“Mom!” What the hell? “Mom!”
Sam dove to the side just before her mother lunged at her. She morphed in the air and cringed as her clothing shredded around her. Reddish blonde fur sprouted all over her body as she changed into her wolf form. She rolled on her back and sprung to her paws facing a large, angry black wolf—her mother.
“If your father doesn’t get here quickly, we are in trouble,” her wolf whined.
No kidding?
Sam and her mother circled each other on the front lawn. Sam howled, hoping her father’s car was close. Her mother snarled and lunged. Sam dodged the snapping teeth by a hair and howled again.
From the dark, a huge brown wolf charged straight into her mother and knocked her to the ground. It stood over her and growled until she whined and changed back into human form. Sam watched as the wolf licked and nuzzled the sobbing, naked woman. She averted her eyes as her father changed back.
“Go, Samantha. The hunt will be tomorrow night instead. Your mother needs time to rest, and your suitors will appreciate the time to speak with you tomorrow.”
He cast a glance behind him, and Sam followed his gaze. Four wolves stood not twenty feet away. They had all changed and come rushing to her aid. Which one is Chase? Two of the wolves were gray. One was brown like her father, and another was reddish.
Her father’s voice boomed across the lawn, breaking her moment of admiration. “Go!”
She barked and turned quickly. Sam jogged up to her sisters on the porch and nosed the door. They smiled down at her.
“Didn’t want to show off your goods yet?” Nicole asked and reached down to rub behind her ears. Damn, that always felt so good.
Tess opened the door, and they all stepped back. Their father approached and walked past them quickly, carrying their mother into the house. They followed, turning down a different hallway to get to their bedrooms.
“What about the guys outside?” Hallie piped up.
Nicole laughed. “Dad’s driver will take care of them.”
Sam whined and morphed back. She couldn’t leave Chase out there alone with those other guys. Nicole caught her arm.
“If you thought Mom’s outburst was bad, you just try going out there alone. Dad will skin you alive. I think your man can take care of himself, don’t you? They will be inside shortly. You heard, Dad. You can talk to them in the morning.”
Chapter Six
Chase stood still even after Sam and her family had disappeared into their house…or castle. The place was huge. It reminded him of a castle. Stone walls, spires, and ivy all lent a castle-like ambiance to the home. The other males morphed back into human form around him, and he did the same. Footsteps behind them on the gravel driveway alerted them to the presence of another man.
The Escalade driver appeared shortly carrying arm armful of towels. He met Chase’s gaze and grinned. “Figured you boys would be needing these.” He tossed towels to all of them and motioned back to the car. “Come on. I’ll drive all of you up to the house. Just be sure the towel is between your naked butt and my leather seats.”
Chuckles could be heard across the group, and even Chase couldn’t hold back a grin. They scrambled into the SUV, drove down the gravel road, and parked in the massive garage behind the mansion. Chase slipped out and gaped at the beautiful cars lined up in the drive. He wasn’t the only one. Several other gasps of appreciation could be heard from the other side of the Escalade.
Just to his left was a bright red Bentley Continental GT. Gorgeous two-door coupe with a sweeping hatchback-like roof. He whistled his admiration as he circled the car. The rear deck gave it almost a Porsche look. Chase shook his head in disbelief. Beyond the Bentley sat a black Enzo Ferrari and beyond that a silver Porsche Carrera GT.
“He has a freak’n Bugatti Veyron 16.4!” a voice exclaimed from the opposite side of the garage. Chase moved around the Escalade to see for himself. His heart nearly stopped at the sight of the beautiful car. It was nearly the same size as a Lamborghini but had a softer and more rounded exterior shell. Besides the multimillion-dollar sports cars, Demakis had collected some fine American muscle cars as well. A bright green 1971 Plymouth 426 Hemi Cuda, a blue 1966 Shelby Cobra S/C with white racing stripes, and a hunter green 1969 Yenko Camaro with white racing stripes sat parked beyond the Bugatti. It was literally a treasure trove of cars.
Wow. What he would give just to sit in one of these.
“Come on, boys. Stop drooling over the cars.” The driver opened a door into the house and beckoned them to follow. “I’m Johnny, by the way. If you need anything while you are staying here, please let me know first. The hunt has been postponed until tomorrow night.” He paused and looked down at his watch. “Which is technically tonight. It’s two in the morning, and I’m sure all of you would like to sleep at least a little.”
Chase followed Johnny into the house first, holding the towel securely around his waist. “Is there any way you could find some clothes for me to wear?”
Johnny turned to face him and the other towel-clad men. “Clothes will be provided. Don’t worry. We can’t have you all running about naked.”
Chase swallowed a snort and hissed as he stepped onto the marble floor of the kitchen. It was like ice. His eyes widened when he noticed several women working in the kitchen. All of them stopped what they were doing and gave the men lustful glances.
Thank God Johnny gave us towels.
“Hands to yourselves ladies.” Johnny chuckled and led the men up the back stairwell.
The sound of giggles and laughter followed them out of the kitchen. “Why are they working at two in the morning?” Chase asked.
“The hunt was supposed to be tonight,” Johnny answered. “They are cleaning up.”
They walked down what seemed to be an endless hallway. One by one they were shown their rooms. Chase was last. His room was down another hallway, quite a distance from the other three.
“Just to be safe, Mr. Michaels.”
He nodded, understanding full well the animosity between himself and the other three males.
“I would not recommend leaving this room until morning breakfast call at eight. Everything you need should be inside. Press the intercom button and number twelve to reach me if something should be amiss.” Johnny pulled a cell phone and wallet from a duffle bag and handed them to Chase.
“Thanks.”
“I thought you might want them back.”
He nodded and closed the door, leaving Chase alone in the beautiful suite.
***
Sam crawled into her soft bed and sobbed. Everything was a mess. Her mother apparently hated her for reasons unknown. Her father was allowing Chase to participate in the hunt where he could be killed. The connection she had with him tugged at her heart. The hunt had been postponed, which meant they all got to tiptoe around each other for another day before getting past all this drama.
I could just leave right now.
“That would not help the situation at all.”
I know.
Sam moaned and covered her head with a satin pillow. Her room was dark except for a slight glow from a night-light in the bathroom.
I don’t want to think tonight. Can you just help me sleep?
“Of course.”
Sam felt her magic ripple and course through the cells of her body. With a slight shudder of electricity, she shifted. Sam let her consciousness slide into the recesses of her mind and drifted off to sleep, leaving her wolf to lounge lazily on her bed.
The maids would cry when they saw the fur in the sheets. Oh well. Her mental exhaustion ranked above keeping fur out of the house.
***
When she stretched the next morning, her body was back in human form already. Sam slid out of bed, twisted up her hair, and took a quick shower. The clock on the wall said seven thirty. She had time. A stroll through the giant walk-in closet produced a pair of bright pink yoga pants, a black tank top, and a white loose-fitting short tunic. On the way out
the bedroom door, she snagged her iPad from the top of her dresser.
Voices trailed up the stairs as she ambled down into the kitchen. She was flipping through school emails when she bumped into a solid body. Sam squeaked out an apology and looked up. Mister Tall-Dark-and-not-Chase stood grinning down at her.
“Pardon me, Miss Demakis.”
“You are pardoned,” she quipped and stepped around him. Crap. She glanced around the kitchen and noticed that all three of the contenders were already up and about.
“Hardly a coincidence, I’m sure.”
She grinned at her wolf’s snarky assessment. One male was sitting at the table sipping coffee and reading the news. He eyed her casually over the top of the paper. Another man was at the stove helping one of the cooks mix the pancake batter. He had olive skin, and dark wavy hair.
Pancakes. Yum. Wait. Focus, Samantha. Where is Chase?
She glanced around the kitchen again.
Mister-Tall-Dark-and-not-Chase spoke again. “He’s on his way. Don’t worry. We didn’t do away with him in the night.”
“We considered it though,” the man helping cook pancakes added.
Unsure how to respond, Sam climbed onto one of the nearest barstools and sighed. “What are your names? Or should I just continue to call you unfamiliar male number one, two, and three?”
“God, where are our manners. I’m sorry,” Mr.-Tall-Dark-and-not-Chase began. Sam chuckled. He was actually kind of cute with his blushing, embarrassed face. “I am Ricardo Savona. I have traveled from Italy to seek you as my mate. The joining of our families would be very strong.”
The other two men had converged on her, and a little bit of claustrophobia began wrapping its slimy tendrils around her neck. “Air, boys. You are crowding me.”
They obliged instantly and stepped back…a little. Ricardo sat on the chair to her left. The newspaper reader sat on the chair to her right.
“My name is Henry James. I’m from LA.”
So … the newspaper reader was from the city of angels? His blue eyes and blond hair definitely shouted California. The James family owned half of Orange County.
Sam nodded and then looked across the counter to the third man, who had retreated to the bowl of pancake batter. She licked her lips and inhaled the fabulous scent of the freshly cooked stack. A hint of cinnamon was mixed into them as well, making their scent all the more tantalizing.
“I’m Tomas Anton. I hail from the beautiful country of Brazil.” His Spanish accent rolled beautifully through his English, a little different than Ricardo’s but still similar. She’d actually never heard of the Antons, but then, she didn’t get to Brazil very often.
“Well, I’m Sam, but you all knew that already.”
They smiled and nodded.
“Do you prefer Sam…instead of Samantha?” Ricardo asked, hesitation in his voice.
“Yes. Only my parents call me Samantha.”
“Pancakes?” Ricardo held up a plate with a small stack.
“Yes, thank you.”
She moved from her chair, but Tomas and Henry blocked her quickly. “What do you need, Sam?” Henry asked.
“I was going to get toppings from the fridge,” she answered, sitting back on the barstool. Trapped was more the word for it.
“What do you want?” Tomas strolled to the fridge and opened it.
“Dark chocolate chips, strawberries, blueberries, whip cream. And there should be organic maple syrup in there too.”
“Damn, sis, are you going to have any pancakes with your toppings?”
Sam snorted through a laugh. Nicole stepped down from the stairwell and plopped her butt on a barstool, covering her mouth to hide a yawn. She was dressed in bright green yoga pants and a white tank. Sam smirked. The bright yoga pants had been a gang purchase a few years ago to irritate their mother. Renata told them after they’d bought the pants that women should never have clothes that glaring. Since then, all the girls had purchased a pair of neon pants every year.
“I will eat them how I want. Love the green, by the way.”
“Mmmm, thanks. They’re new.” Nicole rolled her neck until it cracked, and then she sighed. “So can I have pancakes too, or are you guys only cooking for Sam?”
Sam and Nicole turned to face the three men. Ricardo quickly made another plate of pancakes and handed it across the counter to Nicole. Sam narrowed her gaze. For a moment she thought she saw a hint of attraction pass between Ricardo and Nicole.
All the better for me.
“Here, signorina.”
“Thanks...” Nicole trailed off.
“Ricardo.”
“Ah, the Italian, right?”
“Si.” He flashed her another suspiciously flirtatious smile.
If only…
Tomas returned from the fridge and carefully laid out all the toppings on the counter. Sam grinned and licked lips, snatching up the blueberries first.
“Anything else?”
“Nope, thank you.”
Sam knew she was supposed to be polite, but she felt like a piece of horseflesh on auction. These guys were the buyers and were checking her out.
God! Where is Chase?
She closed her eyes and thought of his warm, earthy scent. All she wanted was his arms wrapped around her body, holding her tight and safe away from the chaos of her family.
Wow, I’ve really got it bad for a guy I just met.
His scent drifted across the room and her body warmed in all the right places. The low rumble of growls echoed around the kitchen.
Growling. Why were they growling? Oh!
Her eyes snapped open, and she spun the barstool. “Chase.” A smile spread across her face. A rumble emanated from his chest but subsided once their gazes met. She dropped her focus from his face to appreciate his body. A white T-shirt stretched taut across his well-developed chest, and corded biceps peeked from beneath the short sleeves. His waist tapered to narrow hips, and Sam swallowed, averting her eyes from looking any lower.
The man made her hot just standing there. She needed to be careful. Showing favoritism was only going to make the other males hate him more. Sam resisted the urge to jump from the barstool and leap into his arms, but just barely.
“Can I get you ladies something to drink?” Henry called out. “I think I need one.”
Sam twirled on the barstool. She did too. “Tequila sunrise for me, please.” A smothered snort came from her sister and she glared. “Shut up.”
“Sis, I did not say anything.”
“Uh, huh. Sure.”
Henry walked up with the loaded juice and handed it to Sam. “Tequila Sunrise for you. Can I get you anything?” He waited for Nicole to answer.
“Nope, I’m going to eat these pancakes and go for a run. Y’all try not to tear up the house, okay?”
“Nicole!” Sam scolded.
The tension in the room was already as thick as peanut butter. She didn’t need her sister drawing even more attention to the discomfort and dislike simmering between the four males. They were expertly hiding it for now, but what was she going to do with them all day? This was one of those times being a wolf just sucked. A regular girl wouldn’t be in this predicament. Normal guys didn’t have fangs.
“Watch it.” Her wolf piped up, sounding a little insulted.
Sorry. I’m just freaking out a little.
A high-pitched voice called down the stairwell. “Samantha?”
Shit! Mom’s up.
Nicole was a streak of bright green and white, disappearing out the back door before Renata Demakis appeared in the already-crowded kitchen. At that moment, Sam just wanted to melt between the terra-cotta tiles on the kitchen floor and become invisible. It’s not every night she got attacked by her own mother.
Though I did deserve the second slap.
The Demakis matriarch stepped into the kitchen. Her brunette hair was perfectly arranged in a French twist. Pearl earrings, a pearl necklace, and even a silver and pearl bracelet accented an
ensemble that made her look like she’d stepped out of the movie The Stepford Wives. Sam shuddered at the thought. Unfortunately, it wasn’t far from the truth. It was also the main reason she had no desire whatsoever to mate with any of the three males from a noble family. Stepfordom just wasn’t her calling.
Chase moved away from the entrance when her mother appeared, but now he braved her black glare and inched his way closer to Sam’s side. Sam wanted him closer. However, it wasn’t fair to start a war over who got the seat next to her.
“What do you want, Mother?”
Renata eased herself into the seat next to Sam and sighed. “I’m sorry I lost control last night. I hope you will be able to forgive me.”
Sam breathed in a huge sigh of relief. At least she wasn’t starting another fight…yet. “Yes, of course, Mother. ” There wasn’t any use in dragging it out, even if her mother wasn’t being sincere. And there was a good chance she wasn’t.
“Good. Now get upstairs and put some decent clothing on.” Sam’s mouth opened and then snapped shut with a loud pop. Her mother took the plate of pancakes from the counter in front of her, slipped down from the barstool, marched across the kitchen, and dumped them into the trashcan.
“I was going to eat that.”
“Absolutely not. The cook will make you something actually worthy of being called breakfast. She will make all of you something.” Renata threw up her hands and shooed Tomas away from the stove.
What was her mom doing?
Sam allowed her magic to ripple across her vocal chords, and a snarl cut through her mother’s protests. Renata turned and responded with a glare colder than ice, making Sam shudder and reconsider her anger.
She darted out the back door, escaping her mother’s overbearing orders, and followed Nicole’s scent. A run was just what she needed now. The boys could fend for themselves.
Her wolf stretched, and Sam obliged. She stripped out of her clothes, leaving them on the lawn, and shifted as she ran. The morning air was wet with dew. The pine from the mountain forest hung heavy in the air. The tangy scent was invigorating. Sam howled to let Nicole know she was on her heels and tore down the needle-padded trail.
Chasing Sam: Vegas Mates Book 1 Page 5
