The brothers sat frozen, looking at her in open confusion. If Zelina hadn’t been so surprised herself, she would have her ass off. She was positive neither brother had ever been stumped in his life.
“So I am guessing she is your mate, so you couldn’t exactly fight your need for her. As your kind is not a large population, siblings mate to one person. She is now your mate, and that would explain the disappearing act and . . . dominance show Rion put on when I was on the phone.”
“You heard that!” Zelina screeched, turning red.
“You were on the phone, and I wasn’t on mute, girl. I was just so worried at the time. I was just trying to find out where you were. Anyway, this is why trust was so important?”
“Why are you not freaking out?” Zelina finally asked. Statue One and Statue Two were still deciding not to talk yet.
“Gentlemen, let me tell you what my job is. I am an editor for my company. My genre is fiction, specifically looking at the subgenres of romance, urban fantasy, and paranormal romance.”
“Paranormal,” Quin started.
“Romance?” Rion finished, finally coming out of the fish-out-of-water stare.
“Books about beings like you. You know, shifters, vampyres, witches, mages, or wizards, you name it. The possibilities are endless. I find myself in awe more so than fear knowing that you all really do exist.” She sat back then, hand over her heart. “You are real,” she whispered.
“Then I can tell you the rest,” Zelina said quietly. “I almost died, J.” She got up at Jezzie’s cry, pulling her friend into her arms. “Brian was not human. He was a vampyre, and nothing like the books. He tried to kill me, almost did.” She rubbed the spot on her neck where he had torn through.
“I found her and was able to destroy the fiend. When I smelled her, I knew what she was to us, and I brought her home. At the time, she wasn’t conscious, and when she did come to, we weren’t ready for her to bring in the outside world yet.”
“We had to make sure she chose us before we opened up. Her fear alone after the attack would have had her running from us. We needed the time,” Rion finished.
Zelina liked how they did that, blended and molded until all of them were on the same thought at the same time. Outside of J, she had never had anyone so in tune with her. It was a humbling experience.
“I am so happy you are safe, Z. I wouldn’t know what to do without you.” Tears falling down her face like diamonds, Jezzie pulled Zelina tighter to her chest. Zelina didn’t fight her. She understood the fear coursing through her heart and the thoughts she most likely was thinking. She let her friend hold her until the tears faded and her heart finally slowed down.
“I’m okay, Jezzie. Really I am. With my mates, I’ll never fear again. I’m not lost or gone away from you. I have to admit it is much nicer knowing that you know the truth. I wasn’t sure if I could hide from you all that was going on.”
“Sister from another mister, huh?”
“Always, girl. Always.”
“Alpha, the humans have—”
The shifter who’d barged into the room stopped, nose to the air, sniffing. His cold gray eyes rested on Jezzie for a moment before sliding away to look at a spot over his Alpha’s right shoulder. Black hair, cut military short, exposed a hard face. It couldn’t be considered handsome. One long scar from the left of his forehead down to his chin on the right side marred what might have been an attractive face. Where it came down closer to the left eye, it pulled the flesh taut so that his left eye had a deeper slant compared to its counterpart. His gaze swung back to Jezzie for a heart-stopping minute before returning to his Alpha’s shoulder.
“The two men have cleared our territory grounds. We are secure once more.”
“Thank you, Socha.”
“Socha? Really, no better name than that?” Zelina asked.
“Not his name. It’s a nickname,” Rion responded.
“What? That’s a woman’s name.”
“Tell you later.”
“Socha, this is your Lunar’s sister, Jezzie.”
Jezzie smiled softly to Quin’s explanation of her before standing and extending her hand. “It is nice to meet you, Socha.”
“Andrzej,” he responded to her.
“What?”
“My name is Andrzej. You may not call me Socha.”
“What the hell is his problem?”
“Again, I’ll tell you later,” Rion sighed.
“You are going to let him talk to her like that?”
“Is everyone allowed to call you Z?” Quin cut in.
“Of course not.”
“Then he has the right.”
“I am sorry. I was simply trying to be polite.”
Socha didn’t respond to her.
“I see the name fits, though. Unbending and unmoving,” she muttered to herself and went back to her seat. Socha’s gaze swung back to her, surprised, before she smiled at him. He then stiffened and looked away.
“By your leave,” he said then, bowing before leaving the room.
“I bet you water freezes on his ass.”