Page 4

L ily

I woke with new aches and pains, thanks to the hard table. The cold clinical surroundings sent a shiver down my spine. Confusion and a growing unease gripped me as I tried to piece together how I had ended up here, my memory a hazy fog. The stark, white walls closed in, and a sense of vulnerability settled over me. I’d been having the strangest dream. A wolf-like beast with glowing red eyes. The image instilled fear in me. I started to sit up, but the big, warm hand closing around my forearm prevented me. Kai. He sat next to the table, visible tension creasing his brows. He absently fiddled with a small object in his hand, his fingers moving restlessly. I cleared my throat and Kai’s head shot up. His smile sent all my erogenous zones into a tizzy. Oh, boy. I’d have to be very careful with that devastatingly sexy grin.

“You were out for three hours,” he explained softly, tucking the object into his pocket. “Feel better?”

“The headache isn’t so bad, but I’m sore everywhere else,” I admitted. “A combination of lying on this table and the car accident, I suppose.”

Kai helped me sit up, then asked, “You hungry?” Right on cue, my stomach chose to embarrass me with an obnoxious growl. Kai chuckled. “I think that’s a yes.”

My cheeks heated. “I am, but I feel like I’ve put you out long enough. I can be on my way if you’ll let me borrow a phone.”

His smile disappeared and his brows drew together. “Do you have someplace to go?”

Family? Definitely not. A friend or two, but they were back in Walnut Ridge. And I’d promised myself I wouldn’t go back. I let out a heavy sigh. “No, but I could get a hotel or something. Until I figure out what to do about my van.”

He reached up and touched a lock of my hair before saying, “There is no need to spend money on a hotel room when you can stay here. I have a guest room.”

Jeez, he’s offering his home to me? “Seriously, why do you even care? I’m a stranger. You know nothing about me. And I don’t know a thing about you.”

His head tilted to the side. “You can’t guess?”

My heartbeat sped up at his seductive tone. It awakened all sorts of images inside my head. “I don’t—”

The door swung open, putting a stop to my blundering. Creeg walked in and grinned when he saw me. “You’re up.”

Kai didn’t take his gaze off me. Didn’t even acknowledge his brother at all. I attempted to ignore the heat arcing between us and focused on Creeg instead. “I was just telling Kai that I need to use a phone.”

Creeg’s smile fell as he glanced at Kai. “Yeah?”

“I told her she could stay with us.”

Creeg nodded as he lifted my wrist and checked my pulse. After a minute he said, “A little fast, but steady.” He placed a palm on the back of my head and tilted it until he could stare into my eyes. “Any blurred vision? Headache?”

“None. I’m feeling much better.”

“She’s hungry,” Kai said as he got to his feet. “She can eat with us.”

“Of course. You’re in luck, it’s Miggs’ turn to cook. He made pot roast.”

“I haven’t agreed to stay with you.” I glared at Kai. “You’re a little pushy, do you know that?”

“Yes, but it’s a good plan. You can rest here while your van is being fixed. A friend of ours has a shop in town. He’ll give you a good deal.”

“Did you ignore the part about how I don’t know you? You’ve been very kind, but I’d be stupid to take you up on your offer.”

“Why? We already established that you’re safe here,” Kai ground out.

Creeg cleared his throat. “I believe she feels awkward about staying with six strange men, Kai.”

I waved a hand toward Creeg. “Finally, someone more reasonable.”

Kai ran a hand through his hair, mussing it beyond hope and somehow making it look even sexier. “I understand your concerns,” he acknowledged. “I do. But we are an honorable family. My brothers wouldn’t hurt you.”

I could see I’d somehow injured his pride. It was clear in the way he took a step back, his spine stiffening. Why did I even care? I didn’t know him and yet it bothered me that I’d doubted him. If I were thinking logically, then Kai did have a point. He’d taken me in. His brother had stitched me up. They’d watched over me while I’d slept. Not once had I felt as if I were in danger. Did I dare trust him?

On impulse, I said, “How about we start with dinner and see how things go?”

Kai’s eyes widened, clearly taken off guard. “You trust me?”

Did I? “You had lots of chances to do all sorts of evil things to me and yet you didn’t,” I stated, keeping it vague. As I started to get down from the table, Kai closed the distance and put an arm around my back, helping me. Once I was on my feet, I looked at the pair and asked, “So, do I get a tour of this place, or what?”

Kai’s eyes warmed and his lips tilted up into a sideways grin. God, that was hot. “I look forward to showing you our home, Lily.”

Creeg pointed toward the door. “I’m going to let Miggs know to set another plate.”

After he left, I glanced down at my disheveled clothing and grimaced. “I must look like the walking dead. I need a shower and a fresh outfit. My suitcase is in my van though.”

He cleared his throat. “I took the liberty of bringing it in for you.”

Exasperated with the man, I sighed. “It’s in the guest room, isn’t it?”

He had the intelligence to look apologetic at least. “I was hopeful,” he murmured as he stroked his index finger down my cheek, distracting me beyond reason. “You are very pretty. And I would like to spend more time with you. Are you angry?”

Out of self-preservation, I reached up and gripped his hand. That small connection between us intensified and I had to concentrate on my words to keep from stuttering. “I should be. I should leave right now.”

Kai turned his hand over and entwined our fingers. As if he had the right. “But?”

My breathing increased and tendrils of heat unfurled inside me. “I’ve never done anything even remotely impulsive or adventurous. My entire life has been spent in Walnut Ridge. I’ve never ventured outside my safe little world.” I smiled at him. “I like the idea of being spontaneous.”

He winked and tugged me closer. The nearness, his manly scent, it all overwhelmed my senses. “I will make you glad you chose me to be spontaneous with.”

I believed him. Kai was sweet and kind, but there was a wildness to him, too. An untamed part of him that lay just out of my reach. What would it be like to watch him lose control? Maybe I was biting off more than I could handle, but for once I wanted to take the leap. Damn the consequences.

Kai escorted me out of the clinic and into a large foyer. I noticed three closed doors. “Where do those lead?”

He pointed to the one on the left. “That’s Wyatt’s office.” He nodded toward the middle door. “That’s Creeg’s bedroom. He prefers to be close to the clinic in case of emergencies.”

That made sense, I supposed. Pointing to the third door, I asked, “And that?”

“Is where we’re headed,” he explained, taking me there. He pulled it open to reveal a staircase on the other side. Kai smiled. “This leads to the main floor.”

I scanned the area, seeing it differently now. There were no windows and the tan walls were stone. “We’re in a basement?”

He started up the steps, but he didn’t let go of my hand. I was glad. My nerves were rattled, and I wanted to lean on him for strength. “Tell me more about your home,” I urged, curious about him.

“Our house has three levels,” he began. “The main level is the kitchen, living room, and game room. The upper level houses our apartments.”

Surprised, I asked, “Apartments?”

When we reached the main floor, Kai stopped and turned toward me. “We choose to live here together, but we prefer to have our own living spaces.” He gestured toward the large room we’d entered. “The living room.”

Brown leather chairs and a large couch were situated around an entertainment cabinet and bookshelves. A wet bar in the far right corner held delicate crystal glasses and several bottles of alcohol. The dark, wide-plank flooring looked expensive. Most of all though, the room appeared lived-in. As if Kai and his brothers spent countless hours together. What would it be like to be a part of a close-knit family like the Ravenbriars? I had no experience with that sort of life. I roamed around the room and noticed several framed photos on shelves in the entertainment cabinet. A few I recognized of Kai and Creeg. Then I saw one with three men standing together, laughing at something. All had dark hair and similar facial features to Kai, but they appeared younger. I picked up the picture and showed it to him. “Are these your other brothers?”

Kai closed the distance and took the picture from me. “Miggs and Trakker. That’s Cage in the middle. We were celebrating Cage’s birthday.” He replaced the photo on the shelf. “If I remember right, Cage had a few too many drinks and woke up with a nasty hangover.”

“You all look so much alike,” I replied, staring at his mouth. “Except for the chipped tooth.”

“Got it in a fight with Wyatt when we were younger.” He shrugged. “Anyway, the house is more of a compound. The clinic, the common area, and our personal quarters.”

Strange that anyone would choose to live like that. “But why not have your own homes?”

His brows drew together. “That’s a discussion for another time. Allow me to show you to your room.”

He was keeping something from me, I could feel it. I let the subject drop for now, but no way was I letting Kai off the hook entirely. As we headed for another set of stairs, I couldn’t help but watch Kai move. His jeans molded to his backside. And he had one fine butt. Firm and squeezable. As we reached upstairs, Kai gestured to a door to our right. “That’s your room,” he said, turning the knob and allowing me to precede him.

I flipped a switch on the wall to my left and stared around the room. A king-sized canopy-style bed with a fluffy white comforter in the center. A six-drawer dresser and mirror on the opposite wall had my suitcase sitting on top. I quirked a brow at Kai. “I can’t believe you brought that in without asking me.”

His cheeks reddened and he tucked his hands in the front pockets of his jeans. “Yeah, sorry about that.”

I snorted. “Uh-huh,” I crossed the room and pointed to a closed door. “Bathroom?”

He gave me a brisk nod. “Would you like to freshen up?”

“I’d love a hot shower.” I groaned. “I feel gross.”

“Come downstairs whenever you’re ready. The kitchen is to the right.” He headed for the door, then stopped and peered over his shoulder at me. “I’m glad you chose to stay, Lily.”

I bit my lower lip to keep from blurting out how terrified I was that I’d made a colossal mistake in trusting him. He lingered a few more seconds, then left, closing the door behind him. “What the hell am I doing?”

****

K ai

I stared at the closed door, wishing I had the right to open it and help Lily bathe. I’d take my time about it, too. Wash every pretty inch of her curvy body, then I’d make love to her. All night long. To hell with dinner. I’d rather feast on Lily. But she was human and needed time to accept me as her mate. She would get there; I would see to it. For now, I’d work on slowly removing the barrier separating her from my world.

“You have a mate?”

The question jarred me out of my musings. Cage watched me with the annoying curiosity of a younger brother. I stepped closer to him and ordered, “She’s human and doesn’t know about our kind. Take care that you don’t slip up until I have time to explain.”

Cage’s eyes widened. “And Wyatt has approved this?”

“He has.”

The sound of running water had us both staring at the closed door. I caught Cage sniffing the air and I punched the dumbass on the shoulder, hard.

Cage stumbled a few feet, then glared. “What the hell was that for?”

“Don’t act innocent. You were sniffing her.”

“She smells—”

My fist shot out, connecting with a satisfying crack to Cage’s jaw. “Mine. Keep your damn nose to yourself.”

Cage cursed and rubbed his chin. “Shit, chill. What’s gotten into you?”

I took a deep breath and let it out. If I was going to make it work with Lily, then I needed to learn a little fucking patience. Especially with my youngest sibling. Pain in the ass or not. “You’ll understand one day, but for now, you’ll remember that Lily is not to be touched or sniffed by anyone other than me. Got it?”

He held up both hands in surrender. “Okay, whatever,” he muttered before stomping off.

I waited until Cage was out of sight before lifting my head and inhaling. Fuck, she smelled delicious. It didn’t matter that Lily’s door was closed, her scent still lured me. My body hardened. I’d need to take her soon or risk losing control and hurting her. Damn, mating a human was not going to be a walk in the park.

I forced one foot in front of the other, taking the stairs. I reached the kitchen and found Miggs stirring something on the stove while Creeg got out soup bowls.

Creeg saw me and smiled. “Lily settling in okay?”

“Yes. She’ll be down after she showers.”

Creeg grinned. “Wish you were there, huh?”

“You have no idea,” I admitted, heading for the fridge and grabbing a bottle of water. After drinking half in a few swigs, hoping it’d cool me down, I leaned against the counter and waited for Lily.

“So, our guest is a human,” Miggs stated, moving to the table and placing a giant white serving dish filled with roast beef and potatoes in the center. When my brother lifted his head, our gazes collided.

I pushed away from the counter and glared at him. “You have a problem with that?”

Miggs didn’t have the good sense to back off. “She shouldn’t even be here.”

“Bullshit.” I closed the distance in two strides, facing off against my normally good-natured sibling. “You will treat her with respect or you will answer to me.”

Miggs moved back to the stove. “How the hell are you going to explain when you shift? Got that all figured out, do you?”

Yeah, that had me worried, too. “It’s not your concern.”

Miggs spooned green beans into a bowl. “It’s not just your life you risk, Kai,” he muttered.

“Did you forget my position? I’m the enforcer. The safety of this family is always my top priority.”

He shot me a glare. “No, now that you have a mate, your top priority is her . We just took second place.”

I started to argue, but another voice intruded on our discussion. “Kai and I have discussed the situation already,” Wyatt warned, his voice quiet and even. “Unless you wish to challenge me, shut the fuck up.”

Miggs stood his ground, watching Wyatt, calculating his odds. Finally, he offered their alpha a jerky nod. “Sorry.”

Cage and Trakker strode into the room, then stopped and looked at Wyatt. Trakker cleared his throat. “Uh, what’s going on?”

Wyatt turned and motioned to all of us at once. “I’ll say this once. Kai’s found his mate. She’s human. He has my permission to keep her at the compound. If any of you have a problem, speak up now.”

Trakker’s eyes widened. “The little redhead you brought in earlier?”

I crossed my arms over my chest. “She’s mine.”

“Damn, congrats. She’s cute.”

Ah, hell. “Yeah, see, that shit needs to stop. I’m already on edge. If you all want to keep your balls, then I suggest you put some fucking distance between yourself and Lily.”

Trakker whistled low as he pulled out a chair at the table and sat. “That bad, huh?”

I wasn’t sure how to explain the out-of-control mating hormones running amok. Thankfully, Wyatt took pity on me. “Look,” my oldest brother growled, “Kai is going to be a total dick to live with until he makes the exchange. Heed his warning. His Yucilon instincts won’t care that you’re family. He’ll go for the throat if you touch a single hair on her head.”

Miggs grumbled under his breath, then asked, “And you know this how?”

Wyatt’s attention strayed toward me. “I’ve seen it happen,” he muttered. “And I won’t step in. Mates are off-limits. Keep your junk in your pants, boys.”

Everyone in the room agreed. Miggs was the last to nod. I would need to watch him closely—I had a feeling he’d cause trouble for Lily. A sound caught our attention, and everyone turned to see Lily striding through the door. She wore a fresh pair of jeans, tight with little tears at the knees, a black blouse with pearl buttons down the middle tucked into the waistband, and she was barefoot. Her toenails were painted bright red. Damn, that’s adorable. Her hair was damp and hung down around her shoulders. Her pretty face free of makeup showed off the freckles sprinkled across the bridge of her nose.

I crossed the room and took her hand, then leaned close and whispered, “You are beautiful, Lily.”

She smiled up at me, then whispered right back, “Everyone is staring.”

I chuckled. “Because they also think you’re beautiful.” I pointed toward my brothers. “You already met Creeg and Wyatt.”

Lily shuffled a little closer to me. “Hi, again.”

Creeg grinned. “You are feeling better?”

She ran a hand through her hair. “So much better. Thank you again.”

I began introductions. “Trakker is the big brute with the shaggy black hair in desperate need of a trim, sitting at the table and staring at you as if he’s never seen a woman before. He’s a year younger than Wyatt.”

She chuckled. “It’s nice to meet you, Trakker.”

Trakker tipped his head upward a second. I could see arousal flare to life as my brother sniffed the air. “Welcome to our home, Lily.”

I moved on to Cage. “And Cage, the softer, younger version of me with the brown hair that he thinks looks cool hanging in his eyes, but it actually just makes him look homeless.”

“What Kai meant to say is that I’m the best-looking of the bunch.” The idiot winked at Lily. “It’s the eyes. They tell me the blue is mesmerizing.”

Lily quirked a brow at him. “The crazy sibling. I suppose every family has one.”

Everyone laughed, except Miggs. The way he watched Lily, as if she were prey ... it pissed me off.

Lily nudged me in the ribs. When I peered down at her, she said, “You missed one.”

Standing apart from the others, Miggs possessed a distinct aura of trouble. His closely cropped black hair and stocky build gave him the look of a battle-hardened marine, lending an air of both strength and readiness.

Before I could answer, Miggs stepped forward and replied. “Miggs,” he said, a slow smile lifting his lips. “Your cook this evening.”

Lily sniffed the air. “Well, Miggs, I’m honored. It smells amazing.”

He tilted his head, then his gaze landed on me. “Yeah, it does.”

A growl started in my chest at hearing Miggs taunt. My teeth elongated and I stepped forward. I’d damn well warned Miggs. Wyatt had warned him. Enough. Just before I could leap at my mouthy brother, Wyatt stepped in my path. “I got this,” he growled low. “Cool it.”

I closed my eyes tight and willed my mind to calm. It took several seconds, then I felt Lily squeeze my hand. I stared down at her. She watched me with concern. I offered her a smile of reassurance, then said, “Let’s eat.”

Wyatt crossed the room until he was standing in front of Miggs. He whispered something into his ear, then the pair left the kitchen. When I saw Lily’s confusion, I shrugged. “They’ll be along in a minute.”

Everyone went to the table and sat. I put Lily between myself and Creeg. She talked with him about her concussion and the stitches, until soon everyone was asking Lily about the accident. The conversation strayed to her life in Walnut Ridge. I watched the door, waiting for Wyatt and Miggs to return. Wyatt would straighten our brother out, but I still wondered just how big a problem Miggs would be. When Lily caught my attention, I stared down at her. Those pretty blue eyes caught me, and I knew I’d do whatever necessary to keep her with me. Miggs had one thing right at least: Lily, my mate, had just taken the top spot in my life. As it should be.