Chapter 3 #2
I shrug in feigned nonchalance, just in case he is paying attention. “Is she a witch or something? Because she did in sixty seconds something the military docs haven’t been able to do in a long time.”
Koran steps on the porch, his fingers gripping the screen door handle, but instead of ushering me in, he lowers his voice to say, “Kylian’s different from the rest of us. We’re all protective of her in our own way, so I’m not surprised she got a reaction out of Kash when nothing else worked.”
He pushes open the door and walks through, stopping short in the entryway. “It seems Karter’s got his mate in the downstairs bathroom, so use the one at the top of the stairs.”
My gaze follows his hand. “Gotcha.”
“Dinner is through the kitchen on the back deck. I’ll see you out there,” he says while walking away.
I take the moment alone to inhale deeply, finding Kylian’s scent buried amongst two mated bear shifters, their females, pheromones, and pungent antiseptic soap that I’m betting came out of Sly’s go bag.
Maybe it’s the mix but my bear doesn’t respond like he did when we first arrived.
Maybe that’s a good thing and my initial reaction was nothing more than my bear’s desperation now that three of my younger pack members have found their fated mates.
I won’t lie and say it hasn’t bothered me considering I’ve never had a relationship that lasted longer than a sweaty three-day weekend.
Karter’s mate makes a muffled moan, prompting me to rush up the stairs before I get caught perving against my will.
I can’t imagine having a mate in a house of shifters where every sound and scent tells part of their story.
There are no secrets amongst shifters. Not real secrets.
And yet the Barrington clan seems to be fairly uncommunicative for a family living in such close quarters.
I understand Kade and Kash not talking about our missions but I never realized how little my found family talks about the packs or families they left behind until now.
However, I’m very aware of how hard I avoid telling them about my past.
At the top of the stairs, I lift my hand to knock on the closed door at the same time it opens to release a plumb of steam filled with wildflowers and honey. My body tightens as the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen squeaks, her big brown eyes wide and plump lips shaped in an O. “You scared me.”
“I’m sorry,” I say, frozen in place.
She clutches the towel wrapped around her chest, her long chestnut locks twisted into a wrap on her head. “Who are you?”
I shake my head to pull myself out of my stupor that is Kylian Barrington and clear my throat before looking away from the bruise decorating her otherwise flawless face.
It’s on the tip of my tongue to demand she tell me who did that to her but I don’t think that will go over well.
“My name is Erick Bjourne. I’m Kade’s business partner from Broken Falls. ”
“I’ve heard of you.” She bites her lip and lets her gaze travel over the length of my body before coming back to my face. “You’re younger than I expected.”
Absent-mindedly, I reach up and stroke my reddish-brown beard that has plenty of silver running through it, even though I’m only a few years older than Kade. “Let me guess. Kade called me Grandpa or something.”
She giggles, her voice like wind chimes on a soft breeze, which brings my eyes back to hers. “No. He called you Bossman. And when Kash joined the military, he said you were sergeant number one—or something like that.”
I nod in understanding. “Ah, First Sergeant. I filled that role when Kash joined our unit.”
“Oh.” She stares back into my eyes with veiled curiosity, a small smile spreading her lips. Then a blush hits her cheeks, and she tightens her grip on the front of her towel, which only makes my eyes drop down to take in her bare legs and bright flamingo pink painted toes. “I should get dressed.”
“Yeah.” I shake my head and take a step back. “Sorry again for startling you.”
She moves around me, taking extra care not to bump me, but before I can stop myself I reach out and gently grab her upper arm. “What happened to your face?”
Glancing down at my fingers, she sucks in her breath. “My face?”
Making a show of releasing her, I motion to her head. “The bruise on your right cheekbone near your eye—how’d you get it?”
Saying the words, envisioning the possible scenarios, causes my hackles to rise and my bear to grumble. Surprisingly, he’s not declaring that she’s ours—but he’s not happy she might be someone else’s either. Especially if that someone else is an abusive prick.
“Oh, that.” She tentatively touches her cheek and flashes me an impish smile. “I drank too much last night and walked into a door. It’s so embarrassing. Please don’t tell my brothers.”
“A door?” My voice drips with doubt as I search her eyes for a hint of deception, but there’s nothing. Her heartbeat remains steady and because her scent is off—not exactly human but not shifter either—I can’t tell if her adrenaline is spiking.
Actually, her essence is maddening but not in the way I’ve been dreading for the last thirty minutes.
Instead of my bear wanting to pin her down and claim her like the beast he’s always been, he’s unsure and feeling cautious about her.
Is it because of Kade or something else?
Is this a fated to a human thing? If so, the one person I could ask will rip my throat out for even thinking about it with his only sister.
Hell—without my senses, I’m not sure how to proceed. I’ve always used them to suss out another’s intent. Deception tastes bitter on my tongue while arousal is super sweet. Right now there is a myriad of bland flavors, none standing out on their own.
She forces a smile and steps away. “Yep. I’m a klutz.”