When the two left, Elena’s smile was strained. She beckoned her daughters to come forward, murmuring, “Girls, why don’t you take Misty to the refreshments table? I’m sure she’s thirsty.” She didn’t wait for the girls to agree and followed husband and son. Misty had a feeling that Elena would have run if she didn’t happen to have what seemed like a ten-foot-long train trailing behind her.
Alejandro shook his head. “Here we go again.” He and his twin left, too.
Misty started when someone curled an arm around hers. It was Emilia. The young girl was just about fifteen, clearly the baby of the family. “You shouldn’t mind them. My dad and Domenico always fight. It’s not a big thing, really. If they were girls, they’d be long past this misunderstanding. But you know boys.”
They had reached the refreshments table by then. Esmeralda was nodding sagely. “Boys are trouble.”
Misty wanted to ask what exactly the trouble was didn’t, afraid it would make her seem too curious or meddlesome.
Estrella, the most quiet of the three and the eldest, too, gave her an understanding smile, as if understanding Misty’s trepidation. “Are you really marrying my brother?”
She didn’t hesitate to answer. “Yes.”
“Then I suppose you should know what’s between Domenico and our father. No one else would tell you.” She glanced at Esmeralda.
The middle sister nodded. “Domenico used to have a twin. Then, Domenico had been wild and fun, like the younger twins. That’s what they say at least. His twin – our brother - Danilo, he was the serious one. Like Estrella.”
Emilia giggled while Estrella rolled her eyes. “You seriously had to say that?”
Esmeralda answered that with a grin before continuing, “But even though they’re opposites, Danilo and Domenico always, always spent time together. They liked to go hiking. One time, my father warned them not to go because there were reports of rogue werewolves out to kill. Domenico insisted on going, escaping late at night. Danilo went with him to make sure he was safe.”
“They were attacked, weren’t they?” Misty asked even though she already knew the answer.
“The bad things are always so easy to guess, isn’t it?” Esmeralda said sadly. “Yes, they were attacked. They managed to escape, but then Danilo lost his balance and would have fallen in a cliff if Domenico hadn’t caught hold of him. Unfortunately, Domenico was badly hurt by then, having been weakened by their fight. It wouldn’t be much longer till he’d slip. Danilo knew Domenico would never let go, and it would only mean they’d both fall to their death. Danilo made a decision---”
“He let go.”
“To save Domenico’s life,” Esmeralda said.
“And your father? He blames Domenico for what happened?”
“In a moment of anger. You know how we say things we don’t mean. My father was so furious and…he was grieving. Domenico, he just became wilder and wilder. One night, my father exploded and said, he wished that Danilo was the one alive.”
Estrella was the one who spoke next. “And the next day, Domenico had changed. He was no longer wild, no longer…” Her voice lowered. “He was just suddenly perfect. He used to smile all the time, but not anymore. Everything he did was perfect, but he tends to choose alternatives that are sure to make Father angry.”
Misty almost didn’t want to ask the obvious. But she had to. “Like marrying me, you mean?”
Emilia squeezed her hand, rushing to say, “Please don’t take it personally. My father simply wants Domenico to marry any pack princess. Times are hard these days and we need to strengthen alliances. Marriage is the best way to do that. Of course, Domenico would disagree. And now he’s brought you---”
Again, she had to ask, “Do you guys hate me?” Would they suddenly become sisters-in-law from hell, out to punish her for daring to marry their beloved, unreachable brother?
Estrella was shocked. “Of course not. It’s obvious that Domenico cares for you. He smiled at you, didn’t he? We just want to make sure that you understand what’s happening…you’re possibly the only one to reach his heart. So make him come alive again, will you, Misty?”
Before she could answer, fingers suddenly clamped around his wrist. She looked up to meet Domenico’s furious eyes. “We’re leaving.”
She barely had time to wave at his sisters. She was panting by the time they reached the lobby. His strides were so hard to keep up with. “What’s wrong?” she asked, concerned.
Domenico shook his head. “Nothing.”
Their limousine came to a stop and Domenico all but pushed her inside. The chauffeur shut the door closed. Domenico opened the chiller and took out a wine bottle. He punched a button and out came wine glasses. He poured the wine in a glass and drank it in one gulp.
“Are you okay?”
“Not really.”
Her heart constricted at the sight of his hardened face. She had a feeling he was just hiding sadness behind that cold face of his. She wondered madly what she could do to amuse him. Then she had an idea and fished out her mobile phone, hurriedly punching buttons to get to the right message.
The continuous beeping of pressed key buttons pulled Domenico out of long-buried but never forgotten memories. He frowned at the sight of Misty with her head bent down, hair falling to cover most of her face. “What are you doing?”
“I have a joke,” she blurted out.
His frown darkened even more. “A what?”
God, what am I doing, she asked herself.
The frown was scary. It reminded her of the fact that this guy was a werewolf. What if he got so mad he decided to eat her? “Umm…on second thought---”
Domenico crossed his arms against his chest. He placed the wine glass down. “I’m sorry. Please continue.”
“Ah…”
“You have a joke, don’t you? Share it, please.”
Shick. When he sounded like that, she felt like she had no power to refuse. He was in BOSS mode and it made her revert to EMPLOYEE mode.
If---when---we marry, it can’t be like this. It won’t be like this, she promised to herself.
“Misty?”
She almost jumped.
Stupid, stupid, Misty. What have you gotten yourself into now?
She cleared her throat. “There were three guys…”
Domenico raised a brow. “I hope this isn’t a sexual joke.”