Mia
It was surprising that they took me to a karaoke bar. I didn’t know they were the type to come to a place like that. I had even thought that another friend of them was having a party like it had been that other day. I guessed that they didn’t want to stay home when our parents weren’t home just like I didn’t want to be alone at home.
I had also thought that it would be a rowdy bar that they would take me to based on their personalities. I was expecting them to go to a bar when they were going to grind against ladies and get laid all night. I wasn’t going to be surprised if that was what they did. I was prepared to ignore the ladies who were going to be flinging themselves against them all night. The worst of those ladies were those who didn’t have shame and would pretend to be my friend hoping that I could help them to get my brothers in bed.
I grimaced at the thought of doing that all night but I would rather have that than stay home alone wondering if it was going to be my last day on earth.
I couldn’t contain the immense relief I felt when I realized that it wasn’t a party but a karaoke bar. I wouldn’t have to fling unwanted female friends off my shoulders for the night and roll my eyes out of boredom.
I was overjoyed when I found out that the boys weren’t meeting with anyone and the room was reserved for the four of us alone. That was good. They could do their thing while I sit at a corner watching them and having fun in my own subtle way.
The way I felt about the reservation must have been evident on my face because John caught it and smiled at me.
“Seems like you like this place, Mia.”
“Yeah.” I nodded, the smile still fixed on my face.
“We made a good choice then.” Jack said and looked at his brothers.
The brothers looked at one another and shared a look but I wasn’t bothered with it. They could scheme all they wanted and I was shocked to find out that I was getting comfortable with them.
I didn’t know when everything changed but I wasn’t afraid of them anymore. I was secured that they weren’t going to hurt me as they had done years ago. I heard that danger and proximity brought people together. I wasn’t sure which of the two brought me closer to them.
Could it be because we lived together that I trusted them or because of the existence of the dark wizard and I knew that they were the only ones who could get me out of the fix because they were stronger?
I had no idea of when everything changed but I knew that I trusted them now and all my resentment towards them had gone.
We walked into the karaoke room and I suddenly felt nervous as I realized that I was alone with the three of them in the room. I jumped as the door closed behind us and I fought the urge to run away from the room and go back home.
I couldn’t believe that I was happy to be in a karaoke room with them earlier.
The boys had their eyes on me because they noticed that I was nervous. I felt awkward about that. They were so in tune with me and I couldn’t keep the crazy thoughts in my head out.
I knew how they felt about me and I wondered if they were being protective of me because I was their sister and their father told them to watch out for me or because they wanted me as their mate. I hoped that it was the former reason. The thought of being their mate was still an uncomfortable concept to me and I couldn’t bear to think of it, no matter how attractive they were.
I gasped at the line of my thought. Where had that come from? Come off it, Mia. Attractive? Why would I think of them that way.
No. Not at all. They weren’t attractive, not to me. I couldn’t think of them as being attractive else I was about to get myself in trouble.
I wondered if they were thinking at all before telling me that they liked me. How could I fall in love with them? It was a strange thought that my step-father would have to be my father-in-law if I eventually became intimate with the boys.
“Are you nervous?” John asked me.
I frowned. I was uncomfortable with the way he was attuned to me even though I liked how he was sensitive than the others.
“A bit.” I shrugged.
Quinn frowned at me. “You don’t have to be afraid of us. You shouldn’t have followed us if you know you are going to be afraid of us.” His voice was gruff and I couldn’t help the tremor that ran through me.
I flinched in fear and I wondered what was wrong with him. It felt like he was angry at me even though I knew that his anger wasn’t directed at me.
Jack frowned. “Don’t talk to her that way, brother. You are not helping her feel better.” He moved forward to me and lowered his voice. “Don’t be scared, Mia.”
I snorted at him. He didn’t have to act like I was a young girl that a mass of nerves.
“Don’t patronize me.” I hissed at him.
Jack laughed. “Of course, I knew that was going to get you to react.”
John smiled at the two of us. He turned to me. “Don’t mind him, Mia. He is right though. You don’t have to be afraid of being alone with us. We don’t bite.”
Jack scoffed. “Be honest with her, John. You know you want to bite her. Well, I do if you don’t. I want to bite her all over on her body where she is soft. I want to bite and mark her. We don’t have to lie to her.”
John sighed. “You are not helping matters, Jack.”
Jack grinned and turned to me. “You don’t have to be scared of me, honey. You know I won’t hurt you.”
I snorted, feeling uncomfortable about the words he had just said. Did he think about them before spouting them out? How did he think that I was going to feel? Now, I couldn’t get the words out of my head.
Quinn didn’t talk but his eyes flashed red and I knew he was affected by the mental image that Jack had painted. He wanted me just as Jack did. John didn’t say anything but the slight frown on his face as Jack spoke and how he called him out on his hypocrisy made me realize that he also felt the same way but was trying to be civil about it.
This was a dilemma.
“Are we going to keep talking or use the room for what it was bought for?” Quinn asked, his voice a surprising low whisper.
We all turned to him, shocked that he talked. Without another word, we all stopped talking and started with the karaoke.
Despite how we started, I had fun and it was surprising that I did. I was amazed that the boys could sing and though I freaked out when they asked me to sing, I hadn’t felt awkward when they had dragged me to the stage to sing by force. I doubted that I could sing as loud as they did but I was ready to do my best.
I felt free as I sang and it was refreshing by the time I went back to my seat. What was wrong with me? Why did I feel so good hanging out with them?
I couldn’t even blame the alcohol and lie to myself that I was drunk because I’ve had no such drink all day, not even the boys. We had only ordered fruit juice and snacks.
Something was wrong somewhere. I thought but I didn’t panic as I would have before at first at the thought of being cozy with my brothers.
I had really softened towards my brothers and they noticed it just as I did. It wasn’t until we were headed back home that they teased me about it and almost made me regret that I had had fun all day with them.
“It looks like our sister had fun today.” Jack grinned, always teasing me.
The others looked at me, certainly waiting for my response. On another day, I would have ignored them but for a reason that I didn’t know how to explain, I didn’t want to ignore them today.
I had seen how they could protect me, how worried they were about me even though they never ceased to annoy me with how they showed their love, and how much fun I could have with them. I didn’t have to be so guarded with them around. I had known that now.
“Yes, I had fun.” I confessed.
“Yes!” Jack shouted in excitement with a clench of his hand and elbow in a show of victory.
We were surprised by his attitude but started laughing after a while. Even Quinn shook his head at his brother’s antics and he didn’t seem to mind how we all laughed. I was glad that he seemed relaxed as we were going home and didn’t look as grumpy as he had when we had been going out.
“Tonight wasn’t a waste.” John grinned.
Yes, it wasn’t. I agreed with them. We were all silent on the way home afterwards that I was stunned when I heard Jack’s voice again. I hadn’t been expecting anyone to talk as the silence was relaxing in a way. I was even more shocked when his words were directed at me in the form of a question that I wasn’t expecting.
“Are you comfortable with us, Mia?” He asked.
I gulped, feeling like I was placed on the spot and didn’t like how I felt at that. What sort of question was that? Why would he ask me that suddenly out of the blue? I couldn’t evade the question as I realized that the others would also like to know.
John didn’t hide his curiosity as he looked at me as Jack popped the question. Even Quinn seemed interested in the question with the side glances he gave me while driving though he acted like he didn’t care.
I snorted. As if he could fool me by that. I was proud to say that I was getting adept at knowing each of the brothers and also knowing how they felt.
They had once told me that they knew how I always feel by sensing my emotions by their sense of smell. I didn’t know how I worked but it seemed like there was a particular scent for each emotion and it oozed out of the skin and that was how they knew how I felt.
I had thought that they were kidding and didn’t believe them. Knowing how I felt around them wasn’t a hard nut to crack as I always had my emotions written all over my face and body.
They might be saying the truth or lying. That was their problem. I also knew how to read them now – even the cold and expressionless Quinn – and that felt like an achievement to me in an odd way.
I enjoyed the curiosity on their faces and wanted to keep them waiting for a while. It wouldn’t be so bad to tease them.
“I prefer your company to that of the dark wizard. I know that you aren’t going to kill me regardless of how dark your hearts are.”
I didn’t have to put in the last sentence but I couldn’t help taking a jab at them. Just as I expected, the boys laughed at me.
“Hanging out with you isn’t that bad.” I said to soften the blow of the words I had said earlier.
“We know.” Jack grinned. “Your skin looks better than it did when we left the house.”
“Should we hang out more then, sister?” John asked, his eyes twinkling with excitement.
“Yes, let’s do that.” I agreed just as we got home and Quinn parked the car.
I stepped out of the car, bid them goodnight and walked to my room with a smile on my face. It was a wonder to me that I had wished my brothers a good night rest and actually meant it.