Page 101 of Marked

“God help us all,” I muttered, shoving the container into my already overflowing fridge. When I turned around, I found all three brothers had followed me into the kitchen, effectively boxing me in against the counter.

Marcus leaned against the doorframe, his calculated casualness doing nothing to diminish his commanding presence. “Ready for dinner?”

“You still haven’t told me where we’re going,” I pointed out, trying to ignore how Derek had somehow drifted closer, his heat radiating against my back.

Caleb’s grin turned mischievous. “It’s a surprise. But you might want to grab a jacket—it’s a bit of a drive.”

“A drive where?” I asked, acutely aware of how the kitchen seemed to have shrunk with all three of them in it.

“Patience, little one.” Marcus’ voice carried that hint of authority that never failed to make my spine tingle. “Trust us?”

The way he said it made it sound like so much more than just dinner plans.

Outside, Marcus’ Bentley waited in the driveway, midnight black and gleaming like a predator in the fading light. I tried not to read too much into how they arranged themselves—Marcusbehind the wheel, Derek riding shotgun, leaving me in the back with Caleb, who looked far too pleased with himself.

The moment I slid into the butter-soft leather seat next to Caleb, my body seemed to hum with awareness. Lately, every touch from them felt electric, like my skin was becoming hypersensitive to their presence.

“You smell divine when you’re nervous,” Caleb murmured, close enough that his lips brushed my ear. The contact sent sparks down my spine, drawing out a small gasp that made all three brothers tense.

“Caleb.” Marcus’ voice carried enough authority to make me shiver, but Caleb just grinned, sliding even closer.

“What? I’m just appreciating our little mate’s…” His fingers traced along my neck. “…natural responses.”

Derek twisted in his seat, his eyes flashing dangerously. “You’re pushing it, little brother.”

“Please,” Caleb scoffed, though his hand stayed on my neck, thumb brushing my pulse point. “Like you both haven’t been imagining pinning him down and—”

“Enough,” Marcus commanded, making me gasp as something primal inside me wanted to bare my throat in response.

The tension in the car was suffocating—all heated looks and barely restrained hunger. Every time Marcus’ eyes met mine in the rearview mirror, they seemed to glow with barely controlled desire. Derek’s knuckles were white where he gripped the door handle, like he was physically restraining himself from climbing into the back seat.

“So,” I ventured, desperate to break the charged silence as we wound along the coastal road, “Mr. Patterson was telling me something interesting at the bookstore today. About territorial disputes in the area? He got really excited about it actually, right after asking aboutThe Last Kingdom. Something about stonestoo—maybe the quarries they used to build those old mansions? Though knowing him, he probably meant some kind of precious gems. He gets excited about the weirdest historical details.”

All three brothers tensed simultaneously. Another one of those invisible conversations seemed to pass between them before Marcus spoke.

“Ah, Professor Patterson.” Marcus’ voice was carefully neutral. “He’s quite the… history enthusiast.”

“The Stone family has deep roots in this area,” Derek added, though his attention seemed more focused on glaring at Caleb through the side mirror as his brother’s fingers traced lazy patterns on my neck.

“The Pacific Northwest drew quite a few prominent families in those early days,” Caleb murmured against my ear, making me shiver. “Old bloodlines seeking new territories.”

“Stop distracting him when he’s asking about history,” Derek growled. The sound should have been threatening, but lately, their weird aggressive moments just made heat pool in my stomach.

“I’m enhancing the educational experience.” Caleb’s grin was audible as his lips brushed my temple. “Besides, he’s so delightfully responsive when—”

“Caleb.” Marcus’ voice carried enough authority to make us all straighten, though when his eyes met mine in the mirror, they held something molten. “The history lesson?”

“Right,” I managed, trying to sound less affected than I was. “So what happened with all these families moving in?”

“The usual story of any new territory,” Marcus continued smoothly, taking a curve that sent me farther into Caleb’s embrace. “Some families learned to coexist. Others… made different choices.”

“Those who chose poorly usually regretted it.” Derek’s smile was all teeth.

“You make it sound like some epic power struggle.” I laughed, though something about their intensity made me shiver. “What’d they do—have fancy dinner parties to establish dominance?”

Caleb’s chuckle vibrated against my back. “Oh, kitten, if you only knew the games old families play. Though I’d argue we throw the best parties now.”

“Is that what tonight is? Some kind of power move?” I meant it as a joke, but the way all three brothers suddenly focused on me made my breath catch.

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