Lustful Cravings (The Seven Sin Sisters) (12 page)

After a hug of gigantic proportions, the tiny
-statured
but large-spirited Adelina placed the other small woman on the floor again and turned back to Layla. “Meet my daughter, Davina. She is the baby in our family but s
he is wise and can be of good counsel to you.”

“Layla, it is nice to see
you
. The message from Madden was a wonderful surprise.
Knowing my brother as I do, I’m not sure whether to congratulate you or offer my condolences,
”
Davina’s wide smile contradicted the words and assured Layla she was teasing.

“Now, Davina,” Adelina’s voice was scolding, “we speak only truth of our family, yes?”

“Yes, Mamma.
I believe Layla understood my jest,” Davina’s
conspirator
wink gave Layla a feeling
of inclusion. Layla was going to like Davina.

Shooing away the conversation
with her hand, Adelina focused back to their earlier conversation before Davina had arr
ived. “So you have questions that we can answer maybe?”

It took
only
a single question for Adelina to begin telling stories about Madden
,
his three siblings
, their original homeland in Italy
and the
home here in the vineyards that their family owned. Adelina explained Valentino moved the f
amily
to America when he retired. She didn’t mention what his former profession was. That fact was oddly absent though she learned
that after
Valentino’s
retirement
,
Madden entered the age of maturity
and
took over his father’s former
position. Now
Valentino spent his days
run
ning
the vineyard
.
Adelina adored her husband
.
Layla
could hear it in the
s
ingsong
cheer of her voice as she spoke of the patriarch of their family.

Coming back to the present
, Layla asked,
“
You mentioned the family business.
I understand Madden’s work is dangerous.
H
e’s not told me any
more
than that,
and I
don’t
understand why this means I need security.”

“Now that is something my son should be explaining to you
,
”
Adelina’s Italian accent grew stronger now, something that must happen when she becomes more emotional.

“And
he will,” Madden walked up to the t
hree
women and spoke with authority
.
“But first we need to have dinner so that I can take my beautiful Layla back to our home. We h
aven’t had much time to talk, Ma
mma.”

All three men
, with the addition of two others
who
looked very much like Madden,
stood nearby
.
Adelina looked from father to son
before
nodd
ing in agreement with
the unspoken words.

“Shall we eat?” Though Adelina phrased her words as a question, it was clearly an expectation. Layla stood an
d took
Madden’s hand as they walked to the table.

“Layla, let me introduce you to my brothers, Lucas and Gage.” Madden indicated each with a quick gesture
.
Those seated around the table exchanged pleasantries and all seemed so normal, so simple
.

Buffered
between Madden and Anton, Layla felt comforted.
After
the
food was
ser
ved
,
casual
conversation once again resumed. Adelina ensured everyone had what
he or she
needed
. Layla was relieved the atmosphere was so comfortable.

When Adelina
asked about Layla’s
family, Layla told a story she was sure was similar to others of their heritage
.
Having a Valendite Breed father and
Magdalena Circle
mother meant moving often enough for their slow aging systems to go unnoticed.

“And there are seven of you sisters, you said?” Davina asked for clarification.

“Yes, seven of us.
Until just a few days ago, we lived together. They are my best friends.” Layla looked down, stemming the sad thoughts and willing the tears away. She failed to notice the meaningful look cast between Davina and Lucas.

“Now that you girls are grown, what do your parents do?” Adelina picked right up on the lull in the conversation.

“
My mother
and father have been traveling overse
a
s again
,
so we don’t see them all that often.
We still have a home in the Baltics that had been rented out for the past thirty-something years. They’re using that as their primary residence for a while.
”

“
Your father is the Dr. Sinster, past professor of anthropology at the university here?”

“Yes,” Layla
nodded
her head and smiled proudly
.
“He left after he would’ve been noticed for his slow aging. Now he and my mother have been working to gather information on the various family chains of Breeds.”

“In hopes to help connect mates?”
Davina asked.

“Yes, the decline in mating worries my father. He believes at its current rate, our breed could become extinct in a type of genocide.”

“Just as those who left the
Circle
had hoped for,” Davina mused.

Before Layla could question her more, Adelina jumped in,

“
We will begin right away planning
for your Pronouncement.
I know it is traditionally just family but with yours being so large, it will be quite the event
.”

Layla’s eye
brows drew toge
ther so that it was obvious to M
adden
that
she was confused. He rea
ched for her, placing his hand on hers, while he spoke
.
“The Pronouncement is the formal name for our wedding.”

“But we aren’t even engaged.” Layla hardly completed her sentence before laughter erupted from the room. She felt endlessly inexperienced around his family
and
in his world, but frankly
,
none of this made any sense. Why hadn’t she listened m
ore to her mother when she tried to teach them of their traditions?

The first to sober
from her laughter
was
Davin
a
when she
notic
ed
Layla
wasn’t
joining in
on the laughter
, “Layla, ha
s
your mother not taught you anything of the Mating?”

“Yes, but I never believed it would happen
,
s
o I hardly listened. My
soul sin
…” Layla stuttered, realizing she didn’t want to discuss this with his family. Embarrassed, her cheeks reddened and Layla brought her napkin up to dab the corners of her mouth.

Madden squeezed her hand again before he spoke for her
.
“Layla’s
soul sin
was lust.
”
All those around the table understood this to mean Layla had
not experienced lust of any sort until she met her mate
, Madden
.

Murmurs of acknowl
edgement went around the table as Madden’s
family
understood exactly what he’d not said…
that she was a virgin when they met and that she was no longer.
Her cheeks flushed
.
S
he was most certain she was redder than ever.

Anton reached for her and stroked her hair
in a soothing
gesture
.
“It’s all right, sweetheart
.
I
t is all very natural. In fact, it might interest you to know that you share this
soul sin
with Adelina.”

Raising her head, Layla looked to Adelina for confirmation
, saw the sign of it on her wrist
and retu
r
ned the sly smile she received.
Each woman in the
Circle of Magdalena
bore a sign somewhere on her body that symbolized the soul sin she embodied. While their sin went away upon mating, the sign remained.

Dinner was uneventful after that
.
P
erhaps they
were having mercy on her after seeing just how uncomfortable she’d become after the conversation about how Madden and Layla had met.
She took the time to observe Madden’s brothers unnoticed.

Lucas, the second eldest, looked nearly identical to Madden but for his narrower build. Their coloring was similar
with
the same silver eyes and voices eerily close in range
. He was handsome, yet she felt nothing towards him despite the likeness to her mate. Gage, the third eldest, had the most remarkable midnight blue eyes and adorable dimples he flashed in her direction when he caught her looking.

A growl rose from beside her and she looked towards Madden. “He doesn’t like the looks Gage is sen
ding you. He can’t help but be protective during this time of Acclimation,” Anton explained quietly so only she could hear.
The feeling of his breath near her ear caused a stirring she didn’t want much to think about surrounded by these men with heightened abilities of smell.

To reassure Madden,
s
he clasped his hand on the table
and
strok
ed
with gentle fingers. His shoulders loosened with the tensio
n easing.
Layla allowed herself to enjoy the moment
as she sat between her two men.

Just as dessert was served, the talk turned to Madden’s work and immediately Layla tuned in. S
he had a vague sense of
the
danger
involved in his profession but was still unclear
about
w
hat
exactly he did. Layla planned to listen closely and learn what she could.
That was her thought until Ma
dden and his father began
to
speak in Italian
, something she had never before wanted to learn despite her parents’ protests
.

“Anton?” Layla leaned towards him.

“They
t
end to speak in Italian when their discussions get heated.” Anton shrugged,
and then
interrupted the other men also using his native tongue. They all paused just a moment to look at Layla.

“
My apologies,
Bella Donna
.
We did not intend to leave you out of the discussion,” Valentino smiled graciously at Layla and she couldn’t help by smile back. “Of course, if my son would agree with his father on occasion, our discussions may not become
arguments
quite so often
.
I am afraid he forgets that I once commanded the office
for
which
he
is
now
responsib
le
.
”
As if to further his point,
Valentino
shifted his eyes towards his son and pinned him with his gaze.

“Papa, I make decisions at my discretion. I have never lost any men. It isn’t necessary to always charge into a situation that can be resolved without a fight.” Madden sp
oke with the charged voice she’d
heard him use earlier on the phone with someone. Shivers ran down her arms at the strength rolling off him.
Her own body radiated with the same power
as it transferred from him to her
.

Lucas set his wine goblet down and adjusted his body forward in his seat. “There has been evidence our identity has been discovered. Those who work around Abdul
-
Nassir
may be circling as we wait. Still Madden is right,
P
apa, to use his patience in bringing
this to an end.”

“Some of my men have been sent on recon. We’ll know something soon enough
.
I’ve instructed them to report back to Lucas
with
any movement
they can confirm
,” Madd
en explained to his father.
Layla could see Madden did not like answering to his father on this matter.