Risa
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Arms wrapped aroundthe throw pillow as I sit on the couch, my thumb runs a constant path over the rough fabric, using the texture as a focal point so that I don’t spiral. Stryker and Bane are sitting in the chairs opposite me, Mason leaning against the wall, and all of their eyes remain rapt on every twitch I make, already giving me a complex.
“So I could technically go back if I came up with a plausible reason for my disappearance?”
They’re all silent, sharing a look before Bane hesitantly answers. “In theory, but it’s harder than you’d imagine, especially in the bigger cities. It overwhelms your senses and leaves you agitated, making it much more likely you’ll accidentally shift if startled or feel boxed in. There’s a huge difference between being in a place crowded with humans, and surrounded by shifters.”
I nod to myself, thumb stroking the pillow absentmindedly. “So I’ll feel like I do with you three around other-“ I bite my tongue before forcing myself to say “-shifters?” Because if I’m going to entertain this as an actual possibility, I need to voice it until it doesn’t sound so ridiculous.
Mason’s face softens with understanding. “Not quite. It’s more like the difference between riding the subway at night, and going to a family cookout. One will have your guard up and jumping at shadows, and the other, you relax, knowing instinctively that there’s safety in numbers and you’re surrounded by friends. We’ll introduce you to some of the neighbors so you can see what we mean.”
The thought has me tensing up before Stryker hastily backpedals. “Only if you want to! It might actually be better if you take a few days first, give yourself a chance to adjust.”
Grimacing, I can’t bring myself to explain the reaction. “No, it’s okay. Probably a good idea to hear things from other people, in case you’re all secretly psychopaths.”
Three matching smirks make my chest lurch, and I metaphorically punch myself in the face to combat the impulse to put less distance between us. It’s exactly why I parked my ass as far away from them as possible, because the thought of simply taking a seat on Stryker or Bane’s lap sounds like a perfectly reasonable idea, and it scares the hell out of me.
“But there’s nothing stopping me from going home, so long as I don’t reveal your secret society to anyone? Could get a remote house on the edge of town and live out my days pretending that nothing changed?”
As I watch them exchange another look, silently communicating with each other, my grip tightens on the pillow. A small spike of fear has the next words tumbling out of my mouth before I can bite them back. “So you’re going to send me back after you get me brought up to speed and situated.”
Frowning, Stryker rises from his chair, sinking to his knees in front of me, and covers the back of my wrist, stilling my anxious fingers. “Risa, I don’t think you’re getting the full picture here. We don’t want you to go anywhere. You’re ours to take care of now; that’s what the bond is all about. You think it’s hard to ignore when we’re in the same room? It would drive us mad if you left town.”
He tightens his grip, like just thinking about it makes him anxious. “Fuck, Risa, you’re all we’ve thought about the past week, and we didn’t even know you then. How do you expect us to pretend you don’t exist, to carry on with our lives like we can’t remember the taste of sinking our teeth into your skin?”
Running my tongue over my teeth, I let one of the sharp points dig in until drawing blood so I can keep my composure. “So, the sire thing. If this means you guys are pretty much my supernatural guardians, is it supposed to be this,” I trail off, second guessing myself if things are different on their side of things, but honestly, it’s driving me mad already, and it’s only been a few hours.
Bane clears his throat, his eyes flicking down to my mouth like he knows I pricked my tongue. “Nine times out of ten, people are only turned because they consider the human their mate. It’s a fluke that someone goes crazy like the old wolves and tears through towns, trying to build an army. So yeah, it’s perfectly natural if it feels sexual.”
Stryker’s gaze roams over me languidly. “Where you’re drawn to us instinctually to stay safe, on our end, it’s more... obsessive. You’re ours, Risa; to care for and protect. You’re not our prisoner here, but honestly, if you want to go back, I can’t promise we won’t hang around to watch over you.”
Mason rubs at his chest with the heel of his hand. “We can’t just leave you at the mercy of humans when they don’t have any. I know it’s hard to imagine right now, but give us a chance to help you before you make any rash decisions. You don’t have a kid waiting for you or anything, right?”
“No.” My lips press into a flat line before I admit, “Just a boyfriend, but I’ve been trying to leave him for a while. If I go back, I’ll be starting over anyway.”
Three sets of eyes narrow instantly, but it’s Stryker that demands, “What do you mean,tryingto leave him for a while?”
Releasing a long, slow breath, I try to disassociate so it isn’t as difficult to talk about. “Kind of hard to move when any time he found my money stash, he’d lose his shit and confiscate it. Everyone that knows him thinks he’s a damn saint and would never believe me, constantly pointing out how lucky I am.” I scoff, tapping my fingers in agitation, Stryker still not releasing my wrist, but it feels more comforting than restraining. “Plenty of people think it’s so easy to up and leave, but unless you have a support system in place, it’s either wind up on the street, or convince yourself that it isn’t that bad so you can make it through just one more day.”
“So really, getting kidnapped was a blessing in disguise,” Mason tosses out there, and the dark humor has me smiling, breathing a bit easier.
“You could say that. Though admittedly, not a fan.”
Bane and Stryker, on the other hand, aren’t nearly as amused. Bane’s face is completely devoid of humor, grip tight on the arm of his chair. Stryker becomes unnaturally still, making a conscious effort not to tighten his hold on my wrist despite the way the temperature in the room seems to drop alongside their silent fury.
And it kills me that their reaction makes my eyes burn with unshed tears, because I’m not used to having anyone in my corner. Yet these three strangers actually seem to give a damn when no one in my life ever has.
Stryker’s hand slides up my neck to gently cup my jaw. “What’s his name, gorgeous?”
My mouth feels suddenly dry as I nervously shake my head. Not because I’m worried about him getting hurt, but because I’m worried about them doing something stupid and paying the price. It’d be my fault, and with everything I’m already struggling to deal with, I don’t think I can handle that guilt on top of it all.
“Risa.” Bane pulls my attention towards him, Stryker’s palm still heating my skin. “So we can protect you. We can put the word out so if someone catches wind that he’s sniffing around, they’ll give us a heads up long before he ever gets close.”
I narrow my eyes at him, something about his statement ringing false to my ears. “You’re lying.”
Rather than deny it, a sly grin transforms his scowl, looking borderline feral. “You got me. But it proves you can tell the difference and makes it easier to believe what we’re telling you, doesn’t it? So trust me when I say, we only want his name to protect you.”
