“Why’d you do that?”
“Like I knew she’d be standing there.”
It dawned on her then. She hadn’t seen a dog. “You’re werewolves.” Nikki hated how unstable her voice sounded. Derek had been telling the truth then. She’d believed him on some level, but really, who wouldn’t have doubted him? Werewolves? And nobody knew about them?
Both men looked at her with identical grimaces.
“Shape-shifters,” they said together.
Nikki spluttered and stabbed at the doggie door. “Y-you were a wolf right there. That makes you a werewolf. Oh my God.”
“Nikki-Raine.”
Her body trembled in fear. No, not fear, she’d heard the rumors, had joked about it, and Derek had confirmed them in the hospital. But to actually see it was just downright bizarre. So if it wasn’t fear, why was she trembling? Trepidation, maybe? Concern about the unknown?
“Damn, she’s just like Tieran with that werewolf bullshit. Why didn’t we get normal mates?” Caelan growled.
Nikki’s ears perked and she backpedaled. “Mates?”
Eli groaned. He covered his face with his hands and took a deep breath. “You wanna leave now, Cael?”
“Yup. Leaving.” He stopped next to her the same as Tieran had. “When he’s done explaining things, go find Tieran. She’s been through this.”
“Yes, thank you. She mentioned that already.” She had to fight to keep from gritting her teeth.
“My mate did that?” His grin took over his face, showing his dimples.
The same dimples Eli had that made her body melt. Caelan’s didn’t have the same effect and she wondered why. They were identical after all, so why didn’t Caelan make her mouth water and pussy tingle?
Caelan nodded. “She’s good like that.”
An intense growling sounded from where Eli still stood. “Back off, brother.”
“Eli,” Nikki gasped. She’d never seen him act this way.
Caelan moved on, tilting his head as he went. “Don’t worry about him. It’s all part of the mating. It’ll dissipate sooner or later.” He looked back at his twin. “Dissipate, not go away.” And then the door swung shut, enclosing her and Eli in the kitchen.
By themselves.
“Please don’t be afraid,” he pleaded.
The sadness in his voice fortified her. “I’m…not. I just, well, this is all kind of unreal, you know?”
He nodded and pulled out a chair for her. When he held his hand out to her she went as if tugged by a string. She’d never be able to deny the man anything.
Nikki sat. Eli left her side for a moment and filled a plate with fluffy scrambled eggs, bacon, a biscuit and some delicious-looking melons. She didn’t know how he could eat at a time like this. Her stomach and brain churned with questions and possible answers. It was a good thing she hadn’t needed to take a pain pill this morning or she might not remember having this conversation.
He yanked out the chair next to her and scooted it until the front touched the side of hers. Doing a double take, she glanced up at him.
The plate of food was placed in front of her. A fork and a glass of juice followed. She looked back and forth between the food and him.
“I don’t think I can eat right now, Eli.”
“You can”—he straddled the chair so his knees surrounded her seat—“and you will.”
Before she could huff in protest, a long, lean finger covered her lips. “You need to eat. You’re too skinny.”
Tears welled in her eyes. She hadn’t eaten or slept well in more than eight months.
“Hey.” He lifted her chin with the tip of the finger that had sealed her lips. “It’s okay. You’re safe here.”
Nikki blinked but couldn’t stop a fat tear from rolling down her cheek. Eli swiped at it with his thumb.
“I will never let anybody touch you, Nikki-Raine,” he vowed.
She sniffed and nodded. “I know.” She did know, too. She believed he would never hurt her or, to the best of his abilities, allow anyone else to either. But he couldn’t be with her every moment of the day.
“Like I knew she’d be standing there.”
It dawned on her then. She hadn’t seen a dog. “You’re werewolves.” Nikki hated how unstable her voice sounded. Derek had been telling the truth then. She’d believed him on some level, but really, who wouldn’t have doubted him? Werewolves? And nobody knew about them?
Both men looked at her with identical grimaces.
“Shape-shifters,” they said together.
Nikki spluttered and stabbed at the doggie door. “Y-you were a wolf right there. That makes you a werewolf. Oh my God.”
“Nikki-Raine.”
Her body trembled in fear. No, not fear, she’d heard the rumors, had joked about it, and Derek had confirmed them in the hospital. But to actually see it was just downright bizarre. So if it wasn’t fear, why was she trembling? Trepidation, maybe? Concern about the unknown?
“Damn, she’s just like Tieran with that werewolf bullshit. Why didn’t we get normal mates?” Caelan growled.
Nikki’s ears perked and she backpedaled. “Mates?”
Eli groaned. He covered his face with his hands and took a deep breath. “You wanna leave now, Cael?”
“Yup. Leaving.” He stopped next to her the same as Tieran had. “When he’s done explaining things, go find Tieran. She’s been through this.”
“Yes, thank you. She mentioned that already.” She had to fight to keep from gritting her teeth.
“My mate did that?” His grin took over his face, showing his dimples.
The same dimples Eli had that made her body melt. Caelan’s didn’t have the same effect and she wondered why. They were identical after all, so why didn’t Caelan make her mouth water and pussy tingle?
Caelan nodded. “She’s good like that.”
An intense growling sounded from where Eli still stood. “Back off, brother.”
“Eli,” Nikki gasped. She’d never seen him act this way.
Caelan moved on, tilting his head as he went. “Don’t worry about him. It’s all part of the mating. It’ll dissipate sooner or later.” He looked back at his twin. “Dissipate, not go away.” And then the door swung shut, enclosing her and Eli in the kitchen.
By themselves.
“Please don’t be afraid,” he pleaded.
The sadness in his voice fortified her. “I’m…not. I just, well, this is all kind of unreal, you know?”
He nodded and pulled out a chair for her. When he held his hand out to her she went as if tugged by a string. She’d never be able to deny the man anything.
Nikki sat. Eli left her side for a moment and filled a plate with fluffy scrambled eggs, bacon, a biscuit and some delicious-looking melons. She didn’t know how he could eat at a time like this. Her stomach and brain churned with questions and possible answers. It was a good thing she hadn’t needed to take a pain pill this morning or she might not remember having this conversation.
He yanked out the chair next to her and scooted it until the front touched the side of hers. Doing a double take, she glanced up at him.
The plate of food was placed in front of her. A fork and a glass of juice followed. She looked back and forth between the food and him.
“I don’t think I can eat right now, Eli.”
“You can”—he straddled the chair so his knees surrounded her seat—“and you will.”
Before she could huff in protest, a long, lean finger covered her lips. “You need to eat. You’re too skinny.”
Tears welled in her eyes. She hadn’t eaten or slept well in more than eight months.
“Hey.” He lifted her chin with the tip of the finger that had sealed her lips. “It’s okay. You’re safe here.”
Nikki blinked but couldn’t stop a fat tear from rolling down her cheek. Eli swiped at it with his thumb.
“I will never let anybody touch you, Nikki-Raine,” he vowed.
She sniffed and nodded. “I know.” She did know, too. She believed he would never hurt her or, to the best of his abilities, allow anyone else to either. But he couldn’t be with her every moment of the day.
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