by Elle Lincoln
Before I can pout, Liam raises his hand. Christian scoffs, “This isn’t grade school, speak your mind, pretty boy.”
“I have questions.” He rubs the scruff on his chin. “What about flirting?”
“Teasing?” Christian’s mismatched eyes glimmer with a challenge I am not about to take him up on.
I point my finger at him, ready to unleash some word vomit, but Nix cuts me off. “Movies?” he questions with hope in his voice.
Dammit, he’s like a lost little puppy, and I don’t want to kick the puppy. None of the puppies deserve abuse like that.
Wolves, Bean, they are wolves. They aren’t even men.
“For Selene’s sake!” Athos throws his hands up, his face blushing a beautiful shade of pink. I squint my eyes at him, almost disbelieving what I’m witnessing.
“Alpha, you’ve got jam under your skin,” Liam snickers.
I love jam filled doughnuts.
“No touching. But we need to get to know each other.” He crosses his arms, his blush fading away. I sulk in disappointment. A little flush looks damn good on him. “We stay paired up.” His smirk is all predatory and mischievous. “So we keep each other from crossing a line.”
I blink at him slowly. If he thinks that will deter my libido, he is surely mistaken. The only thing keeping this lusty whore in check is willpower alone. Not the threat of two sexy wolves. I cock my head to the side, wondering which of them would be up for a Bean burrito.
Bean sandwich?
My brows wrinkle. I think I messed that up.
“I don’t think that will deter her, Alpha,” Liam comments lazily.
“Christian monitors Liam.” Athos drops his hands, moving away from the couch with a smile. “I’ll keep Nix in check.”
I snort, glancing at Nix. I don’t think I have to worry about him. Of all the men, he seems like he has the best willpower. I bite my tongue, not willing to admit that to any of them. I doubt it would go over well.
“All right, Alpha,” I reply teasingly, not helping my case of staying away from them. “What’s the plan? I have things to do. My schedule is oh so busy.”
“With what, Nancy Drew?” Christian scoffs, walking over to a duffle bag sitting under the console table.
“Nancy Drew is iconic.” My face wrinkles, and he lifts said duffle bag, pulling a black shirt from its confines as he tugs it on over his head. Shame. “What the hell is that?”
“You are no Nancy Drew, Damsel.” His grin is all cute dimples and white teeth. Ire flares at the use of the nickname, I’ve let it go on long enough.
“I am no damsel,” I say, affronted.
“You sure are.”
“Well...”
“If the shoe fits.”
I huff, feeling less warrior-like, my affirmations failing me. No, they will not fail me today!
“What is that?” I point back to the duffle, bringing the conversation back on track.
“That, Damsel, is a duffle bag.” Christian’s face is way too smug for my liking. “Want to show me to my room, or should I just take the one beside yours?” There’s a dare there. I’m not a fan.
“I did not invite you to stay here!”
“But you did, Damsel.”
“Stop baiting her, Christian.” Athos smacks him upside the head before sighing at me and eyeing me from head to toe. “You said we could keep you safe.”
“I did not.”
“Do you even remember?”
“Do you even remember?” I parrot right back.
“Woman,” Athos growls at me, his canines lengthening.
“Am I pushing your buttons, Alpha?” What the actual hell is wrong with me? Why am I pushing him on this? Because I am getting turned on by it.
“Get your ass down here so we can go.” His canines shrink back to normal before he stomps from the cabin, the door slamming shut behind him.
“You know…” Christian walks up to the last step, leaning on the banister as he eyes me like a snack. Or a bone, probably a dog bone. “One of these days, you will push him too far and he will tie you up.” His eyes glitter as my pulse thumps with his words. “I hope like hell he lets me spank that pert little ass of yours.”
For one solid minute, a full flush engulfs my body in heat. The flames lick through me to taunt my nerves with promise. “He wouldn’t break the vow.”
“No, you’re right, he wouldn’t.” Christian steps back. “But as soon as you accept us as mates, then you, Damsel, are ours.” He saunters from the room, throwing his duffle under the console table. Just as he reaches the door, he glances at me over his shoulder. “Oh, and Damsel, some promises? They are meant to be broken.” He strolls out of the cabin, wearing a smirk on his face and leaving confusion in my head. What the hell just happened?
How did I lose the upper hand that quickly?
I wrinkle my nose, pressing my tongue to my cheek as I stare at the space he once occupied. “He’s full of shit, isn’t he?”
Before Liam or Nix can answer, my phone rings. I hop down to the floor, looking at the video call coming in from my cousin Pepper. I yank the cord out and spin around so all she can see is the staircase.
I glare at Liam and Nix. “Say nothing. No matter what spills out of her mouth, don’t say a thing.” Not daring to look at their reactions, I flip the bar to answer, knowing she will just call over and over until I break down and accept her call. “Hey, Pepper!”
Too fake.
Her face materializes on the screen, her eyes squinting and her head tilted to the side. Her hair, now a deep jeweled purple, is set in victory rolls. Pepper’s bright red lipstick pulls in as her lips form a straight line. I really wish I knew how she worked on cars that way. Not even a smudge. Unless it’s her day off.
I’m so busted.
“Who’s with you?” How? She’s like a damn bloodhound.
“No one, what’s up?” I twirl a hair around my finger before I stop and freeze. Still as a statue.
“You are a terrible liar, Bean. Terrible.” She leans into the camera so far all I can see is a blurred iris and dilated pupil. “Did you fuck bigfoot already?”
Snickers emit from Liam and even Nix, the traitor. “Pepper, bigfoot is a fictional creature. Besides, even if he was real, he is hard to find.”
“You’re too frail for bigfoot anyway.” She leans back, setting her phone down as she crosses her arms. Her purple and white polka dot dress bunches at the buttons. Her breasts defy those buttons.
She’s being mean, so I’ll wait for one to pop. “My ass is not frail.” I roll my eyes, daring to look at the guys who each have a hand over their mouths. Bastards. “What do you need?”
“A grocery list. Nessa is into astrology and demanding we up our timeline.” She rolls her eyes right back at me, but she’s smiling. It’s obviously not a hardship, but she will give Nessa a hard time. “I’m actually helping the twins at the bar so they can close for a week. The shop is slow right now anyway, and Gary can take care of the minor details. Do you believe Grandma offered to bartend and watch over the pub?”
“Tell me they told her no.” My eyes widen in horror.
“Of course they didn’t! They offered the Loki spawn a trial job.” See, we all think she’s Loki’s spawn. “The worst part?” She leans in, her voice rising. “The worst part, Bean, is that she is damn good.”
My stomach shakes with laughter. “Know what? I’m not surprised. So Grandma is taking over?”
She shakes her head as a smile stretches across her face. “Yeah, if she does well all week she is. I don’t know how she manages it.”
“She really is something else.” I can’t suppress the smile on my face at this news. “What else?”
“Just a grocery list. That’s it. You can text it to me in between orgasms.”
Smile gone, I groan. “Pepper.”
“Sabina.”
“There are no orgasms happening.” I rub my forehead.
“Why the hell not? Do that shit solo!” s
he states incredulously. “Did you find your present?”
All humor and color drains from my face. Know how I know? My shocked expression in the screen’s corner. “Pepper?” What did she do? Movement flickers behind my phone, the guys are standing.
“Oh, nothing.” She twirls a hair around her finger. Twirls!
“Pepper,” I growl at her.
“It’s hidden in your truck.” She smiles. “Like I said, text me in between orgasms.” She hangs up on me with a devious smile. Payback will be a petty bitch.
I drop my phone, my eyes wide as I take in Liam and Nix. Their muscles are bunched and poised to take off.
Don’t do it. Don’t you dare.
We all move at once, racing for the door. But I can’t beat a wolf. The three little piggies knew they had to outsmart the wolf.
I grab my keys and lock the door. The chirp rings through the clearing as I stumble out onto the porch, seeing the guys surrounding my truck.
Not today, wolf pack.
Chapter 12
Heart in my throat, I amble down the stairs and into the clearing. Somehow, I manage to keep my head held high. I glance at each of them, their expressions ranging from amused to curious. Even Christian looks at me inquisitively, his fingers tap dancing on the hood of the truck.
“Athos, where are we heading today?” I note that my truck is the only one in the driveway right now. What did they do, run here with their overnight bags in their mouths? Wait, I kind of want to see that.
“Into town,” he hedges with a sparkle in his eye. Or maybe that’s just the sun. Yeah, that makes more sense, eyes don’t sparkle. “Want to drive, Sabina?”
I grind my teeth and wrinkle my face until it contorts into an awful, unpleasant expression. “I thought we’d walk today.” Ever so slowly, I make my way down the stairs, past the guys, past the truck, and toward the lane. Carefully avoiding each pothole as I go.
I try humming the tune to MASH, but my nerves only make it shaky and off tune. Why is that the first song that pops into my head?
“Oh, no you don’t.” Liam snatches me from behind, lifting me effortlessly.
My brain stutters then stalls at his touch, his closeness sending prickles of pleasure through my body. When my brain finally catches back up, I kick out, catching him in the shins. He doesn’t grunt, he laughs.
“Ah, baby, I know you can do better than that.” His breath washes over my neck, tingling the sensitive bits of my ear.
“This is touching!” I shout, though I doubt the guys truly care. My careful rules have gone to shit in a matter of moments. Who the hell was I even fooling? Me, that’s who. “Athos, this is forbidden touching.”
Christian steps into view as Liam swings me around, his head cocked to the side. “I’ll drive, Damsel.”
“Perfect.” Relief courses through me. I’m going to murder Pepper.
“You are very welcome,” that motherfucker purrs right before he snatches the keys out of my hand.
“No!” My cry goes unheard as the lock snicks in the clearing.
Don’t be a dildo.
Don’t be a dildo.
Liam drops me before diving into the back seat, his long arms flailing as he lifts the seats to peer under them, then drops down to peek behind them. Relief burns through me. But I know better now. I compose myself, repeating affirmations in my head.
You are a confident woman.
You are a queen amongst wolves.
You are perfect in every way.
I don’t feel any of these things, especially not as I walk around to the front of the truck while all three men dig through the compartments and secret little places. Athos just stands there with a smile on his face.
But I know my cousin. That tricky bitch wouldn’t just leave it, whatever it is, out in the open. Oh no. I guarantee it’s underneath. After all, her dad was a mechanic, and now so is she. I whistle, knowing it’s either there or under the hood. Though that is more doubtful. The plastic wrapping would have melted on the drive here.
I think.
I open the door as the guys’ heads all pop up like peacocks, or just cocks, and glance at me. I wave a finger between the four of them. “Question. Do you have some kind of telepathic communication thing happening?”
Three out of four show no outward emotions, hiding them very well. I won’t play poker with them. But Liam? I smile back at him. Liam gives it away. His sapphire blue eyes can’t quite look at me as he bites down on his lips, turning them the perfect shade of pink.
“So the stories are true. Telepathic communication within the pack.” I grin as I slide into the driver’s seat and up onto my little booster. “Noted,” I remark, as they ignore me.
“Sabina? What are you sitting on?” Nix questions, getting in next to me while the other three slip into the back. I’m surprised that Athos didn’t demand shotgun.
“Shut your doors.” I ignore him as I fix my seat. They screwed up my preferences with their sex toy search. Again, Pepper is dead to me.
Dead.
Liam leans forward, his silky hair teasing my cheek as he glances down. “Doll face, are you sitting on a booster seat?”
Annoyed, I slide the seat the whole way back with a flick of the bar. The seat slams into Liam’s knees before I fix it, rolling it entirely forward with a whistle.
“Noted.” Liam chuckles. “Don’t mention the booster seat.”
“Damsel, do you need me to drive?”
“Shut up, Knight,” I retort. A blush creeps up my neck at the nickname. I’m going to regret that for all of my days. Why the hell did I call him Knight?
“Damsel, I am no knight.” Is that? Wait.
I spin around, looking at his taut features. He hates it. A slow smile spreads up my face before I pout like a true damsel and pitch my voice high. “But, Christian, you are my knight in shining armor, fighting off the big bad wolves for me.” Okay, too much saccharine and not enough snark.
The muffled snorts and laughter surrounding me make me feel alive with something I can’t quite place. My belly flickers with a shot of desire? No, playfulness. Flirtatiousness. Damn him, I’m enjoying this.
“Enough. Sabina, head into town,” Athos commands as the laughter dies off.
“Party pooper,” I grumble, annoyed he still hasn’t told me what we are doing or why. “About that telepathic communication…” I push.
“It has… limitations.” Athos’s tone brooks no argument, so I let it go.
For now.
The engine purrs, mostly. That rattle needs to be looked at, but no one says a thing about it. I swing toward the lane and head down the drive, thankful when I get to the bottom and no wolves pop out of the forest. Tension releases from my shoulders as I pull onto the road and head toward town.
“Doll face, who the hell taught you to drive?” Liam groans as though my driving physically pains him. But I didn’t hit a single pothole, so I don’t know what he’s really whining about.
“What?” I glance at the speedometer. Yep, going the speed limit. I’m within the lines.
“You drive like an old lady,” Christian states drolly.
“That doesn’t help me much, because my grandma drives a motorcycle while wearing leathers.” My grandma is a speed demon and an adrenaline junkie. She’s also secretly my hero, and I love her.
“Normal grandmas drive slow.” I think I preferred when Nix didn’t talk at all.
I shoot him a betrayed side glance that I don’t think he gets at all. Mostly because he’s staring out the window at the passing trees while he picks at his lips.
“I drive like a normal person.” I huff, running my hand under my seat belt to make sure it’s in place.
“You drive like a human,” Athos chimes in.
What the hell? Are they all ganging up on me today?
“Where are we going, Alpha?” I tease as we hit the town.
“Park at the station.” I find no help in his gruff response.
Still, I slam the truc
k into park and unlock the doors, but before I can climb down, I spin in my seat, eyeing up each man before looking at Christian. “But, Sheriff…” I put on my best southern drawl. “I’ve been a good girl.”
I had hope that my little display would make them laugh, but the air gets sucked out of the cab and Christian’s eyes darken, his lips tilting up into a sexy smirk. “I doubt that very much, Damsel.”
Oh, that southern voice.
Blood rushes through my body before diving straight for my clit where it pulses wildly. I’m swooning. Is that still a thing? Because it sure as hell is a thing right now. I can’t look away as his eyes capture mine, ratcheting up the heat.
I suppress a shiver that races through me. “Is it hot in here?” I squawk, fanning myself.
“Cool as a cucumber.” Christian’s smile is nothing but a heated promise before he climbs out of the truck and slams the door. I blow out a breath, struggling for composure. Which I don’t find.
But hey, fake it until you make it, right?
Right.
I step out into the mid-fall morning. The sun’s warmth bites through the crisp wind that wraps around my frame. Shutting my door, I glance around at the empty stretch of town. No cars. No light poles or traffic lights. Not a single soul walks on the cracked and broken sidewalks. Not one.
I raise a brow at the four wolves standing on the steps to the sheriff’s office. “Did you tell them to hide?”
Each one covers an expression of guilt, yet I zero in on Liam. I walk right up to him and lay a palm on his chest. “Liam, where is everyone?”
His eyes widen before a lazy smile stretches across his face, and he captures my hand in his. But before he can say a damn thing, or rather give anything away, Athos snatches my hand to drag me inside.
“You will be the death of me, woman.” Under his breath, he mutters, “Fate tests my patience with this one.”
I laugh because it sounds so much like something my dad would say. His belief in the beyond ran deep. He wasn’t a religious man, per se, but a man who believed that this world held more to it than what meets the eye. Growing up, we spent hours watching shows on the mysteries of earth. About ancient aliens, multidimensional creatures, and, of course, bigfoot. Dad had a complete theory on that one. He never dismissed any outrageous claims, instead choosing to look at it as though the world held magic in the palm of her hand.
