by Bryce Evans
Her hair was chestnut brown with gray streaks, but it was her smile that put him at ease. She had the biggest blue eyes, which glinted in the light. She just looked like she was happy to be alive and enjoying what life threw at her. Like his grandmother, she seemed to have a keen sense of humor.
“If you’re anything like my grandmother, then I believe it. She can find a sale going on anywhere within fifty feet of her.” Sullivan noticed that the lady hadn’t pushed a button yet. “Did you need me to push a button for you, ma’am?”
“I think we’re neighbors, since we’re on the same floor.” The lady just continued to smile as the elevator took them to the third floor. “My name is Mary Swift.”
Sullivan put the bags in his other hand and stuck his right hand out to shake Mary’s. “Nice to meet you, Mary. My name is Sullivan Grayson.”
“Are you here for the Valentine’s Dance?” Mary asked. She picked up his suitcase when the elevator opened on their floor.
“Oh no, let me get that. I can carry them all.” Sullivan tried to stick his fingers out so he could grasp the suitcase, but Mary continued walking to her room. He noticed that they were indeed neighbors — his room was next door to hers.
“Just bring them in and drop them on the bed. I have to unfold them and put them away.” Sullivan gently laid the bags down on the bed and picked up his suitcase. He was walking to the door when Mary stopped him. “Sullivan, for your kindness I’d like to buy you dinner tonight at the lodge. They make a great steak here. Well, everything here is good, so if steak isn’t what you want then you can have anything on the menu.”
He was going to say no, but she acted so much like his grandmother he didn’t want to be rude. Plus, he had to eat anyway. He missed his grandmother so much, and this would be a little bit like home.
“I won’t take no for an answer. Please pick me up at seven sharp.” Mary went to the door, waiting for him. Now he knew he couldn’t say no; she’d used the old ‘I won’t take no for an answer’ routine.
“Yes, ma’am. I will be prompt to pick you up, and thank you.” Sullivan smiled when Mary leaned over and hugged him. He hadn’t known how much he missed his grandmother until now. She even smelled like her — like fresh flowers — except Mary wasn’t a wolf.
****
“Hey little brother.” Star walked over to where her brother Sky was carrying a chair into Lilly’s office.
“Not so little anymore, Sis,” Sky responded, setting the chair down.
Lilly jumped up from her desk and ran over to look at it. “You made it. Oh Sky, it’s simply beautiful. You do such great work. I told a designer friend of mine about you, and he loved what I showed him. He wants you to make a few pieces for him to put in his showroom in New York City.”
“Thanks.” He blushed when she reached up and kissed him on the cheek. He wasn’t used to all the affection he received from everyone, but he liked Lilly. She was one of his favorites out of all people he’d met when he moved here. Her personality drew others in and made them feel comfortable around her. He couldn’t say that about many people. She was also a good person, and since she worked here at the lodge as the program manager he got lots of business from her. She wasn’t bad to look at either with her long black wavy hair and the bluest eyes. In fact she was a beautiful woman, but she wasn’t his mate. He looked at Lilly like a sister.
Star smiled as her brother hugged Lilly back. “You did a great job, Sky. It’s one of your best pieces.”
Sky just nodded, then stood next to the door so Lilly could sit down in the chair.
“Star, sit down and feel how comfortable this seat is,” Lilly said as she got up. “I may never leave my office again.”
Without hesitation, Star sat down, and the chair seemed to envelop her. Her brother had a way of making a chair so that it felt like heaven when you sat in it.
Star closed her eyes and laid her head back. Everyone was right; Sky had a gift for creating things with his hands. He was a master with wood. She’d tried helping, but mainly she just got in his way. At first, Sky probably needed her near him so he would know that he wasn’t alone anymore. They’d all been separated at birth and put into three different orphanages in hopes of protecting them from people who wanted them for their power. Her parents’ best friend, Miles Johnson, had been searching for them and found her first. He told her that she had two siblings who were also in orphanages in order to keep them safe. Star had located Sky first, then felt the need to move to Freedom in search of their older sister, River.
He has to so make me a chair like this. Then I will never leave my bedroom. Scratch that.
“I’m going back to the store. Are we still eating here tonight?” Sky’s voice was low as he spoke to his sister.
Star opened her eyes and realized that Lilly was sitting behind her desk, typing on her computer. “Did I fall asleep?”
“Yes, but you look like you need it. What’s wrong?” Sky asked. He sat down across from her with a worried look on his face.
“Nothing,” She didn’t want to worry her brother. He needed a life without her problems. Sky was finally smiling more, and she wouldn’t dare take that away from him. She listened at night while he slept as the nightmares came for him. It broke her heart to listen to him scream, begging for help. Someone had hurt her brother, and she’d never allow anyone to hurt him again. He never spoke of how he got the scar on his face, but she knew that it had to be horrible.
Star smiled and kissed her brother on the forehead. She had to stand up and get on her tippy toes to do that now; he was getting so big and strong, with muscles popping up everywhere. He was no longer little or frail. Banks and Jansen had been working on self-defense with him every day as he learned to be a fighter.
“It’s amazing how big you have gotten since we moved here. The girls drool when they see you coming, and to answer your question, yes, we’re going to eat with River and her mates tonight. I think Mary will be there too; I invited her. Is that okay?” Star asked.
“Of course. I love Mary,” Sky answered. She watched as he put the check that Lilly’d given him in the pocket of his jeans.
“Before long you’ll be a rich man.”
Sky looked away nervously. She knew he never coveted money or fame. Sky just wanted peace in his life.
Smiling at her brother, she reached up and touched his face. “You’ve changed so much since we got here. You deserve to be happy.”
Sky turned his face into her hand and closed his eyes. Lilly’s desk phone rang, and he pulled away and headed for the door.
“We all do. You do too. I’ll see you tonight,” he whispered.
Tears fell from her eyes as she watched him leave. He was a man now, and no longer her baby brother. He’d grown two, maybe three inches since they came here, and put on about fifty pounds of pure muscle onto his frame. He really did look good and even if it made him blush, her brother was a hottie.
“If I didn’t think of him like a little brother, I’d go after him myself,” Lilly said as she watched him walk off. “He never complains about anything, but he reminds me of someone who’s led such a hard life.” Star just nodded. “Do you think he knows about the surprise party tonight?”
“No; if he did, he wouldn’t show up,” Star replied, simply. “Thanks for buying his pieces, Lilly.”
“Are you kidding me? That man has some crazy talent and one day he really will be rich and famous. I wasn’t kidding about my friend saying he wants to put some of his pieces in his show room. Sky will make a fortune selling one-of-a-kind furniture there.” Lilly’s phone rang again before she could say more.
Star waved good-bye and walked out of Lilly’s office and down the hallway. She figured she needed to get back to the lodge in order to make sure everything was taken care of before her brother got there. Sky was a hard person to surprise, since he didn’t like to be around crowds much. That’s why only a limited amount of people had been invited. She glanced at the clock on the wall, noting the
time. She needed to get home and get busy before she had to be back at the for the party. They’d planned this surprise party two weeks ago, and she wanted it to be special for Sky. He deserved it. She dug her keys out of her pocket and walked out the main door.
Chapter 3
Star sat on the bed, drying her hair with a towel and thinking about the dream she’d had the night before. For the past three months, she’d been plagued with nightmares about a vampire hunting her. Every night the dreams were the same; the vampire would run after her until she fell to the ground. She could tell her body was losing too much blood, but she refused to give up. Once the vampire got near her, his eyes focused on the blood dripping from her leg. He called her, ‘il mio animaletto.’
She’d looked it up and found that it meant ‘my pet’ in Italian. Why would the vampire call her ‘my pet’? She shivered, thinking about his intentions. What if he found her and Sky? They wouldn’t have anyone to protect them. Was her dream bringing this man to her in some way? Maybe she needed to leave so he wouldn’t get near Sky or River. She didn’t know what her dreams meant, and that bothered her.
“Star?” She heard her name called and pulled herself out of her thoughts. Jansen and Banks were standing in front of her, looking concerned.
“How the hell did you get in here?”
“The door was unlocked. We knocked, and when you didn’t answer we got worried,” Banks said.
She shook her head, trying to clear the nightmares from her mind. If these two found out, they’d never give her a break. Unfortunately, the dreams always brought out her fear, making her tremble uncontrollably.
Jansen picked her up and sat down with her in his lap. He hugged her body close to his chest as his heat spread across her cold body. She could feel him grow larger as she sat on his lap. Jansen was unbelievably gorgeous with his dark brown hair and hazel eyes. She knew if she looked hard enough she could get lost in those eyes.
Star tried to pull away, but with little effect. Her temper was flaring now as Jansen held on tighter. “What are you doing?”
When she looked over at Banks, he was staring at her legs. She looked down and realized the towel she had wrapped around herself had fallen down, and her body was uncovered.
“Let me go.” Star squirmed until Jansen pushed her onto her back. Her arms were pushed above her head.
“I asked what was wrong. Why are you trembling in fear?” Jansen’s voice was gravelly as he took in deep breaths.
“Nothing is wrong.” Star hoped her voice sounded mad, but the more he looked at her, the more she wanted him and Banks.
Jansen pulled her hair away from her face. “You are so beautiful.”
She didn’t know what to say. His breathing was slow, but the look in his eyes told her he wanted her. Looking up, she noticed Banks was watching and waiting. He too had lust-filled eyes. That confused her more than anything. They argued all the time, but now they acted like they were concerned and deeply cared about her. Or maybe they just wanted to have sex with her.
Slowly, Jansen lowered his head and kissed her cheek. His breath smelled like apples; he always smelled of apples. She whimpered when he kissed her other cheek. She could feel her traitorous body react to his touch.
Jansen slowly trailed his finger down between her breasts. She closed her eyes as his fingertip lingered at her belly button, then opened them when he stopped moving. He smiled as if waiting for her to tell him to stop. She hated herself for having no control, but she couldn’t stop; she wanted it too much. His hands felt magical as they skimmed across her stomach.
When she didn’t respond, his finger continued south until he found what she desperately wanted him to touch. Slowly he slipped one finger in, just enough to tease her, making her nipples harden. She pushed her chest upward, wanting more. Chuckling, Jansen pulled her forward until she was sitting on his lap.
His head bent down as his mouth roamed over her nipples, making her moan. She hadn’t felt like this in years, and that one time before wasn’t much to talk about. Before she knew what was happening, Banks pulled her hair back until her head lay on his shoulder. Jansen released her breast with a pop when Banks’s hands slipped over her breasts, squeezing her hard nipples between his fingers. Star whimpered and thrust her chest forward, giving him more.
Jansen continued to push his finger further in until she was dripping on his pants. Both men continued to watch her until she couldn’t take it anymore. Her body came undone as her orgasm vaulted forward. Jansen covered her mouth with his when she screamed out. Kissing Jansen wasn’t anything she would have ever dreamed. His tongue played with hers as they fused together. She didn’t have much experience, but following his lead felt like heaven.
Never in her life had anyone made her body come alive like these two men. Jansen continued to draw another orgasm out of her by stimulating her clit until she couldn’t stand it anymore and came again.
Banks growled and bit down on her shoulder as Jansen covered her mouth with his, making sure no one else in the house could hear them. Star’s chest heaved as she pulled away, trying to catch her breath.
Knock, knock, knock. Star’s body froze when her sister called out, “Star, are you ready?”
Clearing her throat, she croaked out, “Yes… I won’t be long.” She narrowed her eyes at Jansen, who was smiling back at her.
“Get off of me.” Star grabbed the towel from the bed and scampered off of Jansen.
“I believe you should say thank you,” Banks said as he stood up.
“Thank you? For what?” Star hissed.
“For two of the best damn orgasms I’ve ever seen.” Jansen smirked. “I think you loved every minute of it. In fact, I know you did.”
Okay, that does it. Star pointed at the door. “Get out of my room.”
“Star?” Jansen objected. “Just admit it. You loved it.”
Disgusted at her actions, Star jumped up and ran to the bathroom. What have I done? They don’t care about me. They only wanted to see how many damn orgasms I could have. What was this, a contest to see who could give me the most? The fact that she’d enjoyed it and wanted more only made it worse. She promised herself that she wouldn’t let them use her like this again. Then that damn voice in her head told her that they wouldn’t using her she was enjoying life’s little pleasures.
Star locked the door and turned on the shower. She needed to wash their scent off before her sister’s mates smelled them all over her. That was all she needed. The questions would be endless, and just like her first time it would be a total disaster.
Damn it. Why do I keep doing this to myself? I can’t seem to find the right man; someone who’ll love me and take care of me. Calm down and just keep it together until the party is over. Maybe you need to just go away for a couple of days. Get some rest. Yep, that’s what you need to do. Sky deserves this day without any drama, including mine.
She got out of the shower and hurried to get ready. She pulled her hair up in a ponytail and limited her make-up. She needed to get to the lodge to make sure everything was out and ready for the guests.
****
Star opened the door to the banquet room and smiled. Lilly had done a great job in helping. The decorations were kept to a minimum, but everyone could still clearly see that a birthday party was going on. She’d given Jan the gift that she wanted her to bring in later for Sky. She had worked on it for months and River had helped out too. She knew he was going to love what they got him.
“What do you think?” Lilly asked, walking in.
“Wonderful job, Lilly. I think he’ll love it. I know my brother; he’ll act as if he hates it at first, but in actuality, he’ll love it. At least that’s what I’m hoping for.” Star sat down and glanced at the fire.
“Can I ask you something?” Lilly asked as she sat down beside her.
“Of course.” Star looked over at her.
“Who’s been snacking on your neck?” Star’s smile turned into a frown. She jerked her hand
up and covered the place where Banks had bit her. He hadn’t broken the skin, but his teeth marks were noticeable. She’d put make-up over it, hoping to cover it up.
“Nobody you would know.” Star couldn’t look at her friend. She couldn’t tell anyone what had happened. Jansen and Banks were only using her, and there wouldn’t be a repeat.
“Look, you don’t have to tell me. I just thought we were friends, and…” Lilly stopped talking, got up, and started moving the plates around on the table.
“Lilly, it’s not that. We’re great friends; it’s just that I don’t want anyone to know,” Star explained.
“Then you need a cute scarf to cover it up with, because every shifter will know a bear put that mark on you, and we all know how Banks and Jansen feel about you,” Lilly informed her.
“Please tell me they won’t know it’s his?” Star sat down hard in her seat. Now everyone would know, and they’d probably sit around gossiping about her.
“Come on, I’ve got a cute one in my office that you can wear. Nobody has to know. He hasn’t broken the skin, so it’ll fade. But Star, bears are very particular on how they put their mark on mates, so you may need to rethink this whole notion of people not knowing.” Lilly stood, holding out her hand, and helped her up.
“Thanks, but he doesn’t like me like that. I think it’s a contest between him and Jansen to see who can get me in bed first. I’m not their mate or anything like that,” Star explained as they walked to Lilly’s office.
“Listen, I think you’re wrong about that, but you have to see it for yourself. You have to know in your heart they care for you.”
Star wanted to forget about this conversation. She put the scarf around her neck, and Lilly tucked the ends in, triggering a memory of when the girls in her school would gather in the bathrooms to change into different outfits. They’d make fun of her clothes, telling her that she was nothing but white trash. It seemed every day she had to pull herself up from the way people made her feel. Just like with Jansen and Banks. They only wanted her for her body, not for who she was inside. She sighed, then took one more look in the mirror and told herself, Remember, you’re doing this for your brother. Just get through tonight.