I thought you didn’t go out during the week of Guardians’ Night.”
Naren pushes past his mother and darts out the front door, throwing himself at my legs. “Uncle Audun!”
I pick up the toddler and grin, despite all my nerves and insecurities that Isla may not like my family, or that my family may not approve of the way we claimed our wife.
“Good morning, Marieke.” Caelan throws his arm around Isla’s shoulders and gives my great-great niece a charming smile. “We’d like to introduce you to our wife.”
Chapter Fifteen
Isla
The girl who answers the door is stunning.
While her eyes move back and forth between me, Audun, and Caelan, and she asks them a question, I look her over critically. Her skin is dark and smooth, her wavy black hair cascades down to her waist, and her eyes shine like sapphires.
I’m trying to figure out who she is to Audun and Caelan and understand why they brought me here to see her. When we first left the house, I was excited to be given the chance to see more of this world. The guys have all been insanely sweet to me, but I worried they might try to keep me isolated and cooped up in that cabin. In my experience, shifters are extremely territorial and jealous.
The walk down the mountain seemed to take forever, but it was nice being able to relax and take in the picturesque scenery while Audun carried me. And the town here is so cute! All the shops and cobbled streets look like something out of a storybook, and seeing all the decorations celebrating the guys was eye-opening. They’re clearly very important in this world, and I want to know them so much more now than I did before.
Now that I’m standing in front of this gorgeous girl, I feel prickly and self-conscious. She obviously knows them well if they’re coming to her house, and she can speak to them. She certainly knows them better than I do, and something about that really pisses me off. I don’t care how I ended up here or why. Audun and Caelan are mine, and I refuse to let any other hussies touch them ever again. No matter what sort of history my men might have with anyone.
When a child rushes outside and attaches himself to Audun’s legs, I feel my heart drop into my stomach. I’m barely aware of Caelan wrapping his arm around my shoulders as I look at the little boy and the absolute joy on Audun’s face. The toddler looks exactly like Audun, except for his sapphire blue eyes.
“You have a kid?” I ask. I’m jealous and hurt and freaking the hell out, even though I know logically I have no right to be. When Audun looks up to meet my eyes, I frown and point between him, the girl, and the little boy in his arms. “Did you bring me here to introduce me to your son and your baby-mama? Oh, god. I really don’t know if I’m ready for this. Being mated to four hot guys, sure, I can handle that. But a kid?”
Audun stares at me like a deer in headlights, and he’s just so damn adorable that I can’t be mad at him. As much as I really don’t like kids, seeing him hold his son is probably one of the cutest things ever.
I sigh and stand up straight as I face Audun’s baby-mama. She’s staring at me with her eyebrows raised, but she doesn’t seem unfriendly or hostile. I know she can’t understand what I’m saying, but I need her to understand that things between her and Audun are over now for good. I pull up my sleeve and point to my mate rune, and I point to Audun’s wrist while I gesture between us.
“Audun is with me now, okay? I don’t care what sort of history the two of you have. I’m not gonna try to take your kid or become his step-mother or anything. But Audun is mine.” I point to Audun several times before tapping my chest. I feel like a freaking caveman, but I just don’t know how else to get my point across.
Caelan snorts loudly and squeezes my shoulders. He can make fun of me all he wants, but I’m going to take this mate thing seriously. They might be cool with sharing me among each other, but I’m not okay with sharing.
The girl at the door giggles and says something to Audun. I’m offended for a half