Page 12 of Alice and Her Shifters (Dirty Paranormal Fairytale Haremlan 2)

5

ALLISON

I kept quiet for the rest of the trip. I also kept my eyes on the men in front of me. Every once in a while, one of them would look over their shoulder at me just to make sure I was still behind them. Of course, I was. I was smarter than what they gave me credit for. Plus, I was clearly out of my element here. My best bet was to stick with them for the time being. Once I had a way home, I was going to take it. Deal or no deal.

Not long after we made it out of the strange forest, we came to a small, dilapidated cottage which appeared as though it would topple over if someone breathed on it wrong. It was surrounded by a small clearing with trees surrounding it. These trees were different than the ones in the blood forest, as Milo referred to them. The air was different too. I also heard smaller animals skittering away from us as we drew near. A soft breeze rustled through the leaves of the trees. The moonlight filtered silver beams through the canopies, highlighting the various bushes that spotted the ground.

The nerdy guy said, “Rest for the bones!”

I wasn’t sure what to make of him. He was quiet except for the unusual comment about something that didn’t seem to pertain to anything I could see. Maybe he was crazy. Maybe I was the crazy one here, considering this could all be a figment of my imagination. Regardless, the feelings were the same.

“My sweet pea,” he said. “I’ve missed you.”

I stared at him a little harder as I tried to piece things together. When I had, I was shocked. “Wait. You live here?”

“Not everything can be as pristine as your world,” the man with the intense blue eyes said.

“What do you mean my world?” I asked.

“Not very clever, is she?” Milo asked.

I glared at him. “Watch it. I can still burn you.”

“Roses have thorns,” the nerdy one said as he stepped through the door. The thing creaked loudly and scraped against the floor as it opened into the front room of the cottage.

I crossed my arms over my chest as Milo smirked and gestured for me to walk in. I glared at him. Though I wasn’t sure how I could do it again—since I wasn’t positive on how I did so before—I wanted to burn that expression right off his face.

The thought made me smile.

Milo’s expression shifted into one of confusion. Or maybe that was something else in his eyes. Either way, I didn’t care. I stepped forward, entering the cottage that was covered in dirt, dust, and other things I could only guess at. There was a musty smell that permeated the air. I choked on the first few breaths I took in.

I much rather preferred the world outside to this ramshackle place.

A rickety couch took up the center of the floor a couple of feet away from the front door. It faced the fireplace that held an old cast iron pot dangling from a hook. The fireplace had a collection of coal and ash giving the impression it hadn’t been cleaned out in ages.

Yet the nerdy guy walked over and without hesitation used an invisible force to dissipate the dust and debris. Wood appeared in place of the mess, and a spark shot from his hand. Within seconds, the fire was going. Warmth bled into the cold of the room, making me realize I was freezing.

“Rest your toes, but not your nose,” he said.

I shook my head as I took a seat on the couch. I grew more confused about my situation. Heads or tails, I was lost.

“Formal introductions are in order, I believe,” Milo said. “I’m Milo, again. This is Calvin.”

He pointed to the one with the intense blue eyes.

“And he’s Aidan,” he said, pointing to the nerdy one.

“And she’s destiny,” Aidan said before chuckling.

I arched an eyebrow. “What is his problem?”

“Who? Aidan?” Milo asked. “Nothing.”

I glared at him. “I need answers.”

Milo took a seat next to me. I leaned into the arm of the couch as far as I would go just to keep as much distance between us as possible. Calvin sat on the other side of Milo. Aidan brought a chair from a darkened corner of the cottage and sat it on the other side of me. He patted my hand and giggled.

I sighed. “Sooner rather than later.”

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