Surrounded by Temptation (3 page)

Rob sat in his room, locked in like a damn wild animal, and logged onto his Skype account. This was re-fucking-diculous. His father had called a meeting to discuss Ariel, and he wasn’t allowed anywhere near her.

But neither was Jack. Rob took solace in that. Very little solace.

When he’d laid eyes on Ariel today, his insides burned. He’d felt a connection to her that he’d never felt before. It wasn’t rational. But neither was turning into a feline. Nothing was rational in his life, so why did he expect seeing his mate for the first time would be anything short of powerful? He knew both Josh and Toby had felt something different, something miraculously overpowering with their mates early on. Maybe this was just how it was for them. Once a mate was identified, that was it. It was her or no one else.

God, he was being insane. He hardly knew this woman. If he didn’t chill out, he’d scare her away. At least Jack was naturally brooding. This newly developed situation probably had him clawing at the walls to get out and get to her, which would only make Rob look that much better.

He growled low in his throat. He wouldn’t let Jack touch her. She belonged to Rob. End of fucking story.

The call came through and he accepted it. He had to grab the chair he was planted in to keep from touching the monitor like a love-struck fool and stroking Ariel’s beautiful face. She was definitely too skinny, but her beauty would always outshine no matter her weight.

“I demand to be released at once, Dad. This is highly uncalled for,” Jack commented from his connection.

“Calm down. I’ve talked things over with the ladies and have a better understanding of the course Ariel would like to take. I must say I’m not entirely pleased with what has happened or with this methodology she’d like to implement. I feel that since you two will be the ones involved, you both need to understand what will be happening. Then you can make a decision on whether she stays or goes.”

Ariel’s eyes grew wider for only a second before cutting to Thomas and then looking straight ahead again. If Rob had to guess, she didn’t look very pleased with this. If his waiflike angel wanted to stay, by God, she would. He’d do whatever necessary to ensure it.

And he wasn’t stupid enough to pretend he wasn’t being selfish with that noble thought.

His father looked at Rob, then Jack, and proceeded to tell them and the rest gathered in the den on the other end of the monitor just what medications she planned on trying on them. One shot a day to start out. Testing aggression. Possibly more medication. So far, nothing seemed too horrible. Rob knew this wasn’t going to be a cakewalk.

“Just what kind of testing do you expect us to do? Torture us? Keep us locked up in our rooms? Or worse, in chains? Sorry, honey, you’re hot and all, but no way. I say give us the medication and observe us,” Jack said, arms crossed over his chest, eyes narrowed. Then he half-smiled. “Unless you want to observe me privately.”

“Jackson!”

“What, Dad? Those are honest questions.” Then he looked at Ariel. “And an honest offer.” He wasn’t smiling this time. Just being the dick he always was.

“It doesn’t matter to me. I say she can do whatever she wants. She’s the professional here,” Rob said, tamping down his need to vocalize just what he wanted from her. He gave her what he hoped was a soft smile, and the startled smile she gave him in return made his dick twitch. Such a beauty.

“Rob?” she asked, looking toward him. His heart raced. The sound of his name on her lips did some very naughty things to his body. He wanted to hear her moan it the next time his name slipped passed her lips.

“Yes, angel?”

That smile. He couldn’t help but return the warm gesture.

“Would you be willing to help me do some testing? I only need to test one of you.”

“Wait just a damn minute! No way in hell am I staying in this room while Rob gets poked with needles. He’s just trying to poke her back,” Jack barked.

Rob’s head snapped in his brother’s direction, a growl ripping from his throat before he could even stop it. He was going to shred his brother to pieces!

“Enough, boys!” Thomas said, then turned to Ariel. “Sweetheart, I’m aware of your plan, but I’m not sure if this is smart. I have to say I think it’s very dangerous. Just look at them. They are too primal and they are not even in the same room with you.

Shit. Rob had to get control of himself. Otherwise, he’d lose his opportunity before it even started. He took a deep breath, facing his father. “Dad, if we don’t do something now, we may never get another shot.”

“I’ll do it,” Jack said with an heir of righteousness. “I’m older. It’s. My. Fucking. Turn.”

Their father sighed. “Jack, regardless of which one of you she tests, both of you will be getting the medication,” Thomas said. Then he turned to Ariel. “I think this has to be your call.”

Her cheeks flushed a satiny pink, and Rob’s head cocked to the side as if his cat were trying to gauge it. Then her gaze landed on him.

“Will you help me, Rob? I promise not to make it too painful for you.”

She picked me.
Rob felt his whole body heat, warmth rushing through him. But the sweet feeling that accompanied his mate’s initial trust in him quickly turned into an almost overpowering urge to roar in victory.

And a crippling need to take her right now.

How was he going to be able to be near her and not force her to mate with him? His animal didn’t care. It only saw a relief to its primal heat. But Rob knew she was taking a big step by asking him. She was relying on him to do this for her. He could not let her down. He wouldn’t.

“It’d be my pleasure, angel.”

Chapter Three

“You don’t have to do this,” Krista pleaded with her sister. “I know you eat, live, breathe your job, but this is going way above the call of duty.”

Ignoring her, Ariel handed over the syringe containing Jack’s initial dosage. “Swab the area with an alcohol pad first. On his hip. Then uncap the needle, tap it a few times like this,” she flicked the syringe as a demonstration. “Gently push the plunger until the air is extracted, then you’re ready.”

“You’re really going to go through with this, aren’t you?”

Ariel took a calming breath and squared her shoulders. It wouldn’t do to get into a fight with her sister, but they’d been over this and over this. “Thomas said they will not leave me alone with Rob until they are sure he is under control. I have no desire to be raped and killed. I value the work I do. I think I can help. And
you
asked me to in the first place. Please just let me do my job.”

“They are feral, Ariel. You got a glimpse of it earlier today. You have no idea the need they have to bond with a mate. It’s all encompassing. I know I asked for your help. I want them free of the chains that bind them to this land, but I don’t want you to get hurt. When I asked for your help, I didn’t mean I wanted you to seduce one of them!”

“I am conducting tests. Not hooking up.”

“There’s a term for a woman who uses her body in the name of
work
.”

Ariel walked over and grabbed her bag of goodies. Tools she’d gotten at the adult store in St. Louis before coming out here. Krista had just likened her to a prostitute and it was hard for her to deny the allegation with tricks of the trade in her hand. “I’m doing it and that’s final. You’ll thank me later. They all will.” Her heart pounded as guilt prickled. They wouldn’t thank her if she exposed them in the name of her real work.

Krista walked over to her and hugged her. “Be careful.”

Ariel released her and rubbed her arm reassuringly. “I’ll be fine. Thomas has me staying in this cabin next to Rob’s. Jack has been instructed to stay in the house and work on the south side of the property. He and I won’t cross paths. His medication will be administered by Thomas’s right hand man, Jeffery, and Thomas will observe him for any side effects. As for Rob, let me handle that, okay?”

A knock sounded on the door, allowing butterflies to swarm erratically in Ariel’s belly for the first time since coming back to the cabin.

“It’s Mikaela. They’re ready,” she announced through the door.

“Fine,” Krista whispered heatedly. “You win. I’ll let you handle Rob, but you damn well better tell me if anything goes wrong.”

“Deal.” Ariel grabbed her bag and opened the door. “I’m ready.”

Mikaela looked at her with a mixture of worry and admiration, and that little bit of guilt from earlier came back. Ariel tamped it down. She didn’t have time to worry about that right now.

“I’m coming too,” Krista said.

Mikaela chuckled. “Girl, your man has been on the warpath since your sister here made that little announcement about not being a taken woman. First, he practically beat Jack into submission, then after the meeting, he gave Jack another round of, um, brotherly encouragement to behave.”

“I can only imagine what kind of encouragement Toby provided.” Krista grinned.

Mikaela turned to Ariel. “And he’s been reading Rob his rights in Rob’s cabin ever since. We all view you as family since you’re Krista’s sister, but you’re his
mate’s
sister, so he feels an even stronger obligation to protect you. And he will. Especially since he knows how worried Krista is about all this. If I know Toby, he’s probably fighting every primal instinct to lock you up just to keep his mate from being upset.”

“Good,” Krista said.

“Don’t give her any ideas,” Ariel groaned.

Mikaela stepped aside and the girls followed her to the cabin next door. This estate was really very refreshing—rustic but not jarringly so. Ariel didn’t like the camo motif. She understood its need for function, but why anybody decorated in the stuff, she’d never understand.

When Krista opened the door and they stepped into Rob’s cabin, Ariel kept her expression even…with great difficulty. Rob was shirtless and bound to a wooden chair. His worn jeans hung low and showed how cut he actually was. His legs were tied to the chair too. God, his bare feet even looked sexy. But the hottest thing about him was his gaze. The way his eyes peered into her. Like they were already alone and he was ready to pounce.

Rob growled, showing fangs, and she gasped. She didn’t know they had fangs like that unless they’d already shifted. Maybe she should’ve gotten some additional information from Krista and Mikaela before walking into the lion’s den. Literally.

“Come,” Rob rasped. “Now.” His arms flexed within their bindings and Ariel went rigid, wondering if they’d hold.

Toby growled next to him, his eyes focused solely on his brother.

“We should get started,” Josh said.

“I-I have the medication right here.” Ariel started to step forward, but Josh threw his hand up, stopping her progression, and moved toward her, blocking her view from Rob.

And apparently Rob didn’t like that because a blood-curdling roar came from his direction.

Krista squeaked and jumped next to her at the same time Josh stepped to the side, allowing Rob to see his fill. Toby’s head snapped in Krista’s direction at her distress, then whipped toward Rob. He crouched in front of his brother, a menacing growl slipping past his lips. Ariel shivered. For some reason, the softer growl from Toby sounded more deadly and a hell of a lot more terrifying than the loud roar Rob made.

Rob hissed at Toby and wiggled in his chair, struggling to get free.

Josh stepped up and took the syringe from Ariel. “I’ll do it. You stay here.”

When Ariel starting giving Josh the instructions, Rob’s gaze flew to her and he snarled. She quickly finished the steps Josh needed to administer the medication and watched as he approached Rob from the side, making sure to not to block his view of Ariel.

She watched as Josh bent in front of Rob and blindly handed the needle over to Toby. When Josh grabbed the waistband of Rob’s jeans, Ariel swallowed. There was no turning back now. She watched in rapt fascination as Josh unfastened Rob’s jeans and slowly slid the zipper down so he could get to the injection site.

“Damn,” Ariel breathed when Rob’s rock hard erection sprang free. He was freaking huge!

Rob had been making low growls and hisses at his brother as he worked the closure on his jeans, but when Ariel spoke, his attention snapped back to her. His growl got softer, broken. What’s that…
Is he purring?

“I think he likes that you find his, um, member impressive,” Krista whispered.

Toby looked at Krista and growled. “You shouldn’t be looking. You only look at me.”

Ariel watched as her sister fought a smile. But she turned to the side, giving her back to them. “Better, sweetie?”

His next growl sounded more like a groan. “I love your ass.”

She wiggled it and the animalistic sound got louder, playful.

“Chill, you two,” Mikaela said, then turned to Ariel. “Just like a couple of newlyweds.” She shook her head but smiled. “I think that’s good, Josh.”

“Okay, kitten. I want you and the other ladies to stay over there until we’re sure he won’t break free and the drugs are working.” Josh lifted his arm, needle poised for entry.

“Wait!” Ariel shrieked and quickly stepped forward. She needed to gather as much data as she could. “Can you tell me how you feel?” she asked Rob softly.

“Why don’t you grab my dick and tell me how I feel?”

“No.”

Rob roared. “That wasn’t a request. You will submit to me. You are
mine
.”

Without warning, Josh stabbed the needle into Rob’s hip. Rob yelped and hissed at his brother.

Ariel watched him as he struggled in his chair, trying to break free, growling and hissing at everyone, at no one.

Then minutes later, his movements eased, his head falling back as he gasped in air, sweat trickling down his temple. No one moved for what seemed like an eternity. Ariel just watched. Waited.

Rob slowly moved his head, his eyes seeking her. She held her breath as he found her, eager to hear him now that he’d received his first dose.

“I-I think I’m okay.”

“Do you feel like you need to mate with her?” Josh asked.

Rob frowned. “I believe I have control of myself. My lion.”