“Mine,” he muttered as he pulled back the covers and gestured for me get under.
“I was just dizzy,” I protested. “Don’t you think this is a little overkill?”
“I told you not to lie to me.”
“You were never this bossy before.”
“I didn’t have a right to be.”
I sighed and scooted back. “And now you do?”
“Damn right. And there’s one thing we haven’t thought about.”
My nose scrunched up as relief flowed through me to be laying down. “What’s that?”
“You might be getting your mark. And if you are, you’re probably going to have flu-like symptoms. You just lie here and rest. I have to get back to work, but I’ll tell your mom you’re here. She’ll get Kenneth. And I’ll be by later.”
My eyes were already closing. “Great. Fine.”
“Good girl.”
With my eyes shut, I muttered, “Hate that.”
He chuckled and kiss my forehead. “Too bad.”
Chapter Seven
I sat up in bed when Mom came in to check on me. She brought me a sandwich and lime drink on a tray with a red rose and a note. “Eat up and see if you feel better. If not, I’ll get Kenneth.”
My lips pursed before I picked up the turkey sandwich. “No thanks. I’m fine.”
My mom’s eyes narrowed at my answer, and I took a bite of the sandwich. “We’ll see,” she replied. “In the meantime, Myra and I are going to go shopping for you.” When I started to protest, she put her hand up. “Listen. You need clothes, and we’re happy to get some.”
“Fine,” I relented, and picked up the rose along with the note. “What’s the note and flower for?”
Mom shrugged. “A Lydent guy from work gave them to me to give to you. It seems word got out that you’re my daughter.”
I arched a quizzical brow. “Really?”
Mom sat down beside me on the bed. “Ever since they heard about you, they’ve been coming by.”
“To what?”
A slow grin quirked her mouth as she patted my leg. “To see who you are. You’re kind of a big deal for them. Even Zander and Hale have had to fend them off.”
“But none of the guys in my classes were doing that.”
“None of those boys are of mating age.”
“Hmm.”
“Well, I’m going to head out. Either Hale or Zander will check on you later tonight.”
That perked me up a bit. “Okay. I’ll keep a lookout for them.”
She gave me a knowing grin and patted my leg once again before she stood. “I’m sure you will.”
I let my expression sour. “Mom.”
She walked out of my bedroom door and, in a sing-song voice, replied, “Listen to your heart and see you later.”
After Mom left to go shopping, I wrapped a blanket around myself and took the envelope with my name scrawled across it to the backyard and curled up on the porch swing.
The sunset was halfway gone and rays of light glowed in between the trees, causing it to look like the forest was ablaze. A light twinkled to my left as the rays moved.
I tapped the note in my hand before studying my name scrawled across it. Who in their right mind would send a letter and flowers to a complete stranger? Curious, I tore the flap that held it closed.
*Carly,
As a new Lydent female with no mark, I would like to reach out and have you consider me as a possible mate. *
My eyebrow arched as a dull pain nagged at my head, but I ignored it. I was more amused by what the hell this guy wrote. “Oh, really?”
*While others might approach you with this same offer, few of them will have the qualities I do.
I am a pureblood. My mother and one of my fathers are on the Lydent council here in Flag. You might have met them. Myra and Gaston Frost.*
“Some guy?” I snorted. “Mom, you knew exactly who it was, and now you’re out shopping with his mother.” I huffed and read on.
*Typically, powers are passed down or inherited. My Lydent power is a rare one. Our children will inherit the power of telekinesis.
*“Getting a little ahead of yourself, aren’t you? Already thinking of children.”
*Most say I’m handsome. I can’t say for myself, but if you agree to one date, you might find my charismatic disposition quite enlightening.
Think about it.
-Naylor Frost*
I folded up the paper and shoved it back into the envelope. “Enlightening, my ass.”
“I told you to think about it,” an amused, masculine voice admonished from the left.
“Shit!” I screamed, shot up off the swing, and shimmed out of there.
Inside the house, I swayed, overcome by vertigo for a moment before I locked all the doors. My efforts went to waste as he shimmed inside. Tall and slim, he had a head full of blond hair and wore an amused expression.
I put up my hands. “Agh! Go away!”
“Come now, love. You haven’t given me a chance.”
As I glared at him, my hands came back down. I didn’t feel up to this. I wanted to lie back down. “Why? And how are you here? I thought there were wards on the house for unwanted visitors.”
He folded his arms and leaned forward with a glint in his eyes, thoroughly amused. “You really are new. Know what? I’ll let you figure that out.”
“Great way to gain points in my book!” I hissed.
There was a gentle tug on my hair. “Love the blonde.”
I pushed his power away. “You’re an ass.”
He drew closer and replied softly, “And you are beautiful.”
I raised one brow, then let it drop when I remembered my headache. “Will you leave?”
“For one date.” He pulled away and floated a picture frame from the side table over to him. It was one of me and my stepbrothers.
“No.”
He floated the picture back and sat down on the couch. “Then I’ll just hang around.”
“You are rude.”
“And you are a spitfire.”
I growled and crumpled his note in my hand. He only showed up after I read it.
“Did you like my rose?”
“I’m allergic,” I lied, heading to the kitchen. He needed to leave so I could take pain relievers and lie down. They would help. I was sure.
He shot to his feet. “Where are you going?”
I opened the cabinet where the medicine was, pulled out two pills, and grabbed a cup from another. Filling it up from the faucet, I swallowed the pills down.
Naylor stared at me with amusement. “Really? I’m not that bad.”
I slammed the cup onto the counter, ignored him, and started to rifle through the kitchen drawers until I found a lighter. I turned around and lifted it like I’d just won the biggest prize from the pizza game center.
Now, Naylor seemed worried. He put his hands up. “Whoa, what are you doing?”
I flicked the lighter on and lifted the note. “You showed up after I read this.” I shook the paper. “This is the reason you got past the wards.”
“Don’t do that,” he warned.
I put the note into the flame.
“Ahhhh!” he screamed, crumpling to the ground.
Horrified, I moved the lighter away.
Then he started laughing. That’s when I noticed the note was undamaged.
He stood and gestured to it before it flew out of my hands and into his. “Don’t you think I could have just taken it from you if I was in any real danger?” He tapped it on his palm. “Props to you, though, on finding out how I was sticking around. Shows you’re smart. I like that.”
I folded my arms, thinking. “Well, I don’t particularly like you.”
“A date might change your mind.” I twisted my lips as I watched him lean back against the kitchen counter.
“One date?” I asked before shimming outside on the porch again to gather up my blanket.
He shimmed beside me, grinning. �
��Just one.”
I shimmed back inside the house. He didn’t follow. Instead, he knocked and waved the letter in the window. “You’re good. You figured it out. So, about that date…”
I glared at him. “After that? No.”
Still feeling a little off, I shimmed to my room and curled up in bed. When I remembered the flower, I shot back up and threw it out the window. That idiot needed romance lessons.
Chapter Eight
I woke up the next morning feeling a little bit better from taking the pain medication and realized it was nighttime. Glancing over at the dresser, I saw the bags of clothes Mom and Myra put there for me, most likely wanting me to try them on.
Throwing back the covers, I went to the dresser to sift through the clothes before I found a set of PJs. I went to the bathroom, did my business, and came out to find Hale there.
Wearing light-wash blue jeans and a green shirt with some kind of design on the front, he relaxed on the other side of my bed. Arms stretched back behind his mop of black hair, he watched me enter the room.
I shivered, wondering why he was here.
“What’s up?” I croaked, leaning back against the doorjamb.
As if he sensed my hesitation, he patted the spot beside him where I’d been sleeping. “Come here.”
My insides quivered more than usual, and I became acutely aware of him. Usually, I was able to control the way I reacted when he spoke. Now, an invisible string pulled me to him, and the heat in his eyes didn’t help, either.
“I know you’re sick. Patrick excused you from classes, but I brought a movie and figured we could watch it.” He gestured to the TV mounted on the wall across from the bed.
“This late?” I asked, making my way to the bed and crawling in.
He curled an arm around my shoulders, drawing me to his chest. “Yes.”
For a second, I hesitated, staying stiff. Then I melted into him. “What movie is it?”
He named an action movie we’d watched together before, and warmth filled me. I snuggled up to him, happy for the moment. “I like that one.”
He gave me a squeeze. “I know.”
He picked up the remote and started the movie. And like that, the conversation melted into an action flick.
Partway through, both of us had managed to move around. I now lay on my side with my head on his shoulder, and my hand splayed out along his chest. Unconsciously, his fingers traced softly over mine. It was time to bring in the big guns. It was time to talk. Did he like me the way I liked him?
To distance myself from him, I drew my fingers away. While the movie played in the background, Hale tilted his head toward mine, his sea-green eyes concerned. “Something wrong?”
I took a deep breath. “I have a question to ask you.”
Something flashed in his eyes, and he lay his hand down on his chest, shifting a little so he could see me better. Did he know what I was going to ask? “Shoot.”
My nerves quaked. By asking this question, the fabric of our relationship could shift. Either way it wasn’t good, but I had to know.
A bright light filled the room, preventing me from taking the leap as Zander and Baxter appeared.
I rolled away from Hale, back to my own spot, and grumped. “I know you guys are relieved and all about me being one of you, but really,” I huffed, gesturing to the two of them, “do you have to shim into my room?”
Baxter stared at me, perplexed, as if he wasn’t sure how to respond. Zander, on the other hand, came over, scooped me up, and stole me away—again.
We shimmed into an unfamiliar living room, where Colten waited. He sat on the couch, leaning back, his face paler than it should have been.
“You look like shit,” Colten stated, standing and joining us as Zander let my feet down.
Holding onto his bulky shoulder, I steadied myself and shot Colten a smirk before I dished back, “Takes one to see one.”
Zander’s shoulders shook at my simple razz, and Colten snorted and took me from him.
“You’re saying I look like shit?” he whispered into my hair when his arms surrounded me. His strong hands rubbed my back, kneading the tense muscles.
My arms threaded through his and around his neck to hug him close. “I just call it like I see it.”
He chuckled and let go, his golden eyes shining once again. I didn’t like how dull they had seemed before. “Nothing a few drinks and grilled cheese couldn’t cure,” he razzed back.
I nodded, moving away to plop down on the couch where he’d sat before. “I could go for that.”
Bright lights again filtered in the room to announce the arrival of the other two we’d abandoned in my room.
Colten’s face lit up. “I’ll work on that right now.”
Zander marched over to Hale. “That wasn’t cool.”
“Hey,” Hale said, stepping back. “You wanted her to see the house. Well, now we’re here. She’s in our house.”
“You were taking too long. And you started watching a movie! What the fuck was that about?”
“Maybe I saw that she was tired, and I wanted—”
I sat up, done with the fighting. “What’s going on with the two of you?”
They looked at me, having forgotten I was there, and blanched.
Baxter came and plopped down beside me. “This was bound to happen,” he stated, twisting me and lifting my legs into his lap. Hands that felt like heaven rubbed my feet.
Baxter’s tone got low. “You guys should take it outside if you have a problem. Do you have a problem?”
Immediately, they separated, and Zander answered, “No, we don’t.”
“That’s right,” Baxter stated. The pressure on my feet increased with exact firmness. I relaxed, leaning my head back on the armrest of the couch. So good. Baxter stared at them, adding, “Because we decided it’s best to stick together. Right?”
They both nodded.
“Right,” Hale answered.
It felt like everyone was stepping on eggshells, so I decided to move the conversation along. I gestured to encompass the room. “So, this is your house.”
Baxter squeezed my feet in thanks. “Yeah, sweetheart, it is.”
“You make enough to live here?”
Hale chuckled. “The warrior program helps, too.”
I shifted my gaze to his. “How?”
“Every Warrior is given compensation for entering the program. Like in the army.”
“Oh, is every Lydent guy in the warrior program?” I wondered.
Zander shifted his gaze, cautious. “No. Not everyone. Why do you ask?”
I swallowed, remembering the idiot who visited me yesterday. “Any of you know Naylor Frost?”
They all froze.
“Why?” Zander questioned.
“He came by yesterday,” I told them.
Baxter continued rubbing my feet. “He’s an okay guy.”
Zanders lips pressed. “He’s an ass.”
They all chuckled.
“Am I going to get that a lot? Guys pestering me about...” I grimaced.
“About what?” Hale prompted.
My cheeks heated with embarrassment. “About mating.”
Hale sat beside me on a sliver of the cushion. “Probably, but just ignore them. And if any one of them becomes a real nuisance, let us know, and we’ll take care of it.”
Everyone agreed.
Warmed by their protectiveness, I said, “Thanks, guys.”
When Baxter hit a sore spot in the arch of my foot, I hissed. He gave me a sympathetic smile. “Sorry.”
“It’s okay.” I waved him off. “Just be softer.”
I moved my feet from his lap and stood. “So… can I have a tour while Colten makes me my grilled cheese?” I raised my brows. I didn’t want to be demanding, but felt awkward being here. Like they wanted me to come, but they didn’t plan what to do once I got here.
“Sure,” Zander said. “We can give you a tour.”
I followed him out of
the living room, past a formal entry, across the hall, and down some stairs to a great room with a pool table. A couch and bar were off to one side, another TV mounted on the wall. Basically, a man cave.
I turned to find the other guys behind us and arched a brow. “I’m guessing this is where the fun happens?”
Hale smirked. “What gave it away?”
I shot him a wide grin. “I’d say it was the pool table, but the bar clinched it for me.”
Baxter laughed and grabbed my hand. “Come on…”
He maneuvered me back up the stairs and down another hall, which split off into the kitchen. The scent of burnt toast teased my nose, and I found Colten there, flipping grilled cheese at the stove in a hurry, like he had somewhere he wanted to be.
“Hey, slow down,” I told him as I walked to him, passing the trash can full of burnt grilled cheese. Reaching Colten, I grabbed the spatula. “Take it easy, buddy. You don’t want to flip them too soon. It takes time to toast them.”
His shoulders dropped. “I already burned them.”
“We know.” Hale snickered.
“We could smell the smoke when we walked in,” Zander added.
I bumped Colten’s hip with mine. “No worries.”
He took the spatula from me. “Go finish the tour. I promise I won’t burn these.”
I smiled. “Find us when you’re done.”
He started to flip the sandwiches and winked. “Sure. Maybe we’ll meet back in the family room and finish that movie you and Hale were watching.”
“Sounds like a plan,” Baxter agreed and scooted me out. Zander and Hale didn’t follow.
Baxter pointed to the rear of the house. “Let me show you the backyard.”
I rolled my eyes but followed. “You mean the one with all the trees?”
He chuckled. “Yeah, but there’s something else back there.”
“What?”
“You’ll see.”
We went back down the hall and passed a set of stairs, through the foyer, and back into the family room.
“Here.” He guided me past the TV and couch to the floor-to-ceiling window I missed before and flipped a lock.
He tugged, and the whole wall of windows opened to the redwood porch. He flicked a switch, and light shone out over the space. I thought the game room was a man cave, but I now realized my mistake. Another bar, fit for a bartender, sat beside a large jacuzzi with easily enough room for twelve.
Falling For Them Volume 2: Reverse Harem Collection Page 103
