Lords of the Were by Bianca D'Arc Page A

to return, having made the drive into town and back in record time. Allie stood as she heard her car chugging up the slight incline of the driveway. It wasn’t really suited to these roads, but she’d make do.
    Rafe came up behind her, crowding her just a bit in the doorway as if he needed to be close to her.
    “If you need to go anywhere besides town, we’ll take you in one of our trucks. The roads up here aren’t kind to city cars.”
    “I was just thinking my car wasn’t really suited to this area, but I don’t like being told what to do anymore than I suspect you do, Rafe.
    Next time, ask my opinion and give me advice, don’t order me.” Rafe backed off, his hands held up, palms outward. “Message received, sweetheart. This whole thing is going to take some getting used to, I’m sure, but we’re all running on very little sleep and excess emotion right now. I’d say it’s time to grab some shut-eye before we inadvertently start World War Three.”
    Allie sighed as Tim bounded up the porch steps, two of her suitcases in his big hands. He’d heard what his brother said. The cautious look on his face spoke volumes. Resigned, Allie opened the screen door and he entered, a question in his eyes as he passed his brother.
    “All right. You’ve got a point.” Allie headed down the hall toward the big bedroom Betina had shown her earlier, her feet dragging, her mouth opened wide in a yawn of exhaustion. “I’ll see you later.” But soft footsteps followed right behind. She heard one of the twins securing the house, but the other was dogging her steps, right up to her new bedroom door. She turned on him, surprised to see it was Tim who followed her.
    “Where do you think you’re going?”
    Tim’s expression was solemn as he looked down into her face. “Where you go, we go.”
    “Now wait just a minute—”
    She was working up a good head of steam but Tim silenced her by dropping a light, bone-meltingly tender kiss on her lips. “For your safety,” he whispered, “and our sanity, we cannot let you part from us right now. Maybe in a few months…”
    “Months?” she croaked, shocked at his heart-wrenchingly honest words and the soft look in his eyes.
    “Don’t ask us to leave you, Allesandra. We can’t. It’s impossible. Our souls are already moving into alignment and after we join fully, it will be worse for a time, until we get used to it. At least that’s what we’ve been told will happen. I tried to fight it, but there was no use. You are our mate. We’ll protect you with our last breath.” He stepped closer, crowding her with his large, ultra-male body. “I would die for you, Allie.” She saw the truth of his stark words written all over his face. For once, his expression wasn’t shuttered against the world, and what she saw there made her breath catch.
    “How can you feel so much? We only just met yesterday.” He surprised her by pulling her into his arms, caging her waist with his forearms as he looked deep into her eyes.
    “My wolf knew you the moment I touched you. He sat up and howled and my blood sang. I fought it, and you’ll have to forgive me for that bit of idiocy, but I can’t deny it. It’s part of me, just as you’re becoming part of me. It’s meant to be, Allie. I know you feel it too.” His impassioned words touched her heart and the look on his face melted it. “I don’t understand any of this. It’s crazy, but my heart knows you, Tim.” Her gaze cast over his shoulder where his twin stood quietly, waiting to see what would happen. “And you, Rafe.”
    “You could tell us apart from the moment you met us. Do you know how rare that is? Even our own mother confuses us sometimes.” Rafe smiled though she could see his pain at that admission. “Your pure heart sees us as we are—as individuals that join to form a whole. You know the differences between us when no one else can see beneath the surface.
    Didn’t you wonder at that?”
    Slowly she nodded. “I