Theo
Theo woke Gemma early.
He thought she looked more beautiful than ever with her tousled hair, long nightshirt, and her fanny pack on. He knew some habits were going to be very hard for her to break.
“What time is it?” she asked, rubbing the sleep from her eyes.
“It’s eight in the morning,” he told her.
“Egads,” she said, jumping out of bed. “Being here is making me lazy.”
“I think you are simply making up for a lot of lost sleep,” he told her. “Before you came here, how many nights were you able to sleep more than just an hour or two?”
“Not too many,” she admitted.
“Get dressed and come downstairs,” he said.
She nodded, and he closed the door behind him.
It didn’t take her long to put on clothes, brush her hair into a ponytail, and head downstairs. Her eyes widened when she went into the kitchen.
He had gone out and brought back breakfast.
“I didn’t know what you liked, so I got some of everything,” he said.
She laughed. “You seem to be very good at that,” she said.
“I can’t lose if I do it that way,” he answered.
Gemma dug into her food. She ate very politely, but like a person who always ate on the run – quickly and with gusto.
She had almost finished her meal, so he decided to share what he had planned for her for the day.
“You need to prepare for the upcoming dragon shifter ceremony,” he told her.
“How do I do that?” Gemma asked. “What kinds of things will I need to know?”
“This dragon ritual is like a ball. However, there are a lot of rules, so to speak, that everyone has to follow. These events are very strict, so there are several things you will have to do and many things you should not do,” Theo said.
He could see the panic set in, and she gently put her fork on her plate, her hand shaking slightly.
“How am I going to fare at that kind of event? The most formal thing I’ve ever attended is a hot dog eating contest at one of the county fairs,” she said, worry in her voice. “I don’t want to embarrass you.”
“I’ve got a plan to help you,” he said. “Finish your breakfast.”
“I’m done, thank you. I already ate four pancakes. You’re going to make me so fat I won’t be able to fight my way out of a wet paper bag,” she said.
“I have a sneaking suspicion you have a lot of meals to make up for in your life,” Theo said.
They started to clear away the dishes when a loud knock on the front door echoed through the house.
He grabbed her hand. “Come with me. I believe your teachers have arrived.”
Theo opened his front door, and four women entered.
He wrapped his arm around Gemma’s shoulder, pulling her close to him, letting them know Gemma belonged to him. Gemma leaned her head on his shoulder, and Theo thought it was an automatic response. She definitely was becoming more comfortable with him and touching him.
“Gemma, these ladies are here to help you learn the rituals and the ‘rules’ that you will need to know for the event. This is Chloe, Reagan, Angel, and Madeline,” he said by way of introductions.
