Unexpected Mates ~ Book One
Chapter 3

Opening her emails, Sylvie groaned aloud, seeing a summons from Elias to see a new artefact in his office. “So you are an art thief then,” she scoffed quietly, typing back a quick, ‘I’m busy,’ no longer caring about being tactful.

The only reason she took the job was to get out of the retail industry, but it started to seem preferable to having two insanely attractive men act like psychos around her.

Elias responded immediately with a non-negotiable, ‘Now,’ and Sylvie groaned louder into her hands.

Stomping down the hall, she stood outside his office with a frown. The blinds were drawn, and muffled voices sounded from behind the door. Taking a calming breath, she knocked, and Kian’s brilliant smile appeared from behind the curtain.

“Come on in.” He beamed. “I’ve brought something to show you.”

Elias sat behind his desk, hands steepled under his chin. His dark curls were slightly messy on his head as if he had tousled them too many times.

Sylvie swallowed and clasped her hands in front of her. She didn’t miss the casual flicker of his eyes at the movement. “You called?”

Her eyes locked with Elias as Kian brushed carefully past her, the wind from his movements caressing her body like a gentle touch. He reclined on Elias’ lounge suite, ankle over the knee, his long arms draping over the back of the couch. She swallowed a whimper and gnawed the inside of her cheek when Elias spoke.

“I need you to look at something and tell me what you see.”

Standing, Elias picked up an oval object, holding it tenderly and carried it over to her. He held it out, and she took it, his hands brushing hers. She shivered from his icy touch and focused her attention on the object.

It looked like a regular hand mirror with intricate golden carvings as its border. The reflective surface shimmered and moved like a cellphone screensaver was embedded in it.

“What is this?”

“An artefact. Now, what do you see?” Kian asked, impatience evident in his voice.

Sighing, Sylvie turned it in her hands and began describing the piece. “It’s a mirror of some kind, but the glass isn’t reflective. The border is gold-”

“Can you see yourself in the reflection?” Elias asked, leaning over her shoulder, his arm brushing hers. Her knees squeezed together as she felt his soft, tepid skin.

Fearful her voice wouldn’t come out properly, she shook her head to answer him.

No.

Tilting the mirror at different angles, Sylvie thought she could see a castle structure before it shimmered away. A flash of thick trees and cabins appeared before getting replaced by a strange cityscape. The buildings seemed entirely made of glass and silver, like some romantic novel.

“I saw a castle, though, I think. But, seriously, Mr Fletcher, what is this? Is this a joke? Is something gonna jump out at me if I stare too closely because I’m not in the mood?”

Elias took back the artefact, hiding his face from her as he walked back to his desk. She cast her gaze on Kian and was surprised to see his smile had returned.

“You saw the castle?”

She nodded. “Yeah, and a glass city thing.”

Kian’s mouth dropped open, and Elias spun, returning to her side, gripping her wrist lightly. She pulled away, but his searching gaze made her pause.

“Say that again.”

Swallowing, she looked between the men. “After the castle disappeared, a city that looked all glass and maybe silver appeared. But, seriously, what is happening?”

“Has this ever happened before?” Kian asked incredulously.

Elias’ eyes narrowed, dropping her hand and pacing the open floor. “I don’t think so.”

A knock at the door made her jump and bolt to answer it before a pair of warm arms wrapped around her body. She almost screamed, but the tenderness of the touch made her knees go weak.

Looking down, she recognised the dark-tanned forearms of Kian as he slowly turned her in his arms. Then, putting a finger to his lips and hushing her, he pulled her back into his chest.

She frowned, looking for Elias’ confirmation, and he gave it, nodding sternly at her from the door to his office. He rubbed his eyes and hair messily before pulling the curtain back, squinting. Natalie’s voice chirped from the door as he grumbled. “I’ve told you before not to wake me, Natalie.”

“Sorry, sir, I was looking for Sylvie. I saw her walking this way, but she never came back.”

“What could you possibly want with her? She isn’t your assistant; she’s mine.”

Tingles exploded in Sylvie’s body, hearing him claiming her once again, the words pleasuring her unexpectedly.

“Of course, sir. I wasn’t suggesting- I just, sorry. But is she in here?”

Elias scowled. “No, Natalie. Now get out.”

As Elias slammed the door, Kian released her, and she wandered over to her boss tiredly. “Can I go now?”

He swallowed, looking back at Kian with a slight frown. “I’m afraid that’s not possible.”

“What do you mean? Are you trying to say I can’t leave?” Sylvie asked, backing away from both men, her eyes flicking from one to the other. Both held confusing expressions filled with frustration, displeasure, and even fear.

“Do you have any family, Ms Hart?” Elias finally asked, taking a seat on his couches arm.

She shivered under his attentive gaze before shaking her head. “No.”

“None at all?” Kian asked, sadness crossing his face.

Sylvie sighed again, crossing her arms. “No, okay, I grew up in foster care, and all my records said my parents are dead. I have no family.”

Elias and Kian shared a look before staring back at her again. “Friends? People that would miss you if you went away?”

She backed away, horrified. “Are you planning on murdering me or something?”

Kian jumped to his feet while Elias dropped his head into his hands.

“Of course not, Princess. But we might need to take you places to keep you safe, and we want to know if anyone will panic if you disappear for a while.”

Kian’s words did little to ease her panic as she backed further across the room, her back bumping into the mini-fridge. Her legs shook, and instead of standing against the appliance, she slid down, leaning her burning body against its cool metal.

“Why would you need to keep me safe?”

Elias stood, walked over to the fridge and sat on the floor opposite her. She tried to make herself as small as possible, but his frown stopped her.

“Because once others know what you are to us, you will become a target,” he said, reaching his palm out to her.

Sylvie looked at it warily before placing her trembling hand on top. His huge fingers enclosed hers, and he turned her hand in his. She expected him to let go, but he didn’t. A blush erupted across her chest as she realised the compromising position she was in with her boss.

Her bosses.

She tried to pull her hand free, but he held her steady.

“I’m your assistant. Why would anyone care about that?”

Kian approached slowly and sat with his back against the fridge’s other side. Their touching skin was a stark contrast to the humming fridges freezing exterior.

“You’re much more to us than that,” he said softly.

“I don’t understand,” she groaned. “You’re both talking in riddles. Will one of you tell me what is going on right now? This doesn’t feel like appropriate workplace behaviour...” she added the last part with a scoff. It definitely wasn’t, but it never stopped her before. Something about the risk made it sexier.

Kian snickered, and Elias hummed lowly. “You’re ours. Take that how you want, Hart. But you won’t be going anywhere without one of us ever again.”

As the words sunk beyond her lust-riddled brain, she scowled and snatched her hand back, shuffling into a tiny ball, so neither could touch her. Instantly her fog lifted, and she looked for an escape.

“If you don’t let me out of here, I will scream,” she threatened. “Don’t fuck with me, okay? I have a knife in my pocket.” She pulled the tiny iron-plated utility knife from her pants and held it in her sweaty fist.

Kian humphed and stood, crossing the room and looking at Elias expectantly. The latter sighed and held his hand out, palm open. His eyes captured hers, and he clicked his tongue. “Give it to me now.”

The urge to comply rose, but Sylvie only tightened her grip. “No. Now move back,” she said, waving the weapon in front of her. She really didn’t want to point it at either of them, but getting out of the room became her top priority.

“I want to go home. I do have someone that will notice I’m gone. My roommate, Fern. She’ll kick up a huge fuss if I don’t get home tonight.” It was a lie, of course. Fern didn’t give two shits about Sylvie. Half the time, she didn’t even return home, but they didn’t know that.

Elias’ jaw clenched as he stood and backed up, holding his hands open nonthreateningly.

Walking the perimeter of the room, Sylvie kept her eyes on both men before gripping the icy door handle again. She pulled, panicking when the door didn’t budge, tears burning her eyes as her throat constricted. “No!”

Kian’s arm snaked between her and the door, and she knicked it with the knife. He hissed, continuing to unlock Elias’ door before withdrawing his arm, a look of betrayal on his face.

Sylvie glanced at the golden fluid leaking from his wrist with an open mouth. Her brain refused to process what it was seeing; instead, she breathed a quick apology before running to the elevators.

Natalie was surprisingly absent from her desk, and Sylvie prayed she wouldn’t run into her. She knew the other woman would make assumptions about her interactions with her bosses, and she didn’t have the energy to deal with it.

Punching in the garage button, Sylvie quietly rode the elevator, clutching the tiny knife in her violently shaking hands.

The further she ran from Elias and Kian, the more her fear grew, which made zero sense in her mind. She should be feeling better, getting away from those psychos, not worse.

Finally, pushing the thoughts away, she bolted to her ancient burgundy Honda, climbing in and locking the doors.

Sylvie threw the useless weapon into the passenger seat, turned the car on and sped away, surprised to find her journey home uneventful besides the growing pool of dread in her belly.

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