“Isolde, you can’t go home. We need you. You might feel like this is a big joke or that we’re crazy, but give us time to prove to you that this is all very real.”
Egan and Jari lean slightly forward as if anticipating my answer.
“What about my life? My job, my studio?”
Jari is the one to answer this time. His blue eyes implore mine. “What do you have to go back to? Do you have any family or friends? Do you love your life? What we have here and want you to be a part of will give you a family of your own.” Sage grunted at that comment. “You’ll be important to our people and gain a purpose you’ve never had before.”
There’s that dang blush again. This time in daylight, and they all can see how embarrassed I am. No, I don’t have any family or real friends to speak of. Not including George and a few acquaintances here and there. All of my friends from school got shut of this place after graduation. I haven’t spoken to them since. Apparently out of sight is out of mind.
But that word—purpose. The word that has been filtering through my mind so much lately. I feel purposeless with no destination in sight. I have this burning energy bubbling inside me with nowhere to direct it. I’m hovering in one place without knowing which direction to take or how to power myself to get there.
He thinks he could give that to me. That they could give that to me. How arrogant. Just because he says they can give me everything I’ve ever wanted, they expect me to put my faith in them. Let’s not even talk about whether or not these guys need straightjackets.
Then again, is anything in my life worth so much that I shouldn’t take this risk? No, and somehow they seem to know that.
What am I thinking? Am I actually going to jump on this crazy train, or did I accidentally ingest acid at work?
Let’s break this down. It might be crazy, but at least I would have a damn fun time running off on a make-believe adventure if none of this is real. I can’t deny how easily Nato kidnapped me, so either he’s a damn good magician or they really are supernatural. The fact still remains, coming back down to reality wouldn’t be any more depressing than my current existence. And I get four delicious pieces of eye candy for the ride? Score!
However, this could potentially be dangerous. And if I do go along with all this, how do I know these are the good guys?
I scan the expression of each man in the room, basically what they were when we started this conversation. Egan is exuberant, with a wide grin on his face. Jari seems imploring, with a small smirk as if he really wants this to go his way, but it’s also amusing as hell. Sage looks the same as ever. No, wait. He actually looks more grumpy than before. Behind me, one brow slightly lifted and smugness all but leaking through his pores, Nato looks like this is already a done deal.
I try to analyze my gut instincts. The emotions I sense in the room are excitement, hope, and maybe anticipation of this supposed precipice of world change. What I don’t feel is any malicious vibes or shady intentions. Well, I guess that’s open to interpretation. They did kidnap me. The better description is that I don’t believe they mean me any physical harm.
Although Nato did knock me out. I think I’ll just stop for now.
“Wait a minute. What happened to me at work? What do they think happened, and how did you get me here?”
Jari chuckles softly. “Well sweets, I texted Nato and let him in on the Levan mark I saw on your wrist, and we felt that time was of the essence. We needed to know if you were who we’re looking for, and we all felt pretty damn strongly that you were. While we finished our lunch, Nato came in through the back to get you and carried you out the same way.”
I twisted my neck to glare down at Nato. “And just how did you get me docile enough to carry away?”
For the first time, Nato smirked. It was a good look on him, the bastard. “I used my gift, of course. Remember I said my house has the power over the mind? One of my gifts is the ability to render someone unconscious.” His thumbs start drawing circles on my hips and thigh.
I narrow my eyes at him, wondering if I’m about to pass out from all the fantastical stuff they are lying at my feet. Nope, not going to pass out. I’ve never been a fainter, and I’m not going to start now.
“You thought the best way to find this out was to knock me unconscious and kidnap me?” I ask incredulously.
Egan reaches over and taps my knee with two fingers. “Would you have come with us if we had asked nicely?”
Egan has a deep baritone that slides right through me. I tell myself a shiver isn’t running through my body because of the sound of his voice.
“Hell no. I would have called the police and run away.”
Egan raises his eyebrows as if to say case closed. Touché, animal man, touché.
“Okay, so if I go along with this, assuming I believe you, what’s supposed to happen? I still don’t believe I am some kind of long-awaited Fae-prophecy girl. I have no super powers at all.” I cross my arms over my chest.
“Issy, it is no coincidence that you have all the marks that we bear.” Egan takes the lead again. I’m also pretty sure that Nato is laughing at me, if the shaking beneath me is anything to go by.
My eyes drift up Egan’s body. He is slouched back against the couch and has a long, lean, powerful form. His auburn hair is so dark it could almost be mistaken for brown. For all his fair skin, there are no freckles or blemishes of any kind. His eyes are such a bright, deep green they almost appear lit from within.
Egan continues, “You don’t have any manifestations of gifts yet because you aren’t bonded to anyone. Stay with us and get to know us. We will even introduce you to some others of our kind.”
At that, Nato tenses under me, and Sage looks to the floor as he tries to suppress a smile. Interesting.
“Sage, what is your opinion on all this?” I ask.
Sage startles at his name. I still see anger in his expression and the way he holds his body. He doesn’t speak, though. He regards each of the other guys, and it’s apparent they are collectively glaring his way. This makes me want to get him alone at some point to see what his uncensored opinions are.
After a long pause, he stands and walks out of the room.
“It doesn’t matter what Sage’s opinions are. We want you here, and that includes him. Even if he doesn’t realize it.” Nato takes control of the conversation. “Enough of this talk for now. Let us make dinner and start to get to know one another. We can pick up serious conversations again tomorrow.”
He taps my leg, and I hop up. Egan stalks over and grabs my hand. “Come with me, Issy. I want to show you one form of my gifts.” He tips his head forward and smiles at me; it is such a sweet gesture I feel immediately drawn to him. I even take one step closer.
I let loose a breath and mull my options. I can’t escape from here, no matter how you slice the pie. Best if I go along with what they are trying to sell, at least for now. I can determine later if they’re psych ward escapees or telling the truth. Internally I grimace. I have no idea which option would bode better for me. Egan is watching me eagerly. Whatever he wants to show me, he must be really proud of. Excitement shimmers in his eyes.
“Then, by all means, lead the way.” I fling my arm wide and find myself smiling back.
He links our fingers together as he tugs me behind him. Outside, it appears we are farther away from the town than I thought. The surrounding foothills block out all sound except the wind in the trees and the rustling of wildlife.
Red boulders of all sizes litter the property. We must be a good thirty miles from where I live. At least. We travel silently down a small path to the left of the house. I love the silence. No cars driving by, no snippets of conversations from passersby. It’s rejuvenating. I see why this place appeals to them.
We come upon a flat red boulder, about waist high, nestled in the middle of larger boulders of varying heights. He pulls me over to the waist-high boulder, where he promptly sits down and pulls me into his lap.
“What’
s with all the touchy feely stuff you guys have going on? There are boundaries, you know. Most people need three feet of personal bubble space.”
His eyes smolder, and one side of his mouth tips upward in a crooked smile. I’m pretty sure my temperature just rose by twenty degrees. “You are not most people. You aren’t even in the group of most of our people. You will be sorely disappointed if you expect us to all keep our distance.” He wraps his arms around my torso and pulls me close. The hard muscles of his body cradle me. A few days ago, I daresay I would’ve been all over this man. Now though, I’m confused. Don’t get me wrong, I’m still hot and bothered, but with a lot more going on.
“Look.” Egan jerks his head in front of us.
I turn around in his lap and move one leg on the outside of either of his. Coming out of the brush is a small bobcat, stalking straight for us. The bobcat makes eye contact with me right before he jumps in my lap. I barely had time to close my legs enough to provide a surface for him to sit on.
“Awww! Is it okay to pet him?” I hold my arms out, hovering, not willing to touch him without permission.
Egan laughs softly. “Go ahead. He likes you. He must sense your connection to the Caen House.” Egan runs his hands up and down my sides, petting me. Strangely enough, I don’t mind.
I brush my hand along the fluffy fur at the side of the bobcat’s face. His purr is loud, and he starts to close his eyes.
“Part of being in Caen House means that you have an affinity for wildlife. Animals are not afraid of you, and if you are powerful enough, they will often do your bidding.”
I’d be willing to bet, from the way Egan called the bobcat to us, that he’s one of the powerful ones.
The bobcat kneads my thighs before making a few circles and lying down in my lap. He is totally using me as a bed for an impromptu nap. I relax back into Egan and enjoy the moment in this insane life.
IN THE DISTANCE, angry growling is followed by incensed yowling.
The bobcat in my lap stands up for a nice long stretch, making sure that its butt is pointing away from my face. Very considerate. Then he hops down and takes off the direction he came from.
“That sound was a female bobcat in heat. There was no way he was going to stick around with us when he could be with her.” Egan has turned me in his lap until I’m straddling him. Not quite sure how that happened. Must have been because I was in such a zen state.
Tilting my chin up, he claims my mouth with his. This kiss is different than Nato’s. This is a slow burn as he brushes his lips back and forth before nipping my bottom lip and sucking it into his mouth.
I moan, wrapping my arms around him. All the while, he watches me. And I guess my eyes are open too, if I can see him do it. It’s not awkward, though. Watching him stare me down as he devours my lips is getting me so hot I can’t even think straight.
One hand travels up between my shoulder blades and the other to my ass, tugging me closer until his erection pushes against me.
Something comes over me when I’m around these guys. I’ve never shied away from sex or physical intimacy when the need strikes. Granted, I’ve never formed any attachments unless you count Brody, a fling I sometimes catch up with when he passes through. That’s just sex, though. A split moment so I don’t feel so alone.
But this... Even knowing it’s ludicrous, I feel an undeniable draw to these four. I’m not sure in what capacity they want me, whether it’s truly for me or just for what they claim I represent, but I can’t stop myself from letting them pull me close.
Egan rocks me back and forth as he arches his hips, his lips whispering over my jaw to my throat. My breath catches. Tingles start in my thighs and rush up through my core to my breasts before traveling down my arms and over my scalp.
“Sorry to interrupt. Dinner is ready.”
I jump off Egan and spin around. Not that we were doing anything wrong. We weren’t. We’re two consenting adults. But I hate being startled.
Sage is leaning against a tree with his arms crossed. If the sneer on his face is anything to go by, he isn’t sorry at all.
“What the hell, man?” Egan stands up behind me and brushes off his pants. Aggravation radiates off Egan in waves. He isn’t any happier than I am about having an uninvited, lurking audience of one. Linking our fingers again, he pulls me toward the path. Sage doesn’t bother to answer. My eyes skitter over his features before I’m pulled past him. He meets my gaze, his eyes burning through me, and a fresh wave of heat spreads throughout my body.
For whatever reason, Sage does not want me here. I don’t think he is out to hurt me, but I’m definitely messing up his mojo.
I sense his presence and know he is quietly making his way behind us. He’s nowhere near as stealthy as Egan. Egan is something else. Not only does he have an affinity with animals, some of their abilities seem to be inherently part of him.
The trail leading back up to the house is coming alive with the evening. Birds are chirping, insects are buzzing, and even the breeze talks to us, rustling the leaves and branches in greeting. Sage never comes up beside us, choosing to remain separated from our pair. Symbolic, maybe.
We approach the house much quicker than the time it took Egan and me to reach his secret spot. My first real look at the place shows a cute, yellow farmhouse with a wraparound porch. The porch sags slightly with age, but it’s well maintained. I can tell this house is appreciated from the way it has been kept up and the yard manicured. There are a few rocking chairs scattered on the deck. I can picture the guys out here relaxing. Come to think of it, I didn’t see any TVs in the house, bedroom or otherwise.
Loud, metallic clanking reaches us, and I make out sounds of the guys milling around before we enter the house. They are working as a well-oiled machine to get everything ready. Jari is setting the table that already bears glasses and pitchers of water and tea. Nato is in the kitchen, draining noodles at the sink. If the smell is anything to go by, we are having spaghetti for dinner, and it is going to taste freaking amazing.
“Anything I can do to help?” I pull away from Egan. He resists at first but relents before heading to the kitchen.
“No, go ahead and have a seat. Everything is already done, and I’m bringing the dishes over,” Nato says as he walks the pasta over to the table.
Jari comes up to me with a big, charming smile. He places his hand lightly on my lower back and pushes me toward the table. “Sit down here by me. It’s my turn now.” He is definitely the sweetheart of the bunch.
“Sure.” I smile at him.
After everyone is seated, the dishes are passed around. In the center of the table is garlic bread—homemade? I love homemade bread. I snag a piece and take a huge bite of the fresh, soft, buttery roll and then fan my mouth vigorously.
“Hot, hot!” I mumble. I groan and close my eyes. Definitely homemade. “Whoever made the bread, I want to stay with you forever. I love bread.” I hum in appreciation. I have a sweet tooth, but I have always been a carbs girl.
Nato gives a hearty laugh. “I will hold you to that, beautiful. I made the dough myself.” His voice lowers suggestively.
I lean toward him, my mouth parting slightly.
“I kneaded it for an hour, working it with my hands, over and over and over again until completion.”
I whimper. Damn Nato and his damn syrupy voice, as deep and rich as a finely brewed bourbon.
Egan and Jari laugh, although Nato is still staring at me with intense lust in his eyes and a tightly drawn expression. He is clearly just as affected by his own words. Serves him right.
I clear my throat. “I’m glad to hear that you’re such a bread lover. Every house needs one.” I cough again and reach for the water to fill my glass. “So, Jari, do all of you live here together?”
With a twinkle in his eye, he answers. “Yes, just the four of us. We have lived here for about, what guys, four years now? Lucky for you we have a spare bedroom.” He winks at me. Jari totally has my number. He knows I was get
ting uncomfortable with the conversation and is amused at my not-so-subtle change in subject.
“How do you all know each other?”
Egan, my wildlife whisperer, answers this time. “Nato and I are practically cradle friends, as we grew up together. We didn’t meet Sage and Jari until our early teenage years at school. It was fast friendships for all of us. We all knew we wanted the same thing.” He ends this with a glare at Sage, who simply returns the stare with an arched brow.
Egan states this like a fact, although Sage doesn’t appear to agree. I wonder what once bonded these four together. It must have been something life altering to build such a tight knit relationship. Insanely tight knit for them all, save Sage, to obviously pursue sexual relationships with me without any kind of resentment toward each other. Regardless of Sage’s current feelings on whatever “same thing” they all once wanted, he still obviously cares deeply for the other three and vice versa. That speaks volumes for the type of people they are.
I am itching to ask about what it is they all want, but it feels too personal. Too raw. Given that they feel so entitled to me and seem to know way more about my life than I am even moderately comfortable with, it’s an irrational feeling. I have a pretty good idea that whatever ties them together has something to do with why they sought me out, either directly or indirectly, but I’m hesitant. Emotions are not always rational.
The rest of the dinner goes by quickly. Jari loves punk music, and Egan loves working with his hands—he built most of the furniture in the house. We talked over Nato’s need to be in control and his love of cooking. I already knew that one from eating his homemade dinner.
I share a little bit in turn. I’m more guarded than they are, but they learn that I’m a passive person unless pushed. Then the snarky side comes out. I tell them how much I love reading, which has been my constant companion over the years. Through their persistant questioning, my love of smutty romance comes out, and I can’t quite bring myself to deny it. My face burns with embarrassment, although I’m not sure why I care if they know I like romances. It’s how I get through dry spells. So sue me.
Marks of the Mazza: Reverse Harem (Mazza Series Book 1) Page 3
