Page 16 of The Pact

“Cole, what are we doing for dinner?” I turn towards the voice coming from the kitchen—it’s one of his brothers. The fridge opens, then I hear some jostling.

“I’ll get something going in a minute. Chicken good?”

The fridge closes and footsteps head in our direction. I shouldn’t be this nervous, it’s just Cole’s brother… friend… brother friend?

“Yeah, that’s—” The man comes to a halt, mid opening a bottle of water.

What is in the water around here that makes these men so incredibly attractive?

He’s about as tall as Cole as far as I can tell, though his frame is more muscular and broader than his brother’s athletic one. The fitted black shirt and pants make it hard not to appreciate his physique.

I’m not sure if it’s his wavy dark auburn hair and matching stubble or the tattoos covering both arms, reaching down to his fingers, that hold my gaze the longest. Something about the black ink against his fair skin is mesmerizing.

I realize I’ve been studying him silently for too long. I give a polite wave.

“Damian, this is Thea. Thea, Damian.” He just stares. Is there something on my face? I fight the urge to check.

“Nice to meet you,” I assert as I walk towards him with my hand extended. Once I’m in front of him and holding his gaze, I notice a third feature competing for my attention.

Damian’s pale blue eyes are captivating. If mine are the color of sapphires, his are aquamarines—they remind me of the birthstone necklace I received one Christmas long ago.

He finally takes my hand, easily covering most of it with his firm grip. Against the warmth of his skin, I feel coolness—Damian’s ring. It’s the same that Cole wears, the wolf with red eyes staring at me ominously.

“Cole, you didn’t tell me we were having company tonight,” he scolds mildly, not breaking eye contact with me. He’s intimidating by all standards—I want to look away and a year ago, I would have. Tonight, I stand a little taller as I square my shoulders and decide to let him back down.

He smirks and drops his gaze down my body before letting my hand go. It’s such an odd thing, him checking me out in front of his brother. My face scrunches.

“I’m telling you now, Damian.” Cole joins me, sliding his hand around my waist—a subtle claiming of his territory. It sends a wave of heat through me, yet his need to do this is just as confusing as his brother’s once over of me.

I wonder in all the years they’ve known each other if there has been some kind of betrayal that is causing this faint thread of tension. “I’m going to show Thea to the guest room, then we can get started on the food.”

Cole looks at me to clarify. “There’s a guest room downstairs if you want to take a shower. You’ve had a long day.” Suddenly, I’m all too aware that I’m in the same clothes I hiked in all afternoon. He’s right, a shower is exactly what I need. “I can give you something to wear and then we’ll eat.”

I let him take my hand and lead me to the stairs.

As we descend, I chance a peek back at Damian. He’s turned to watch us leave, although his eyes are solely focused on me. There’s an icy fire raging behind them. I have the distinct thought that we won’t get along.

Across from the last step, there’s a door. “There’s a wrap around balcony. You get views of everything from out there.” He turns to the left and points. “Over here is the theater.”

He flicks the light on. A large screen is on the wall opposite of us. In front of it is a massive sectional that’s wide enough to sprawl out on. Blankets lie neatly stacked in one corner of the couch. “Snacks are here.” He points to a countertop holding a popcorn machine and clear racks with cookies, candy bars, and other sweets. In the corner is a fridge. “Drinks and ice cream are in there.”

My jaw wants to drop. I could live in this one room and be happy for the rest of my life. He takes me away from my personal heaven and leads me to the next door, turning on the lights.

“Here’s the gym.”

There are weight machines, treadmills, stair machines, punching bags, and tons of other equipment. This is less surprising than the theater. Judging by both Cole and Damian’s bodies, I can tell that working out is a priority.

“This is…” I try to find the right word. I don’t want to make it seem like all of this is over indulgent, although that’s how it feels, especially compared to my little studio apartment and old truck. “Nice,” I force out.

Cole smiles, his dimples catching my attention. “It’s a bit over the top, but Damian insisted on making this our dream home. Aside from going to work and getting the necessities from the store, we really don’t need to rely on the outside world very much.”

That’s sad. The outside world has so much to offer. I smile and leave it at that.

I hear the muffled sound of loud music coming from the last room, bordering the gym. “What’s in there?”

“That’s Wesley’s room. Sounds like he’s in a mood, so we won’t bother him.”

He walks to the door across from the gym and opens it, hitting the lights. Inside, the room is cozy, yet impersonal. Cole drops my hand and disappears into the room to the right of mine. He reappears with some clothes.

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