The Lion's Arranged Mate: A Paranormal Lion Shifter Romance Read Online Free

sex and relationships was different – he had penetrated their ranks, travelled to almost all of the great estates and met too many highborn shifters to count, but he never really grasped their social dynamic.
    “Tell me,” he continued again, “what… well, I mean, in the noble houses, how do you approach marriage? I mean, what do you do?”
    Anastasia wrinkled her lips as she tried to recollect. “I suppose it’s not so unlike what you do, although perhaps it’s a bit more formal,” she remarked. Her lips tightened again, as if she were on the verge of telling him something, and then decided against it. “You wouldn’t understand.”
    She’s hiding something , he thought. The mention of the noble houses and marriage in the same house had seemed to startle her, and he now saw a fidgety panic in her eyes.
    “Hm,” he scratched his head, “why don’t you try me?”
    Her eyes darkened. The family name Stormfang is apt , he mused. “There are things, even about my pack, that I can’t divulge to an outsider. Let’s… let’s just drop it okay?” she asked.
    He weakened for a moment and shrugged. Another silence fell between them, and he tried to keep from looking at the small dark space where her knees parted slightly. When she noticed his efforts, she blushed a little and turned away from him. “Where… where’s my bedroom?” she asked hurriedly.
    Thankful for the diversion, he showed her to the main bedroom, and quickly pointed out that he would sleep on the couch. At least, in her own words, until the ceremony was finalized. Besides, I think we’ve both suffered enough drastic changes in our habits to throw sleeping together in the same bed into the mix , he thought – when he looked across at Anastasia he saw she felt the same way.
    “Well!” he exclaimed, “I know you probably want to change and what-not. So I’ll let you be. It’s probably about that time, so I’ll start making dinner. Do you have any preference? All I’ve really got on hand is some frozen salmon… vegetables?”
    She stopped at the doorway, one strap of her dress already lilting off her shoulder blade. Her eyes were flaring again, half with wonder and half with admonishment. “Wait,” she asked, “you mean it’s just the two of us? There’s no maids… no servants?”
    Oy , Alan thought.
    “Nope! Just us…”
    “And you… you actually make food? With your own hands?”
    Again, he couldn’t tell if she was putting him on or not, but the earnest look on her face was evidence enough. “Naturally. Unlike you nobles in your mansions of fancy, we lower folk and peasants have to make do on our own. As you might have noticed from looking around, it’s not like I’ve ever had a girlfriend or wife before. So I’ve had to learn how to survive on my own.”
    “But… but,” she seemed unable to reconcile the fact that anyone could survive without maids and butlers to do the dirty work.
    He shook his head and let out a long sigh. This is going to be a very long marriage , he reflected.
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     

CHAPTER TWO
     
    Alan hated to admit it, but since the two of them had agreed to keep things ‘official’ according to Anastasia, things had been easier around the cabin. It was still very difficult for her to get used to the fact she didn’t have any servants – the other domestic chores of the house were also a problem, and he had to take special care to teach her about some of the more basic things like doing laundry or preparing meals.
    He had to hand it to her – rather than feeling ashamed of her ignorance, she took it as a challenge, meeting every new obstacle with a fervor that bordered on obsessive-compulsive. She wasn’t happy until she had excelled and mastered every task, and it gave him a sort of pride to see her dedicating herself.
    He had worried that she would remain stubborn – but he saw now that her stubbornness wasn’t so much an inflexibility, but rather a sheer determination,