Cole nodded and Colin proceeded toward Marin until he was touching her side. While he had never met her or his cousins prior to this, family was still family. He would protect her with his last breath if it came down to that. He was still furious with his parents for keeping his mother’s family a secret.
Before they could discuss anything else, Dave returned to the office. “Hey guys, I hope I’m not interrupting.”
“No, you’re fine,” Cole assured him.
“I decided to stop by the security office to get clearance for the dog,” Dave said, as he showed them a clearance badge on a lanyard so it would fit over the Colin’s furry head.
Colin didn’t look too thrilled with the idea of having something around his neck, but he let Marin slip the badge over his head. If it allowed him to stay by her side, it was worth it. A “guard dog” wasn’t much good if he wasn’t allowed in the building.
Gabriel said his goodbyes so he could go back home to check on Michael. Until his little brother healed from his last encounter with Stefan, he was a sitting duck.
After Gabriel left, Cole and Marin stood. “We’d better get back to work.”
“You know, if you wanted to cut out early, I’d understand,” Dave responded.
Cole shook his head. “This is probably the safest place for us right now.”
“Okay, well, if you change your mind the offer still stands.”
Cole and Marin left Dave’s office with Colin trailing behind them in his wolf form. Walking Marin to her desk, Cole kissed her cheek and gave her hand a final squeeze. “Everything will be fine.”
Marin gave him a wan smile. “I know. Between you, your brothers, and your cousin keeping an eye on me no one will be able to touch me. That doesn’t stop me from worrying about all of y’all though.”
Cole smiled at her before focusing his attention on Colin. “Take care of her. She means the world to me.”
Colin lifted his head in acknowledgement and scooted closer to Marin. He would be her constant shadow today, and every day until Stefan was back behind bars, or dead. Not having a mate himself, he envied Cole. From what he had gathered, Cole was the only one of the three brothers who had found his mate. It made him feel a little better that he and Connor hadn’t found theirs yet.
Marin sat at her desk and started going through the files she had inherited. She figured there was no time like the present to familiarize herself with her desk and its contents, at least until she was needed. She felt Colin bump against her leg and smiled. It was nice to have a protector so close by; she just wished that her protector was Cole. Then again, the work place might frown on one of their biologists running around on four legs.
Colin followed Marin around the office for the remainder of the day. Being in wolf form wasn’t so bad. It allowed him to get an accurate impression of Cole’s coworkers. People tended to act natural around animals instead of putting on a front like they did around other people.
Before they knew it, it was four o’clock and time for Marin to leave. Since she had ridden in with Cole, she had to wait for him to get off work. Walking over to his office, Marin knocked lightly on the glass door. Cole motioned for them to enter.
“Time for you to get off work already?”
Marin nodded. “I know you still have to work for another hour. Maybe I could wait in the break room with Colin?”
“That sounds fine. I should be finished before too long.”
Marin smiled and closed the door. Heading back to her desk, she grabbed her purse and turned off her computer. Scratching Colin behind the ear, she walked to the break room. It was the first time she’d been in the break room and she was pleasantly surprised. The room was rather large. One side had clusters of tables and chairs with a refrigerator and microwave against the wall; the other side had two small couches with a flat panel TV mounted on the wall.
Marin walked over to the couches and picked up the remote. Sitting down, she began flipping through channels, finally stopping on an old Buffy the Vampire Slayer rerun. She hadn’t seen the show in ages; it was nice to kick back and relax for a change. Colin curled up next to her, his head resting on his paws.
The hour passed quickly. As the show was ending, Cole stepped into the break room. Spotting Marin and Colin near the TV, he walked over to them. “You two ready to go home?”
Startled, Marin glanced up at Cole. “I didn’t hear you come in. Is it time to go already?”
Cole nodded. Looking at Colin he said, “I’m afraid you’ll have to ride in the backseat as you are; no changing until we’re home.”
Colin sighed and hopped down off the couch. He didn’t mind being a wolf, but he was ready to be human again. Thankfully it was a short ride back to the Victorian.
***
At the house, Michael was in his room resting. Since the police were watching the house and the garage, he’d convinced Gabriel to work a little while longer. It was nice having his big brother watch out for him, but Gabriel’s hovering was a bit much to take. Michael knew that Gabriel meant well, but he was starting to go crazy from the constant mothering.
Downstairs the door opened and the alarm went off. Michael tensed, unsure if someone was breaking in or if one of his brothers was home. The alarm was disabled and he heard two sets of footsteps on the stairs, followed by the clicking sound of nails. It could only mean that Cole was home with Marin and Colin in tow.
Michael relaxed and settled back against the pillows. Hopefully his twin would leave him in peace. Being in a full house wasn’t easy. It hadn’t felt quite as crowded when it had just been the three brothers in residence. Now they had added Marin and Colin to the mix. Michael was glad their small family was expanding, and they certainly had enough room for everyone, but it was hard to have a moment to yourself when five adults resided in the same house.
Michael closed his eyes and thought back to the past week, before Marin had joined them. He’d had a few dates with a pretty red head named Chloe. He’d actually been in bed with her when his brothers were rescuing Marin. Chloe had been amazing! Even smaller than Marin, Chloe had barely reached his chest in height. She wasn’t as skinny as Marin though. Chloe had lush curves that were soft to snuggle up to. Holding her and making love to her had been a new experience, which was the reason Michael had decided not to see her again. When sex wasn’t just sex, it was time to run for the door.
There was a soft knock at the door and Marin peeked in at him. “Are you feeling okay? Do you need anything?”
Michael smiled. “I’m fine. Gabriel made sure I had everything I needed before he went back to work.”
“Okay. I just wanted to check on you before I went downstairs.”
After Marin left, closing the door behind her, Michael sighed. Being stuck in the bed truly sucked! For one thing, his family was going to coddle him to death; for another, he wanted out of the house and to go enjoy a night out on the town. The sooner he hooked up with another woman, the sooner he could put Chloe out of his mind.
Ashton Grove might not be large, but it did have a few small clubs. There was one in particular Michael had always enjoyed going to, The Moonlight Escape. It was on the edge of town and usually had the hottest women.
Once again, Michael found his thoughts drifting to Chloe. Closing his eyes, he decided that sleep was the best thing for him. At the very least, it would allow him to escape into the dream world for a while.
***
Downstairs, Marin was watching TV in the living room while Cole and Colin talked in the kitchen. Gabriel would be home shortly and they would be able to come up with a plan. They had already learned the hard way that cops were not a deterrent for Stefan.
“If we set the alarm and patrol the house, we should be safe for the night,” Colin said.
Cole looked doubtful. While it had kept Stefan away previously, the man had been in the house now. He would be familiar not only with the layout, but also with the strengths and weaknesses of the Victorian.
“I would t
ake Marin away for a few days, but Stefan would probably just follow us.” Cole ran his hands through his hair in frustration. All he wanted to do was protect Marin. Was that really asking too much?
“You’re right, he probably would.” Colin got a gleam in his eye. “But what if we in turn followed Stefan?”
“You mean, use Marin as bait to draw him out?”
Colin could tell Cole wasn’t happy with his idea. “It could work. Gabriel and I could track him and attack when he least expected it.”
Cole shook his head. “And what if you lost him? I’m not willing to take that risk. This is her life we’re talking about!”
“I realize that, but we have to do something. We can’t just sit here, waiting for him to pick us off one at a time.”
Cole knew his cousin was right, but there had to be a plan that wouldn’t put Marin in additional danger… they just hadn’t thought of it yet.
Across the table, Colin became very still and had a far off look in his eye. It only lasted a moment; then he was focusing on Cole again.
“What just happened? Where did you go?” Cole asked.
“Connor is on his way.”
Cole was curious over the matter-of-fact way his cousin made the statement. “How do you know that?”
“Connor and I share a psychic bond. I know he’s on his way because I can sense him.”
“Can you communicate with him from this distance?”
Colin grinned. “Only by phone. Mostly we just sense when one of us is upset, happy, or nearby if we’re separated. Don’t you and Michael have that?”
Cole shook his head. “Not that strong; we sense things, but it’s never like that.”
Colin had thought the bond he shared with Connor was common amongst twins, but apparently, that wasn’t the case. Maybe they’d inherited it from their father’s family, which was blessed with psychic abilities.
Just then, Gabriel stepped into the kitchen. “What are you two up to?”
Cole gave his brother an innocent look, “When have you ever known me to be up to something?”
Gabriel had to give him that one. Michael had always been the troublemaker. Cole had always been laid back and a little on the reserved side. Even his childhood pranks had been mild compared to his twin’s.
“Fair enough. So, what are you discussing?”
“We were actually waiting on you so we can come up with a plan for tonight. The alarm didn’t stop Stefan the other day, so I don’t want to rely solely on that,” Cole replied.
Gabriel nodded. That had also been on his mind today. “I’m also concerned, not only that the alarm isn’t enough, but I’m afraid the police won’t be much of a deterrent either.”
Colin had a thought. “What if Cole and Marin act like nothing is out of the ordinary and go through their usual evening routine? Same goes for Michael since he’s laid up for right now.” Colin paused to make sure he had their attention. “Meanwhile, you and I can shift and patrol the house. Everyone already knows that you’ve been loaned a ‘dog’ for the time being.”
“That could work. One of us could take the downstairs while the other takes the third floor where everyone else will be sleeping,” Gabriel responded.
Before Colin could say anything else, the doorbell rang. Gabriel and Cole shot each other questioning looks, but Colin knew exactly who was at the door.
“That would be Connor,” he told them.
Colin got up and walked to the front door. Turning the knob, he opened the door to see his twin standing on the other side. While they had similar facial features and build, the resemblance stopped there. Connor looked like trouble waiting to happen; he had straight brown hair that brushed the top of his shoulders and dark green eyes. Dressed in ripped jeans, a white tee, black boots, and a black leather jacket, he looked every inch the bad boy that mommas always warned their daughters about.
“Hey man, thought you’d never get here,” Colin said as he opened the door wider and motioned for his brother to enter.
Connor stepped inside and looked around while his brother closed and locked the door. The house was larger than he had thought it would be. It was a good thing he had followed his brother to Georgia.
“Come into the kitchen. We were just making arrangements for tonight,” Colin told him.
Connor followed Colin into the kitchen. He grabbed the first empty seat he came to and sat down.
Colin quickly made introductions. “You’ll meet Michael a little later; he’s the one that was injured. You passed Marin in the living room on your way in.”
Connor assessed his brother and cousins. “I don’t know what Colin has told you about our family, but one of our psychic cousins said you would need my help to defeat Stefan.”
When no one responded, Connor continued, “A few hours after Colin left, this same cousin came to me. She told me that my destiny was here, that I would play an important role in the events that are about to transpire.”
“It’s good to have you with us. Having an extra pair of hands, or paws, is certainly welcome,” Cole said. He was grateful for his newfound cousins, especially if they could help him protect Marin.
“Well, now that we have an extra body, one of us can watch the second floor as well,” Gabriel said.
Cole looked up to find Marin standing in the doorway. He got up and walked over to her. “Is everything okay, sweetheart?”
Marin nodded. “I’m fine. I just thought I’d start making dinner. It’s already after six o’clock and I’m sure you’re all hungry.”
“You don’t have to do that. Why don’t you go upstairs and soak in the tub for a bit?”
“Actually,” Gabriel said, “why don’t you go up with her? I think the three of us can handle everything down here. I can handle dinner and y’all can get our guests settled in for the night.”
“Don’t go to any trouble on our account! Just point us in the right direction and we’ll fend for ourselves,” Colin said, with his brother nodding in agreement.
“The second floor has three empty bedrooms. All of them should have clean sheets on the beds and clean towels in the bathrooms,” Gabriel told them.
Connors eyebrows both went up. “How many bedrooms do you have in this place?”
“Six. The third floor was originally the attic, but it was converted several years ago. Now we have three bedrooms on both the second and third floors, each with a private bath,” Gabriel answered.
Connor whistled. “That’s impressive. This place looked huge from the outside, but I didn’t realize just how big it was.”
Connor and Colin both stood up. “We’ll go and get our things put away. After that, we’ll give you a hand in the kitchen. Mom made sure we learned early how to fend for ourselves; I think she was afraid none of us would ever marry and would starve to death.”
Gabriel chuckled. While his cousins left to get their belongings, he turned and walked over to the pantry to make plans for dinner. Cole and Marin walked upstairs.
“Why don’t you start the water for your bath while I check on Michael,” Cole said.
“Okay.” Marin gave him a quick hug before stepping into their bedroom.
Cole cautiously opened Michael’s door. Peering inside, he saw that his brother was asleep. Not wanting to disturb him, Cole quickly closed the door.
When Cole entered his room, he heard the water running in the bathroom. Since Marin was still getting acclimated, he decided to see if she needed anything.
Opening the bathroom door, he found her undressed and pulling a clean towel out from under the sink. His breath caught in his throat. It still amazed him that the magnificent woman in front of him was his mate.
Clearing his throat, he asked, “Do you need anything?”
Startled, Marin spun to face him. “You scared me! If you keep sneaking up on me, I’ll have to put a bell around your neck.”
Cole laughed. “I didn’t mean to scare you.”
“I think I found everything.” Giving him a c
oy look, she asked, “Care to join me?”
Smiling, Cole shook his head. “That’s probably not the best idea with four other werewolves in the house; keen sense of hearing, remember?”
Marin sighed. “When did you say that appointment was to look at the house?”
“It was set for Wednesday, but with this being your first week at Sabin I asked Matt to move it to the weekend.”
“If this mess with Stefan is cleared up before then, do you think we could go after work one night?”
Cole nodded. “I’m sure that can be arranged; or you could always go look at some with Cassie on Friday when you’re off work.”
“Okay. I’ll try to be patient,” Marin said, a resigned look on her face.
Cole brushed a kiss across her forehead before leaving the bathroom. If he had stayed a moment longer, he may not have been able to resist her. Cole decided to stretch out on the bed and read a book while he waited on Marin. He would go downstairs to help Gabriel with dinner, but he didn’t want to leave Marin. Besides, the cousins had offered to help; surely it didn’t take four men to make dinner.
Chapter Eleven
The next morning Cole and Marin woke to the sound of the alarm clock beeping. The night had passed without incident and it was time to begin a new day. Cole briefly tightened his arms around Marin before releasing her and rolling out of bed.
Marin wasn’t ready to leave the comfort of the bed, but she knew it was time to get ready for work. Tossing back the covers, she slowly stretched and got out of bed.
Following Cole into the bathroom, she started to get ready. While Cole turned on the shower, Marin brushed her teeth and her hair. Allowing him to shower first, she went back into the bedroom to select her clothes. Deciding to wear her other new outfit, Marin laid everything out on the bed before returning to the bathroom.
Cole was stepping out of the shower as Marin opened the bathroom door. As she watched the water drip down his torso, she stepped closer. Before Cole could dry off, Marin leaned in close; her tongue darted out to catch a drop of water as it slid over his nipple.
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