Chapter
One
“They’re not here.”
His brothers looked at him, eyes wide, but it was the truth. Sloan stared at the huge rose bushes that lined the front of the 1950s A-frame house he knew so well.
They hadn’t been there just a few short years ago. And this was Luuk and Jon and Myk’s house, but it wasn’t. A huge Victorian facade had sprung up on one side, barely visible, but there.
Sloan figured that was why his gut had told him they needed to go see Myk and his brothers. They’d just gotten there too late.
His youngest brother Riley stood up from behind the trees and brush they crouched in. “I’m gonna go knock on the door.”
Brayden, the middle brother and the cautious one, grabbed his arm. “No you are not. We have no idea what we’re dealing with.”
“Shit.” Sloan squinted, trying to see if there was any movement. Any life besides the Sleeping-Beauty-level rose garden.
“Dude, what the heck is that?” Riley blinked, his eyes going wide then. “That is the biggest fucking beaver I’ve ever seen.”
Sloan glanced over, curious, and then he looked again. For once, Riley wasn’t just being an overdramatic asshole. Yeah, “that” was the biggest fucking beaver they’d ever seen, and they’d seen a lot of fucking beavers in their time out in the woods.
“Dude,” Brayden said. “Dude, can you imagine the size of the dam that creature makes?”
To Sloan’s shock, the beaver looked at him, tilted his head, and then flipped them off with one clawed finger. Okay. So, that had just happened. It was pretty fascinating in a completely weird and unnatural sort of cool way.
Riley whispered, “I don’t think it’s really a beaver.”
The laughter started then, hard and happy. The three of them just cracked up because what else was there to do? What elsecouldthey do?
Well, it was obviously not worth sitting here, crouching in the damn bushes. They’d been sighted.
It’s better than being beavered.
He looked at Riley.Seriously? Beavered?
Riley nodded, waggled his eyebrows.Clever, right? That was clever.
Brayden rolled his eyes.Children. We are having a beaver situation here. Pay attention.
Brayden stood up, waved, and smiled. “Hi, we’re looking for the people who used to live here. Luuk and Jon, Myk—I don’t suppose you know where they’ve made their dam? Den?”What do beavers make again? Dams, dens, tiny homes?
Sloan had obviously lost control of this situation, especially when, all of a sudden, instead of a great big beaver, there was a great big dude naked with pretty impressive front teeth, standing there staring at them. “Look. The triplets aren’t interested in company. Go away.”
Sloan looked at Riley, who looked at Brayden, who looked back at him.They weren’t triplets, right?
Riley shook his head.No, no way. It was a set of twins and then Myk. But I mean, if this dude doesn’t know, maybe they all just looked alike.
Myk didn’t look anything like the other two,Brayden pointed out, and a curl of smoke escaped from one nostril.
I’m trying to help.The last thing they needed was for Brayden to flame out here. Roses burned.
Guys, please pay attention. There’s a big naked dude waiting for us to answer, and if we’re not careful, his balls are going to freeze off.Was Riley worried or excited?
Well, then, maybe he should get a pair of pants.
“You can go now. This is private property,” Beaverman said.
“No, we really can’t,” Riley snapped. “We need to know what happened to our friends. If they don’t live here anymore, then where are they?”
