Page 102 of Viper’s Reign

As Dimitri places his hand on the small of my back and leads me toward her, the door opens wider and two more women peek out. I recognize them both—his sister and sister-in-law.

I gulp and shift my attention back to his mother.

Her face lights up as we draw closer, and both her hands come up to cup my cheeks. “I finally get to meet you,” she says, and with so much enthusiasm I know she must have no idea I tried to kill her son.

“I wanted to meet you at Vanya’s wedding, but Dima wanted to keep you all to himself.” Her hands drop to my shoulders before she pulls me into a warm hug. “Welcome.”

I hesitate, then sink into her warmth, my eyes drifting shut. It feels so comforting—maternal. My eyes fill, and I squeeze them tighter, refusing to cry, hyperaware that his sister and sister-in-law are watching me.

“Mom, this is Grace,” Dimitri says when she finally pulls back from the hug.

She pats my cheek affectionately. “Lovely to meet you.”

“The pleasure is mine,” I manage, voice thick with emotion.

Next, I’m introduced to his sister, Elmira, who greets me with as much warmth. She must not know what I tried to do either. Guilt bites at my gut as I turn to his sister-in-law. She’s introduced as Melani. Her handshake is polite but formal, her voice cool.

She knows.

My heart sinks, and my smile wavers before I force it back into place.

This is the welcome I deserve.

In fact, I prefer it. That way, I can work hard to redeem myself, and when she finally warms up to me, I won’t have to feel guilty about it. I would hate to be welcomed with warmth only for it to turn cold once the truth comes out.

With a tight throat, I turn to his mother and confess, “I’m so sorry I hurt Dimitri. At the time, I didn’t think I had a choice. It was either him or someone I care for deeply. But I love him now, and I’ll spend the rest of my life making up for it.”

Emotion flickers in her green eyes, and she takes both my hands and gives them a gentle squeeze. “I know. Now come on in. Dinner’s getting cold.”

Mira gives me a small smile as she heads inside with her mom and Melani.

“They know?” I ask Dimitri in disbelief.

“I was unconscious for three days and almost died. What do you think?” His lips twist as he takes my arm. “Mom—no, all of us—have had complicated pasts, so we know that things aren’t always black and white.”

But how could she have been so kind to me after what I did? She hugged me. I blink rapidly, trying to hold back the fresh tears stinging my eyes. The hug means so much more to me now that I know she knew. “Your mom is so sweet.” My voice breaks, and Dimitri glances down at me, concern flashing across his face.

“Hey, are you okay?”

I nod quickly and rub my eyes furiously. “Let’s go have dinner.”

His brothers are cold toward me as we walk into the beautiful house, but I don’t let it get to me. I don’t expect to win their approval overnight. I’m willing to be patient.

But Sonya—his mom insists I call her that, or Mama—and Mira are the sweetest. I offer to help set the table, and they simply make space for me without argument, as though I’m already part of the family.

Dimitri introduced me only as Grace, with no explanation of what we are to each other, so I can’t help wondering what he must have told them to make them so welcoming. On our last trip to the kitchen to collect the remaining dishes, Mira gives my shoulder a gentle squeeze before we carry everything back to the dining room.

As I set the dishes on the table, my attention drifts to the wall of windows overlooking the backyard, where the sun sets into the pool in streaks of gold and orange. The view is breathtaking. I get the feeling that this isn’t the house the Petrov siblings grew up in. I don’t know how I know—I just do.

I’m seated next to Dimitri and across from Mira—thank God friendly faces surround me. I’m determined to earn the others’ trust, but having a little distance from them tonight while I gather my courage is appreciated.

Then we start eating, and my eyes slide shut in delight. “This is so good.” I glance down the table at Sonya, who practically preens under the compliment. I’ve never had anything like this before: beef strips in a creamy mushroom sauce over mashed potatoes. And I wasn’t sure what to expect, but I love it. I scoop up another bite. “What is it?”

“It’s called beef stroganoff. One of Dima’s favorites,” Mira answers, chewing a forkful.

“I can see why.” I grin at him before turning back to Mira, only to pause in surprise at how alike they are. Saying siblings of opposite genders are identical might seem far-fetched, but they really are. The pretty blonde highlights in Mira’s hair aside, they share the same dark hair, same blue-green eyes, same nose and lip shape, and even the way she’s holding her spoon is exactly how Dimitri is holding his.

My smile softens as I scoop up more beef stroganoff.