Falling For Them: A New Adult Reverse Harem Collection

by C. L. Stone

  Torben stared at the floor to his right. “No, it is. There’s several scientific studies on the effect of mutism on the senses.”

  Another lie, Wade? My eyes are up here. “Hmm. Well, I’m not sure I believe you.” Ellie turned away from Torben. “But…since you noticed it, would you like some?” Ellie waved the candy bar at Dov, as he nodded slowly. At least he’s looking me in the eye.

  “Can we have some too?” Mathin practically begged. Honey, yes please!

  “Sure, but I only have one, so it’s not going to go far.” Ellie opened the wrapper and broke the candy bar into three pieces. Mathin’s eyes were wide as saucers; he licked his lips watching her dole out their portions. Dov’s piece went down in one bite, while Torben tried to savor his, Mathin was letting his melt in his mouth with a rather wide grin on his face.

  “How long are you here for?” Mathin asked with a mouth full of candy.

  “For the whole summer, I’m in college, so I have to go back in August. Do any of you go to school?”

  “No, we’re not really classroom types.” Torben shook his head. “We’re more self-study guys.”

  “Oh? What do you do then?” Ellie crossed and uncrossed her legs attempting to appear calm. Her pulse was racing, sitting so close to the guys. Wow they smell fantastic…

  “I help your grandmother out at the hospital. Do—I mean Ryder, works on cars, and Zane is a thrill seeker so he takes whatever odd jobs he can find.”

  “Thrill seeker? Like you jump off cliffs or something?” Ellie’s nose scrunched at the thought, causing Mathin to laugh.

  “Well, I have, yeah. I like going out to the lake and kitesurfing. Sometimes I teach the vacationers for spending cash.” Mathin watched Ellie’s expression morph as her brows drew together.

  “Okay, what on Earth is kitesurfing?” Ellie felt like a hermit. Am I really that sheltered?

  “It’s hard to explain, it’s easier to just show you online, but there’s like a parachute attached to a board on the water. So you can jump up out of the water and ride the air, it’s a blast!” He jumped up to mime the way he rode the air before crash landing on the sofa.

  “Isn’t that like asking a shark to eat you? Here sharkie, sharkie, I’ve got a nice tasty surfer for you?” She giggled awkwardly.

  “Well, if you do it out on the ocean maybe, but here we’re limited to the lake. The only thing big enough to grab you in there stays at the bottom.” Mathin waved his hand dismissively.

  “Wait, what’s at the bottom?”

  “Catfish large enough to swallow a man whole. Haven’t you ever watched any of the documentaries on the fish that live in the Ozarks?” Mathin couldn’t help laughing at Ellie’s expression, but it was relatively true. Catfish and other large fish had been known to eat people, not that it happens all the time, and there weren’t any reported cases in Missouri. There are reported cases in other parts of the world though.

  Ellie turned a little green. Nope, nope, and a hell no. “I don’t think I’m going to be going in the lake anytime soon. Guess I didn’t need to pack my bathing suit after all.”

  “Way to stick my foot in my mouth,” Mathin mumbled, slapping himself on the forehead. The guys looked a little crestfallen at the possibility of not seeing Ellie in a swimsuit. Dov glared at Mathin. To be fair, they had seen Ellie in a bathing suit before, but the last time it had happened she’d been five. Now at twenty, certain areas had developed that would make the view go from cute to alluring, or would have, if Mathin hadn’t made her afraid to go in the water.

  Dov signed “shithead” to Mathin, but no one cared to translate for Ellie, their silence began to grow awkward. Ellie fiddled with her hair, while Dov stared off into space. Mathin was searching for anything to talk about; even Torben fidgeted. While the guys had known Ellie as a child, she didn’t know that; to her, they were meeting for the first time. If they hadn’t wanted to impress her so badly, keeping up the conversation might have been easier; after the lake issue, they were afraid to screw up again.

  “So, how did you guys wind up living with my grandma? She wouldn’t ever tell me what happened.” Ellie sat forward, dropping her ponytail.

  “Oh, well…we’re all cousins, but stuff happened. We lost everyone. Your grandmother found us and took us in.” Torben shifted, turning to face her.

  “I’m sorry…my grandmother is really good at taking care of people in need. Have you seen the bears that hang around?” Torben coughed, Mathin looked like he’d swallowed his tongue, and Dov avoided eye contact, scratching his ear.

  “Yah, we’ve seen them.” Mathin gulped.

  “Aren’t they amazing? They’re my bears. Well I mean, we were friends when I was little. I hadn’t seen them in so long, but they greeted me on the road here.” Ellie sighed wistfully. Dov’s eyes swung back to Ellie, burning a hole in her, as Mathin’s jaw dropped.

  “Your bears, I like that.” Torben smiled at Ellie.

  “I think grandma was jealous that they didn’t trust her as easily as they did me, at first, anyway. But after a couple of summers with them, my dad found out. He wouldn’t let me come back. Hell, he wouldn’t even let me talk about them. I kind of mutinied to get here.” She laughed.

  “Wow, that’s ballsy.” Mathin laughed, shaking his head.

  “Thanks, I’d had enough. He treats me like I’m still five years old.” Ellie clinched her fists on her lap.

  Torben winced. “I’m sure he’s just trying to protect you.”

  “Listen to Mr. Understanding over here. He’s always trying to keep the peace, but sometimes you gotta break out and do what you want to do. Let the wind fly through your hair and be free.” Mathin imagined darting through the woods in bear form; he was itching for a good run. They’d just started to venture out when Dov spotted Ellie’s car; mission aborted, greeting Ellie was more important. He couldn’t help, but wish she was two natured, how much fun it would be to run with her.

  “It’s okay, if it weren’t for people like him, impulsive people like us would run amuck.” Ellie rolled her eyes.

  Mathin smiled. “Maybe, so…other than not swimming in the lake, what are your plans for your time here?”

  “Well, I wanted to reconnect with my bears, but it seemed like they took off. Other than that, I really didn’t plan anything, maybe I can tag along with you guys?” Ellie bit her lip. Please say yes.

  “Sure! That sounds good to me.”

  “Down boy, don’t scare her.” Torben laughed, throwing a pillow at Mathin’s head.

  “If I’m a really good boy maybe she’ll give me a treat.” Mathin pretended to beg like a dog, sending Ellie into fits of giggles. Dov actually formed a full-fledged smile on his lips at the sound of her laughter, he hadn’t heard her giggle in so long.

  “She already did, remember the candy bar?” Torben caught the pillow as it sailed back at his head.

  Years without her laughter had been hard for them all. As kids, they hadn’t understood her disappearance; even when she left them for months at a time, she always came back. Until the summer after she turned five, her dad picked her up, and she never returned. It wasn’t until they were older—when Julia had tried explaining things again—that they started to put the pieces together. Some humans didn’t know about shifters, and people didn’t see bears as friendly creatures. Ellie’s dad was frightened they’d hurt her even if that was the furthest thing from the truth. They’d have protected her with everything they had, even as cubs, but Ellie’s dad didn’t understand that. He wasn’t willing to take the chance.

  The smell of fried chicken drifted into the living room, and before Ellie could even detect it, the guys’ mouths were watering. Julia was a great cook. Dov’s stomach rumbled, and Ellie held back a chuckle. By the noise Julia was making setting the table, it appeared lunch was almost ready. The cabin wasn’t fancy; it didn’t have a formal dining room, but the kitchen held a large wooden table that sat six.

  “Come and get it kids!” Julia shouted as she set
the table.

  Mathin ran straight for the kitchen—careful to keep his speed to a human level—while Torben stood before reaching out a hand to help Ellie to her feet. Dov followed a few steps behind them watching the way Torben left a hand on Ellie’s back with narrowed eyes. Mathin sat beside Julia at the table with Ellie sandwiched between Dov and Torben.

  “So Maw-Maw, what happened to my bears? They ran off after I pulled up.” Ellie sat down toward the middle of the table.

  “Um…” Julia thought a moment, unsure how to explain.

  “It’s us,” Mathin said, causing Dov’s eyes to bulge out. “The bears don’t like men, they run off whenever we’re around.” Torben breathed a sigh of relief.

  “Really? Well, I guess it makes sense, they were only ever with Maw-Maw and I. They didn’t seem very happy when my dad took me home, then again, neither was I.” Ellie puffed her cheeks as she sighed.

  “Alright guys, dig in. Don’t let the chicken get cold.” Julia forced the subject change with a bright smile.

  “You don’t have to tell me twice.” Mathin passed around the platter of chicken. Ellie was amazed how much food her grandmother had fixed until she saw how much each guy took. By the time the women were passed the plates there wasn’t much left, luckily, mashed potatoes helped fill out the meal. Ellie was glad to eat some good southern food, lately her dad had been on a health kick, she drew the line at kale. “No frickin’ way,” she’d told him. “You eat like a rabbit. I’m going for pizza.”

  After lunch, the guys all helped Ellie clean up and do the dishes. Julia had a rule in her house, those who cooked did not wash plates; instead, she went outside to weed her garden. It might seem silly to have a herb garden when you lived on farmland, but she never asked the farmers for any of their crops. She only wanted a few vegetables and spices for her kitchen and was happy to grow the small amount herself.

  “So what do you guys like to do for fun?” Ellie asked as she scrubbed the mashed potato pot. They had an assembly line going: Ellie washed the dishes, Torben dried them, and Mathin put them away. Dov spent his time wiping down the table and putting the kitchen back in order.

  “Well, you already know I’m an adrenalin junkie, so basically anything sports or high action.” Mathin pretended to swing a bat using a fork.

  “We watch movies, play sports, typical guy stuff. Ryder says he likes to work on motorcycles.” Torben finished drying the last dish, before turning to give Ellie his full attention. “What do you like to do…besides play with bears?”

  “Ha! You make it sound as if I have a thing for petting wild animals, that’s not the case. I just grew up with them, they’re different…” Ellie put down the dishrag and drained the water while she thought. “I’m not that different from other girls. I love to sing and shop. I read when I’m really bored. Or, I hang out with my boyfriend.” Dov dropped the salt shaker, Mathin almost broke a plate, while Torben looked like he’d swallowed a fly.

  “Boyfriend?” Dov signed, to which Mathin echoed, “boyfriend?”

  Geeze, do they think I couldn’t get a guy? “Well yeah, I’m not a leper or anything, but he’s a jerk. I was thinking about dumping him.”

  “I think that’s a good idea.” Mathin choked and Torben clapped him—a little too hard—on the back. Dov’s dark mood hung like a cloud around him as he cleaned up the mess he’d made.

  “Why is he a jerk?” Torben couldn’t help, but ask.

  “He just…nah you don’t want to hear this.” Ellie wiped the counter around the sink not making eye contact.

  “Yes, I do.” Torben turned to stare at her.

  Ellie squeezed the dishrag tightly. “He keeps pushing me to do things I’m not ready for.” The sound of glass breaking broke Ellie’s train of thought. She whirled around to see Dov with a piece of glass embedded in his palm. “Ryder, are you okay? What happened?” Pulling him to the sink, Ellie ran cold water over the wound to wash away the blood. “Let me get some tweezers, I want to make sure we get all the glass out.” Dov shook his head, but Ellie raced off without noticing. Before Ellie could even return, the glass spit itself out of his hand and the wound sealed shut. Dov sighed before picking up the glass and shoving it back through his skin, Torben and Mathin winced. The things a guy would do for a girl.

  “Here! I already sterilized it, sit down at the table, under the good lighting. Let me see what I’m working with.” Examining his hand from every direction, Ellie said, “you got lucky. It looks like only the big piece got stuck. I’ll pull it out and see how deep the wound is—if you’ll need stitches.” Dov groaned, but remained still. He didn’t blink an eye when she pulled out the glass, but pulled his hand away quickly after.

  “Don’t be silly, I need to get a look at it. Ryder? Where are you going?” Ellie moved to follow Dov, but Torben held her back.

  “I’m sure he’s just going to get Julia to take a look at it, he’s used to having her doctor him. Don’t take any offense, Ellie.” Torben threw his arm around her shoulders.

  “I guess…” Ellie grew quiet. I’m starting to think Ryder doesn’t like me. Ellie wasn’t sure what she’d done to upset him, but she wished she could take it back. Dropping his arm, Torben turned to face her so he could smooth the wrinkle between her brow.

  “I promise, he’s not mad at you or avoiding you. Would it help if I went and talked to him?”

  “Yes, no…yes, please.” Ellie wasn’t usually so timid when it came to other people. Torben squeezed her shoulder before heading out to find Dov. Since he didn’t actually need Julia to bandage his already healed cut, he’d probably gone to find some gauze to conceal the non-existent wound.

  “Dov,” Torben whispered when he’d left the room. Their hearing was so sharp he didn’t need to yell to communicate long distance, only two seconds ticked by before Dov appeared in front of him. He held up his hand with a grimace.

  “Well, maybe next time you’ll think twice before smashing a salt shaker.” Torben laughed.

  Dov signed, “she has a boyfriend.”

  “Not for long, she’s already pissed with him. You and I both know she likes us. If your guess is right and she is our mate, she’s not going to leave us for him. She’ll throw him out on his ass in no time.” Smiling, Torben couldn’t help, but be pleased with the image he’d created. “There is something else we need to discuss…Ellie thinks you hate her.” He grimaced, waiting for the inevitable freak-out from his cousin.

  Dov’s hands moved too rapidly to follow. “Calm down, I can’t understand you when you talk so fast.” Torben waved his hands rapidly in front of his chest.

  Dov glared, but slowed his signs to a crawl. “How can she think that? I’d do anything for her!”

  “I know man, but she doesn’t get that you’re one of her bears. You ran from her when she tried to help you.” Torben held up a hand. “I know, I get it. You had to go, but she doesn’t understand. You’ve got to find some way to let her know you’re into her.”

  Dov ran his hands over his face and through his black hair. “This me, doesn’t know her well enough for a grand gesture.”

  “Yeah, that’s true. Let me think…what if you named her? She named us—sort of—all those years ago, it bonded us to her. Name her in ASL like you did us…only nicer.”

  Dov nodded before marching back into the kitchen where he found Ellie sitting at the table with Mathin patting her back. Sitting on her other side, Dov tapped her shoulder. He signed for Mathin to find his dry erase board. Careful to hold his speed back until he was out of sight, Mathin took off down the hall. It wasn’t a minute later he returned board in hand. “Thanks,” Dov signed.

  Writing on the board, Dov tried to form pretty curling script that wound up being chicken scratch. “I’m sorry I hurt your feelings. It wasn’t anything you did.”

  Uh huh. “Then why did you run away?”

  “I don’t like showing weakness—I promise, it wasn’t anything you did. I was thinking, in ASL names are a bit different. Ra
ther than spelling them out, a deaf or in my case…mute person, names you.” Dov paused to erase the board. “I assigned names to the others. Do you want me to name you too?”

  “Sure!” Maybe he wasn’t avoiding me…

  Dov thought for a minute before showing her a sign; it was the sign for beauty, done with the sign for the letter E. Which ironically enough, when you form the letter E, looks a bit like a bear’s paw. He acted out her name for her several times so she could memorize it. He also taught her how to sign yes and no since they were both rather simple signs. Yes, being a knocking motion with your dominant hand held up by your head—as if you were truly knocking on a door in front of you. No, was also with your dominant hand, but required meeting your pointer and middle fingers to your thumb while curling the other fingers down. Ellie was thrilled to learn her first words in ASL and practiced them several times.

  “I’ll get a book on ASL. I promise by the end of summer to at least be able to understand some of what you say.” Ellie smiled warmly at Dov.

  Dov signed, “Good,” before writing it down for her too. He taught her several words while the other guys hung out in the living room. Torben and Mathin were happy to give Dov some of their time with her—even when they were cubs—Dov tended to hang back. He still played with them, letting Ellie pet his coat, but he didn’t seek her affection in the same way they did. It was nice for them to see Dov really interacting with her on his own; it wasn’t often he showed his true feelings for someone.

  Julia stayed out of the group’s way during the day, but in the evening she always made sure to give each of them personal attention. She was a good person, but an even better mother and grandmother. The weekend flew by fast with Ellie doing everything she could to learn ASL as quickly as possible. She wanted to be a part of Dov’s world. She couldn’t imagine what it must have been like for him to have lost his mother in such a horrific way and then afterwards to be left without his voice. It must have been so scary for him. She was glad ASL existed to bridge the gap.