Byron
I felt a ripple of unease when Wyatt went into the kitchen. I knew something was wrong even before they came back out. Bella was trembling and looking like she was trying to fold up on herself, and Wyatt looked flustered and upset.
“What’s wrong? What happened?” I pulled out a chair for Bella and felt some kind of anger rising up in me. If someone had hurt her, I was going to kill them, even if it was my own brother.
Wyatt started to apologize to our mate… something about flour in her hair. I glared, not understanding. “I found her cooking in the kitchen…” Wyatt explained. “I… I overreacted and raised my voice to Hailey. And then I reached for Bella, and… she thought I was going to hit her.”
I would have cussed him out for being an insensitive prick, but I knew it would only make Bella more upset. Besides that, I could tell from the miserable expression on his face that Wyatt was already beating himself up for scaring her. It must have pained him deeply that she was afraid of him.
Bella reminded me of a wild animal, full of fear, constantly in fight-or-flight… but in the case of my little mate, I didn't think she had much fight left. She was all about running for her life now. When you touched her, you had to act like you were reaching out a hand to tame a wild animal. You had to talk low and move slowly. You had to wear down those defenses and earn her trust.
“I think we should tell her,” I said, reaching out to stroke her forearm. She was gripping the bottom of her chair so tightly that her muscles were twitching. I felt the warmth and the sparks, and I know she felt something too because she jerked at my touch at first, and then began to relax by slow degrees. Her fast, shallow breathing evened out.
She took a chance to look up into my face, and I tried to give her an encouraging smile.
Hailey and an omega came out with trays of food. “Wyatt… Byron… I’m sorry. I didn’t know she wasn’t allowed in the kitchen.”
“I’m sorry too, Hailey. It was a misunderstanding.” Wyatt said with a grimace. “She can go anywhere in the house, and do anything she likes… as long as she understands that she doesn’t have to do anything.” He cleared his throat awkwardly. “When I saw her in the kitchen… I just thought…”
“I would never force her to do anything!” Hailey said, indignantly.
“I know you wouldn’t.” Wyatt sent her a meaningful look, which Hailey understood, and nodded, with a sad glance back at Bella.
She sighed and began unloading her tray, setting plates of pancakes, bacon, eggs, and fruit in front of us. She poured us hot, fresh coffee, and for Bella, she set down a cup of tea. “Enjoy your breakfast, Alphas. Bella, I appreciated the extra hand in the kitchen this morning. We’ll talk later.”
I watched Bella out of the corner of my eye. She was staring at the food with a blank expression. Ah, my poor, beautiful mate. So broken, so fragile. How did we begin putting the pieces together? “Please eat, sweetheart.”
Wyatt picked up his coffee and took a sip. “You look beautiful today. I see the new clothes fit well.”
She blinked. “Th-Thank you for the clothes,” she mumbled.
I set down my fork. This was too awkward, too painful. “We need to tell her, Wyatt.”
My brother sighed and gave me a look that said, I hope you know what you are doing.
“Bella…” I pulled her hand gently off the chair so that I could hold it. I had a need to touch her, all the time. “There is something we need to tell you. I’m not sure if you can feel it or not… but you are our mate.”
Her little pink mouth opened in surprise and her eyes flew to mine, and then to Wyatt’s. , I could see the shock and disbelief there, and her honey skin blanched to white.
“Nobody deserves the abuse that you suffered in that house at White Pines, Bella. We would have rescued you from that hellhole even if you weren’t our mate. No one should be forced to work as a slave. But it's true, you are our destiny. We would never hurt you, Bella, and we will do everything in our power to keep you safe. We want you to be happy with us. We want you to accept us.”
“No.” She whispered. That single word sliced through my heart like a knife. “No, it can’t be. I’m not… I don’t have…” She erupted out of the chair, tipping it over backward, and ran for the door. Wyatt instinctively started to chase her, but I stopped him.
“Don’t chase her,” I said with a heavy sigh. “It will only frighten her more.”
Bella
I didn't know where I was running to, anywhere, just away. I found my way through the corridors and spotted the front door. I saw my escape, and I went for it. And I would have made it too, except the door opened just before I reached it, and I ended up plowing straight into a stranger.
“Whoa there, easy now.” A young woman caught me by the shoulders and helped me straighten up. She was beautiful, with long, flowing auburn hair and light blue eyes. Her features were vaguely familiar, and I realized that she was the feminine version of the brothers.
She smiled at me, “Hi! I’m Daphne. I’m guessing you must be Bella. Wow! I’m so glad to meet you!” She squished me into a hug. Her embrace was strangely calming. Thankfully my back was mostly healed. She pulled back and looked me in the eyes. “Now tell me, what did those bonehead brothers of mine do to upset you?”
I blinked at her. I had the strangest urge to talk to her, to pour out all my confusion. I even went so far as to open my mouth before I remembered my place and snapped it closed. She is the sister of the alphas. Mind your manners, girl. I pulled myself together and lowered my head.
“Okay,” she wrapped her arm around my shoulders, “Let's go get some breakfast, I’m starved. I miss Hailey’s cooking so much. The cafeteria food at school tastes like cardboard.”
I let her steer me back toward the dining room, but I felt my muscles trembling, and my mind was rolling around with jumbled thoughts. I’d run from them. What would they do to me? They were talking nonsense about being mates, and I didn’t understand. I didn't have a mate. I couldn't have a mate.
And if I did have a mate, it wouldn’t be an alpha, let alone two alphas. Was that even possible? Could one woman have two mates? Could two brothers share one woman? Ah, my head was spinning.
I didn’t want to face the brothers, but something told me that facing them under Daphne’s protective arm was the safest way. She was their sister, surely they would not hurt her. We entered the dining room, and when my pace slowed, and I wanted to fall back, Daphne’s arm around my shoulders tightened and she pushed me forward.
“Daphne! You are home!” Wyatt said.
“Thank God.” Byron breathed with relief. “I see you have met Bella.”
“Hello, Neanderthals.” She greeted them sarcastically. She guided me to a chair, which thankfully was NOT between the brothers, and then she went over and gave each of them a warm hug. “What did you do to my new sister-in-law?”
I widened my eyes. Sister-in-law?
Wyatt leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms over his powerful chest. “Byron thought it would be a good idea to tell her now that she is our mate.”
“Yes, I did, AFTER Wyatt scared the shit out of her in the kitchen.”
The two brothers glared at each other across the table. Their displeasure with each other should haved scared me more. After all, angry people tended to lash out, they needed to vent their anger somewhere. But instead of being scared, I found it kind of funny. They were two full-grown men, respected, powerful alphas. But right now they reminded me of two little boys, each one tattling on the other, trying to keep themselves out of trouble with their little sister.
“Oh my God, you guys are hopeless,” Daphne rolled her eyes and sat down, pulling her chair closer to mine. “Ignore them, Bella. Pass me her plate, Byron.” They rearranged my food into my new position at the table, and Daphne unapologetically stole a piece of my bacon and stuck it in her mouth.
Hailey came through the door, her face wreathed in smiles, “Daphne! You are home! How are you? How is school?” She came and placed a smacking kiss on Daphne’s smooth cheek. “I missed you!” I watched them curiously, still wondering what Hailey’s place in the pack was, and how she was allowed to be so familiar with the family. She brought out another steaming, heavily laden plate for Daphne, and Daphne picked up a fork and happily dug in.
I watched them, but I couldn’t eat around the knot in my throat. You are our mate. I wrapped my hand around my cup of tea and tried to take a sip, but the liquid had cooled and now tasted like lukewarm dishwater. Still, holding the cup kept my awkward hands occupied. I kept my eyes glued to the table, not daring now to even sneak glances at the brothers, as the conversation swirled around me. They were talking about Daphne’s classes, business at the pack, and other things I couldn’t follow. I let the words pass by me without paying attention.
I’m not sure if you can feel it or not…
Was that the strange, warm, tingly sensation I got when our skin made contact? Was that the comfortable safe feeling I had when I was pressed between them in the bed? Was that the scent that I couldn’t get enough of? Was that why my wolf was whispering “mine” in my head? I didn’t know. I mean I’d heard girls gossip about the mating bond in the kitchen at White Pines. But what they described didn’t sound real, it sounded like… well I didn't know, but it always ended in sex.
Oh god, would I be having sex with both of them? My hands shook so badly, the tea sloshed out of the cup and onto the tablecloth.
aphne took the cup out of my hand and set it back in the saucer, and then wiped up the spilled tea, just like I was a child. She never stopped her conversation, as she patted my arm and continued to talk about a psychology professor who thought her thesis proposal was a waste of time.
I liked Daphne. There was something about her that put me at ease. She patted my arm again and stabbed a bite of pancakes, chewing and swallowing before she picked up the conversation. After a moment, she turned to me, “Please eat, girl. Sitting next to you is making me feel fat.”
My mouth opened in surprise. She wasn’t fat! She was absolutely perfect.
She chuckled and pushed my plate a little closer. “Eat.” There was a slight edge of command in her voice. I picked up my fork and carefully sawed off a bite of pancake. I put it in my mouth and closed my eyes to savor the sweet, buttery taste. It didn’t matter that the food was getting cold, it tasted so good. But I felt the brother's eyes on me again, and I found it hard to swallow.
You are our destiny.
Daphne coaxed me through half a pancake before I gave up.
“Alright, you guys, go do something important,” she said, making a dismissive motion with her hands, “I want to get to know your lovely mate.”
And the funny thing was, the two big bad Alphas obediently got up from the table and shuffled off toward their office.