Page 102 of Kidnapping Their Third

There was a chorus of “ayes” from the assembled siblings.

Pike could feel both pleasure and apprehension coming from Cora. “All of you are so dumb,” she said, fighting a smile. “Didn’t we just rebel so no one was in charge of the family?”

“We staged a revolution to oust the dictator. Now we want to elect a president,” Caleb quipped.

Cora hung her head with a sigh. “Is there any way I can say no?”

“None,” Caleb answered with a chuckle, then looked at Kimble. “Are you sure about this? We’re a rowdy bunch.”

“So I’ve witnessed,” Kimble answered. “But you haven’t seen my people when alcohol is abundant. I think you’ll find your wildness is well matched here.”

Carson tilted his head and stared at Kimble. “What happened to your super thick accent? The last time I saw you, it was all one-word sentences and grunts. Now you sound like Caleb, all slick as snot with those fancy words.”

“Hey,” Cora said, mock glaring at Carson.

“Let me handle this,” Caleb said, then spoke with a soft conciliatory tone. “Which word confused you, Carson? I can explain it, or maybe give you other words you already know. Alcohol is a term for drinks like beer. You know what beer is, right?”

Carson rolled his eyes. “You sound like you're talking to one of your kids.”

“Might as well be,” Caleb said, making Carson laugh.

“Whatever,” Carson said, returning his attention back to Kimble. “My question still stands, what happened with your accent? Were you testing us before by acting all dumb and shit?”

“Perhaps,” Kimble said with a little shrug.

“I bet he was trying to get us to say stuff in front of him so he could get intel,” Trevor suggested.

They argued amicably about Kimble’s accent with Cora adding in some outrageous conspiracy theories making them all laugh. As the friendly conversation went on, the food was eaten, coffee drank, and eventually everyone started to look at their phones.

It was clear to Pike no one wanted to leave the little bubble of family camaraderie they’d created. Tomorrow they’d have to face the reality of standing strong against an angry family patriarch.

Pike spoke up before he could consider the wisdom of his words. “Any of you can call me if you need some help, or someone to talk to.”

All the brothers looked over at him with surprised expressions.

“That’s nice?” Caleb said, making it more of a question than a compliment.

Pike felt his face get hot with embarrassment, but he forged on. “Cora and Kimble both tend to work long hours and can be hard to get a hold of, but I have a lot of free time. All of you are family to me now so if you need some help, I’m here. It doesn’t matter whether it’s moving furniture or letting you spill your guts over a beer, I’ve got your back.”

The siblings blinked at him, and he felt Cora’s pleasure at his sincere offer. “You’re the sweetest bear ever,” she whispered.

Kimble pushed a feeling of warmth and support at him, clearly stating the vampire was proud of his courage to speak up.

It was Cooper who broke the silence. “Thanks, man. You can never have too many brothers.”

The others murmured their agreement, and Pike saw real acceptance in their eyes. They all talked a little longer before they walked the brothers back to their cars. The three of them stood there in silence and watched the cars’ lights disappear down the dark driveway.

“It really is the beginning of a new era,” Cora murmured. The three of them pressed close together, enjoying the feeling of love flowing through their bond.

Cora turned slightly so she could look up at him and Pike. Her eyes looked bright and luminous, and her lips were curved in a soft smile as she spoke. “I’m really glad I didn’t try hard to kill you, Kimble. Turns out you and Pike are the loves of my life.”

Kimble laughed and grabbed her around the waist to throw her over his shoulder. He slung his free arm around Pike’s shoulders and guided him into the house.

“Let’s reenact the kidnapping as it should've been!” he suggested. Pike felt a shot of lust come from both his mates, making him instantly and painfully hard in his pants.

“Can I be kidnapped too?” Pike teased.

“Of course,sloneczko.” Kimble tightened his arm around Pike’s shoulders and pretended to drag him through the wide-open front door. “Come with me, my flock! It’s time to ravish you both!”

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