Niko caught the punch in his hand. “Viktor wants you in the dining room in ten minutes.”
“There’s a body in your pool,” I said, my thoughts distracted by the lady in the water.
“That’s just Gem.” He turned away and kept a steady stride, acting as if nothing had just happened with my attempting to knock his lights out.
“Should I bring my bag?” I called out, wondering if my training sessions had been less than impressive.
I briefly returned to my bedroom to grab my sneakers. Walking around barefoot was a simple pleasure I hadn’t indulged in for some time, and while it was a rare treat at first, the smooth stone floors held too much of a chill for my liking.
I reached the dining room, which was illuminated by the candles on the table and the round chandelier reflecting off the crystal glasses and bathing the walls in gold.
All eyes fell on me, and Viktor rose from his seat.
“Come in, Raven. Join us.”
A breeze blew past me when a young woman in a kimono robe jogged by, a white towel wrapped around her head. “Sorry I’m late.” She took a seat on the left side of the table next to the Chitah.
I claimed the only vacant chair on the right, next to Niko. No one sat at the left head of the table, and I sure wasn’t going to be the first. But sitting across from a Chitah was making me uncomfortable. I didn’t know these guys from Adam and was having second thoughts already.
I assessed the silverware on the table in case this conversation turned south.
“I have two rules in this house,” Viktor began.
The girl with the towel on her head covered her grin, nudging the Chitah with her elbow as if sharing an inside joke. I had a feeling there were more rules than just two.
“The first rule is that we protect one another. Never turn your back on a brother or sister. You don’t have to love these headstrong people. Piss in their coffee if you so choose; I am not your father and will not mediate fights. But when it comes to life and death, you’re going to swallow that pride and protect their lives with your own. That also includes revealing our gifts or sharing information outside the house. By doing so, you put their lives in jeopardy.”
I leaned forward so I could see him better.
Viktor plucked a red grape from a wooden bowl and popped it into his mouth. “The second rule is that we eat at the table. I’m a Shifter, and that’s part of my culture. You might find it arbitrary, but there’s a purpose behind it. It brings people closer together,” he said, lacing his fingers. “It becomes easier to get over grudges when you break bread with that person, and it allows us to see each other as family and not just people passing by in the hall. There will be no eating meals in your room, in the hall, or outside. Fill up at the table, because that’s all you get. We must stay united as a group. If your differences are so great that you cannot sit down at a table across from that person, then you have no place here.”
“So if I have a date and want to go out to dinner, you all have to come?”
Niko barked out a laugh. It had a warm cadence to it that was genuine and friendly. It could make even the stoniest man smile.
“Tell her about the third rule,” someone said with a snort.
Viktor plucked another grape from the plate and rolled it between his fingers. “What you do on your own time is your business, but you will still join us at mealtime when you are in this house. Even if he fattens you up on beef stroganoff and drops you off early, you’ll sit at the table and be social.”
“So that’s it? I’m in?”
He bit the end of the grape. “This is a trial period. You meet all the requirements, but I need to test your loyalty and work ethic.”
The woman to the right of the Chitah removed her towel and fluffed the ends of her wavy violet hair, which fell just past her shoulders and was parted off center. It wasn’t a deep violet but a lovely, pale shade like raw amethyst.
Viktor gave her a scolding glance, and she blushed.
“Sorry, Viktor. I thought we already had dinner, so I was winding down before bedtime.”
My brows arched as I looked at the food on the table. “How many times do you guys eat?”
The Chitah boomed with laughter. “If twice a night is a new tradition, let’s keep her.”
His curls of dark-blond hair covered his ears and nape of his neck. Gorgeous hair. It seemed to conflict with his brutish physique. He was tall, nicely built, and had a V-shaped torso with broad shoulders. Easy to see since he was wearing a white tank top. With all that he had going on, it was actually his mouth that stole the show. It had a perfect Cupid’s bow and somehow softened his fierce features.
Viktor stood up and pointed at the Chitah. “Let us introduce ourselves. The Chitah across from you is Claude Valentine. He also runs a salon that caters to some of the most elite clients, who of course like to confide in their hairdresser.”