“Tonight, I’ll be here for most of the day working. I may have to leave so if you need me call me. Your cell is on the dresser. Until tonight,” he promised. He gave her another lingering kiss then left.
Felicity was all alone now at the Blackmoore estate, and she apparently had an appointment with Dominic’s mother. Moving into action, she showered in Dom’s bathroom then dressed in the same clothes she’d come in. She decided, as she pulled on the skirt again, that she wouldn’t be burning it. This skirt now had a lifetime of memories attached to it, for in this skirt she’d broken things off with Dom, had been taken by Dom in a savage, delicious way, then gotten engaged to him. She’d also been given an orgasm in Beth’s apartment, and then had her body worshipped for most of the night. Yes, she’d seriously be keeping this skirt.
After brushing her hair out until she looked somewhat presentable, she made her way out of Dom’s room and found herself in an unfamiliar hallway. She might have seen his bedroom at his “real” house, but not here. She wandered down a hallway and turned right and saw the light of the grand chandelier that adorned the ceiling by the front door. She quickly made her way down the staircase that she’d first seen Helena, Dom’s ex.
As if on cue, the door to the study opened and Dominic Blackmoore’s mother took one step out.
“Ms. Shaw, if you’ll come with me.”
Felicity’s gut clenched with apprehension but she put on a smile and followed Lady Blackmoore into the study. The study was empty this time, no sight of Dominic or his brother Lucas. They were all alone and Felicity self-consciously brushed a lock of wet hair behind her ear. Silence filled the room as she waited for Lady Blackmoore to speak.
Lady Blackmoore took a seat on of the sofa. She sat with her back straight, shoulders square, and her knees bent exactly the same way and pressed together. She made it look easy but Felicity knew she’d never match the same queenly look.
“Please, have a seat. We have much to discuss.”
Felicity took the seat across from her in a chenille wooden framed sofa with thick brown cushions and a floral pattern on the back cushion. Felicity sat, her body naturally mimicking to look like Lady Blackmoore’s.
The older woman sighed, her eyes looking tired but determined. “My son has clued me in on the activities around here. I understand that you are to mate with him tomorrow night.”
“Yes.” Felicity floundered to say more but couldn’t think of anything so she clamped her mouth shut.
Lady Blackmoore’s cool gaze locked on her. “He says he loves you. I don’t believe it, and I don’t say that to be rude or to make you angry. It is simply what I believe. Nonetheless, he has taken with you and the mating ceremony with Lady Greenwich has been called off. In her place tomorrow night you’ll stand. Now, I’m going to tell you something and I want you to listen very carefully.”
Felicity tensed. A mixture of anger and affront surfaced that his mother so blatantly thought her son’s feelings were void. The audacity of the woman. However, the last thing she wanted right now was to create a rift between what would soon be her mother-in-law, someone she’d likely see far more often than her own mother, and her new mate. So, she bit her tongue and lifted her chin a notch.
“All right then, I’m listening, Lady Blackmoore.”
“Please, call me Diane.”
Felicity inclined her head. “Diane.”
“Helena was horrible to my son, and he put up with her antics for far too long. It came as a great relief to me, my dead husband, and the rest of the family when Dominic announced he’d be ending their blood bond. She never saw the greatness inside him. I hope you won’t make that same mistake. For if you do, then I have only one warning to you.”
Felicity swallowed hard, surprised at the change in topic yet pleased to hear that at least they both agreed about how terrible Helena was. “What would that be?”
Diane’s cold gaze could have frozen an ocean into a glacier. “If you’re using him for his name, his wealth, or for anything but because you care for him then I will have you eliminated.”
Whoosh, the air rushed right out of Felicity’s lungs. She didn’t know whether to laugh or run away. The woman was dead serious. She’d have Felicity killed. Felicity looked down at the ring on her finger and smiled.
“I love him. I really love him. There was just something there when we first met, and I knew he was something different. I knew we could have something great together. I resisted—as much as I could—though maybe not as much as I could have, but he wore me down. Now, I’m going to mate with one amazing man tomorrow night and I’m going to do it with my chin held high and a smile on my face. I would like to have your support for us not because he’s your son but because you believe in us. And, by the way, you can threaten me all you want because I’m not using him for anything more than him and all the great, handsome, brooding that is him. And I love all of that about him.”
Slowly, one of Diane Blackmoore’s eyebrows rose and was matched neatly by a prim smile. “I see my son has chosen wisely.”
Feeling a bit imperious, Felicity sniffed. “Indeed.”
At that, Diane tossed her head back and laughed. Then, before Felicity knew it, she was wrapped in a tight, motherly embrace.
With family business taken care of the next several hours flew by in a whirl.
Diane showed Felicity picture after picture of politician’s faces. Diane taught her their names and their histories until they all started blurring together. The one picture that kept popping up in front of her face was that of the were alpha running against Dom for presidency.
“And who is this?” his mother asked, her voice never tiring.
Felicity winced as the hairstylist, Diane’s personal hairstylist, yanked at Felicity’s curling strands as he tried to style it into something Felicity doubted he could do.
“That’s Zeke, alpha and were and madman.”
Diane tsked. “You will not use such language tonight or any other night to refer to Alpha Zeke or anyone else for that matter. You must think queenly. You will keep your head high, your shoulders back, and your lips curled into a pleasant smile. Like this, see?”
Felicity gave Diane a bored stare as she smiled a perfect, closed-lipped smile.
“I see. Ouch! Will you take it easy?”
Edwardo the hairstylist glared down at her. “I will not take it easy, lady. You have hair like squirrels live up in here.”
Felicity sputtered. “Excuse me?”
He sniffed and went back to curling her hair. “You heard me, lady. Your hair is so dry if I brought a match within fifteen feet of this wiry mess it’d go up in flames. Poof just like that.”
Felicity was so insulted she couldn’t think up any sharp retort to scathe him. Instead, she resorted to crossing her arms and muttering.
“My hair is not that dry. I have naturally curly hair.”
“Mmhmm, doesn’t mean you can’t deep condition it every once and while,” he said.
Felicity clenched her jaw then jabbed her elbow back. It landed in the meat at Edwardo’s soft belly making him gasp.
“And she’s violent!” he said in affront.
“Damn right I am and if you don’t stop insulting my gloriously beautiful hair then it’ll be more than an elbow next time. Got me?”
He snorted.
Sighing loudly, Diane took a sip of her drink then went back over the etiquette for what had to be the tenth time.
“Try not to be speak unless spoken to that should keep your conversations to a minimum. We don’t want you to speak up and make a mistake.”
Boy, everyone just loved to insult her.
Dom loves you and he’s going to make you his mate tomorrow night. Think happy thoughts, Fel.