A Twisted Rejection Read online

  Chapter Three

  Aiden

  I look through the darkness to the top of the tree at the brown-haired beauty that was just a bobcat. Her brown hair falls around her face, long enough to cover her breasts. She is so beautiful it almost takes my breath away. We are so lucky that this is the cave my brothers and I came across when searching for our sleeping quarters for the night. To think if we would have stayed at our last spot another night we might have missed this gorgeous woman. After walking all day, we were just about to collapse until I caught her scent. I made my way up to the entrance of the cave with a sudden burst of energy while my brothers followed close behind me. The men I call my brothers are not brothers by blood but by choice. As men rejected by their mates, we were no longer welcome in our sleuth. Our home.

  Dax is the meanest of our group, he has been alone the longest and when I was too ousted from my home, he allowed me to join him. I think he missed living within a family so that's why he tolerated me. It's also easier to hunt together. A few years later we were joined by Rowan, then Liam a day later. Rowan was preparing for his mating ceremony when his fated destroyed his world. She rejected the fates decision for her mate and had fallen pregnant by another man in the pack. A man that she had chosen to take in Rowan's place. Rowan fought the male and lost, his choice was to leave or be killed. The next day he was followed by his brother. His brother, Liam, had never met his fated mate but feared for his brother's safety so he too left the family. Rowan harbors a lot of guilt for ruining his brother's life although Liam seems content to just be in his company.

  I feel the urge to shift back into my human form so that I can speak with the woman. I bow my head and prepare to shift, feeling the burn rush through my body as my paws turn into hands and I shrink in size. I stretch my muscles and stand up unable to stop the grin that spreads across my face.

  "Hi up there! You are quite fast." I yell up to her and she flinches in surprise.

  She squints her eyes at me in suspicion, quirking her lips to the side. My grin grows as I smile widely up at her. I hear Rowan and Liam shift behind me and I glance back to look at them. They both stare up at her with the same look in their eyes. A look that I know must be painted across my face. A yearning desire. It seems this beauty has bewitched us all. I glance over at Dax and see that he is still in his bear form, so black that I would be unable to see him without my shifter vision. He continues to growl up at her which wrenches a snarl from me. Surprise crosses my face at the hostility I feel towards my brother. I feel a need deep within me to protect her and I see that Rowan and Liam glare at Dax for his outburst as well.

  "I didn't mean to trespass in your home. I didn't scent anything recent so I thought I would be safe there for the night." She speaks quietly, respectfully, but I can see the fire burning in her eyes. I know I am liable to get burnt but I don't seem to care.

  Liam steps forward, pushing his hair from his eyes as he looks up at her. "I am sorry we frightened you, kitty cat. We just wanted to find what smelled so delicious." He winks up at her with his trademark cocky smirk. Still arrogant, as he hasn't lived through being rejected as we all have.

  "Do you plan to eat me, bear?" She says with a growl.

  All three of us chuckle darkly as Liam murmurs "I wouldn't mind" under his breath. Desire flashing through his eyes.

  Her face turns instantly red as she reads his reaction and what she opened herself up for. My cock hardens and I fear that I will scare her if she sees my arousal over her as we all stand there naked. Nakedness is pretty common in the shifter world as clothes can't pop in and out of existence, if we shift with our clothes on they are shredded so you learn pretty fast to keep yourself calm lest you find yourself without any clothing left. She sees my hardness and it makes her blush deepen. I want more than anything to see that blush every day for the rest of my existence. I barely stifle a groan when she bites her lower lip. Holy shit, this woman is going to destroy me.

  "Come on down. Please. We will not harm you." I put my hand up, offering her help down if she would only come to me.

  "Not even Baloo?" She questions, referring to Dax as the bear from The Jungle Book. Liam, Rowan, and I burst into laughter clutching our sides. This earns us a small grin from her and she cautiously begins to come down. I try to give her privacy as she climbs down as I'm sure she doesn't want us staring at her bits, but I can't help the glances I catch of her breasts as she drops from one branch to another. Dax shakes his head and begins walking back, all four paws pounding the ground as his huge form disappears in the night. I know he won't go far but it hurts me that he feels the need to leave.

  She drops in front of us crouching down using her hands to brace her fall. She is catlike in her movements and I know she must be a thing to reckon with. I didn't buy her submissive act in the cave, she read the situation and knew that was the best way to catch us off our guard. When she stands to her full height, she shakes her hair out of her face, staring us down in her full glory.

  "I just want to get my stuff and I will leave. You don't have to worry about me sticking around." She turns her back to us and starts strutting back to the cave with her head held high. She turns to look back at us and quirks an eyebrow when she sees us all staring at her with our mouths slightly agape.

  Rowan reaches for her hand, grabbing it and pressing his lips to it. "Please don't be frightened. You don't have to leave. We will keep you safe."

  She pulls her hand from his grasp as she makes a noise of disgust. "I do not need protecting."

  She turns and starts walking away again only this time we follow her. I jog to get beside her and she glares at me.

  "What is your name?" I ask smiling at her.

  "Alana." She says, side-eyeing me.

  My grin widens. "I am Aiden. Those two are Liam and Rowan." Rowans smiles and waves awkwardly while Liam winks. "The black bear is Dax."

  "I like Baloo better." The sexiest grin crosses her face as she continues her walk towards the cave. I fear that she won't stay with us. That we won't be able to convince her that we are safe.

  "I am sure Dax will love his new nickname, kitty cat." Liam jibes, coming up to her other side and nudging her. She rolls her eyes and speeds up her pace. As she gets closer to the mouth of the cave I see Dax is no longer in bear form. He has thrown on some pants and is holding her pack out to her.

  "Here." He growls, shoving the pack into her arms. "Now you can leave."

  She snatches the pack out of his hands and slings it over her back. "Why should I be the one to leave? I was here first, Baloo."

  I laugh at the appearance of her sass. "She stays," I tell Dax and he frowns at me.

  "Then we leave." He eyes us expectantly but none of us make any moves to leave.

  "Its late Dax let's just stay here for the night. We can figure out where we are going tomorrow." I look at Alana to gauge her reaction. She only glares at Dax with a sneer on her lips. I feel the urge to reach out and place my thumb on her bottom lip. To kiss the sneer off her face.

  "Fine," Dax growls as he slumps toward the corner. He throws his pack down as a makeshift pillow and turns his back to us.

  "So, it's settled then," Liam says joyfully rubbing his hands together. "Now I will take first shift keeping our kitty cat warm."

  Rowan and I groan only to be surprised by laughter. She walks up to him and places her hand on his chest, leaning in close. His breath noticeably catches as her lips come inches from his.

  "Better watch out Yogi, this cat has claws." She says with a smirk, pressing said claws into his chest and backs away to the opposite side of Dax. Rowan and I look at each other and smile as Liam stands there in awe staring at the back of her head. Probably also her ass, but shit, I can't blame him for that.

  I nudge Liam as I walk deeper into the cave near Alana. "You can have first watch buddy. Give you time to calm down."

  "Yeah, I'll need it." He groans walking toward the mouth of the cave.

  I lay down near Alana giving
her space but wanting to be near her. I feel myself relax as I breathe her scent into my lungs and fall asleep with a smile on my face.

  Chapter Four

  Alana

  I wake up feeling so cozy that I don't want to open my eyes. The sun shines through the mouth of the cave warming my face and I smile. I cuddle back into the warm body behind me, sliding deeper into his arms. I purr at the contact breathing in his scent. Cinnamon. His arms tighten around me and I feel his hardness press against my back.

  "Good morning beautiful," he growls into my ear. I involuntarily push my ass into his hardness, squirming against him. His groan wakes me from my dreamy daze and I slowly turn my head towards him. Aiden.

  "Um... Good morning." I look at how far I am from the spot I fell asleep in. Groaning, I realize that I rolled into his space and cuddled up with him in the night. I start to pull myself from his arms.

  "Sorry about that. I didn't know I was a cuddler." I say, embarrassment causing my cheeks to heat.

  His arms tighten around me and I hear some chuckling. I look up to see Liam and Rowan watching us with smiles on their faces.

  "I don't think he minds much kitty cat. Now let’s see those claws." Liam smiles like he knows exactly how attractive he is. His cockiness would normally be unattractive, but for him, it works. He is playful in his cockiness and it draws me.

  I sit up wiping the sleep from my eyes and tying my hair up in a messy bun. I stretch my arms and arch my back, feeling all my aches from sleeping on the ground all night. My first night away from my home. I find what I miss most is my bed. I open my eyes to find all the guys staring at me. Even Dax.

  "Good morning Baloo," I say with a yawn, continuing my stretch.

  He looks at me as if I am speaking a foreign language. "My name is Dax. I don't know what a Baloo is."

  My jaw drops. "You've never seen The Jungle Book?! What person didn't watch that movie in their childhood?"

  "I didn't have time for movies as a child and I don't have time for them now." He growls.

  I roll my eyes and continue to stretch, realizing I'm stark naked and so are all the other guys. Besides Dax. He put on a pair of sweatpants last night that hang low enough to see the delicious V just below his abs. All four of these guys are completely gorgeous. Like so hot that they blow Jason out of the water. My heart constricts. Jason. The realization hits me again that I am all alone. I have no one in this world.

  I stand up and walk toward my pack. “Thank you guys for letting me stay here last night. I really appreciate it. But I better be going now.”

  Rowan reaches out and grabs my chin, pulling my face up until our eyes meet. "What is wrong, Alana?"

  I stare into the deep brown of his eyes and find myself losing my train of thought. He looks at me like I am the thing holding him in place. The gravity keeping him tied to this Earth. I lean my face into his hand feeling comfort from his touch. I take a deep breath and look at the others. Liam and Aiden both stare at me with the same longing and when my eyes meet Dax's he turns away.

  Dax stands and walks toward the exit of the cave. "I'm going to go get water."

  "Ignore him. He's always been a grumpy bastard." Aiden comes to my side and puts his arm around me.

  “It’s okay, really I understand. I don’t want to intrude on this thing you guys have here. I really must be getting back.” I say softly, looking toward the spot Dax was just standing in.

  I watch Dax leave, feeling an ache from his absence. These feelings are out of character for me. I have only really had interactions with Jason my whole life and compared to my interactions with these guys my relationship with Jason seemed stiff. There wasn't this joking that I feel a part of with these guys. It was more like resignation. We were stuck together because the fates deemed it so. There was no love, little more than friendship. We didn't hate each other, we just accepted the inevitability of our mating. That is until Jason found a way out. Madessi.

  I begin digging through my pack, looking for some clothes. I have no problems with nudity but the way these guys are looking at me with heat in their eyes. I'm afraid if I don't create some sort of barrier between them then I will let them ravish me. Hell, I might ravish them myself. I pull on a pair of leggings and a tank top, loose items that will still be comfortable in this heat.

  "So, what are we doing now?" Liam asks, getting to his feet and pulling on some shorts of his own. Rowan and Aiden both grab pants and pull them on, looking at me as if waiting for an answer.

  "We? I'm not a we. I'm a me." I throw my pack on my shoulders and start walking toward the entrance of the cave. New day, I can do this. Step 1, shelter. Step 2, food. Step…

  "Well, me, where are you planning to go?" Aiden replies interrupting my inner dialogue with a smile forcing my own smile to grace my lips.

  Liam grabs my hand and starts pulling me out into the sunlight. His smile is infectious. His whole face lights up and crinkles form near his eyes. His eyes are almost the exact shade as Rowan's except slightly lighter. I notice other parts of their features that are similar as I look back at Rowan. He smiles at me as he walks behind us with Aiden at his side.

  "Come on, don’t go. Let's go swimming! Unless you don't like water kitty cat." He teases trying to get me to follow him.

  Rowan pushes Liam and takes his place at my side. "Ignore my brother. He forgets how to act in the presence of a female. Especially a beautiful one such as you."

  I hide my face with my free hand as I blush. He grabs my hand and laces our fingers, content to just walk beside me. Butterflies flurry in my stomach as I accept his hand. These feelings I am getting around these guys make the smile on my face a permanent fixture and I bite my lip to stifle a giggle. I've never fucking giggled before and I am glad I stifled it. Badasses don't giggle. I find comfort with these guys and if I want to stick around them I need to show them that I can take care of myself. That they won't have to protect me like some damsel in distress.

  "Thank you Rowan." I reply, relenting that sticking around for a little bit longer wouldn’t be so bad. I am filthy from yesterday so a swim wouldn’t hurt either. Then I’m off to find myself somewhere to stay.

  He just smiles and continues walking with his fingers laced with mine. He looks like a man who was just handed the sun. I spot Dax up at the water dipping canteens below its surface. He grimaces when he sees us approaching. How could such a moody guy find himself with this cheerful lot? Aiden, Liam, and Rowan are all smiles and laughter while Dax looks like someone is shoving splinters under his nails. Kill em with kindness I decide as I smile hugely at him. He looks at me with confusion, raising a brow. Great, now he probably thinks I'm an idiot.

  I am pulled away from my moment of embarrassment as I see Liam out of the corner of my eye pulling his shorts off and jumping into the water. I catch sight of his delicious rear end just before he jumps into the water and I have the irrational thought to bite it. I blush at my overly sexual thought. He surfaces flinging his hair out of his eyes and throwing water behind him.

  "Come on in! The water is perfect for skinny dipping!" He yells with a laugh. Aiden looks at me with a wide grin and pulls off his own pants as he runs towards the water. He jumps toward Liam who jerks out of the way before he is crushed. "Jeeze fucker," he says splashing Aiden in the face. "I wasn't inviting you to skinny dip with me." Liam's words are a contradiction to his face, which is grinning widely.

  Rowan looks at me timidly, squeezing my hand. "Do you want to swim, Alana?" he asks looking into my eyes. I smile at him and shrug, actually wanting to join in on the fun. Never having friends before meant that I haven't had a lot of fun in my life.

  I pull off my tank and slide out of my pants as Liam and Aiden whoop from the water. Laughing, I run in as I hear Rowan coming behind me. I jump into the water and surface pushing my hair back and wiping the water from my face. Looking over at Dax, I see him staring at us. He looks pained like someone has stolen his favorite toy.

  "Come on in man!" Aiden yells at
him, sending a splash his way. Dax doesn't break eye contact with me and I look at him, trying to figure this man out. He raises a brow at me questioningly and I nod my head at him, encouraging him to join us. Rowan splashes the back of my head and I turn to splash him back. I hear sloshing and turn to see Dax's pants by the shore and Dax in the water swimming towards us. I swim around the guys loving the burn in my limbs as I use muscles that I haven't used in years.

  "I thought cats didn't like water." Liam jibes swimming toward me. I tread water to stay in place in front of him, very aware of his closeness.

  "I thought bears hung out in national parks stealing picnic baskets, Yogi."

  He threw his head back and laughed swimming even closer to me. "If I am yogi does that make Rowan Boo Boo?"

  I laugh out loud as Rowan does a theatrical gasp. Even Dax chuckles.

  "Dax, you've seen Yogi Bear but not the Jungle Book? Priorities man." I tease, hoping he is ready to drop the angry bear phase.

  "Of course. Yogi is a classic, the Jungle Book is for kids." He says as if it's the most obvious thing in the world.

  Laughing, I roll my eyes and swim backward and find myself with my back up against Rowan. I turn my head toward him questioningly, unsure how he snuck up behind me. His arms come around my chest and I realize he is standing and that I am the only one having to tread water. The water is up to all of their chins but they are still able to stand. Rowan pulls me to his chest holding me up so I don't have to continue swimming. Liam and Aiden smile at the contact and I am positive it looks strange with my arms out and him holding me up, his hands just below my belly button. My thighs clench at the contact and I find myself feeling brave as I pull out of his arms. He looks at me slightly disappointed but keeps the smile on his face. I turn toward him putting my arms around his neck and wrapping my legs around his waist. I look at the other guys and see that all their gazes are hooded as they stare at Rowan and I. It's also completely obvious that the position has put my pussy directly against him. It takes everything in me to avoid rubbing against him to relieve the ache in my core. He turns his head toward me with heat in his eyes and his lips slightly parted.