Samantha gasped as both Thunder and Storm came walking into the kitchen, one of them always looking at her and the other at Dominic. She hadn't seen much of them since she had gone all "Blue" on them and told them off. In a small part of her heart she had regretted it; however, their actions had put Dominic at risk. She would not associate with them until they made things right with her family.
At the counter, Dominic set down a bag of macadamia nuts and turned to face the twins fully. Samantha was shocked to watch Dominic's eyes begin to glow a bright blue. Misty was at his side in a second, grasping his bicep tightly enough to turn her slightly tanned skin white. It was a clear warning for him to keep whatever was happening in control. It was the first time since Dominic had come back that she realized he was not the same as he was six days before. It felt like a pit opened up in her stomach.
"Samantha?" Garrett; perceptive, empathetic Garrett, grasped her hand and took an obvious deep breath, one she copied. He too had seen the change in Dominic, but his eyes held none of the apprehension Samantha was feeling. He was so level headed and the most practical person she had ever met, it was sometimes scary. Of course he would have already seen and considered the changes in Dominic since he had returned. She had been naïve to assume there had been none besides his growth spurt. He had just been so normal since coming back. She now understood it was going to take some time to get to know this new side of Dominic.
Behind Garrett, the twins growled. Thunder took his eyes off Dominic to glare at Garrett with barely contained anger. Samantha's friend slowly released her hand and leaned against the prep station they were sitting at.
Samantha was having none of that.
She could feel herself changing into the woman her fellow street kids lovingly nicknamed "Blue". She was Samantha's inner bitch, the backbone she sometimes lacked when it came to dealing with situations and life in general. Someone had once described it as her alter ego. Samantha never really saw it that way. It was more like a shield; one that allowed her to do and say exactly what was on her mind without the fear of being affected by others judgment or negative opinion. It was like letting the real Samantha show through, even if it could come off as being a bit strong or bitchy.
With her self-confidence firmly in place, Samantha sought out to show Thunder and Storm exactly what she thought of their possessiveness. She stood up from her stool, pulled it right next to Garrett's, sat back down and leaned into his side. She did this while staring directly at both twins, silently daring them to say something and make her day.
Neither man did, not out loud at least, but their eyes told a story of upset and retribution. Samantha promised with her own stare that she would meet them head on in any challenge they brought forth.
If the atmosphere when Misty and Dominic had walked into the kitchen had been tense, it was a thousand times worse now. The entire kitchen staff, which had grown with lunchtime approaching, were staring dumb struck at the stand-off. Some looked flabbergasted, other affronted. The ones farthest away were whispering and looking at Samantha with disproving glances. Samantha might have caved in and left Garrett's side, whereas Blue did not care. They had no right to be trying to dictate who could be touching her or when and how; she had told them as much already. If they wanted to continue pursuing her, they would just have to get over it.
And they did. Thunder was the first to back off from the staring battle, followed reluctantly by his brother. They walked past Samantha and Garrett without another glance, heading straight for Dominic. Misty had calmed him down some, but his eyes still held that glow of something other hidden inside of him.
At their approach, Misty finally stepped in and stopped them. She asked them in a strong tone what they wanted. Behind her, Dom seemed peeved she was taking the lead.
"We simply wish to speak with Dominic," Thunder started, keeping close attention on the woman who stood before him.
Storm finished, his eyes connecting with Dominic's. "We mean him no harm."
For a long moment they all stood in a deadlock. Poor Jarod and Ben were caught in the middle of it, having been on the same side of Dominic as the twins. Jarod kept facing the stove with his head down, clearly feeling the tension and not wanting to become a part of it. Ben looked ready to step in at any moment.
The pressure broke when Dominic moved Misty out from in front of him and addressed the men directly. "Why don't we go somewhere were we can talk."
Glancing at one another, the twins nodded and began walking out a back door. Misty was furious, based on her expression, but she wasn't able to get a word in edge wise as the three men began heading out into a garden area adjacent to the kitchen. They each exited the door before Misty pilled herself together and stormed off after them, clearly pissed.
"What are all you staring at? Are you planning on being the ones to tell the Alphas lunch will be late because you were eavesdropping? Get to work." Rose, the head cook, clapped her hands and swatted one unlucky prep girl with a towel. She squealed and the others laughed, quickly going back to their monumental task of cooking for close to a thousand people. Once everyone was thoroughly focused, the elderly woman came over and struck up a conversation with Ben about their little bird friend. He explained how the poor thing Samantha had found a little over a week ago was doing better a little at a time. It was growing a layer of white fluff all over its body, so obviously it had been sick before. They weren't sure yet what type of bird it was, but it was something predatory, Ben was sure. Its claws were already beginning to show.
As the conversation about the bird drew on, the door to the outside opened up again and the four that had gone out came back in, all in one piece and calm. Dominic looked a bit annoyed, his eyes glued to Misty as she studiously ignored him. Samantha would have to ask what was wrong later, because at the moment the twins were now making a beeline for her.
The way they intensely stared at her on their approach had Garrett out of his seat and going to help the others put their haul of medallion pancakes, butter, syrup, bacon, and fruit on trays. Samantha glared at the back of his head as he ran, unbelieving he would do something like that. She had no time to react, however, because she was soon surrounded by a wall of male and sex appeal.
There really was nothing about the twins that didn't appeal to Samantha on some level. They were so tall and broad, and the way they stared at her with the golden eyes of a man about to devour a woman made her tingle in all the right places. Blue was effectively gone in that moment, dazzled into submission. Little hussy.
"Hello, Samantha." The way Storm said her name made Samantha shiver. It was as if he was savoring every syllable as it left his mouth.
"Storm, Thunder." Samantha did her best to try and seem unaffected by their closeness, but she couldn't help adding that little tilt in her voice. In order to try and distract her mind from their overbearingly sexy presence she adjusted Penny, reminding herself that she had a baby in her arms. That should keep her mind on the straight and narrow, for the most part. It was hard with the way the twins' shirts stretched over their frames tightly.
"We just had a very sincere conversation with Dominic. We apologized profusely for our behavior and asked his forgiveness on the matter of the Allocation Ceremonial."
Thunder leaned in slightly, surrounding Samantha even more with their powerful forms. "We took what you said to heart."
"I'm happy you took the time to make things right with him." Samantha wasn't going to be giving in that easy. They were going to have to work for it.
Not quite getting the response they were hoping for, Thunder pushed on. "We also know we owe you an apology. Our behavior that night was uncalled for; we should not have demanded you to come live with us when we brought you back to the Den, and to stop having physical contact with your male pack members when you turned us down."
"However, now that all has been forgiven, we would like to extend that invitation once more. Samantha," Storm reached out and stroked her cheek with the back of his hand, "will you come live with us, and take your place as our mate?"
The invitation was full of longing and hope. Every part of Samantha wanted to accept the invitation, but it wasn't as simple as moving in with a couple of guys. Not anymore.
"I really appreciate the offer, but I have to say no."
The shock and pain that crossed their faces tore at a part of Samantha in a way she had never experienced before. She was used to turning men away. It was a sort of sick pleasure for her when she had that kind of power and control over those of the opposite sex. But with Storm and Thunder it made her stomach twist into knots. She tried to explain, but shocked gasps from the kitchen staff made her realize this conversation was far from private.
Rising from her seat, Samantha asked if the twins would follow her. She joined her family and, lead by Pearl, they all walked back to the Alpha Wing, pancake trolley in tow. It was an awkward walk with both Samantha and Dominic having issues with their companions, but they all chose to let it be in silence. Not even Jarod opened his mouth.
Once inside the wing, Samantha excused herself from the group. After asking Dominic if he would take Penny with them, he gave her a nod of understanding and ushered everyone away. Jarod tried to argue, but Dom shushed him and kept him moving into the sitting room, leaving Samantha alone with Storm and Thunder for the first time.
The air between them felt thick. It made Samantha shudder in both apprehension and pleasure. It was going to take a lot to get through this conversation.
