by Hazel Gower
“Okay. I’ll be there when you land.”
“See you then.” Owen hung up and put the phone back into his pocket. “Come on, sweetheart, let’s go home.”
Angelica stood, fortunately seeming to have forgotten about his little slip about Shifters killing Demons and such, and followed him. Together they walked out the door hand in hand and towards the tarmac.
****
Angelica sat on the front porch of her new home, staring up at the starlit sky. Tomorrow night Joel would be coming for dinner. This would be her chance to truly mend fences and prove to her brother that she was happy, but all the while she couldn’t help but doubt. Was she doing the right thing? Was she rushing? Angelica had known Stephan and Owen all her life. She’d always been comfortable with them, and this last week the attraction she didn’t know she had for them had grown. Angelica admitted she worried about how the three of them would work. She had no idea what she would tell her friends, or work. And she was still scared they had wrecked the relationship they all had with her brother.
The one thing she did know was she wanted to give Owen and Stephan a chance. Angelica had never felt anything like the pleasure Owen and Stephan gave her. She’d never been into sex. With her last two boyfriends it had been something Angelica had done for them. Sex had never done anything for her. She had always relied on her vibrator or fingers to get herself off, but Owen and Stephan had given her her first orgasm while a real cock was inside her.
What she’d learned that evening about other creatures had scared her. Angelica had thought learning Shifters were real was huge, but to find out other creatures existed and they weren’t all nice was huge. Owen had explained on the flight home the business he was a part of helped control the bad ones and helped the better ones get around undetected, although the governments knew about them as most people in power were a supernatural. She hadn’t been happy that they had kept something like that from her, and a part of her still doubted Owen would have said anything if she hadn’t been persistent with asking him to explain. At least she understood the true meaning of their matching tattoos now.
Owen said their flight and protection business worked well. It helped keep everyone safe, as most supernaturals weren’t fond of flying and signs of what they were would show up. Angelica could see that Owen’s panther was close to the surface as his eyes were cat eyes, and when they hit turbulence they flashed brighter and his whole body seemed to shimmer. Angelica could see there would be no way anyone would miss that on a plane. The security part of the business was helping to keep watch on the supernaturals, and putting down the bad ones if they need to. The business was owned by Owen’s and Stephan’s families.
Angelica hadn’t met many of Owen and Stephan’s family. She’d met both sets of their parents and two of Owen’s brothers and one of Stephan’s sisters, and Angelica had met them as Joel’s little sister. What would they think of her being Owen’s and Stephan’s mate and being with the both of them? Angelica told herself not to worry about things that she had no control over, but it was hard. For so long, the only family she’d had to worry about was Joel.
Sighing, she closed her eyes for a second before putting her iPod earphones in her ears and turning on her music. She hoped background noise would stop her thinking. As the music started up she got comfortable and closed her eyes again listening to the soothing tune and cleared her mind.
****
Owen and Stephan arrived after lunch and took the boxes that hadn’t been put in her car or Joel’s in their own. Angelica didn’t have much as she wasn’t taking furniture, so once all the cars were packed they drove to her new house. Things were tense as her brother helped her move, but they could have been worse, she supposed.
Pulling up out the front of her new house Angelica got out and grabbed the box on her passenger seat. Angelica watched in amazement as Stephan held two book boxes like they weighed no more than a feather. He balanced one box on his knee as he put the key in the lock and turned it opening the door. He then got the box balancing on his knee and walked down the hall to the first big room she’d been in.
“I thought this was Owen’s room?” Joel asked as he came into the room with a box behind her.
She placed the box on the floor by the bed and turned to Stephan looking for help to answer. “It was, Joel.”
It took her brother a moment, and then recognition dawned. “Oh, right.”
Angelica nodded uncomfortably, Joel’s expression mirroring the way she suddenly felt.
“Well, it’s a good thing there is all that closet space. Angelica is going to need it. She used our spare room to store some of her clothes. One thing I will never understand is why she needs three different types of black jackets and over eighty pairs of shoes.” If Joel was willing to break the ice by joking, surely that meant he was coming around … right?
Keeping with the jovialness, Angelica rolled her eyes at her brother. They’d had this argument every time she brought home shopping bags with new clothes or shoes. “I will tell you what I tell you all the time, a woman can never having too many of one thing or similar. You never know when you may need a spare jacket or certain type of shoe. Plus I have said this before, I have four different sets of clothes, work, going out, relaxing, and everyday wear.”
Stephan laughed and came to her. His arms started to go around her only to pause when her brother snorted. Angelica tensed, and Stephan dropped his arms and left the room.
“What’s wrong?” Her brother studied her, and Angelica made herself relax.
“Nothing, why do you ask?”
Joel looked around the room then back at her. “Why did Stephan look like he was about to hug you and he stopped? You guys aren’t second guessing this whole mating thing, are you?”
“No, we just didn’t want to flaunt it. Come on, we are just standing around. Let’s get everything,” Angelica said quickly, hoping to distract from the situation getting awkward again.
Joel nodded at her before he walked out of the room. She took a deep breath in and slowly let it out before leaving her new room herself to find that the cars had been almost all unpacked.
“I have everything in our back empty spare room. I thought that way you won’t have boxes everywhere getting in the way while you unpack, and either I or Stephan can in bring the box you want when you’re ready.”
Angelica smiled up at Owen. “That’s a great idea.” Wrapping her arms around him she hugged him. For a moment she closed her eyes and breathed in his woodsy masculine smell. When she opened her eyes Angelica stepped back under the weight of her brother’s gaze. “Thanks for the help, Joel. It’s pretty much all done.”
“Well, if that’s the case.” He raised his eyebrow at Owen and Stephan. “I say we leave her to unpack for a while and we go down to the pub for a beer?”
Angelica felt her heart rate pick up, and she turned her back on her brother pretending to have a good look around as she gathered herself. What did he have planned? What did he have to say to Owen and Stephan that he couldn’t say in front of her?
“Sounds good to me,” Owen said, winking at her. “It’s been a long week.”
Angelica turned back around. Owen’s gaze penetrated her to the core, and she knew as soon as they got back she’d be naked and riding them until she fell asleep exhausted.
“I’m in. Let me just give Angelica her house key in case she decides to head out.” Stephan went back down the hall and came back seconds later with three keys. “The gold is the front door. The silver is the back door, and the bronze is the sliding door. You have our number, cupcake, if you need anything.” Stephan’s fingers lingered as he dropped the keys into her open palm.
“Um, cool. Have fun. I’ll see you next weekend, Joel.” Angelica watched as her brother, Owen, and Stephan left, leaving her in her new house all alone.
****
They all sat with their beer at the pub they’d been to together a million times, but Stephan could feel the tension between Joel
and them.
“I’m going to cut to the chase. I miss my sister, and as pissed as I am with you guys … I kinda miss you, too. It’s a lot to take in, and I feel like we need to clear the air between us separately first, which is why I didn’t wait for next week’s dinner. I don’t want things to be tense for Angelica.”
“Neither do we, man.” Stephan sighed. “We never did.”
“I’ve just spent so long protecting her from all of this.” Joel raked a hand roughly through his hair. “Now all of a sudden, my sister finds out Shifters are real, and then she’s moving in with two Shifters who I have been friends with for almost all of my life. She went from not knowing a thing and being safe, to fully submerged. Does she know about what else is out there? What she is truly getting into?”
Owen groaned. “Yeah, she found out the other day.” He held his hand up to stop Joel when the man turned red. “No, she wasn’t in any danger. We wouldn’t keep that from you. She met a Vampire under controlled circumstances.”
Joel glared at them both. “Which is exactly the kind of thing I wanted to avoid. I don’t want her near some damn leech.”
“We weren’t fond of it either, but, Joel, do you really think that was the first time she had come into contact with one?” Owen asked. Stephan admitted Owen had a point. Just because she hadn’t known they existed, didn’t mean she had never met one before. Hell, he and Owen frequently joked that Jenika was suspiciously Siren-like sometimes.
“Okay. I’ll give you that one,” Joel begrudgingly agreed. “You guys need to understand though. She is my baby sister. She is the only family I have. But I’m willing to stand back and see how this all works out.”
“Thanks. And I hope you know that even before mating your sister … she was never the only family you had.” Stephan hoped Joel understood that. He was like a brother to them.
Their friend nodded but said nothing, and Stephan knew it would just take time. He could wait. “How was your holiday? You haven’t really spoken about it.” Stephan hoped the change of the subject would help cool the tension and get a better conversation flowing.
“It went well. It’s taking me time to get back into the flow at work. I’m still on vacation.”
He and Owen arrived home later than they’d wanted to. Stephan was grateful he didn’t have to work. He and Owen had swapped shifts with family members, so they had tonight and tomorrow off to spend time with Angelica.
Stephan’s mother had begged him to bring Angelica over, but he wanted to settle things with Joel and Angelica to be sure they were permanent before they all went over to his parents’. His mother was excited about one of her boys having a mate. She already loved Angelica, so he didn’t have to worry about what his mother would think.
As soon as Stephan walked through the door he could see changes. Furniture had been moved around, pictures put up, and bright throw pillows and girly ornaments were scattered around.
“What the fuck happened? We have only been gone for five or so hours max.” Owen growled beside him.
Giggling sounds came from the lounge room, and Stephan cringed and paused as Jenika spoke.
“I say we do a purple feature wall, and when we go late night shopping on Thursday let’s get the pink handles on stuff for the kitchen utensils.”
Angelica laughed. “I have a feeling that wouldn’t go down well. I don’t even know how happy they’re going to be with the changes I’ve already made.”
“It would be funny to see them use bright girly stuff. I think they’re the most macho men, besides your brother, I’ve ever met. I still can’t believe you’re with them, and not one of them but both. I thought when you told me at first it was only going to be a onetime thing. Angie, you just took a massive step moving in with two men you’re having a relationship with. Men that only weeks ago you saw as friends and not even your friends, your brother’s friends. Your brother is going to flip when you tell him.”
Angelica sighed. “He already knows. Joel was pissed and I think I really hurt him, but he is slowly coming around. He helped me moved in here, but I don’t know if this will work out. I’m not good with relationships. I never feel anything for the men. Before Owen and Stephan I never really felt any attraction to any man. I thought something was wrong with me. I still find it hard to believe now that when I look at Stephan or Owen that I missed how hot they are.”
“Aha, they’re controlling arseholes, but they are gorgeous ones.”
“I really don’t get why you think they’re arseholes, Jenika? What have they done, besides kept men away from me?”
Owen winked at him. “I think we’ve heard enough, and I want to see Jenika’s face when she answers this.”
Stephan walked into the lounge room with Owen beside him. “Hi, cupcake.” He walked to Angelica, who sat on one edge of the sofa, and leaned down brushing his lips over hers. “I see you’ve made some changes. I’m happy you’ve made yourself at home.”
Angelica beamed up at him, and he knew he’d given the right answer. He stepped away as Owen took his place and kissed her before he turned to Jenika with a smirk on his face.
“Hi, Jenika, I believe you were just about to answer why you think Stephan and I are arseholes.”
“Owen, were you and Stephan listening to our conversation?” Angelica turned a pretty shade of pink.
Instead of admitted they’d been listening, Stephan answered, saving Owen from the evil stare Jenika was giving him. “We heard what was said when we came in. One thing about this house the walls are thin, and sound carries.” That wasn’t true, but since he couldn’t say to Jenika that his and Owen’s Shifter hearing had helped them hear every word, he thought what he said was better.
Jenika gaze narrowed on him. “Well, I think keeping men away from you is a big factor. It’s reason enough, but I also have a feeling they were the reason you didn’t get to go on some of our big girlie trips. I think we could have convinced your brother, and once or twice we did, remember? And then he changed his mind, and I think those two had something to do with it. Remember Schoolies? We thought it was cool that we had a private plane to ourselves. You didn’t even care that you only got to stay the weekend, but I think these guys had do with that, too. It’s kinda creepy.”
Yep, Jenika was right. He and Owen had talked to Joel. Schoolies week was a hub for the wrong kind of supernatural people. Stephan knew the Queensland Shifters were flat out all over Schoolies. He and Owen had wanted Angelica safe. They’d watched over her that weekend.
Stephan looked down at Angelica, and he could see a light dawning. She knew what Jenika was saying was true.
“If that makes us arseholes for keeping Angelica safe, then so be it, we are arseholes.” Owen shrugged, unconcerned about the trouble he was getting them into.
“You two were the reason why I only went for the weekend at Schoolies?”
“Yeah, it had to do with what you and Owen spoke about the other night.” Stephan watched as Angelica’s forehead crinkled and her eyes narrowed on Owen. Angelica paled when she caught on to what he meant.
They were all quiet for a moment. Jenika looked among the three of them. “I’m missing something?”
“How could you not have said anything then? What if something had happened to one of my friends?” Angelica stood now, and she didn’t look happy as she glared at him and Owen.
“We weren’t worried about them. You are ours to protect, not them.” Stephan shouldn’t have said it, but it just came out.
“But you didn’t know I was your mate then.”
Stephan ran his fingers through his hair. “No. But we knew you were important to us.”
“What are you three talking about?” Jenika stood with her hands on her hips.
Angelica chewed on her lip and looked at them unsure of what to say.
“We have had a thing for Angelica for a while, and in our business we see all types of nasty people.” Stephan saw Jenika take in his answer and relax a bit.
“Okay,
I’ll take that … for now.” Jenika reached down and grabbed her handbag. “I’m going to go home now. I’ll talk to you later, Angie. See you Friday. Don’t follow me out. I know the way.” She hugged Angelica and walked out.
When Stephan heard the door shut he pulled Angelica to him.
“Jenika knows something is different about you two. What you just told her will only keep her for a while. I wish I could tell her what you two are.”
He rested his forehead against hers. “I’m sorry you can’t tell her, cupcake. It’s just that it’s the rules. You have to have permission or the person has to be your mate. She could catch us shifting?”
“I don’t want that because if she caught you shifting she’d see you naked, and even though she’s my best friend that sight is just for me.”
Stephan loved her possessiveness and captured her mouth to his. She wrapped her arms around him and pulled him down so she wasn’t on her tiptoes. He smoothed his hands down her back and cupped her arse.
Angelica pulled away from him panting for breath. “Any time I’m close to you now I just want to jump you and make out. What is wrong with me?”
Owen chuckled behind him. “Nothing, sweetheart, you’re just responding to the mate bond.”
“I was never like this with you two before we had sex?”
“Not this bad no, but if you remember any time we were close, you were always near us or touching us in some way. When we decided to mate you and act on it, the bond flared to life. When you turned twenty-one was when we knew for sure you were our mate. Our panthers finally spoke up. There were signs we should have seen and figured it out before this, but we remained ignorant.” Stephan thought it was a good thing because he felt it got them to fall in love with Angelica without thinking it was the bond.
Angelica frowned. “But still … things are so different. I’m so different. How could the bond be different after you accepted who I was to you?”
“It’s all hormones,” Owen explained. “Us accepting you as our mate meant our body released the chemicals related to the mating bond. Allowing not just our desire and yours to ignite, but causing the enzyme in our bite which gives us the ability to claim you as ours. Make sense?”
