Page 73 of Dark Gambit Reliance

"Thank you, Oshidu." Marcel smiled. "I appreciate your thoughtfulness."

The guy grinned, and it kind of looked fake. "You are very welcome, Master Marcel. The flight will take fourteen hours. I shall see you again after we land. Enjoy." He dipped his head and pivoted on his heel.

Sofia waited until the pilot was in his seat. "Are we stopping to refuel somewhere?" she whispered. "How is he going to stay focused for so long?"

"Don't worry about him." Marcel opened the center console and looked inside. "What's your pleasure?"

"Is there wine?"

"There is." He pulled out a bottle and two glasses.

"Please, buckle up," the pilot said. "We are starting to move."

Sofia found the seatbelt, secured it around her middle, and glanced at the pilot again. "I guess the mile-high club is not an option. There is no partition between Oshidu and us. By the way, is Oshidu Japanese?"

Marcel chuckled. "Does he look Japanese?"

"Not really, but he has the kind of features that could pass for anyone of mixed heritage."

"I guess he does, but he's not Japanese."

"So why does he have a Japanese name?"

"It's not Japanese." Marcel was starting to sound exasperated.

"I'm sorry. I know that I talk too much when I'm nervous."

He leaned and took her hand. "That's okay. I like hearing you talk. You are curious, and you get excited over the most mundane things. You're not reserved, and you're not pretending to be anyone other than yourself, and I find that endearing."

She huffed out a laugh. "I'm the progeny of aliens, I grew up in a secluded compound, and while attending university, which was throughout my entire adult life, I was pretending to be like the other humans around me."

"That's not the same. You had to hide those things, but you've always been genuine. You might hide who you are, but you don't hide your feelings, and you're not embarrassed about voicing your opinions. When you're mad, you are not trying to hide it, and when you fall in love, you have the courage to admit it. You show the world the real you at all times." He lifted her hand to his lips and brushed kisses over her knuckles. "In summary, you are wonderful, and I feel blessed to have you as my mate."

Sofia swallowed. It was still difficult for her to hear him say that without a smidgen of fear creeping into her heart.

Would he still call her his mate when she didn't transition? Or when she transitioned and grew a pair of fangs and became stronger than him?

51

ANNANI

"Good evening," Syssi said as she opened the door for Annani.

"Good evening, my dear." Annani motioned for her to dip her head so she could kiss her cheek. "I am so glad that we are still having our Friday night family dinner despite the stressful situation."

Syssi chuckled. "If I canceled it every time something came up, we would have it only on rare occasions."

A smile tugged on Annani's lips. "I knew that the Fates had chosen wisely for my son—a mate who is steadfast and does not crumble under pressure."

"Good evening, Mother." Kian walked up to her and dipped his head to touch his lips to her cheek. "Thank you again for loaning the use of your plane and Oshidu to Sofia and Marcel."

She nodded. "When I heard Shai tell Eric that she has a human family in the compound who she cares deeply about, I was moved." She sat down on the chair he pulled out for her and smiled at her granddaughter.

Seated in a high chair, Allegra was playing on a tablet with her little face scrunched in concentration.

"Should a child this young handle such a device?"

Kian smiled at his daughter. "Allegra gets bored playing with inanimate objects. If she has a playmate, she doesn't mind the old boring toys, but when she doesn't, they don't provide enough stimulation. Syssi has been hesitant to let her play with electronics at such a young age, but you know Allegra. When she wants something, she gets it."