace and now she wore it proudly around her neck.
He liked seeing the jewelry on her. And he had an appointment with the jeweler in Osais to select more pieces. There were two sides to his Match, the woman he could drape in jewels and try and pamper to his heart’s content, and the tough soldier who resisted pampering but was his equal in every way.
His sister had come up to them earlier and had been friendly enough. She and Lena weren’t close; two weeks wasn’t enough to make up for the mean things she had said over the phone. But it was better than the frosty greeting that had passed between Lena and his mother.
Lunch the day after they met had been a battle. Solan’s mother had been head of the family for so long that she wasn’t used to being challenged. And Lena didn’t back down. When Solan took his Match’s side over his mother’s, things went from tense to pained. Would things ever improve? He hoped so. He loved his mother, even if she could be difficult. But he wouldn’t stand for anyone, especially his family, treating Lena poorly.
They had met some members of other aristocratic families and things had gone well. Solan’s fears about how they would react to his human Match had so far been unfounded. Of course, they hadn’t met everyone.
The celebratory meal was coming to a close, and soon the rest of the party would start with singing and dancing and a night full of revelry. But there was only one person that he wanted to revel with.
He twined his fingers with Lena’s and leaned in close. “Come with me.” He knew of a few secret nooks and crannies in the building and he had just the spot in mind to steal a quick moment with Lena.
She grinned conspiratorially and squeezed his fingers, getting up from her seat and walking beside him. Just out the door to the main room where the wedding was taking place, Crowze, Grace, and Zac were huddled together and speaking in harsh whispers. Grace put a hand on Crowze’s arm and Zac let out an affronted sound. He stepped in close, but Solan didn’t see what happened next. He and Lena were already turning another corner. And, frankly, he didn’t care that much.
One hallway led to another, past the restrooms and beyond the kitchen. No one was going to come this way, not unless they wanted to get into a bit of trouble. There were a