Cole was the last of the unmated dragons. He was pretty sure one of the injured twins Rylie and Ryan, was his mate, but which one it was, was a mystery. Identical, they were both beautiful beyond compare, but their injuries ran deep. He would make sure they were both healed and protected, but some things could only be healed by love. Trust had to be earned, and trust was the one thing his new mate was having the most trouble with.
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PAPERBACK
18+ Erotic Shapeshifter Romance, fantasy romance, paranormal fantasy
Kelly Dalton was packed and ready to go on the trip of a lifetime. She was excited to spend a month in Europe sightseeing. Her budget would be tight, and she’d have to make the trip alone because her sister drained her checking account, but despite the lack of funds, Kelly was ready for the new adventure—anything to get away from her family.
Devon Wakefield was the tenth Marquess to the house of Wilkshire and a dragon shifter. Since the death of his father, he had been lord of the castle since he was ten. His life lacked only one thing—a mate—but he was in no hurry to find one.
Kelly was sorry to see her vacation end. One more stroll around the beautiful countryside then she’d have to go back home—to what she didn’t know. Her sister, Rachel, was so angry that Kelly didn’t pay for her trip that she set fire to Kelly’s apartment. There was nothing really to go back to, but she’d deal with that when she returned. In the meantime, she would enjoy her last couple of days in England. However, Kelly was unprepared for the sudden rain shower, and in the rushing water she lost her footing. Everything went black…
Distraught because Kelly was missing, the innkeeper called Devon to find her. When Devon found the injured young woman, he realized that he’d found his mate, and in an effort to ease her recovery he wanted to do something nice for her—he brought her family to England….
Noah Farley had been living in the States for a long time, and he was homesick. When Devon invited him to come home for a visit, he packed up everything he had and wasn’t planning on returning to his home in the city anytime soon, if ever. His dragon needed room to roam, and the city left his options too limited.
Bea Frost had made the buy of a lifetime, a castle in the country, and she made plans with her granddaughter Bryce, and daughter-in-law Laura, to move into it. Both Bea and Bryce were witches, and moving away from their current location, away from the Witches Council, would be like a breath of fresh air.
Noah’s family had lost the castle to back taxes before they had died. Its loss didn’t leave him much to go home to, but he was curious as to who had purchased the property. When he met Bryce, he was both surprised and pleased to find out that she was his mate. Bryce, however, didn’t care for dragons and wasn’t shy about letting him know that either.
The Witches Council consisted of three warlocks, Black, White, and Gray. When appointed, the mix was supposed to balance them out, but instead the men had become evil and corrupt. Bryce had become too powerful, more powerful than the council combined, and the WC considered her a threat. Killing her human mother or new mate would be just the ticket to bring her to heal…
House of Wilkshire Series1.Devon2.Noah3.Jackson 4.Connor (Coming 8/5/19)5.Matthew (Coming Soon)6. Cole (Coming Soon)Jackson William hadn’t seen his father in centuries. Now his father was dead, he was now king, and the dragon council wanted to hold him responsible for his father’s crimes? And there had been many. The truth would be his salvation. Nicole needed a job. A job that would put a roof over her head as well. She hadn’t had a decent meal in a week. But the ad didn’t say there were fairies and witches. Where there were faeries, there were dragons and Nicole was petrified of them. And with good reason. The poison from the dragon bites flowing through Nicole’s veins left her weak and in a lot of pain. She was a mere human, and her body’s inability to heal from the bites left her vulnerable to new dragon attacks. Now this dragon, Jackson, was claiming to be her mate? Would this nightmare never end?
Connor James was having a blast remodeling the old mansion, but he didn’t care for curtains, and his friends’ mates were giving him hell for it. Connor loved every minute of it.
Since acquiring the mansion, Connor was having a time dealing with the ghosts remaining in the home. He was able to see and speak with spirits and made it so anyone who entered his home could do so as well.
Roxanna Hornsby, also known as Rocky, was alone in the world and living in near poverty. Dealing with the dead was her burden to bear and she wasn’t known for being pleasant about it.
Roxanna knew some of her magical heritage, but most of the memory had been blocked from her to keep her safe. And when her grandmother came to her in her dream, the memories came flooding back. Roxanna was so much more than any of them thought.
Matthew St. James was the Earl of Green Gables, and Lord of Lilac Castle. A dragon of great title and magic, but little wealth. Only one other knew what his true dragon was, and Devon, King of the Dragons, wasn’t telling anyone.
Aisling was a rare white warrior dragon. She had been in slumber several hundred years, healing from a near-fatal blow in a great war. She felt betrayed when, Dak, her personal faerie, had been sharing information about her with Lord Connor. Now, she had to go talk to him to determine what kind of payment he would extract from her for his protection while she slept. She had no coin. Not knowing what type of payment he would demand from her had her heart twisted in torment.
Aisling didn’t trust anyone. Too many had betrayed her. And when she refused to speak with the king, Devon ordered her to go to his castle. He would make her listen to reason.
Matt arrived at the castle before Devon, but what he wasn’t expecting to find was his mate. And because of his title, he couldn’t get her to rise from groveling on the ground at his feet to even talk to her. When his dragon realized his mate was in front of him, the Earth dragon bypassed the man and bonded with the white dragon. The joining was both painful and spectacular. In pain, Aisling’s dragon, no longer white, took flight.
When Matt finally found her, Aisling was no longer timid. She was mad as hell and out for blood.
Cole was the last of the unmated dragons. He was pretty sure one of the injured twins Rylie and Ryan, was his mate, but which one it was, was a mystery. Identical, they were both beautiful beyond compare, but their injuries ran deep. He would make sure they were both healed and protected, but some things could only be healed by love. Trust had to be earned, and trust was the one thing his new mate was having the most trouble with.
House of Wilkshire Series
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6. Cole
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Cole had an idea of why he was sent on this trip. It was two women, and he was going to figure out which one was his mate. Or whether or not either one of them was. He wasn’t making any predictions on this. If one of them were, then that would be all right with him. Either way, really, Cole didn’t care. Well, he did care, he supposed. Having a mate like the others would be a good thing. Not so much for him, but for whoever she was. The others would eat her alive if she was faint of heart. Laughing to himself as the plane landed on the tarmac, he wondered if any woman would be considered faint of heart. They all, as far as he could see, werebears when it came to fighting for something they believed in. “Are you ready for this?” Noah had come along with him on this trip in the event they had any trouble. Cole was glad for the company but other than having witchy powers, he wasn’t sure what sort of trouble he could get into that his dragon couldn’t handle. “The faeries we brought with us are going to fix the back of the plane up for the one that is hurt.” “Ryan. Why do you suppose someone would call their daughter Ryan?” Noah told him what he knew. “So her name is Ryland. You do know that isn’t that much better for a girl’s name. Unless, of course, their father was named that.” “To be honest, I don’t think anyone mentioned their names. Their parents, I mean. They’re both gone, I guess. Killed in an automobile accident not long ago.
I don’t know what they do for a living, but Bryce told me that they were having trouble that the kids were left to deal with. I’m to look into why they didn’t sue the drunk driver.” Cole knew that, as well. Hopefully, he’d be able to figure it out while they were here. He didn’t care for long plane rides when he could be flying as his dragon. “I just heard from Bryce. The brother is there with them. She said to bring him along too, but if we can help it, not to bring the wife. I guess she’s a nightmare.” “Of course she is.” They were told they could disembark now, and both of them got off the plane. “We’re ahead of schedule. Would you like to get something to eat first? I’m starving. I missed dinner last night.” “Yes, I could eat. However, you’re going to be the one to tell Kelly that we’ve not checked on her friends yet. When we boarded last night, she was telling me that they’ve had a really rough time of life. They not only lost their parents in an accident that took both their lives, but I guess some bills were left unpaid by them.” Cole asked him if he thought they would win a suit against the driver. “I’d say that is a good possibility. I do know that the hospital bill for Ryan is being paid by the city.” Cole decided he’d grab something to eat at the airport. There were all kinds of places to eat, so he just got something from each of them that were open this time of the morning. He was munching down on the last breakfast sandwich when they pulled up in front of the hospital. Noah handed him a mint as they were let out of the limo. “What are the chances, do you suppose, that this is going to go as easily as we hope?” Cole told Noah he didn’t think it was going to go easily at all. “Yes, me either.
There is just too much to go wrong. I mean, from what Bryce told me, Ryan’s leg is not just broken but has some pretty deep bruising too. And some all over her body. The police that were at the bank just stood there and watched while he used a bat on her. Good thing he’s dead. I think Kelly would have come here to end his breathing capabilities.” The hospital was busy, and Cole tried his best not to make eye contact with anyone. He didn’t know why he did that when there were crowds of people around. He’d been doing it for so long now that he didn’t even think about it much. Hearing someone screaming startled his dragon, but they made it to the elevator without anyone noticing them. The floor the women were on was also busy, mostly with staff. Cole noticed that one of the rooms was being guarded, and he figured that was where they were. Instead of having to show them their identification, or anything for that matter, Noah told them they needed to take a break, and both of them left the door. That, Cole thought, was a very handy trick of magic. Entering the room after a short knock, they found two people in the room with a doctor. The woman was sobbing. The man, easily related to the crying woman, was holding her hand. The doctor looked at them when he cleared his throat. “I’m sorry. This is a private room.” Noah told him to go on speaking. The doctor looked confused for a second but then turned back to the two people. “As I was saying, Rylie, there was more damage done to your sister’s leg than we first thought. The bruising is going to take time to heal, but we’re going to have to go in and put braces around her fibula bone to ensure that it’s strong enough to even hold her weight. Then there is—”
“Stop.” The three people in the room just froze. Noah looked at Cole. “I can heal the woman if she’s not your mate. However, if they do it, there won’t be any healing her. With the metal in her body, she’ll have trouble for the rest of her life. Can you see if this sister is your mate? That way, we can go and find Ryan and see what we can do to help her along.” “You mean I’m going to go down the hall or wherever and sniff out the women on this floor to see if anyone fits the bill to be my mate. That’s ludicrous—you know that, don’t you? There isn’t any way that is going to work.” “Just sniff her so we can get on with what we came here for.” Cole walked over to the woman and leaned his head into her throat. He had a good mind to tell Noah he didn’t smell anything, but he stood up. Then he sniffed the man. “What is it? The guy? He’s your mate?” “No.” He leaned into both their throats again. “This one is very sick. I’d say she knows it too. Cancer, if I don’t miss my bet. The man here, I’m assuming he’s the brother, is also in pain. However, it’s not an illness with him, but he’s been hurt badly. To be honest with you, Noah, that’s all I can smell on either of them. Their pain.” “We need to find the sister. I don’t know anything more than that we’re supposed to bring them back with us. Kelly said to bring them all back healthy if we could. The only way to achieve that is to heal all three of them. Tell me what you know about Dillon.”
Cole moved his hand along his ribs and then the rest of his body. He looked at Noah. “Well? Is it bad?” “Yes. Can I not tell you right now?” He asked him if he would heal. “Yes and no. I can heal him, but he’s not going to be able to father children. Not after what was done to him.” “A doctor?” Cole only shook his head. “Christ. Don’t do anything for him right now. Perhaps someone has an idea about what we can do for this guy. Wait. You go and find the sister. I’m assuming she’s being prepped for surgery again. Try that. I’ll take care of the sister here.” “All right.” He started for the door, his heartbreaking for this family. Even if he wasn’t going to be mated into the family, he was going to do everything in his power to make sure they were healed, happy, and healthy. “I’m thinking that once she’s healed, we can get out of here. Also, be on the lookout for a woman named Sandra. Don’t let her anywhere near any of them if she shows up.” Walking down the hall, he found that he was on the wrong floor for the surgery ward. Taking the stairs up, hating elevators more than ever today, he was on the right floor when he realized he hadn’t thought about guards being up here. Telling Noah that he might be in trouble here, the two men there just simply walked away. He went into the room when he heard someone talking loudly. “What the fuck do you mean, it’s going to be a lot longer than you first told me about being under? Do you have any idea how that makes a person feel to wake up feeling like they’ve been on a fifty-day drunk? Why can’t you just, I don’t know, numb it and do it that way?”
The man standing by the gurney just sputtered about pain and manageability. “You took my gun away from me, or so help me, I’d show you what pain is like. Where is the fucking doctor?” “Perhaps I can help you.” Everyone in the room turned and looked at him. “I was sent here by her doctor to tell you that the surgery wasn’t necessary.” “Who the fuck are you?” She could only be the sister to the two downstairs. Identical twins always gave him the willies. Cole didn’t know why—they were just people—but this woman and the one downstairs were a perfect match. “Are you deaf? Who the hell sent you in here? They’re supposed to be prepping me for the big cut up. They’re going to slice open my leg from thigh to toes. Do you believe that shit?” “I can make it so that is not necessary.” He moved closer to the bed she was on. Looking around, he noticed that the two nurses were leaving, but the man, he thought he might be the anesthesiologist, was still standing there. “I was sent here by Kelly. My friend, Noah, he’s downstairs with your sister and brother. Did you know they were both hurting?” “What did you do to them?” He just stared at her. “Look, buddy. I don’t fucking want to be here. I have shit going on that you’d not believe. My parents just died, I had to fucking kill a man yesterday, and now they’re telling me I may not be able to walk without the assistance of a walker. That fucking sucks if you ask me.” “It does. But I’m afraid it’s much worse than even they know. I can see your wounds, you see. They’re going to cut you open, then they’re going to see that not only is your fibula broken in two, but it’s cracked in several places.
Enough so that you’ll need to have the bone replaced by metal rods. That I can’t fix. I can fix broken, even shattered, but I can’t put things back after they’ve been removed.” Ryan stared at him. She didn’t ask him questions, like how did he know, or how could he see her wounds. Nor did she ask him how he could fix her. Instead, he watched her as she stared around the room and then at her leg. Cole didn’t move closer. He waited for her to come to terms with whatever she was thinking. “You said my sister and brother are in pain. Can you fix that as well?” He told her that Noah, his friend, was doing that now. “Dillon was telling us before I was brought here that he is getting a divorce. Is it Sandra that hurt him?” “Yes. I can tell you how if you wish.” She said, not just yet. “All right. Your sister is a little more tricky. She has cancer on the brain, as well as in her bloodstream. I don’t believe she had much more than a few weeks, less than a month to live. I’m sorry about that. But as I said, Noah is fixing her.” “Thank you.” She looked at him. “There are about fifty things going on in my mind at the moment. Nothing that I can say out loud without going into hysterics. And while you don’t know me at all, I can assure you that it’s not something I want to happen to me. I hate drama too.” “Good to know. I would very much like to heal you, Ryan. Also, before I get too close to you, I would also like to rule out whether or not you’re my mate.” She asked him what that would entail. “Just a smell of your neck. I might not be able to. I couldn’t smell anything on your sister but her cancer. She smells of chemicals as well. If you are my mate or your sister is, there will be perks that all three of you will get. Immortality, for one thing. Never getting sick or hurt either.”
“Are you setting me up for something scary? I don’t scare easily. Rarely, as a matter of fact. I, for now at least, don’t want to know what you are. I have a feeling you’re not the run of the mill shifter.” He told her he wasn’t. “So, how does it work with you healing me? I’m assuming that either way, mate or not, you have plans to make it so that I won’t have to walk with a cane for the rest of my life?” “No. You won’t. What it entails is that I give you a few drops of my blood. It won’t hurt you—it will enhance you. However, I have no idea in what way. You see, there are six of us, all with mates except me. When they found their mates, things were shared with all of them.” She asked if Kelly was enhanced. “She is. Very much so.” Ryan laid back and stared at him. He didn’t squirm. There was a lot going on, and he was sure she had questions. But instead of voicing them, she told him something he’d bet few knew about her. “I’m afraid. Not just of you. However, I am enough to wonder what I might be getting myself into, also of what will happen if I allow you to heal me. There will be a connection, even should we not be mates. Correct?” He nodded. “I thought so. I want to be able to walk, so please, do what you have to do to heal me. However, don’t tell me yet if you’re my mate or not. I’m sure you’ll know, right?” “Yes. As soon as I touch you.” He didn’t move forward. He was waiting for her to tell him it would be all right. While he was waiting, he heard from Noah.
We’re all finished down here. Dillon is…the poor guy. Anyway, now that they’re both up and about, they’re packing up Ryan’s things. Also, I need to make sure you know this—Sandra is in jail right now. I think we should be long gone before she’s released. Is she your mate? He told him she was working up to allowing him to heal her. Yes. Rylie said she never jumps in with both feet. I’ve told her nothing other than that she’s healed. Also, I made sure she knows to talk to Ryan. I’ve told her they’re both ill and that her sister has cancer. Noah thanked him. I’m waiting for her to decide what she wants to do. I’m not rushing her. However, just so you know, I don’t think I could even if I wanted. What about paperwork and such? Is that taken care of too? Since it was in the paper, I’m only saying that Ryan has been released. There won’t be any way to trace her once she leaves with us. Cole told Ryan what he and Noah were talking about. I’m calling for a ride to the airport. If you could at least get on with something there, we can be on our way. “If you could heal me, then I’m ready. As I said, don’t tell me the mate thing just yet. I need to think.” After taking the final steps toward her, Cole let his finger morph into a sharp claw and cut into his finger. “I’m thankful for you taking your time with me, but don’t get used to it. I’m not easy.” “I never thought you would be.” As soon as Ryan opened her mouth, he let several drops touch her tongue. He could tell it was working as soon as she moaned. Stepping back from her, he watched it go through her system. In minutes, they were both on their way to the elevator that would take them to the lower floors and to the car. Cole didn’t bother with sniffing her. He knew all he needed to know as soon as he helped her from the bed. ~*~ Rylie hadn’t ever flown before. However, she had a feeling that flying in this plane was nothing like anything she’d ever fly in going commercial.
The luxury in this sucker was nicer than any home she’d ever been in. Glancing at her brother, she wondered what he was thinking right now. “You should know that I can feel your questions without you voicing them. Let it go, Rylie. I don’t want to talk about it right now.” She asked him if he’d ever be able to talk about it. “I don’t know. I’m no longer hurting, and there isn’t any reason for you to question me about it. Besides, having you know that I was hurt is bad enough.” “Can you at least tell me if Sandra is going to follow us?” He said not if he could help it. “Are you really going to divorce her?” “I’ve already started the process.” Dillon looked over at her. “I don’t want to hear you say you told me so either.” “I’ll fucking say it.” They both looked at Ryan, who was sitting in the recliner with her leg up and resting. “I told you not to marry her. She’s a fucking cunt. What was the straw that broke your back, Dillion? I think we should at least be privy to that much.” “If I tell you, will you fucking leave it alone?” Dillon rarely cursed. So when he did, it was funny to her. “I’m serious when I tell you that you’re driving me crazy right now.”
“I’ll try to leave it alone, Dillon. But you should cut us some slack. If we didn’t care, you’d be pissed about that as well.” He said they never gave him a chance at that. “Fuck off. Tell us.” “This was just the start of things falling apart. Well, not the start, but what got me thinking I’m finished with her. When we got back home after the funeral, I was unpacking some of my things. I knew I was going to have to go back to help clear out our parents’ home, so I left the things in there that I didn’t need right away. But I found so much more.” Dillon bowed his head as if he were ashamed of something. “She’d been taking things from Mom and Dad’s home and putting them in our luggage. The framed picture that you couldn’t find of their wedding day? It was there too. Along with all the silverware that we couldn’t find, and some of Mom’s jewelry.” “Why, that fucking bitch. Did she tell you why she’d done it?” Dillon nodded at Ryan and told them. “What does that mean, she wasn’t going to have you lose out? Lose out of what? Their bills? I don’t want to sell any of the treasures, but divide it up between the three of us before we sell the rest. Her deciding to take those things made us all think that Mom and Dad had sold them off for cash. Now we know where they’d gone. What else did she take?” “Two insurance policies that I have with me. There are some smaller items that I’ve also brought back. Some of their medications as well.”
Ryan asked him what he’d said to her. “I never got the chance. She…well, Sandra was pissed off about me saying I was bringing it back with me and attacked me. Then later, when I was asleep, she put me in the hospital. I’ve only just gotten out when Rylie called to say you were hurt. I took that opportunity to get away and hide out for a little while.” “Do you think she’ll follow you to Kelly’s home? I have to tell you, there won’t be a better place to be safe than where we are headed.” Rylie asked Cole why he thought that. With a glance at Ryan, he told her that it just was. “Not to mention, there are things you’re going to find out when you get there that are going to be difficult to believe. Trust me when I tell you, we will not ever lie to you about things.” “That’s a bold statement.” Rylie knew that everyone lied. She didn’t want either of these men telling them things that were simply untrue. “This trip, Kelly said she hoped that we’d stay. I’m assuming you all have money. Am I correct on that?” “You are.” If he was going to say anything more, his phone interrupted him, and he stood up to answer it. When he came back, he laid the phone on the table between them. “Kelly, you’re on speakerphone now. Introduce the others to the people here.” “I’m Kelly, as you know. Here with me is Bryce, Nicole, Aisling, and… You know what, it doesn’t matter. I’ll just have them say who they are when they speak. I wanted to tell you a few things that you’re not going to be happy about. Not that I care how unhappy you are with me; I love the three of you very much and want only the best for you.” Ryan asked her what she’d done. “The bills your parents had are all paid off as of this morning. In addition to that, so is their funeral, as well as the cemetery plot they were buried in. Just so you know, that idiot at the funeral home is on my shit list. The house has the taxes caught up as well. My husband—he’s a great guy, by the way—is looking into the accident to see why no one suggested that you sue the driver’s insurance company.
Unless, of course, you can tell me.” “I actually wondered that as well. We’ve been looking for an attorney that wouldn’t take payment unless we won. It was pretty obvious that the driver ran the stop sign and hit them broadside.” Kelly asked Ryan if she was aware that he was also stoned. “No. Drunk is all we were told. Our mom died on impact, and we were making funeral arrangements for her when Dad took a bad turn. We think it was because someone told him that Mom had died. Three days later, Dad passed away too. Not that his injuries weren’t bad, but he might well have pulled through if he’d had it in his heart to do so.” “Devon, my husband, said he’ll work with you on this.” Ryan started to make a no doubt rude comment, but Rylie told her to hush. “I think you’ve just saved me a tongue lashing, Rylie. I so missed you guys.” “I’ve also some news on Sandra Cord. Christ, she’s a nightmare.” The woman speaking said that she was Bryce and was sorry. “I mean, you’re going to divorce her, Dillon, so I’m assuming you know what sort of person she is.” “I do now. It’s taken so many things going on to make me realize how right my sisters were in telling me not to marry her.” Dillon laughed a little. “I’m assuming she’s not all that thrilled about being in jail. The police officers that arrested her told me they’d never heard some of the words she’d strung together about me. What is it you found out?”
“Before I get to that, I want you to know that I’ve changed all the locks on your house and put someone there to keep an eye on it—also your home, Rylie. The only place I could find for you, Ryan, is an apartment you’ve not lived in for some time. I can have your place watched too if you want.” Ryan told her she’d just sold her home before Mom and Dad had died. She’d been doing hotels since then. “All right. That explains a great deal. About Sandra. She’s got herself an attorney. Her parents are paying for it. I don’t know if you’re aware of this or not, but they’re as loony as she is.” “I thought they were both dead.” Dillon looked at Ryan and her. “I had no idea that they were still alive. Sandra told me they had died when she was younger.” “They’re both alive and kicking. Also, she has a brother that isn’t anything like the others. A nice guy by all accounts. Stays away from the other three as much as he can. But back to Sandra. The attorney she has is going to find out that you’re not one to fuck with, Dillon. At least since you became a part of this family.” He asked why he was part of her family. “Once you were healed, as well as the others, you became a part of all of us. There will be more details when you arrive, but you’re not going to have to worry about Sandra winning the suit she’s bringing up toward you. She said that her little slice and dice of your nut sack is something that you did. Blaming her was just, and I’m quoting here, ‘something that that dyke of a sister Ryan would have made you do.’ Also, your wife thinks you’re dumber than the dogs across the street. Which after looking into them, I can attest that they’re nothing you want to be compared to in this.” No one said anything more about Dillon’s wound, but Rylie had to wonder why Sandra would do such a thing to him. Rylie realized that another one of the women was talking. Paying attention to what was going on around her, she was sorry she’d missed it.
“I know that. Don’t you think I’d be fucking aware that the president was looking for me? Christ, is there nothing you don’t look into?” Ryan was all riled up again, and Rylie wondered who had done it this time. “He said that once I come back, he’s going to talk me into taking the job. I am not now, nor have I ever considered being, in charge of a bunch of overpaid testosterone-filled assholes. Even the women, and there a lot of them, are on the take. I’m not going to mess with them. Fuck them. He made the mess. Let him fucking figure it out on his own.” “Oh, we’re going to get along just fine, I think.” Whoever was talking was laughing as she continued. “All right, people. Get some rest, and we’ll talk when you arrive. Cole, if you’d pick up the phone now, I have a few things I need to tell you before you arrive.” When he picked up the phone and walked away, Rylie looked at her sister. She was glaring at no one in particular. Wondering what she was so upset about, she asked her to explain. Rylie didn’t think she’d answer her, but when she finally did, she was just as shocked as she was to hear that the president’s personal phone number was in Ryan’s phone. “One of us could be the mate to Cole.” Rylie looked at the handsome man, then back at her sister.
“I don’t want to know right now. I have so much shit going on that having to deal with something more is going to make my head explode.” “What if I want to know?” Ryan nodded her head toward the man. “You ask him. Whatever happens, Ryan, at least we’ll all be safe for a while. At least until we go back home. Is that what you’re thinking? That you’ll deal with it when you get home? You know as well as I do that it doesn’t work like that. You know what we were told about shifters and mates.” “Don’t you get it, Rylie? He’s going to be into all of our lives. More than they are now.” Rylie thought about that. Then she told her sister that so far, their being in their lives was working out pretty good. “Don’t be an ass. Besides, I’m sure it’s you. I mean, it would be great for you to have a nice handsome man that would be able to take care of you.” “You don’t want the same for yourself?” She shook her head. “Why not? I mean, it might be nice to be pampered by someone for a change. Not that it matters, but they seem to have more money than sense.” She looked at Cole as he closed his phone. Having someone like him to wake up to daily would be nice, she thought. But the more she sat there thinking about it, all the things that she’d heard about mates, she decided it wasn’t worth it. Having a man around would be nice some of the time. But someone around all the time? Well, she wasn’t cut out for sharing her things any more than her sister was. No, it might be better off if neither of them knew who he might be mated to.