Page 40 of Mesmerised

I dressed and headed for the kitchen. The sound of laughter and male banter reached my ears. As if he’d sensed my presence, Antoine came to the door and took my hand. When we entered the room, he placed a kiss on my palm and then held me close by his side.

Sat at the table with Mac and Jeanie were two of the hottest guys I’d ever seen. Not really my type with beards and long hair, but they were gorgeous all the same.

“Hey, I can read that clearly.”

“Don’t worry, Antoine. I only have eyes for you.”

“Donna, I’d like you to meet Luca and Salvatore De Laurentis. They’re my best friends and their territory borders ours.”

Hmm, our territory. I got the impression he was being territorial with me too.

“Absolutely. You’re my mate.”His voice was growly and protective, and I liked it.

The two rose together and came to me, hugging me in turn.

Antoine let loose a warning growl, which they ignored.

“Stop being so jealous,”I teased.

“Good to see you up and about. Poor Antoine has been going crazy. But you handled yourself pretty well out there.” Luca grinned.

“Thanks. Good to meet you guys. And thanks for saving us.”

“No problem. Antoine has saved our asses many times.” Salvatore smiled. “Now we know you’re okay and Antoine isn’t going to freak out anymore, we’ll be leaving. See you soon.”

After hugging Jeanie, they headed outside.

“So,” I said when the four of us sat at the kitchen table. “They’re twins, right?”

Antoine nodded.

“And when they mate, it’s with one woman.”

He nodded again.

“Wow,” I whispered. “Lucky lady.”

“Hey,” Antoine protested.

I grinned and kissed his cheek. “Don’t be jealous. I honestly only have eyes for you.”

He placed a dominating kiss on my lips. Yeah, he was jealous.

Jeanie and Mac headed out to their annexe, but not before she fussed over me and checked me over one final time until I assured her that I was okay. It was as if she had to see for herself that I was fine. In the end, Mac had to usher her from the house.

I stared after them, a smile of real affection on my lips. I made a mental note to thank her for the clothes when I saw her next. A sigh came from me, and then the events of earlier that day hit me like a freight train.

Antoine was playing with my hair and stopped when he sensed the shift in my mood.

“Wanna talk about it?”

“I didn’t realise how close I came to death, once more, today. That demon. God, when I saw it and it taunted me, all I felt was anger. The need to kill it overrode all my other emotions. My fangs and claws... Hell, Antoine. They appeared so naturally. It was like a killer instinct inside me had been unleashed.” I shuddered.

“It’s because part of you realised you were in danger of losing your life. Your body’s survival instincts kicked in. It still scared me when I saw how it clawed at you.”

“I was more afraid for you.”

Standing up, I walked to the kitchen sink and stared out over the woodland behind our home.

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