“We can either make pork chops or baked chicken. The grocery shopping is usually done when Michael is off work, which will be tomorrow. If there’s anything specific you want us to make, just let someone know by tomorrow morning.”
“Pork chops sound wonderful, if that’s okay with everyone else? I don’t want to seem demanding. It’s bad enough I’ve turned your world upside down and endangered you,” Marin said softly.
“Endangered us?”
Marin’s hand flew to her mouth. She hadn’t meant to say that, but it was probably best that the brothers be on alert. Then again, what if they didn’t want to be bothered with her if Stefan was actively seeking her? Dropping her hand to her lap, she murmured, “Stefan is probably searching for me.”
“He won’t find you here. And if he does, you have three of us to protect you. You’re safe with us. I promise we won’t let him have you.”
Marin reached for his hand with tears in her eyes. It felt so amazing to have someone take care of her and protect her. The three brothers had taken her into their home and cared for her without complaint; at least she assumed they had. Gabriel was the only one she ever saw. They were truly incredible men.
“Marin, please don’t cry,” he told her.
“I’m crying because I’m happy. No one has ever taken care of me before. I can’t even describe how it makes me feel.”
Gabriel put his arms around her and pulled her into his lap. He just sat there and held her while she cried. Cole, in his wolf form, growled at Gabriel. Marin sniffled one last time and looked down at the wolf.
“Is he okay?” Marin asked, noticing the wolf had growled at Gabriel twice now.
“He’s fine, just cranky,” Gabriel replied with a glare in Cole’s direction.
Cole looked at him innocently. While he didn’t begrudge Gabriel the chance at finding his mate, he had grown attached to Marin and had hoped she would choose him. For all he knew, she wouldn’t pick any of them and would leave when she was healed, but deep down he felt that they were meant to be together. He could only hope that Marin would feel the same way… well, once she saw him in his human form that is. His inner wolf was still screaming at him that this woman was his and the urge to mate with her was strong.
Marin stopped crying and dried her tears. Most men wouldn’t want to take on a woman with this much baggage and yet the brothers were caring for her as if she belonged here. It was enough to almost make her cry again. She reached over and gently ran her hand over the wolf’s fur.
“How much longer do you think I’ll be stuck in the bed? I’d love to get dressed and walk around some,” Marin said.
“You seem to be a lot stronger. I bet if you rest for most of the day, you’ll be good as new by tomorrow,” Gabriel replied.
Marin smiled. “That would be nice. I don’t know about being good as new, but hopefully I’ll at least be able to get around a bit.”
Gabriel quietly left the room. Marin closed her eyes and tried to sleep. A few mornings ago, she had been fleeing for her life from her imprisonment at Stefan’s. Now she was in a nice bedroom with a great family and they were telling her that could stay as long as she wanted. It was like being in a dream… one she didn’t want to wake up from.
Marin’s thoughts were so tiring that she eventually fell asleep. Her dreams were terrifying nightmares of being back with Stefan. He was beating her and raping her over and over. She whimpered in her sleep and reached for Cole. Holding on to his warm furry body calmed her a little. Sometime later, she woke up in a cold sweat.
She looked over at the wolf lying by her side and buried her face in his fur. He made a strange humming sound as if he were content and snuggled closer to her. Wrapping her arms around him, Marin closed her eyes. This time she was able to drift into a fitful sleep. The rest of the night slipped by and was filled with pleasant dreams.
During the night, Cole had shifted from his wolf form to his human form… his naked human form. He was still asleep, even though the sun was shining through the window, and hadn’t realized that he had changed. Rolling onto his side, he pulled Marin into his arms. He rested his chin on her head and rubbed her back. Thinking he was dreaming, he pressed his erection against her.
Marin moaned in her sleep. In her dreams, she was being held by a handsome, loving man… someone who cared about her deeply. She lifted her face to his and kissed him. It wasn’t the first time she’d had the dream, but this time it felt more real than it ever had before. She didn’t want it to end. Marin had never felt so loved or desirable as she did just then. While the man had always been faceless, this time he had inky black hair and gray eyes.
Neither of them realized that they were acting out their dreams in real life. Marin kissed Cole as if he were the only man in the world for her. Her passionate kiss made Cole want her even more. Running his hand down her back to her hip, he pulled her hips firmly against his and deepened the kiss. Marin felt so warm and soft … he couldn’t get enough of her.
They were so wrapped up in their dreams, and in each other, that they didn’t hear the door open. At first, Gabriel was in shock at what he was seeing. How could Cole do this? Then again, Marin didn’t seem to mind it too much.
“Cole, what in the hell are you doing?” Gabriel bellowed.
Marin and Cole jumped apart. Her eyes went wide when she saw there was a gorgeous, and naked, man in her bed. She quickly scrambled to the edge of the bed to put some distance between them. She had just been making love to a stranger! What was wrong with her?
Cole had a bewildered expression on his face. He grabbed the sheet and wrapped it around his waist. Standing on the other side of the bed, he glanced at Marin and then at his brother, uncertainty written on his face.
“I swear I didn’t do it on purpose Gabriel! I had no idea…”
“You had no idea you were naked and making out with Marin? Try again little brother,” Gabriel said with a stern voice.
“Gabriel, I swear! I didn’t know what I was doing! I thought I was dreaming.”
Comprehension started to dawn in Marin’s eyes. “You’re one of Gabriel’s brothers,” she asked hesitantly.
Cole looked at her. “Yes, I’m Cole.”
Marin looked at him funny. “Cole? Like the wolf…”
She let the sentence trail off. It wasn’t possible was it? She got up and walked around the bed until she was standing in front of him. Looking into his eyes, she was shocked at what she saw. His eyes were the same as the wolf’s eyes, the same eyes she’d seen in her dream. But men couldn’t turn into wolves! They just didn’t!
Cole saw that she was piecing it together, and coming up with the conclusion that she was out of her mind. “You’re not wrong. I’m Cole, like the wolf.” He glanced at his brother before continuing, “I am the wolf.”
Marin gasped. “But that isn’t possible! People can’t turn into animals.”
“Werewolves can be in human form or wolf form,” Gabriel said softly from the doorway.
Cole looked at him in surprise. He hadn’t expected any assistance from his brother. It wasn’t that he wouldn’t trust her with their secret, but it was a little early to be scaring her off with talk of werewolves. If only he hadn’t shifted during the night… too late for that now.
“Werewolves,” Marin squeaked. She was starting to wonder if she had fallen into an episode of the Twilight Zone. Either that or the men in this house had some serious mental issues.
Gabriel sighed. He hadn’t wanted to tell her this way. Why hadn’t Cole stayed in his wolf form last night? Things would have been so much easier if he had.
“Werewolves exist, Marin. My brothers and I are all werewolves. It’s a birth right that was passed to us on our mother’s side,” Gabriel explained.
Marin’s legs wouldn’t hold her up any longer. As she started to fall, Cole put his arms around her and pulled her close to him. Her body was the only thing keeping the sheet from falling. If she moved, she’d see way more of him than she prob
ably wanted to… not that she hadn’t already felt every inch of him pressed against her.
Marin didn’t stop Cole from catching her. Truth be told, she kind of liked being this close to him. Those feelings excited her, terrified her, and most of all confused her. After being abused by men so recently, how could she desire a man she’d just met? Especially one who claimed he was a werewolf? Maybe her head wound had been serious after all… how else could she possibly even think they were telling the truth?
Marin put her hands on Cole’s arms to help brace herself. His muscles rippled under her fingers. It was probably a good thing he was holding her up because her legs would have definitely given out after feeling how strong he was. She was starting to feel crazy for feeling this way about a man claiming to be able to change into a wolf! A man who was a stranger to her at that!
Stefan hadn’t been strong. He had been stronger than Marin, but he wasn’t built like Cole. He was definitely not as beautiful to look at. Cole’s chest was smooth, tanned, and well muscled. Marin had to restrain herself from letting her hands explore his body. She looked up into his eyes again. They were definitely the same eyes as the wolf that had been sleeping with her. Whether she wanted to or not, she had to admit that he must be telling her the truth. There was no other explanation for it.
“You’ve been by my side this whole time and yet I never knew you were anything other than a wolf,” she told him, sounding somewhat bewildered.
“I thought you might be scared in a house full of men when you woke up. Since you had seen me as a wolf that first night, I thought it would be something familiar to make you more comfortable. I never meant to shift in my sleep last night,” Cole replied.
“I believe you. After everything I’ve been through, I probably shouldn’t trust a man that I just met… especially a man who has been lying to me this past week.”
Cole had the grace to blush. “I didn’t mean to lie to you.”
Marin slowly raised her hand to his cheek. “I know you didn’t. I appreciate what you did for me. Not only saving me, but staying with me this whole time. I’ve felt safe with you by my side.”
“And now that you know I’m not really a wolf?” Cole asked.
“But you are a wolf… it’s just that you’re a man, too.” She paused for a moment. “I’m okay with that,” Marin replied.
Gabriel backed out of the room deciding to give them some privacy. It looked like the mystery of who Marin would choose had been solved. He was happy for Cole and if he were honest with himself, he would admit that he was a little relieved too. While he would have been happy to claim her as his mate, he didn’t feel like he was quite ready for that just yet. He didn’t like feeling as if his emotions were out of control.
Back in the bedroom, Cole slowly released Marin and grabbed the sheet before it could fall. He looked at the door where his brother had been standing and saw that Gabriel was gone. Looking back down at Marin, he saw that she was still staring at him. Not surprising since it wasn’t every day you found out werewolves existed, and that you’d unknowingly been sharing your bed with one… and kissing one, Cole wasn’t going to forget that for a while.
“I should probably go put some clothes on,” he told her.
Marin looked at his bare chest again and blushed. Part of her wished that he wouldn’t put clothes on, but she knew it was for the best. She took a step back, but couldn’t bring herself to move too far away from him. Even though she hadn’t known he was a man at the time, the wolf that had stayed with her since the night of her accident made her feel safe and secure. She didn’t like being away from his side. Marin was startled by that realization, but had to admit that she felt safe by Cole’s side… and something more, but she couldn’t put a name to the other feeling and wasn’t sure she wanted to.
Cole started to walk past her, but she put her hand on his arm to stop him. “Will you come back? I mean, after you’ve gotten dressed?”
“If that’s what you want,” Cole answered, enjoying the fact that she still wanted him around. It took everything in him to not reach out and pull her into his arms. He would love to feel her pressed against him again, to feel her lips on his. Even now he was fighting the primal urge to claim her as his mate.
Marin nodded yes. She very much wanted him to come back. There were so many questions she wanted to ask about what he was and how it worked. After he left the room, it felt empty. She crawled back into the bed and pulled the covers over her legs.
Upstairs, Cole quickly threw on the jeans and shirt he had worn yesterday when he’d had lunch with everyone. It was hard to believe that he and Marin had slept through dinner. She must be starving! He hurried back downstairs and hesitantly walked back into her room.
She looked up at him and smiled. “I’m glad you came back.”
He grinned at her. “I thought I would see how you felt about getting some breakfast. Gabriel probably has something cooking downstairs.”
“That sounds good. Just let me throw something on really quick,” Marin replied.
Marin jumped out of bed and ran over to the dresser, her questions momentarily forgotten, as well as the fact that she only wore a thin satin nightgown. She pulled out the green shirt and jeans Cassie had given her. She also grabbed the matching bra that went with the panties she had on. Running to the bathroom, Marin quickly threw the clothes on. She washed her face, brushed her teeth, brushed her hair and put on a little makeup. She wanted to look nice for Cole. Looking at her reflection in the mirror, she briefly wondered why she wanted to look nice for him. She didn’t really know him after all.
When Marin stepped back into the bedroom, Cole was sitting on her side of the bed. His eyes widened a little when she walked over to him. She knew that she was still too thin, but the makeup definitely made her look a little better. Apparently, her efforts had not gone unappreciated; the fact that he found her attractive lifted her spirits.
Cole stood and took her hand. They walked down to the kitchen together. Michael was sitting at the table and Gabriel was putting omelets on plates. There was a pitcher of juice on the table and everyone had an empty glass. Marin was eyeing Michael with interest. She could tell that he was Cole’s twin.
“Michael, this is Marin,” Cole said as they sat down.
Michael smiled at her. “It’s nice to meet you. I was happy to hear that you were awake and feeling better.”
“Thank you. I’m still amazed that I healed so quickly,” Marin said.
Michael glanced at Cole. Marin saw the exchange and wondered what was going on. She looked at Cole. Noting his expression, she figured he had to know something.
“Do you know why I healed so fast?” she asked him hesitantly, not entirely sure she wanted to hear the answer.
Cole looked at the table. “Maybe.”
Gabriel came over with their plates. He sat down on the opposite side of the table from Marin. He looked at his brothers and at Marin. She had a right to know why she had healed so fast, but he didn’t want to freak her out either.
“Tell her,” Gabriel told Cole.
Even Michael grew still at hearing Gabriel’s softly spoken command. He watched Cole and Marin closely. He could see the questioning look on her face and saw a myriad of emotions pass over his twin’s face. Well, well… this was certainly interesting. It appeared his twin did have a reason for staying with their guest day in and day out. Fighting back a grin, Michael knew the next few days would prove interesting.
Cole sighed and looked at Marin. “No matter how I explain this it’s going to sound crazy.”
Marin reached over and took his hand. “Please try. I really want to understand.”
“Every werewolf has a mate… one special woman that is destined to be by his side for the rest of his life. A pack’s alpha, or leader, can tell when that woman is near. He can’t tell which of his wolves she’ll belong to, but he’ll know that she’s part of his pack.”
Marin was listening intently, but she didn’t understand
how this explained her fast healing. She waited patiently for him to continue.
Cole took a sip of orange juice before continuing. “When we brought you here, you were broken and bleeding. From the moment I laid eyes on you, I had known that you were special. After getting you back to the house, Gabriel told me that you were a mate for one of us.”
“You mean I’m supposed to be with one of you?” she asked, part of her was terrified and the other part of her was excited about the thought of belonging to one of these wonderful, not to mention gorgeous, men. There were definitely worse fates.
Cole nodded. “Yes. If a werewolf’s mate is injured, he can heal her by giving her some of his blood. It doesn’t even matter if she’s his mate or another wolf’s mate. As long as she’s part of the pack, it will work.”
Marin was shocked. “You gave me blood to heal me?”
“I work for a bio-med facility, but I was in school to be a doctor. I never made it all the way to medical school, but I keep some syringes in the house for emergencies. I drew some blood from my arm, and injected it into yours. It wasn’t a lot, but it was enough to heal your injuries in twenty-four hours.”
Marin wasn’t sure what to say. For that matter, she wasn’t sure what to feel. She should be disgusted that he had done that without her knowledge, but she knew that Cole wouldn’t have done it if he thought it would harm her. He had probably saved her life by giving her his blood.
“Thank you for saving my life,” Marin said after a minute.
Cole looked at her in surprise. He had expected her to be repulsed or even furious. “You’re welcome.”
Gabriel looked at them. “Well, now that we have that out of the way, how about some breakfast?”
Everyone dug in. Marin was only part way through hers when all three brothers were finished. She couldn’t believe how fast they ate. Even though she was slow, she managed to finish her entire omelet.
Looking at Gabriel she asked, “You’re the pack leader, right? Is that the correct term?”
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