Status: Finished.
More Than Just Baser Instincts.
Introductions
“Elaine!” Anne cried happily, grinning at me the second she opened the door. Cameron was perched happily on his mother’s hip, sucking on his thumb and gawking at me through wide and fascinated oval eyes. I wriggled my fingers at him, eliciting a delighted shriek as he tried to catch the movement in his tiny hand.
“Hi, Anne,” I finally said after managing—by nothing short of a miracle—to pull my attention away from the all-too-engaging baby. “I’m not too early, am I?”
“Of course not! Come in, come in! The boys are watching football.” She groaned and cast a disapproving look over her shoulder as cheers and roars erupted from somewhere inside the cabin. “You are not a moment too soon, I should say,” she grumbled, making another face before stepping back to allow my entrance.
She had a lovely home, very comfortable and cozy. While standing just inside the front door, I could see the entire layout: from the quaint kitchen, to the small den where men were flailing as if their lives depended on it, and to the hallway where three doors branched off into what I could assume was a cluster bedrooms and possibly a bathroom. The color scheme drew the cabin together with warm brown and beige colourings. I smiled to Anne after assessing her home, and she grinned.
“Guys, can I interrupt for just one moment?” she asked, shuffling over to the couch full of men who seemed to silence immediately and await her words. Bryce stared up at her with obvious devotion despite the intense game flickering on the television screen, though his gaze did shift to his child for a moment. The serene smile on his face could have melted a heart made of stone.
“Sure, Anne. What have you got?” Bryce finally asked, reaching for the remote and silencing the television set without another thought.
She smiled and thanked him with a quick kiss on the cheek. “I just want everyone to meet Elaine, if they haven’t heard of her already?”
Upon her gesture with a sweeping hand, the four pairs of eyes moved to me. Bryce smiled to me before his gaze returned to who was quite obviously the love of his life, but the others were not quite so quick to ignore my presence.
“I’m Elaine,” I offered awkwardly, trying to disarm their gazes with a gentle smile. They looked shocked if anything.
“A White,” one muttered, strangely, though I could hardly press him to elaborate. “Wow… You are quite the rarity around here. What brings you out here?”
I opened my mouth to speak, but Anne cleared her throat; my eyes moved to her, but none of the others seemed to even take heed.
“There will be plenty of time for questions tonight; introductions first, Liam!”
Liam, the one who had just questioned me, shook his head and smiled gently. “Of course. But where are my manners today?”
The man rose from his spot on the couch and strode up to me on long, lean legs. He bowed at his torso, and his golden hair fell over his chestnut eyes for but one second. When he straightened his back, he took my hand in his and pressed a gentle kiss to my skin. A heated blush took over my cheeks, but I braved the invasion as he gazed up at me through those dazzling eyes.
“I am Liam Nether, Miss Porter, and I am very delighted to have the chance to make your acquaintance.”
I nodded, an eyebrow raised at him as he jumped over the back of the couch and landed easily beside Bryce. The next man had hair the color of marigolds, trimmed very short compared to Liam’s shaggy style. His eyes watched me curiously, much more innocently, before he pushed himself onto his feet and ambled up to me.
“Does everyone from the Northern Sector look like you?” he asked quietly, still gawking. Anne coughed, and he frowned. “My apologies. I’m Julian Moore, and I just so happen to be Liam’s cousin-in-law.”
“So you are married to his cousin, eh?”
He furrowed his brow. “Married?”
“Back in Chicago, they apparently call it ‘being married,’” Anne elaborated, smiling gently to me. “It is essentially the same thing, from what I gather.”
He nodded. “If you mean she is the light of my life, then yes; we’re married.”
My eyes moved expectantly to the last man, but I knew who it was as soon as I saw his face. He looked so much like Bryce it was hard to believe they were half-brothers and not twins!
“You must be Camden,” I said as he shook my hand.
A lop-sided grin formed on his lips. “I see my infamy precedes me. Anne, have you been gossiping again?”
“I would never!” she gaped, rushing up to us. “But you know, Camden isn’t married, Elaine.”
“Anne!” we both shouted, and she cringed away.
“Just stating a fact! Sorry!” she protested in surrender, rushing back to her husband. “The nerve of some people!”
“Regardless,” Camden started, sighing, “I would love if you could appease my curiosity.” My face burned when his fingers tangled in my hair, his eyes examining the locks. “I have not seen anyone like you on the outside; would that be to say that you are so different on the inside as well?”
I stepped away from his hands, a shudder coursing up my spine. Why did this feel so wrong? I gave him an awkward smile, but he just grinned as if he thought I was just being shy. My eyes darted to Anne, but she gestured me towards him with her hands as Bryce un-muted the television and the sounds of cheers filled the air once more.
“It’s loud in here,” Camden stated casually, glancing back at the uproarious scene behind us. “Maybe we could talk in the basement?”
I opened my mouth to protest, but… But why would I want to protest? He was an attractive male, strong, and seemingly kind enough. Why did my body conspire against me? The thought was irritating!
“Okay,” I agreed (out of spite for myself), following him down the hall and to one of the three doors.
Opening it revealed a staircase, one that I followed Camden down until reaching a basement that was well-furnished. He guided me to a couch before turning on the television.
“White noise,” he murmured, turning the volume down. “Now, I would love to hear about you, Elaine. I’ve heard all of the commotion around town, but I hadn’t understood the big fuss—until I saw you.”
“Well, what do you want to know?”
“What was it like growing up?”
“I think I should admit to you that I grew up in Illinois,” I mumbled, knowing that he was so certain I was from some sector of Oregon. “I am not from here. At all. Never been here in my life until now.”
He furrowed his brow. “But I had heard that in the Northern Sector…” He shook his head. “Your parents just left? Just like that?”
I shrugged. “My mother did, but I guess my father didn’t; I don’t know him. My only family is my godmother back in Chicago—she’s all but raised me herself since my mother’s passing.”
I felt the intrusion of his skin before I had even realised his hand was on my arm. “I’m so sorry, Elaine. No one should lose their mother.”
I smiled nervously as his eyes bore into mine. Was he getting closer? My eyes widened. He certainly was! My skin was absolutely crawling with disgust, but that was bearable; what wasn’t tolerable was the feeling of his lips on mine! My body screamed at me that this was wrong, and the protests were rising in my throat. In fact, they were nearly palpable on my tongue. But this didn’t make sense! He was a handsome man, so why…? Unless—
“Any other man's touch will revolt you to the point that you'll be screaming for me to come save you. Any other man's lips will feel so foreign and disgusting against your skin. Any other man's presence will not be welcome within five meters of you…”
But why! Why would it bother me so much? It just didn’t make any sense!
“Do you know why?”
What had he said?
“It is because you always have and always will be mine, Elaine.”
I was starting to believe him... And that scared me more than anything.
“Hi, Anne,” I finally said after managing—by nothing short of a miracle—to pull my attention away from the all-too-engaging baby. “I’m not too early, am I?”
“Of course not! Come in, come in! The boys are watching football.” She groaned and cast a disapproving look over her shoulder as cheers and roars erupted from somewhere inside the cabin. “You are not a moment too soon, I should say,” she grumbled, making another face before stepping back to allow my entrance.
She had a lovely home, very comfortable and cozy. While standing just inside the front door, I could see the entire layout: from the quaint kitchen, to the small den where men were flailing as if their lives depended on it, and to the hallway where three doors branched off into what I could assume was a cluster bedrooms and possibly a bathroom. The color scheme drew the cabin together with warm brown and beige colourings. I smiled to Anne after assessing her home, and she grinned.
“Guys, can I interrupt for just one moment?” she asked, shuffling over to the couch full of men who seemed to silence immediately and await her words. Bryce stared up at her with obvious devotion despite the intense game flickering on the television screen, though his gaze did shift to his child for a moment. The serene smile on his face could have melted a heart made of stone.
“Sure, Anne. What have you got?” Bryce finally asked, reaching for the remote and silencing the television set without another thought.
She smiled and thanked him with a quick kiss on the cheek. “I just want everyone to meet Elaine, if they haven’t heard of her already?”
Upon her gesture with a sweeping hand, the four pairs of eyes moved to me. Bryce smiled to me before his gaze returned to who was quite obviously the love of his life, but the others were not quite so quick to ignore my presence.
“I’m Elaine,” I offered awkwardly, trying to disarm their gazes with a gentle smile. They looked shocked if anything.
“A White,” one muttered, strangely, though I could hardly press him to elaborate. “Wow… You are quite the rarity around here. What brings you out here?”
I opened my mouth to speak, but Anne cleared her throat; my eyes moved to her, but none of the others seemed to even take heed.
“There will be plenty of time for questions tonight; introductions first, Liam!”
Liam, the one who had just questioned me, shook his head and smiled gently. “Of course. But where are my manners today?”
The man rose from his spot on the couch and strode up to me on long, lean legs. He bowed at his torso, and his golden hair fell over his chestnut eyes for but one second. When he straightened his back, he took my hand in his and pressed a gentle kiss to my skin. A heated blush took over my cheeks, but I braved the invasion as he gazed up at me through those dazzling eyes.
“I am Liam Nether, Miss Porter, and I am very delighted to have the chance to make your acquaintance.”
I nodded, an eyebrow raised at him as he jumped over the back of the couch and landed easily beside Bryce. The next man had hair the color of marigolds, trimmed very short compared to Liam’s shaggy style. His eyes watched me curiously, much more innocently, before he pushed himself onto his feet and ambled up to me.
“Does everyone from the Northern Sector look like you?” he asked quietly, still gawking. Anne coughed, and he frowned. “My apologies. I’m Julian Moore, and I just so happen to be Liam’s cousin-in-law.”
“So you are married to his cousin, eh?”
He furrowed his brow. “Married?”
“Back in Chicago, they apparently call it ‘being married,’” Anne elaborated, smiling gently to me. “It is essentially the same thing, from what I gather.”
He nodded. “If you mean she is the light of my life, then yes; we’re married.”
My eyes moved expectantly to the last man, but I knew who it was as soon as I saw his face. He looked so much like Bryce it was hard to believe they were half-brothers and not twins!
“You must be Camden,” I said as he shook my hand.
A lop-sided grin formed on his lips. “I see my infamy precedes me. Anne, have you been gossiping again?”
“I would never!” she gaped, rushing up to us. “But you know, Camden isn’t married, Elaine.”
“Anne!” we both shouted, and she cringed away.
“Just stating a fact! Sorry!” she protested in surrender, rushing back to her husband. “The nerve of some people!”
“Regardless,” Camden started, sighing, “I would love if you could appease my curiosity.” My face burned when his fingers tangled in my hair, his eyes examining the locks. “I have not seen anyone like you on the outside; would that be to say that you are so different on the inside as well?”
I stepped away from his hands, a shudder coursing up my spine. Why did this feel so wrong? I gave him an awkward smile, but he just grinned as if he thought I was just being shy. My eyes darted to Anne, but she gestured me towards him with her hands as Bryce un-muted the television and the sounds of cheers filled the air once more.
“It’s loud in here,” Camden stated casually, glancing back at the uproarious scene behind us. “Maybe we could talk in the basement?”
I opened my mouth to protest, but… But why would I want to protest? He was an attractive male, strong, and seemingly kind enough. Why did my body conspire against me? The thought was irritating!
“Okay,” I agreed (out of spite for myself), following him down the hall and to one of the three doors.
Opening it revealed a staircase, one that I followed Camden down until reaching a basement that was well-furnished. He guided me to a couch before turning on the television.
“White noise,” he murmured, turning the volume down. “Now, I would love to hear about you, Elaine. I’ve heard all of the commotion around town, but I hadn’t understood the big fuss—until I saw you.”
“Well, what do you want to know?”
“What was it like growing up?”
“I think I should admit to you that I grew up in Illinois,” I mumbled, knowing that he was so certain I was from some sector of Oregon. “I am not from here. At all. Never been here in my life until now.”
He furrowed his brow. “But I had heard that in the Northern Sector…” He shook his head. “Your parents just left? Just like that?”
I shrugged. “My mother did, but I guess my father didn’t; I don’t know him. My only family is my godmother back in Chicago—she’s all but raised me herself since my mother’s passing.”
I felt the intrusion of his skin before I had even realised his hand was on my arm. “I’m so sorry, Elaine. No one should lose their mother.”
I smiled nervously as his eyes bore into mine. Was he getting closer? My eyes widened. He certainly was! My skin was absolutely crawling with disgust, but that was bearable; what wasn’t tolerable was the feeling of his lips on mine! My body screamed at me that this was wrong, and the protests were rising in my throat. In fact, they were nearly palpable on my tongue. But this didn’t make sense! He was a handsome man, so why…? Unless—
“Any other man's touch will revolt you to the point that you'll be screaming for me to come save you. Any other man's lips will feel so foreign and disgusting against your skin. Any other man's presence will not be welcome within five meters of you…”
But why! Why would it bother me so much? It just didn’t make any sense!
“Do you know why?”
What had he said?
“It is because you always have and always will be mine, Elaine.”
I was starting to believe him... And that scared me more than anything.