“Raeff and I were patrolling the area near the Dawson home and making sure Addison made it home all right when I smelled the curs. I caught them in the act of murdering the family. I called in the enforcers nearby, and we burnt the bloodsuckers’ bodies after tearing their hearts out.” Since Dylan had worked so close to Devon’s nest, he’d worked with the Vampire, Raeff. The two had been nearly inseparable since they’d wrapped up the job at the Dawson ranch.
“Do I need to go in there officially?”
Dylan shook his head. “No. I cleaned up the scene and altered the memory of the surviving family member. They believe that they surprised a burglar.”
“I’m sorry.” Wyatt came out and handed them both a beer. Sam opened it and tipped the bottle. Their nice evening had turned to shit with that one phone call. Another Vampire attack, and making another human family believe that their loved ones died in some other horrific manner other than a Vampire attack.
“I will increase the number of enforcers in that area. I doubt the attack was random after the fight Mortef’s Vampires lost at the Dawson home. They’re just too cowardly to take us on themselves.”
“Lycans were made stronger since we are the humans’ protectors,” Gage pointed out. “They have good reason to avoid a fight with us. We’d kick their ass.”
“What about the Dawson family? Do I need to compel them to allow me to stay on their ranch?” Dylan’s jaw hardened for a moment, and Sam understood his feelings. The Dawsons lived not far from them, and their daughter, Rachel, was the mate to the Vampire who defied Mortef and his plans to return to the old times when Vampires hunted humans and killed their prey.
“No. I can’t spare you right now to watch over one family. For now, I will just assign more enforcers to guard the family and their neighbors. I will inform Devon so he can send his own, as well. Devon may want the family moved to remove the threat to the neighboring families.”
Dylan nodded once. “That would make things quieter in that area. Fucking bloodsuckers.” He stepped back into the house. Sam put a foot on the railing of his front porch.
Gage stared at the house, as well. “What are we going to do about our mate?”
Sam gave a short laugh. From the moment he touched her, he knew she was his fated mate. As an Alpha, he knew how rare it was to feel that kind of electrical connection to a mate. Their bond was already strong, and it was probably fate itself that brought her to them. “What do you think? We’re going to claim her.”
Gage stuck a piece of hay in his mouth. “She has a kid already.”
Sam turned and regarded his brother for a moment. He never thought of him as one who didn’t like kids. Perhaps he was wrong about him, and the fact that they would one day share a mate. “So?” He let his insult show in his tone of voice. “Since when has any Lycan cared if their mate had a youngling or not. It isn’t a big deal for a single woman to have a child in human or Lycan society.”
Gage held his hands up in a defensive posture. “Relax, I didn’t mean anything by it. Her little girl isn’t out a lot, so I didn’t know if you knew.”
“Yeah, I knew. I’m the Alpha here, remember. I know who is living in my pack.”
“Forget it.” Gage shook his head. “Back to my original question. What are we going to do? We can march over and take her right now if we want. Fate has made its choice clear for us. Even the stars agree.”
Sam glanced over at the celestial light glowing on her house. Fate really was not taking any chances with Avery. Starlight glowed down on her house like a beam from a halogen bulb from the heavens. He had a link to her that only fate granted a few of her chosen mates. He could sense her fear of him, and it wasn’t because she was afraid of him, but of getting hurt. The aura of pain around her was clear, and he was going to have to go slow with her or she’d push him away and hide behind her thick walls.
He wanted to bite her more than anything tonight, but he had to just settle for easing her incredible hunger to mate. When fated mates first met, it always caused intense sexual need. If she was in half the pain he had been in, she was suffering. After he made her come a few times, she’d been able to think clearly. Pity, as soon as the sexual haze passed, she was back to pushing him away.
That bothered him a lot. While sometimes fated mates were afraid of their extreme attraction, Avery’s fear was something far deeper, and she was ashamed of their lovemaking. What they’d shared was beautiful. True, Lycans had very different views about sex than humans. Humans tended to be more discreet, and Lycans were more open about fucking. Of course, other Lycans tended to give other couples more privacy while humans would gawk at a couple mating in public. But the shame he could literally see emanating off her was far more than the customary human need for privacy, and he’d refused to enter her head and pull the answers himself. He believed in privacy unless he was protecting his pack, or he had permission. He wouldn’t do that to his mate. It set their relationship on the wrong footing from the start.
Sam turned and saw the longing in Gage’s face shining like the beacon in a lighthouse on a foggy night. There was no mistaking that Gage felt the pull, as well. “I thought about mating her at the bar, but I don’t wish to start our lives together that way. That’s why I sent you the text to follow her at a distance and keep her safe. She’s scared of something, and it isn’t just the pull she feels but can’t understand. I want to try and see if we can win her heart before claiming her.”
“She was on the verge of a panic attack when I walked up to her. I’m not sure what had her so frightened, but I had to compel her to calm down. Nothing I said to try and calm her helped. I say we walk over and claim her. That house is a pit. We’ve both been in it. It needs to be gutted and rebuilt.”
Sam shook his head at his brother. Sure, he was a possessive asshole, and he’d love to walk over there right now and grab her, sink his cock balls-deep into that delectable pussy of hers with his fangs embedded in her soft flesh. The thought of taking her blood while pounding into that soft, wet cunt had his dick so hard it throbbed in pain. “We,” he said, emphasizing the plural pronoun, “will court her in a way that doesn’t frighten her further, unless something happens that changes that plan. Her safety and well-being comes first as usual. I would rather not drag her out of the house in the middle of the night though.”
Gage smiled. “She’s watching us. I can feel her.”
Sam turned to look at her dark house. “She’s looked out several times. I can sense her. She’s also masturbated several times thinking about us. She feels the pull, as well, and it is confusing for her. Her attraction to us is quite powerful for me to feel it over here. I stayed at the bar and chatted with Brandy. Avery has no interest in dating at all. In fact, when she realized I wanted to dance, she started looking for ways to leave. I’m sure going from avoiding us to not being able to stop thinking about us is very jarring for her.”
“You’re already linked to her?” Gage’s expression was shocked. “Without biting her during sex?”
“Yeah. I can feel some of her emotions. She is aroused and frightened at the same time. It’s one of the reasons I want to give her time. I can use the link to help calm her fears and trust us a bit. Without that link”—he shrugged—“she would never let us in.”
“Gage,” Wyatt called. “You have a phone call.”
Gage nodded and walked away. It was rare and almost unheard of, but Gage was also an Alpha of the East Texas Pack. Their territory was too massive for one Lycan to watch over by himself. The talks of dividing the pack never ended well. Lycans and other Supernaturals living in the pack didn’t want to choose which Alpha to live under, so they shared the responsibility, like two parents shared equal responsibility for their children.
Sam continued to stare at her house as Gage went inside to deal with whatever pack business waited for him. No matter the inconvenient timing, she was his mate. He would give her a little bit of time to come to terms with her feelings, but he would never risk her safet
y, or her child, just to give her time to accept fate’s decision for their lives. “You’re mine, Avery,” he whispered at the dark house.
Chapter Three
Sunlight streamed into the window and blasted right into her eyes, waking Avery up. She sighed as she stretched and sat up on the couch. Her cold coffee sat on the coffee table in front of the large living room window. The view was something she’d tried to ignore, but the harder she tried to block Sam and Gage out, the more they both consumed her thoughts.
“This is insane. I’m obsessed with not only my neighbor, but his brother, too.”
Someone knocked on her door, and she stood up. She was still in her western wear from last night, but she did her best to smooth it down as she walked to the door. She saw Gage standing there in front of their glass door framed with old oak wood. She glanced up the stairs and noticed Rylee halfway down the stairs. Her tiny hand clung to the banister, and her eyes were wide as she stared at the large man. She’d come to see who was at the door, but she scurried back up the stairs like a frightened mouse. Men, loud noises, and too many other triggers sent her into a panic where she’d run and hide, and it would take Avery forever to convince her it was safe to come out.
Seeing Rylee run up the stairs in terror always had Avery in a foul mood. She threw open the door with a scowl. Gage stood there with a box of donuts and a couple of coffees, and a cup of hot cocoa with a huge mass of whipped cream and chocolate shavings covering it from a coffee shop in town named Grinds. She regretted her treatment of him. The coffee smelled heavenly, and donuts were treats sent from the gods. “Hey.” She tried to make herself look more thankful than irritable.
“Hi. We were kinda noisy last night, so I brought a peace offering.” Gage held out the donuts with a gentle smile on his face.
“Come in.” She’d turn down a lot of things, but when a sexy cowboy stood outside her door with donuts and coffee, she let him in.
Gage walked in, and a second later, Sam walked up the stairs, as well, carrying his own cup. “Hello again.”
Like a switch, her libido took over her body. “Hi again.” Her heart sped up, and her knees became weak as she took in the sight of the two. She met Sam’s gaze and blushed as her body heat rose. An inferno started deep within her, and Sam was the one who could satisfy her. She didn’t even trust herself to look at Gage now. She wasn’t sure if she could stand it if they knew she’d masturbated while thinking of them.
She heard something drop upstairs, and she gave them both an apologetic look. “I need to see if I can get Rylee down.” She didn’t explain anything to them. She took the stairs two at a time and found Rylee’s feet sticking out from under the covers under her bed. She knelt down and pulled the blanket up.
“Rylee, it’s okay. It’s Gage from last night, and his brother, Sam. You remember them, right? They’re nice, baby, and they brought breakfast.”
She watched while praying Rylee would move. She moved so she could see Rylee. She was in a fetal position, and she held herself as if she was cold. “It’s okay, baby. Are you hungry? There’s a long john here for you.” Sighing, she stood up. Rylee would have to decide to come down on her own. Trying to force her would only make her worse. She backed toward the door and decided to let Rylee come out on her own.
Avery made it halfway down the stairs when Sam and Gage turned toward her. She shrugged with an apologetic smile. “She might come down.”
“Well, let’s heat up her donut a bit. Maybe the smell of a warm chocolate donut will bring her out,” Sam suggested. He led her back into the kitchen and pulled out the long john she’d seen through the plastic window in the donut box.
Gage had set the coffee cup holder on the table, and she gave him an apologetic smile over her kitchen. She wanted to paint the worn cabinets, but she didn’t have the money right now. Things like electrical, plumbing, and keeping her little car running were more important.
“This is cute.” Gage glanced around her little kitchen.
“I like it. I know it’s worn down, but I plan on fixing it.”
“Do you like fixing up older houses?”
“Oh yes!” She nodded with a smile. “I have always loved older buildings. New ones are nice and all, but they don’t have the character.”
Sam nodded. “I agree. Give me an old house any day. These new houses have no character.”
The microwave beeped, and when Sam pulled out the donut, and the warm smell of chocolate filled the kitchen.
“Oh look, Riley, Gage brought your favorite hot cocoa with whipped cream on top, too. It’s too bad the cream will melt and we’ll have to pour it out.”
Sam took his cue. “Yeah, we added extra chocolate and sprinkles, too. Lindsey at Grinds said Rylee loves it that way, and added extra just for Rylee.”
They all watched the staircase for any sign of her. After a few long minutes passed, her tiny fingers appeared first as she held on to the spindles of the banister to peek for herself. “Lindsey said she knows just how Rylee likes it,” Gage added just loud enough for Rylee to hear.
The finger disappeared, and then a foot appeared before she slipped down the stairs.
“It’s okay, sweetie. It’s just Gage and Sam.” Avery held her hand out to Rylee, hoping she’d not run back up the stairs. Rylee was still terrified of most people, especially men.
Rylee gave Sam and Gage a wide birth and ran to Avery. She picked her up and kissed her on top of the head. “That’s my girl. Here, they got you your favorite long john, too.”
“Here you go, sweetheart.” Gage spoke barely above a whisper as if he knew if he spoke too loud or moved too fast, Rylee would run back upstairs.
Avery got her plate with her warm long john and the cup of hot cocoa. Rylee smiled as she picked up her donut and took a bite.
When Avery glanced over at Sam, he had a smile on his face as if he’d won the first major battle of a war. They ate in mostly silence apart from a little bit of small talk about the fall festival happening along Main Street.
“Shadetree Days is going this weekend,” Sam said after taking a bite of a jelly filled donut. “They will have rides for little ones if you’d like to take Rylee, and there is a rodeo tonight, too. Gage will be busy for a few hours for his shift at being the clown.”
Rylee smiled, showing off her little white teeth. With a sigh, Avery shook her head no. She’d wished they hadn’t said anything. Rylee wouldn’t know anything was going on if she’d turned the TV up loud enough. She didn’t have the money to spend on carnivals and games. “Not this time. Another day, maybe,” she said and decided to leave it at that.
“Are you busy?” Gage asked as he picked out another chocolate donut.
“No, I just hadn’t made any plans to go.” There, that was the truth without sounding pathetic. She hadn’t made plans to go. Of course, if she had, she’d have to break them after her car wouldn’t start and she had to spend all of her five hundred dollars in savings on a new starter. As it was, the dollhouse she’d wanted to get Rylee for her birthday wasn’t going to happen now.
“The city council has some free ride passes, and they gave me a few. I’m not gonna ride any rides, so if y’all aren’t busy, I’d love some company,” Sam said with a mischievous glint in his eyes.
Rylee got a begging look in her eyes, and Avery knew she’d been had. If she said no now, it would break Rylee’s heart. She loved carnivals, and it would be so much fun. “Thank you. I think Rylee would love that.”
Rylee nodded. and Gage and Sam both grinned at her. “Great. Supper is at five and we’ll go.”
Avery shook her head and she blurted, “I really can’t buy anything.” She’d read the brochure taped to one of the windows drooling. Smoked brisket, beans, coleslaw, rolls, and a brownie with unlimited helpings and drink for only ten dollars, but she couldn’t afford it. She’d literally spent her last dime fixing her car earlier in the week.
“No man ever expects a lady to pay when he asks her out,” Sam replied.
She opened her mouth to argue, but his determined look cut her off. She closed her mouth and nodded. “Thank you.” Her heart warmed as if something wonderful had just happened, but she couldn’t imagine what it was. It was just a carnival after all.
* * * *
The knock came at the door at quarter to five. Rylee ran up the stairs to hide while Avery opened the door. Heat pooled in her stomach as she took in the sight of Sam and Gage. They could be twins if they had the same hair color. Both wore faded blue jeans and western shirts with boots. Her clit started to throb again, and she knew she’d have another night of masturbating to try and get them out of her system.
“Rylee, do you want to go to the fair?” Avery smiled when this time there was no timid peeking. Rylee came down the stairs holding her stuffed Raggedy Ann doll.
“You’d better leave your baby at home. She might get lost, and then you’d be sad.”
With a sad frown, Rylee laid her doll on the stairs and joined them at the front door.”
“She doesn’t talk much, does she?” Sam asked after they’d left the porch.
“No.” Avery took Rylee’s hand and she skipped along the sidewalk. Her normal scanning her surrounds posture was gone and she seemed almost carefree, like a normal four-year-old.
“Parking is terrible, so I thought it would be nice to walk.” Sam glanced over at her, and she smiled. “It’s a nice evening for a walk.”
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