Feeling shy when opening the back door to the packhouse because I'm not part of this place.
It feels foreign to me.
While making my way to the kitchen, I witness Thomas and Sophie in each other's arms. She has plates of food in her hands, Thomas has her ass in his, rubbing up on her as she nibbles on his bottom lip.
There is a need to back away from them... Too late. Sophie turns to me with a wide smile on her face. The sun-kissed hair falling loosely in natural curls around her shoulders gives her a sweet, innocent look.
"Meela, come in." She smiles at me, trying to untangle herself from Thomas.
I bristle slightly at her, remembering her threats. Her words, there will be consequences, still, echo in my head. I eye her suspiciously. I have no smile for her.
She hands the plates of food to Thomas and grabs my forearm, bringing me closer, her eyes searching mine. "Are we good, Meela?"
"We're good, Sophie."
She lets go of my forearm and makes to take a step back, a smile plastered on her face. Tightening my grip on her arm, bringing her flush against me. Leaning into her, my mouth against her ear. "If you ever threaten me again, there will be consequences." My words reflect a promise and are spoken with a deadly threat.
"Are we good, Sophie?" Eyes bore into hers, looking us together.
"We're good...Luna." A neck angled in a submissive posture.
Letting go of her, stepping away from them. Thomas has his hackles up, staring me down.
"Thomas, what's going on?"
The Northerner stands beside me, his arm going protectively around my shoulders, bringing me into his side. As his fingers clutch onto the material of my sweater, I feel safe, nestled in....protected.
"Nothing," I answer for them. I'm not going to start a war between brothers.
"Come, let's have you meet Fin." He takes my hand in his, and it dwarfs mine. Part of me, the wolf part, loves this.
As he leads me out of the kitchen with the two betas following behind, I can feel the heat from his touch inching up my arm. He doesn't want to let my hand go, it provides him with a comfort to his raging soul.
When we step into the study, his brother's back is to us, his mouth nuzzled up against that pig-nosed female's neck, and they're laughing together about something he's said.
"Brother, I want you to meet my mate, Meela," the Northerner says, proudly.
He turns towards me and my breath hitches in my throat. Stumbling slightly backward. His eyes are the same as the Northerner's, even if he has short hair, his beardless face is the exact same as his brother's...twins.
He gives me a side smirk and a wink, sticking his hand out. Clasping it in mine. Small tingles, feather light, sneak up my arm without my consent.
As he pulls me into him for a hug, I smell him. He's almost the exact match of his brother, just not as wild.
Swooning slightly at this magnificent male.
The Northerner eyes the exchange, anxiety making its presence known in the back of his mind, whispering his deep fears to him. He masks it and the others are unable to notice his turmoil...but I do.
His brother pushes me away, gripping my shoulders in his hands, assessing me from the top of my head to the bottom of my toes, his eyes taking in everything. I'm also taking everything as well. Those eyes are the same, but still, somehow different. They lack the feral-ness the Northerner has within him, that lives inside him.
"Meela, it's nice to meet you." Nervous energy strums off his body. He's uncomfortable.
"Thank you. It's nice to meet you, Fin," Giving him one of my genuine smiles. My face feels odd doing it.
Fin starts to laugh, breaking the tension that has surrounded the group. "This little thing marked you first?" He laughs again, bringing his hand to his chin and scratching it. "I was expecting some beast of a female, more male than female." He eyes me again. "You're not what I thought you'd be. You are very beautiful."
A hot flush creeps up my neck into my face. "Thanks. I didn't know that..." I almost spoke his name, but it just can't make it off the tip of my tongue. So I nod towards the Northerner instead. "...he had a twin brother."
Fin's eyes fall on the Northerner's. He looks away. Why is there guilt bubbling up from his pours, feelings of regret swirling around him?
"So, Grey, she didn't know you had a twin brother?" Fin crosses his arms, his stance stiffening. "Are you embarrassed by me?"
"No, I just haven't gotten around to it." He scratches his face the way Fin just did. It must be something they do when they're anxious about something.
"He told me you're with the Western pack." I give up that information easily, thinking at least he can tell we did speak about him.
Fin laughs again. "With the Western pack? Yes, that's right, I'm with the Western pack." He smiles again and it makes my legs weak. "I'm their Alpha."
I lose my breath, my eyes darting from Fin to the Northerner. If he's the alpha, then that means Victoria is his mate. The mate he refuses to acknowledge because she gave her virtues away. The virtue she gave away to his twin brother. My eyes go wide as I put two and two together. Putting my hand over my mouth, trying to silence my shock, impossible the noise comes out, and I thought I had skeletons in my closet.
An uncomfortable silence descends on our small group until Fin breaks it. "That's old news. We've moved on, right brother?" He grips the Northerner's shoulder firmly, their eyes meeting, both in pain, just different kinds of pain.
My jaw's open. I can't wrap my head around this. I feel Fin's finger underneath my chin, closing my unhinged jaw. I'm just looking between the both of them, still slightly shocked at what I just learned.
"You're Victoria's mate." I point to Fin as his face takes on a hard edge. "You're the one she's talked about all this time." I'm standing in front of him as if I know him. I know her version of him. "I pictured you differently," I couldn't help blurting out what's on the tip of my tongue.
"Really? How did you picture me?" His eyebrow raises towards me.
"I thought you were older, not as tall, somewhat weak." I laugh at the description, the total opposite of what he is.
He laughs with me, finding it funny. "How is that whore doing?" As his laughter ends, a seething rage snarls out instead.
It takes me by surprise, the intensity of his hate for her.
"She's..." I take a breath contemplating my next words. "...she's good." Even I can hear the lie in that.
He crosses those strong arms over his chest. The mood turns sour. My face scrunches up with the taste of it.
Stephanie decides to circle her arms around Fins stomach, nuzzling into his back, purring into his ear. That female needs to die, it's disgusting the way she rubs herself on him.
I eye her, not liking the fact she's all over Fin who looks exactly like the Northerner.
Fin smiles at Stephanie, squeezing his fingers around hers. "It was nice meeting you, Meela. I'll see you tonight for dinner at the restaurant."
With that, he winks at the northerner and leads Stephanie outside to the small cottage. I feel like gagging, that he would do that over Victoria.
Turning from the rest of the group, walking up the stairs to my bedroom only to find no bed. Nothing's in the room; it's empty.
"This is not your room. You don't belong in there. You belong with me, in our room."
I turn around to face him. "Why?" I choke on the word.
He's calming his breathing. "You're my mate, and we sleep in one bed. Since you decided to put a claim on me, I need you near me."
"That was an accident. I didn't mean to do it." I'm flustered by his accusations like I intended to do that to him.
"You did. Regardless of how it went down, you put your mark on me, and I need to be near you." He places his hands on my hips, bringing me into him, and the tip of his nose presses against my neck. Inhaling deeply, he lets out a sighing breath. "You smell so good." Swatting his hands away.
"Maybe I should shave my beard and cut my hair so you'd look at me the way you were looking at my brother." He speaks with anger in his voice...jealousy.
Looking up into his eyes, I see doubt creeping in. Part of me wants to soothe those doubts away. The other part wants to increase them, so they'll consume him.
"I was surprised how alike you two look. It's unnerving to think there's two of you in this world."
Wiggling away from him, I go into our bedroom. My belongings are piled on the bed, waiting for me to put everything away.
"That must've been hard for you guys." I'm prying into his life...asking questions.
"What must've been hard?" He's not paying attention to my question. His focus is on me.
"When Fin found out you were with Victoria." I watch him as a look of great pain washes over him. I feel it deep in his heart.
"If I'd known, I would've never done that. It's just... We were young, and in some way, I felt drawn to her. I can't explain it." He plays with his beard, thinking. "It was hard for us. It took a lot of fighting to figure our crap out. He's forgiven me, but Victoria... he's refusing her." He seems very sadden by that.
"Do you think that they might ever get together?" I'm curious.
"No." He shakes his head. "My brother will never be with her. Enough about them. We're going out tonight, so be ready by six. Meet us downstairs in the study. I'm working for a while, then meeting up with Fin and Thomas for some training."
I watch him grab a nice pair of pants and shirt out of the closet, along with a suit jacket.
"Just move my stuff out of the way, so there's room for yours." He takes something out of the bathroom, comes back with his arms full and leans his head towards me.
Backing away from his kiss, he's not pleased, but he lets it go, "I'll see you around six." With those spoken words he's gone.
I spend the rest of the day folding, putting away my belongings, snooping through his stuff, looking through the old pictures of him and his family. How happy they all looked, the twins always having an arm wrapped around each other, grinning mischievously. It's uncanny how alike they look, very rare.
As I sit on the bed staring at the pictures, Sophie pops her head in.
"Hi, can I come in?" She's standing in the doorway with a few dresses in her arms.
"I brought some dresses for you to try on if you want. Thought maybe you might like them, I haven't worn them, there a touch big for me, I thought maybe you might like them." She's already dressed in a black strapless dress, showing off the curve of her back. She's beautiful with her hair pinned up, loose curls escaping here and there.
"You look beautiful." It just comes out of my mouth. She does.
"Thanks. I thought you would be almost ready by now."
"Oh... I just got caught up looking at old pictures of them," I say holding up the pictures I found.
She comes over to the bed, sits next to me and takes the pictures. "They look so cute and young." She flips through the stack of photos. "Go try on these." She points at the dresses. "So I can see how they look."
Scanning over the dresses, I choose the only one that will cover me up completely. Black lace, long sleeves, tight coming down to just above the knee, with small tiny buttons running down the length of back of the dress.
When I slide it on, it fits perfectly. The nude silk under the black lace gives off the illusion that I have nothing on underneath. Turning to the side, I actually like how I look. I feel confident and sexy, something I haven't felt in such a long time.
"I just need some help doing the backup," I call out from the bathroom.
Turning around, lifting my hair off my back so she can do up the buttons. I watch her in the mirror and see her smile turn into a grimace as she regards my back with horror. Her hands are trembling as she bites her lip to keep herself from crying.
She won't meet my gaze as tears start to fall from her eyes. She fumbles with the buttons with shaky fingers, trying to do them as quickly as possible. Once done, she turns away from me until she can get herself together.
"It fits you perfectly." Her voice is tight, fighting for control of her emotions. Unable to meet my eyes, she hurries out the door. "I'll see you down there."
Turning once again from side to side, I admire the way the fabric falls. It's a forgiving dress, fitting exactly where it should. The sheer nude underneath really makes it seem like I'm naked underneath. After putting black nylons on, to cover the scars on my legs, I slip into a pair of black high heels.
Putting on the barest amount of mascara and liner, going for the natural look. I loosely braid my hair and let it fall to the side. I don't need any lipstick because my lips are already starting to turn a dark shade of red from the oncoming heat.
Smoothing out the dress, I take the stairs carefully, not wanting to fall. The clicking of my heels on the wooden floor alerts them I'm coming.
As I enter the study, I see them all turn to me. Sophie still can't meet my eyes, looking down at her feet instead.
The Northerner lets his appreciative eyes linger down my body. I can feel his stare caress every curve. I give him a sharp stare to stop.
Fin's eyes covet what his brother has, looking away uncomfortable because those eyes draw me in.
"Are we ready?" The Northerner takes my hand and leads the way with Fin bringing up the rear.
During dinner, the band plays such soulful music; I can't help but sway slightly in my seat, listening to the singer's voice, mesmerized by the rise and fall of his words... it's pleasurable.
Fin, Thomas, and the Northerner talk and laugh through much of dinner. I just watch, taking it all in. Taking them in.
"Meela, dance with me." The way he takes my hand in his only to lead me to the dance floor leaves no room to say no.
Only a few couples are out there in their little world.
He stops in the middle, taking my right hand in his left. Bringing it to his lips, he gives my wrist a kiss. His teeth graze the skin before he brings it to his heart. His right-hand grips onto my hip firmly and my left hand rests on his shoulder.
The Northerner begins to sway. The movements are slow; there's a smoothness in his rhythm as we sway back and forth. He makes me look graceful in his arms.
His fingers guide my hip left then right, he closes the space between us, moving us to the soulful music. His breath fans across my neck, heating me up from the inside. Ever so slightly, I feel the fingers on my hips rubbing into my skin.
Our hips swaying with the music as one.
He's leading my body to the music, synchronizing the rhythm of the beat in our hips. Back and forth we sway. I put my head against his chest, inhaling him and I close my eyes, enjoying the moment. I feel him push against me, trying to restrain himself. His chest gives a low rumble of pleasure, vibrating into mine. I need to bite my lip not to groan out loud.
The loose braid coming undone between his fingers, as he lets my hair fall free and we sway, his thigh rubbing up against me
Flush
Hot
The bond twisting and coiling, wrapping tighter around us, entangling our souls, guiding us further around each other.
The Northerner starts to place a kiss on my neck. The vision is changing getting duller as the eyes of my golden eye wolf surfaces to enjoy the feeling of our mate. Our eyes fall on his twin. His flash to mine with hunger. As his brother's lips are on my neck, Fin watches us with a feral wanting. A moan escapes my mouth.
It's raw and full of need.
The Northerner's hips are swaying to the rhythm perfectly. Gripping on his suit jacket, trying to control my breathing as I feel myself start to shake, quiver slightly. The Northerner's tongue, teeth, lips assault my neck, in the rhythm of the music.
When the music speeds up, the Northerner uses his teeth, when it slows down, it's his tongue that glides across the tender skin. The whole time, his twin watches. I'm feeling light headed. I feel this primal need start to creep up inside me. I want to have this male in front of me on a purely animalistic level. No love involved.
I just want this male to take me.
"Stop," I whisper in his ear, my body wanting more. I can't do this here, in front of these people. His body is humming with pleasure, he couldn't stop even if he wanted to.
He just keeps guiding the dance, until my breathing comes in short bursts. Placing my forehead against his chest, letting my body grind against him, the music pulling our bodies along in a blissful ride.
When the music stops, he stops too, pulling reluctantly away from me. He takes my hand in his and brings me back to the table. I'm flushed, unsatisfied.
I must smell of sweat and lust. I can feel how hot my skin is, the dress sticking to my body. Hair slightly messy, I'm a wreck.
It's how the Northerner makes me feel.
"We're going home." He leads me away from the table, his twin's eyes boring against my back.