“That’s so cool,” I breathe, watching him ladle porridge into a bowl for me. “Is that why you all live out here? So they can be close to their jobs?”
“Ah,” Kieran says quietly. “That’s a story for another day. Why don’t you see if I managed to make this right first, then we’ll take Bonnie to the stables and take care of her if my brothers aren’t back yet to help.”
“You have a stable?” I blurt out as he sets the steaming bowl and a spoon in front of me. I didn’t see any. But then again, I didn’t see a garden either, and Kieran mentioned working in one.
“Yeah, it’s out back. You must’ve approached from the front, then?”
I nod, blowing on a spoonful, eager to eat, but unwilling to burn the roof of my mouth. That blows.Pun intended.
When I take the first bite, cinnamon and honey explode over my taste buds, making me groan in pleasure.
“So good,” I practically moan, quickly scooping up more and blowing on it.
When Kieran doesn’t reply, I look up to see him staring at me with single-minded focus. His pupils are blown wide, making his friendly eyes look darker, more… animal.
“You like it, baby?” he asks in a whisper, leaning over the marble countertop, narrowing the space between us on the kitchen island until he’s close enough for me to count his freckles.
“I…”
I’m interrupted by a deep, bellowing voice, sounding so suddenly that I hop up in my seat and drop the spoonful of porridge back into the bowl with a wet plop.
“Kieran?” the voice booms from the direction of the front door. “Whose horse is that outside? Who’s here?”
Oh no. That doesn’t sound welcoming at all.
4
MARCUS
Her scent fills my nose before we step into the kitchen. Honeysuckle and lilac. It’s sweet and inviting. Alarm bells ring out in my head as soon as we walk in on what looks to be a very cozy moment between Kieran and a fucking human female. My beastly side roars to the surface, hairs tickling my flesh and canines sharpening.
“What the fuck is going on here?” I bellow, my eyes narrowing on the woman.
I want to look away, but it’s damn near impossible. It’s as if a fae princess has slipped into our home. She is stunning, with big blue eyes and golden hair long enough to run my fingers through.
The thought sends a shot of pleasure straight to my dick, and I snarl in irritation. Satisfaction fills me up when she jumps back, smart enough to be terrified.
Adrian rolls his eyes. “Don’t worry about him, little lamb. He’s harmless.”
My eyes narrow on my brother. He is ogling the human’s tattered dress, the blanket she was wrapped up in now on the floor. Our bonds are strong enough that I cansense the desire flooding his system. Black bears have an exceptional sense of smell, and I can easily detect the change in him.
The girl clears her throat. “Harmless like a kitten or harmless like the jungle cat hiding in the tree and ready to pounce?”
Kieran laughs. “Most definitely the second one. But we’ll make sure his teeth and claws stay out of your pretty flesh.”
Her blue eyes widen, and I can see she’s already smitten with him. This is not good.
“Again,” I interrupt. “What the fuck is going on here?”
Kieran urges the girl back to her seat and the food he likely prepared for her. “She got lost in the woods. She was running from someone, Marcus.”
There is a possessive edge to his tone I’m perturbed by. But before I berate him, his words register in my mind. Combined with the state of her clothing and a hint of a bruise on her arm, I sense there is more to her story.
But this is our home. Our safe space away from the drama of our families. The cabin tucks neatly into the nearby woods and offers us solitude. Would this strange human ruin that for us?
“Stop being such a grump, Marcus,” Kieran drawls as Adrian takes a seat at the island next to the girl. “Hear her out before throwing her to the wolves.”
The human whines. “Not the wolves again. I need to get Bonnie safely into the stables. Kieran said that’s okay?”
