Page 9 of Mated to Four Bears

This man was my angel. He had come to my rescue on the worst day of my life, and I couldn’t be more grateful for him. His beauty intoxicated me, and I sensed that there was something more about him, something special that he hadn’t told me yet. But that was okay. I could be patient and wait for him to be ready. Especially if he was finally going to kiss me…

But the kiss never came. William vanished before I could reach him. One moment, he was there in my arms, waiting for me to claim him with my mouth, and the next thing he was gone. I bolted up into a sitting position and blinked my eyes, trying to bring him back. But he wasn’t coming to me. Instead, I found myself locked in a jail cell, surrounded by thick iron bars that weren’t going to let me go anywhere. I automatically patted my back pocket to find my wand, but it was gone. I had nothing.

I felt naked and vulnerable without my wand. My heart started to pound, violently hammering against my ribcage. I started to feel sick to my stomach. I tried my hardest not to let that sick feeling get the better of me, but the anxiety was hard to control.

“Help me,” I whispered, not that there was anyone here to hear me. “Someone, please.”

Tears began to leak down my cheeks. But these weren’t normal tears, it was like a waterfall gushing down my face. I couldn’t breathe, I couldn’t cope. The fact that I was completely on my own in this dark, awful place was the hardest thing for me to come to terms with. I hugged my knees to my chest and held on tight as I wept like a freaking baby, just wishing that William would come back. I needed him…

I wasn’tsure how much time had passed, but I eventually found the strength within me to pry my eyes open just a little bit. I blinked as the brightness hit my retinas, unable to get used to it.

After a few minutes, I started to be able to focus on what was around me. Although that definitely didn’t bring me any comfort, because I had no idea where I was. But it certainlydidn’t look like a jail cell or hospital room. If I thought my heart was racing in my dream, or nightmare, that was nothing compared to now. Now I was a God damn mess.

I racked my brain, trying my hardest to recall anything that happened before I ended up here, but it was all foggy and weird. It was blank, empty.

“Ah, you are awake.” The voice was soft, but it scared me so much I whimpered. “Oh, you don’t need to worry. My name is Thomas, Thomas Osborne, and I have been helping you. Healing you.”

I zeroed in on his name. ThomasOsborne. He was related to William, which meant I was inside the home of an Osborne. He’d kidnapped me.

“I need to get out of here,” I whispered. “I need to go. Please let me go.”

Thomas pursed his lips thoughtfully. “I think it might be best if you wait a little while before you went anywhere.”

My blood ran ice cold. These Osbornes had abducted me because William wanted to punish me for stealing. Shit, it was all starting to come flooding back to me now. I was caught using my magic to get food in the convenience store, and he wanted to make me suffer. He didn’t feel sorry for me at all.

What the hell was he going to do to me? I thought jail was the worst option, but now I was starting to see that might not be the truth.Thiscould be so much worse.

“I…I’m fine,” I stammered, trying my best to convince myself as well as him. “I will be just fine. Thank you for your help, but I need to go home.”

“Let me just run some tests on you first.” Thomas tapped his chin. “Then I will see how you’re doing. I just want to make sure you’re safe.”

He shot me a strange smile that made my heart skip a beat. What was it about the Osborne brothers that made themso unbearably handsome it was hard to believe they might be up to no good. Thomas didn’t look like his brother. He had shaggy blonde hair and piercing green eyes. He wasn’t quite as muscular, but his sinewy body was hot as hell.

Perhaps they had the ability to do magic as well, and they’d put me under a spell.

My fingers curled around the couch cushion. If I was caught up in a magic spell, then I wasn’t about to be able to escape any time soon. Not unless I was smart.

“So,youare the special woman my brother keeps talking about.”

Oh God, there was another one. How the hell was there another Osborne brother who wasjustas good looking? This was insane. I didn’t knowwhatto say as this man loomed over me. He had a similar hairstyle to Thomas, but his eyes were so blue they made my heart sing.

“Richard, come here. Samantha is awake now, so we can finally get to know her better.”

The fourth brother almost made me faint once more. Richard was gorgeous as well. I couldn’t take my eyes off his dimples as he smiled.

“Nice to meet you, Samantha.” Richard stepped closer to me with his hand outstretched. “My name is Richard, and this is Henry. You’ve already met Thomas, and William, of course.”

“Although we aren’t all grumpy like William.” Henry chucked. “So don’t judge us by him.”

I was dumbstruck as I shook both of their hands. It was hard for me to ignore the electricity shooting up my arm as both of them touched me. What the hell was happening? I’d never been abducted before, so I didn’t know what it was supposed to feel like, but this wasn’t what I imagined.

I had to be under a spell. It was the only possible explanation. To be so entranced by these men was bizarre and totallyinexplicable way. Then I remembered they had me captured, and I was stuck. Shit.

“Is Thomas taking good care of you?” Richard asked cautiously. “I don’t know what happened to you, but he’s a really good doctor. You’re in great hands.”

“Uh…right.” I nodded slowly, trying my hardest to act casual so these men didn’t know I was on to them. “He has been fine. I think he wants to check me over.”

“I see. Well, we will let him look after you, then. But afterwards, I can cook you something. I’m a great cook. Is there anything in particular that you’d like to eat?”

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