by Harper Wylde
“You know you live here, right?” His smile was soft, and I looked at him quizzically.
“Yes?” I answered, but it came out more like a question.
“You can leave your things in the bathroom.” He motioned to the available counterpace. “Or there’s even room under the sink. You don’t have to bring your things back and forth like a visitor.” He tilted his head, studying my reaction.
“I know most of you share this bathroom, and I didn’t want to clutter it with things.” I shrugged and tucked my hair behind my ear with my free hand.
“Your things wouldn’t be clutter. Hell, I think you have fewer than any of the rest of us.” With gentle hands, he reached over and cupped my face, leaning closer. Our breath mingled before he slowly closed the small distance between us and pressed his lips to mine. The sensation of his kiss slowly consumed me as I soaked up his attentions. Separating for a brief moment, he groaned low before meeting my lips once more. I matched each glide of his lips with fervor, giving back as much as he gave. I’d waited so long to kiss Ryder, and feeling his hesitation melt with every kiss lit my heart on fire. He was an excellent kisser, his lips soft and sweet, but if my instinct was correct, this was one of his first kisses. I wasn’t sure how much experience he had prior to those kisses with Hiro a few months ago and the one with me yesterday, and my heart soared at the thought.
I knew the other guys had been with other girls in the past, and while that thought didn’t bother me much—not that I wanted to think about it—I loved the fact that Ryder might have less experience.
When he pulled back, he pressed his forehead to mine and I breathed him in.
“Good night, mikro poulaki.” His thumb skimmed along my cheekbone before he released me and sauntered out of the bathroom, leaving me breathless in his wake. I cupped my hands over my overheated face. I reached for my purple bag before thinking over what Ryder had said, and I quickly blocked my thoughts so I’d have some privacy from the others. Did I really live like a visitor in this house? I loved living here but did it feel like mine? I wasn’t sure it did, but I loved it because this was where the guys lived. It was the nicest place I’d ever stayed.
When I was ready, I slowly walked into the hallway, trying to gather the courage I needed to be bold and go forward with my plans for this evening.
Shaking out my hands, I blew out a breath and walked over to Killian’s door. I strained to listen, trying to gauge if Ciarán had re-joined my bunny while I’d been showering, but all was quiet behind the door.
What if he just wants his peace and quiet? My Phoenix ruffled her feathers at me, letting me know she thought that train of thought was ridiculous. Mate, she pressed into my head, as if that explained everything.
I’m sure even mates want their space every now and then. I knew that mating wouldn’t fundamentally change me as a person, and even I needed space from time to time. I resolved that if Killian didn’t want my company tonight, I would not take it personally. I would simply go back to my room and go to sleep. Squawking in my head, my Phoenix shared her skepticism.
With a deep breath, I let my knuckles rap lightly on the wooden door. “Killian…” I called quietly, holding my breath while I waited for an answer.
I heard a quick scurry behind the door and it was several moments later when Killian pulled the door open, running a hand through his bed mussed hair to tame the short locks back into order.
“Hi.” He sounded surprised to see me. It was rare for me to be in one of their rooms. I knew they didn’t want to push me, realizing that I might be uncomfortable in their private, personal space. Yet, now that I knew the guys so well, that had all changed for me. I missed them when they weren’t around, and I craved being near them. I was already falling hard for all of them.
“Hi.” I said back, wanting to fidget as I stood awkwardly in the hallway. “I think I promised you time tonight when I got home, but with dinner, hanging out with everyone, and with Ciarán in town, we haven’t had any time together. So I thought—”
I didn’t even get to finish my rambling because Killian was grinning ear to ear, his green eyes sparkling as he reached out slowly—giving me time to stop him if I needed to—and pulled me into his room.
“You came to see me?”
I nodded. “As long as you don’t mind.” My hands motioned around his room. I was invading his privacy, and I was making sure he was alright with that.
“You are always welcome in my room, baby.” His voice was full of gravel, like he’d been on his way to sleep when I knocked on his door.
“Did I wake you up?” The black comforter on his bed was thrown back to reveal grey, rumpled sheets. If I had to guess, they’d still be warm from his body heat. I wanted to crawl between them and find out.
Killian brushed me off. “It’s no big deal. I would much rather be awake to spend time with you.” He huffed. “Ciarán has been eating up all my time since he got here, and while I’ve seen you, I feel like I haven’t seen you.”
Reaching for his hand, I intertwined my fingers with his and stepped closer. His scent flowed over my body, relaxing me and setting me at ease. My Killian. Radiating happiness at my claim, my Phoenix sang in my head.
“Your room is nice.” Smiling, I took it all in. He had artwork framed in black in simple frames and a white mat board mounted on the grey walls. I stepped up to the one nearest me and studied it. The abstract art was beautiful, bringing splashes of color to his otherwise monochrome room. “I didn’t know you liked art.” I glanced at Killian. “And I never would have pegged you for an abstract guy.”
“It’s the lines and the differing compositions. Each misplaced shape, each bright color… it may seem like there’s no rhyme or reason to them, but the organized chaos makes sense to my Puca and me.” I glanced over my shoulder at my tall Puca, noticing the tinge of color is his cheeks enhanced by the russet red of his hair. “Each piece has meaning, and even if we can’t understand what the artist was thinking at the time, I think on some level we can all relate to the feelings conveyed in each one.”
I gaped at him, my mouth literally hanging open as Killian peeled back a layer and exposed another carefully guarded piece of himself with me. The sagaciousness in which he spoke shocked and surprised me because I’d never pegged him as a lover of art. However, the way he spoke about images displayed on his walls made me realize how wrong I had been.
Killian saw the world around him differently than others, and I wondered how much of that related to his mental gifts and his Puca. I was in awe of him.
My eyes caught on a set of brushes tucked away on the corner of his desk and the canvas paper peeking out from beside it.
“You paint?” Excitement tinged my voice—which went up a whole octave at the end of my question.
Killian looked at me sheepishly, “It’s a pastime…”
I squeezed his hand before dropping it and wandering over to the brushes, stroking my fingers over the soft bristles. “It seems to be more to you than a passtime, Kill. You have quite an extensive set of brushes. You know you can tell me about your hobbies right? I won’t share them with the others if it’s something you want to keep to yourself.” Buried under a stack of other papers, I saw dark black and red strokes decorating a piece of canvas. I itched to reach out and unearth the work in progress, but I didn’t dare delve that far into Killian’s personal life without a definite invitation.
I felt Killian’s body heat warming my back as he stepped closer, one of his hands going to my hip while the other reached for one of the brushes my fingers lingered on, nearly wrapping himself around me.
Picking up a thin brush, he twirled it in his fingers. I tried to focus on the movements, but the way his chest brushed against my shoulders blades and his fingers caressed my hip was wildly distracting.
Feather light touches trailed down my arm from my shoulder to wrist as he ‘painted’ me with the dry brush. The tickling sensation caused my body to shiver from the overwhelmingly ligh
t caress.
“I paint the visions I have. Or rather, the pieces of them.” Derision filled his quiet tone, and I covered the hand he’d placed on my hip with one of my own, gently squeezing his fingers and encouraging him to continue talking.
“When I wake up, I try to draw the remnants of whatever I saw. They’re all jagged, rough puzzle pieces that never fit together.” His frustration was clear in the tension that overtook his body, his chest going to stone behind me.
I leaned back into him, trying to offer any comfort I could.
“Drawing them is a great idea, Kill. I know it bothers you that you can’t hold onto the dreams, but maybe the more you draw—the more pieces you’ll gather—the more it will all start to make sense.”
“I have trouble sleeping,” he confessed, and my heart broke for him. “The clips of dreams I have, they haunt me. It’s the most frustrating thing.” His arms tensed and I leaned to the side, turning around and tipping my head back to press a kiss to the bottom of his jaw. He towered over me by over a foot, so I had to push to my tiptoes to reach him.
When my lips made contact, he leaned down with a contented rumble in his chest. His body relaxed again.
“Maybe you just need someone to cuddle with at night.” It was a bold thing to say, but I was determined to put myself out there more with the guys.
“Are you offering?” He turned into my ear, nudging me with his nose as he inhaled my scent. “Damn, you smell good.” He groaned.
I smiled widely, happy to be back to my normal, regular strength scent. I giggled softly and then answered his question.
“If I were offering, would you take me up on it?”
“Do you even have to ask, baby?” He nose skimmed along the back of my ear, his breath caressing my neck as he spoke.
I hummed my approval.
The brush started its ascent back up my arm, tickling over my shoulder and teasing my overly sensitive neck, eliciting another shiver. I’d never known that my neck was such an erogenous zone before, but it was one of my favorite places to be kissed now. Without hesitation, my bunny placed his lips to the dip where my shoulder and neck met, his mouth teasing as he kissed me there.
He pioneered the stretch of my neck, planting kisses along my skin, claiming every inch as he made his way to my ear again.
“Would you stay with me tonight? Just to sleep?” he asked, nearly begging.
“That’s what I came for.”
He groaned, and nipped my ear. I felt the hardness of him growing and pressing against my lower back.
“I’m sorry. It really is just to sleep… it’s just… you fucking turn me on, baby.”
I bit my lip and squeezed my thighs together. “The feelings are mutual.” I turned in his arms slowly and slid my hands up the soft t-shirt that covered the hard planes of his chest to wind them around his neck.
“Kiss me, Killian,” I practically begged, and he responded without hesitation.
Swooping down, he lifted me up and held me against his body, crushing his lips to mine. I returned his enthusiasm full heartedly, nipping and suckling on his bottom lip in turn. Somewhere in the back of my mind, I realized I’d kissed three of my men all in the same day. It was new for me but I liked it, and I decided not to analyze it, at least not right now.
A moan slipped out when one of Killian’s hands slid down my body, possessively gripping my ass as he hauled me even closer, pressing my center against the long length of him. Excitement pounded in my chest with every heartbeat. His tongue was sweet as it slid along the seam of my lips, asking for entry, and I opened, teasing my tongue with his in a give and take that made my head spin in all the best ways.
“Whoopsies!” Ciarán’s voice infiltrated our private moment and we pulled apart, both breathing heavily as we turned to the intruder. “My bad. I didn’t realize you two would be locking lips.” He grinned cheekily before he started humming that song about ‘kissing in a tree’ as he moved further into the room.
Killian set me down with a growl, disengaging as he balled his hands into fists and made a move to go after his brother. Grabbing his arm, I reigned him back and placed a hand over his heart.
“Down boy,” I soothed Kill.
“Oh.” Ciar waved a hand, which was holding a pair of boxers, through the air. I bit my bottom lip hard as I noticed the design on the white underwear. Little black bunnies dotted the fabric in a large pattern that was no coincidence. “Don’t mind me. You two carry on. I’ll just zip my lips. It’ll be like I’m not even here!” he said cheerfully. “Besides, you’ll get used to audiences if the vibes in this house are anything to go off of.” He chuckled, waving the boxers at me as he waggled his fingers.
“What are those?” Killian seethed, his eyes narrowed in on the boxers.
“These?” Ciar asked innocently. “Aren’t they just the cutest thing you ever saw? I found them when I was out shopping today, and they made me think of you. Look!” He held them up. “It’s practically a direct likeness!” I choked back a laugh because the little black bunnies did look a lot like Killian’s Puca form. “Now I’ll carry you with me everywhere I go, older brother! So much better than some silly old wallet picture.” He beamed, and I just knew in the marrow of my bones that there was more to this little stunt. “And guess what?” His reached behind him and procured another pair of bunny boxers from his back pocket. “I bought two! Now we can match! Twinsies!” He called out as he tossed the boxers at Killian and me.
The bubble of laughter I’d been holding back burst forth as the boxers landed on my head.
“Oops! Ma always did say I had bad aim.” Ciar looked slightly sheepish at having involved me in his antics. He lived to antagonize his brother.
I pulled the boxers off my hair and studied them. “Well if you aren’t going to wear them, Kill, I will. They really are cute.” I smiled up at him and saw him soften as he gazed down at me.
“Aw, well I was hoping Killian would wear them but you’d look even better in them, cupcake.” Ciar’s smile softed as well, true affection shining through. No matter how much Ciarán bugged his brother, he truly did care about him… and me it seemed.
“I’ll leave you guys to get some sleep.” I walked to the door. “I guess I’ll take a raincheck?” I ducked my head, catching Killian’s eyes.
“Any time,” he practically growled.
“Count on it,” I whispered, giving him a sweet smile. I reached up and patted his chest. “And Killian?”
“Hmm?”
“Don’t murder your brother in his sleep. Or while he’s awake.”
“You’re leaving me with precious few options here, baby.”
I smirked. “I know.” Stretching onto my toes, I pressed a small kiss to his lips. “Goodnight.”
I felt his eyes on me as he watched me head back to my own room. I knew I could have invited him to my room, seen where it would take us. It just felt too awkward to extend the invitation for the first time when Ciarán was watching. I tried not to let the disappointment of the interruption burn too strongly, but I truly couldn’t wait to stay with one of my guys.
Thirteen
Hiro
I hated spending time away from Nix, but I was grateful to be away from the noise at home. I stacked my books on my desk, glancing around the bare room. Nix was on her way over after a full day of classes, and I hoped she would want to stay here at my dorm room for a little bit. We hardly ever had time one on one to talk to each other, even to just hang out and watch mindless television. I missed just being with her without the stress and the fear involved. I couldn’t deny how my Kitsune and I longed to be alone with her, even though we both loved and cared for our brothers.
A sharp rap at the door stole my attention, and my Kitsune chirped. He missed her as much as I had.
I swept my eyes over the room quickly, making sure nothing was out of place. I knew she was used to me and the other guys, but I was still more orderly than most. Well, except for Theo. I didn’t think anyone was
more orderly than Theo, unless the Kraken was buried in work and unable to pay attention to his own surroundings. He had nearly strangled Ryder when he had decided to reorganize his bedroom in his absence with the Council. Of course, Ryder hadn’t done it to be helpful but to drive our brother up a wall, and he had played off the moment fairly well.
“Hey—” The word cut off as I saw a woman I didn’t know standing on my doorstep. The tightly swept-back hairstyle, blocky suit, and pursed lips screamed administration. “May I help you, ma’am?” I scrambled to remember if any of my students had caused major amounts of trouble that would have college administrators called in. While I had been occupied at home quite a bit more lately, most of my kids were in the swing of things for the semester, and I didn’t remember the other RA for my dorm reporting anything to me when I came back on shift.
“You’re Hiro, is that correct?” Her voice was cold and had my hackles raising. My Kitsune yipped in irritation, pressing forward against my skin. I bit my lip slightly, focusing on holding him in. He normally wasn’t a forward presence, so it was an extreme warning that he felt the need to be so present.
“Yes, ma’am.” My own voice had cooled in response to her tone and the actions of my Kitsune.
“Good, you’re where you’re supposed to be.” Her lips curved into a smirk as she studied me. “Are you going to invite me in?”
I wanted to slam the door in her face but, unlike her, I had been raised with manners. I could smell that she was human, so I wouldn’t assume her to be much of a threat. “Did someone need me for something?” I didn’t want to flatly refuse this woman entrance, however, she had yet to declare who she was or why she was near my room. It wasn’t custom for college staff to be in a student’s room, RA or otherwise.
Though looks painted her as office administration, I didn’t want the headache of dealing with another parent wanting details on their college-age child that the student themselves weren’t willing to share. Even here in Alaska, helicopter parents were alive and well.