“Nonsense. Hunter?”
“Yes, Aunt Kristen.”
“Rosa is also going to assist in training the pack today. She’s going to use her diversions to help stimulate them.”
“That’s awesome. They could use more of that.”
Kristen looked at Winston and Adam. “You boys hurry up and finish eating. There’s a lot of work to do today.”
“What will you be doing, Mom?”
Adam turned just as her hand landed on the back of his head. “You know I’m not a fighter. That’s what your father is for. Merida and I are going to help with refreshments.” Kristen never was a fighter. She was actually a bit squeamish when it came to any kind of injury, too.
“That works for me. Growing boys gotta eat.” Winston beamed as he stood up, towering over his mother. He bent down and kissed her on the cheek. “Thanks, Mom.” He flashed her a big, cheesy grin.
Kristen shook her head. “You boys are such trouble.” She started walking toward the door, but she stopped and turned slightly toward Hunter. “I hope everything goes as planned.”
Hunter nodded at her as he watched her disappear out the door. Then he turned to Jin. “How about some breakfast?”
Jin leaned up on her toes to look in Hunter’s cup. “What’s that?” She scrunched her nose with a frown. It had a strong smell to it. If that was breakfast, she was going to pass.
Hunter chuckled and his eyes danced in laughter. “This is my life blood, Jin. Also known as coffee. Here, take a sip.” Hunter held his cup up to her mouth with a side grin. He watched her face and his smile widened.
Her eyes stared into the black liquid with a small frown. Hunter leaned down and tilted his head, looking at her face.“Ugh, it's even on your breath, too.” Jin stepped back and shook her head in disgust.
Hunter laughed again. “I take it you’re not a coffee drinker?” He walked into the kitchen and brought out a box.
“Never had it, but it smells so strong.” Jin could feel everyone’s eyes on her and she looked up at Hunter nervously.
“It helps keep me going. It’s like liquid energy. Here, I think you’d rather have one of these.” Hunter opened the box, revealing several chocolate donuts. He watched her eyes light up and a smile curve her lips. Grabbing a donut, she looked up at him like a child who was just given a present. She then bounced over to the table and perched herself on one of the chairs.
“You really love your chocolate, don’t you, Jin?” Hunter chuckled and took a seat next to her. She was sitting on her feet in the chair. Even though she was a beautiful young woman, in this moment, she reminded him of a little kid who took pleasure in the little things in life. His mind drifted back to earlier. Her voice sounded so frightened this morning. What had happened to her before? Who could possibly do something to someone so sweet?
Chasen went to reach for a donut, his hand hovering between two. The last chocolate donut and one with maple icing. Jin took a bite of her donut and raised her eyebrow up at him. “You willing to wage war over a donut?”
For the first time, Chasen’s lips curled upward as he grinned at her. “The real question is are you really planning to fight with a guardian over a donut?” Chasen plucked the chocolate pastry in his hand and stood up. But just as he was about to place the donut in his mouth …
SWOOSH.
Before anyone knew what was happening, Jin was on top of Chasen’s shoulders, and a gust of air shot the donut up into her hand. She giggled as she retreated by leaping over to gentlyrest on Hunter’s head. Her soft giggle, along with laughter from Adam and Winston, sounded through the room. She had more tenacity than they thought to challenge Chasen like that.
A dark chuckle left Chasen’s throat. “Careful, little demon. I’m not a cute teddy bear.”
She looked down at Hunter and grinned before she lifted off and floated back to the ground. She took a bite of the donut defiantly and met with the deep, rich brown eyes. “It wouldn’t be any fun if you were.”
Chasen smirked and shook his head. She stood her ground as he took a few large steps toward her. He watched her curiously, wondering what she would do as he closed the gap.
Hunter laughed heartily. “Finally, someone else who isn’t afraid to challenge Chasen.” He stood up, sliding his chair back. As he did, though, the back leg got caught and the chair went crashing down onto the floor.
Jin buried her head into Chasen’s chest and clenched her fingers into his shirt. He could feel her body trembling. He looked up at the other men, who were all watching her with concern. This was not a typical reaction. Chasen let out a sigh and placed his hand on the top of her head and leaned his head down next to her ear. “Jin, you’re safe here,” he whispered quietly in a calming tone. He smiled and said, “But if you ever steal my donut again, you’ll have to face the consequences.” He winked at her as she glanced up at him. He even surprised himself by being so friendly with her.
Don’t bring it up. Just look away and finish your breakfast,Hunter ordered everyone through the mindlink. He didn’t want her feeling more embarrassed than she already did. He walked into the kitchen, frowning as he poured himself another cup of coffee. He felt his insides shake with anger. Jin had been mistreated.
Chasen watched her as she slowly released her grip on his shirt. He could see she looked embarrassed. He smiled at her, showing her it was okay. A realization came over him. Even with his unwelcoming attitude toward her, she still felt safe with him. She immediately went to him when she reacted. A strange feeling began to pull at him inside, one that he didn’t want to investigate further. He cleared his throat and retrieved the maple donut.
“I was never going to eat the chocolate donut anyway.” Chasen grinned as if she’d played right into his trap.
Jin smiled. She appreciated them just dropping the issue. “When it comes to chocolate, you can never be too careful.” She was shocked when she realized she’d ended up in Chasen’s arms, telling herself that she’d just leaped to the closest person. No, it was more than that. Subconsciously, she was seeking out safety. She had come a long way over the years, having worked on conditioning herself in certain scenarios. She was getting better, and when she expected the sounds, she could prepare herself. Unexpected sounds were harder to control.
