uncles.
“We do have a mate, Lucas. She’s upstairs right now. Devastated. You hurt her.” He searched his brother’s face, hoping to see a reaction to his words.
Lucas looked over at him, his face serious. “You don’t get it.”
“I do. You don’t want to share. Instead of showing Katie how great you are, getting her attention and affection, you’re being an ass.” Ethan raised his eyebrow, challenging Lucas, wanting him to open up.
“I don’t know what to do.” He moved again, looking at the trees, probably wanting to run.
“Keep acting this way, and you’ll end up without her, without a mate. Is that what you want, to not have Katie in your life at all?” Ethan was completely serious. He wasn’t sure if Lucas realized what he was throwing away.
“There might be another mate out there for us. Just the two of us.” His voice held such hope, and Ethan realized that if he wouldn’t accept Katie, then it would be his loss.
“You can’t be serious. You want to give Katie up and hope that there might be another woman out there for us. No way. I’m not going to do that. If you don’t want to stay here with Katie, then I’m going to agree with Nathan and Ryan. You need to leave. She doesn’t deserve your anger.” Ethan got up and walked back into the house. He couldn’t listen to Lucas feel sorry for himself any longer.
He didn’t want to abandon Katie, even if there was the possibility of another woman being their mate. He wanted to keep her. It had never bothered him that their community was full of ménage couples. He had known that he would probably share a mate. That’s just the way things worked out. She had only been in their home for a short period of time, and already he was starting to have feelings for her.
* * * *
Katie opened her eyes, feeling a bit disoriented. She didn’t want to move, so instead she pulled the covers up high and stayed hidden for as long as possible. Straining her head, she listened for any activity or voices in the house. The last thing she wanted to hear was another conversation between Nathan, Lucas, Ethan and Ryan. Silence greeted her, and she relaxed back against the bed.
A knock sounded at the door and she cringed, unsure of what to do or how to react. The door pushed open, and she moved to look at who walked in. “Hey, beautiful, I hope you slept well. We made you dinner. Why don’t you come downstairs?” Ryan flashed her a smile, and Katie found herself smiling back.
“Um, okay. I’ll be down soon.” Ryan closed the door quietly behind him, and Katie stretched. She took a few minutes trying to find the confidence she needed to confront them again. She felt like a nervous wreck, especially since she was going to see Lucas. He was the only one out of all of them that freaked her out. He really didn’t like her, and for some reason that affected her greatly. She climbed out of bed and thought about taking a shower but decided not to. She grabbed a hairbrush and put her hair in a ponytail. She looked down at her outfit and cringed. She went to her backpack and changed into a clean pair of yoga pants and a T-shirt.
Katie walked out of the room and headed for the stairs. She was hungry and her stomach growled loudly. She stopped when she saw Ethan standing at the bottom waiting for her. He was dressed in a suit, and she felt underdressed all of the sudden. He looked handsome standing there, and he smiled widely at her. She walked down each step slowly even though she really wanted to run to him. Her heart hammered in her chest, and she took his outstretched hand.
“Ready, sweetheart?” Ethan asked with a smile as he claimed her hand. He rubbed his thumb over her knuckles as she stared up at him, wanting him to kiss her. Almost as if he’d heard her thoughts, he leaned forward and pressed his lips gently against her own. “We made dinner for you. We want you to know how much you’re starting to mean to us. We are going to take things
“We do have a mate, Lucas. She’s upstairs right now. Devastated. You hurt her.” He searched his brother’s face, hoping to see a reaction to his words.
Lucas looked over at him, his face serious. “You don’t get it.”
“I do. You don’t want to share. Instead of showing Katie how great you are, getting her attention and affection, you’re being an ass.” Ethan raised his eyebrow, challenging Lucas, wanting him to open up.
“I don’t know what to do.” He moved again, looking at the trees, probably wanting to run.
“Keep acting this way, and you’ll end up without her, without a mate. Is that what you want, to not have Katie in your life at all?” Ethan was completely serious. He wasn’t sure if Lucas realized what he was throwing away.
“There might be another mate out there for us. Just the two of us.” His voice held such hope, and Ethan realized that if he wouldn’t accept Katie, then it would be his loss.
“You can’t be serious. You want to give Katie up and hope that there might be another woman out there for us. No way. I’m not going to do that. If you don’t want to stay here with Katie, then I’m going to agree with Nathan and Ryan. You need to leave. She doesn’t deserve your anger.” Ethan got up and walked back into the house. He couldn’t listen to Lucas feel sorry for himself any longer.
He didn’t want to abandon Katie, even if there was the possibility of another woman being their mate. He wanted to keep her. It had never bothered him that their community was full of ménage couples. He had known that he would probably share a mate. That’s just the way things worked out. She had only been in their home for a short period of time, and already he was starting to have feelings for her.
* * * *
Katie opened her eyes, feeling a bit disoriented. She didn’t want to move, so instead she pulled the covers up high and stayed hidden for as long as possible. Straining her head, she listened for any activity or voices in the house. The last thing she wanted to hear was another conversation between Nathan, Lucas, Ethan and Ryan. Silence greeted her, and she relaxed back against the bed.
A knock sounded at the door and she cringed, unsure of what to do or how to react. The door pushed open, and she moved to look at who walked in. “Hey, beautiful, I hope you slept well. We made you dinner. Why don’t you come downstairs?” Ryan flashed her a smile, and Katie found herself smiling back.
“Um, okay. I’ll be down soon.” Ryan closed the door quietly behind him, and Katie stretched. She took a few minutes trying to find the confidence she needed to confront them again. She felt like a nervous wreck, especially since she was going to see Lucas. He was the only one out of all of them that freaked her out. He really didn’t like her, and for some reason that affected her greatly. She climbed out of bed and thought about taking a shower but decided not to. She grabbed a hairbrush and put her hair in a ponytail. She looked down at her outfit and cringed. She went to her backpack and changed into a clean pair of yoga pants and a T-shirt.
Katie walked out of the room and headed for the stairs. She was hungry and her stomach growled loudly. She stopped when she saw Ethan standing at the bottom waiting for her. He was dressed in a suit, and she felt underdressed all of the sudden. He looked handsome standing there, and he smiled widely at her. She walked down each step slowly even though she really wanted to run to him. Her heart hammered in her chest, and she took his outstretched hand.
“Ready, sweetheart?” Ethan asked with a smile as he claimed her hand. He rubbed his thumb over her knuckles as she stared up at him, wanting him to kiss her. Almost as if he’d heard her thoughts, he leaned forward and pressed his lips gently against her own. “We made dinner for you. We want you to know how much you’re starting to mean to us. We are going to take things
Similar Books
