34

I rubbed Grayson's ribs as his wolf returned to the lake with me on his back. He trotted through the shallow water of the lake, pushing some rocks in front of him. His sun-gold fur was reflected in the water and the stones he pushed into the lake made it flicker on the water's surface.

I laid my head firmly back on his neck. The warmth it radiated from beneath me was the opposite of the wind rushing down my back. Warmth could feel so good.

I dropped an arm along his leg as he slowly waded through the water, bent down, and grabbed one of the rocks. I sat up and tried to make him jump across the water like he showed me.

He fell into the water with a loud pop and Grayson nudged his nose against another rock, larger and flatter than the one I had just tried to bounce. I put my hand in the water again for the stone, which he rolled in front of him with his snout.

But the second attempt also ended miserably. When we got to the porch, I slipped off his back and turned away. His things were lying on the steps and when I heard his bones break, my body twitched. i missed it so much

I looked over my shoulder to see how far along he was. No actually not. He was just pulling his shorts over his shapely butt. Oh man. I was so lucky. All wolves were well built, that was nothing new. It was in our nature and our constant movement. Still, the look I caught at his butt almost made me giggle.

What was I, sixteen? Pull yourself together. I turned as the boxers covered his butt and saw his well developed back muscles dancing under the moves. I was almost disappointed when he pulled his pants on and grabbed his shirt.

He turned around and it was so fast I blushed. Grayson walked up to me smiling and stroked my cheek affectionately. "I like looking at you too." He grinned and kissed my forehead.

His lips brushed hers a few times, traversing my temples, over my cheeks to my mouth. He paused for a moment and pulled away from me, growling.

He looked at the house and now I heard it too. A car pulled up. Grayson did nothing but wait.

"Who is that?" I asked interested.

"My brother."

"Trevor and Jade?" I cheered and was about to run when he stopped me.

"No, Wyatt." For some reason my heart started beating faster. I stopped instantly. Wyatt was the next alpha and I guessed he was wired similarly to his father.

"You have nothing to fear," Grayson grunted and put his arms around me again. He leaned down and the tip of his nose nuzzled my cheek playfully until it sank onto the back of my neck.

He took a few deep breaths as if smelling me for the first time and when he looked at me again his eyes were golden.

That was definitely something I could get used to. I had never seen golden eyes before except on him. I had heard it existed, but he was the only one I knew.

His lips dropped and for just a brief moment they brushed against my own a few times.

"He won't stay long," he whispered against her, rising to his full height.

"What's up?" I sensed that he was restless, like me.

"I do not know yet."

I couldn't explain why he was dissatisfied, except that he liked to be alone here and didn't receive visitors. I heard heavy footsteps in the gravel as they circled the house. It wasn't long before he appeared around the corner.

Wyatt Alaister, a textbook Alaister. He towered over my brother and even Grayson in stature and height. He had midnight black hair with midnight blue eyes that looked almost black.

He was wearing a long-sleeved black shirt. His broad back running into a narrow waist, long slender legs in his black jeans and black combat boots. Every muscle in his body tensed with his steps, as did those in his face. Everything about him was terrifying.

The way he walked towards us was uncanny. This wasn't a courtesy call, and when Grayson stepped in front of me, I knew he felt the same way. Nevertheless, I stepped confidently next to him. The only result was that his right arm wrapped around my stomach and he pushed me behind his back.

I took a step to the side and he was in front of me again. As stubborn as he was, he probably would have played the game forever. I patted his shoulder in frustration, which he acknowledged with a small laugh.

"I don't know what's so amusing," thundered Wyatt's voice so loud it rang across the lake and could be heard hundreds of yards away. It may even trigger waves on the water surface.

Grayson, on the other hand, remained calm. His body only responded with a few long breaths as I wriggled behind him. I rested my head against his left arm curiously. But he too darted behind him and with a step to the left I saw nothing.

"Who is that? More guests?" Wyatt's voice thundered through the silence again. I practically froze behind Grayson. I put my hands on his shoulder blades and felt them tense.

Now I realized that his brother didn't know about me before and that this could be dangerous. I bit my lip and waited a few seconds. Grayson's muscles twitched under my palms, actually seeming to grow under his tension.

"What do you want Wyatt?" Grayson asked more calmly than I thought possible.

"You don't answer my calls," he growled at him.

"I have more important things to do."

"More important?" Wyatt's voice got even deeper and darker. "Did you read my messages at all?" he snapped.

"No," Grayson answered even more calmly.

"What's so important that you ignore me? That you ignore the concerns of the pack?" he cursed.

"You've been gone for months without a message," he continued to scold. "Now you're just coming back with Trevor and a fucking Lycan in your luggage. How are you going to explain that to me?" Wyatt was visibly upset.

He obviously didn't know anything. That was what spoke of his anger and I couldn't blame him. I still found it a little odd that he was treating him like that.

He was the smallest of the four brothers in hierarchy, but he spoke to him as he expected more of him than of the other two.

"Who is that?" Wyatt growled when Grayson didn't respond to his accusations.

"None of your business," Grayson replied, to my surprise. He was stubborn, but somehow it bothered me a little that he didn't introduce me as his mate.

"She isn't from our pack and I don't know about guests, neither do I know about the lycan and she isn't," Wyatt continued to growl.

"Right, brother," Grayson replied stubbornly.

"You've never brought a woman here, nor anyone other than who is that?" Oh, now I understand. Two stubborns. So it was about who got the bigger one.

I leaned my head against Grayson and chuckled to myself. Grayson responded with a pat on my hip, probably because I was supposed to be quiet.

It just made everything even weirder.

"Grayson," Wyatt growled.

"Just say what you want." Grayson just stayed stubborn.

"Send her away so we can talk."

"Will not happen."

"Grayson," he admonished, and I felt sorry for both of them. They would probably do this for hours.

"Tara Stone," I introduced myself, stepping out of Grayson's shadow only for him to quickly step back in front of me protectively. However, I didn't miss Wyatt's horrified look when I saw him for a second.

"A Stone?" Wyatt asked stunned and I heard him take a few steps away.

"A Stone?" I heard him murmur again, much quieter now. I looked around Grayson's shoulder again and what I saw now was unexpected.

Wyatt Alaister was very withdrawn, tearing his hair and rubbing the back of his neck over and over again. Eventually he turned to us and his gaze was much softer. It was the look I knew my brother would give when he was worried. A big brother's.

He nodded to Grayson and rubbed his chin without saying another word. Grayson spread his arm around me and pulled me to his side. No one said a word and then Wyatt finally stopped moving and turned to face us.

"Welcome to the family, Tara." He held out his hand for me and Grayson gave me a little nudge to take it. His hand was big and swallowed mine. However, she was also warm and his handshake gentle and inviting.

"A Stone, then," he murmured. "Why am I worried about this?" he asked Grayson.

"She is King Caspian's Erasthai," he replied dryly to his brother as if it were nothing.

"What are you going to do about it?"

"Your being a good mate," Grayson's gaze shifted from his brother to me. "That's all I have in mind," he whispered, and I gave him a grateful smile.

"I hope that's enough for you," Wyatt murmured. He was clearly somewhere else in his mind.

"What about the lycan?"

"Cyril? He's here to protect Tara," Grayson Wyatt replied.

"Before what?" Wyatt looked at him skeptically.

"Against a female lycan who sees her as competition." Grayson talked to Wyatt like about the weather.

"Competition? If she's his Erasthai, then there's only competition from you, Grayson," Wyatt snorted.

"How trustworthy is the Lycan?" Wyatt was clearly concerned.

"I can't tell," Grayson replied. Maybe I could help there, but I didn't want to interfere.

"We have another problem, which is why I'm here. Father is gone and I have to ask you to come with me."