Then he introduced the twins, Alessandro and Alejandro, adding right after, “Avoid them as much as possible. They’re trouble.”
“You’re just afraid we might steal her away from you,” Alessandro said, winking at her.
Domenico ignored that, gesturing to his parents next. “And these are Elena and Dio.”
“I’m pleased to meet all of you,” she said, not wanting to stammer but unable to stop herself from doing so. Why couldn’t Domenico give her even the slightest warning of what he planned?
Misty caught Elena giving her husband a warning look before smiling at Misty. “Welcome to the family, dear.”
Dio gave Misty another curt nod, but his eyes were hard. He said abruptly to Domenico, “I’d like to have a moment with you. Now.”
Domenico inclined his head. “Of course, Father. Your wish has always been my command.” There was a hint of mocking in his tone that confused Misty. She would never have pegged him to be the disrespectful type.
When the two left, Elena’s smile was strained. She beckoned her daughters to come forward, murmuring, “Girls, why don’t you take Misty to the refreshments table? I’m sure she’s thirsty.” She didn’t wait for the girls to agree and followed husband and son. Misty had a feeling that Elena would have run if she didn’t happen to have what seemed like a ten-foot-long train trailing behind her.
Alejandro shook his head. “Here we go again.” He and his twin left, too.
Misty started when someone curled an arm around hers. It was Emilia. The young girl was just about fifteen, clearly the baby of the family. “You shouldn’t mind them. My dad and Domenico always fight. It’s not a big thing, really. If they were girls, they’d be long past this misunderstanding. But you know boys.”
They had reached the refreshments table by then. Esmeralda was nodding sagely. “Boys are trouble.”
Misty wanted to ask what exactly the trouble was didn’t, afraid it would make her seem too curious or meddlesome.
Estrella, the most quiet of the three and the eldest, too, gave her an understanding smile, as if understanding Misty’s trepidation. “Are you really marrying my brother?”
She didn’t hesitate to answer. “Yes.”
“Then I suppose you should know what’s between Domenico and our father. No one else would tell you.” She glanced at Esmeralda.
The middle sister nodded. “Domenico used to have a twin. Then, Domenico had been wild and fun, like the younger twins. That’s what they say at least. His twin – our brother - Danilo, he was the serious one. Like Estrella.”
Emilia giggled while Estrella rolled her eyes. “You seriously had to say that?”
Esmeralda answered that with a grin before continuing, “But even though they’re opposites, Danilo and Domenico always, always spent time together. They liked to go hiking. One time, my father warned them not to go because there were reports of rogue werewolves out to kill. Domenico insisted on going, escaping late at night. Danilo went with him to make sure he was safe.”
“They were attacked, weren’t they?” Misty asked even though she already knew the answer.
“The bad things are always so easy to guess, isn’t it?” Esmeralda said sadly. “Yes, they were attacked. They managed to escape, but then Danilo lost his balance and would have fallen in a cliff if Domenico hadn’t caught hold of him. Unfortunately, Domenico was badly hurt by then, having been weakened by their fight. It wouldn’t be much longer till he’d slip. Danilo knew Domenico would never let go, and it would only mean they’d both fall to their death. Danilo made a decision---”
“He let go.”
“To save Domenico’s life,” Esmeralda said.
“And your father? He blames Domenico for what happened?”
“In a moment of anger. You know how we say things we don’t mean. My father was so furious and…he was grieving. Domenico, he just became wilder and wilder. One night, my father exploded and said, he
“You’re just afraid we might steal her away from you,” Alessandro said, winking at her.
Domenico ignored that, gesturing to his parents next. “And these are Elena and Dio.”
“I’m pleased to meet all of you,” she said, not wanting to stammer but unable to stop herself from doing so. Why couldn’t Domenico give her even the slightest warning of what he planned?
Misty caught Elena giving her husband a warning look before smiling at Misty. “Welcome to the family, dear.”
Dio gave Misty another curt nod, but his eyes were hard. He said abruptly to Domenico, “I’d like to have a moment with you. Now.”
Domenico inclined his head. “Of course, Father. Your wish has always been my command.” There was a hint of mocking in his tone that confused Misty. She would never have pegged him to be the disrespectful type.
When the two left, Elena’s smile was strained. She beckoned her daughters to come forward, murmuring, “Girls, why don’t you take Misty to the refreshments table? I’m sure she’s thirsty.” She didn’t wait for the girls to agree and followed husband and son. Misty had a feeling that Elena would have run if she didn’t happen to have what seemed like a ten-foot-long train trailing behind her.
Alejandro shook his head. “Here we go again.” He and his twin left, too.
Misty started when someone curled an arm around hers. It was Emilia. The young girl was just about fifteen, clearly the baby of the family. “You shouldn’t mind them. My dad and Domenico always fight. It’s not a big thing, really. If they were girls, they’d be long past this misunderstanding. But you know boys.”
They had reached the refreshments table by then. Esmeralda was nodding sagely. “Boys are trouble.”
Misty wanted to ask what exactly the trouble was didn’t, afraid it would make her seem too curious or meddlesome.
Estrella, the most quiet of the three and the eldest, too, gave her an understanding smile, as if understanding Misty’s trepidation. “Are you really marrying my brother?”
She didn’t hesitate to answer. “Yes.”
“Then I suppose you should know what’s between Domenico and our father. No one else would tell you.” She glanced at Esmeralda.
The middle sister nodded. “Domenico used to have a twin. Then, Domenico had been wild and fun, like the younger twins. That’s what they say at least. His twin – our brother - Danilo, he was the serious one. Like Estrella.”
Emilia giggled while Estrella rolled her eyes. “You seriously had to say that?”
Esmeralda answered that with a grin before continuing, “But even though they’re opposites, Danilo and Domenico always, always spent time together. They liked to go hiking. One time, my father warned them not to go because there were reports of rogue werewolves out to kill. Domenico insisted on going, escaping late at night. Danilo went with him to make sure he was safe.”
“They were attacked, weren’t they?” Misty asked even though she already knew the answer.
“The bad things are always so easy to guess, isn’t it?” Esmeralda said sadly. “Yes, they were attacked. They managed to escape, but then Danilo lost his balance and would have fallen in a cliff if Domenico hadn’t caught hold of him. Unfortunately, Domenico was badly hurt by then, having been weakened by their fight. It wouldn’t be much longer till he’d slip. Danilo knew Domenico would never let go, and it would only mean they’d both fall to their death. Danilo made a decision---”
“He let go.”
“To save Domenico’s life,” Esmeralda said.
“And your father? He blames Domenico for what happened?”
“In a moment of anger. You know how we say things we don’t mean. My father was so furious and…he was grieving. Domenico, he just became wilder and wilder. One night, my father exploded and said, he
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