Christian
I know I have to be polite and speak to these girls, but I'm definitely not in the mood. I can't believe my mother put me in this situation without any regard to how I feel. Downing the rest of my drink, I leave it on the dining room table and follow her back to the kitchen where the girls are still sitting.
"Sorry about that girls. Communication was lost and I worried my son. Everything is okay now. Anyway, this is my son, Christian. Christian, this is Kate Kavanagh and Anastasia Steele."
The blonde, Kate, gives me a cheery wave. She looks a lot like her mother. I know this family. "Kathleen and Eamon's daughter."
She gives me a nod. "Yes, that's right. I know you've collaborated with my father at Kavanagh Media. Nice to finally meet you." She looks delighted that I'm aware of her, but it's something I see often with women. They are always looking for any type of attention they can get and it's exhausting. I don't have time for that shit.
Swallowing, I force myself to look at Anastasia. "Nice to meet you, too, Ms. Steele."
She doesn't look delighted, though. She looks worried. There's a frown on her face and the little lines between her eyebrows make my heart ache for some reason. "Are you sure everything is okay?"
I cock my head to the side, looking into those beautiful eyes. How interesting. She's more worried about my feelings than the attention I'm giving her. I'm annoyed that I'm so enchanted by this.
I give her a soft grin. "Everything is fine. I might have had a small coronary, but I lived."
It causes her to giggle and my body lights up. Jesus fucking Christ, she's perfect. My grin widens as I watch the delight in her eyes.
"That's good, Christian. Glad I didn't need to help bury a body on my first trip to Mia's house."
"First impressions are key."
She shakes her head at me and bites her bottom lip, her straight teeth pressing into the pink softness of it. Stop it. She has no idea what the fuck she's doing to me. This is going to be harder than anything I've ever done before. I don't appreciate this lack of control I have with her. It isn't a secret that I have control issues and this girl, who just turned eighteen just eight months ago, is blasting apart every ounce of control I have. She's barely a god-damned adult.
"Alright, boys. Out of the kitchen. Let these girls study for their finals while I finish dinner."
We're shoo'd out of the kitchen and we both have a seat in the dining room, facing the door so we can sneak peeks toward the girls. I keep eyeing Elliot, who is really quiet. My brother is never this stoic. He seems off in la-la land while he stares into the other room.
I'm getting pissed about it.
"Stop staring." I say it quietly so we can't be overheard.
He leans back in his chair with a sigh and kicks his feet out in front of him under the table. "You act like she's just another girl."
I roll my eyes. "She's definitely not that. But, you're going to freak her out. Who wants some creepy old man staring at them all the time. You look like a fucking pedo."
He grunts at me. "Shut your mouth, bro. I've been waiting for a damn long time for a mate and it isn't my fault that fate waited so long. I didn't go looking for a damn teenager to hook up with. Besides, no touching until she's twenty-one remember?"
"Yea, I remember." I can't touch her at all. Not when he wants to touch her, too. I won't be just one of many like I already am with my contracts.
"I know I've waited so damn long for a mate, but fuck, these next two years are going to be the longest. fucking. years. How the hell do we do this?" He raises his glass to his lips and takes a glance back at her. I can't help, but look back at her form either. She collects her long brunette hair to the side of her shoulder and tilts her head as she reads. It gives us a perfect view of the back of her neck. The skin looks so soft and there is a small mole behind her ear that I find myself wanting to press my lips to. "Fuck, she's gorgeous."
I rub my eyes and groan. "Yea, she is. Damn it. We just have to treat her like a friend of Mia's, like a friend of ours. We need her to trust us so that when she does find out, we aren't complete strangers."
"Are you seriously still thinking about denying fate?"
I take a sip of my drink and hold it under my tongue while I think. The thought of sharing her still makes me sick to my stomach. It could tear our relationship as brothers apart. "I can't share." I look at him and he stares at me for a second.
"Yea, sure. Whatever, man."
Elliot
Christian thinks he can just go about his life without his mate, but I can see him struggling already. I'm sure he's hoping that once the newness wears off and he gets used to her, it'll be easier, but I bet it only makes it harder. The more she shows herself to us, the more we'll love her. I love her so much already. I would bind myself to her this instant if I could. But she's not ready, yet. She's still too young, too immature, to unsure of the world. I'll make sure she stays protected and comfortable as she does it though. I'll become her friend, do the best I can to not be the creep that Christian claims I am being, and hope she doesn't fucking hate me when she finds out I've kept it from her for so long.
I'm thankful that Mia isn't aware of our bond. She could have fucked it up for all of us by spewing our secrets. But, I'm sure she's going to be really confused with us wanting to have relationships with her friends. I know I'm going to have to be friendly with Kate, too, so it doesn't look too suspicious, but I worry Kate is the type of girl that will take it the wrong way.
I try to pay attention while Mom grills Kate about her family, but I'm finding it hard to concentrate on anything that is going on outside my head while I try to keep myself in check. Anastasia... well, Ana, is sitting across from the two of us and her smell and energy is testing my self-control. I can feel the energy. It almost vibrates between us.
"I was so nervous about my first college class, but as soon as I got there, this bubbly brunette popped up right beside me and linked her arm in mine, saying we were going to be friends." Kate laughs. "She yanked me toward the middle of the room and plopped me down next to a girl who was already nose deep in our Biology book and had a seat on the other side of her. Ana was completely surprised by our arrival. I had to apologize for Mia's antics before I even knew her name."
I hear my girl giggle and look up so I can catch the sparkle in her eye. "I told myself that I would keep to myself and make my studies my number one priority, but these two had other ideas." Ana hooks a thumb toward both her friends, who are still flanking her.
"You're too serious, Ana-banana. You need some fun in your life." Mia knocks her elbow against hers.
"And you need some studying in your life." Ana comments back wrinkling her nose at my sister.
"See! We even each other out. I'm outgoing, Kate is fashionable, and your responsible. We're Rachel, Monica, and Phoebe."
"Oh, yay." Ana deadpans. "I love being known as the responsible one."
Kate snorts. "Better than the spoiled Daddy's girl who has a spending problem."
"Well, not everyone can be a Phoebe." Mia tosses her hair playfully, making all of us laugh. These girls are a mess, but they seem to compliment each other well. Hopefully that means they'll form lifelong friendships and it'll make my life a whole hell of a lot easier.
"So, Ana..." My mother starts, giving her a smile.
"Uh, oh. My turn now."
Mom gives her a wink. She's already asked Kate a bunch of questions, so now it's Ana's turn to be grilled. "You said your father died while your mother was pregnant. I'm sorry to hear that. Did you know anything about him?"
"Um, not much. I knew his name was Frank Lambert and he was a pretty stoic man. Mom said he didn't have many words, but people listened when he did speak."
"Lambert? So, your mother named you after herself?"
"She gave me my stepfather's name. He was in the service with my father. A marine. He took care of my mother after my birth father died and I guess they just fell in love. By the time I was born they were married and she even put him on my birth certificate." Ana smiles softly while she looks down at her plate half full of food.
"Oh, sounds like a good guy. Is he a good father?"
Ana frowns. "Was. He passed when I was seventeen with a brain aneurism. Mom was living with her fourth husband in Georgia by that time, but she flew back to take care of me and let me graduate with my class. I only had a few months left, so I was thankful she didn't pluck me away from my home. I didn't want to leave where I grew up. Where all of my memories of him were. I didn't want him erased. But, as soon as I graduated, she packed us up and I was forced to leave Monsanto. I hated Georgia. I didn't belong there."
"Not a Georgia peach, huh?" Kate asks.
Ana laughs. "Not at all. It's humid, it's sticky, there's bugs and swamps and sun that will kill anyone with my skin tone. As soon as I turned eighteen, I just felt a pull back to Washington. I had already enrolled in my first semester of college in Georgia, so I forced myself to complete my first semester there while living with my mom and her new husband, Bob, but I worked a full time job on top of doing my studies and I saved every cent I could so I could move back to Washington. It's where my heart is. Georgia has nothing. Dad had left his house to me in the will, but because I wasn't eighteen, my mother made me sell it. It was already paid off, so I wish I would have let it sit a little longer. If I would have known I would have had the pull to come back here, I would have waited. But, we did sell it at a good rate and Mom gave me the check from it, so I have a nice nest egg to be able to concentrate on my studies and still pay my rent each month. So, that's a blessing, I guess."
"I'm so sorry, Anastasia. You've had a lot of loss in your life." My mother looks so sad for the sweet girl at the table and to be honest, I'm sad, too.
"Do you have any siblings, Ana?" I ask, wanting to know if she has any sort of family.
Her eyes meet mine and she gives me a soft smile. Her eyes aren't sad, so that makes me feel better. "No, no siblings. It's just my mother and me. And her husband, of course, but he doesn't seem to want much to do with me." She laughs. "He deals with me when I'm around for Mom's sake, I think. But, he gives her all the attention she could ask for and makes her so happy, so I don't mind."
"Well, I'm glad I plucked you up, then, Ana! Now that you're here, you're one of us." Mia picks up her water goblet and cheers her.
I laugh. "I don't know if I'd wish that on anyone, Mia."
My sister rolls her eyes. "We're not that bad, Elliot. Just because our lineage is Lycan doesn't mean we bite."
"Lycan?" Kate laughs. "Like in werewolves?"
"Better than werewolves." Mia grins.
"What's the difference?"
Ana cocks her head to the side, intrigued. "Lycans are shape-shifters that can shift anytime they want. Werewolves can only do so during the full moon and they lose their sense of sanity when they turn. Lycans, on the other hand, keep their head and can communicate between each other when they turn. They're also said to be bigger, smarter, and stronger... but that's just folklore, isn't it? There hasn't been sightings or talk of Lycan shapeshifters in a hundred years."
"Wow. You're a nerd." Mia looks at Ana, surprised.
Ana blushes. "I had a thing with the paranormal in junior high. It was just a phase." She shrugs and takes a drink of her water, trying to hide her hot face.
Mother gives Mia a look. She doesn't look happy that Mia announces our Lycan lineage to people. It's not something many people talk about. Either they think you're crazy or they want to know more and it becomes an issue. "It's just talk, Ana. Nothing for you to worry about."
"It would be super neat, though." Kate comments. "The men in this family are gigantic, so you fit the part."
It makes us laugh.
"Enough of this werewolf talk." Mom waves her hand dismissively. "You three have more important things to worry about. Are you girls ready for your finals?"
The three girls across from us talk about school, but I find myself zoning out again. I find it interesting that Ana found herself pulled towards researching things like Lycans and werewolves. I wonder if it's a coincidence or if her force was pulling her to do so... just like it pulled her back to Washington. By the way she reacted to Mia's admission though, Anastasia has no idea of her background. I don't even know if her mother knows about it either. It's too soon to contact her mother to ask, but I know I'm going to have to before Anastasia receives our marks. Until then, I'll make sure that Ana feels comfortable, safe, and trusting with me. I want to become one of her good friends and get to know her the best I can. Hell, I want her to get to know me the best she can, too.