Chapter Three- The Brothers

As soon as we walked through the red door with the H monogram proudly displayed on the front, I could smell why Teddy was so in love with this family.

The scent of apples, cinnamon, and clove washed over me. It was like a sign that what awaited me was warm and safe, and I nearly collapsed in tears right there in the living room.

There’s something different about the scent of a homecooked meal made by someone who loves you, and it had been ages since we had either one. He’d been looking for something stable and normal all his life, and he’d finally found it. I couldn’t blame him at all for wanting to keep it for himself all this time.

Even though the rustic farm-style décor wasn’t my thing, you could tell that a family lived and loved there. The white ship-lap walls were littered with school photographs and family vacations.

I could almost hear Bing Crosby singing as I envisioned them sitting around the fireplace drinking hot chocolate with snow pouring down outside the big picture window. I smirked at the mirage before I batted the burning in my eyes away.

I didn’t much care for having that kind of wholesome family fun myself, but it stung knowing that no one wanted me to be part of their White Christmas.

I didn’t necessarily ever imagine myself as the type to settle down into domestic life, but seeing it all around me made me a little jealous.

The bright yellow kitchen Teddy led me to was dripping in apples and rooster tchotchkes. Still, it fits in with the copper pans dangling from the ceiling and the hand-drawn pictures on the refrigerator.

I could only assume that the squealing woman in a pink t-shirt clapping her hands together as she barreled towards me was Stella.

Being a Lycan, she was built for fighting, and she nearly tackled me when her arms wrapped around me. She wore a warm smile, and her soft blonde hair was tucked behind her ear. “I’m so happy to finally meet you.” When she eventually released me from her jasmine-scented embrace, she handed me off to the woman wearing a red apron. “This is my mother, Kathy.”

The petite redhead wiped her hands on a dishtowel, then walked around the kitchen island and reached out to me. “I’m so glad you’re here now, Tessa.”

Seeing only my little leather bag of holding in my hands, she peeked out of the kitchen to the front door. “Where are your things?”

Teddy told me that the family wanted me to stay with them on their compound for my safety, but since my sexual needs were pretty high, I didn’t think that was wise. I could hardly be sneaking people in and out of their home every night.

As I pulled away from her, I shook my head and pointed my thumb over my shoulder. “Um, I checked into the little B and B in town.”

Her head tilted to the side, and I could hear her disappointment as she tugged on my hands. “Oh, why?”

The look on her face was exactly the one Teddy gave me when he tried to make me feel guilty, and my stomach turned at the constant reminder that I’m a let-down. “I didn’t want to impose on you nice folks.”

Her hand went to the center of my back, and I nearly choked on her sweetness when she rubbed tiny circles on my skin. “Don’t be silly. You’re family now. If you change your mind, you’re welcome to stay. Our door is always open.”

I’m a master at underhanded behavior, so I caught the wink Stella shot at Teddy, and every alarm rang in my head. “Sooo…why don’t you go introduce Tessa to…everyone.”

Teddy crossed his arms and put his finger to his chin, then gave me a grin that screamed, ‘I’m kind of a bastard, Tess.’

Since he was speaking to me now, I used my connection to remind him that I don’t like surprises, but he just smiled and held out his hand. “Right, come on. Let me show you off to everyone.”

When he closed the door to the kitchen behind us, I peeked up at him. “What the hell are you doing? I know that look, Teddy.”

He sighed and tugged me close to his chest as we navigated through the crowded backyard. “Nothing at all, my dear. Just wanted to introduce you to Jacob and Logan.”

“Well, by all means then.” I swept my hand out for him to continue.

From the looks I was receiving from everyone, I wasn’t sure my outfit was quite right. These people were, obviously, a more conservative bunch than where I come from. My plunging neckline and bare thighs were drawing a lot of attention. “Do I look okay? I wasn’t certain what kind of thing they were into up here in the boondocks.”

I’d been conning people my whole life, and I liked to play the part well, but these were the first werewolves I’d ever met and knew absolutely nothing about their way of life. “Shit. You’re my twin; you always look good. They’re going to go wild for you. Don’t worry yourself so much.”

All the whispers that followed us set my nerves on edge, and my palms were wet with an uneasiness I’d never known before. As I wiped them on my ass cheeks, I whispered to him. “What the hell are they all looking at?”

I usually don’t mind the attention, but they parted down the middle as we passed by like I was a celebrity. I guess being an outsider made me a bit of a novelty since Lycan don’t let just anyone pass through their little towns.

His cheeky, tight-lipped grin let me know he was lying before he ever spit out the words. “Nothing at all. You’re being paranoid.”

Every step closer I got to the gathering by the pond at the center of the property brought a flip-flop to my chest. Flashes of light like the fourth of July passed through my vision and illuminated one figure.

The bodies surrounding the campfire were a blur, except for the giant of a man who rose to his feet and stood there bathed in the firelight. He was beautiful. His blonde hair lifted in the breeze, and his tattoed hand pushed it back off his face to lock eyes with me.

It didn’t matter that I was in the middle of an open field in the cleanest air that ever existed. The pressure in my chest made it impossible to catch my breath.

When the dizzying scent of jasmine and chocolate and whiskey swept over me, my knees quivered, and I stopped dead in my tracks.

“It’s her.” I should have run for the hills that surrounded us, but when I heard the thunderous bass of his voice, it was like someone else commanded me, and I couldn’t get to him fast enough.

When I broke free of my brother’s grasp, I rushed for the beast whose green-blue eyes glowed with a gold halo. And like he always did, he made sure that he was the first to get to me.