Holy cow.
Was she…?
“He threw me to the ground right there and claimed me.”
She was.
“Thank God no one was around,” Diana went on and Sonia gasped but Diana didn’t notice or was so excited to tell her tale, she didn’t care and she continued, “He barely got the words out and the chain around my waist before he turned me to my knees and was on me.” She sighed and finished dreamily, “It was beautiful.”
Horrified at her blunt subject matter but not able to stop it in spite of herself, Sonia asked, “What… words?”
Diana focused on Sonia. “Didn’t King Callum say them?”
“Um…” Sonia mumbled.
“Oh, I forgot, you’re human,” Diana said. “‘Are you mine?’ Those are the words. It’s like your ‘Will you take this man…’, if you say ‘yes’, it’s the same as ‘I do’.” She smiled. “But you know that last part, surely.”
Sonia didn’t.
Well, she kind of did.
But she didn’t.
Diana continued, “And then the fun stuff starts, unlike you humans, who have to wait for the party to be over. We just go for it right away. We have the party later.”
Sonia stared at her trying to hide the fact she was appalled. Did they really just run a woman down and claim her?
“I still remember every second,” Diana said wistfully. “It was the most beautiful day of my life.”
Apparently, they did and the women liked it.
Then it hit her that Callum hadn’t done that. He’d gone against the customs of his culture and he’d tried courting her first. He wasn’t very good at it and he obviously didn’t like to do it but he’d tried it.
Even as king who clearly, by his behavior, felt at liberty to do pretty much anything he wanted to do, he’d tried to give her a courtship.
It was only a week he’d given her but if his people found their mates, threw them to the ground and claimed them then a week to Callum would have felt like a year of dating.
Luckily (for him), he’d only had to wait a few days.
Still, Sonia didn’t know what to make of that.
Diana broke into her thoughts. “Now, tell me about yours.”
“Sorry?” Sonia asked in a shocked voice. She couldn’t really mean she wanted Sonia to describe her claiming.
“Tell me all about your claiming. Everything,” Diana encouraged.
She did want Sonia to describe her claiming.
“Um…” Sonia hedged, “it’s probably like your people’s average, everyday, erm… claiming.”
Diana burst out laughing like Sonia was an award winning comedian on a sold out tour.
When Diana gained control of herself, she wiped her eyes and coaxed, “No, seriously. We’re talking about King Callum here. Everyone is going to want to know about your claiming.”
Sonia hesitated before she asked, “Is it usual for the king’s story to be known like this?”
Diana nodded. “Everyone knows Mac and Regan’s story. But yours… I figure yours will be a winner considering it’s Callum we’re talking about.”
“What does that mean?” Sonia queried.
But she knew.
Oh did she know.
Diana opened her mouth to speak but there came a knock on the door and Kerry stuck her head through.
“Regan bought enough champagne for customers too. We’re ready to pop the cork and we need the lady of honor. Come on, Sonny!”
Then her head disappeared, Diana caught her eye, smiled and stood.
With no choice, Sonia stood too. As she did, she schooled her features, buried her sorrow and prepared to pretend this was a happy occasion full of smiles, shrieks of glee and bottles of champagne.
Upon arrival, Sonia found that Regan had not bought a bottle of champagne. She’d purchased twelve of them, all chilled, and a package of plastic champagne glasses.
They were all standing in front of the counter and Mabel was preparing to pop the cork on one when the bell over the door went. Out of habit every eye (but Regan’s) went to the door.
“Ho… my… gawd,” Kerry breathed.
Kerry did this because Callum was walking in, followed by Ryon, a double threat of ultra tall, dark, handsome man. Callum’s eyes were on Sonia and his mouth was engaged in a aiming a sexy, intimate grin in her direction.
Sonia felt her belly twist at the same time the pulse between her legs quickened.
With everyone frozen at the counter staring at him, Callum walked through with his natural, masculine grace. He came directly to Sonia and slid an arm around her shoulders, curling her front to his.
“Hey, baby doll,” he murmured when she tipped her head back and his eyes hit hers.