Page 12 of Into the Dawn (The Arcadians #4)

The vehicle pulled to a stop in front of the residence, parking in the center of the paved area.

The female who hopped out didn’t notice him crouched off to the side of the building.

She was a young female with long brown hair she had pulled back into a tail.

Her blue pants were cuffed mid-calf, and she was wearing an oversized pink tunic with the sleeves rolled up and buttons running down the front.

Humming a pleasant tune, she slammed her door shut and rounded the vehicle to open the door on the other side.

When she pulled out a pot of something that smelled delicious, Ronan suddenly felt ravenous.

Although she seemed more friend than foe, Ronan decided it was best to show himself before she approached the house.

Even if she was a friend, they would not allow her to be close to their mate while she was healing until they were sure she posed no threat.

“Kylie, sweetie! Are you awake? I’m back from my trip and I brought you some—oh, holy Thor!

” the female gasped as she held the pot she was carrying up like it was a shield.

Her eyes went wide with shock as she looked him over from head to toe.

“My, what a big sword you have. Honey, is that thing real? I swear I come in peace. Actually, I come bearing gifts of delicious food, so it would really suck if you decided to stab me before you try it.”

Amused by her rambling response, he gave her credit for not just dropping everything and running away.

Since he could easily overpower her with his bare hands, he slid his sword back into its scabbard.

Her shocked reaction to his sword made it clear that the people of Earth didn’t normally carry those types of weapons around, which was something to keep in mind for future interactions with other humans.

Up close, he could see she was a pretty female around Kylie’s age, with delicate features and pale blue eyes.

But she still couldn’t compare to their mate’s beauty.

Ronan recognized her from several of the framed images inside of Kylie’s home, confirming they knew one another.

Still, he really wished she hadn’t chosen to stop by for a visit.

“This is exactly what the god cautioned us about,” Dominic growled in warning.

Ignoring his brother’s censure, Ronan focused on the female and said, “Aye, the sword is real.”

“Oh, an accent. How lovely.” Her eyes suddenly narrowed. “Please tell me you are here to convince Kylie to run away with you so she can live out the rest of her days in peace and happiness.”

He blinked in surprise.

Well, that had certainly been direct.

Deciding to be just as blunt, he nodded. “Aye, that is exactly what I am here to do.”

“Fucking hellfire, brother.” Dominic groaned long and loud through their bond. “What happened to blending in and not telling people about why we are here?”

“She has already seen me. What else am I supposed to say?”

“Not that,” his brother retorted dryly. “Can you get rid of her?”

“Is that necessary?” Ronan asked. “I do not think she poses that kind of threat. She obviously cares for our mate. I would not like to have to tell Kylie that we buried her friend in her garden.”

Dominic snorted out a laugh. “I did not mean kill her, you murderous psychopath. Just…send her home or something.”

“How in hellfire am I supposed to do that? And what good would that do? She would just return, probably with reinforcements.”

Unaware of the other conversation going on, the female beamed a smile at him. “Really? That’s great! I’m so glad to hear it. Although we don’t share blood, Kylie is like a sister to me. You understand?”

“Aye, I do.”

“Good. Now take this pot. Careful, it’s still warm, so hold on to the handles.”

Not having much choice since she literally shoved the damn thing at him, he accepted it.

Whatever was inside smelled like glory, and he felt his stomach rumble in response to the tantalizing scent.

Since he didn’t think it was warm, he ended up balancing the pot on one large hand.

Besides, he wanted to keep his other hand free, just in case.

“What is this?”

“I made Beef Bourguignon and a loaf of fresh bread. It just finished cooking, so I was going to put it in separate containers to freeze once I got here. But you look like you could eat the whole dang pot. That’s okay, though.

I’m sure you would appreciate a home-cooked meal, right?

Take that inside, and I’ll grab the bread and the rest of the stuff I brought over for Kylie.

Be careful, that pot is kind of heavy.” She snorted out a laugh.

“What am I talking about? Your arms are like torpedoes. I’m sure you can handle it. ”

He wasn’t sure what a torpedo was, but it didn’t sound like an insult so he let it pass. Before he could move, she surprised him by grabbing his free arm. The female had no fear of him, which seemed very odd considering he was a stranger who literally towered over her.

“How is she doing today?” she whispered.

“She is resting.”

He blinked in surprise when she slapped his arm and scowled up at him. He wasn’t quite sure if he was impressed by her bravery or appalled by her sheer audacity. He could literally crush her skull with one hand. Didn’t the female have any sense of self-preservation?

“There you go thinking about murder again. What is it about this planet that has made you so bloodthirsty?”

“Shut up. Did she really just strike me?”

“Perhaps she has some mental issues that we should be concerned about,” Dominic suggested, sounding more amused than concerned. “You should ask her.”

“Get out here and ask her yourself, fool.”

All he heard was his brother’s snort of laughter in response.

“Wow, you really are solid muscle.” The female squeezed his bicep. “Hmm, nice. Kylie is a lucky girl.”

Ronan was struck speechless.

Were all females on Earth this brazen?

“What I meant before was how is her appetite? Did she sleep through the night, or has she just been dozing on and off? I haven’t been around for a few days since I had to go out of town, but I wanted to drop by as soon as I got back to make sure she’s been doing okay.

She’s so stubborn when it comes to accepting help.

It makes me feel better knowing you’ve been here taking care of her.

I know my mama dropped by a few days ago to check on her.

Did you meet my mama? Of course, not. She definitely would have said something if she had gotten a load of you. ”

Ronan was about to respond but stopped himself when she started speaking again. Apparently, none of her questions actually required answers.

“By the way, I’m Layla Ross, Kylie’s best friend and next-door neighbor.

Well, it’s not exactly next door since our houses are so dang far away, but our properties are right next to one another.

My mama, Abby, is Kylie’s manager. Has been since she started singing.

Mama also worked with Kylie’s parents before, well, you know.

Oh, and my daddy produces all of Kylie’s music.

” She barely paused for a breath before she added, “And you are?”

“He is Ronan, and I am his better looking brother, Dominic.”

Ronan shot his brother a look where he was leaning against one of the columns on the porch. He had known Dom was there, but of course his brother wanted to make an entrance by saying something outlandish. Since their faces were identical, his claim was utter nonsense.

“Oh my, twins!” Layla gasped, clapping her hands together in delight. “This is certainly unexpected. Then again, with all of those reverse harem books she’s been reading, maybe it’s not so surprising.”

Ronan shared a confused look with his brother before saying, “Reverse harem?”

“You know, stories about one woman who falls in love with multiple men and they all live happily ever after together? It’s a really popular theme in the romance genre.” She paused to glance between them. “Or is she just dating one of you?”

“Nay, it is both of us,” Dominic confirmed.

When Ronan shot him a look, his brother shrugged.

“What? You can tell the strange female we are absconding with our mate, but I cannot say we are both courting her?”

Since he had a point, Ronan didn’t bother responding.

Taking mental note of the reverse harem concept, he was pleased at the thought that Kylie might willingly accept them without getting upset over having two mates.

Of course, that didn’t reduce the need for them to put forth an effort to court her properly.

She deserved to be showered with praise and lavished with attention.

They would prove to her exactly how much she meant to them, and they would do their very best to ensure that she never regretted the decision to leave her home world.

Dominic moved down the front steps and came to a stop next to his brother as the female opened the back hatch of the vehicle.

Once he saw there was no threat inside, he slid the small knife he’d palmed back into his vest. He had removed his sword before stepping outside, but he’d left his knives on him.

His curiosity had drawn him outside, but he’d made sure to check the perimeter first to ensure no one else was attempting to approach the property without their knowledge.

He could never be too careful when it came to their mate’s safety, but there was no point in scaring the female.

He enjoyed the female’s sass and could see she had brought a lot of gifts for his mate.

That made him like her even more.

The visiting female’s unconcerned attitude about their presence was highly unusual, and her sheer delight at discovering they were twins who were there to take her friend away was even more puzzling.

“Is this normal human behavior?” Dominic asked through their bond.

“I do not think so,” Ronan said, sounding just as perplexed.