Unwrapped: Brides of the Kindred 31

By Evangeline Anderson

Celia Alvarez is engaged to one of the wealthiest men in the country—so why is she slaving away in the kitchen, making Thanksgiving Dinner for his entire family all by herself? Her future in-laws seem to think she’s either the cook or the maid and none of them has offered to lift a finger to help. Just as Celia is wishing for a change, Fate provides one. The doorbell rings and two huge Kindred warriors are standing there, claiming the she is their mate.

Certain that there must be some mistake, Celia agrees to go with Holds Tightly and Fights Fiercely to the Mother Ship until the situation can be cleared up. She likes Hold at once, but she and Fierce are instant enemies. How could she possibly be with these guys for life? She’s certain a relationship between the three of them is impossible and promises herself to keep her distance and to not cheat on her fiancé, Peter.

However, when the three of them are sent on a mission to collect a special glowing moss to decorate the Mother Ship for the holidays, everything changes. A destabilized wormhole damages their ship and dumps them out into a galaxy light years from home. In order to get the ship fixed, they have to agree to join a sex cult and shortly after that, Celia’s plans to keep herself off the Naughty List this Holiday Season go right out the window.

Can Celia, Hold, and Fierce escape the cult and get home in time for the Holidays? Will Celia’s wedding go ahead as scheduled...or will the time she spent with the two huge Kindred warriors change her life forever? You’ll have to read this Enemies-to-Lovers, Touch her and Die, Only one Bed, MFM, Hot Holiday romp to find out.
After all, Hold and Fierce might be the best Christmas gift Celia has ever...Unwrapped

• Language: English
• Publisher: Evangeline Anderson
• Release date: Nov 18, 2023
• ISBN: 9798215838006

Evangeline Anderson

Evangeline Anderson is the USA Today Best Selling Author of the Brides of the Kindred and Born to Darkness series. She is thirty-something and lives in Florida with a husband, a son, and two cats. She had been writing erotic fiction for her own gratification for a number of years before it occurred to her to try and get paid for it. To her delight, she found that it was actually possible to get money for having a dirty mind and she has been writing paranormal and Sci-fi erotica steadily ever since.You can find her online at her website www.evangelineanderson.comCome visit for some free reads. Or, to be the first to find out about new books, join her newsletter.http://evangelineanderson.us9.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=29b467eebf0af968606782cef&id=2df94ec8cdA Note from Evangeline--I have divided my my Kindred Tales series into smaller series based on themes and the type of Kindred the books are about. Have a look at the checklist--you might have missed oneKindred Tales Checklist and Series BlurbsKindred on Their Knees is a series of stand-alone novels set in the Brides of the Kindred universe. It's all about hot Alien Warriors subjugated to the will of their Mistress. Sometimes they turn the tables, but they always honor and protect the women they serve.Many of these stories are set on Yonnie Six--the planet in the Kindred universe where women rule with an iron fist and men are considered to be useful only as servants and playthings. So Female-led relationships and men in collars and chains are the order of the day. If you like that kind of vibe, you should enjoy the novels comprised here.Kindred on Their Knees[ ] 1.Mastering the Mistress[ ] 2.Freeing the Prisoner[ ] 3.Bridging the Distance[ ] 4.Instructing the Novice[ ] 5.Handling the Hybrid[ ] 6.Protecting His Mistress[ ] 7.Unleashed by the Defender[ ] 8.Accidental Acquisition[ ] 9.Bonded by TwoThe Monstrum Kindred seriesMeet the Monstrum Kindred Warriors from a neighboring universe, They look different from the Kindred the Earth has come to know. Some have hooves, some have horns, and all of them have fur below the belt. Yet, though they may look monstrous or animalistic to some, they have the same needs that all Kindred do. They all need Brides, and Earth is filled with unwed women who will soon be Claimed by the Monstrum. These books are for readers who love Monster Romance and Beastly Aliens.The Monstrum Kindred series[ ] 1.Enticed by the Satyr[ ] 2.Loved by the Lion[ ] 3.Taming the Tiger[ ] 4.Dragon in the Dark[ ] 5.Queen of Their Colony[ ] 6.Finding his Goddess[ ] 7.Shared by the MonstrumBeasts of the Kindred seriesThe Beasts of the Kindred series is for readers who love Beast Alien Romance. It includes stand alone novels in the Kindred Universe with Beast Kindred warriors as well as other Kindred who have Beasts inside them like Drake Kindred and Wulven Kindred. If you love a little feral action with your spicy romance, this series is for you.Beasts of the Kindred series (Beast Kindred)[ ] 1.Seeing with the Heart[ ] 2.Finding the Jewel[ ] 3.Pairing with the Protector[ ] 4.Raised to Kill[ ] 5.Saved by the Beast[ ] 6.Releasing the Dragon[ ] 7.Hitting the Target[ ] 8.Tied to the WulvenKindred Duets series (two novellas in one book)Kindred Duet books have two shorter stand alone novellas rather than one long story. If you like variety, this series is for you. Twice the hot Alien Spice and all kinds of themes and tropes including Enemies to Lovers, Daddy Dom, Single Mom, Cinnamon Roll heroes, as well as Morally Gray MMCs. You’ll find all this and more in the Kindred Duet Series. Enjoy!Kindred Duets series[ ] 1.Dark and Light[ ] 2.Wicked and Wild[ ] 3.Dae’mons and DomsKindred Times Two seriesThe Kindred Times Two series contains stand alone novels set in the Kindred Universe about Kindred warriors who must share a mate. If you enjoy lots of spicy MFM scenes, this series is for you.Kindred Times Two (Twin Kindred)[ ] Sharing a Mate[ ] Secret Santa Surprise[ ] Posing for Their PleasureBitten by a Kindred seriesThe Bitten by a Kindred series contains stand alone novels based in the Kindred Universe about Kindred warriors with fangs. There are the Blood Kindred who only bite to inject their essence and give their mates pleasure, but there are also stories of their darker cousins...the Pitch Blood Kindred, who must drink blood to survive. If you love Vampire Romance and spicy stories of sensual biting and piercing, this series is for you.Bitten by a Kindred (Blood Kindred)[ ] 1.Healing the Broken[ ] 2.Falling for Kindred Claus[ ] 3.Guarding the Goddess (included because it comes after Falling for Kindred Clause)[ ] 4.Playing their Parts[ ] 5.Delivered by the DefenderThe Kindred Time Travel Series is about Kindred warriors traveling through time to find the women they want to Claim as BridesTime Travel Kindred Tales[ ] 1.Trapped in Time[ ] 2.Time to HealThe Hybrid Kindred ChroniclesThe Hybrid Kindred Chronicles are stand alone novels set in the Kindred Universe. They tell the stories of Kindred warriors who carry the DNA of two or more branches of the Kindred Family Tree. Often, this makes it difficult for them to Bond with a woman and call a Bride. But when the Goddess intervenes, anything is possible.The Hybrid Kindred Chronicles[ ] 1.Bonded by Accident[ ] 2.The Priestess and the Thief[ ] 3.Healing Her Patient[ ] 4.Hidden Rage[ ] 5.Guarded by the Hybrid[ ] 6.Faking it with the Hybrid[ ] 7.Lost on Oblivion[ ] 8.The Kindred Warrior's Captive BrideThe Giants and Cyborgs Kindred seriesThese are stand alone novels set in the Kindred Universe all about two of the most unique kinds of Kindred warriors. Jor'gen Kindred are nine feet tall and tower over their human mates, yet these gentle giants are sworn to protect the women they love.Dark Kindred are sometimes more machine than man—these cyborg soldiers are grown in the Gestation Tanks of Z4, a planet where emotions are forbidden and punishable by death. Quite often these Kindred warriors are surprised when feelings for a curvy little human creeps into their previously stone-cold hearts.Extreme size Differences and Forbidden Emotions are two of my favorite tropes to write—I hope you enjoy these tales of Giants and CyborgsGiants and Cyborgs series[ ] 1.Taming the Giant[ ] 2.Awakened by the Giant[ ] 3.Bonding with the Beast[ ] 4.Burning for LoveTales of the Switch Kindred seriesTales of the Switch Kindred is a series of stand alone novels set in the Kindred Universe about Kindred warriors who can jump into and occupy the body of another. If you like body-swapping stories and spicy sci-fi action, this is the series for you!Tales of the Switch Kindred[ ] 1.Loving a Stranger[ ] 2.Stealing Her Heart[ ] 3.Taming Two Warriors (included in this series because it is a sequel to Stealing Her Heart)Author’s Note—I hope this explanation of the new series in the Kindred Tales helps. If you would rather read every single Kindred story in order, including the main series, Brides of the Kindred, you can find the Definitive Reading Order list in my Linktree which is always pinned at the top of my Facebook page. And if you’re new to the Kindred Universe and want to start at the very beginning, the first book in my main series, Claimed, is a free download everywhere.Hugs and Happy Reading!Evangeline Anderson

Book preview

1

CELIA

"C ece dear, how is that turkey coming on? Please don’t forget to baste it— nobody likes a dry turkey! And don’t forget to glaze the ham."

Celia Alvarez counted silently to ten and fixed a smile on her face before turning to look at her Mother-in-Law-to-be.

The turkey is doing just fine, Mother Frances, she said brightly. But you can check it yourself if you’d like to be sure. Or you could peel the potatoes while I check it instead. Or make the cranberry sauce. Or start on the piecrust or the green bean casserole. Or—

Oh, no-no—I’m sure you’ve got everything in hand, Cece. I wouldn’t want to interrupt your flow, her Mother-in-Law-to-be said, waving a hand to dismiss Celia’s indirect plea for help.

Celia gritted her teeth. It was her Mother-in-Law-to-be—Mother Frances as she had asked Celia call her—that had insisted on this enormous Thanksgiving spread in the first place. She wanted to have the entire family over to talk about the wedding, which was happening in just over a month on Christmas Eve. But though there were no less than twenty-five people talking and laughing and mingling in the large mansion on Bayshore Boulevard—which was her fiancé, Peter’s current main residence—not a single one of them had offered to help in any way.

It was probably because they’d all been raised rich, Celia speculated to herself as she began on the gourmet cranberry relish that Mother Frances insisted on since canned cranberry sauce wasn’t good enough. Peter came from the upper crust—high society and generational wealth that had been passed down since the days of the Robber Barons. His great-great-grandfather had owned a bunch of railroads or something like that, though now his family was more into aeronautics and shipping.

Such people usually had a private chef and a hoard of servants to take care of them, but Peter had just bought the mansion on Bayshore a few months before and hadn’t gotten around to hiring staff for it yet. So it was up to Celia to prepare this enormous meal all by herself.

People wandered in from time to time to help themselves to more wine and cheese from the charcuterie board that Celia had set up on the kitchen island, but none of them said, Hey, you look busy—is there anything I can do to help? Mostly they just ignored her—except for Mother Frances, of course—who came in periodically to order her around—or supervise as she called it—and tell Celia what she was doing wrong.

Have you started the dough for the yeast rolls yet? her future Mother-in-Law asked, raising one critical and perfectly plucked blonde eyebrow. She was wearing an immaculate white silk lounging suit which made her look both elegant and unapproachable. "It has to rise at least twice to be any good. That’s what my chef, Armand, told me anyway, when I got the recipe from him."

Dios! Celia wished that Armand was there now instead of back at Mother Frances’s penthouse in New York. Maybe he would actually be some help instead of just standing there criticizing without lifting a finger!

It’s on its second rise right now, she told her future Mother-in-Law. I’ll work with it some more when I get a chance. But right now I’ve really got my hands full!

"Oh—of course you do! And we all can’t wait to see what you produce! I’m sure it will be so interesting, Mother Frances exclaimed—which was her version of a compliment. By the way dear—I got you a job," she added, smiling at Celia.

You did? Celia swallowed her resentment and looked up hopefully.

Yes! My dear friend Penelope Penobscot of the Boston Penobscots—she just bought a second condo in Palm Beach and she needs someone to decorate for her. So of course I thought of you right away!

Celia’s heart jumped in her chest. This kind of client was what her little Interior Design firm, Elegant Interiors, needed to really start taking off!

Well thank you, Mother Frances, she said, giving her future Mother-in-Law a genuine smile. If you’ll give me her email address, I’ll send her a contract and a list of prices.

Oh, no-no-no! Mother Frances put a fluttering hand to the pearls at her throat, as though Celia had suggested some kind of sacrilege. "No, Penelope is a dear friend—you can’t charge her anything!"

But…I’m running a business, Celia protested. I can’t afford to just give away my work for free!

Give what away for free? Peter, her fiancé asked, coming into the vast kitchen. He was wearing a casual outfit—an Egyptian linen shirt with the cuffs rolled up, a pair of hand-tailored slacks, and Italian driving loafers that cost more than the car Celia was currently driving.

He was only about an inch taller than her but the loafers had built up heels that turned his 5’8 to 5’9 and 1/2 at least. He plucked a grape from the fruit salad Celia had begun assembling and popped it into his mouth before coming up to give her a quick kiss on the cheek.

Your mother was kind enough to find me a client— Celia began.

Yes, Penelope Penobscot—you remember her, darling—don’t you? Mother Frances cut in. "Of the Boston Penobscots? But Cece here wants to charge her to decorate her condo!"

Peter frowned and raked a hand through his thinning blond hair.

"Cece darling, really? You should know you can’t charge a friend—especially one of Mummy’s dear friends. Why always this obsession with money?"

Dios! Because I don’t have any! Celia wanted to shout. Because I didn’t grow up obscenely wealthy like you and your snobby family!

But she held her tongue, as she always did. She didn’t want to drive a wedge between Peter and his mother—she’d already heard them fighting over the fact that he was Marrying the Help on at least one occasion. Now that Mother Frances was finally beginning to accept her and the fact that she and Peter were actually getting married, Celia didn’t want to ruin it.

"I know you grew up in a, er, disadvantaged situation, Peter went on, not waiting for Celia to answer. But you won’t ever have to worry about money again once we get married. Can you believe the wedding is just over a month from now? An elegant Christmas Eve wedding—it’s going to be just perfect!"

I’m excited about the wedding too, Celia began. But the point is—

"The point is to be happy together on this wonderful day, Peter interrupted smoothly. I mean food, fun and family—what more could one ask for? He looked at the bag of marshmallows that Celia had out for the candied yams and shook his head. But speaking of food…Darling, I really hope you’re not eating any of those—you know how sweets go straight to your hips. You want to fit into that gorgeous wedding dress we picked out—right?"

They’re for the candied yams—I haven’t touched them! Celia said quickly, her cheeks getting hot. All of Peter’s family seemed to be naturally skinny—his sisters didn’t ever have to exercise—and they all had the anatomy of toothpicks. Even her Mother-in-Law-to-be was thinner than she was—though she’d been dieting for months.

Unfortunately, Celia wasn’t sure that would ever change. She had always been big in the hips and ass department. It was probably part of her heritage—though she couldn’t be sure since she’d been raised in the Foster Care system and didn’t actually have contact with any of her family.

"Now speaking of the wedding, I really have to go over the guest list with you again, sweetums, Mother Frances said, hooking her arm through her son’s. I’ve had to add a few more people to fill out the church, since there’s almost no one on the bride’s side…"

And she towed him into the other room, still talking rapidly.

Madre de Dios… Celia watched them go and then turned back to the task at hand with a sigh. She was peeling potatoes in the sink and she looked out the window at the cars whizzing by on the winding road some distance away.

Bayshore Boulevard was a long, curving road which boasted the longest unbroken stretch of sidewalk in the US. It was featured in all kinds of articles and Instagram posts about moving to Tampa (though these same articles neglected to mention that it was hot, humid, and sticky 3/4ths of the year and that hurricane season was no joke.) The main thing was, it was expensive. If the Tampa Bay area was a Monopoly board, Bayshore would have been Boardwalk. And the mansion Peter had bought—and Celia had decorated—was one of the most expensive properties in the area.

It still amazed Celia that she was living in such luxury. It seemed only yesterday that she’d been trapped in a one-bedroom apartment, struggling to make ends meet and hoping her business wouldn’t fold. But then Peter had come into her life and hired her to decorate one of his properties—an office building in downtown Tampa that he had recently acquired.

Celia had only put in a bid on a whim—and she’d priced it as low as possible, thinking that if she got it, she could use the fact that she’d decorated for Peter Thielgood as a selling point on her resume. But she’d never expected to actually get picked—or for Peter to sweep her off her feet as he had done.

He claimed to have fallen in love with her Latin looks—her long dark hair and large brown eyes. They were the exact opposite of his own colorless blond hair and pale blue eyes. He also claimed to love her fiery spirit though to be honest, he often got annoyed when she disagreed with him about anything.

But that was to be expected, Celia told herself, since he’d been raised rich and his mother pretty much agreed with everything he said or did. It was natural to be a bit arrogant considering his upbringing.

Still, despite being somewhat spoiled, her fiancé was charming and spontaneous. He’d simply announced that they were going to get married and had presented her with an obscenely large, square-cut diamond ring on their third date. Feeling overwhelmed and flattered, Celia had said yes.

She loved his spontaneity—though at times it could go too far. For instance, just a month ago, he had come into their bedroom and announced that he’d flushed all her birth control down the toilet.

"Madre de Dios—you what?" Celia had demanded, staring at him. What are you talking about? Why would you do that, Peter?

Well, you know Mummy has been complaining that she wants more grandchildren, he’d pointed out, settling in bed beside her. And the wedding is so close. I just thought—wouldn’t it be lovely if you were already pregnant by the time we tied the knot? That way we can have babies right away!

But I don’t know if I’m ready for kids yet! Celia had protested. "Dios, Peter—we haven’t even talked about this!"

He’d shrugged.

Well, we’re talking about it now.

What about my career? she’d protested. It’s going to be damn hard to run a business while I’m dealing with a baby!

We’ll get it a nanny, Peter told her, brushing off her fears. And you won’t have to work anyway, if you don’t want to!

As it turned out, Celia did want to work and she wasn’t ready to stop birth control yet. They’d had a huge fight about it and Peter had finally apologized. Celia had booked an appointment to get some more pills, but then Peter had flown her out to Aspen to get her to decorate another one of his friend’s homes and she’d had to put it off.

Luckily, she hadn’t missed a period yet, though they’d had unprotected sex just the night before after Peter had whined and begged for a solid hour. She really had to get back on the Pill, Celia told herself. Peter wasn’t willing to wear a condom and she wasn’t ready to be a mom yet!

Though to be honest, sex with Peter was so quick, it hardly counted. He wasn’t a very creative lover, which had been kind of disappointing, but Celia told herself that he made up for his lack of performance in the bedroom with other good personality traits. He was generous to a fault. He had offered to buy her a new car almost as soon as they started dating, but Celia had held out so far and hung on to her old Honda Civic.

She wasn’t sure why, exactly—maybe she just didn’t want to be completely sucked into Peter’s world quite yet. She wanted to retain her autonomy—which was another reason she wanted to keep working. She loved her job and her tiny little design firm. Elegant Interiors wasn’t much, but it was hers and she wasn’t quite ready to give it up yet, even if she was soon going to be a wife to one of the richest men in the country.

Besides, she needed something to fall back on if they ever split up. As generous as Peter was, he had insisted on a Prenuptial agreement—which Celia supposed made sense, considering he was worth millions and she was barely worth thousands…well, more like hundreds on most months, to be honest.

But she was no gold digger and never had been, so she had signed the agreement, which stipulated that she got practically nothing in case of a divorce. It was only after she signed that her Mother-in-Law-to-be started treating her with any kind of kindness and calling her Cece. Celia didn’t like the nickname much, but it was better than that woman who’s sunk her claws into you, which was how Mother Frances had been referring to her when she talked to Peter, prior to the Prenup.

After all, Celia had heard her saying to Peter. "Once you get tired of being married to a ‘fiery Latina’ you can get rid of her without a fuss and settle down with one of our kind of people."

Her words had hurt Celia deeply, but she had never shown it or discussed it with either Peter or his Mother. Growing up in Foster Care had toughened her up and taught her that you have to win people over gradually. You can’t beg them to like you—you can only show that you’re a trustworthy individual who is deserving of respect and affection and hope they understand.

Or so Celia told herself.

But Dios—sometimes her fiancé’s family really got on her nerves. The way his sisters were constantly on juice cleanses and talked about nothing but the latest fashions or what the Kardashians—who they apparently knew personally—were doing. They were vapid and silly and didn’t seem to have anything in their heads but gossip about celebrities and their own social circle of which Celia definitely wasn’t a part. Whenever she tried to make small talk, they just stared at her blankly. She didn’t fit in with them at all, no matter how hard she tried.

Their husbands weren’t much better. They all just talked stocks and bonds and sports and whether it was more prestigious to go to Harvard or Yale. Celia had attended USF—a state school—on a scholarship for students in extreme poverty. So she had nothing to add to these conversations.

The kids her skinny sister-in-laws had produced were little terrors—every one of them had a nanny who couldn’t seem to keep them in hand. They tore through the house yelling and screaming at each other while the adults ignored them and the aforementioned nannies ran after them, begging them to behave.

All in all, the Thielgoods were a pretty unpleasant and unrelatable family and it was Celia’s Mother-in-Law-to-be who was the head of them all. Since Peter’s father was dead, she ruled the family with an iron fist hidden inside a velvet glove. It was a well-known fact that she could and would change her will at any time, which meant that all of them had to do whatever she said. The minute she cried or pouted they all jumped to attention, afraid of getting cut off.

Which is probably the only reason they all came down here to spend Thanksgiving in the first place, Celia thought to herself as she peeled yet another potato. Wish they would have stayed home!

She loved Peter—he could be so kind and spontaneous and generous. But she was getting sick of his family.

Celia glanced at the window again, but this time she looked at her reflection instead of the road outside. A tired-looking woman with big brown eyes and long, dark brown hair, wearing a simple red wrap dress stared back at her. She’d been up since five that morning, working on the Thanksgiving Feast that Mother Frances demanded and she was beginning to wonder if she was going to get it done in time.

She’d assumed that at least one of Peter’s sisters would offer to help but that had turned out to be a mistake. Could she make dinner for 25 people all by herself in time to sit down by six? Celia was betting she would be completely exhausted no matter what the answer turned out to be.

Come on now, Celia—getting up early to make Thanksgiving dinner isn’t the only reason you’re tired, whispered a little voice in her head. What about all those weird dreams you’ve been having? Haven’t you been waking up half a dozen times a night and having trouble getting back to sleep? Admit it—you have!

Celia tried her best to push the thought away…only it wouldn’t quite go. It was true that in the past couple of months her dreams had gotten extremely strange. She had read once that you could never dream of anyone you hadn’t seen at least once in your life. But the faces that kept popping up in her dreams were definitely not of people she’d ever met. Faces she couldn’t fully remember once she woke, but they filled her with a strange emotion she’d never felt before—a kind of dread mixed with longing, which made no sense at all. They—

Suddenly there was a loud knocking at the front door—so loud that Celia could hear it even all the way back in the mansion’s kitchen.

Dickie—go see who that is, won’t you? she heard Mother Frances call to one of her daughter’s husbands. Honestly—who bothers people in their home on Thanksgiving?

There was more mumbling and grumbling that Celia couldn’t quite make out. She became aware that she had stopped peeling potatoes and was listening intently to what was going on in the other room, though why it should interest her so deeply, she didn’t know.

She heard the creak of one of the solid oak front doors swinging open and then her soon to be brother in law’s voice saying,

What can we do for you? I’m afraid I need to let you know right now that we donate to charities of our own choosing and we don’t have any cash on hand.

Don’t want your fucking money, a deep, somehow familiar voice growled. We came for our mate.

What my brother means to say is that we’re here for Celia Alvarez, another voice—still deep but not quite as growly—said more politely. Can you get her, please? We’re here to Claim her.

2

CELIA

At the sound of her name, the knife in Celia’s hand slipped and she gave a little gasp as she felt a sharp pain.

Dios! she muttered, looking down to see blood welling from her index finger. Who were the men at the door and why were they looking for her?

Before she could answer the question, she heard her brother-in-law-to-be say,

Who? What are you talking about? There’s nobody named that here.

Yes, there is! a female voice said—Peter’s oldest sister, Celia thought. She’s that chubby Mexican woman in the kitchen. The one Peter swears he’s going to marry for some reason.

Oh—the one with the big ass? Dickie, her brother-in-law-to-be asked. "He’s going to marry her—really? I thought she was the cook or the maid or something."

Well, you’re not far off, the bitchy sister-in-law-to-be said snidely. "She was his decorator—can you believe it? Of course Mummy insisted they sign a Prenup."

Madre de Dios! That little puta!

Celia clenched her jaw as she grabbed for a paper towel to wrap around her bleeding finger. She was a Latina, but she was not Mexican. Her parents had come from Cuba—which her future in-laws would know if any of them had bothered to try to get to know her!

As for their remarks about her being chubby and having a big ass, not to mention the way they were disparaging what she did for a living…well, it almost seemed like her brother and sister-in-law were having a contest to see how many hurtful and insensitive things they could fit into one conversation!

Don’t insult Celia! the second deep voice said, sounding angry.

"And she’s not fucking marrying anyone—not if we have anything to say about it, the deeper voice growled. Now where is she? If you don’t bring her out, we’ll come in and get her!"

"Dickie, who are these men? It was Mother Frances’ voice this time. And why haven’t you sent them away?"

Don’t know who they are—they’re insisting on talking to the Mexican girl in the kitchen. Clearly her brother-in-law-to-be still couldn’t remember her name, Celia thought with irritation as she finished wrapping her finger.

Oh, you mean Celia? They must be here about her little design business, Mother Frances said. Celia, my dear? she called, raising her voice. Do come out here for a moment, won’t you? You’re wanted.

Celia marched out of the vast kitchen, giving her brother-in-law and sister-in-law-to-be both a cold look as she went. She’d had just about enough of them and their rudeness. They—

But the thought died before she could finish it as she saw who was standing in the doorway.

Two huge Kindred warriors—they had to be Kindred, since they were both seven feet tall and extremely muscular—were staring at her.

One of them was a bit taller with black hair and dark eyes. He had a neatly trimmed beard and mustache and his thick hair was pulled back at the top showing a high forehead. His nose looked like it had been broken at least once and his eyes were wary, which gave him a foreboding look.

The other warrior was maybe an inch shorter with silvery gray hair—not salt and pepper like aging people get though—he looked to be only a few years older than Celia herself. It was more like his hair was a variation of blond that leaned towards silver instead of gold. His eyes were a warm hazel-green and his hair was worn loose and shaggy around his handsome face. He had no beard but there was stubble on his face, as though he might have forgotten to shave.

Both warriors were dressed in the standard Kindred uniform—tight black trousers, tall black boots, and long-sleeved, button-down uniform shirts. The buttons were gold and the thick, satiny fabric of the shirts was emerald green that somehow complimented both their eyes.

The two of them looked related, she thought—it was something about the way their eyes had such long lashes and tilted down, giving them a sensuous, bedroom look, or maybe the way their mouths were shaped. Were they brothers? Cousins? What?

Celia stared at them both, her heart pounding like crazy in her chest. She had never seen either of them in her life…and yet, she knew them. Somehow she recognized them—but how?

Hello, Celia, the one with silver hair said, smiling at her. We’ve come to take you home.

Take me home? Celia stared up at the huge Kindred warriors uncertainly. Where had she seen them before? Why were they so familiar? "Dios—what are you talking about?"

Back to the Mother Ship, the dark warrior growled.

Your name finally came up in the Bride Draft, the lighter one explained. It’s time for our Claiming Period.

Celia felt all the breath leave her lungs at once. She’d been called in the Bride Draft? But that was impossible—wasn’t it?

Almost fifteen years earlier, the Earth had been under siege by a malicious group of aliens called The Scourge. They had threatened to overrun the planet and take all the humans as slaves…that was until the Kindred showed up.

The huge, seven-foot-tall warriors fought and defeated the Scourge and they continued to protect the Earth now. They had only asked for one form of payment—brides. Because their race was 95% male, the Kindred were always looking for new compatible species to mate with. And it turned out that humans were very compatible. So a Bride Draft had been created, which every woman was required to join when she turned eighteen.

Celia’s name had gone into the Draft like everyone else’s, but she’d never thought anything of it. That was because you had about the same chance of being called as a Kindred bride as you had of winning the lottery. It was like voting—a civic duty you didn’t think twice about.

But you were supposed to take your name out of the Draft when you got engaged or married. And so Celia had assumed that her name had been removed—Peter had sworn he would take care of it the same night he’d presented her with the massive square-cut diamond ring.

So she stared up at the two huge warriors and shook her head.

I don’t understand—there must be some mistake. I’m engaged to be married in a month, she told them. "My name shouldn’t even be in the Draft Registry anymore. You must have the wrong woman."

The dark one gave her an intense look.

You know damn well we don’t have the wrong woman, Celia, he growled. "You know because the three of us have been Dream-Sharing for fucking months."

Dream-Sharing? Celia stared up at him, not sure what to say. Could it be that all the strange dreams she’d been having of the people she couldn’t remember when she woke were about these two?

What’s this? Is there a problem? Peter suddenly appeared by her side and then Mother Frances took the other side.

Oh Peter, thank goodness you’re here! she exclaimed. "I’m not quite sure but I think these two are claiming that Cece is supposed to go with them?"

What for? Is she being arrested for something? Peter asked blankly.

First of all, don’t call her ‘Cece,’ the silver-haired Kindred said, frowning. "It’s disrespectful and Celia doesn’t like it. Second, we’re not here to arrest anyone—we’re here to Claim our bride."

"Your bride? Mother Frances’s hands fluttered to her pearls. But Cece belongs to my Peter! He’s going to marry her on Christmas Eve. We’re all here to plan the ceremony!"

The two Kindred frowned briefly at each other in apparent consternation.

I think there must be some mistake, Celia told them. "My fiancé, Peter, had my name taken off the Draft Registry the day after he proposed to me. Didn’t you, Peter? she added, looking at him. She had to admit that next to the Kindred warriors, he looked kind of puny. But she hastily pushed the disloyal thought away. Peter? Didn’t you have them take my name off the Draft?" she asked again, since he hadn’t answered immediately.

Er…well… He cleared his throat. I most certainly did! Or rather, I had my assistant do it. If she forgot then it’s not my fault. He lifted his chin and scowled at the warriors. "But either way, we’re engaged to be married. So as my darling Cece told you—there must be some mistake."

There’s no fucking mistake, the dark warrior growled. "Her name was called in the Draft and we’ve been Dream-Sharing with her for months. She’s ours!"

"Well you can’t have her, so that’s that!" Peter declared. "Now if you’ll excuse us, we’re trying to get ready for Thanksgiving dinner here. You’ll need to leave or else I’ll call the police on you!"

Call them if you want—they’ll back us up. The silver-haired Kindred produced an official looking document and showed it to Peter. This is Celia’s Draft Notice. It’s all signed, sealed, and official. It gives my brother and me the right to take her with us for a full solar month to undergo the Claiming Period aboard the Kindred Mother Ship.

But…but this can’t be right! Peter blustered. "I’ll sue you—both of you!"

Sue if you want, buddy, the dark warrior growled. "No court on this tiny little planet will side with you—the Earth still needs Kindred protection from extra-terrestrial threats, which means we still get to call brides and Celia is our bride."

Well, you simply cannot have Cece! Not now! Mother Frances exclaimed. We have all this wedding planning business to get through! And besides, who will finish the Thanksgiving dinner? She hasn’t even gotten the yeast rolls in the oven yet!

All this time, Celia had been standing there, feeling like she was lost in a trance. Her eyes kept tracing the strangely familiar features of the two Kindred warriors, as though she was trying to find where they fit—like two random extra jigsaw pieces left over after the puzzle is completed. Now she opened her mouth, unsure what was going to come out and heard herself say,

I’ll go with them.

What? Mother Frances gasped.

What? Peter demanded. But darling, what about all the wedding preparations?

Your mother is taking care of all that, Celia reminded him. Indeed, once she’d signed the Prenup, Mother Frances had swooped in and basically taken over the entire wedding, right down to choosing the cake, the venue, and the dress. Celia had been irritated at first—this was supposed to be her special day—but eventually she had given in, just to keep the peace.

"But…but I’ve heard they make you do things!" Mother Frances breathed, looking up at both of the huge warriors in horror. "Sexual things!" she added in a scandalized whisper.

I won’t do anything I shouldn’t, Celia said firmly. I’m just going to go with them to keep the peace until Peter can get this all straightened out. I, er, don’t want things to come to blows, she added, thinking that her fiancé was no match for even one of the enormous warriors—let alone both of them.

She wasn’t quite sure why she was doing this—it wasn’t because she actually wanted to go with the two big warriors who were trying to Claim her. But she wasn’t afraid to go, either—she’d heard all about how the Kindred were feminists who would never hurt a woman. And she was certain that Peter would call his lawyer and get things cleared up quickly.

In the meantime, she got out of kitchen duty, she told herself. Let Peter’s family make their own Thanksgiving Dinner—maybe they’d appreciate her more when they had to baste the damn turkey themselves!

Also, she’d always wanted to see the Kindred Mother Ship, which was very difficult to get a tour of. She would probably only be up there for a day or two tops, but it would be a nice break from all her snooty future in-laws and their bratty kids. She was always up for an adventure—that was one reason she’d said yes when Peter had proposed to her out of the blue.

And now she was saying yes again, though she didn’t expect anything to come of it.

"My darling, really—you don’t have to do this!" Peter exclaimed, looking at her with wide eyes.

Yes, she does, actually. Draftees are legally required to report to the Mother Ship and undergo their Claiming period once they get called, the silver-haired warrior said firmly.

"But don’t worry—if she wants to come back, we’ll bring her back," the dark one added, with a smirk, which clearly indicated he didn’t believe Celia would want to come back after spending some time with them aboard the Mother Ship.

"I will come back, she said firmly, shooting the dark warrior a look of her own. I’m just going with you two in order to keep the peace. I want that understood."

Well… Peter dithered. He still didn’t look happy about the situation. Look, I’ll pay you each half a million just to turn around and go right now, he said to the warriors. That’s a pretty good deal, right? Quite a sum of money just to put this all behind us?

The silver-haired warrior looked offended and the dark one’s face grew grim.

"Did you just offer to fucking bribe us? he demanded. Do you know what the penalty for getting between a Kindred warrior and his Bride is?"

There’s jail time involved, the silver-haired warrior said blandly. "And it’s not something you can bribe your way out of."

Peter looked white. He had clearly never met a situation that couldn’t be solved by throwing money at it before.

Er, well…that is to say…I only meant—

Never mind, Peter, Mother Frances said, tugging at her son’s arm. Just let them go for now and we’ll call Bircher immediately. Bircher was the Thielgood family lawyer who handled all their legal matters.

Yes, well… Peter looked at Celia uncertainly. "My darling, are you sure about this?"

Celia nodded.

I don’t want trouble, she told him. I’m sure you can get this all straightened out. In the meantime, I’ll just go with them.

Be careful, my darling. Peter gave her a peck on the cheek and another anxious look. I’ll get you out of there as soon as I can—this is all one big misunderstanding.

I’m sure it is, Celia said calmly. But inside her stomach was turning flip-flops. Was she really doing this? Was she really going with two huge warriors she didn’t even know, of her own volition?

Except you do know them, whispered a little voice in her head. You’ve been dreaming about