The other twin smiles apologetically and rubs his hand over his neck as Thor takes a seat between Bradley and Asher. “I’m afraid we rather let Thor do whatever Thor wants. My name’s Lachlan, by the way. But you can call me Lock, everyone does.”
I meet his eyes and we share a warm, sympathetic look. I can tell Lock and I are going to get along fine.
I put him down on my list as the top contender so far. When he takes off his leather jacket, he’s wearing a loose fitting v-neck tee shirt and I’m happy to see that his body is every bit as fit and muscled as his more severe looking twin’s.
Thor has the short hair and the grumpy face. Lock has the longer hair and the piercings and the killer smile. Got it.
The doorbell rings again. This sort of feels like the marathon version of a blind date. And the room feels like it’s heating up. I can feel scents mingling, making me feel a little light headed, but nothing too severe so far. Nothing as bad as being close to Lindon that time in the kitchen where he unleashed it all on me.
But each of these men have to be the most beautiful I’ve ever seen in my life, and I have to resist literally licking my lips as I look around the room.
This time, the man at the door is short and blond, barely coming to Lindon’s chest. He’s young, definitely younger than me, but still a good deal taller than me despite being shorter than the other men.
He looks like he’s maybe in his early twenties, but he has the bearing of a prince, ignoring Lindon and coming into the room to scan us all haughtily as if we’re beneath him.
“Ah, nice to see you, Shortstack,” Lock says, giving him a friendly grin.
The blond man’s features contort, and then he flies into a rage. “Don’t call me that! Don’t you dare! I’ll tell my dad! I’ll—”
Thor rises up at the smallest sign of aggression, catching the twerp by the collar and heaving him into the air. “Tell your dad what?” he asks.
The man, boy really, clutches at his collar and glares ominously at the man holding him. “Tell him you weren’t respecting me and—”
Thor hauls him up higher, and I can see Thor’s impressive arm muscles tensing as the kid struggles. “You aren’t making me want to put you down right now.”
The kid kicks out, catching the guy in the leg.
“Thor, put him down,” I say, not wanting to see anyone bullied. Thor drops him immediately, but sends me a resentful look, like I’ve betrayed him. He drops down next to Lock and glares at the kid and me intermittently.
The kid brushes off his collar and turns to face me with icy disdain.
“How old are you?” I can’t help asking.
He opens his mouth but Lock answers. “Twenty-five going on fifteen.”
The kid turns to him, fire in his eyes, but then remembers I’m the one who asked the question.
He gives me another haughty glare, and then allows his eyes to wander over my body, lingering for a prolonged moment on the boobs (at least all the guys seem to agree with my appraisal of my boobs) and then a sneer curls his face. “My age shouldn’t matter to you, human. Unlike the others, I’m not here to slobber over a mate.”
Hm, just to slobber over my boobs then.
“Why are you here then?” Bradley says. Even he seems to resent the newcomer.
“My name is Matthew,” he says, ignoring Bradley and facing me. “And my father is head of the Tribunal.”
Ah, that ruling thing. Lindon rubs his temples like he’s getting a migraine. I don’t blame him. They’re all gorgeous, but I wasn’t expecting such an array of odd personalities. I guess I should have known, based on meeting Rowan and Lindon and what characters they are.
Matthew has blue eyes and dark blond hair and elven features that look more like a goblin when he’s attacking or spitting mad. His nose is slightly upturned and his lower lip is pouty. His eyes are large and almost feminine.
“Matthew just has good genes,” Lindon cuts in from his place at the door. “He only looks like a kid. And he’s lying if he says he’s here for any reason other than to spy for his father.”
“That’s exactly what I was about to say. I’m here to make sure none of you nitwits break any ru—”
Thor makes a loud yawn and makes a big show of covering it with his hands and little titters of laughter come from the other guys. Matthew gives me a resentful stare, as if this is my fault, and then removes his jacket to reveal a sweater underneath not unlike what Lindon often likes to wear.
A smaller, girlier, meaner Lindon. Fun.
I try to ignore his resentful gaze until the doorbell rings, rescuing me from the stares of everyone in the room.
The men are talking amongst themselves, catching up, throwing me glances, leering at me with promises in their eyes that make me squirm in my chair as Lindon lets the next guy in.
He’s tall, maybe the tallest so far, with hair below his shoulders that’s shiny and blond and something from a Pantene commercial. He sweeps it back as he glides into the room. He’s wearing a thin white tee shirt that compliments his lean figure and designer jeans that flare out slightly at the bottom. He looks like an androgynous runway model.
He comes over and takes a knee gracefully in front of me, bows over my hand, and then looks up through that veil of hair with shimmering, purple eyes. His face is pale, nearly colorless, but beautiful.
I look down at him, in shock at what I’m seeing. I guess with all of the selective breeding with shifters some really beautiful, weird things have happened.
He kisses my hand, sending a tingle through me. His scent is like lavender. Like having sex on lavender.
He studies my face with earnest eyes. “I’m beautiful, aren’t I?”
Lindon bursts out laughing and I nearly fall off my chair. The new guy stands, sweeping his hair back again and walking into the kitchen to get a chair, presumably so he doesn’t have to sit with the others.
“I’m Fifi,” he says, looking off into the distance like we’re all irrelevant. “And unfortunately, I’m probably too beautiful for you.”
Thor leans forward, face in hands, and mutters something about not knowing that nut job would be here.
Lock laughs out loud, and Bradley and Asher trade glances and then slump in their spots as if they just want to get this over with and get up to their rooms.
The doorbell rings again, this time it’s Jack. He flashes a smile at me. Dark hair curling over his forehead, jade eyes just as beautiful as I remember. A darker, rougher version of Lindon’s genes. Like his features were carved with a little blunter tool. Tall and built and confident.
But there’s that amazing smell again. So good. Like mountain breeze. I sigh, then see a whole bunch of males eyes flick to mine, some angry, some apparently aroused. Jack takes a seat as everyone watches me intently.
Oh dear. I really didn’t think through how intimidating this would be.
I grin apologetically and try to pretend I wasn’t sighing at Jack. “It just smells good in here,” I say.
Seven wolfish grins of different sizes flash at me.
Ignoring Fifi and Matthew, there are still an overwhelming number of hot, muscled guys checking me out like I’m the only food on the menu.
Asher with his bad boy confidence, Thor with his stoicism, Lock with his easy smile, Bradley with his eager expression, Jack with a cool aggression as he shakes my hand and introduces himself again.
Even omitting the weirdoes, it feels like I’ve died and gone to man heaven. I think my ovaries are exploding.
And two more guys are still to come.
“His real name is Felix,” Matt mutters, eyeing Fifi, “and he really doesn’t have any business being here.”
Fifi ignores him with a little ‘hmph’ and goes on staring at nothing. But even Fifi is attractive in his own, weird way.
Another knock.
I can hear multiple voices. This must be the final two, coming in together.
The door opens to two tall men, both deep skinned with dark, curl
y hair and stunning gray eyes.
Their features are striking, like something from a movie, and they’re similar but not identical like the twins. One is leaner, sharper, the other broader and a little taller. Like a movie star and his equally hot stunt double.
Their eyes roam me at the same time, synchronous, and I get the idea that these guys share everything.
Another knock. “But that’s ten,” I say.
The men shrug. “Maybe they counted us as one. We do everything together,” the larger one says, winking at me. “I’m Timothy and this is Thomas. You can call us Tim and Tom, we like that. And two men are better than one.”
My lip curls at that, unsure what to say. I nearly turn to Lindon to hopefully share my feeling of ‘what the eff’ with him, but then a vision of being shared by these two gorgeous, exotic brothers kind of takes my breath away.
There’s one more man at the door. Even though there shouldn’t be.
Lindon opens it, bracing himself for whatever is coming. But it’s just a man with a clipboard.
“Um, sorry,” he says, stammering up at Lindon, who towers over him. “But I have a delivery of rather a lot of flowers…”
Chapter 6
The room bursts into arguments about who is uncreative, and I peek out to see a van full of flowers parked outside. And balloons. And chocolates. I jump up to go look closer and feel many male gazes jump to me as the room goes silent.
I scan the room, watching them all want me, feeling everyone but Fifi and Matthew licking me with their eyeballs.
I look to Lindon for help and he just lets out a long sigh.
I don’t think anyone really thought this through properly.
Then one of the men stands and points a finger in Lindon’s direction. Grumpy ass Thor. Who is also hot.
“What’s he doing here?” he asks, eyeing Lindon with a sneer. “I’m not competing with him.”
“Why not?” I ask.
Murmurs and scoffs go out through the other wolves.
“The prince can get his own female,” Bradley says. “He doesn’t need to take ours. With his family’s money they can buy anything.”
“Rowan’s pack is always overstepping,” Asher grumbles. The murmuring gets louder until the door closes with a loud slam.
“Alright, look you weirdoes,” Lindon says, his voice low and authoritative. Hot. “Misty is my friend, and if you want to win her, you’re going to go through me, get that?” He points a finger at them. “And if you know Rowan’s pack, our alpha power, then you know you don’t want me putting hands on you.”
There are nods and grumbles as the room quiets. No one looks eager to engage Lindon.
“So, are you competing or not?” Asher asks Lindon, resentment plain in his sparkling black eyes. He pushes unruly black hair behind one ear and gives me a cocky wink that puts me off balance.
I look around the room in shock. None of these men would have shown any interest in me in high school and now I’m suddenly supposed to expect that they’re all here to win me?
“She smells freaking good,” Tim, the larger of the brothers says. “Looking forward to sharing her with you, Tom.”
Tom merely nods darkly, looking to Lindon to see what he’ll say.
Lindon leans against the wall with folded arms and stares up at the ceiling for a moment like he’s praying for patience. Then his gaze snaps back to them, sparkling, glittering gold, his perfect mouth tightened to a slash, and gives them all a glare. “I reserve the right to choose either way.”
“How are we supposed to compete with Rowan’s pack?” Bradley says, breaking out into the group and shaking his head. “Money, prestige, I’m going home.”
“Don’t let the door hit you on the way out,” Asher says, sneering at the quieter, taller man.
Lindon puts a palm over his face, but Asher leans forward, continuing.
“So, we just need to claim her then?” he inhales the air and his black eyes flash as they lock on mine. A smile curls his lips. “Done and done.”
Several of the other males lean forward, low growls sounding throughout the room. Just how was Rowan thinking this wouldn’t become a bloodbath? Maybe he thought because Lindon had always been the calm one among his sons that he’d be able to keep them in line, but I can already see mutiny breaking out.
“No,” Lindon says. “You’ll stay here, we’ll pick rooms, and you’ll get to know Misty, so she can choose who will suit her.”
“Ha!” Matthew says. “Typical of someone raised with humans. She should do it the old way. Whoever comes out victorious in the fight for her should win, regardless of her own petty preferences.” He sends me a scornful glare, and once again I can’t help noting how pretty his face is. Maybe prettier than Lindon, and definitely not as masculine.
“Exactly what I’d expect from the tribunal,” Thor says, giving Matthew a light shove that sends the smaller man tumbling off the couch. Matthew brushes his pants off and gets up, steaming red, and goes into the kitchen for a glass of water.
Eyes follow him and then come back to me.
Long, lean, muscular males of every shape and color are lying over every couch and chair in the house and the air is thick with pheromones and glittering anticipation.
“Um, as Lindon said, I’m Misty…” I start.
“Nice to ‘mate’ you.” Asher sits forward, grinning, and I sit back, blushing.
Lock puts a palm over his face. “Oh no, we’ve gotten to puns already. We’re done for.”
Asher sends him a glare, and then smoothly exits his chair and approaches the middle of the room.
The other men watch with curiosity, as if to see how it goes when someone tests Lindon. Thor in particular seems interested, his amber eyes not blinking as they follow Asher’s approach. Almost as if he’d do the same thing if he could get away with it. I cringe into my chair.
“So, you think we should do it your way, and I think we should do it the old way,” Asher says, speaking to Lindon but eyeing me in a way that makes me uncomfortable. I wish Lindon would come closer, even if I sort of doubt his ability to take on Asher’s stocky strength. But Lindon just cocks an eyebrow at him, daring him to do whatever it is he’s intending to do.
“What would you even do, if I could get to her in seconds, flip her on her back and have my way with her?” He bares his fangs in a smile that makes my toes curl up, not in a good way. The other males lean forward, as if ready to engage him. Is Asher actually saying he’d do that, or is he just asking a hypothetical question of Lindon?
The tension in the room is already reaching a fever pitch, the flowers and chocolates in forgotten rows in the kitchen.
Then Asher lunges toward me. My mind tries to break down what’s happening, but it all goes so fast. I push myself back against my chair, the other males are leaving their seats as if to intercept him, and his eyes are determined, locked on mine.
And then a flash of navy blue and blond crosses my vision, and I see Asher’s eyes widening in shock as Lindon catches him with one arm and spins, hurling him back against the wall opposite me. Asher hits it with a hard slam and then slides down like spaghetti off a plate.
The room goes silent, save for the sound of Lindon slowly brushing his hands off as the others settle back into their seats. None of them were even able to stand in the time it took for Lindon to cross the room and dispatch Asher completely.
“Does anyone else want to test me, and get thrown out right now?” he asks. “Look, Rowan is responsible for Misty. He made a pack’s promise with her parents.”
There’s a light intake of air at that, and I’m going to have to ask Lindon what that means.
“So this is only happening on our terms. Otherwise our pack is taking her back and protecting her and none of you get a chance with her.”
“The tribunal would never allow it,” Matthew says.
“You’d know,” Thor retorts, voice dark and sullen. “So what are we, then? Performing monkeys?”
“W
e’re alpha males,” Tom says. It’s the first time I’ve heard him speak. Though slightly leaner, sharper, and smaller than his brother, his voice is deeper and his face is more hard. “Alpha males fight for mates. I’ve never heard of this happening. Why don’t we set up a variety of matches?”
“Yes, why don’t we?” Lock says, eyeing his nails lazily. “There are a few people in here I wouldn’t mind seeing beaten to a pulp by Lindon.”
All eyes turn to him and he stands and strides easily to the wall where Lindon was leaning before, taking his spot. He flicks his dark red hair out of his eyes and gives me a lazy smile. “While you guys do that, I’ll get some time with Misty.”
My skin is heating again. Lock has an interesting scent. Spicy, almost sweet. Sex in a bakery. But with his piercings and his edgy, longish hair, I can tell the sex would be anything but vanilla.
Could I handle any of these males in the bedroom as a virgin?
“Who says Lindon would beat on us?” Thor asks resentfully, sizing Lindon up like he’s wondering if Asher was just that lame or if Lindon actually has that considerable of an advantage.
My heart is still beating quick, thinking of how quickly Lindon was there, before Asher could threaten me at all. How effortlessly he threw the other into the wall.
So incredibly strong. The wolf inside me wants him.
No wonder Rowan assigned him to me. I feel stupid for doubting people who obviously know better than me about this world, and can feel a begrudging amount of respect for and trust in Rowan’s family starting to grow in me.
Around the room, the mood seems to be intensifying. Shifters are leaning forward, scenting the air, and Fifi stands suddenly and walks over to me.
Lindon starts, but then lowers his guard as Fifi reaches out a hand.
“How about we go upstairs?” he asks. “You look like you could use a bit of space, and these guys could frankly use a break from your scent.”
“What about you?” I ask, looking up at him. Fifi’s beautiful purple eyes twinkle in amusement.
“Don’t worry, I’m not interested in anyone less beautiful than me.”
“I’ll go too,” Matthew says, narrowing his eyes at me. “Since I’m also not competing.”
Ultimate Alpha Boxed Set: A BBW and Wolf Shifter collection Page 42
