Chapter 25
Ansley
Wyatt.
I was nervous about meeting Hayden and Remy’s youngest brother. It’s been difficult enough coming to terms with the fact I have two mates. I didn’t know if I’d feel the same strange pull to the rest of them, but I feel it with Wyatt.
I don’t know what he looks like in his Natural or true Human Form.
His Third Form is smaller than the forms Hayden and Remy use.
Wyatt stands barely six feet with sandy hair, streaked with darker highlights.
I can tell from the pained look on his face that he’s struggling to maintain his Third Form.
“Okay, the music is off, sorry,” Daisy declares like it’s some kind of accomplishment, turning around with a grin on her face. “Okay, handsome. Introduce us to your friends.”
“They’re not my friends, they’re my brothers,” Hayden corrects, gesturing to his right. “Ansley already knows Remy. This is our youngest brother, Wyatt.”
“Oh, so he’s Ansley’s mate too? You guys think she’s supposed to be a mate for the entire pack, right?” Daisy asks, sipping her drink then glancing over at me. “Ansley has been telling me all about this little arrangement.”
“I know she’s my mate as much as I know my own thoughts,” Wyatt growls, stepping past his brothers. “Ansley… I… I’ll admit that I wasn’t sure. Not until I caught your scent. But now I know. It’s exactly how my brothers described it. You were meant to be mine.”
My heart beats a little faster. I feel it too. The same pull I felt towards Hayden and Remy. It’s undeniable. He’s different from his brothers. Soft, somehow, at least it seems that way. Before I can respond, Daisy steps in front of me.
“Yeah, um, just a minute,” Daisy chirps. “See, I’ve been thinking about this since Ansley told me, and I don’t think this arrangement is very fair.”
“Daisy, don’t. This really doesn’t concern you,” I try to stop her, but it’s a pointless effort.
“If it concerns my best friend, it concerns me,” Daisy scoffs.
“It’s not about fairness,” Hayden snaps. “It’s instinct. It’s easier for Remy and me to control it because we’ve already claimed her. Wyatt hasn’t, but he will soon.”
“Just going to put a little tentative next to that,” Daisy says, narrowing her eyes. “Ansley didn’t tell me everything, despite me begging for the juicy details, but it seems like you guys are getting everything out of this, and she’s not getting anything at all.”
“Daisy, that’s enough, seriously,” I warn.
“No, no, I’m not done,” Daisy says, holding up a finger.
“Ansley’s a prize, and I’m not just saying that because she’s my best friend.
You guys with your… instincts or whatever, don’t know her like I do.
She deserves to be taken care of it, and I’m not just talking about the bedroom.
Have any of you taken her on a date yet? ”
“We’re hunting fucking vampires. Vampires that almost killed you,” Remy barks. “We don’t have time for dates.”
“I disagree. Ansley should be wined, dined, and treated like the respectable, successful, amazing woman she is. Do you know how hard it is to get a job at York Financial? They already have her managing her own portfolio. She’s special!
” Daisy insists. “And let’s see… there’s five of you?
Yeah, she should be going on dates every single night. ”
“I think I liked you better when you were comatose,” Hayden mutters.
“Because that would make it easier for you to take advantage of my best friend?” Daisy challenges.
“Do you realize how easily Wyatt could tear you to pieces? How hard it is for him to keep his instincts under control?” Remy’s words are just shy of a yell. “You’re standing between him and his mate, which is not where you want to be.”
Despite what I feel for Wyatt, and the rest of my mates, I feel a surge of protectiveness for my best friend. “Don’t threaten her,” I say, glaring at Remy. “We’ve looked after each other since we were kids. What was it you said, Hayden? Daisy is… Mitra? An honorary member of the pack?”
“She is important to you, which makes her important to us,” Hayden clarifies, turning toward my best friend. “But we care about what our mate wants, not what you want, Daisy. Ansley, would you like to go somewhere private with us? So, we can discuss this rationally?”
I do. Everything inside of me is screaming that I want to be with Wyatt. To be stripped bare and claimed by him, just like I’ve been claimed by his brothers. But I will not be made to pick sides like that.
“Daisy makes some interesting points,” I admit. “I’ve been accepting of this, because I feel the same connection, but it wouldn’t hurt anything to go on a date with Wyatt. Unless you’re too busy hunting vampires. I understand if you are.”
“No,” Wyatt says immediately. “I’d love to take you on a date.”
“See? How hard was that?” Daisy perks up. “They can go on their date, and the two of you can keep me company. What do you want to drink? I’ve got…” She glances at the array of bottles. “Well, I’ve got just about everything.”
“We made her an honorary member of the pack, and she’s already claiming our alcohol.” Remy complains, walking past me and sitting at the bar. “Whiskey.”
“Coming right up!” Daisy says, glancing at Hayden. “What about you, handsome?”
“Same,” he says, shaking his head.
“Have fun on your date,” Daisy sings, obviously pleased by her meddling.
I walk closer to Wyatt. I’m not sure if it’s easier for me than it is for them, but the pull is undeniable, just like it was with his brothers.
But the way he looks at me is different.
It’s not the same hunger or desire. It’s almost like curiosity, the way a child would look at the world for the very first time.
“Shall we,” he asks, offering me the crook of his arm.
“Yes, you shall!” Daisy calls out.
“I got it from here,” I laugh, tucking my hand around Wyatt’s arm.
He’s so tense that his muscles are tight and his arm trembles when I touch him. Hayden and Remy said it was hard to maintain their Third Form around me. Wyatt seems to be having the same struggle. I’ll alleviate it for him, once we’re alone. There’s no need for disguises around me.
Wyatt leads me down the hallway and he grabs a set of keys before we step into the garage.
He goes to the passenger side of the SUV and opens my door.
He seems more gentlemanly than his brothers, but it could just be for my temporary benefit.
There’s still a hungry wolf in there somewhere, even if he’s contained at the moment.
“Thank you,” I say getting into the car. He makes sure I’m situated before gently pushing the door closed until it latches. Once he’s seated beside me, I turn to him. “We don’t really have to go anywhere. I can tell your struggling and would rather be in your true Human Form right now.”
“It’s difficult, but I promised you a date, and I keep my promises,” he says gently. “How do you feel about museums?”
“I can’t say I’ve been to many,” I admit. “My grandparents took me to one in the city with fossils when I was a little girl, but that was only because I was obsessed with them at that age.”
“Fossils? Really?” Wyatt murmurs. “A part of history, almost perfectly preserved.”
“Yeah, I always thought they were interesting,” I say, looking out the window as the SUV pulls out of the garage. “But eventually I got too old to care about all of that.”
“I don’t think anyone ever gets too old to appreciate history,” Wyatt chuckles.
“Depends on your priorities. My grandfather sat me down one day and told me it was time to focus on school. Getting good grades. Making something of myself,” I explain. “It was a pretty serious lecture, one of the earliest ones I can still remember, but I took it to heart.”
“Were you raised by your grandparents?” Wyatt questions.
“I was, yes. My mom got sick and died when I was little. I barely remember her. I just remember how sad I was after she was gone,” I admit, then I start to tear up.
“I never knew my father. I asked my grandparents about him once, but they claimed they didn’t know who he was either. He’s not on my birth certificate.”
“That had to be tough,” Wyatt replies, his voice still gentle and calm. He reaches over and squeezes my hand. “But you had people who loved and took care of you.”
“Yeah, and then I had Daisy,” I say, blinking away the tears.
“Her mom pretty much adopted me, too. Once I got older, I spent more time at Daisy’s house than mine.
I still took my grandfather’s advice to heart, though.
I focused on school, got good grades, and went to college on a scholarship. Then I got a job at York Financial.”
“York Financial? Good company, from what I’ve heard. Storm used to work there, before he started managing our finances full-time,” Wyatt says. “Is that… lady still around? The Ice Queen?”
“Storm… your brother? He used to work for Ms. Frost?” My eyes widen. “She’s my boss! Well, not my direct boss. She’s the CEO.”
“Storm handles our finances,” he says. “I don’t understand it as well as I probably should, but he seems to know what he’s doing.”
“Considering how many safehouses you have, he must be pretty good at it,” I admit.
“Hayden’s doing. He always prepares for worst-case scenarios. We already lived through one, and he sees it as his responsibility to ensure we’re ready if something like that ever happens again,” his voice holds a sadness I hope to understand better someday.
“And what do you do?” I ask, a little curious about my date.
“I help out where I’m needed. Sometimes Remy likes me to go with him when he does reconnaissance missions because I can pick up scents better than my brothers.
Sometimes I help Storm with surveillance.
And I take care of Jaxton,” he says. “He’s had it rough and tends to keep to himself unless the pack needs him for something. ”
“It sounds like you do a lot for your brothers… for the pack,” I say. “But that can’t take up all of your time.”