“Dammit, Angel, you fucking broke our girlfriend!” Colt hisses at Bry, and I roll my eyes as I step back from Orion to look between them.
Darren is currently speechless, so I’m choosing to ignore him for the moment.
“What the hell are you talking about?” Brian looks at Colten like he’s lost his mind.
“She’s too calm. She should be pissed the hell off, not kissing the guy!” Colt growls, and I sigh as I walk over to him, wrapping my arms around his neck.
I know he’s annoyed and doesn’t get it, but he still loves me enough that his arms automatically wrap around me.
“I am angry,” I tell him as his eyes land on me.
“Then why did you kiss him?” He looks a bit hurt, and a lot pissed off, but I don’t think it’s directed at me.
“Because I feel it.” I pull on his neck so his forehead is leaning against mine. “I feel the last piece of my soul. I can’t explain it, but when the three of you are in a room with me, everything feels like it clicks into place. Like he’s the last piece of the puzzle that is my soul, Colt.”
Understanding crosses his features and he sighs, pulling me closer to him. “So you forgive him just like that?”
I shake my head. “No. He’s going to have to grovel. A lot.” I smile at Colten before turning my gaze to Orion who is watching us intently.
Out of all the things I expected to happen, never did I once think that the furry orange friend I made last year would turn out to be someone sent to spy on me, let alone fall for me and try to protect me.
“Good.” Colt kisses me hard and deep, and I feel Bry come up behind me.
He kisses my neck as his hands grip my hips, and I moan. The two of them set me on fire, and I would love to be alone with them right now, but the sound of a cough brings us back to the present.
“You want to give him a chance?” Brian whispers in my ear, and I nod, turning my face to kiss him as well.
“I do,” I say as I pull out of their embrace, and head back to where Orion is still standing. “His intentions weren’t pure going into this, but he did protect me in the end.”
I look at his face and take in the handsomeness that is him. He may be Darren’s identical twin, but I don’t find Darren attractive in any way, shape, or form.
I’m not sure if it has more to do with the soul connection, or the fact that he looks killer in dress slacks and a dress shirt, but I see him so much differently than Darren. It’s probably the soul connection.
It helps that his soft chocolate brown eyes are such a contrast to Darren’s blue they just draw me in. It could also be the connection we created when he was still only a cat in my mind.
“Can we all sit down?” I ask, and the guys all nod, but Darren holds back.
“I think this is officially a relationship thing, so I’m out.” He nods to everyone as we take our seats. “If you need to know anything about our father, ask him.” He points to Orion. “He’s been his sidekick since day one.” He looks over to me and tilts his head. “Was. Seems your girl here changed him. Give him a chance.” And with that he is out the door.
“How do you think we can trust you?” Colt asks from beside me on the couch.
Him, Brian, and I take up the couch, while Orion sits in a chair across from us.
“I don’t.” He’s looking right at me like the other two aren’t even in the room. “Not right away, at least.”
“Do you know where he’s hiding Addy?” I ask him, and he shakes his head.
“No. I’ve been looking for them all summer, but I haven’t been able to find them. He’s angry with me for betraying him when I ran with you that night.”
“Darren says you’re a sociopath?” Brian asks, and Orion just nods.
“I am. I feel absolutely nothing toward anything or anyone.” He looks at me with a smirk on his face. “Until her, of course. I’m still not sure how to handle that. Emotions aren’t my forte.”
“Does that mean you’re going to kill us when you get the chance?” Colt asks, and the blood in my veins runs cold.
“Truthfully? I would love nothing more than to have her to myself. I detest anyone touching her, but you make her happy, and I’ve been around long enough to know that she’s a package deal. Hurting you would hurt her, and I may be new to this emotional shit, but I won’t let anyone hurt her. I will kill anyone who tries,” he states, like it’s a common fact that he can kill someone in cold blood and it wouldn’t phase him.
“You said that you were going to kill your father.” His jaw clenches, and he gives a tight nod at my words. “You weren’t being serious, right?”
“Wrong. I’m deadly serious. He needs to be dealt with for hurting you, and you’re too pure to do it. All of you are.” I blink at him, and he sighs. “Harleigh, I’m not a good guy. He won’t be my first kill, nor will he be my last. I like watching the life drain out of people.”
I make a small sound, and lean into Brian for some calm while Colten moves to get closer to me for support.
“What I can promise you, is that I will never hurt you or the people you care about. Since you are the one thing in the world that makes me feel anything, I’m going to need your guidance in who not to harm.”
Fuck me.
I’ve seen enough crime shows in my life to know people like him exist, but I sure as hell didn’t think a piece of my soul would be eternally connected to one.
“There will be rules.” He nods like he expected as much. “If you’re going to kill, it can’t be anyone innocent.” I give him my most stern look. and
I need him to know how serious I am about this. I don’t like the idea of him killing anyone, but if he has to, then he does… I guess.
“Okay.”
“You won’t change my mind about being good,” I state, and Bry smiles at me.
“I wouldn’t try to change someone who is already perfect.”
Colten groans beside me, and I giggle.
“Good answer.” That earns me a megawatt smile from Orion, and I feel my heart rate pick up.
“I aim to please.” He winks at me all cocky-like, and it makes me laugh harder.
“Tell me this.” Colten looks at Orion before continuing. “Why the hell isn’t your shifter-ass naked right now?”
“That’s your concern right now?” Orion looks at him like he’s bored.
“I have plenty of concerns, and it will take a long time for me to trust you, if ever. But I’m curious how you can go from a cat to office attire without ever being naked.”
Huh. I hadn’t even thought of that. Though, to be fair, I’ve never met a shifter before so what do I know?
“Abbreviated version? Somewhere down the past family line, an ancestor hooked up with a powerful witch and she didn’t like seeing her kids naked when they changed. She cast a spell on them and our entire line. I don’t know how it works, and I don’t care.” He shrugs.
“Are you always so cold?” It slips out before I can catch it, and I wince.
“Yes.” He nods before stopping. “Well, until you. Not sure it will ever change. I just don’t care about pleasing anyone. I care about myself and now you. That’s it. Does it bother you?” He tilts his head to the side like a cat or dog would, and I bite my lip to stop the laugh.
It wouldn’t really be polite to laugh at him for quirks he can’t control, but it’s super cute.
“Maybe. I don’t want things between us to be clinical. I like to feel loved.”
He gives me a tight nod. “I care about you, Harleigh, but I do not know how to show it. Not in human form.”
I think on his words for a moment. “Is that why you came to me as a cat for so long?”
“Yes. Being a cat is easier to accept attention. The feline craves the touch, but I should be frank.” He looks between the guys. “I do not like being touched by anyone but her.” He nods his head in my direction.
“Is that why you hated me?” Bry asks, and Orion barks out a dark laugh.
“Only partly. I don’t like to share, either. I feel very possessive over her.”
I groan. “I have a name. I’m not an object, you know.”
“My apologies. I will work on that.”
I laugh, and Colten shakes his head.
“Well, this is going to be interesting isn’t it?” I say, laughing even harder.
Seriously, how did this become my life?