Searching (Hidden Truths Book 1)

by Quell T Fox

  I think back to what Lenny said, about the guys being my mates, them being able to protect me if they are. Is that a good enough reason to be with someone? To be safe? I don’t think so. Yes, I want to be safe but at what cost? I’m not going to run to Castor and Hunter just because I need help. They messed up, not me. They did this.

  I won’t put my pride aside to take the easy road. I’ll go down fighting before I mate with them for the sole purpose of keeping safe.

  When the front door opens, I’m on my feet rushing towards it. Lenny is the first one in and I slide my arms around his waist, pulling him into a hug. He hugs me back, laughing quietly. The sound of the door closes, I open my eyes and the next one I see is Thorne.

  His face is scratched up, bruises already beginning to form. I slowly let go of Lenny, but he keeps his arms around me. He follows my gaze and sighs, then lets go of me fully and I walk over to Thorne who pulls me into his arms that I disappear into.

  “I’m okay, I’m good,” he tells me, kissing the top of my head. My heart is happy. Here in this spot, in Thorne’s arms, so close to his heart… it’s where I belong.

  “All right, all right,” Maddox says. Thorne lets go but I hold on for another second, not able to let go so soon. When I pull back, I catch Castor staring at me with a mixture of annoyance and what I can only pinpoint as jealousy. Longing, even.

  Chapter Thirty-Five

  Leona

  “Tell us what happened. From the beginning.”

  I groan, my heading rolling back. “I already did that! Twice.”

  “Well, I want to hear it again. Tell me again.”

  Maddox is so annoying. He has not stopped with this and if I know him—which I do—then he won’t any time soon.

  “We were driving in the car. Stopped at the light and we were attacked.”

  “That’s it? You didn’t notice anyone following you?”

  “No,” I say adamantly.

  “I wasn’t far in front of them,” Callan says. “I left minutes before they did, and I saw nothing out of the ordinary on my way home. This was planned. They must have been following you for quite some time. It was an ambush.”

  Maddox looks up at Thorne, sneering.

  “Wolves are slick, they’re smart. If they’re hunting, no one will know. It’s no one’s fault, Maddox. This could have happened to anyone. No matter what precaution we take, it may not be enough. Outside of these walls, they may not be safe.” Callan brings his hand to his chin, lightly tapping his index finger against it.

  The thought makes my mouth go dry. Never leaving? I mean, I want to live but I don’t want to stay here forever. I can’t. I’ll go insane for sure. I can’t be put back into that position. Never being able to leave the house? The thought makes me nauseous. I stand from the table and get myself a bottle of water, taking a long sip.

  “I think it’s best the boys stay here,” Callan adds.

  “What?” I ask loudly, the same time Maddox growls “No.” I look around the table, Lenny is shaking his head, but looks as if he agrees. Alec is leaned back in his chair with his listening face on. Thorne is sitting with his hands folded on the table, focusing on what everyone is saying. He didn’t make show of how he feels, but I can feel it from him; he wants to stay.

  “In the guest house, of course. It’s the safest option. For all parties. Do you think your parents will mind?” Callan looks at each of the guys. Castor and Hunter both look up, but it’s Castor who speaks. “No, Mr. Grant. Our parents are all out of town until next week. They won’t even know.”

  “Best you tell them anyway,” Callan retorts. Castor nods and pulls out his phone, excusing himself and leaving the room. Hunter follows behind like the sad little puppy he is.

  “I think that’s all for tonight. Plan on staying home the rest of this week. I’ll gather your assignments. If the boys won’t be attending, I can get theirs as well. And if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to call Elias and see if there is any chance he can get here sooner.” He gives Maddox a hard look before leaving the room. I catch Friday’s eyes that are glued to Callan. She loves when he gets like this, all taking charge. It’s kind of cute, yet also disgusting.

  Maddox opens his mouth to say something, but Lenny elbows him in the side. Maddox looks over and Lenny shakes his head from side to side. Friday is watching them too, the same look in her eye. Maddox runs his hand down his face, letting out another frustrated growl.

  “I need a cigarette,” he says, standing from the table and disappearing out of the room. Alec follows behind him. A moment later the slider door opens and closes.

  “The boys can stay in the guest house. There is only one bed, but I think Lenny can do something about that. Can’t you?”

  “Of course, my love. Anything for you.” He blows her a kiss and stands up, heading into the guest house.

  “Thorne?” He looks over to Friday. “I’m not stupid, you know? Leona shares a lot of things with me. Even though she may not share everything, I am not stupid. Got it?” He nods. “I understand the mate bond. I get it. Sometimes I wish I had met my guys sooner. But I also know how it can get in the way, blind you and make you do stupid things.” She stands from the chair and pauses by Thorne, placing her hand on his arm. “Don’t do anything stupid, understand?”

  “Yes, ma’am. I understand.”

  “If you want to stay in my house, you’ll do well to remember to never call me ma’am again.”

  Thorne lets out a laugh. “Of course.” She pats his arm and then leaves the room. I lean over and rest my head on his shoulder.

  “Are you sure you’re okay?” I ask. “Your face, it looks like it hurts.”

  “It’s not so bad. Could’ve been worse. Thank you for calling your family, I think they scared them away. Castor and I had taken care of most of them by the time they got there, but I think they had a bigger plan or back up coming. They were backing off but not running away. I’m not sure what would have happened if they hadn’t shown up. We were completely outnumbered.”

  “It was Hunter’s idea.”

  “Either way, thank you.”

  He leans over and kisses me on the forehead. He takes my hand in his, it’s both soft and rough at the same time. It’s exactly how you think it would be. All rough and tough yet soft and sweet.

  He’s definitely not rotting on the inside.

  Lenny comes back into the kitchen, closing the door behind him. “Room is all set. You now have three beds.” He walks towards us, bending down to get a good look at Thorne’s face. Their noses are practically touching. Lenny does not understand personal space. “You want something for that? I can make you some tea which will heal it up quick.”

  Thorne shrugs, but doesn’t move. He plays along with Lenny’s game and I kind of love it. “Sure, thanks man. That’d be great.”

  Lenny nods once, straightens, and turns on his heel.

  “I’m going to get ready for bed, you good?” I ask him before getting up, side eyeing Lenny who is pulling jars of something from the top cabinet above the stove.

  “I’m good, baby. Go do your thing.” He picks up my hand, placing a kiss on it and winks at me.

  “No shenanigans, Lenny!” I shout as I round the corner.

  “Wouldn’t dream of it, sis!”

  Doubt it.

  I get upstairs and head straight for the shower. I wash up quickly and brush my teeth. Just as I finish getting dressed there is a knock on my door. Friday stands on the other side, an amused look on her face.

  “Just wanted to give you a heads up. I caught my boy trying to give your boy a sleeping potion.”

  My jaw drops. “Are you kidding me?”

  Friday bites her bottom lip, trying not to laugh. “Not in the least. He almost had him too, but the look on his face wasn’t saying hey, this tea is going to heal you, so I knew something was up.” She laughs again. “He means well. They all do. It’ll get better.” She moves to leave the room and I reach for my phone, preparing to go downstair
s. They never told me not to, so it’s not like I’m disobeying them. “Leona?” I look up. “My boys will be busy tonight, but make sure you don’t do anything stupid, got it?”

  A smile crosses my face. “Got it.” She backs out of the room, holding up her hand and mouths five minutes.

  She closes the door and I think about the fact Castor, Hunter, and Thorne are all sleeping at my house tonight. Lina would have a fit if she knew. She’d be here in a matter of minutes, threatening my life if I didn’t sneak into the guest house. The thought puts a smile on my face and I realize for the first time, I think of her and I’m not hit with a wave of dread. She’d be happy for me and that makes me happy.

  I pick up my phone.

  Me: Girl, you are really missing out right now.

  Me: Miss you xoxo

  Chapter Thirty-Six

  Leona

  I wait ten minutes before sneaking out. I take my phone with me and slip down the stairs quietly. The guesthouse is attached to the main house by a short walkway. It’s the only way to cross over other than walking out the front door and going around. No one ever goes around. The door is unlocked, so I let myself in. The boys smell is taking over already, their masculine scent hitting my nose the moment I step inside. I stand there for a second, just breathing it in. The lights are dimmed downstairs, but the upstairs lights are on. I walk over to the stairs and make my way up. When I get to the top, I almost fall back down.

  All three guys are shirtless, standing in nothing but their briefs.

  My grip tightens on the banister, keeping myself up right, but my head is spinning. Thorne is standing with his back to me; his ass is perfection. His legs long and thick, muscled. Castor is standing in the corner, talking on his phone. I realize he has zero tan lines, his olive skin I’ve been wondering about is natural. My eyes catch on the goods because at this angle it’s hard to miss. Hunter is in the bathroom, brushing his teeth. He’s the leanest out of the three, but it doesn’t make him any less attractive. Especially right now when his hair is extra messy and he isn’t being a dick. All of them are in magnificent shape, more than they should be at the ripe age of eighteen.

  I realize Lenny must have conjured them up a few things, but I wonder why he didn’t give them clothes. I feel like that would have been first on his list.

  I clear my throat, needing to make myself known before someone sees me standing here like a creep. Thorne turns around, smiling big when he sees me.

  “I was hoping you’d sneak in here.” I try to find words, but my brain is mush. He’s so sexy it hurts.

  “Lenny didn’t get you clothes?” I manage to ask.

  Thorne looks down at himself, holding his arms out. “You don’t like what you see?” He cocks his head to the side, his hair falling over his shoulder.

  My eyes follow the lines of muscle on his stomach, all the way down to the V that disappears behind the waistband of his grey briefs. I lick my lips, “Oh, I do. Very much, actually. It just doesn’t seem like something he would do.”

  “You know your brother well,” Castor says, dropping his phone onto the bed and picking something up. He holds up a pair of onesie pajamas, the kind with the flap in the butt. “These just aren’t my style.” He throws them down on the bed.

  I can’t help it, I burst out laughing.

  “He did not.” I say. Thorne walks over to the bed closest to him and picks up a matching set, only this one is bigger. I laugh some more. He points to the bed in the middle and I see another pair I missed, which must belong to Hunter.

  Thank you, Lenny. It’s all I can think because he inadvertently did me a huge favor. Seeing the three of them like this, practically naked… it’s almost too much to handle. But trust me, I will handle it. I want more of this in my life.

  “I hear he almost got you with a sleeping potion?” I change the subject, knowing I need to before I do something stupid. I promised Friday I wouldn’t, and I keep it in the back of my brain.

  “He’s slick,” Thorne adds, dropping the pajamas to the floor.

  “He’s protective,” I add.

  Thorne closes the distance between us, stopping in front of me. I look up at him, blinking slowly. He tucks a piece of hair behind my ear. “Oh yeah? How are you here then?” he asks in a husky whisper.

  “He’s… preoccupied,” I say, darting my tongue out to wet my lips.

  “Is that so?”

  I reach a hand out and slide it up his belly, his muscles tightening as I go. I wrap my arm around his neck and pull him down. His lips meet mine, his tongue sliding in, silky and soft. I push up on tippy toes, dropping my phone to the floor and throwing my other arm around his neck. My entire body warms at his touch, goosebumps cover every inch of my flesh. His hands slide around me, squeezing me to him.

  “Ugh, get a room,” Hunter scoffs.

  Thorne slides his hands behind me and under my ass, lifting me up. He begins to walk down the stairs and across the room, putting me down on the only couch that’s here.

  The guest house was originally set up for Friday. When they all moved here, they weren’t in the best place, relationship wise, and figured she would want her own space. It was decorated for her, but rarely used. She stayed with them every night, not sleeping in here even once, as far as I know.

  When I first moved here, this place was occupied though. Dracula was staying here at the time, helping them with something. And yeah, I do mean the Dracula. He babysat me once, not that I remember it.

  Apparently he’s a friend of Friday’s. He’s not so bad, kind of creepy when you first get to know him but then you realize he’s just weird as hell. You can’t blame him though, he’s old as hell.

  Thorne backs up and moves over to the door and flicks the lock.

  A good idea and something I should have done when I walked in here in the first place. He walks back over towards me, his body shrouded in the dimness of the room. It’s dark in here but not so dark I can’t see him. It’s the perfect lighting. He takes a seat beside me, brushing his hand along my bare thigh. I made sure to put on a pair of short shorts and a tank top.

  “Want to watch a movie?” he asks, motioning towards the tv.

  I bite my bottom lip and shake my head no. He raises an eyebrow at me, a smirk crossing his lips. “No? What did you have in mind?” His voice is low and amused.

  I love how sweet he is, how he tries to be good. His mind doesn’t go directly to sex because he has more respect for me than that. Me? I’m a little different, I guess. I shift myself and swing one leg over his lap, straddling him. Sitting like this has his cock pressing against my clit and I’m not even doing it on purpose. His hands find my ass, pressing into me harder and I find myself grinding on him as he quickly hardens beneath me. Each rock back and forth has him growing, pressing firmer against my clit.

  I run my hands through his hair, and he lets his head fall back, his fingers digging into my flesh. His eyes fall shut as I slowly comb my fingers through his waves, looking over the perfection of his face.

  “What does it mean to be someone’s mate?” I ask quietly, rocking my hips forward, feeling him pulse between my legs.

  Thorne takes a moment to think. “To the universe it’s as simple as people that are meant to be together,” he responds in a husky tone. “Whether it be one or many, it doesn’t matter. But to me? It’s so much more than that.” His hands slide up my sides, he leans forward pressing soft kisses along my collar bone. My nipples rub against his chest, hardening to points and aching to be touched.

  “How so?”

  “To me, it’s much deeper. To me, I feel it in my soul. To me, it’s having someone to take care of, to be there for, to save and protect, to love. Someone I get to fall asleep next to every night. Someone that, when I’m having the worst day, will always make it better with only just a smile. I feel you in my soul, Leona. From the first day I met you, it’s like I’d been sleeping my whole life and seeing you woke me up.”

  “Sleeping is good, though,”
I say playfully. My thumb finds his chin and I run it along his jaw, leaning in for a kiss.

  His lips barely brush against mine before he says, “No, baby. Sleeping is only good when the world around you isn’t worth being awake for.”

  Thorne finds my nipple with his thumb, brushing over it gently. Pulling my top down, he leans forward, sliding his tongue between my breasts. He follows the curve of them, dragging his tongue along me slowly until he finds what he wants. He sucks my nipple into his mouth, biting gently. My head falls back, soft moans leaving my lips. When he lets go, I find his mouth with mine. Sliding my tongue along his lower lip, he groans, bucking his hips up. His hand wraps around my head, pressing me forward and he kisses me greedily.

  I push away from him with my hands on his chest and with a smirk on my lips I stand up. My fingers find the hem of my shirt and pull it over my head, losing the shorts next. Thorne leans back onto the small couch. The muscles in his arms twitch as he gets himself comfortable. Looking me over, he bites his bottom lip, his chest moving heavily. I get onto my knees and free his cock from his briefs. I grasp him firmly and slide my hand up and down slowly, remembering how he liked it the last time. Remembering how much I liked it the last time.

  Over the years I’ve heard women complain about doing this. Even though it’s only the second time, I know I already love it. It isn’t just about him. Mostly, it’s about me. Having the control over him in these moments is like nothing I have ever felt before. Knowing I control his pleasure, it’s what I love about it.

  I run my thumb along the top of him, spreading the precum around the tip. I dart my tongue out and lick it up. Thorne hisses at the sensation, a deep ruble sounding in his chest. I take him into my mouth, sucking on his plump tip. The flavor of him only makes me want more. I use my hand to stroke him as I take him further down my throat, as far as I can. He’s long and thick, I’ll never be able to take it all, but I can tell he likes what I’m doing anyway. Quiet groans rumble in his chest as I work him up, feeling him pulse and harden in my mouth. The wetness increases between my legs and I know I need him inside of me again.