Page 62 of Marked

“This is just…” I gestured vaguely at everything. “Surreal? I mean, a week ago I was eating cup ramen in my empty apartment in Seattle, and now I’m having gourmet Spanish snacks in a mansion while Jorge and Maria argue about whether too much garlic will traumatize the shrimp.”

“You’ll get used to them,” Caleb said, then seemed to catch himself. “I mean, they’re always like this. The great garlic debates of Stone Manor are legendary.”

Storm chose that moment to rest his massive head on my knee, giving me the most soulful puppy-dog eyes I’d ever seen on something that looked more wolf than dog.

“No,” I said firmly, holding my empanada out of reach. “Those eyes might work on normal people, but I am immune to—” He whined, just a little. “Oh fine. Just a tiny bit of the meat.” I carefully picked out a small piece of beef, avoiding the pastry.“But if Maria catches me feeding you people food, I’m throwing you all under the bus.”

“Traitor,” Derek muttered to his dog, but his eyes were soft as he watched me share the morsel.

“He’s not the only traitor.” Caleb snickered, nodding at Shadow who hadn’t budged an inch from my lap. “I’ve never seen him this attached to anyone. Usually, he’s as stuck up as Marcus.”

Marcus arched an eyebrow. “I prefer the term ‘selective.’”

“You prefer the term ‘control freak,’” Derek countered, but there was fondness in his gruff tone.

The banter felt… nice. Comfortable in a way that should have been impossible with three virtual strangers. Even their dogs’ presence felt natural now, though I’d literally been screaming and running from them a few hours ago.

“Dios mío!” Maria’s voice made us all jump. She stood in the doorway, hands on hips, looking utterly scandalized. “You’ve finished all the food already? And no one called me to bring more? No, no, no. Wait right there.”

She disappeared in a whirlwind of Spanish muttering. I could have sworn I heard “…should have known better, growing boys eat like wolves, need more food from the start…”

I felt a twinge of guilt because she wasn’t entirely wrong. I did seem to have a bottomless pit for a stomach lately, always hungry no matter how much I ate. Like a wolf, ironically enough. I almost laughed at that thought—here I was, terrified of wolves but apparently sharing their appetite. Though I doubted wolves had a weakness for gourmet Spanish cuisine and perfectly crafted churros.

“Should I be worried?” I asked, watching the doorway with trepidation.

“Always,” Caleb grinned. “When Tía Maria decides to feed someone, resistance is futile.”

Sure enough, she reappeared moments later with another plate piled high with fresh churros and empanadas.

“Maria,” I protested weakly, “I couldn’t possibly—”

“You’re too thin,” she declared, setting the plate firmly in front of me. “How can you run from lobos—life’s problems when you’re all skin and bones? Eat.”

The brothers tensed slightly, but I was too distracted by the food and started eating again.

Maria beamed. “Good boy. Now, I must go make sure Jorge doesn’t ruin my grandmother’s paella recipe with his ‘modern interpretations.’” She said the last words like they were a personal insult to Spanish cuisine.

“I heard that!” Jorge’s voice boomed from the kitchen. “Just because your abuela cooked like it was 1862 doesn’t mean—”

“Bah! 1862?” Maria’s outraged gasp echoed back. “That recipe won the Valencia competition three years ago!”

“Against other abuelas! Where was the innovation? The creativity?”

I nearly choked on my empanadas trying not to laugh. Shadow’s head lifted slightly, giving me what I swear was a concerned look.

“Speaking of household disasters,” I said, remembering my own cottage crisis, “what happened with the pipe? Did the plumber—”

“All handled,” Derek cut in smoothly. “Won’t be a problem anymore.”

“Really?” The relief that flooded through me was embarrassing. “Thank God. I was worried I’d go home to find my cottage turned into an indoor swimming pool.”

Something dark flickered across Derek’s face at the word ‘home,’ but Caleb quickly jumped in. “Since you’re actually awake now, want to see the grounds? It’s perfect outside.”

He was right. Through the massive windows, I could see sunshine streaming through the trees, creating that magical Pacific Northwest afternoon glow. “That… actually sounds nice. I mean, as long as there aren’t any wolves in your woods.” I grinned, then added, “Or faeries. This place looks exactly like where some fairy-tale creature would lure unsuspecting victims.”

The brothers exchanged another one of those weird looks they kept giving each other, but I was getting used to their quirks by now. God, that couch was dangerously comfortable.

“I’ll take you around,” Derek offered, a bit too quickly.

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