AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Ever since my father married her…some eight years ago. She’s living in our home with her boyfriend and her daughter after he passed away. Things weren’t always smooth between us but I always tried my best. Even though we’ve spent so many years together, she doesn’t give a crap about me. She wanted to sell the house, switched my meds, and planned to sell me off...” Squeezing her eyes shut, she shakes her head. “I couldn’t take it.”
I can feel her pain from her crumpled expression. She still hasn’t been able to overcome the betrayal of her stepmother.
“Has this boyfriend for hers ever hurt you before this incident?” I ask, my voice coming out in a growl.
“No. He’s never shown any interest in me like that.” Her forehead creases as she thinks harder. “At least, I never noticed anything. My head was always too full of worries about my dad’s bakery.”
A sliver of relief flows through my veins. There’s no way a grown man can ignore a beautiful, untouched omega like Winter. I’m sure he’s noticed her even though she remained oblivious to him.
At least, she’s away from him, I think, glad to know that bastard can never touch her. My brothers and I will make sure he never gets near her again.
“Laura must’ve been planning this shit for a long time,” Kai says thoughtfully. “You can’t gather bidders to buy property overnight. She must’ve done her homework to learn about the paperwork needed to snatch everything from you. I doubt she’s ever loved you.”
Winter stares down at her knees while her shoulders shake with silent sobs. Cole holds her tighter but it’s not enough to comfort her.
Taking a shaky breath, she looks up at me and my brothers. “I’m sorry I pretended to be a hooker,” she says. “I didn’t want to lie but I didn’t have a choice. I didn’t want you guys to drive me away and send me back to my stepmother.”
“Don’t be sorry,” Cole says, kissing her cheek. “You gave us an excuse to keep you close to us and we don’t regret a second of the time we spent with you.”
“Yep. We’ve had the most amazing times of our lives with you,” Kai says with a wink. “We’d have never sent you back to your awful stepmom. Like I said earlier, we’re here to help you. We won’t let anyone hurt you.”
“Do you mean it?” she asks as her green eyes light up with hope.
“We want you as our mate,” I say, hoping she’d sense the sincerity in my voice. “We’ve wanted you since the moment we met you.”
Her bottom lip falls apart as she stares at us in turn.
“It’s true,” Cole reaffirms, capturing her lips.
Her arms lock around his neck as she surrenders to the kiss.
Warmth floods me, urging me to go to her and kiss her, but I control myself. Winter is too overwhelmed right now.
I catch Kai looking at me. “We need to get a lawyer.”
“Yeah,” I agree. “If the house belongs to Winter legally, she can tell her stepmother to leave. I’m sure the neighbors have witnessed her treatment of Winter over the years and can testify in her favor. If there was abuse involved, she’ll be in huge trouble.”
“I doubt Laura will leave,” Winter says with a dejected look. “She and Pete would just force me into signing those papers again.”
“Who says I’ll let you go to them alone?” I growl. Has she forgotten I’ve vowed to protect her? “My brothers and I will handle these matters. In return, I just want you to trust us.”
My brothers have the same determined look as me.
“We’ll do everything to make you happy,” says Cole. “If saving your home and bakery will make you smile, we’ll gladly fight for them. Just promise us you’ll always be ours.”
“Thank you,” she whispers, brushing away the tears still clinging to her lashes. “I love that house and bakery. My parents left so many memories there that I’d do anything to protect them.”
There’s nothing we value more than family. Winter’s loyalty and attachment to her parents is another sign that she belongs in a tightly-knit pack like ours.
“We won’t let anyone snatch them from you, sweetheart,” Cole says, drawing her close to him.
Kai gets to his feet, looking eerily calm. “I’m going out to meet Mercer.”
“Mercer’s in Bali with his girlfriend,” I say, thinking of the best lawyer in our arsenal. His law firm has the best attorneys in town. They’ll be able to handle any complications in our war with Winter’s stepfamily.
“Then, it’s settled. I’m going to Bali to bring him back,” says Kai.
“What?” Winter stands up and moves toward him. “Do you have to go that far? Why don’t we wait for him to return home? Laura has no idea I’m here. I can just hide here until your lawyer friend gets back from his vacation.”
