Keeping Kaitlyn Read Online Free Page B

the fridge when he entered. Before mates had begun traveling through the veil, the Lycaon had known nothing of such things as refrigerators or running water. As shifters, they had spent a good part of their lives in animal form. Catching food as a wolf, hawk, or bear was a lot easier than as a human, after all.
    Having their mostly human mates traveling over had changed their culture greatly. They didn’t have the luxuries of the Magica, for the most part, but they had a kind of magic of their own. The magic of solar and wind power.
    Rafian leaned against the counter. “She is unraveling every ounce of my control.”
    “Mine too.”
    “The scent of her makes me crazy. The look of her skin tempts me. I want her too badly. So badly I may have to leave tonight.”
    Lucas grunted. “You’re tougher than that.”
    “I didn’t know the attraction would be so strong. The others told us, but experiencing it is different.”
    “I know. Just be thankful she came through the veil at all.”
    Rafian went silent for a moment. “But we may not be able to keep her.”
    Lucas could find nothing to say to that. He walked over and placed a hand on his friend’s shoulder. This was not the first mate they’d taken and Rafian blamed himself for the loss of the last one. “Take it easy, my brother. We’ll try again.”

    Chapter Three

    After taking a long, hot shower, in which she washed away the sweat and grime from the day—not to mention the pepper spray on her cheek—she wrapped herself in a fluffy green towel and combed out her damp hair. This place was almost like home, minus a hair dryer.
    She eyed her dirty clothes piled in one corner with distaste and opted to stay wrapped in the towel. Although appearing in front of the men with so little covering her gave her pause. She figured if they meant to hurt her in that way, they’d do it no matter what.
    Opening the door, she walked softly down the hallway. The scent of hot food reached her nose and made her weak in the knees. She was starving. She was also completely exhausted now that the adrenaline that had been pumping through her veins had eased a little. Low male voices murmured from the kitchen.
    She stepped from the mouth of the hallway and both men stopped what they were doing and stared at her. Lucas stood at the oven and Rafian sat at the table. She fidgeted uneasily. The towel was huge, but she suddenly felt naked in front of them. The thoughts they both were having were clear on their faces. Those thoughts were very male. Carnal, in fact.
    Hers were just as bad. She’d never had a particularly hard time controlling her libido, but these guys made dirty thoughts leap straight into her head.
    Rafian’s hands were clenched on top of the table, almost as if he was holding himself back from her. That should have been alarming, yet she sensed no threat from him. All she could imagine were those big, strong hands stroking over her bare skin. She wondered what it would take for him to lose the control he was so obviously employing. What if she dropped her towel….
    Inappropriate thought alert.
    “Uhm.” She swallowed hard. “Do you have anything I could wear?”
    Rafian blinked, seeming to realize he was staring. He stood and abruptly left the room. He returned a few moments later with a dress draped over his arm. He handed it to her. “It’s in the fashion of our people. I hope you don’t mind.”
    She took it and smiled. It was incredibly soft, like the finest cashmere. “I don’t mind. Thank you.” She retreated back to the bathroom and slipped it over her head. It snugged against her curves, fitting her perfectly. She had no underwear or bra, but her breasts were so small it didn’t really matter.
    This time when she entered the kitchen, her damp hair tangled over her shoulders, she seemed to make both men lose their words. They stood and stared at her, making her cheeks heat. “It’s really comfortable,” she said lamely, her voice quavering.
    They