Chapter 138

I took the plate to the door and knocked on it. David answered.

I held the food up to him. “We’re really sorry that you’re missing the meal with your family just to keep an eye on things here, so we made dinner for you.”

He sniffed the plate and grinned at me. “That is amazing. I was all prepared to make something from the freezer. I didn’t think I’d be able to get takeout on a night like tonight. Not from any place I want to eat at.”

“I’m happy that we could do at least a little something for you,” I said. “I’d invite you out, but since we’ve got the entire extended family here, that would be a little awkward. I hope you don’t mind?”

He shook his head. “It would be just as awkward for me as it would be for you guys. But that’s okay. I’m going to make a video phone call with my parents tonight. And maybe I’ll do that while they’re eating dinner and eat my plate with them. It’ll just be a different sort of family meal.”

I reached out and gave his shoulder a little squeeze. “I’m really glad that you and Theo are so likable. It makes having you around so much easier.”

He looked awkward at the compliment and ducked his head over the food. “Thanks again for dinner.”

He shut the door between us quietly, and when I turned to go back to the family, fresh guilt rose. Everything had already been set out and arranged. They were just waiting for me to join them at the table.

I hurried over and took my seat, and we all took turns thanking the moon goddess for all of her blessings. Before we started eating, Andy stood up.

“Jennifer and I have something that we want to announce.” Andy cleared his throat. “The visit to the temple today was particularly important. Jennifer and I needed a chance to thank the moon goddess for her fall bounty, and ask her blessing in protecting us over the coming year because…” He looked down at his wife, his gaze tender. “Jennifer and I are going to have a baby.”

Gwen squealed, clapping her hands together and standing up from her chair so fast it nearly tipped. She rushed around the table and hugged her daughter. “I am so happy for you! A third grandchild. This is a most fortunate blessing. And the child will have the good fortune of being born in the spring, right?”

Jennifer nodded her head. “Early spring.”

Gwen’s grip on her daughter’s shoulders visibly tightened in her excitement. “Is it too early? Do you know yet whether you’re having a boy or a girl?”

Jennifer patted her mother’s hands.” We don’t know yet. We won’t find out for another six weeks. But we fully intend on getting the sex of the baby.”

Then she turned a mischievous grin on her brother. “So, when can this one expect a cousin?” Her gaze flicked between Charles and me.

Charles cleared his throat and looked down at his plate. “I think my chicken’s getting cold.”

Gwen returned to her seat, nudging her son in the arm as she sat. “I think this is an excellent time to discuss this. You do intend to marry Elena, do you not?”

He nearly choked on his bite of chicken. “We’ve been through this before. Yes, I fully intend to marry Elena. But we don’t need overbearing family meddling in our relationship. Rest assured, it will happen when it happens.”s

She shook her head. “Not good enough. Jennifer, Andy, and I were discussing this on the way over, and we think we might have a solution that will make everybody happy.”

Charles set his fork down heavily so that it thumped against the wood. “Mother, there is nothing to settle to make everybody happy. I will propose when I feel the time is right, and then we’ll have a wedding that you can all be proud of. But there is so much going on that now is not the time.”

Gwen gave her son a stony look. “I believe just the opposite. There is no better time than now. Your position as an alpha is shaky at best because you don’t have a wife, and you don’t have an heir. You have enemies hunting you. And you know that socially, you’ll be harder to dislodge once you have a firm legacy.”

“I don’t think a hasty marriage is the way to fix any of that.”

“It’s not hasty. It’s opportune,” his mother contradicted. “Andy, say your piece,” she ordered.

Andy looked embarrassed to be put on the spot. He squirmed in his seat a little before speaking. “I don’t want to necessarily meddle in family affairs. But I did offer something to your mother.”

Charles narrowed his eyes. “What did you offer?”

“Oh, don’t look so hostile, Charles,” Jennifer admonished. “I’m the one who brought it up with Mom. She asked Andy, and he agreed.”

“Agreed to what?” Charles asked, his tone impatient.

“To marry you this weekend,” Andy finally admitted in a small voice.

“How does that work?” I demanded.

Jennifer looked at me with an excited sparkle in her eye. “About a year ago, some friends of his asked him if he would get ordained online so that he could officiate at their wedding, and he agreed. So, he’s licensed to perform wedding ceremonies anywhere in Orlune. When Mother started talking about what would be the best timing for your wedding, I couldn’t help but bring it up.”

Charles stared incredulously at his mother. “But what about a big temple wedding for your only son? Isn’t that something you’ve always said you wanted?”

She shrugged. “The last time we talked about a big wedding was before your father passed. It doesn’t seem as important now, not without him here to see the wedding. More important to me is to make sure that you are one hundred percent safe. We can always throw a reception some other time.”

“We can make it a one-year anniversary,” she continued, “or you can renew your vows. There are a dozen different ways that we can have the party. But we don’t want the scandal of an illegitimate heir, so to avoid that, it’s imperative that you get married to Elena as soon as possible. That way, you guys can start working on a firstborn as soon as possible.”

My jaw dropped open. When Charles said his mother was going to discuss this stuff with us this weekend, this was not what I had expected. I thought she would want to set a date and plan a wedding, probably for next spring or summer. And, of course, I expected the usual mother-in-law guilt trips about grandchildren. But I didn’t expect her to want it all that happened starting this weekend.

“I need to use the restroom,” I said, standing up abruptly and setting my napkin on the table. I hurried off before anyone could object, going past the powder room in the main living spaces and opting for the restroom in the main bedroom.

I braced myself on the bathroom counter, heaving for breath. When had this gotten so out of control?

I’d gotten Charles to agree to use a condom just last night. And now I was going to have to break the news to his mother that we were taking precautions to make sure that her request didn’t happen. How would that conversation go down?

My breath seemed to get stuck in my chest. This was a disaster, a nightmare.

I had just finished steadying my breathing when someone knocked on the door. “Elena?” Jennifer called through the wood. “Are you all right?”

I let out a huge sigh. “Honestly? I don’t know.”

“It’s not restroom issues, is it?” she asked. “This has to do with Mother’s request, doesn’t it?”

I opened the door, nodding.

She took my hand and drew me over, sitting down on the foot of the bed and patting next to her. “Why don’t we have a little girl talk? Do you mind?”

I shook my head and sat next to her, bracing myself.