growled. Slade arched a brow. He slipped his hands into his pockets and craned his neck. Kasa’s face was tucked in her arms and knees. Her bath towel was carelessly draped over her, barely covering her body from Jordan. She trembled, her hands wrung tightly around her wrists.
“The only reason my brother retreated was because he’d rip open your throat if he stayed. I’m a bit more calm and collected.” Slade took another step closer. Jordan’s fingers flexed and his nails lengthened. The tips of his wolf’s fur pulsed along his hands. “And he would never hurt her, so I think there’s something you need to share with us to prevent this from happening again.”
His chest swelled with a heavy ache as the scent of salty tears infiltrated the dense musk and predatory tension. His woman was in distress, crying, and this brute wouldn’t let him near her. His arms twitched, empty, wanting to draw her into his embrace and ease her pain. On a chance decision, he allowed his wolf to reach out to hers, smooth a caress over the defensive creature’s spirit. He was pleased when Kasa responded, reluctant as she was. A stiff press against his spirit assured him she hadn’t withdrawn completely.
“Had you even bothered to acquaint yourselves with her before indulging your desires?” Jordan shook his head, his disgust evident in his scowl. Slade’s smile grew.
“What happens between your sister and her mates will remain between us alone. I’ll offer you this. We’d never force ourselves on a woman, especially our mate.” Another step brought him to the foot of the bed. Jordan stiffened. With Kasa just out of reach, Slade’s farce humor dissipated. His smile faded. Something tightened in his throat. He needed to get to her. She needed him . The soft nudge of her spirit against his told him so.
“I only know you from what Micah’s said. And that wasn’t much.”
“Well, then. Why don’t you say I help settle my mate and we’ll have some cookies and milk in the living room, eh?” Slade lowered to his haunches and rested his elbows on his knees. Kasa tipped her head slightly, enough to expose the puffy pink of one eye that glittered with moisture. Slade frowned. Jordan groaned. He spun away from Slade only to mirror his stance on the opposite side of Kasa.
And much closer.
“Your humor is severely misplaced,” Jordan grumbled before pulling Kasa into his arms. Slade swallowed a growl. He should be the one comforting his mate, not her brother.
“Most believe that, but it tends to break the tension,” Slade offered, slightly more sharp than he intended. Jordan’s eyes lifted to him. His brows arched. Slade tipped forward to his knees and shuffled closer to them. He offered his open arms. “May I?”
“Don’t try to ravish her. Your play time’s up for the evening.”
Yes, his play time was up. He wasn’t entirely stripped of arousal, but his desires lay in a different hand. He wanted to hold her and rock her. He wanted to help wash away those tears and ease whatever fear he could smell hovering around her. Perhaps he should’ve waited before testing her passion earlier. He had plenty more control over himself than that.
Kasa shifted, pressing off Jordan. She shrugged her shoulders and wiped her eyes on her bare skin. A soft breath fled her lips. Slade continued to hold his arms out, patiently waiting for her to decide what she wanted to do.
At last, the thud of his anxious heart was answered. Kasa ducked her head to his chest, and he embraced her with all the protective strength he could muster.
* * * *
“You really should tell them what happened, Kasa.”
Jordan’s soft sigh filled her mind, but it was Slade’s warmth, the hint of suppressed strength, the gentle man encasing her in his protective embrace, that soothed her. For the first time, Kasa began to realize she might be able to find in Slade and Micah what she’d found in her brother all these years--a sturdy promise of love and
“The only reason my brother retreated was because he’d rip open your throat if he stayed. I’m a bit more calm and collected.” Slade took another step closer. Jordan’s fingers flexed and his nails lengthened. The tips of his wolf’s fur pulsed along his hands. “And he would never hurt her, so I think there’s something you need to share with us to prevent this from happening again.”
His chest swelled with a heavy ache as the scent of salty tears infiltrated the dense musk and predatory tension. His woman was in distress, crying, and this brute wouldn’t let him near her. His arms twitched, empty, wanting to draw her into his embrace and ease her pain. On a chance decision, he allowed his wolf to reach out to hers, smooth a caress over the defensive creature’s spirit. He was pleased when Kasa responded, reluctant as she was. A stiff press against his spirit assured him she hadn’t withdrawn completely.
“Had you even bothered to acquaint yourselves with her before indulging your desires?” Jordan shook his head, his disgust evident in his scowl. Slade’s smile grew.
“What happens between your sister and her mates will remain between us alone. I’ll offer you this. We’d never force ourselves on a woman, especially our mate.” Another step brought him to the foot of the bed. Jordan stiffened. With Kasa just out of reach, Slade’s farce humor dissipated. His smile faded. Something tightened in his throat. He needed to get to her. She needed him . The soft nudge of her spirit against his told him so.
“I only know you from what Micah’s said. And that wasn’t much.”
“Well, then. Why don’t you say I help settle my mate and we’ll have some cookies and milk in the living room, eh?” Slade lowered to his haunches and rested his elbows on his knees. Kasa tipped her head slightly, enough to expose the puffy pink of one eye that glittered with moisture. Slade frowned. Jordan groaned. He spun away from Slade only to mirror his stance on the opposite side of Kasa.
And much closer.
“Your humor is severely misplaced,” Jordan grumbled before pulling Kasa into his arms. Slade swallowed a growl. He should be the one comforting his mate, not her brother.
“Most believe that, but it tends to break the tension,” Slade offered, slightly more sharp than he intended. Jordan’s eyes lifted to him. His brows arched. Slade tipped forward to his knees and shuffled closer to them. He offered his open arms. “May I?”
“Don’t try to ravish her. Your play time’s up for the evening.”
Yes, his play time was up. He wasn’t entirely stripped of arousal, but his desires lay in a different hand. He wanted to hold her and rock her. He wanted to help wash away those tears and ease whatever fear he could smell hovering around her. Perhaps he should’ve waited before testing her passion earlier. He had plenty more control over himself than that.
Kasa shifted, pressing off Jordan. She shrugged her shoulders and wiped her eyes on her bare skin. A soft breath fled her lips. Slade continued to hold his arms out, patiently waiting for her to decide what she wanted to do.
At last, the thud of his anxious heart was answered. Kasa ducked her head to his chest, and he embraced her with all the protective strength he could muster.
* * * *
“You really should tell them what happened, Kasa.”
Jordan’s soft sigh filled her mind, but it was Slade’s warmth, the hint of suppressed strength, the gentle man encasing her in his protective embrace, that soothed her. For the first time, Kasa began to realize she might be able to find in Slade and Micah what she’d found in her brother all these years--a sturdy promise of love and
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