Chapter 4
Chapter
Four
REECE
M y eyelids flutter open, and I try to clear my throat, as it’s scratchy and sore. At first, I can’t remember why; then I remember the wolves, a big-ass bison charging toward us, and my screams before everything went dark. I scramble upright as panic rises inside me. In my haste, I almost fall off the couch I’m resting on.
“Whoa.” A deep, soothing voice calls out as a man catches me before I hit the floor. “You’re okay. You’re safe now.”
He sits me back on the couch, and I look around. This isn’t the living room of the cabin I rented. And I have no idea who these four people staring back at me are. There’s a woman standing with a man I assume is her partner, since he’s got an arm around her protectively. The man who caught me looks a lot like the one standing to my right: dark hair, handsome face, and attractive physique with a bit of a belly. I feel the strange desire to hug him, which makes everything even more perplexing.
“I’m Connor,” he informs me. Motioning to the man who looks very similar to him, he adds, “This is Grant.”
Grant is slightly taller than Connor and has more stubble on his face, but they’re definitely siblings, maybe even fraternal twins. They don’t seem threatening, and for some reason, my body heats up when my gaze connects with theirs.
Something about them makes me feel relaxed, like I belong here. A feeling I have never experienced anywhere else.
“Back there is our brother, Charlie, and his wife, Kimberly,” Connor says.
“How are you feeling?” Kimberly asks.
“Fine. I think,” I respond.
Grant takes a small step toward me, getting my attention. “Do you remember what happened?”
I can’t stop the scoff that escapes my lips. “I remember wild wolves, a stampeding bison, and then screaming.”
Kimberly slaps Grant’s arm and lowers her voice. “You’re an idiot.”
“I didn’t mean to scare her,” he defends in a whisper.
I furrow my eyebrows. I get that they were trying to only talk to each other and not me, but I can still hear them. I’m confused why she’d blame him for animal attacks.
Charlie clears his throat. “So, what’s your name?”
“Reece.” I bite my bottom lip. “How did I get here?”
“We brought you,” Connor says. “You passed out, and our place was closer.”
“Oh.” I touch my wet hair, self-conscious of how bad I must look. “Well, thank you for rescuing me. I should find my way back before it gets too late.”
“No!” They all yell in unison.
My eyes widen. They silently stare at one another, their gaze moving from one person to the next, making me think they can somehow hear each other’s thoughts. Which is a ridiculous and creepy notion. I need to get out of here.
Kimberly steps forward. “Why don’t you boys go find some more firewood and tell the kids to come inside? That blizzard is going to blow for a while.”
“Blizzard?” I whirl around to peer out the window behind the couch. I can see nothing except wisps of thick white snow.
My panic rises. I can’t stay here. I’m in a house full of strangers, who oddly want to keep me from leaving.
Grant and Connor look back to Charlie, who nods slightly. With a sigh, they follow their brother outside. The moment I hear the door close, I expect to be able to relax and breathe a sigh of relief, but it doesn’t come. Instead, I feel an ache in my chest.
Why do I care that they left? I don’t know them. Other than their domineeringly sexy presence, there’s nothing that should make me feel lost without them.
“The boys will be back soon,” Kimberly offers, as if she can sense my inner turmoil. “Just remember how you’re feeling right now and try to have an open mind. It’s important for all three of you.”
“I’m sorry?”
What is she talking about?
Warning bells go off in my head. Not from fear, but from how irrational it is for me to feel comfortable here. I should be afraid, but my heart is begging me to stay.
“You’ll understand soon enough,” she adds cryptically.
Rambunctious noises fill the house as two children run inside, a girl with flowing brown hair and a boy with dirty blond. Both are covered in snow. They’re roughly the same height, looking to be around seven or eight.
“Hey, hey,” Kimberly scolds them. “We have a guest.”
She gestures to me. I give them a weak smile and wave.
“Hi!” they each shout, then run off.
Kimberly giggles. “Sorry about that. We don’t get visitors often. Let me get them a snack, and I’ll be right back.”
She hurries off, only to come back a few moments later with a glass of water.
“Here,” she says.
I take it from her with a forced smile. Sipping my drink, I avoid eye contact. I’m so confused. My head is telling me to run, but my heart is saddened by the thought. My emotions are all over the place. None of this makes any sense.
The back door opens, signaling the men returning. Grant carries wood to the fireplace and adds fresh ones to it. He sets the extras to the side. Charlie and Connor exchange whispered words with Kimberly. She nods. With a gentle smile, she and Charlie leave the room. Charlie calls for the children and the four of them head upstairs.
Connor and Grant exchange glances, then look over at me. My heart races; even though I only want it to be from panic, it’s also from desire for the men I’ve just met. I drink more water, feeling like a mentally unstable person, ready to lose it any second.
Grant clears his throat. “So, how do you feel?”
Realizing my hands are shaking, I set the glass down on the table. “A little out of it, but I’m fine.”
He nods. “That’s understandable.”
“If you feel up to it, we’d like to talk to you about something,” Connor says.
I shift in my seat, but breathe in, trying to calm myself. When I nod, Connor moves my glass and sits in front of me on the coffee table. I scoot back on instinct, but stop when I see the hurt in his eyes. It’s strange enough that the distance between us pains him, considering we’re strangers, but what’s weirder is that seeing him upset makes me distressed as well.
How is this possible?
Grant takes a seat in a chair nearby and leans forward to clasp his hands in front of him. “There’s no easy way to say this, but we are shifters and you are our mate.”
I open my mouth to respond, but nothing comes out.
Mate?
I don’t understand. Not even a little.
Was I wrong? Are they crazy murderers and my sense of safety is obscured by my attraction to them?
As if explaining it will help, Grant motions to Connor and himself. “We’re bison shifters. Part bison, part human. The bison you saw earlier was me. I was trying to protect you from the wolves.”
“Oh, God,” I breathe, panic clawing at my throat. “You are psychopaths.”
Where the hell did Kimberly and Charlie go?
Are they crazy too?
My brain is screaming run . That I should get the fuck out of this nuthouse.
I’ve read stories about shifters, mates, and such, but that’s all they are: stories. Make believe. It’s not fucking real.
“Please calm down.” Connor frowns, his forehead wrinkling with worry. “We’d never hurt you, and we’re not crazy. I swear. We’re just different in a way most humans don’t know about.”
Confused and finally afraid as hell, I jump to my feet. “I need to go.”
“Wait.” Connor stands and reaches for me.
Shaking my head, I put out my hands and turn to walk the other way around so Connor can’t block me. My vision blurs. My footsteps falter and I sway.
Did I get up too fast?
Warm hands grip my arms, guiding me back to the couch.
“Why don’t you try resting for now?” Connor’s sweet voice soothes as I lie back.
My eyes flutter closed as I fight to stop my head from spinning. Someone lays a blanket over me, and then I hear Grant’s voice.
“We’ll talk later when you’re feeling better.”
“Probably should have done that in the first place,” Connor grumbles, but his voice is getting further away.
That’s what I need: rest. Maybe that fall did more damage than I knew and it’s all in my head. There are no wild animals or crazy people. Just me with my stress and jet lag.
I’ve been alone for a long time. I never knew my parents, grew up in an orphanage, friends came and went. It only makes sense that my mind would fabricate some fantasy about soulmates when it’s overwhelmed. I love to read and watch love stories on TV, but as I drift to sleep, I remind myself real life is nothing like that. You can’t depend on anyone but yourself.
There is no Prince Charming. No happily ever after. Just the life you make for yourself.