Realms and Rebels: A Paranormal and Fantasy Reverse Harem Collection

by C. M. Stunich

  Again, I nodded. This time however it was a bit more annoyed. This guy is really getting on my nerves.

  “I, of course, am the eldest of the household. My name is Antoine Durand. You may call me Master Durand or Mister Durand, but never just Antoine.” His sharp tone made me want to flinch, but I curled my hands into fists, forcing myself not punch him in his stuck-up face.

  “Here to my right is Marcus. He is the second oldest.” Antoine pointed toward a large man with his hair buzzed down until there was only fuzz on top. He had a hard look to him that made me believe he wouldn’t break the rules like Wynn.

  “Next to Marcus is Wynn, which you have met already, the middle child.” He rolled his eyes as Wynn grinned and winked at me. It took everything in me not to blush and respond back in some way, but I had a feeling Antoine would not have liked it.

  Pointing a finger at the redhead next to me, Antoine scowled. “And Rayne you met already as well. He is the youngest.” Continuing down the line, he pointed at a pair of twins on his left side. Both men had dark hair and a smile that made a dimple appear in their cheeks. “Drake and Alister. Stay out of their way unless you want to be at the butt of their pranks.”

  The twins gave me matching sinister smirks that made my body react in an odd fashion. Half was fear and the other attraction? Not surprising since each brother was just as gorgeous as the last. I would think any female would have trouble not being attracted to them.

  With all the introductions out of the way, Antoine stared at me expectantly. “Do you have any questions?”

  I shook my head. “No.” What I really wanted to ask was if he needed help taking that stick out of his ass, but I didn’t want to get fired on my first day. I was lucky the vase incident hadn’t got me booted out the door. I was surprised Darren wasn’t there just waiting for the word.

  As if listening to my thoughts, the tight-lipped butler showed up in the doorway on the other side of the room. “Dinner is ready.”

  Antoine inclined his head. “Very well. Darren, I expect you to show Miss Billings where she can eat her meals and the rest of the house rules.” And with that, I was dismissed.

  Darren didn’t wait for me but marched back through the door he came. My eyes slid to the table in front of me, curiosity getting the best of me, but they didn’t have any plates of silverware anywhere. Did they eat with their hands?

  I didn’t have long to stare at my new employers before Antoine turned his gaze back to me once more. “Did you need something else, Miss Billings?”

  “No, no, sir. I mean, Mister Durand.” I stumbled over my words, irritated that there were even rules on how I was to address them.

  Irritation covered Antoine’s face, and he waved his hand at me. “Then get out.”

  Nodding again, I hurried after Darren, but Antoine’s voice stopped me at the door. “And do try not to break anything else, Miss Billings.”

  Groaning, I realized I hadn’t quite gotten off scott free. I had a feeling this job was not going to be boring or easy. Lucky me.

  4

  The door Darren had gone through led to the kitchen. Not just any kitchen, but one of those T.V. kitchens most of us peasants only dream of. It had a double top stove with a large range overhead, and the island and counters were all covered in a dark marble that I would fear I’d scratch if I touched it.

  “Finally,” Darren sniffed, not any happier for me to be there than I was. “You may eat your meals in here at the bar or in your room. Nowhere else.” I slid onto one of the barstools and nodded.

  Darren went about getting a plate and filling it with some kind of beef and vegetable concoction on the stove. Whatever it was smelled heavenly. At this point, I’d have taken anything other than fast food. I was surprised I hadn’t gotten as big as a house because of all the crap I’d had to eat because of my prior living conditions.

  “I’m sure Master Durand has already made it clear, but you are here for one thing. To do your job. Not to socialize. Not to poke your nose into the masters’ business.” He placed the plate in front of me along with a glass of lemonade. “Some days, you might finish your chores early. If this happens, you have the rest of the day to yourself. You will get Sundays off for you to take care of any personal things.”

  I listened to him intently as I picked up my fork and took a bite of my meal. I couldn’t help but let out a hum of pleasure at the taste. This was absolutely divine.

  “So happy you enjoy my food.”

  I opened my eyes and realized Darren was staring at me with a bemused look on his face. It was as close to a smile I had ever seen on him. I tucked that little tidbit into the back of my mind for later.

  “Are you and me the only people who work here? I haven’t seen any other employees.” I waved my fork around in the air at the obvious lack of workers.

  Darren began to make his plate as he talked. “I handle the household. As in I answer the phones, the door, and anything else the masters need. I also, on occasion, cook as well. The regular cook only comes a few times a week. Miss Gretchen also makes some premade meals and places them in the fridge.” He gestured toward the large double door refrigerator before coming over to sit by me.

  “And I clean the house?” I arched a brow, finding it kind of hard to believe that this massive house ran on only three people.

  Darren seemed to understand my reservation. “The masters’ keep to themselves for the most part and are pretty tidy. You shouldn’t have too much trouble keeping up with your chores. Just remember the rules, and you will be fine.”

  I nodded. We both ate our meals in silence after that. I could hear the murmurs of the masters from the dining rooms, but they were too low for me to hear. I hadn’t seen Darren take them food, so I wasn’t sure exactly what they were eating. Nor did I have the courage to ask. For all I knew, they had called out for food.

  When I finished my meal, I took it to the sink and rinsed it before sticking it in the dishwasher, something I had been taught to do since I was young. I turned around to see Darren watching me with a curious expression.

  “What? I know how to wash a dish.” I shrugged and started back toward the dining room, but Darren stopped me.

  “Don’t go that way.” I glanced back at him, my brow furrowed. “The staircase over there will take you back upstairs and comes out near your room. Use this one from now on when coming in and out of the kitchen. The dining room is reserved for the masters alone.”

  Wrinkling my nose, I changed my direction and headed for the stairs. However, once more I was stopped by Darren’s voice.

  “By the way, if you are in your room, you should always lock your door, especially at night.” He gave me one of those firm, no-nonsense looks that didn’t leave any room for questioning. So, I didn’t.

  Taking the stairs two at a time, I couldn’t wait to get to my room and process all of this. Today had been an interesting day, to say the least, and I could only assume it would only get worse.

  That night, I passed out before I could really take the time to explore my room. I dreamed of my new employers as dark figures surrounding me, taunting me, and demanding me come with them. Wynn was the most eager of the six brothers to have me join them. By the time I woke the next morning, I had tossed and turned myself so much that my sheets were tangled around my body.

  I fought against the sheets and ended up on the floor with a thud. Groaning, I grabbed my head and rubbed my eyes. The light pierced through the shades and blinded me as I cracked open my eyes. I had forgotten to close them the night before. Why this one room had the curtains open and the rest of the house didn’t, I would never know.

  Glancing over at the alarm clock, I saw that it was just after seven, about the time I usually woke for work. Guess some habits were hard to break.

  Standing up, I started for the bathroom to shower and begin the day. Halfway across the room, I noticed a slip of paper just inside the door. Cocking my head to the side, I went over and picked it up.

  On t
he paper was a simple list. No greeting. No thank you. Just a list of chores.

  Gather the laundry

  Start laundry

  Vacuum the living room

  Clean windows on second-floor servants wing

  Switch laundry in between jobs.

  Fold and return to correct room

  Man, they hadn’t been kidding when they said I might have time off in the evening. From this list, I’d be lucky to be able to take a piss or a lunch break without being behind.

  Sighing, I sat the list on the side table and gathered my clothes. After seeing the list, I couldn’t very well take a long shower like I wanted. Instead, I quickly washed and brushed my teeth and hair. I pulled my long blonde hair up into a bun and lightly applied some mascara and lip gloss. I didn’t know why I was bothering, but for some reason being in a house full of attractive men made me want to look my best.

  Since they hadn’t given me a dress code, I went for jeans and a pale t-shirt. I slipped my tennis shoes back on and grabbed the list before heading for the door. Glancing one way and the other, I noticed the hallway was completely empty. Were my employers even up yet? Probably not. They probably didn’t know the meaning of the word morning.

  Snorting at the lives of the rich, I found the staircase that I had come up the night before and headed down it. The smell of eggs and bacon filled my nose before I reached the bottom and I found a plump older woman working at the stove.

  “Hello,” I greeted the woman. “You must be Miss Gretchen. I’m Piper.”

  Gretchen turned from the stove and pointed the spatula in her hand at the bar. “Have a seat, I’ll have breakfast ready in a moment.”

  Taking a seat, I grabbed the pot of coffee off the counter and poured some into the cup in front of me. Sipping deeply from the cup, I sighed.

  “Oh, dear. If you’re already that dejected, I don’t have high hopes for you to get through the week.” Miss Gretchen tsked as she sat a plate before me.

  “I know, it’s just so different than what I’m used to,” I explained right before scooping a forkful of eggs into my mouth. Suddenly, I was starving and inhaled my food like it was the last thing I’d ever eat.

  “Well, I’m glad you have an appetite on you at least. These young masters barely touch anything I make.” Gretchen shook her head, one hand on her hip. “I don’t even see the reason for me being here half the time, but with you here, at least I’ll feel a bit more useful.”

  I grinned at her as I finished my plate and picked up my coffee cup. Just as I wondered how to go about asking how long Gretchen had worked there, Darren showed up in the kitchen doorway.

  “Are you finished? I’m supposed to show you where the laundry room is.” He didn’t wait for me to answer but disappeared back through the doorway he had specifically told me not to go through.

  Glancing at Gretchen, she nodded her head. “Go on ahead. I’ll take care of these.” She took my plate and cup and took them to the sink.

  “Thank you and for the meal as well.” I wiped my mouth and quickly followed after Darren. It was barely eight, and already they had me on my toes. The end of the day couldn’t come soon enough.

  5

  I could say one thing about Darren. He was efficient. He showed me the laundry room and where each of the guy’s baskets was for their clothes when I collected them.

  Collecting them was a different matter. I had no idea whose room was whose. I didn’t think that Darren was going to draw me a map. Thankfully, I didn’t need one. The hallway Darren pointed me to, the one to the right side of the stairs from the front of the house, had a row of rooms that were in the order of the masters’ ages.

  The first door on the left was Antoine’s, which I definitely didn’t want to go into. I didn’t think any of them would be awake by now and really didn’t want to go waking up my new bosses. However, it was on my to-do list. It wasn’t like I had a choice.

  Sighing, I decided to start with the last door. Rayne’s room. I knocked on the door, but there was no answer. I waited a moment and then knocked again. Still no answer.

  Slowly, I turned the doorknob and pushed the door open. The room was dark, and no sign of life could be seen from where I stood. Inching inside, I glanced toward the bed. Empty.

  Of all the brother I sure as hell didn’t expect the youngest – who looked like he was barely twenty – would be up at the time of day. Man, I remembered what it was like to be that young. Okay, hold up. It was only a few years ago – okay, seven – but it’s not like it was that long ago. However, while I was in college, I didn’t get up before noon if I didn’t have to.

  Not wanting to come face to face with the man himself, I hurried into the room and found his laundry basket. Of course, it stunk to high heaven. Full of basketball socks and wet towels, no doubt.

  I dumped his basket into my bag and realized that one bag was not going to cut it. Groaning, I lugged the bag over my shoulder and sat it outside the door. Pulling out another bag from the pile that Darren had given me, I went to the next room.

  If memory served, it would be one of the twins. No idea which one it belonged to though since there were no names on the rooms. I knocked on their door just like I did Rayne’s and once more came up with no answer.

  Shoving the door open, I wasted no time crossing the room and finding the laundry basket. Dumping it into the bag, I started for the door but paused at a side table where some mail sat.

  Figuring I could use that to figure out which twin’s room it was, I picked up the first paper I found. The envelope said it was from some company called Opos Bank. Shrugging it off as some odd named bank, I glanced down at the name. Alister Durand. This was Alister’s room. Good to know.

  I sat the paper back down and continued on my way. I went through the rest of the rooms, each one as empty as the last. I wasn’t sure if I was happy or disappointed about that. A small part of me hoped I’d at least catch one of them in their boxers or even coming out of the shower.

  I drooled a bit as an image of a wet and naked Wynn came to mind. The tiny towel he was wearing in my mind barely covered anything, and he had a teasing grin on his face as he ‘accidentally’ dropped it.

  “You seem to be doing alright.” The very voice of the man I was daydreaming about showed up before me. “And here I thought I’d check to make sure the locals hadn’t run you off yet.”

  My face heated and I ducked my head. “No, I’m alright. Actually, you’re the first I’ve seen. Other than Darren or Gretchen that is.” I gathered the bags up and started to lug them back toward the stairs. Man, this was harder than it looked.

  “Want some help with that?” Wynn tried to help me pick up the bags, but I waved him off.

  “No, I got it. It’s my job after all.”

  Wynn laughed that delicious laugh of his, and I almost melted right there. “That may be, but you are clearly struggling. I’m just doing the gentlemanly thing by offering to help.”

  Smiling despite myself, I let go of the bags and turned to him. “I suppose I could let you carry one.”

  “Oh?” Wynn arched a brow and moved in closer, reaching out to take the bag. Our hands brushed against each other, and my breath caught.

  After I reminded myself how to breathe, I licked my lips and offered him a weak smile. “Well, we can’t have it being said that you weren’t a gentleman, now can we?”

  “No, I suppose not.” Wynn leaned toward me, and I was frozen to the spot. He stared down at me, his eyes dilating once more as his nostrils flared. My eyes started to flutter shut, but all of a sudden Wynn backed away. “Your hand is bleeding again.”

  My brows furrowed at his random statement. Glancing down at my injured hands, I could see the red bleeding through the bandage Wynn had wrapped around my hand.

  “Oh, I guess I am. Probably aggravated it with all the bag moving,” I murmured out loud. When I glanced up from my hand, Wynn was gone.

  Staring at the place he had once stood, I wondered what his proble
m was. He had been nice enough to bandage my hand yesterday, but clearly, I had been right about him being queasy about blood. Snorting, I shook my head. Strange men.

  With Wynn gone, I had to take all the bags back downstairs myself, which ended up taking half the morning. By the time I was done, my stomach was growling and ready to eat itself, and I wasn’t even half done with my chores.

  Gretchen wasn’t in the kitchen, nor Darren when I arrived. However, there was a sandwich sitting in the middle of the island with my name on a sticky note stuck to the edge of the plate. Pulling the plate over to the edge of the counter, I sat down with a sigh.

  With no one there to bother me, I took my sweet time eating my sandwich and then putting my plate in the dishwasher. I switched the clothes from the washer to the dryer before heading toward the living room to work on the next item on my list.

  It was strange. As I went through one chore after the other, besides the one appearance of Wynn, I didn’t run into any of the other brothers. It wasn’t until the sun had set and I was dead on my feet that I ran into one of them.

  “Ah, so you’re still here.” Rayne appeared in the kitchen and opened the fridge. He pulled out a bottle with his name on the label and took a deep drink. There’s a bottle in there for each of them, but I wasn’t sure what exactly it was. I just assumed some kind of protein drink.

  I watched as the bottle came down from Rayne’s mouth that his lips were stained red. Definitely some kind of health drink. I wanted to gag just thinking about it. No thank you. I’d take my vegetables the all-natural way, not smashed or juiced to a pulp.

  “Did you think I wouldn’t?” I asked, digging my fork into the left-over container Gretchen had set out for me.

  Rayne snorted. “We have a bet going actually.”

  “A bet?” I choked on the drink I had just taken a gulp of. “Really?”