by Alicia White
“Did you already take her bag to the room?” Nathan asked Lucas.
“Yeah, but don’t worry though, I went through it. The only thing she had was a driver’s license and clothes. Nothing else.” Nathan knew his orders would be followed, but he had hoped for a moment that maybe he could learn more about her. “I know that look, and yes I got all her information. Her full name is Katie Ann Kaltman. She’s twenty-six and lives in Portland, Oregon.” Lucas shot him a sly grin, and Nathan nodded, giving him the unspoken version of a job well done.
“At least she’s legal. I can’t believe how young she looks. For a minute, I was nervous.” Ryan said the exact thing he was thinking. She was almost half his age. Would that turn her off? Would she find the age difference too much and deny him? The thought of the possible rejection had the beast in him snarling. It took a few deep breaths to calm down, something he was finding harder and harder to do with her being so close.
* * * *
Katie lay in the middle of the large bed, staring at the ceiling. She hadn’t removed the layers of clothing and was now feeling sweat trickling down her back. She wanted to blame Ryan, Nathan, and those other two men, but she knew this was her fault. She’d always been too naive, too trusting, and now she was paying for it. She let a virtual stranger drive her here to his house, and now she was locked in a bedroom. She didn’t even know these men. They could be killers or rapists, and she’d actually been lusting after them, wanting to beg Ryan to pull over so that she could feel his large hands rub her naked body.
She rolled to her side, feeling disgusted with herself. Her eyes felt swollen from crying, and she knew she probably looked like hell. Whenever she cried her nose turned bright red and her eyes would get so swollen she could barely see straight. It was ridiculous. She finally allowed herself a minute to look around the spacious room.
The furniture looked to be solid oak, and the walls were painted a moss green. The carpet looked like it could almost be shag. It was thick, and she knew that walking around barefoot would feel wonderful. There were also two huge windows overlooking the forest, the view spectacular.
Katie slowly rose from the bed and walked to the windows. She looked around, seeing that she could open them. She looked to see if there was a safe way to get to the bottom floor without killing herself. She needed a plan. After walking around the room multiple times, she decided to strip the bed and tie the sheets together. She remembered watching a movie once that had someone tying sheets together, tying them to the bed frame, and then going out a window. If only she could remember if they were successful or not. That would be a good piece of information to have.
By the time all the knots were tied, she was really sweating. All the layers were killing her, but she couldn’t remove them. She needed to get out the window. It seemed as though hours had passed. The sky was almost completely black, and she wondered if this really was a good idea. None of the men had come to check on her, and she knew it was only a matter of time before someone did.
Katie opened the window and pushed out the screen, taking her time, trying not to make too much noise. She made sure the knot was tied tight around her waist, pulling hard a few times, trying to get her bearings. She was scared. Her heart hammered in her chest. She needed to get out of the room, away from the house, and away from the four men keeping her prisoner. She stepped over the windowsill and tested her footing, making sure the roof wasn’t slippery. When both feet touched the roof, she crouched low, trying to keep her body balanced.
The cold air whipped at her, and the power of it was almost hard enough to send her falling off the side of the roof. She wasn’t sure she had the courage to go through with this experiment. She didn’t want to end up with a broken leg or, worse, dead. She gave herself a quick pep talk, took a deep breath, and started moving along the roof, looking for the best place to climb down. There didn’t seem to be a place that she could jump down without getting hurt.
Katie steeled herself against the inevitable. She was going to get hurt, but it would be worth it to leave. She hoped. She moved down the deep slant of the roof, making her way toward the edge, one small step at a time. She looked down at the hard ground that awaited her and realized that she was higher than she originally thought.
“Stop! Don’t move, Katie. You’re gonna get yourself killed.” Nathan’s voice broke through her thoughts, and he made her feel powerful. She jumped without a second thought. She could hear Nathan yelling as she fell closer to the ground. “Go outside! She jumped!” His voice was frantic, and she could hear it laced with worry. When she hit the ground, Katie tried to untie the knots she’d tied. Her heart was pounding, and she could feel the blood racing through her system. She needed to move faster. Time was running out. When the last of the knots were free, she started running toward the forest, wanting to hide in the trees.
She had always been athletic and knew she could run for hours if she needed to, but for some reason her legs weren’t moving as fast as they should be. She felt weak, and she knew something had to be wrong although she wasn’t feeling any pain. She moved closer to the trees and away from the house. She could hear footsteps and voices approaching, but she never took her eye off the prize, never looked back once.
A white streak caught her eye, and Katie turned her head. What she saw had her screaming and scrambling back. A huge, eight-foot polar bear stood to her right on his hind legs, growling at her, moving in her direction. Different thoughts flashed in her mind. She didn’t know if she should run or play dead. As the bear moved toward her, Katie dropped to the ground and rolled into a ball, the decision made. She couldn’t run. She was panting, and her muscles protested as she moved her body tighter on the ground. She heard heavy breathing and she closed her eyes tight, willing herself not to move.
Katie felt something touch her bottom, and her eyes shot open. She didn’t want to move, afraid that the bear might attack her. Her heart hammered in her chest, and she was shaking, not just from the cold but also from the situation. She stayed firmly planted in place as the bear moved around her, circling her. The only reason she knew he was moving around her was that the bear’s large body brushed against her. He stopped next to her and rubbed his body against hers. His actions were confusing, unless that was how bears played with their prey. He used his big paw, rolling her over, and she laid there unmoving, staring at him.
She couldn’t take her eyes from him. His huge teeth gleamed, and his face looked fierce, a complete predator, and she was his victim. She went from one bad situation to another, and she had nobody to blame but herself. She had come all this way to see her sister, and now she was going to die and nobody knew where she was. Her last words to her sister were angry, and she didn’t get the chance to kiss her mom good-bye. Katie’s vision blurred as tears welled in her eyes and leaked out.
The bear didn’t move. He cocked his head to the side and watched her. She stopped crying and feeling sorry for herself and used a different tactic. “Nice bear. You’re a nice bear. You don’t want to eat me. I taste terrible.” The bear growled low, and she kept talking. “Please, please, please, don’t eat me.” The bear moved back a little, watching her closely. She could hear voices moving in and turned to see Nathan. She’d never been so happy to see anyone before.
“Are you okay, Katie? Are you hurt?” Nathan’s voice was the sweetest thing she heard.
“I’m okay, just trying to talk this bear out of hurting me. Nathan, how do we scare him, make him leave? Why isn’t he moving to attack you?” She stayed on the ground, wanting to run to Nathan but worried that any sudden movements would make the bear attack.
“Back off.” Nathan tilted his head toward the forest. It only took those two words for the bear to leave. He turned and trotted off.
“Who are you, the bear whisperer? Jeez, I actually thought I was gonna die.” She didn’t move to get up, even though a part of her wanted to jump into his arms. Nathan walked over and knelt down next to her, moving his hands over her body,
touching her everywhere. She couldn’t move. She closed her eyes and enjoyed the feeling of his big, muscular hands moving along her legs.
“Are you hurt? Jesus, Katie, I can’t believe that you jumped out that damn window.” She couldn’t speak. The feel of his hands on her body was almost too much, but then again it wasn’t enough. She wasn’t shivering. Her body felt hot, and she moaned deep.
“Where are you hurt? Right here?” He put his hand on her hip, and she moved, wanting him to cup her pussy, wanting to feel the friction on her clit. She shifted, forcing his hand where she wanted it. When his fingers brushed against her pussy, she groaned deep in her throat.
“She’s not hurt, Nathan. Look at her face. She just wanted your hand on her little pussy.” She had been so deep in thought, wanting Nathan, that she never heard Lucas walk up. He was watching her, and Katie rolled her eyes. The moment was over. She had been so close to begging Nathan for more, but with Lucas staring at her, she realized that now wasn’t the time. She moved, stretching her muscles before she stood up. It took her a minute to get her bearings. When she put pressure on her right foot, she cringed and realized that she must’ve hurt it when she jumped out of the window.
“Shit. You did hurt yourself.” Nathan moved quickly, picking her up and pulling her close to his chest. He felt good, and she let herself relax against him as he walked back toward the house.
“Why won’t you let me see my sister? Why are you keeping me prisoner here? Nathan?” She looked deep in his eyes, trying to plead with him without using words.
“You aren’t a prisoner. You’re our guest. We aren’t keeping you from your sister. We’ll take you to her soon. Right now, she’s bonding with her new men, Adam and Brandon.” His voice was smooth, and she realized that she really wanted him to talk more. His voice did something to her.
“Why do you keep saying ‘we’? Just for clarification, locking someone in a room is making them a prisoner, not a guest. You’re keeping me here, so that your cousins Adam and Brandon can ‘bond.’ I’m thinking that means fuck my sister.” She knew she sounded a little harsh. If her sister needed a little privacy, then fine, but they could’ve explained that earlier.
“Uh-oh, I hate to point this out, Nathan, but Katie just said a very naughty word.” Katie turned her head to look at a smirking Lucas. It seemed like he went out of his way to tattle or just to point things out, and it was really starting to irritate her.
“Seriously? What, are we in elementary school?” She shook her head and focused on Nathan, completely ignoring Lucas when he tried to get her attention. Both of the men stopped walking, and she knew then that what she did was wrong. She had dismissed him. Nathan kissed her forehead and handed her off to Lucas. It looked like they were a team after all. That answered her “we” question. He never spoke for himself, and she realized that he never would.
“Be careful with her. I need to check her foot. Take her to her room.” Nathan walked ahead, leaving her with Lucas. She crossed her arms firmly across her chest, unwilling to touch him. She refused to look at him. She didn’t want to see the smug grin he always seemed to be wearing.
“It’s just you and me now, princess. You should know from the beginning that we, the four of us, work together all the time. With you, there won’t be an exception. It’s all or nothing, sweetheart. I’m sure you know what I mean, but just in case you want to play innocent, I’m talking about the four of us taking this hot little body. It won’t just be Nathan. You will belong to all of us.” He took slow, steady steps, holding her close, even though she tried to put distance between them. She let his words sink in, digesting them, not willing to speak. She did want Nathan. There was something about him that pulled at her. When he was around, listening to his voice was enough to arouse her.
The idea of having one man was nerve racking enough. The thought of four was too much. She now realized that they thought they were giving their friends alone time with Chloe, but it didn’t change the fact that she didn’t want to be here, stuck with them, in their home. She needed to talk to all four of them and explain a few things.
“You should know that we have amazing senses. We can smell different emotions, especially when you’re aroused. It’s the sweetest smell, and you can’t hide it, so don’t deny it. You wanted Nathan to touch your pussy. You should’ve asked him. He would’ve pleasured you.” Katie looked at Lucas, and he gave her an evil grin, lifting his brow, wanting a response from her.
“You’re right. I did want Nathan until you came over and ruined it. Did you notice the smell change when you arrived?” She smirked back, hoping that he realized she wasn’t really that interested in hearing his smart-ass comments. He was great-looking. They all were, dark, gorgeous, blue eyes that had a way of looking through her. It was his attitude. He acted as if he owned her, as if she should be grateful to have him. It was irritating.
His eyes narrowed on her, and she turned her head, watching as his long legs ate up the distance to the cabin. It was dark out, almost completely black, and she was grateful not to be trekking through the forest trying to find where her sister was. Lucas climbed the steps and Ryan was there, opening the door and holding it for them to enter. The warm air from inside consumed her and warmed her almost instantly. She felt herself shaking again, her body finally able to defrost from the bitter cold outside. She was glad that at least she’d been smart enough to wear layers. Otherwise, she would have probably frozen to death.
Lucas didn’t waste any time. He took her back to the room they had locked her in. There was a fire lit, and the orange glow made the room feel welcoming now. She hadn’t noticed that before. Ryan walked out of the bathroom just as Lucas put her in the chair by the fire. She didn’t speak, just stared at the dancing flames, enjoying the heat as it soaked in through her jacket. It felt amazing. Nathan walked in carrying a large black bag and kneeled next to her.
“We need to get these clothes off. They’re damp, and I don’t want you getting sick. Then I’m going to look at your foot. I want to make sure you didn’t break anything. I’m also going to check the rest of you to make sure you aren’t injured anywhere else. I want to check your fingers and toes. What the hell were you thinking? Did you really think we were going to hurt you?” He started undoing her boots first, removing them and her socks.
He didn’t waste any time unbuttoning her jacket and pants either. She let him, too stunned to stop him. He looked like a fallen god kneeling next to her, taking care of her, and the girl in her found it charming and romantic. The woman was spitting mad, though. She didn’t want to be taken care of. She sat in the chair unmoving, almost limp, while he quickly stripped her down. He handed her clothes off to one of the other men. She didn’t turn her head to look, though, too focused on Nathan and what he was doing to her body.
“I asked you a question, little girl, and I want an answer.” When she was wearing only her yoga pants and long-sleeve T-shirt, he stopped and looked at her expectantly.
“I told you that I wanted to see my sister. You locked me in here. I don’t like feeling helpless.” She whispered the last word, not wanting anyone else to hear what she had to say. If their sense of smell was good, maybe their hearing was as well. She felt fragile and petite with Nathan in front of her. He was wearing a T-shirt and jeans now, the jeans sitting low on his hips. She could make out every line and muscle on his chest, and she found herself reaching out, wanting to touch him.
When her hand made contact, she felt his muscles ripple, and he groaned, coaxing her to touch more of him. “Your little hands feel so good on me, baby.” She couldn’t help but smile at his words.
* * * *
Nathan was losing his mind, and it was all her fault. Ever since she first walked into their house, she had consumed his thoughts. Seeing her jump out the window, his life flashed before his eyes. The sheer panic he felt was so overwhelming he nearly choked. He pushed himself to look out the window, hoping he wasn’t going to see her broken body lying on the ground
. She was their mate, and she nearly killed herself to get away from them. That sense of rejection had him running down the stairs and out the door after her.
He had known his brothers would follow. They had been waiting a long time for her as well. Ryan had taken the rejection the worst, his animal jumping to the forefront, needing its mate. When he turned and stalked her, Nathan knew he wouldn’t hurt her, but he had scared her into submission. How long would they have to play this game, how long would she run from them? He knew she’d only been in their house a matter of hours, but didn’t she feel anything at all? The pull Chloe felt had been almost instantaneous, but maybe that’s because she had bonded with the youngest brother Conner first, so the transition was easier for her.
Having her hand on him now, he was able to calm down. It was almost as if she knew exactly what to do. He let her explore him as he moved his hands up and down her body, searching for any broken bones. He leaned back, needing to check her feet, and her hand fell away. She couldn’t reach. He looked up and caught the little pout on her face, her lower lip sticking out. It reminded him how young their mate was. She would need to be treated gently, he realized. He pulled her feet into his hands and applied some pressure, wanting to warm them. He looked for any signs of discoloration, hoping they wouldn’t have to deal with any serious weather issues.
“Ryan ran you a bath. The warm water should help you lose the chill. He also brought you a pair of sweats and a clean, long-sleeve T-shirt. When you’re done, get dressed and come sit by the fire. I’ll bring you some soup.” He pulled on her feet to get her attention. “Katie, did you hear me?” He kept his voice quiet, trying to keep the commanding tone at bay.
“Yeah, okay. Thanks.” He helped her to stand and watched as she walked into the bathroom and closed the door. He heard the click of the lock and smiled. That wouldn’t keep him out if he wanted to get in, but he knew it made her feel better.
