Onyx Dragons- Amber

by Starla Night

  "Yes! I do." She pulled back, a new flame in her eyes. "Tara will see. I'll remind her that she wanted sunflowers for her theme, not whatever trendy jewelry she's settled on. Her so-called 'wedding planner' can plan her own wedding. Tara's not losing out on what she deserves just because others are trying to take over."

  Uncomfortable sweat prickled under his arms. He tugged his suit. "Maybe if you both listen—"

  "Yes, she just needs to listen." Mom sighed and patted his chest. "Well, I guess it's just the three of us for Taco Tuesday."

  "Where's Dad?"

  "Oh, I don't know. Something came up at work. Our failing business will kill him."

  Darcy dialed his dad and waited for the ring.

  "What are you doing?"

  "Amber expected him to be here tonight. Maybe we can stop by his office on the way—"

  Mom pulled the phone down and ended his call. Her eyes grew big and full of worry. "Darcy, I'm worried about Amber. The last time she was here, she tried to start fights and then she tried to buy you like an ox."

  "Those were misunderstandings."

  "She's an alien. I don't think she has your best interests at heart. And she doesn't seem committed to family." Mom shook her head, her best garnet gemstone earrings flashing. "I don't think she'll come to Taco Tuesday."

  "She's committed to family." He steeled himself. "Amber is my fiancée. I have loved her for years. When she comes tonight, I want you to be warmer and more welcoming."

  Mom jerked her head back. "When was I not welcoming? I was nothing but welcoming. She came in here threatening to fight me, actually fighting the girls, trying to buy us off, and I still welcomed her."

  "Until the end of the night when you locked her out."

  "What are you talking about? Is that what she said? What a crazy thing to say. She's trying to drive a wedge between us, Darcy. She's trying to start another fight."

  "Mom."

  "That's crazy, Darcy. I've been nothing but a devoted hostess to all your friends. Your father's business partners love me. Everyone loves me. Why would I ever kick someone out?"

  "Mom, I know what happened."

  "No, you don't know what happened because nothing happened. That makes no sense. You're trying to paint me as the bad guy when all I've ever done has been to care about and advocate for you."

  "I know, and I love you, but I also know what happened because you weren't alone when you locked her out."

  Her mouth dropped. She blinked several times and then she covered her face. "She pushed me beyond my limit, Darcy. I'm already so stressed with Tara's wedding and your father's problems with the business, and then she wants another wedding in a week, and she pushed me over the edge. I snapped. I'm only human and I can't handle this stress."

  "I understand." He patted her thin shoulder. "Maybe after you apologize to her tonight, take some time for yourself. Relax and destress."

  Mom dropped her hands. "She's still coming?"

  "Use this opportunity to connect. I'm sure she'll impress you. Your cooking is delicious. She's excited to try your specialty."

  "Oh. I see." His mom raised herself up and patted his hand and then said, "I'll make up her plate myself."

  Chapter Twenty

  Darcy's mom headed into the kitchen.

  Relief gushed through him. Darcy hadn't realized how much he'd been dreading making his mom's life harder. And yet she'd apologized for her behavior and promised it wouldn't happen again. Thank goodness.

  Near giddy with relief that it was over and flop sweating hard enough to need a shower, he started for the stairs.

  The doorbell rang.

  He diverted to open it.

  Amber stood on the front step.

  Heat rushed through his veins. His heart throbbed and his cock pulsed.

  The red beaded choker rested on her slender neck where he'd fastened it. He'd savored watching her slide on the skirt and button up the blouse this morning, and his mind reviewed what was underneath.

  "Hello, Darcy." She held out a bottle of wine.

  "Welcome." He wrapped his fingers around her hand on the wine and pulled her into his kiss.

  She melted against him. Lilacs and clean sheets enveloped him, casting him back to her, naked, moaning in pleasure. He teased her, nibbling her soft lips. She parted to admit his tongue and he plumbed her depths, filling and giving back, entangling her with hungry promises of future satisfaction.

  Amber rested on her heels and sucked in a long breath with a disheveled smile, which meant he'd done his job. "The wine is for your mother."

  "She's in the kitchen."

  Darcy led her in, handed the wine to Mom, and lingered in the doorway. Nicole and Jackie greeted Amber cheerfully as they chopped tomatoes and shredded lettuce.

  "Hello, Gayle," Amber said.

  "You've come back," his mom replied. "No more threats to fight, I hope."

  "Have I proved myself worthy to marry Darcy?"

  She laughed. "No one's worthy of my Darcy."

  He cleared his throat.

  Mom glanced at him as though she hadn't noticed he was still listening. "Darcy seems to disagree. I hope you like Mexican food."

  "I like every food."

  "Mm. Nicole, show her what to do." His mom carried the wine into the dining room.

  Nicole called her over. "You can chop onions."

  Darcy lingered just a moment longer to make sure she was okay.

  Amber washed her hands in the sink. "Chop?"

  "Just dice them into the same size as the picture on the salsa jar. Here's the red onion and here's the cutting board." Nicole opened the knife drawer.

  Amber extended her claws, made a grid over the onion, and sliced through it. The onion disintegrated into chunks. She minced it with her claws. The cutting board separated into minced pieces.

  Darcy covered his mouth to stifle his laughter.

  Nicole lifted out the Santoku knife and turned to give it to Amber. "Oh. You're done already. Oh. That's useful."

  Amber scraped the onions into the dish. "I scratched the cutting board."

  Nicole snorted at the wood shreds. "I'll say."

  "Better the cutting board than Mom's quartz countertops," Jackie said, her back to them.

  Darcy ducked out, satisfied Amber was in safe hands. He shucked his work clothes, ducked into the shower, ran a comb through his hair and a razor across his stubble, and changed into more casual slacks and a button-down. Checking his appearance in the mirror—suck in to harden the gut—and he headed downstairs just as his mom was calling him to dinner.

  "I love this wine." Mom lofted her glass. "It's such a special treat."

  "Amber brought that."

  "Why?"

  Amber explained. "You asked for more than a table wine so I took the sommelier's recommendation."

  "Sommelier! That's too fancy for our simple family." His mom set the glass down.

  "Mom," Darcy started.

  "But I suppose you wouldn't know. Everyone, seats."

  Jackie brought out Amber's and Darcy's plates and set them on the table. Both plates were piled with sautéed tortilla shells full of spicy chicken, beef, and carnitas with green salsa, pico de gallo, shredded cheddar, and hints of jalapeno. Cilantro and lime wedges hugged the side.

  Jackie returned with her own plate and sat, eyes glued to her phone, furiously texting who he assumed with Michael. She didn't take her eyes off or pause her texting; her other hand picked up the first taco and crunched.

  "Nicole?" Mom called. "You're missing dinner."

  Nicole didn't answer.

  Mom shrugged and dug in to her tacos.

  Darcy crunched the first mouthful of rich, flavorful chicken.

  Amber took a huge bite and made a happy sound.

  "Delicious, right?" he asked Amber around his mouthful.

  She nodded appreciatively, chewed and swallowed. "It reminds me of home."

  Jackie glanced up. "You eat tacos on Draconis?"

  "No."


  "So, ah, Amber..." Mom glanced at Darcy and then watched Amber eating for several minutes as though searching for the words. But she was trying as Darcy had asked. "Are you the, ah, receptionist at your little company?"

  "I'm the CFO," she said between small, neat bites. "I manage the budgets."

  "But everyone else decides? You just count the money."

  Amber beamed. "Yes. That's right. I'm not a leader."

  "You seem strangely proud."

  "Yes, thank you so much for noticing. Could you share your observation with the inspectors? I can set up a meeting."

  "That you're not much of a leader? I'll share my observation with anyone who asks."

  "Oh, thank you. You don't know how much that means to me."

  Darcy rubbed Amber's leg under the table. "Thanks, Mom."

  Amber caught his eye. They shared a private smile.

  Mom swirled her wine. "Anything to make my son happy."

  "I don't know." Jackie looked up from her phone and picked up her second taco. "The person who commands payroll holds plenty of power. Look at me. I cut the checks."

  "Nicole?" Mom called. "Are you coming to eat dinner, or are you leaving me for better company, like Tara?"

  Nicole carried in her tacos with an annoyed expression. "I can't find the avocados. I swear we had two."

  "Oh, I used them."

  Her lips pinched. "You know they're my favorite."

  "I know? No, I didn't know that."

  "Twenty-six years of Taco Tuesdays and avocados are the only thing I eat on my tacos. How many times have I said it? I could skip the meal—"

  "—and eat just avocados," Jackie and Darcy chorused from rote.

  Their mother looked guilty. "I'm sorry, Nicole. I didn't know that and I used them all when I made Amber's plate."

  Nicole's hurt protest turned into confusion. "Two full avocados?"

  "Well...I...No, it wasn't two full avocadoes, you're forgetting."

  "I cut them. I did not forget."

  Amber lifted her plate. "I haven't touched the last taco. You can have those avocados."

  Mom frowned. "Now, wait."

  Nicole reached over. "Thanks, Amber, that's totally great of you."

  "Nicole! Don't take food from the mouth of a guest."

  "Amber, you've got like an avocado taco here. Do you even have any meat?"

  His mother hissed at her, panicked. "That's beyond rude. You put that back."

  "She doesn't mind."

  "I mind! It's rude."

  "Sorry, guess I'm just rude." Nicole reclined in her seat, distributed avocadoes across her tacos, and lifted the first taco.

  "Nicole," Mom protested. "Nicole!"

  "Check it out, Darcy." Nicole jerked her chin at Amber's plate. "She's got an empty tortilla now."

  He scraped extra meat from his taco into Amber's. "You shouldn't aggravate the chef."

  "Yes, Nicole, you put those stolen avocados down right now and go to your room..."

  Nicole's mouth closed around her taco in a big bite. She chewed.

  Her eyes widened. She coughed and spit up on her plate. "Yuck!"

  "Whoah!" he and Jackie said in shock.

  "Nicole!" Mom's face reddened.

  "Grah!" Nicole coughed and spit again. "Something's bad. Salty, bitter..." She wiped her mouth, grabbed her wine and swished it then choked again and ran for the kitchen. She called back, "Ugh, it's coating my mouth."

  Amber crunched the last taco. "Mm, even better."

  Mom reddened, furious. "How did I raise three good children and one who's crazy?"

  "Mom." Darcy gestured to lower her voice. "She's in therapy."

  "Right. Because she's crazy." His mom pointed at Amber. "Look. If I poisoned those avocados, then why did Amber eat them?"

  Nicole stopped in the doorway. "You poisoned my avocados?"

  "Don't be a drama queen. If you want to skip dinner, go."

  "I'm not trying to skip. You ruined my favorite meal."

  "Ruined! Nicole. Go to your room."

  Jackie looked up from her phone for the third time that evening. "My tacos taste fine."

  "You don't have any avocados. Which Mom just admitted to poisoning."

  "I admitted nothing."

  "You said it was the avocados, which apparently you only gave to Amber."

  "And she liked them, so you're the only one disturbing our nice family meal."

  Nicole looked between her siblings and crossed her arms. "You don't believe me. Darcy? Not even you?"

  "I believe you tasted something you didn't like," he said neutrally. Was Amber ever going to enjoy a nice family dinner, or was every single meal going off the rails? "Amber's eating it just fine."

  "She's not human." Nicole jerked her palm at her plate. "Taste that avocado."

  Amber crunched the last bits in her mouth. "It tastes fine."

  Nicole's gaze stabbed him. "On my plate, Darcy."

  "I don't want to eat off your plate."

  "Nicole." Their mother pointed to the stairs. "You're acting like a child."

  "Why, Mom? Why? Because I swear you just tried to poison one of our guests and because no one else believes me and—"

  "No, because you are out of control—"

  Darcy folded his napkin, leaned over and forked a pale green avocado slice just to keep the peace. "Nicole, Mom, look."

  They broke off mid-argument.

  He stuffed the avocado slice into his mouth and chewed.

  Bitter salt shot up his nose and burned his sinuses. He spat the avocado into his hand. "Holy—What—?"

  Nicole bounced on the balls of her feet. "You see? It's not just me."

  His throat closed and coughs erupted. Tears poured from his eyes.

  He stared at his mom through wavy moisture. "You...?"

  Mom looked back with blank shock. Not denial, not surprise, not remorse. Her eyes narrowed as though she were thinking of a response.

  "What is it?" Nicole offered Darcy her untouched water. He swallowed it, gagging. "I think salt, or maybe baking powder."

  Jackie hurried over, forked a slice, and touched her tongue to the tip. "Mmm. Baking soda."

  "Baking soda?"

  She nodded and dropped the slice. "I added too much to a cake once. Bitter, nasty, salty. I'll never forget it."

  Amber washed down her plate with a full glass of wine.

  Nicole whirled to her. "How did you eat that?"

  "You said your mother is an excellent chef."

  "Normally she is."

  "I assumed this inedible chalk was a normal human flavor."

  "Inedible chalk!" Mom cried.

  "But how did you choke it down?" Nicole asked. "Three tacos worth. Can you literally eat anything?"

  "Before voyaging to Earth, I tested my endurance. During the Great Starvation of the Empire, the only dragons who survived ate rocks. I tried them myself."

  "You survived on rocks?" Nicole repeated flatly.

  "In case we became stranded on the way to Earth and no one could find us, I brought a stash to stave off cannibalism."

  Sober silence permeated the table.

  "Now there is so much daily traffic getting stranded is no concern. But I trained myself just in case."

  "Cannibalism at my dinner table." Mom huffed. "Darcy, I told you there was something wrong with her. I can't support your relationship."

  Slow hot anger burned into his brain. It tasted bitter. "You said that you would try."

  "But Darcy, she's not even human."

  "She's the dragon I'm going to marry!" He shook his head at her betrayal. "Did our conversation this afternoon mean nothing?"

  "Darcy."

  "I told you how important she is to me and you tried to poison her?"

  "It wasn't poison. A little baking soda fell in while I was arranging the plate. I tried to salvage it and..."

  "And fed it to Amber instead of trashing it because you wanted to hurt her," Nicole supplied.

  The tr
uth wormed into his chest like a hot poker.

  "She's fine," Mom dismissed, laughing awkwardly. "You heard her. She eats rocks."

  He stood, the anger making him shaky, and tossed his napkin. "Amber. We're leaving."

  Amber folded her napkin. "Why?"

  "Oh, come on." Mom tossed her napkin down, matching him. "It was just a little prank. You're making a mountain out of a molehill."

  "Yeah, like when she 'pranked' Michael by sending him to the hospital on Christmas," Nicole snorted.

  Jackie frowned. "What are you talking about?"

  "Nicole," Mom said with a warning.

  Darcy urged Amber to her feet. "We're not a family that 'pranks' each other."

  Amber resisted. "Darcy, it's okay. Gayle is making me prove my dedication to you."

  "I don't want anyone to make you prove anything."

  "But she—"

  "I care what anyone else wants. Only what you and I want."

  Amber rose reluctantly. "But I want a good relationship with your mother."

  "Me too." He glared at his mom. "I wonder what she wants."

  Mom rubbed her temple. "Darcy, I can explain."

  "Nicole, I want you to explain." Jackie glared about the snide comment. "No one knows what triggered Michael's allergy."

  "Come on," Nicole urged Jackie. "Your ex-husband—"

  "He's not an ex."

  "Michael takes one bite of apple pie and his throat swells. You dive for the EpiPen, Dad drives a million miles an hour, and you spend the next ten hours at the ER. How can anyone be confused about what caused his allergic reaction?"

  "But there was nothing in the pie."

  "You could see the cinnamon! And in the outside trash, you could see the box."

  Jackie whipped to her mom. "You said everything was hand-made."

  "Honey—"

  "Did you lie to me?"

  Her mother bit her lip.

  "Mom?"

  "I didn't want to confess, but that year we were running low on time and I had to pick up the pies. I took away the box so you wouldn't know."

  "So she couldn't read the ingredients, you mean," Nicole accused, arms crossed.

  Their mom focused only on Jackie. "It was an accident. I'm so sorry. I didn't think his allergy was that serious."

  Jackie dropped her head into her hand. "I'm an idiot."