Feral Bonds: Claimed By Rogue Alpha Brothers

Evaline:

I watched as Draven knelt in front of me, his large hands dwarfing mine as he rubbed my chilled palms between his, coaxing life and warmth back into them.

"Why are you trembling, love?" he asked quietly.

"I'm just… nervous," I admitted, unable to hide the quiver in my voice.

His eyes lifted to mine, steady and unreadable, and yet they seemed to pierce right through me. "Good. You should be nervous. You know why you are here."

His words weren't cruel - they carried weight, yes, but not danger. Still, the reminder made my stomach flip. I nodded faintly. "I know."

The edges of his mouth curved into something that wasn't quite a smile, but close enough to make my breath catch again. "Then you also know that running isn't an option."

"I'm not running," I whispered.

His hand cupped my chin, tilting my face up so that I couldn't look anywhere but into his eyes. "No," he agreed, his voice lower now like silk wrapping around steel. "You came willingly. That matters."

Before I could form a response, the muffled sound of a door opening and then closing reached us, followed by the crunch of boots on the wooden floor. I didn't need to turn my head to know it was Oscar. A flicker of relief passed through me at his arrival, though it was quickly tangled with fresh nerves.

Oscar entered with his usual casual ease, snow still dusting his shoulders and hair. His eyes swept the room, lingering a moment longer on me before flicking toward Draven. The faintest smirk tugged at his lips.

"I see you have already started without me," he drawled, shrugging off his jacket and tossing it over a chair.

"Not yet," Draven replied smoothly, his hand still on my chin. "I was just reminding her why she's here."

Oscar's gaze slid back to me, heat glimmering there, though it was tempered by the steady patience I had come to know. "And does she need reminding?"

"I don't think so," I said quickly, surprising myself with the firmness in my voice. Both of them looked at me, and my cheeks warmed. I shifted slightly under the weight of their eyes, but I didn't look away. "I came because I trust you both. I know what this is about… I'm just…"

"Nervous," Oscar finished for me, his tone gentler than Draven's, though no less charged. He crossed the room, stopping beside the couch. His hand brushed over the back of it, close enough that I could feel the warmth of him at my side. "That's natural. But remember what I told you in the car - no matter what happens, it'll never be something you don't want."

The sincerity in his words steadied me more than I expected. My heartbeat was still wild, but my breathing evened out a little.

Draven's thumb brushed against my lower lip, shifting my entire attention back to him with the small gesture. "And yet, not a single part of your nerves is from fear at all, right?"

My face burned. I couldn't deny it - not when both of them were watching me so closely, as if every flicker of emotion I had was written clearly on my skin. I swallowed hard, whispering, "No. It's not fear."

Oscar chuckled under his breath, low and knowing. "That's what I thought."

Draven finally released my chin, but not before trailing his fingers slowly down the column of my throat, leaving a path of fire in their wake. His touch stopped at the edge of my collar before retreating altogether, as though he too was restraining himself.

The air between us thickened, heavy with anticipation. I sat there frozen, my body caught between the warmth of the fire and the simmering heat of their presence.

Oscar leaned in slightly, close enough that his shoulder brushed mine. "Do you want this, Eva?" he asked softly, his eyes searching mine.

The question was simple, but the weight of it pressed against my chest. My lips parted before I even realized I was speaking. "Yes."

Draven's gaze darkened at the sound of my answer, and Oscar's hand finally came to rest against the small of my back, grounding me in the middle of the storm building around us.

The fire crackled, snow continued to fall outside, and yet here, in this hidden house deep in the mountains, everything narrowed down to just the three of us.

"Are you hungry? Have you even anything after lunch?" Draven asked suddenly, brushing away some of the tension that was starting to suffocate me.

I was slightly surprised by his question, but I shouldn't have. After all, he always made sure that me and the baby were full. "I haven't eaten." I answered honestly.

"I knew it. I have baked some cookies. Try them."

He made his way to the kitchen and took out a tray from the oven. The mouth-watering aroma of chocolate cookies immediately filled the air, overtaking the scent of herbs and the rose scented candle.

Oscar settled down on the couch next to mine, his gaze following Draven as well while the latter made his way back to us with a plate full of freshly baked chocolate cookies.

"How about a glass of milk?" He asked as he handed me the plate, completely ignoring Oscar's expectation filled eyes that had been fixed on the plate of cookies.

I immediately shook my head. "Honestly, I'm not that hungry. These cookies will be enough."

He didn't press and took a seat on the rug at my feet instead of sitting on the couch.

I picked up a cookies and took a small bite, and almost moaned as the rich taste of chocolate coated my taste buds. When I opened my eyes, which I might have closed at some point, I found both men staring at me.

I quickly moved the plate toward Oscar and he picked up a cookie. But when I moved the plate toward Darven, he shifted to his knees and reached out to grab the back of my head, pulling me closer before he was stealing the cookie that I was holding between my lips.