Chapter 12
~ Alex ~
“Jesus, how much does one woman need?” I stared at Isobelle’s luggage with disbelief.
My car was on its ass, fully loaded with all her essentials.
Fuck me, where are we going to put it all?
Lincoln Anderson lent me a bungee cable to secure the trunk after I fought to keep the door closed.
“Do you think it's a good sign that she has pink Playboy bunny symbols all over her luggage?” Grayson mentioned.
I envisioned an illuminated light bulb hovering above his head as his mind whirled with possibilities. Is she kinky? Or does she just like pink? Lincoln cast him a puzzled look, probably wondering what the fuck he was talking about. That brand isn’t well known here in Whitehaven, only Grayson had an outside subscription.
“There . . . that should hold it,” I announced, flustered, sleep-deprived, and agitated. This business with Isobelle tied my stomach in knots.
Grayson let out a low whistle. “Holy cow, that’s a serious amount of stuff. Where is it gonna go? We clearly didn’t think this through.”
He was right. We would need to build an extension to accommodate all her belongings. I’m guessing this is only the tip of the iceberg to what she had back home. Oh, boy. Then there was the prospect of having pups someday. I told those assholes we’d be better suited to a mansion in Whitevale, but oh no, they wanted to be closer to nature. More like they were sick of getting looked at like trash. Our entire family has always been the topic of gossip, fated to lead a harem lifestyle over a straight-up monogamous one. My brothers and I were no different. That was why they were so keen to leave town. It still didn’t stop people from talking shit about us hunting for women on a full moon. We never did any of that. The thought of last night’s antics brought a slight smile to my face. It was enough to drive all the gossips crazy.
“We better get going before Sleeping Beauty awakes,” Grayson mentioned to Lincoln. “Thanks for all your help, man. We appreciate it.”
“No problem,” Lincoln replied gruffly. “Just remember what I said about human women. They need their independence. She’ll probably want to call her mother every day, sometimes more than once. When I first moved in with Chloe, she was on the phone several times a day to Molly. It’s a female thing.” He shrugged his shoulders with a baffled expression.
Grayson and I exchanged a furtive look. “Yeah, speaking of mothers,” Grayson rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly.
“Don’t even go there,” I warned flatly. “Not yet. I want us to mark and mate with her before we drop that bombshell on her head.”
Lincoln chortled. “Good luck with that.”
I grunted a “hmph” noise, to show my indignation. When our mom gets her paws on Isobelle, she would recruit a powerful ally. The last thing we need is for Izzy to learn all about our family legacy. That is sure to scare the bejesus out of anyone.
Grayson clambered in through the passenger side as I climbed into the driver’s seat. The moment I started the engine, the operatic symphony resumed playing from exactly where it left off. Grayson winced with displeasure, preferring new-age metal over my orchestral classics.
“Do you have any gum?” Grayson asked as I studied the road ahead.
My fingers gripped the steering wheel tight enough to make the leather creak. “You’re not chewing gum while I’m driving. The incessant sound of lip-smacking drives me crazy.”
He blew out a forced breath, then began tapping his fingers against his knee in time to the music he so blatantly hated. After about thirty seconds, I couldn’t stand it any longer.
“What the fuck are you doing?” I cast him a fleeting glance.
“Oh, will you lighten up?” he retorted.
My posture stiffened and my jaw pulsed, causing my teeth to grind together. Lighten up. I was doing just fine until he started irritating me. Why does everybody assume I have a grievance against everything because I’m particular?
“You know . . . I think you ought to apologize to Isobelle for yelling in her face last night. Even if it was to stop her from running into danger. The least you can do is clarify that you only did it because you care. She probably thinks you don’t like her or something,” Grayson pointed out.
Am I really so uptight? I don’t mean to be. I just like everything to run like clockwork. And when it doesn’t, I don’t feel as if I’m in control. Too many people depended on me to step up and take charge. Being the eldest of the family, even if it was only by minutes, made me feel like I must set an example to the other three. I was also the lead ranger. It fell to me if hunters crept past our western outpost. It was my responsibility if anyone got hurt on my watch. It was me who found our mate first, and it was me who thought of a plan to lure her here. Sometimes the pressure of leadership was unbearable. I had so much pent-up frustration and nowhere to relinquish it. And it made me rather irritable.
“Was I really that harsh?” I asked, maintaining an impartial tone.
I didn’t demonstrate remorse because that would mean admitting I was wrong. Although, Grayson’s words stung, and an unexplainable sensation churned my stomach. What is this feeling I’m experiencing? Is it guilt? How do I make it stop?
“I’d say you were,” Grayson concluded. “You know, you can instill discipline and show affection at the same time.”
His words hit close to the bone, making me bristle. I ached to claim her from the moment I saw her at the conference. There were other darker ways I’d like to reprimand her, unleashing unbridled savagery I kept locked away deep inside me. Not even my brothers knew the full extent of my yearning to dominate. My need for a submissive. Isobelle’s sassy mouth and feisty attitude awakened the beast within me. It was biding its time, thinking up ways in which it could make her kneel.
“I’ll make it up to her and apologize,” I decided.
And just like that, the tension in my chest subsided.
~~*
~ Lucas ~
“Listen . . .” I held my finger against my lips as Mason approached the bedroom door.
We both grinned as the sound of loud, rumbling snores rattled around the cabin.
“No way,” Mason chuckled. “Alex is going to need earplugs when he hears her snoring.”
Speaking of Alex, he was due back at any minute. One of the perks of being a werewolf was that we shared a pack link, but because we were quadruplets, we had a unique psychic link that even the other pack members couldn’t tap into.
“We better wake her up before he gets home. You know how much he hates people lazing in bed past breakfast,” I mentioned.
If it was down to me, I would let her sleep in all day. I wasn’t exactly the world’s most sociable wolf when it comes to initiating a conversation. Shove a wrench in my hand and leave me out in the yard and I would service your car free of charge. I was a man of little needs. If I was fed, watered, and exercised, I would be happy. Just like any regular wolf, I was as wild as they came.
I knocked briskly on the door and waited for a response. Nothing. I knocked again, but this time a little louder. Nothing. I could see that Mason was deliberating whether to peek inside, but I beat him to it and barged my way in. The mug of tea was burning my fucking knuckles and I needed to deliver it before I dropped it on the floor.
The sight of Isobelle twisted up in the sheets with her ass hanging out made me wolf-whistle loudly. Izzy woke up in a state of startling disarray, then looked around as if she had forgotten where the hell she was. Her eyes bounced back and forth between Mason and me as if she thought she was still dreaming. It was cute how she pulled her nightdress down to cover her modesty, and it was so fucking adorable how she swiped the back of her hand across her mouth to check for drool. Now I wish I had slapped that ass while I still had the chance.
Bummer.
“Good morning,” I announced in a bright sing-song voice that was better suited to Mason.
Mason turned to me, detecting my sarcasm, and narrowed his eyes with disdain. I placed the scalding mug of tea down on the nightstand and took a step back in case she decided to throw it over me. She needed a few moments to process things, then checked around the room.
“Where are the other two?” she asked. “Grayson and Alex?”
It shocked me that she remembered their names, and it also spiked my jealousy that they’d made a strong enough impression on her. I’m always last in the pecking order of things. Always the forgotten one. Mason may be the youngest, but he was known for his intellect and artistic flair. I was the strong silent one who nobody ever found interesting. At least, not enough to get to know me.
“You’re Mason,” Isobelle pointed at my brother and my heart sank.
Of course, she knew who Golden Boy was. He was probably in the running to be her favorite.
Mason flashed a million-megawatt smile that made him look every inch a GQ model. I wasn’t going to stick around to be asked to introduce myself. What was the point? I had plenty to do outside, like reorganizing my tool shed, and feeling sorry for myself.
“Lucas, wait,” Isobelle called out just as I turned to leave.
The sound of my name leaving her lips stopped me dead in my tracks and I turned my head, my lips parting with surprise.
“Thank you for the tea,” she mentioned gingerly.
She picked up the mug, brought it to her lips, and took a grateful slurp. “It’s a good brew. Ten out of ten for effort.”
My heart fluttered in my chest, and I let out a genuine chuckle. She fucking marked me ten out of ten for my tea-making skills. For the first time in my life, I shied away from a woman, flattered by the compliment.
Clearing my throat, I muttered, “Thanks.”
I was no good at making small talk. So, I stalked out of the cabin, needing to occupy myself with manly tasks and take my mind off the growing tent in my shorts.
Mason followed a couple of moments later, finding me elbow deep in engine grease.
“The lady is taking a bath,” he pre-warned me in case I wanted to use the bathroom.
“If nature calls there’s no better place than out here in the wide-open,” I reminded him, watching his nose wrinkling with disgust.
“You need to stop doing that. I would’ve thought you’d be potty-trained by now,” he reprimanded, casting me an admonishing look to match.
Just as I was about to come back with a snarky comment, the rumble of Alex’s SUV saved him. The tires crunched through loose chippings before coming to a stop at the front porch.
Grayson grinned as he exited the passenger side, then jerked his head as a signal that we should check out what Alex was doing. Our sophisticated sibling emerged with an impressive bouquet of colorful flowers and a bag full of groceries.
Grayson waited until Alex disappeared through the door before rounding on us with an explanation.
“He’s bringing out the big guns to show her that he’s sorry,” he revealed. “He’s hoping to impress her with his culinary skills.”
Both mine and Mason’s faces flooded with shock.
“Alex is apologizing?” The disbelief was clear in my voice. “Where’s the fucking camera?”
Mason’s brows hit his hairline. “This I’ve got to see,” he uttered, just as stunned as I was.