She knew they had strong feelings for her, but they had never told her they loved her. Maybe in time they would come to feel the same way that she felt about them.
Before heading back to the compound, they stopped at the real estate office to speak to Mr. Baker about Ray’s claim. Unfortunately, Daniel Baker had had a stroke and was no longer available, according to the receptionist. His speech had been affected, and he was now living in a rest home just outside of Dallas.
“Dammit, Teaghen, how are we going to find out the truth?” she asked, hoping that he wasn’t going to tell her exactly what came out of his mouth.
“We go and see Sean, in prison.”
* * * *
“It looks like you two bought enough clothes for an army.” Duncan laughed as both he and Alex helped them carry bag after bag upstairs.
“Don’t blame me, blame your brother. He wouldn’t take no for an answer. He just kept dragging me to store after store, spending way too much money in the process, and most of it is lingerie anyway.” Kianna smiled coyly at them.
“Well, that’s why we sent you to town, wasn’t it, so that you could buy some clothes?” Duncan raised his eyebrows in question.
“Yes, but this is just way too much, and he wouldn’t let me pay for anything,” Kianna groused.
“Damn right you weren’t paying for anything, kitten,” Alex said. “You’re our mate, and we will take care of all your needs.”
“Alex, I do have some of my own money, and in a few more weeks, the rest of the estate will be released, so I’ll be just fine. There was no need for you guys to spend so much.”
After putting the last of the bags on the bed, Alex took her by the hand and led her to the bench seat at the window. Sitting down, he pulled her onto his lap and opened the curtains.
“Do you see all this land, Kia? Our family has lived and worked this property for generations. Our pack is very large, as you’ll see tomorrow night, all of us contribute and spend the monies earned by the pack. We have done very well for ourselves over the years. So well that no one in the pack ever has to worry about money again. You will learn over time that we share all responsibilities with our pack. We have the final say, and Duncan, Teaghen, and I are the leaders, but in our community, we do not live better than our packmates. We make sure that all of them are well provided for. So spending a few dollars on our mate isn’t going to break us, kitten, and it gave me incredible joy to see the big smile on Teaghen’s face at all the things he got you.”
Putting her arm around his neck, she snuggled against Alex’s neck and shoulder, “I just don’t want to feel like a burden on you, Alex. Since moving out of my parent’s house, I have supported myself. Having you and your brothers protecting me and now supporting me financially is a bit off-putting for me. If I’m going to be your mate then I will contribute to the pack as well. When I get the ranch up and running again, it should make a pretty living, so I can help, too.”
Alex kissed the side of her face and smiled at how giving his little mate was. With their wealth, she could live as a princess, and they would love spoiling her, but she would never allow them to do that. She needed to help out in any way she could.
“Tonight, before we claim you, we will sit down and discuss this with Teaghen and Duncan. But ultimately, the decision is yours to make, kitten. But for now, I think Duncan wants to take you out to the barns and show you around a little. It’s been a while since you’ve been here, and a lot has changed.”
Kianna placed her hand along the side of Alex’s face and brought his lips to hers, kissing him gently. When she released him she said, “Thank you for sharing this with me, my love,” and without another word or a backward glance, she stood and left the room.
Alex sat there for a few minutes longer, stunned at what she had just said to him. She hadn’t yet told any of them that she loved them, but she had called him my love. Tonight she would know the true depth of their feeling for her. Alex couldn’t wait for the sun to go down.
* * * *
Duncan was sitting out on the front porch when Kianna finally found him. He’d been waiting to spend some one-on-one time with her, and he wanted to show her how much their compound had grown over the years. It had been fairly large the last time she was there, but she usually didn’t go near the barns or paddocks when she was there, so she had no idea just how large it had gotten.
Stepping out onto the porch, Kianna took a deep breath of the fresh, clean air.
“I love the smells out here. Even the not so nice ones.” She giggled as one of the hands rode by on his horse, which dropped a present on the ground as they passed.
Duncan laughed and pulled her onto his lap. “We usually try to keep this area as clear of the animals little gifts to us, but sometimes we aren’t quite fast enough.”
“It’s a working farm and ranch, Duncan. I would expect to see horse droppings and other nasty stuff. That’s all part of it.” Kianna leaned her head on his shoulder and breathed deep. “I love your scent, you know. Each one of you has your own unique scent, and I love them all. You smell like cotton candy to me.” She licked the side of his neck and sent a shiver down his back.
“And you remember how much I love cotton candy, don’t you, baby,” she murmured in his ear.
“Seriously…? Cotton Candy…? I smell like cotton candy to you?” Duncan was astounded at her revelation. He thought she might say something manly like sweat and horses, but cotton candy?
“You better not say that around my brothers, or I’ll never hear the end of it.” He smiled, hugging her close.
“You want to know what they smell like?” she asked.
“If you say sweat and other manly stuff then, no, I don’t.” He laughed.
Looking up into his eyes, she said, “Teaghen smells like vanilla ice cream, and Alex smells like cherries.”
“Well, then I don’t feel quite so…girly anymore I guess. Still, cotton candy?” He just smiled and shook his head.
They sat on the bench for a few more minutes longer until Duncan said, “I suppose I should take you down to show you the barns. But you feel so good in my arms that I don’t want to let you go.”
“C’mon, sexy man.” She laughed and pulled him to his feet. “You show me yours and tonight”—she went up on her toes and kissed his jaw—“I’ll show you mine.” Grabbing her by the hand, he practically dragged her down the stairs to the barns.
“This is our main barn. We used to use it for the horses and tack and such, but now we use it kinda like a mini animal hospital. Derek over there”—he pointed to a handsome young man speaking quietly to one of the horses—“is our resident vet. When he finished high school, he wanted to be a vet, so we sent him to university, and he came back to us with the idea of the hospital. We don’t just take care of our horses and cattle, we also tend to the local wildlife as well. We help the fish and game department in the area by keeping their costs down, and they in turn make sure that Derek is called to tend to all injured animals in the area. If he can’t help them, then he stabilizes them and then arranges transport to the bigger vet hospital in the city.”
* * * *
Kianna walked slowly around the huge barn. It look like a hospital and was filled with animals that needed help. She never would have realized that something like this was here if Duncan hadn’t shown her.
“This is incredible, baby! This place must help a lot of injured animals. It seems too large to tend to only a few.”
“Unfortunately, we get far too many animals that have been hurt by hunters who are too lazy to finish the job. I never want to see any animal’s death, but a quick death is preferable to a lengthy one from an infected gunshot wound.” Duncan’s face showed the pain he felt at the thought of an animal suffering.
“Let’s go and see the horses now. I think we have some new foals that are being trained. They’re always fun to watch.” Giving Derek a quick wave, they headed toward one of the paddocks.
“Hey, Duncan, who�
�s this pretty little bit you’re holding onto,” an older man said, stepping forward to shake Duncan’s hand.
“Jason, this beautiful lady is our Kianna, our mate,” Duncan said proudly.
Kianna could feel her face heating from Duncan’s compliment.
“Little Kia? Well, it’s about time you came home, girly.” And the big man picked her up in a hug and twirled her around.
Laughing and not knowing why, when he put her down, she got a closer look at him.
“Oh my God, Uncle Jason, I didn’t recognize you, and I should have. You haven’t aged a bit?” The look she gave Duncan told him that she would be asking some serious questions later on tonight.
“I’m so glad you’re back with us, little girl. Your men have been waiting a long time for you to grow up.” He tossed a nod at Duncan.
“Shit, did everyone know I was your mate before I did?” She felt embarrassed from the knowledge that every pack member she met seemed to be aware of this fact.
“No need to blush, Kia girl. It wasn’t like they went around telling everyone, but it was kinda obvious early on when every time you got hurt and one of the other men tried to help you, they let out some pretty loud growls of warning, meaning that no one was to touch you while they were around.” Jason smiled at her.
Duncan asked, “Are there any new foals in the paddock, Jason?”
* * * *
Glancing over his shoulder, Jason got the hint and replied, “Yeah, we’ve got three new ones in there now. Let’s go and see how the boys are doing with them.”
The three walked to the fence, and right away Duncan noticed that Kianna was having trouble seeing into the paddock. Looking around, he noticed a small box not far off and grabbed it. Placing it down beside her, he tapped her leg. When she looked down, her smile lit up his world.
“You’re the sweetest man ever, Duncan,” she said leaning closer to kiss him. “That’s one of the reasons I love you so much.”
Stunned, Duncan just watched her profile as she gazed out at the horses. She’d just told him she loved him, and he was standing there like an idiot. What the hell was wrong with him?
Should he tell her how he felt or wait until later? It seemed like he’d been waiting his whole life to hear those three words from this woman, and the moment she says them, he forgets how to verbalize anything. Damn was he ever in trouble.
Putting his arms around her waist, he kissed her cheek and pointed to one of the baby horses at the far end of the paddock. It was standing on skinny little legs, not venturing very far from its mother.
“We like to get them out of the barns as soon as possible. It gives them a better sense of the world around them, and it makes it easier on them during training,” he told her softly.
* * * *
“How long before you start training the foal, Duncan?” she whispered to him, afraid that talking would frighten the young horses.
Laughing, Jason leaned over to her. “You don’t have to whisper, honey. It’s actually good for them to get used to human noises as early as possible.”
“And to answer your question, baby. She’s already started her training.” Taking her hand, he helped her off the box and headed to the end where the smallest foal and her mother were.
“Do you see the harness that’s around her? We put that one on at about a week old. It makes it less traumatic for them when the real training begins because they’re already used to the harness.”
“She looks so tiny and fragile compared to her mom.” Kianna put both arms around Duncan’s waist and leaned against him, just watching the two horses.
It seemed like they’d been out for quite a while when she noticed the ranch hands starting to bring the horses back inside, and the smell of food drifted across the yard.
“Dinner’s ready by the smell of it.” Duncan leaned over and kissed the top of her head. “Let’s head back to the house and see what they’ve cooked up for us tonight.”
They walked hand in hand across the yard into the house. Removing the jacket she’d borrowed earlier and her runners, she headed upstairs to wash up, but before she could set foot on the first step, Duncan picked her up in his arms and carried her to the bedroom.
“If I remember correctly, I did put my big-girl panties on this morning, so I should be able to walk up the stairs and wash up myself.” She chuckled.
“I know, but I like feeling you in my arms, and I want you to get used to us carrying you around because we all like it.” He quickly kissed her cheek and then headed back downstairs.
Kianna had to admit it to herself that the more time she spent with the three men, the deeper she fell in love. She also loved how each one of them had set aside some individual time for her. Just to talk or do just normal, everyday things. Since arriving, she’d had very little normal in her life.
Quickly washing up, she pulled the band that had held her hair up off to let it flow freely down her back. The light-brown tresses fell to her lower back, and even though she sometimes hated the amount of time it took to dry it naturally, she wouldn’t cut it for anyone.
Chapter 9
When she entered the kitchen, all three men were already sitting waiting for her. They stood, and Teaghen walked over to her, kissed her, and sat her in the chair beside him.
Alex sat across from her, and he just stared at her and smiled. Already feeling anxious about tonight, their observation of her was making her even more uneasy.
“Why are all of you just staring at me?” she finally asked.
“We’re not staring really, kitten. We just love looking at you. You light up a room when you walk into it and don’t even realize it,” Alex told her.
She could feel the heat rising in her cheeks as they continued to look at her.
“Are you going to feed me or just sit there staring at me for the next hour?” she said, a little bitchier than she’d like.
Teaghen grinned, stood, and began handing Duncan and Alex the food that he retrieved from the oven where it had been warming.
There was the best looking roast beef she’d seen in some time, along with spinach, baby carrots, and mashed potatoes with gravy.
“So which one of you went to the diner and picked this up?” She laughed and helped herself to some roast.
“I take great offense to that, kitten,” Teaghen said, a little bit of hurt sounding in his voice.
Not wanting to upset any of them, Kianna laid her cutlery down beside her plate and took hold of Teaghen’s face between her hands.
“I’m sorry, my love. I would never intentionally hurt or insult you.” Lowering her mouth to his for a quick kiss, she said, “I just assumed that three bachelors living together wouldn’t be very good cooks, that’s all. I seriously thought you were all teasing me when you told me you all could cook. I have to admit that I’m not really good in the kitchen, I can warm things, but since it’s only been me for the last few years, I usually just ate a salad with a sandwich. Pretty boring, I know but while I was competing I didn’t have the time to make hot meals.”
“Our mom and dads made sure that all of us knew how to cook very well before they moved down south. Didn’t we already tell you that? Everything on this table was grown or raised on the compound by the members of our pack. I wasn’t really upset Kianna. I just wanted to tease you a little.” Teaghen shyly smiled at her.
“We take turns each week doing different household chores and the ones that we really don’t like, such as cleaning the bathrooms and doing the laundry, we pay some of the women who live here with their mates to do them for us.” Alex piled a mound of mashed potatoes on her plate along with spinach and carrots.
“How did you know that this was my favorite meal? Have you talked to my dads lately?” she asked, pouring a little gravy on her meat and potatoes then looking down at the pile of food on her plate and realizing that her eyes were way bigger than her stomach.
“We haven’t spoken with Jeff and Sammy for a couple of days now. I remembered from wh
en you were fifteen, just before you left with your mom, you’d run over here after Sean had said if he caught you around the house, he’d kick your ass. We had just sat down to this exact same dinner when you came bursting through the door, huffing and puffing from running all the way here. I set a plate out for you, and I swear you ate half the roast and most of the potatoes and all of the vegetables. For such a little bit, you ate like you hadn’t eaten for days.”
* * * *
Kianna’s smile faltered a little at his last statement. She’d remembered going hungry many a night because she had managed to piss off one or more of her brothers, and that night was no different. Somehow she’d managed to royally piss Sean off, which as she got older, seemed easier and easier to do. So he came after her with one of the whips he used on the horses, but before he could strike even once, she ran. She ran so fast that she thought she was beating the wind. She’d heard Sean shout that if he caught her again that night, he’d make her sorry. So she went to the one place she knew she was always safe, the Featherstone ranch. She remembered running straight into the house, not even knocking, and the look of complete surprise on the men’s faces. But nothing was said. They just pulled out a chair for her, got her a plate, and let her dig in.
Kianna’s smile was back at all the good memories that she had shared with these men.
“I can’t believe you remembered after all these years, Teaghen. It was fifteen years ago, and when I showed up here, I couldn’t believe my luck that you were having my favorite dishes. It must have been karma, huh?” Kianna loved these men more than she could ever have thought possible.
“You forget, mate,” Alex said, his voice quiet and low, “we knew then that you were destined for us, so we were very aware of your likes and dislikes, even then.”
He pushed himself back from the table and stood, reaching his hand out for her to take hold of. “Are you ready to begin your life with us, little Kianna?”
Kianna and Her Three Alpha Wolves [Featherstone Pack] (Siren Publishing Ménage and More) Page 10