TIA'S MATE (Shifters of the Bulgarian Bloodline Book 1)

by Dalia Wright

  Jack smiled, “You mean that much to me! I mean it,” he said. “I’ll still be able to visit my family, and I hope you will, too,” he explained. “They don’t live that far away, remember? And they’ll support anything I do, as long as I’m doing it for the right reasons. To me, love is the most important reason. As for school and work, I’m sure I’ll find something I love to do here, too. Being with you is much more important than my job.”

  Martha was stunned. “Really? You’re not just joking? You’ll change your whole life to be with me?”

  Jack held her more closely, “Yes,” he said. “Besides, I like it here. I’ve always wanted to live on a farm. You know I love walking around and enjoying nature. I think I’ll fit in eventually.” He put his hand on the back of Martha’s neck and drew her in, kissing her gently but passionately. “Martha,” he said seriously, dropping down on one knee, “Will you make me the happiest man alive and marry me?”

  Martha smiled, and began to laugh and cry at the same time. “Yes, I will!” she cried, pulling Jack in and kissing him again as he placed a ring on her finger and stood up.

  “You certainly look ready,” Jack said, pointing to her wedding dress.

  “Oh no,” said Martha, suddenly remembering Isaac, her family, friends, and all the wedding guests, who were probably wondering what was going on. “I suppose I have some explaining to do.”

  Chapter 12

  Martha was nervous as she walked away from Jack and back towards the church, where Isaac, their families, and their friends were waiting. She didn’t know exactly what she would say, but from everything that she had been through, she had learned that being honest was the most important thing, no matter how people were going to react to the truth.

  When Martha returned to the church, she found Isaac first and took him outside to explain and apologize. Isaac looked sad, but he said he understood. “If Jack is willing to convert to the Amish faith and join the community, then your baby should grow up with his real father.”

  Martha thanked him for being so understanding. She felt badly, because she knew that Isaac really had loved her. “Isaac,” she said gently, “you are such a kind-hearted man. I always thought so and will always think so. You deserve to be with someone who loves you as much as you love her. And I know you will find her soon. Any woman would be lucky to have you as a husband, and any child would be lucky to have you as a father.”

  “Thanks, Martha,” he said, “that means a lot. Don’t worry about me; you’re right, I know true love is out there for me, too.”

  Martha smiled back at him and gave him a hug before returning inside to explain everything to her family. Isaac was such a graceful man; she knew they would remain friends. She could only hope that her family would be as understanding.

  At first, her parents were skeptical, because they had only known of a couple people to ever convert to the Amish faith. It wasn’t exactly what they’d had in mind for their eldest daughter, especially since they’d been so supportive of her marriage to Isaac. Plus, Martha could sense that they needed time to process that not only was she pregnant before marriage, but she was pregnant with an English man’s baby. But after she told them how much she and Jack loved each other and how he had reacted when he learned he was going to be a father, they agreed to give him a chance.

  Martha’s parents asked the other guests to leave, telling them that the wedding was not going to happen, for reasons more complicated than they could explain at the time. For the next few weeks, Martha and Jack mostly spent time in her home, discussing their plans for their life together and with Jack studying the Amish faith. He had to convert before Martha would be allowed to marry him, so he was motivated to learn as much as he could and have a ceremony welcoming him into the church. He strongly identified with Amish values, and since he was already religious, converting felt natural.

  They enjoyed this quiet time together in Martha’s home; their connection was even stronger than when they had first met because of all they had been through together now. The passion was still there along with deep understanding and respect. Martha felt so glad that she would get to spend every day with Jack for the rest of her life, and she would not have it any other way.

  It was a little difficult going out into the community at first. Martha knew that everyone had been talking about her and Jack, and how her wedding to Isaac had been called off because of Jack. Everyone had figured out that she was pregnant with Jack’s baby, and they were surely doing their fair share of gossiping about her. She had never known anyone else to be pregnant with an English man’s baby and still stay in the community, so it was a big deal and nobody knew quite what to make of it.

  But Jack handled the whole situation with grace, acting with nothing but absolute respect towards everyone in the community. His caring, fun, positive personality seemed to put people at ease, and soon the gossip and rumors seemed to die down, and people began expressing their well-wishes towards Martha’s engagement to Jack.

  Jack learned from Martha’s father how to tend to the animals on their farm, and he fell in love with farm work. He discovered that he had enjoyed being an electrician because he liked working with his hands, and he certainly got to do that taking care of the farm animals. Plus, he loved working outside and felt happier than ever. He visited his family a few weeks after Martha’s original wedding date. Martha came with him to meet them, and was relieved to find that Jack’s family accepted her and fully supported their life together.

  That fall, Jack formally converted to the Amish faith and was welcomed wholeheartedly into the church. Shortly thereafter, he and Martha were married. This time, Martha felt on top of the world on her wedding day. She couldn’t believe how things had all worked out, and that she got to marry the man of her dreams. As she and Jack looked into each other’s eyes, she knew that this was right. She knew she had the support of her family, the community, and Gott, and the most incredible man to make it all happen.

  Chapter 13

  That winter, Martha and Jack’s baby was born. She was a beautiful and healthy baby girl, and they named her Hannah. The new family moved out of Martha’s family home and into their own small house. They felt so happy and complete with their little family and home.

  By then, Jack had grown fully accustomed to the Amish life and he fit right in. He didn’t miss the modern technologies and amenities he grew up with; he also preferred a simpler life, and one where he could be alongside the woman he loved. Although he visited his family every month or so, with Martha and Hannah usually accompanying him, he said he felt more at home in the Amish community now.

  Martha loved her life, and sometimes still marveled at the way it had all unfolded. She couldn’t believe how her one visit into the English country had introduced her to Jack, and how quickly and intensely they had fallen in love. She never could have expected him to want to join her community, and yet here he was, enjoying every minute of it. She couldn’t even imagine what life would have been like if she had married Isaac and never seen Jack again. She knew she certainly would not have been as happy as she was now.

  And luckily, it had all worked out for Isaac too, because he met another woman in their community shortly after and they fell in love. They were soon to be married, and had invited Martha and Jack to the wedding. Martha was happy that she and Isaac were still friends after all that had happened. He had discovered, too, that what he had with Martha was a friendship and didn’t compare to his new love.

  Martha eventually grew slightly more accustomed to the English life from their visits to Jack’s parents’ house, but she was still glad she had stayed in her community. Now that she and Jack were married, her family and friends were supportive, and they had beautiful baby Hannah, their life was peaceful like Martha had always wanted. But it was more than just peaceful. Life was happier than Martha ever could have imagined, and she wouldn’t change a thing.

  Martha and Jack went on to have two more children and grow their own home and farm. T
hey raised their children in the Amish faith, but as they got older they also let them explore the English life and spend more time with their English grandparents. As Martha had, the children all returned to the Amish community where they eventually settled down. Spending her life with Jack, Martha definitely agreed with him that love is the most important value, and following your heart is always the right thing to do.

  The End

  Tempted by the Duke’s Son

  By: Elaine Young

  CHAPTER ONE:

  “You don’t have to do this, child; there are other ways of getting her back.” Olga’s raspy, disapproving voice as she lay dying in her bed rang through Violet’s head again and again like an endless refrain. Violet hated that Olga had drawn her last breath worrying about her future, but her options were very limited. And now with Olga gone, the only person who had ever cared about her was gone. Olga had been her mother’s maid and when her parents died, she had become surrogate father, mother and friend, and had made it very clear that getting married to the old Duke wasn’t the way to solve Violet’s problems, but Violet knew in her heart there was no other way. If she ever wanted to hold her precious love in her arms again, she would have to go through with marrying the Duke of Cheshire, as distasteful as the idea may be.

  An image of the short sixty-three year old Duke with his wrinkled face, beady eyes and saggy cheekbones flashed before her eyes. He may once have been a half decent man, however those days were long gone. So were the youthful dreams of marrying for love. At twenty-five years old Violet knew she was past her prime and considered to be an old maid by most. And the vague hints of a scandalous past, which floated around in high society drawing rooms, did nothing to help her cause, either. The Duke had approached her numerous times in the past with offers of making her his mistress and Violet had rebuffed his repeated advances until, driven with desperation, the Duke had proposed marriage. It had taken Violet less than a moment to agree, her sole condition being that she be allowed to bring Eliza into their lives. To her surprise, the Duke had agreed to the terms and within the blink of an eye she found herself engaged to him and getting ready for a wedding in two months time.

  Despite Olga’s objections and strong disapproval, Violet knew marriage to the Duke was her only option if she ever wanted to get her daughter back and be free from the unwanted advances of men who believed her to have loose morals. It was bittersweet that Olga happened to pass away before she could witness Violet’s wedding. With Olga’s death, Violet was left entirely on her own and the Duke had insisted she move into his country home where his daughters and servants would serve as appropriate chaperones.

  So a week after Olga’s death, Violet packed all her worldly belongings into a handful of trunks and set off for the Duke’s home in his crested carriage. It took a full day of travelling and gave her plenty of time alone with her thoughts. Violet found herself thinking about every significant event in her life: her parents’ sudden death; moving into her aunt’s home; her austere and severe childhood, sheltered away from society; her chance encounter with William, the first man to ever pay her a compliment; his seduction of her and promises to marry her; the end result, Eliza, and William nowhere to be found; the awful, lonely months she had spent in the nunnery, cared for resentfully by disapproving nuns. All these things swirled through her head in an endless cycle as the carriage brought her closer and closer to the new chapter of her life.

  How could one mistake have cost her so much? And how unfair that men could walk away unscathed from a moment of weakness, while women were forced to carry the shame around forever. Not that she saw Eliza as shameful. The darling little baby girl she had held in her arms for a precious few hours before she was snatched away was anything but shameful. Violet had basked in the wonder of holding her child in the early morning hours soon after giving birth, unable to believe such a miracle was possible. She had loved Eliza fiercely from the start and she swore to herself, if and when she got her daughter back, she wouldn’t raise her with the double standards of London society.

  As they approached the Duke’s palatial grounds, Violet saw the outskirts of town in the distance. The Duke had told her there was a nunnery nearby and he had assured her that Eliza had been brought there. Violet hoped she would be able to go see her soon. Her musings were cut short abruptly as the carriage pulled to a stop in front of the house and the driver opened her door. As Violet stepped out she took in a deep breath. Her new life as the Duchesse of Cheshire was about to begin.

  CHAPTER TWO:

  Violet sank into the rose scented bath and sighed, trying to clear her mind of her unpleasant interaction with Lilith and Marcy, the Duke’s twin sixteen-year-old daughters. Their obvious hostility had left her feeling rattled and she had to firmly remind herself that she would soon be mistress of this home. But the trouble was she wasn’t even sure she could blame the daughters. She herself wouldn’t take it kindly if her father had suddenly decided to marry someone younger than herself. As she pictured their angry faces and nasty comments, she wondered for the umpteenth time since arriving at the house that morning if she was making a mistake. Before she could dwell on it any further, she heard the bedroom door swing open: it was the maids who had come to lay out her evening clothes. They obviously thought she was elsewhere because they carried on with their conversation, clearly engrossed in the topic at hand.

  Violet felt like a naughty child caught stealing cookies and she wasn’t sure if she should make her presence known. She was just about to clear her throat and call out to them when she heard them mention the Duke’s son followed by a loud giggle. She gasped silently as the context of their conversation became clear, and decided it would be mortifying to be found eavesdropping.

  The two maids, blissfully unaware that the soon-to-be-stepmother of the man they were discussing was sitting a few feet away hidden behind the Chinese screen, carried on with their frank discussion. Violet didn’t know their names, but she recognized the first voice as the new maid who had been assigned to her earlier that day. She couldn’t have been more than sixteen, seventeen years old at the most. As the meaning of their words sunk in, Violet shrank back against the bathtub, her face flaming with colour. Never before had she heard women discussing sex in such a frank and open manner.

  “Lordy, he’s a fine lookin’ man ain’t he? I heard he’s hung like a horse.” The young girl gushed without a trace of shame, “I wouldna mind warming up his sheets, I don’t mind saying.”

  “Only if you can get Martha to stay away; she’s got her claws in him already and she ain’t the sharing type. He’s a decent man, leaving trinkets and such, but ain’t no gal who can hold his attention for long, and he’s fond of chasing skirts, so if not tonight it will happen before long.”

  “Have you ever…?” the younger maid asked curiously.

  “I’m too fond of ma man to be needing anyone else; a good love ain’t worth playing with,” the older woman replied with a hint of pride in her voice. Violet silently agreed with the wise words, feeling an aching sadness at the thought that she would never have that. But as the two maids carried on their conversation discussing the virility of the Duke’s only son, Violet’s mind wandered from her loveless state to a genuine curiosity about this man she had yet to meet. He sounded like a veritable god if idle gossip could be relied upon, but no doubt the maids were exaggerating. Nobody could be that good-looking or that tempting…could they?

  When she met him at dinner that evening, she realized the maids hadn’t done justice to him at all. Once he finally joined them at the table, a full twenty minutes late. He offered no apologies for his delay and rudely stared at her for a few seconds before saying dryly, “So you’re to be our new stepmother. Good God, father, couldn’t find a cradle to rob?”

  And with that startling introduction, Devon sat down across from them. It was the worst dinner experience Violet had ever sat through; the twins muttered to themselves under their breaths, occasionally shooting hate filled looks
her way, while the Duke fondled her thighs under the table with one clammy hand. Violet sat pecking at her food, refusing to let her eyes stray in Devon’s direction. Twice he had caught her looking at him and had shot her an arrogant, knowing smile, which left her feeling both outraged and aroused. There was no doubt about it; he was the most handsome man she had ever seen and, for whatever reason, he disturbed her enormously and she couldn’t understand why. Violet had never been an overly passionate person by nature. The unfortunate dalliance, which had resulted in Eliza’s birth had been based on foolishness rather than overwhelming desire or passion. If she ever stopped to think about it, Violet would even say she had never properly felt arousal or experienced an orgasm. But here she was almost salivating at the sight of this unpleasant, uncouth man who thought nothing of boldly pinching the buttocks of the maid who was serving their soup. Violet almost choked on her wine when she saw him fondle the pretty girl’s rump and whisper a few suggestive words. His sisters didn’t even blink an eye; Devon’s behaviour was obviously not a surprise. He exchanged a few tense words with his father while ignoring Violet entirely.

  His conversational skills seemed to be reserved only for the twins; it was clear the siblings were very fond of each other and as Violet heard them chatter away about London gossip she felt a sad ache in her heart. Having grown up an only child, she had always felt the absence of brothers and sisters and often wondered what it would have been like to grow up in a noisy home filled with children. Unfortunately, her parents’ early demise in an accident had put an end to any hopes of siblings. The sour-faced spinster aunt who had raised her had no matrimonial inclinations and didn’t enjoy the company of children. As a result, Violet’s entire childhood had been a very stiff, silent one. She had secretly hoped to become friends with the twins, but given their hostility, that didn’t seem like a likely possibility.