Stevens-Journey [Brac Pack 20] Read Online Free Page A

away from Steven. “I didn’t mean no harm. I was just teasing Roman.”
    “Roman won’t mean no harm when he skins your ass for getting to close to his unclaimed mate,” Pa said quietly to the playful bear.
    Roman ignored them as he moved closer to Steven. His mate smelled better than the sweetest berries. Roman wanted to lick him from head to toe and then repeat the process a few hundred more times. He may be the smallest of the litter, but he felt like a giant next to Steven.
    “It’s almost ready.” Steven smiled up at him, and Roman got a raging hard-on. That smile was going to be his undoing.
    “You cooked?” he asked in surprise.
    “Yep. I hope you like roast and veggies. I made fruit salad for dessert.” Steven beamed at him as he opened the oven and pulled the roast out.
    Roman was lost in that smile. He grabbed the pan to help his mate and realized too late that he had just grabbed a hot pan. The pan hit Steven’s Journey
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    the top of the stove as he ran to the sink and stuck his reddened fingers under cold water. His mate was at his side in seconds. “Oh my god! Are you all right?”
    “Do that again. I missed it the first time.” Chauncey roared with laughter from the other side of the kitchen. Roman shot him a narrowed look before turning back to Steven.
    “I’ll be okay. It didn’t hurt,” he reassured Steven, who wore a worried look as he pulled Roman’s hands from under the running water to examine them.
    “I got a paper cut earlier. Can you look at it for me, Steven?” Chauncey said from the other side of the table. Roman looked over in time to see his pa cuff his brother in the back of his head.
    When Steven’s fingers touched his, Roman’s world tilted sideways. They were the softest hands he’d ever felt. His mate’s hands looked delicate and slender. He whimpered when Steven let them go. “Do you have a first aid kit around here?”
    “He’ll be fine,” Pa answered for him. “He’s tougher than that.” Steven looked at Roman from under his lashes, a smile tugging at his lips. “He looks like it.”
    Roman felt his face heat at his mate’s words. Damn if he wasn’t standing here making a fool of himself. He felt his family’s eyes on him but ignored them to play the wounded so his mate would touch him again. “They really hurt. Can you spread some burn cream on them?”
    Chauncey groaned from across the room, his eyes rolling as Roman passed him to get the medical kit. “Jealous?” he asked when he got close enough to whisper.
    “You’re damn right I am.”
    Roman grinned from ear to ear as he retrieved the medical kit and took it to his mate. He was in heaven as Steven sat down and opened the small packet of burn cream and began to gently apply it to his fingers. He didn’t need it. Shifters could heal quickly from something like this, but he wasn’t passing up the opportunity.

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    Lynn Hagen
    “There,” Steven said as he let Roman’s hand go. “Don’t grab any more pans fresh from the oven,” his mate warned.
    “I won’t.” Roman stood, sticking his tongue out at Chauncey when Steven had his back turned. It was a childish move, but he and his brothers were extremely close and loved to tease one another. He knew none of them would touch Steven, but they sure as hell would torture Roman into thinking they were being too friendly.
    “You boys wash up while dinner is put on the table.” Pa waved them out of the kitchen. Roman didn’t want to go but did as his father commanded. He rushed to get cleaned up and then damn near broke his neck as he and Chauncey raced down the flight of stairs to the kitchen. The set of triplets, Bryce, Olsen, and Gavin, had surrounded Steven, asking him a thousand and one different questions.
    Roman grabbed Steven by his wrist, pulling him away from his curious brothers. He introduced Steven to them, but gave each one of them a peeved look before sitting his mate down next to him. Pa came into the kitchen with Chance