by Leilani Love
Once they finished dinner, the girls cleaned up the table. Aithne got up to help, but Eva put her hand up to stop her. “No. Sit. We’ve got this. We’re going to put the plates in the sink and bring out dessert.”
Aithne put her hand on her stomach. “Oh, I don’t know if I could eat another bite. That was delicious.”
“Just try it, I promise you won’t be disappointed.”
Alone with the boys, she looked around the table thinking her sisters would love this. Each guy was very handsome in his own way. They were all tall, and even though she hadn’t seen them shirtless, she could see the faint outlines of their muscles.
Viktor, however, was the one she had to try hard not to stare at. His wavy dark hair was just a few shades lighter than black, and it looked like it would be soft to touch. His dark blue eyes would sparkle every time he laughed, and she knew he was a lot older than he looked. From her research, she guessed by a few hundred years. The only sign of his age was a few faint wrinkles in the corner of his eyes. However, they only served to make him look even sexier. His thick, full lips, drew her gaze more than once.
Aithne was thankful when the girls came back in with the desserts, to distract her from her wandering thoughts. She smiled when Eva handed her a small bowl full of apples in a cinnamon sauce, with a crumbly crust and whip cream. The smell alone made her stomach decide she was going to have to eat it all. “This smells amazing.”
Eva grinned again, before sitting down. “Look, there are real apples in there, so it’s healthy.”
Aithne took a bite and closed her eyes, moaning softly at the taste. The flavors bursting on her tongue, “Okay, I might have enough room to eat it all and maybe even lick my bowl.”
Viktor chuckled next to her. She glanced at him to see his eyes twinkling with laughter. “Sari and Angyalka do it all the time. You won’t be the first.”
Shaking her head, she smiled before taking another bite. Everyone was quiet while they enjoyed their dessert. Aithne grinned, when she saw Sari and Angyalka use their fingers to clean the sides of their bowl, then licked their fingers with looks of pure contentment.
Picking up her bowl, she followed Eva into the kitchen. “Wow, this place is huge. How do you guys ever find your way around?”
Eva laughed. “It took a little while; we mainly stay on the east wing. There is also a library and the basement that Viktor converted into a pretty cool gym. Would you like the grand tour?”
“Sounds great, just don’t leave me anywhere. I won’t be able to find my way back.”
Eva first showed her the library. Aithne walked around the room, her fingers gently tracing over a few of the older books. She loved books, they were her secret pleasure. Looking around, she noticed that most of the books were older, but there was a section that was more modern. Guessing by the titles, she assumed the girls had influenced that section.
Eva then showed her around the east wing. Aithne took a few mental notes of the windows and security system. When Eva took her upstairs to where the girls slept, she noticed there were no cameras except for the one pointing towards the top of the stairs. Looking out the window, she was about to remark on the beautiful gardens, when Eva said, “How about I show you the cool gym in the basement, then show you some of the gardens before it gets too dark?”
“Sounds great, they look beautiful.” Following Eva back down the stairs, she trailed her down a hall to another set of stairs. “Be honest, have you ever gotten lost?”
“Just once, but it only took me a minute to get my bearings again.”
The entire basement area had been converted into a gym. The floor was made up of rubber tile to reduce impact. There were stationary bikes, stair climbers, and punching bags against one wall, with weight training equipment lining the back wall. The middle was set up with a giant mat and plenty of room for several people to spar against each other. “This must be where you guys come to work off the good food you eat.”
Eva rubbed her belly. “Not as much as I should, but it’s a nice gym.” She pointed to the stereo system. “Sari and Angyalka come down here, put on music, and watch themselves in the mirror while they dance.”
Laughing, Aithne could picture the two girls down there singing karaoke by themselves. “I bet the two of them have gotten pretty good.”
“Not as good as they think they are.” Eva said with a big smile on her face.
Leaving the basement, Eva led her up the stairs to a pair of glass doors that opened to a giant, immaculate backyard. There were flowers lining the building, with a large perfectly trimmed lawn. A light turned on above their head, and she looked up to notice several motion sensor lights and small cameras. There would be no way to break in through one of the windows upstairs without being seen by one of the cameras.
“The backyard’s huge and there’s a lot to see, but the sun will set soon, and you won’t be able to see much of it.” She pointed to a path that ran through the center. “That path leads to a cool labyrinth. It’s not well lit or I would take you down there.”
“Maybe another day. We still have a bit before our classes start.”
Back inside, Eva led her to the living room where everyone but Viktor was gathered. Feeling a little disappointed at not seeing him, she forced a smile when Eva let everyone know it was time to head back to her apartment. Telling everyone good night, she followed Eva back to the car, wondering where Viktor might have gone.
Chapter 10
Scott sat back in his chair, enjoying his time with the girls. Kati sat in one of the window seats, her sketch pad on her lap as she added the final touches to one of her drawings. Violca encouraged their friendship, but was firm on him not telling Kati about imprinting, nor was he to tell her that he had imprinted on her. Violca drove her point home, by stating that Kati had never had a boyfriend or even been on a date. Violca stressed that Scott should let Kati experience life before telling her. Scott begrudgingly agreed to it, and Viktor had even commented on how well he was handling it.
He understood where Violca was coming from. Kati had some growing up to do, and Violca was quick to point out, that Scott had done some wild things in his youth. She also let him know how selfish it would be if he didn’t let Kati have a few crazy times of her own before he tried to claim her. Scott found himself grateful that Kati was a good girl, and that he wouldn’t have to sit and watch her be too reckless.
Since moving, Kati had started to come into her own. She had begun dressing in clothes that fit her figure. Of all the girls, she was taking the self-defense class the most seriously and was often in the gym by herself working out. A few times, Eryk had told Scott that she asked to spar with him for practice. She was keeping her shapely body, but he could see the muscle definition forming on her arms and legs. He liked that she held herself a little taller.
Glancing at the clock, Scott got up. “Hey guys, I’m going to go. I told Viktor I would do the perimeter check and see if I could find any trace of our campers.”
Eryk got up. “Can I come with?”
Nodding to his brother, he saw Kati shyly glance in his direction. Winking at her, he tried not to grin when she blushed a pretty shade of pink. The younger girls told him goodbye, and Chase followed him to the backyard. “Message me and let me know what you find.”
Scott took his shirt off, putting it on the bench by the door. “I think the group that was out there might’ve left, but just in case…”
Chase nodded before heading back into the house to help with the girls. Scott looked over at his brother and smiled at his excitement. He didn’t think they would run into anyone, which was why he wasn’t bringing any other guards. Sometimes it’s just faster to go out in a smaller party, and easier to hide if need be. Putting his pants on the bench next to his shirt, he stretched his muscles, letting his cat come up to the surface before feeling his body shift, his muscles lengthen, and his bones reshape. When he first learned to shift, it was painful. When his body finished shifting, he let out a roar into t
he air, then heard Eryk roar next to him. Looking back at the house, his panther wanted nothing more than to go back into the house and claim his mate. Fighting that urge, he turned toward the woods. They took off through the backyard, and Scott was glad to have something to hunt.
Eva gave Amy a quick hug in front of the hotel, “Are you going to the gym tomorrow?”
Amy licked her lips and smiled. “I think so, since the cutie at the juice bar promised me two free weeks.”
“He is pretty cute.” Eva said with a grin.
Amy raised her eyebrows in a seductive manner, before stepping out of the car. “I’m sure I’ll be there, but I’ll text you and let you know, okay?”
“Great, I’ll talk to you tomorrow.” Eva waved again and drove back to her apartment. Eryk had texted her earlier saying he would be home late. Eva loved living with Eryk, but was excited to have the apartment to herself for a bit. Since she’d learned she was a telepath, as well as a witch, there were only a few people she could be around who she couldn’t hear their thoughts. She was surprised when Amy started talking to her, because she could only hear a faint whisper when she made the effort to listen, but couldn’t make out any of her thoughts.
Parking in the garage under the apartment building, she waited as one of the guards checked the elevator before she got in. It still annoyed her that Viktor’s brother was the reason they had to go through all this.
Getting out of the elevator, she walked by one of her neighbors, a guy in his early twenties who from what she could tell, considered himself a professional gamer. His thoughts were broadcast loudly, as if he were yelling them instead of simply thinking them. Nice ass, too bad she’s such a bitch. Eva shook her head. What made him think she would want to go out with a pasty guy who apparently spent ten or more hours a day playing some online role playing game?
One guard stood with her in the hall, while the other checked her apartment. Her neighbor glanced at her, then at the giant guard behind her. Without looking behind her, she knew the guard must have given him a look by the way he paled and dropped his keys. Trying hard not to laugh, she quietly enjoyed the sounds of him picking up his keys and hurrying into his apartment. Eva sometimes found it annoying that the guards could pick up on how she was feeling, but tonight, she was grateful. With a small smile in thanks, she headed into her apartment. “Good night, guys.” she said with a wave, before locking herself in her apartment.
Chapter 11
The next day, Aithne joined the girls for their workout. It was going well, but she had to admit, she preferred practicing with Viktor. The owner’s son was cute and she really did enjoy flirting with him, but she just wasn’t interested.
After class was over, she joined the girls in the locker room. “Violca, I wanted to thank you again for having me over for dinner. It was delicious.”
Violca smiled at her. “You’re welcome. It was nice having you.”
Eva put on her shirt. “Do you have plans today, Amy? We could have lunch, and I can show you around the backyard.”
“Sure.” Aithne replied while changing her clothes. The locker room was quiet except for the sound of the two young girls running around, squealing and laughing. When everyone was ready, Kati gathered the girls and they headed out.
Riding with Eva to the house, they talked about her apartment search. She’d looked up several online last night, along with people looking for a roommate.
“If you need someone to go with you, let me know. Most of my afternoons are free.” Eva said, as they pulled up to the house. A custom cruiser was parked out front. “Oh, Kassandra’s here. Let’s go say hi real quick before grabbing lunch.”
Wondering who Kassandra was, Aithne followed her down the hall to a door on the left. Eva knocked and Viktor called out to enter.
Aithne came in behind Eva and stopped short, seeing a tall blonde leaning over Viktor at his desk. The girl straightened up, smiling brightly at Eva. Aithne couldn’t help but notice her cat like green eyes, and her more than generous curves. In comparison to herself though, everyone looked generously endowed. Aithne wondered if there was something in the water since the sisters were pretty curvy themselves. Kassandra gave Eva a hug. “Hey girl, it’s good to see you.”
Eva grinned. “Just surprised to see you so soon. Kat, I want you to meet my new friend Amy. Amy, this is Kassandra.”
Aithne shook her hand. “Hi, it’s nice to meet you.”
“It’s a pleasure to meet you too.”
Viktor looked at Eva. “Hi Eva, it’s good to see you.” His voice sounded a bit annoyed.
Eva stuck her tongue out at him. “Viktor, I see you all the time. I was just surprised to see Kat’s bike out front. What’re you doing here?”
Kassandra sat in the chair, crossing her legs. “I was getting Viktor to agree to a party for your sister and Chase. I even got him to agree to this Saturday, which is good since everyone has already agreed to come.”
“You’re going to get a party together in just a few days?” Eva asked, looking between the Viktor and Kassandra.
Kassandra smiled brightly. “Viktor’s family used to throw parties all the time, and the second I mentioned it, most people were willing to drop everything to come. Plus, I figured if I gave him too much time, he might try to back out.”
Viktor chuckled, looking at her affectionately. Aithne felt a small stab of jealousy and began to wonder what their relationship was. Before she could shake it off, she thought to herself, ‘What the hell is wrong with me?!’
“I always follow through with things.” Viktor grumbled as if he was offended by the accusation.
Kassandra gave a small snort in response, before glancing at her watch. “I better get going. I need to talk to the catering company and hire a decorating crew.”
Kassandra stood up and gave Eva a quick hug, then smiled at Aithne. “It was nice to meet you Amy. I hope to see you again.” Kassandra kissed Viktor on the cheek then glanced back at Aithne.
Aithne wondered what that was all about, and noticed Viktor frowning as he watched Kassandra walk out. “So, what are the two of you doing here? Eva, are you getting Amy in trouble?”
Eva laughed. “No, I thought we would eat your food for lunch, then I was going to show her the backyard and the labyrinth.”
Viktor smiled at Aithne. “Don’t let her get you lost out there, Eva’s directionally challenged.”
Aithne laughed as Eva feigned outrage at that comment. “I’m sure we’ll be fine.”
Viktor winked at Eva. “Make sure you stop by here before you leave, or I’ll think you really did get lost.”
Eva laughed again, pulling Aithne with her. “Viktor you should come out and play with us, but first, we’re going to raid your fridge.”
Aithne followed Eva out, fighting the urge to look over her shoulder at Viktor who she could hear chuckling behind her. In the kitchen, she watched Eva grab a few items from the fridge.
“How about a BLT?”
“Sounds good.” Aithne took the tomatoes from Eva and began cutting them. She then moved on to the lettuce, while Eva cooked the bacon.
“It’s nice of Kassandra and Viktor to throw a party for your sister and Chase. What’s the party for?”
Eva shrugged. “They probably want to celebrate Chase and Violca getting together. Kassandra wanted to have a reason to throw a party and knew that would be a great reason. She really has a way with manipulating Viktor to get what she wants.”
When the bacon was done, they made their sandwiches and sat at the little breakfast nook in the corner of the kitchen. Looking out the window, Aithne saw Sari and Angyalka running around in the backyard. “So, how did your sister Angel get such light hair?”
“Out of the five of us, she was the only one who got both our dad’s hair and his eyes. Violca looks just like our mother. The rest of us have our father’s eyes and our mother’s hair. He said it was the perfect mix and he couldn’t be happier.”
“Your dad sounds like a great g
uy.”
“He was. My parents were both amazing.” She smiled, a faraway look in her eyes and Aithne wondered what she was thinking about.
When they finish their sandwiches, Eva grabbed a bottle of water. “Want water or soda?”
“Water.”
Eva tossed her a water bottle before she led her to the back of the kitchen, where a door opened up into the courtyard.
In the backyard, Eva waved to a guard. There were cameras positioned around the entire house and all along the fence line as well. Aithne made mental notes of where they were, while trying to think of how to meet with Chase away from the house. It was going to be hard, especially since she was really growing to like them. Lazzaro had called her this morning asking how things were going, pressing her to hurry and finish. She had a feeling her sister was getting on his nerves. She almost wanted to laugh. It definitely served him right.
When they got to the labyrinth, Aithne whistled. It must have taken a long time for someone to plan this, not to mention the man hours to keep it up. It was tall enough that even with her height, she wasn’t able to see over the top of the hedges. “Wow, this place is huge.”
Eva giggled. “Yeah, we lost Angel and Sari in here for a few hours once. Viktor made sure to tell them the secret of how to get out, but I think they were having a good time. I could hear them giggling as we looked for them.”
Aithne walked into the labyrinth, heading in deeper, checking out the different stones that lined the walkways, as well as all the flowers growing within the bushes. The collection was amazing. She took a deep breath, absolutely loving how all the different scents combined.
Once they got to the middle of the labyrinth, Aithne paused in front of a giant fountain. The base of the fountain had a dragon wrapped around it, the mouth spraying water. The eyes of the dragon were giant blue sapphires. Her hand came up, gently touching the stone.
“My father had that made for my mother.”
Chapter 12
Viktor tried not to laugh when Amy jumped.