“Who better? You learned patience as a child. That trait is invaluable, especially in a shifter. The women are going to be in the far wing of the house, and we’d prefer you stay there because there’s a meeting here today and not everyone coming is part of our alliance. It would be best, Evangeline, if you stay with my wife.”

It was a subtle order. Something big was going on. She sent her man a look that told him she wasn’t very happy with his subterfuge. He could have just told her. Her gaze fell on Mitya speculatively. Why had they brought him when he really needed to be resting? She was fairly certain it had something to do with their meeting.

“I thought this was a family get-together,” she said, staring Alonzo straight in the eye. If the men were having some big secretive meeting, that meant she’d be alone with the other wives. It was silly to think she had to have him with her, but on the other hand, he’d implied that they were going to a barbecue. She’d brought dessert with her.

“The meeting won’t be long,” Alonzo assured. “Let’s introduce you. I want you to meet Siena.”

“She thinks she’s as big as a house. Catarina is a little further along than she is and she’s way smaller. I keep telling her that she’s got three inside of her, but she doesn’t listen.” Elijah shook his head in exasperation.

He indicated for them to follow him down the wide hall to the opposite end of the house. There were three women in the large room and all three went silent and turned as they entered. Evangeline recognized both Emma Bannaconni and Siena Lospostos from pictures in magazines. She thought they were both beautiful. Emma held her baby, a boy a little over a month old. Siena was clearly very pregnant. She looked as if she might have swallowed a small beach ball. Catarina barely showed.

Siena smiled immediately. “Alonzo, you brought her. I didn’t think you ever would and I threatened Elijah. If you didn’t show up today, I was going to come to your house.”

Evangeline had been living for just over four weeks on the Arnotto property and already she thought of it as her home. In that moment she realized the house, the entire estate, actually belonged to Siena. She’d known, but she’d thought of it as her home.

“I brought her,” Alonzo assured, taking Evangeline’s hand and walking her forward. “Solnyshko moyo, this is Siena. She is family to me. Siena, my Evangeline.”

It was his voice that was nearly her undoing. The way he said my Evangeline. She would have done anything for him to hear that tone. To hear him say her name that way and claim her for his own.

“Evangeline, Siena. And that’s Emma Bannaconni and Catarina Perez.”