by Alicia White
Ryan opened the door and she stepped inside. A fire roared across the room, and she walked to it until she was standing in front of the flames. She shivered and rubbed her hands together, enjoying the heat. Once she was warm, she started removing the layers of clothes until she stood in front of the fire in only tight yoga pants and a long-sleeve T-shirt, her clothes at her feet.
“Jesus.” Those whispered words had her turning around quickly. “I’m glad you’re not shy. You look amazing.” His eyes looked her up and down, and she felt giddy.
“You’re looking at me like I’m naked. I’m just getting comfortable. Thanks for the compliment, though. And…um…thanks for bringing me here. I’ve been so worried about my sister. I can’t wait to see her.” She saw some unknown emotion cross his features but couldn’t quite place it before it was gone. She walked around the room, looking at the pictures, wondering which men were Adam and Brandon. “So…thanks. I’m gonna go look for Chloe.” She started to leave the room, but Ryan grabbed her arm.
“She’s not here right now. I have someone else for you to meet, my brother Nathan. He’s here, in the office. Go sit on the sofa and enjoy the fire.” He led her over to the couch and she sat down, leaning into the cushions. When she felt his lips on her forehead, she closed her eyes and enjoyed the warmth of the fire.
* * * *
Ryan left Katie in the living room and walked to the office to see his brother. They had all been waiting for this moment, to meet their mate. He felt guilty, the lie tasting bitter on his tongue. This wasn’t the way to start a relationship, but he also knew that he couldn’t take her to see Chloe yet. He needed some time with her, and he knew his brothers would want the same thing. If he would’ve taken her to Adam and Brandon’s house, it was possible that they wouldn’t be able to have anytime alone with her. He always believed that honesty is the best policy, but having Katie here in their home, he was willing to do anything to keep her here. That scared him most of all.
He walked into the office and saw his brother, leaning back in his office chair, staring at the ceiling. He stared at him for a minute, wondering if bringing Katie here was the best idea. He knew that all his brothers were a bit too dominant. Although he knew Nathan would be the first to claim her, both Ethan and Lucas might be too much for her and scare her off. He wanted to turn around and take her to Chloe, but he couldn’t.
“Jeez…either you’re home early or the work day is done. I haven’t been productive at all today.” Nathan stared at him, and Ryan realized that he wasn’t taking her away. They all needed her, especially Nathan. He had been waiting a long time.
“I’m home early. I have someone I want you to meet.” Ryan didn’t say any more than that. He walked out of the office, knowing that Nathan’s curiosity would have him following.
He walked back into the living room and found a glorious sight in front of him. A tight, round bottom greeted him, and he groaned. The tight yoga pants hugged her. There wasn’t a panty line in sight. She couldn’t be wearing anything under them, he realized, his eyes moving over her curves in fascination. She had the shapeliest little ass and legs he’d ever seen.
Katie… Her name whispered through his mind. God, she was the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen. She had an innocent smile, and she was comfortable in her skin. This was all so unbelievable.
She must’ve heard them, because she turned around and smiled at him. Everything clicked into place, and he realized that he wasn’t going to let her go. He wouldn’t be taking her anywhere. She skipped over and he turned to watch Nathan’s reaction. He was in shock, staring at her with wide eyes, his mouth parted into a little O.
* * * *
“Hi. I’m Katie.” She moved gracefully toward him, and Nathan felt like an old fool, staring at a young girl. She had to be half his age, granted shifters did age at a slower rate. He couldn’t look away. He felt frozen in place. He could tell she wasn’t wearing a bra. Her nipples were hard and her breasts perky. He licked his lips and finally was able to look away for a minute.
“I’m Nathan.” His voice felt rough even to his ears. He stared at her, and then he inhaled, hoping that she was the one. He hoped that Ryan brought him here to meet this perfect creature because she belonged to them. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes. She smelt like pure seduction. Melon, plum, and freesia, the sweetest thing he’d ever smelt in his long, lonely life.
The beast inside him rose, and so did his cock, going hard and pushing painfully against his zipper. He tried to control himself, but that was impossible. It had been too long already, and he thought all hope was gone after meeting Chloe, Brandon and Adam’s mate. Within in minutes he felt alive, and all because of this woman standing here in front of him.
“Mine.” He moved quickly, pulling her into his arms. She stood tense, but he didn’t mind. Having her here changed everything. He didn’t know anything about her, but that didn’t matter. They had time to get to know one another.
“Whoa. Yours, huh? Let’s wait until we’ve had a date first.” Her little giggle was music to his ears, and she wiggled, moving in his arms. Her breasts rubbed against his chest, and he groaned deep in his throat, feeling her tight nipples. Her body was soft, and he wanted nothing more than to keep her against his body. He let her go, though, not wanting to make her uncomfortable.
* * * *
Katie pulled away slowly, although she enjoyed being in his arms. Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted two men walking by with a woman between them. She moved toward the hallway, leading out of the living room. She followed them quickly, “Chloe?”
The woman turned around, and so did the two men. “Oh sorry. I thought you were my sister. Are you Adam and Brandon? Is my sister here somewhere?” First Ryan and then Nathan had sidetracked her. She needed to remember why she was here, her mission of finding Chloe and yelling at her for making her worry. Both of the men stared at her, and she felt weird. They looked at her as if she were speaking a language they didn’t understand.
“Why would you think Chloe was here? She’s at her house with her mates, and no, we aren’t them.”
“God…her smell. It’s driving me crazy.”
“Ethan, Lucas. Shouldn’t you take your friend home, you know, before you disrespect our mate anymore?” Ryan’s voice was harsh, and the woman stepped back, moving away from the two men. As their words sunk in, Katie found herself moving toward the fire and her clothes that sat in the same spot on the floor.
“Wait. My sister isn’t here. This isn’t Adam and Brandon’s house. Ryan?” She looked at him and wondered how stupid and naive she could be to trust someone she didn’t know. She felt scared, but more than that, she was confused. Why did he lie to her? Why did he bring her here? Where the hell was she?
“I’m sorry, Katie. I brought you to our house. My brothers and I live here. I didn’t want to lie to you, and I know what you’re thinking. You can trust me. I needed you here.” He walked toward her and Katie backed up, needing space, wanting to get away from them all.
“That’s freakin’ crazy. You will take me to Chloe right now!” She didn’t take any time to think. She grabbed her clothes and started pulling the layers back on.
“Katie, wait, please. Damn it. Ethan, Lucas, take your friend home now.”
“Don’t worry about it. I’m leaving. Your friend can stay.” She tugged on the snow pants first, moving in sharp choppy movements.
“No, you’re not. Ethan, take your friend home. Lucas, set up the guest room across from mine. Katie, I’m sorry Ryan brought you here under false pretenses, but you’re here now. A huge storm is coming in. You can’t leave.” Nathan’s voice was calm as he ordered everyone around.
“That doesn’t make sense. You’re letting him leave with that woman. Why can’t I go as well?” Katie was fuming. She tried to stay calm, though. She was in a house full of strangers. She started putting her boots on, tying them tighter than usual.
“He’s walking her home. We’re used to
the weather. There isn’t any reason for you to be angry about that woman. She means nothing to them.” Nathan was still calm, watching her closely, and she knew that she would have to either run fast or sweet talk him into letting her go.
“Ouch. Poor girl. I’m not angry that they were on a date or whatever. I’m mad at Ryan for lying to me. I am leaving. Point me in the right direction and I’ll be fine.” She was slowly edging around the room, trying to get to the exit. Ethan had left already and so had Lucas, she assumed off to do what Nathan commanded. She just needed to get around Ryan and Nathan, both of whom were watching her too closely.
“I said no, Katie. If I have to lock you in here, I will.” Damn that man! Katie pulled her jacket on and remembered that her cell phone was safely tucked in her pocket. She started pushing buttons, hoping that Chloe would answer before they realized what she was doing. She pulled her phone out of her pocket, listened to one ring, and Nathan lunged.
She shrieked and ran, heading for the front door. Her phone at her ear, she begged Chloe to answer. She made it outside but didn’t get farther than that before she was grabbed. Strong arms pulled her close, turned her around, and threw her over a broad shoulder. It happened so quickly that it took a moment for her to start screaming.
She knew it was Nathan, and she pounded his back, kicked her legs, and tried everything in her power to get free from his tight hold on her. “Let me go! Put me down! Why are you doing this? I just want to see my sister. Ryan! Ryan! Help me!” She was screaming, yelling, even begging, anything to make Nathan let her go.
“Jesus. Katie, calm down. I’m right here.” He rubbed her back, obviously trying to calm her down, but Katie was hysterical. She knew that she had dropped her phone and hoped that Chloe could hear her. Hoped that even now her sister was going to rescue her.
“Lucas, can you get her phone and put it in my office?” Nathan’s voice never changed, and that scared her even more. How could he be so calm while she was freaking out?
“Yeah. I’ll shut it off and put it on your desk. The guest room is ready. I’ll get her bags out of the car as well.” She heard footsteps and realized that Lucas followed Nathan’s orders too well. He was in charge, and she needed to convince him to let her go. She continued to kick, hit, and even bite him, but Nathan never reacted, never changed his course or put her down.
“Katie, calm down. You don’t want to upset Nathan.” Ryan’s voice rang out loudly, and she heard the threat for what it was. If Nathan lost his cool, then she was going to be in trouble. She stopped moving instantly, and she felt a hand rub circles on her ass.
“Good girl.” Nathan’s voice rang out, and she felt small and fragile, two things she hated most.
“Fuck you. Don’t talk to me like I’m a child.” Her words were harsh, and she knew it the moment Ryan let out a gasp. A heavy hand come down hard on her bottom, and she shrieked to move away.
“Don’t talk that way. It’s beneath you, and, frankly, you sound disgusting using words like that.” Nathan’s words hurt her more than they should’ve.
“I can’t stand the way she smells right now, full of hurt and anger. God, I wish I would’ve had the strength to take her to her sister’s.” Katie moved so that she could see Ryan. He pushed a hand through his hair. He looked upset, and she wanted to reach out and comfort him, until she realized that she needed to be mean. Maybe then they would let her leave.
“You did the right thing, Ryan. We’ve all been waiting for her. It’s going to be okay. Let’s take her to the guest room, and then we can all chat.”
“No…it’s not all right. Ryan, you are a liar and a jerk. I wish I never had met you.” Katie went silent as Nathan continued walking toward what she knew was the guestroom. She wasn’t a guest, though. She was a prisoner.
“Go to my office, Ryan. I’ll be there in a minute.” After a minute Nathan continued. “That was mean, Katie. Trust me when I say that he is the nice one. I’m going to lock you in the guest room, and I’ll bring you something to eat after we have a quick chat about what we’re gonna do with you.” She heard the door open and saw the carpet color change. She knew they had arrived. He walked farther into the room, and before she knew what was happening, he tossed her off his shoulder and onto the bed. She bounced for a minute, trying to get her bearings as the blood rushed from her head. When she opened her eyes, the door was closed. She heard a click of the lock.
Chapter 2
Nathan leaned his back against the door and listened as Katie banged on it, crying. She sounded so sad, and what he really wanted to do was to go back into the room and comfort her. The whole situation had deteriorated, especially after Ethan and Lucas had joined them. Katie hadn’t even realized her reaction to seeing them.
She was angry, her words slashing out like venom when she realized that his brothers had been on a “date.” How in the hell were they going to explain that to her? She was their mate, and she caught them with another woman. He didn’t even know where to begin, first Ryan bringing her home under false pretenses, then his twin brothers with another woman, and now he had locked her in a room. This was going to get a lot worse before it got better.
Katie was sobbing behind the door, and from where he was standing, he could tell that she was sitting on the floor now. He didn’t want to leave her yet, not until she was calmer. He didn’t have to be in the same room to know what she was feeling. The animal in him could smell everything. She’d been so turned-on when he walked into the living room. Her sweet pussy had beckoned him. If only that was what he was scenting now. Instead, he could tell that she was scared, confused, frustrated, and angry. All the things he never wanted to have his mate feel. He’d been waiting for this moment for so long, had rehearsed it in his mind almost daily. He touched the door, sending her comfort the only way he could at this point.
When he heard her move away from the door, he hoped that maybe she would lie down on the bed and relax for a bit. He needed to get to the office. His three brothers should be there by now, waiting for him. They had some planning to do. He pushed off the door and headed back to his office. When he walked in, his three brothers were sitting in different places, not speaking.
“Okay. I’m not sure where to start. Ryan, how did Katie end up in our living room? Let’s start there.” Nathan thought it best to start from the beginning, that way everyone could be on the same page. There couldn’t be any confusion where Katie was concerned. They all needed to know every detail.
“I wish I wouldn’t have brought her here. She drove up to the gate, asked if I remembered her sister. She was trying to find her. Her smell…I’d never smelt anything so amazing in my life. My only thought was to bring her here, and now I wish I hadn’t. She’s so upset with me.” Ryan placed his forearms on his thighs and leaned down, putting his face in his hands. Nathan knew he was upset but only because their mate was.
“You did the right thing. Now we just need to figure out how to keep her. Of course, you two idiots bringing a woman here. Have you lost your mind? When Katie knows that you two are her mates and that another woman was here with you, she is going to freak out.” Nathan shook his head. “We only had one rule. Now, you saw her reaction. She wasn’t unaffected.”
“That can’t be held against us. We hadn’t even met her. She is gorgeous, though. I can’t wait to claim her,” Ethan said.
“I’m sure she’ll understand,” Lucas added.
“You two can’t possibly believe that? Seriously? She is totally going to freak out. Even if you hadn’t met her, you shouldn’t have had a woman in this house. This is Katie’s house. You were completely disrespectful.” Ryan’s words were harsh but true. Nathan agreed completely. When Katie knew that they were her mates, she’d probably want to burn the house down, knowing another woman had been here with her men. They belonged to her already. Maybe he should start building a new house for her.
“It wasn’t her house earlier. Yes…we made a mistake. I told Emily that it would be better if she didn
’t come over again. She feels awful. She knows how serious mates are.” Ethan stood up and started pacing around the room. They all felt a little out of it. Since meeting Katie, he felt as if his skin was tight. He needed to go for a run and get rid of the nervous energy he was feeling, he needed to be at his best for their mate.
“We have to tell Adam and Brandon that she’s here. We have to say something. Otherwise, we’ll be inviting all kinds of trouble we don’t need.” Ryan had always been the rule follower in the group. Nathan wasn’t worried about trouble, though, at least not from his cousins. They weren’t allowed to take Katie from them. She was their mate, and mates were a rare thing.
“We will, not right now, soon though. First, we need to give Katie time to calm down, and then we need to spend lots of time wooing her. We will go to Adam and Brandon soon. Let’s give them time with their mate first.” He hoped that then they would catch them in a good mood and maybe they would give them more time with Katie. Although, they couldn’t take her away from them.
“Fine. Do you have a plan? You do realize that she’s going to be pissed, right?” Ryan asked. Nathan realized that both Ethan and Lucas weren’t talking. They seemed to be staying away from this particular issue. Both of them had spent years sowing their oats, mostly together, on a single woman. They were all a lot older than Katie was, as well. She looked like such a child compared to them, especially with her big doe eyes and innocent pixy face. How she managed to stay that way in today’s society was astounding. He was the oldest at forty, then Ethan and Lucas the twins at thirty-seven, and Ryan was the baby at thirty-two. They didn’t even know how old she was. He never even thought to ask.