Authors: Kimberly Hunter
***
The screaming woke her. It didn’t register that she was the one doing the screaming until she felt a pair of strong arms surrounding her, trying to soothe her.
“Shh, it’s all right. Calm down, baby. You’re okay.”
The gentle voice settled her enough to recognize Gabriel as the one holding her. She could tell by his smell, not by his cologne or aftershave, but by the smell of him, his skin, his hair, even his breath.
That freaked her out a little, yet it was soothing at the same time. Strange but true. A part of her wanted to trip out, yet another felt like it was something natural and okay.
“Sasha, are you all right?” Gabriel asked, pulling back to look her over.
“I’m not sure, to tell you the truth,” she croaked, her throat a little scratchy from the screaming.
Gabriel reached over to get her a glass of water off the nightstand, and she got a good look at where she was. It wasn’t a hospital room, that was for sure. More like one of those rooms you saw on television, with all the windows making it light and airy. It was large too. More than enough space for the massive sleigh bed she lay in and all the matching furniture: nightstands, chest of drawers, armoire, and an overstuffed chair in the corner. She could also tell that this was a man’s room. No cutesy stuff, just the bare minimum.
“Here, but drink slowly.” He helped her sit up, then handed her the tumbler.
She took a couple of small sips, letting the cool water soothe her parched throat. “Ah, that’s good.” She took a few sips more.
“Better?” He propped some pillows behind her so she could recline in comfort.
“Much.” She lay back, closing her eyes for a minute to get her bearings. It didn’t help much. She had questions and needed answers. “What happened, Gabriel?” Opening her eyes, she caught his pained expression.
“You don’t know how sorry I am that this happened, Sasha. I mean, if there was any way that I could undo it, I would.”
She could smell his apprehension. She didn’t know how she knew that, but she knew that what she smelled coming from Gabriel was fear. But fear of what? That was the question, wasn’t it?
“Look, all I want are answers, okay? And if that scares you, then I’m sorry. But someone is going to tell me what’s going on.”
Gabriel got up from the bed, shock registering on his face. He started to pace with agitation. “I’m sorry, Sasha, but I’m not supposed to tell you anything.”
“What?”
“I mean Flynn and Roan are the ones who could better explain everything,” he said hastily.
This was so not the man she met at the bar. He’d been so sure of himself there. Here he seemed less in control, submissive even.
“And how the hell would they know anything? Were they there? Are they the ones who fought off that big dog?” She hated being kept in the dark about things.
“I’m sorry, Sasha. I really am.” Gabriel’s expression showed just how sorry he was. But something had caught her attention, or rather her nose. Something familiar, yet she knew she had never smelled it before.
“Sasha, are you all right?”
She vaguely heard Gabriel speak, all her senses trained on the bedroom door. That was where the smell was coming from, something sweet, like mountain air and fresh cut grass.
She had a sense of moving, because Gabriel was at her side, trying to get her back under the covers. She snarled at him, batting his hand away. Then she climbed over the covers, slowly making her way to the footboard.
“This is not good,” she heard Gabriel mutter, backing toward the window.
Sasha had no clue what was going on inside her. Whoever was attached to that smell was hers. He belonged to her. As crazy as it sounded, she felt it with every part of her being. Hers. Her mate.
Chapter Two
The bedroom door opened, and the world’s sexiest man walked in.
“Gabriel, I thought I told you to let me know the minute she woke up,” Sexy Man demanded.
“Uh, Flynn, I think we might have a situation here.” Gabriel’s voice was laced with concern.
So this was Flynn.
Ah, yummy
, Sasha thought as he turned to stare at her. His nostrils flared as she gave him a slow and lengthy perusal. And he was yummy, indeed. Tall—about six-four, maybe two hundred and ten pounds—and built. Sasha saw the muscles outlined under his black T-shirt and black jeans. His hair was a dark mahogany, kind of shaggy, like he needed to get it cut, but still sexy. His eyes were the gray-blue of a glacier, set inside classical features, with high cheekbones and a slightly bent Roman nose. Good, sexy, but in no way perfect. And there was something else as well, something familiar, like she had met him before. But that was impossible.
Her head started to spin as soon as she stood. Gabriel made a move to help her, but Flynn growled, warning him off. Sasha used the footboard to hold her up until the dizziness passed, then made her way slowly to where Flynn stood. They never took their eyes off each other.
He focused on her completely and from the intent look in his eyes, she knew he appreciated what he was seeing. His gaze burned over every curve of her body.
She took a big inhale of his scent deep into her lungs, closing her eyes to savor it. She must have swayed because she felt warm, strong hands steady her. She looked up into his eyes and saw shock, bewilderment, but mostly lust and need. It was a heady sensation to see such naked want in this gorgeous man’s eyes. She responded by taking his hands off her shoulders, placing them at his sides, then placing her hands on his chest. Walking around his taut body, she let her hands and fingers linger over him.
Those light eyes closed, his handsome face showing just how much as she continued. Great Lord, but he was magnificent. All hard muscle bunching and rippling under her hands. She wanted to rip his clothes off and lick every inch. He must have sensed her need, because he growled, gathering her into his arms to nuzzle her hair, his hands moving over her back to her butt. His erection bulged from the front of his jeans. He pulled her tighter, rubbing that bulge between her thighs, eliciting a whimper from her. God, how she wanted this man! Now!
“Flynn!” She dimly heard someone yell.
Sasha whipped her head around too fast, and she saw stars. She was falling, but strong arms lifted her and carried her back to the bed, gently laying her down.
“Really, Flynn, I thought your bedside manner was way better than that.”
“Shut up, Roan,” Flynn snapped, settling her more comfortably.
Sasha heard the other man chuckle. All she wanted to do was crawl under the covers and hide. She knew her face was flaming; hell, her entire body was. God, what in the world had come over her?
I practically threw myself at some strange man. Gorgeous, but still a stranger.
Then another stranger flashed into her mind, his nude body glistening with sweat. She tried to hold the image in her head, but like mist in the sun, it was gone.
She put her head in her hands and groaned.
“Are you all right?” Flynn asked, sitting beside her on the bed.
Jeez, how could she look him in the eye after her shameless display?
Flynn took both her hands, concern in his voice. “Sasha?”
“I am so embarrassed.” Might as well get it out. She was never one for prevarication.
That earned her a soft chuckle. “It’s only natural, dear.”
She looked up into a face and eyes identical to Flynn’s. “Not natural to me.”
“Now might be a good time for explanations,” Flynn advised. He still had hold of her hands and was rubbing his thumb in small circles over her knuckles.
“If you feel she is up to it, very well, then,” Roan agreed. “You know Gabriel, of course.” He nodded at Gabriel, who was still standing by the window, silent with anxiety, his face strained with concern. Though concern for whom, Sasha wasn’t sure. She noticed how his eyes kept darting from her to Flynn and back to her.
“Yes, we’ve met. He saved me.” The statement caused a sudden rise in tension from the three men. She could also smell their nervousness. It wasn’t comforting.
“I’m Roan LeGeur.” He smiled, giving a slight bow.
Okay, she could take the hint. He wasn’t going to be rushed. That was fine. But she wasn’t going to wait all day. She was due an explanation, and she was going to get it. All of it.
“And the gentleman at your side is my brother, Flynn, as you have no doubt surmised.”
They were twins; it wasn’t like she was blind.
“Nice to meet all of you.” Just couldn’t ignore a Southern upbringing. No matter the situation, always be polite.
“Before we go into detail, what exactly do you remember of the night you were attacked?” Roan asked, his countenance taking on a serious expression now that the pleasantries had been exchanged.
“Well, I had danced and talked most of the night with Gabriel. We had a really good time, and he offered to walk me to my car after we closed the club down.” Oddly, she felt Flynn stiffen at her side, felt his rising anger. “After we got to my car, I noticed how Gabriel seemed nervous. Then, this big dog came out of nowhere and attacked us. I got bit. Gabriel fought the dog and killed it. After that, I vaguely recall snatches of conversation and faces.”
She refused to tell them about the dog talking or her dreams. They didn’t need to know about blood loss hallucinations and fever-induced visions. If she told them she’d heard or dreamed, they’d cart her off to the nearest loony bin.
Though for the life of her, she couldn’t remember the entire dream. The attack, yes, and in vivid detail, but the dream, no. And she knew there was more to it, but it was just out of reach, like shadows at the back of her mind. Well, no big deal; she wasn’t going to tell them about it anyway, so what was the point?
“Of all the irresponsible things to do!” Flynn exploded, standing, then making a move toward Gabriel.
Sasha blinked, so lost in her own thoughts she hadn’t noticed Flynn’s anger. But now she smelled the rage coming off him in waves, and there was no mistaking the deep growl in his voice as he hurled obscenities at Gabriel.
Roan blocked Flynn’s path, gently laying a hand on his shoulder. “Calm down, brother. Gabriel didn’t know. He couldn’t have known. The process wasn’t complete.”
“Pardon? What process? And why is Flynn so pissed?” She saw Gabriel’s fear, could smell it, her thoughts of talking dogs and dreams and shadows forgotten.
Flynn turned to look at her, and she could have sworn she saw his eyes glowing, but he blinked and the glow was gone.
Must have been a trick of the light
, she thought with a blink of her own eyes, making sure they were working properly.
“Sorry. You’re right, you’re right.” Flynn stood still, taking deep breaths to calm his rage. “Sorry Gabe, I don’t know what came over me.”
“Don’t worry about it, man.” Gabriel waved him off, speaking for the first time since all this had started.
Flynn gave a curt nod and returned to the bed, sitting beside her once more. He picked up both her hands again, looking at her rather sheepishly. “Sorry about that. I’m not one to let my anger get the better of me, but this has been a trying time for me.”
A trying time for him? She had been through a dog attack and been here Lord knew how long, and he had the nerve to say
he’d
been through a trying time? “That’s it. I have had it with all the mystery BS.” She yanked her hands away and crossed her arms. “I want to know what the hell is going on, and I want to know now. You hear me?
Now
.”
Sasha wasn’t hysterical; she was pissed. She had been sitting here waiting for an explanation, and all she had gotten was a runaround. No more. They were going to tell her where she was, how long she had been here, and what was going on. And not necessarily in that order.
“I can see that you’re determined.” Roan sighed.
Flynn looked at her, then at Roan. After seeing Roan motion him over, Flynn took the chair in the corner, sitting on the edge and running his hands through his hair in frustration.
He was so sexy.
Stop that
.
You wanted answers.
Now wasn’t the time for lustful thoughts. Maybe later.
“As you can see, this is not a hospital,” Roan began. “When we saw how bad your injuries were, we had you flown here.”
“Flown? Why in the world didn’t you take me to a hospital? And where is
here
?”
Roan held up a hand, silencing her. “Please. You wanted an explanation, and now I’m giving it to you. If you have questions, please wait until after I’ve finished.”.
“Okay, I guess I deserved that. But I don’t like not knowing. It makes me impatient.”
“Understandable under the circumstances.
Here
is my home in Montana. When you were stabilized enough, I had a helicopter pick you up and bring you to my private jet, where you were worked on until better facilities could be made available. Flynn is a doctor with his own practice, so I knew you would be in good hands.”
Sasha looked at Flynn, giving him a smile of thanks. He smiled back, accepting her thank-you. He still looked on edge, though.
Must be tired. I know I get cranky when I don’t get at least eight full hours.
Roan’s voice snapped her back to attention.
“Now, as for the attack, that wasn’t a dog. He was a Lupus. My and Flynn’s grandfather, as a matter of fact.”
“Huh?” She frowned with confusion.
“A Lupus. What humans refer to as a werewolf.”
She glanced at Roan, then looked over at Gabriel and Flynn, coming back to Roan. None of the men appeared to be too shocked by Roan’s statement. In fact, all three looked at her rather expectantly.
“Oookay. I think it’s time I left now.” She started to rise from the bed.
“Remain where you are,” Roan ordered in a steely tone.
Sasha narrowed her eyes. “Excuse me?”
“You wanted to know, and now I’m telling you.”
“Give me a break, will ya? I wanted to know what was going on. Not some story about werewolves.” These guys must really think she was stupid.
“It’s no story, I assure you. The Lupus are quite real. Your attack by our grandfather was real.”
“The dog was a werewolf—excuse me, Lupus—named James, who just happened to be your grandfather?”
“I can see where you would have doubts.”
Sasha snorted, wondering how such gorgeous men could be complete crackpots. It was a shame really. They displayed varying expressions of anxiety. She wasn’t buying it, despite her nose telling her these men were quite serious. That revelation was pushed to the back of her mind. Smelling emotions wasn’t something a normal person did, and she was more normal than anyone she knew. She also knew she had to get out of here and away from these three nut jobs.
Moving her legs to try to make her escape, she noticed that something didn’t feel right. Her legs were bare under the covers. Then she looked down at what she was wearing. She had on a man’s PJ top. Big enough to fall to her knees, the sleeves of it were rolled up to her elbows. She was also totally naked under the top. Her face flamed again, but Roan just stared at her, waiting.
“All right, enough. The joke is over, and I really don’t think this is funny. Just get my clothes, call me a cab, and I’ll be out of your hair in no time.”