Page 9 of Forbidden Daddy Mate

Two men bundled in thick jackets stood at the door. Their faces were a shade darker than the still-falling snow. Both were tall and thin, but I could sense athleticism in their bodies. Agility and leanness over bulk.

“Can I help you?” I asked, eyes darting between the two newcomers. Something about them made my skin prickle. I tried to keep my expression neutral as I kept my ears pricked, wondering if Malcolm would be finished with his shower soon.

The slightly taller man, the one with sandy hair, gave me a warm smile that instantly put my mind at ease. Why on earth had I been remotely afraid of him? Inside, my wolf snarled and paced, flexing her claws at the newcomers. But she was just being paranoid. She could get that way around strangers sometimes.

“Sorry to bother you,” he said in a voice that ran like honey. “My friend and I live near here. We saw smoke coming from the chimney and wanted to make sure whoever over here was okay, given the weather.”

“Oh, that was really nice of you,” I said, smiling. “Yeah, I think we’re okay. A bit of a shock, but I think we’ll manage.”

“Ah, I’m glad to hear you’re not alone out here,” the man said. “Is it a group of you, or…?”

“It was supposed to be, but the snowstorm messed that up a bit,” I said. “It’s just me and my, uh, friend.” How on earth was I supposed to describe Malcolm? My friend’s dad seemed too informal, but “friend” wasn’t quite right, either.

“Your friend?” The other man, dark-haired but paler than his friend, prompted. Something about the way those green eyes looked me up and down made me feel like he was stripping me with his eyes. I’d thought that was just an expression until now.

“Yeah,” I said.

My wolf snarled, pushing inside me as if trying to take control. I blinked, shaking my head to clear it as her agitation pierced through the cloud of ease I’d been feeling.

“I’m sorry, but who are you?” I asked.

“Just friendly neighbors,” the sandy-haired one said.

The dark-haired one looked me up and down again, a slow, unnerving smile creeping over his face. The glint in his eyes told me exactly what he was thinking, and my skin crawled. I squirmed, wishing that I hadn’t opened the door at all.

“Nice to meet both of you,” I said, taking a step back as I prepared to close the door. “I’m sorry, but I have to—”

“Freya?”

I turned to see Malcolm coming down the stairs. His eyes remained locked on the door and the two men behind it.

“Everything all right?” he asked, his voice a growl.

“Everything’s perfectly fine,” the dark-haired one answered smoothly. “We were just making sure you were all right, given the weather. It seems you are, so we’ll leave you to it.” He nodded at me, his gaze lingering maybe a hair longer than it should have. “Pleasure to meet you.”

The strange duo walked away back into the snow, making me wonder why I was still so unsettled.

Chapter 5 - Malcolm

“Who were they?” I asked as Freya closed the door.

“No idea,” she said, frowning as she looked through the frosted window beside the frame. “They just said they wanted to make sure we were okay.”

“Did they give names?” I asked.

She shook her head. “They just seemed a little odd, that’s all. Perfectly nice.”

I nodded. Still, something about the lighter-haired one had struck a chord. I could have sworn I’d seen him somewhere before, only I had no idea where or how or when. I’d always been good with faces, but I couldn’t place his.

You’re probably just being paranoid, I told myself. Because truthfully, I was starting to wonder if the reason I was uneasy about the situation had anything to do with the strange shifters or if it had to do more with Freya. Because seeing her talking to those men, seeing the way the dark-haired one had been staring at her, I’d been…jealous.

But that was ridiculous. There was no reason for me to be jealous.

I glanced over at her, taking in her curvy figure, the way her clothes hugged her body emphasized her tiny waist. I forced myself to turn away. I wasn’t going to go down that road.

“It smells delicious,” I said, fishing for anything to say.

She brightened, seeming to forget all about the strange men even as they continued to plague my own thoughts.