It had all started out as a normal day with one tiny bonus—pumpkin doughnuts. The previous morning he’d encountered a little old lady who’d been raving about pumpkin doughnuts when he’d stopped for a latte at his favorite coffeehouse. Her words created a craving in him, so he decided he’d earned a treat.
This morning, he’d walked into that bakery a regular person with regular worries and walked out—well, honestly, they’d run the hell out of there—with an entirely new view of the world.
As a large, white plantation house came into sight, his emotions churned. He leaned forward, his mouth falling open as the gorgeous place filled his vision. At least two stories, maybe three, thanks to what looked like one of those big, historical attics at the top, the structure rose majestically among a setting of gorgeous live oaks. Pillars graced the front, and it looked like someone had been systematically removing the kudzu that had grown along the face.
As they parked, a large German shepherd ran out to the Jeep, and Baer laughed as he jumped out and hugged the dog.
“Is she yours?” Wiley asked.
“Yeah, this is Ruby, and she is very curious about you.”
“I can’t imagine what that’s like. Hearing your own pet.” He thought of his diva cat and had to grin, unable to imagine the disdain she seemed to feel toward everything. She had such a regal way of carrying herself, he’d named her Queenie. Even as a kitten, she’d pranced around like she owned the place.
Ruby put her paws on the driver’s front seat and panted in his direction, looking like she had a big grin on her face as she stared at him. He opened his door and climbed down, chuckling as she ran around to greet him. She didn’t jump up on him, so he kneeled, rubbing her soft fur and getting a lick in return.
“This is where you’ll be staying,” Baer said as he walked up behind his dog.
Wiley’s heart skipped a beat and his head jerked up. Stay? Okay, so maybe this crazy fantasy was starting to take a dangerous turn. He didn’t really know Baer or any of these so-called brothers of his. Was it safe to stay with them? Maybe it was just a misunderstanding. Fighting to keep the growing trepidation out of his voice, he replied, “Oh, I have an apartment in town.”
Baer shook his head. “I’m sorry, but it’s too dangerous. The goddesses put up a magical barrier here that keeps the pestilents out and keeps you safe. You’ll have to stay here for the foreseeable future.”
Wiley looked at the house again, his mouth hanging open. It was nicer than any place he’d ever stayed before. His grandmother’s home had been a ranch with two small bedrooms and a single bathroom with pink tile. His apartment was small.
Overwhelmed, he hung back as Baer started for the front porch. Red hair swung as he looked over his shoulder and saw that Wiley wasn’t following him. He returned to Wiley, moving with fluid grace for such a tank-like man.
“You okay? Feeling like it’s a bit much, right?” He’d cocked his head as if he were trying to see Wiley’s face more clearly. His brow was furrowed with concern and worry.
Wiley nodded. “When I was caught up in the moment, running out the bakery after those people shot it up, and you…changing into a freaking cougar, it was this great adventure. Maybe my brain had shut off and decided to just go with it.” Wiley shoved a slightly trembling hand through his damp hair. “But you know, now I’m kind of realizing I was a bit hasty, maybe.”
Baer smiled a little knowingly. “You just realized that you jumped into a Jeep with a total stranger who can shapeshift, he took you to this house in the middle of nowhere, and now you’re expected to stay.”
Heat made his cheeks burn. “Yeah, something like that.”
“Totally understand,” Baer said with a laugh. “Got your cell phone handy?”
Wiley reached into his back pocket and pulled it out. He breathed a quick sigh of relief that the screen didn’t get cracked in all the insanity. He thumbed it on and smiled to see he even had three bars.
“Got a friend or some family you can check in with? You can say you made a friend and are hanging out for a while. I’ll give you the address to this place. That way someone knows exactly where you are.”
“Are you sure?” Wiley asked as he pulled up the last message he’d sent to his grandmother. “What about the pestilents?”
Baer shrugged. “We’ve been here a while. I have a feeling they know how to find us. It’s the magic barrier that keeps them out.”
Wiley typed out a message to his grandmother, including the address that Baer gave him. He was about to tuck his phone away when she sent back a sweet Have a great time!
She always worried that he didn’t have enough friends.
That message sent helped to quell some of the fears tangling in his stomach. Someone knew where he was. He hadn’t disappeared off the face of the earth into this weird cult obsessed with goddesses and magic.
“Don’t worry,” Baer said with another one of his wide grins.
Wiley wanted to follow his advice. He seemed to be genuinely excited to have Wiley there. There was no feeling of malice or evil. He was a nice guy.
“Everyone is great, and the house has a cozy feel despite how big it is. Dane has been working on it.”
“About the brotherhood…”
“They’re a nice bunch of guys. The Circle has six total, but everyone isn’t here yet. You make number four. Clay and Grey will be thrilled to meet you.” Baer clasped a hand on his shoulder. “How about you just meet them, and we’ll figure the rest out from there?”
Nerves sizzled throughout his body, and his palms were sweating again. Wiley squared his shoulders. He could do this. It was just meeting two other guys who might have powers. At worst, he could sneak out and call for a car to pick him up down the road. Yeah, that was a good plan.
Wiley followed Baer up the porch steps, counting each step under his breath. One. Two. Three. Four. Five. Ruby trotted alongside them and when Baer opened the door, Wiley hoped to feel some kind of wave of belonging, but all he felt were the nerves still wracking his form.
They walked into the grandest entry Wiley had never seen with a spiral staircase at one end. His heart kicked up, and sweat beaded on the back of his neck at the sheer number of stairs winding up to the second floor. His eyes darted over to Baer, checking to make sure the man hadn’t noticed anything. The last thing he wanted to do was have one of his panic attacks in front of Baer.
A dining room with old-fashioned wallpaper was on the left, filled with items cluttering the massive table. Chairs were stacked against one wall.
“We mostly eat in the kitchen or outside since Dane hasn’t gotten to this room yet,” Baer explained with a wave of his hand at the insanity. “Clay and I are helping him renovate now, so it has been going faster.”
“You mentioned Dane before. He’s…Clay’s boyfriend.”
Baer nodded. “Well, he started out as the handyman hired to fix up the house, but he and Clay fell hard. He lives here now. Those two are so in love, it’s sickening,” he finished with a roll of his eyes.
Wiley found nothing sickening about love, so he kept his mouth shut on that one.
“Over here is the library. It’s still needing work, too. Dane’s mostly focused on the back of the house and some of the bedrooms. There are two kitchens, including a summer kitchen near the apartment over the garage. Grey lives out there because he needs more space due to his powers.” Baer paused and rubbed his jaw. “He’s one that takes some getting used to. He can basically read your thoughts.”