he was. Her eyes flew wide, her pupils dilating with alarm. Her mouth opened in a small silent oh that had his cock jumping at the erotic sight.
Then she seemed to focus on him again and slowly took him in. All of him. He once again remembered that he was covered in scars from his time in captivity. Self-loathing inched its way back inside of him. How could he expect her to be attracted to him with his monstrous appearance? He started to bend down to pick up his jeans and leave her with his brother.
“What happened, Joseph? Who hurt you like that?” she asked.
He saw no pity in her eyes, only sorrow. She didn’t appear the least bit repulsed by the sight of him. Still, he hesitated to say anything. Thoughts of those endless days of pain and hopelessness filled him, overwhelming him for a second. The bedroom dimmed around him as he slipped back into that nightmare that had been his reality.
“Tell her, Joseph. You said we had to be honest with her. She deserves to know what happened to you.” Jessup’s voice jerked him back, leaving a bitter taste in his mouth.
“I was held captive in Afghanistan for over a month. I was part of a special unit made up of other shifters. There were three of us who’d been captured when we got cut off from our unit while scouting for our target. They knew we were coming. They knew what we were. We’d been set up.” He looked over her head to stare into his twin’s eyes.
He’d never said anything to his family about being set up. He wasn’t sure why he was telling Nessa and Jessup that now. For some reason, it seemed important that Nessa know how he’d felt betrayal from someone he thought he could trust as well. She would understand how that felt. Her stepbrother should have loved and protected her instead of abusing and using her.
“How did you get away?” she asked, looking up from where his brother had her wrapped in his arms.
“They thought I was unconscious after”—he hesitated to say “they tortured me”—“one of their interrogation sessions and left me there while they took a break. I managed to get up and release the other two men who were still alive with me. We escaped.” He kept his eyes on her face as she listened to him.
The fact that she didn’t wince or cringe only nodded relaxed him for some reason. He abandoned his clothes and climbed into the bed with them. He needed to touch her, hold her. She calmed him, took away some of the persistent rage that dogged his steps like the plague. If being near her was what it took to escape some of that relentless, all-consuming rage, Joseph wouldn’t push her away. In fact, she was fast becoming vital to his emotional and mental well-being.
As he pulled the covers over him, Joseph reached for her. His brother relaxed his hold on her and let him pull her into his arms so that she ended up draped over his chest with her head resting on his shoulder. Jessup wrapped an arm over her back above her wounds, burying his nose in her hair as he once again got comfortable.
“I’m tired. I’m not giving in to your crazy idea that we can all three be together,” Nessa said in a sleep-infused voice.
“We’ll talk about it tomorrow when everyone is rested,” his brother assured her.
Joseph looked over her head at his brother. Jessup’s expression was still just as serious as it had been earlier. He had no intentions of letting her go either. Now, his twin would realize by looking into Joseph’s eyes that he wasn’t going to be stepping back once it was finished either. By the slight upward tilt of Jessup’s mouth, Joseph knew that his brother had never planned for him to abandon them and return to his home in the wilds of Montana either.
“We belong together, brother. When things get too intense here, we’ll all go to your retreat and chill for as long as it takes.” Jessup’s quiet voice whispered across their mate’s hair as he spoke.
Joseph merely nodded at him as he thought about how much work
Then she seemed to focus on him again and slowly took him in. All of him. He once again remembered that he was covered in scars from his time in captivity. Self-loathing inched its way back inside of him. How could he expect her to be attracted to him with his monstrous appearance? He started to bend down to pick up his jeans and leave her with his brother.
“What happened, Joseph? Who hurt you like that?” she asked.
He saw no pity in her eyes, only sorrow. She didn’t appear the least bit repulsed by the sight of him. Still, he hesitated to say anything. Thoughts of those endless days of pain and hopelessness filled him, overwhelming him for a second. The bedroom dimmed around him as he slipped back into that nightmare that had been his reality.
“Tell her, Joseph. You said we had to be honest with her. She deserves to know what happened to you.” Jessup’s voice jerked him back, leaving a bitter taste in his mouth.
“I was held captive in Afghanistan for over a month. I was part of a special unit made up of other shifters. There were three of us who’d been captured when we got cut off from our unit while scouting for our target. They knew we were coming. They knew what we were. We’d been set up.” He looked over her head to stare into his twin’s eyes.
He’d never said anything to his family about being set up. He wasn’t sure why he was telling Nessa and Jessup that now. For some reason, it seemed important that Nessa know how he’d felt betrayal from someone he thought he could trust as well. She would understand how that felt. Her stepbrother should have loved and protected her instead of abusing and using her.
“How did you get away?” she asked, looking up from where his brother had her wrapped in his arms.
“They thought I was unconscious after”—he hesitated to say “they tortured me”—“one of their interrogation sessions and left me there while they took a break. I managed to get up and release the other two men who were still alive with me. We escaped.” He kept his eyes on her face as she listened to him.
The fact that she didn’t wince or cringe only nodded relaxed him for some reason. He abandoned his clothes and climbed into the bed with them. He needed to touch her, hold her. She calmed him, took away some of the persistent rage that dogged his steps like the plague. If being near her was what it took to escape some of that relentless, all-consuming rage, Joseph wouldn’t push her away. In fact, she was fast becoming vital to his emotional and mental well-being.
As he pulled the covers over him, Joseph reached for her. His brother relaxed his hold on her and let him pull her into his arms so that she ended up draped over his chest with her head resting on his shoulder. Jessup wrapped an arm over her back above her wounds, burying his nose in her hair as he once again got comfortable.
“I’m tired. I’m not giving in to your crazy idea that we can all three be together,” Nessa said in a sleep-infused voice.
“We’ll talk about it tomorrow when everyone is rested,” his brother assured her.
Joseph looked over her head at his brother. Jessup’s expression was still just as serious as it had been earlier. He had no intentions of letting her go either. Now, his twin would realize by looking into Joseph’s eyes that he wasn’t going to be stepping back once it was finished either. By the slight upward tilt of Jessup’s mouth, Joseph knew that his brother had never planned for him to abandon them and return to his home in the wilds of Montana either.
“We belong together, brother. When things get too intense here, we’ll all go to your retreat and chill for as long as it takes.” Jessup’s quiet voice whispered across their mate’s hair as he spoke.
Joseph merely nodded at him as he thought about how much work
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