A slam on the hood of the truck caught both men’s attention. Meg stood at the nose of the vehicle, still dressed in her pajamas. Her fists were planted against the metal.
“Where are you going, sweet’ums?” she questioned with a glare.
“Home,” Caleb answered. “So move.”
“Nice try. You’re not going anywhere without me.”
“I’ll run your ass over.”
“Big talk from a little boy.”
Caleb shifted into gear. The truck lunged forward an inch or two. Meg scuttled back but stayed in the vehicle’s path.
“Get out of my way, you crazy bitch,” Caleb demanded.
“No.” Meg crossed her arms over her chest. Her bravado as she stood there with her long, blonde, unkempt hair, her sweet curves, and her cartoon character pajama pants made her sexy as hell to him. She continued. “I’m not your booty call. I’m coming with you.”
“Bullshit. I told you no.”
“And I’m telling you yes. What, are you afraid of living with me?”
“You are staying here and that’s…”
For a human she moved insanely fast. Before he could finish his sentence, she scooted to the passenger door and threw it open. In her hand was a backpack stuffed to the seams. Caleb shifted back into park. Josh was wide-eyed as he stared at her. He slid across the seat until his thigh collided with Caleb’s.
Meg threw her backpack on the floor of the cab. “At least one of you Hallow brothers is a gentleman. Thank you, Josh.”
Caleb growled at his brother. “You dumbass. Get out. If she is forcing herself into this truck, then she sits next to me. Shit. I’m about to leave you both behind.”
Josh climbed out and then offered a hand to Meg to help her in. She wiggled across the seat until she was snuggled against her mate. Caleb sucked his breath in. There was nothing sexier than this. He laid a hand on her knee. The slam of the passenger side door tore his attention from her. Josh glared at him from against the door.
“Should I call Josiah to get me?” he quipped.
“No. You’re fine.” Caleb shifted into drive and then wove through the streets of Duluth until they reached the highway.
Meg reached across him toward the door. The touch of her hand across his belly brought his cock to full attention. She pointed at the shredded upholstery. “What happened there?”
“The last full moon I fought in town. I didn’t get home in time so I trapped myself in here. And I changed in here.”
“If you’re a werewolf shouldn’t there have been more damage?”
“My beast is intelligent. I only had to get to the lock then the handle to free myself.”
“Or as intelligent as when it’s in human form. Which isn’t saying much,” Josh muttered.
“Shut the fuck up, Josh,” Caleb snapped.
“Do you bicker like this all the time?” Meg questioned.
“Yeah. Imagine seven of us doing it. We’re brothers. Don’t you argue with your siblings?” Josh countered.
“Not nearly as much as you.”
“Huh.” Josh turned to look out the window. Meg laid her head on Caleb’s shoulder as they sped down the road going due north. They weren't half an hour out of town before Caleb noticed that the other two were fast asleep.
It gave him time to think. There had to be some way to make her want to go back to her place. He glanced down at her as she sighed in her sleep. Then he shook himself back to his senses. He wasn’t going to entertain the idea of a life with her, of her curled up beside him in his bed, of her carrying his children. Nature may have dictated her to be his mate. He was never good at taking orders. He wasn’t doing this for himself. I’m doing it for her.
Caleb pulled to a stop when he reached the camp and turned off the truck. He jumped out as the other two jostled awake. He was halfway across the compound when the passenger door opened.
He stopped in front of Momma’s cabin and was greeted by Littlefoot’s smug grin. “Well, hello, Caleb.” The older man cast a look at the sleepy Meg and Josh approaching them. “Tell me all about the dirty details of your night.”
Caleb scowled as he directed his attention to the doorway of the cabin. “Momma! I brought you a bunk mate!”
Meg snapped out of her sleep-induced stupor. “Bunk mate? With your mom? I’m your mate.”
“And I told you to stay there,” Caleb fired back.
Momma opened the door and frowned. “What are you carrying on about, Caleb?”
“Meg decided she’s living here now. So she’s living with you. She can sleep on the couch.”
“Couldn’t you have asked first?”
“Bullshit.” Meg stormed back to the truck. She returned to the group with her backpack in her hand. “No offense, Mrs. Hallow.” She turned her attention to Caleb. “I’m not sure I even believe in this werewolf bullshit yet. But I do know there is something tying us together. You may not like it. Hell, I know I don’t. But we’re stuck. So let’s not terrorize your poor mom tonight when you show up hot and heavy for sex. Okay?”
She left Caleb speechless. With one last huff, she stormed to his cabin, dragging her backpack with her.
Chapter Six
It was official. Caleb Hallow was the worst roommate of all time. He went through with his threat and set up her bed on the couch. Not that it was a bad couch. It was probably the most comfortable piece of furniture she’d ever napped on. She took a snooze when her mate abandoned her to lock himself in the gym.
Just out of spite, she kept her backpack tucked close to the couch under the end table. She thought for a moment about clearing out one of his dresser drawers and making herself at home. It wasn’t so much a thought as that insane need that tormented her. She needed this to be her home. She needed to live with Caleb. But knowing that son of a bitch, he’d lock her out away from her things.
She sighed and then stood. If this was her new home, she might as well take a look around. She stepped out of the cabin into the sunshine. She studied the camp around her. It must have been a summer camp at one point. Each building was made from wooden logs just like the cliché north woods pictures. The largest was at least a hundred feet long. It must have been the activities center when the camp was in its heyday. By the grunts and cries, she could only guess Caleb was practicing in there.
Trailing from the large building were eight cabins. The first was slightly larger than the other seven. From the couple of times she had seen Momma, she could only assume it was hers. The activity center and the cabins only made up a half of the circle of woods that surrounded the camp. The other half was green grass and a massive box garden that survived remarkably well in a dense forest. The center was a dirt area indented with tire tracks. Near the break in the trees where the lane started, a variety of old cars were lined up. Next to the last car was a tall wooden tower with some sort of metal equipment on the top.
Meg stepped down and wandered across the camp. She turned as she heard someone call out. She found one of the Hallow brothers striding toward her. He looked older than Caleb. Wavy black hair framed his face. His T-shirt wrapped around his chiseled muscles. A pair of faded jeans hung off his hips. He was sexy for certain. But not Caleb sexy. Or at least not to me.
“Yes?” Meg questioned.
He smiled at her and offered his hand. “I thought I’d introduce myself. I’m Josiah. I’m the oldest of the seven.”
Meg slowly grinned as she shook his hand. “Josiah, huh? I’ve heard of you.”
“I’m sure you have. I’m not Caleb’s favorite brother.”
“No, you’re not. I would guess you’re his least favorite.”
“I ride his ass to keep him in line. Thankless job, really.”
“Well, I thank you.”
“I appreciate it. Has my little brother given you a tour of your new home?”
“Only his bedroom.”
Josiah offered her his crooked elbow. “Well then, may I do the honors?”
Meg looped her
arm in his. “Absolutely.”
Josiah led her to the far edge of the camp toward the rows of wooden boxes. “This is our garden. Since we live so remotely, we only get to the market in town once a week. We grow and harvest our own vegetables. We preserve as much as we can for the winter.”
“You drive three hours to go to the store?” Meg asked incredulously.
“There’s a small town just down the road from Sharky’s. Bemidji. Our aunts live there. Next time we go I’ll take you with us, but it will probably be after the full moon.”
“What’s the big deal about the full moon?”
“During the full moon, my brothers and I aren’t great company to be around.”
“You change.”
“Yes. And you and my mother will go visit my aunts. Just a word of warning, my mother and aunts are devout Bible thumpers. Bring a book.”
“I could just go home. Well, at least my home for now since I put my thirty days’ notice in.”
“As you wish. But who’s going to take you? Didn’t you stow away in Caleb’s truck?”
“I’ll take that.”
“Good luck. He loves his truck. It may be a steaming piece of shit but it’s his. Besides, it’s best if you just go with Momma. We’ll go during the day and move your things here. You won’t know when it’s over anyway and we can’t have you come back too early.”
Meg laughed. “I can read a calendar.”
“But can you resist that pull, the need to be joined to your mate?”
Meg stayed silent. It was true. Caleb was a grade A asshole, but she couldn’t stay away. Josiah smirked at her and motioned back to the half circle of cabins. “The seven small cabins are where we boys live. They’re arranged by order of birth. If you wonder where you sleep, Caleb’s is dead in the middle. The largest cabin is Momma’s.” Josiah pointed at the long building, the one big enough to hold the others. “That’s our family building. We eat there. We work there. We train there.”
Meg frowned. “You work there? What do you do?”
“You know those little games you play on your phone? We’ve built several and we support them. Twenty-four seven, three sixty-five. Well, except for nights of the full moon. Then Littlefoot and Sharky help.”
Meg gaped at him. “You must be loaded.”
“We have enough to survive. Let me show you around in there.”
He led her across the camp to the large building. Inside the door was a long hallway. Several feet down on the left was an office where she could only guess the youngest brother was playing on the computer. On the right was a door with a window. She gazed inside to find Caleb sparring with a brother while another one stood by. She felt that tug inside her. She wanted to go to him. Instead, she tried to shake it off and followed Josiah to the end of the hall.
The final room was a large dining room. Instead of several tables there was one long one. She silently counted the chairs, coming up with nine.
She looked at Josiah. “Who else lives here but your Mom and brothers? There are nine chairs.”
“You, of course. It was placed when Caleb’s tattoo appeared.” He motioned to her. “Let me show you the kitchen.”
Meg stopped dead in her tracks. “What? You expect me to cook for you?”
Josiah chuckled. “No. Of course not. But I expect you’ll eventually get hungry and that’s where the food is.”
Meg felt her cheeks warm. “You’ve got a point. Lead on.”
Her mouth dropped as she stepped inside. If a gourmet and industrial kitchen had a baby, this was it. It had everything imaginable and then some. She hoped Josiah didn’t notice the pool of drool at her feet.
“Impressed?” he asked with a wink.
She shrugged to show her emotion. “Not bad.”
He roared with laughter and then motioned with his hand. “When we signed our contract for our apps with the Japanese, this was the first thing we saved for. Did all the work ourselves. The pantry around the corner has dry ingredients and fresh fruits and vegetables. Opposite of it is a walk-in freezer. You are welcome here anytime you like. You can cook, bake, whatever you want. Just expect that if you’re in here around mealtime that Momma will rope you into helping her.”
“I haven’t baked since I moved away from home. I miss it.”
“Knock yourself out. If you’ll excuse me, I’m going to check in on your mate. I might take a round or two.” He bowed briefly to her and disappeared.
Meg wandered around the kitchen, opening cupboards and looking around. She nibbled on a carrot as she examined the pantry and the freezer. She smiled as she pulled out chocolate chips, sugars, butter, and flour. She kept gathering ingredients until she had everything cradled in her arms. She dumped them on the island in the middle of the kitchen and searched for a bowl and pans.
She hummed to herself as she mixed the dough and formed the cookies. The scent of chocolate filled the air. As she pulled the third batch from the oven, she noticed someone else. The brother she had seen in the office stood in the doorway with his hands in his pockets.
“Hello,” she greeted.
“Hi. I’m Abraham.”
“Hi, Abraham. I’m Meg. Would you like some cookies?”
He nodded as his eyes widened. She set the pan in her hand on the stove and scooped up a handful onto a plate. She handed it to him. “I hope you like them.”
“Thank you. I should get back to work.”
“Of course. I’ll talk to you later.”
He grinned as he slipped out of the room. She felt a breeze against her back as she heard the door behind her open.
“Goodness, I smell cookies.” Momma scuttled into the kitchen.
Meg put another pan in the oven and turned to her. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to take over your space.”
“You are welcome in here, especially if you’re making cookies. And chocolate chip are my favorite. These boys eat so healthy so they can fight. It’s hard to find a time when one of them isn’t training.” She picked one up and munched on it. “This is wonderful.”
“Thank you.”
Momma stood in the kitchen, snacking on cookies and chatting with Meg as the younger woman baked. One by one, each brother snuck in to introduce themselves so they could have a treat. Meg beamed. She never saw herself as a homebody type. She liked to party too much. But this was a life she could get used to.
“What the fuck is this?”
Meg turned from her conversation with Momma to find Caleb standing behind her, his hands clenching his hips. He looked pissed. Meg smiled sweetly. “I’m baking, darling. You wanted me to feel at home.”
“I am in training camp. I can’t eat this shit.”
“Who said I made it for you?” She picked up a cookie and jammed it in his mouth. “Go. Shower. I’m starting your supper since you can’t have the lasagna your mom is going to make.”
He growled as he ripped the cookie from his mouth and stalked off. She did notice him take a bite.
Meg worked around Momma to make a fish filet and some fresh vegetables for Caleb’s dinner. With the way he acted toward her, she didn’t know why she tried. She knew Momma watched her every move. Every time she looked up, the woman was examining her with a smile. Probably because it’s one less thing she has to do.
As Momma took the lasagna to the table, Meg followed with the plate she prepared. She set it in front of her mate and then settled in the chair beside him. She met his wide-eyed stare.
“Josiah,” Momma reminded.
“Yes, Momma. Everyone join hands for the blessing.”
“I thought we were the instruments of Satan,” Caleb quipped.
“Shut up and hold your mate’s hand, smartass.”
Meg half expected Caleb’s grip to leave her unable to bend her fingers for a week when he took her hand. His touch was tender as he held her hand in his. Instead of cupping it, he laced his fingers between hers. She was so shocked she never noticed Josh take her other one. She bowed her head as Josiah said
grace. The other members of the family were already digging into their pasta when Caleb let go.
She and Momma were shooed from the building so the men could clean up supper. Meg told her good night and then crossed the camp to her cabin. She found a book on the shelf. Lying down on the couch, she pulled the blanket over her and started to read. Her eyes grew heavy. She blinked hard to refocus.
She startled awake at the touch of a hand on her shoulder. She looked up to see Caleb standing over her. It was night. The cabin was dark. And he was naked.
“What the fuck?” she protested.
“Come to bed,” he ordered.
Her gaze roamed over his body, starting at the cock standing erect against his belly. Her mouth went dry and her pulse quickened. A fire burned in her core. She cleared her throat to compose herself. “Yeah, I’m good. Thanks.”
“It wasn’t up for debate.”
“I beg to differ. After the way you’ve treated me, I’m not jumping into bed with you. I’m not your toy to abuse and throw away.”
He stared at her for a moment. Then he kneeled next to the couch and pressed a soft kiss to her lips. “I’m not asking you to bed to fuck you. Obviously I want to. I want you close to me. It’s empty without you. Please, sleep with me.”
“It still doesn’t make up for you being a complete and utter asshole to me.”
He brushed the blonde strands of hair from her face. “Baby, I wish I could make you understand my sins.”
“What about them? What sins have you committed?”
He didn’t answer. He just kissed her harder. Her protests faded away as he found her tongue with his and teased it. He yanked her to her feet and led her to the bedroom. She followed without another word.
»»•««
Things didn’t change over the next couple of days. Caleb was long gone when Meg woke up, leaving her alone for most of the day. To keep herself busy, she baked—cookies, brownies, bread, and anything else that Momma suggested. The smell attracted every member of the family. Only Caleb showed up snarling and about to rip her head off. But when the sun was gone, she was met with sweet, passionate kisses and a plea to come to bed.
Welterweight (Hallow Brothers Book 1) Page 7