Trayis (VLG Series Book 11) Read online

  “Welcome home, doll. I hope you like it.”

  She smiled. “I love it. It’s, um…big.”

  He chuckled. “Our sheds are larger than where you lived.”

  “No shit? Seriously?” Wen sounded stunned.

  Trayis released her hand. “Stay there, Shay.” He glanced into the backseat. “No shit. Wen, thanks for coming to get us. You’re still in charge until tomorrow. Shay and I are going to enjoy our evening without interruptions. Make sure that happens.”

  “Fine. Tymber is in the back, though, grilling your dinner. The steaks should be about done. He knew when I left, so he guesstimated when we’d return.”

  Shay stayed still as Trayis got out and came around the front of the SUV. He opened her door and helped her down from the tall vehicle. Then he tucked her to his side, leading her up the porch steps to the front door. He opened it and used his foot to shove the door wide.

  Then he surprised her by scooping her into his arms and carrying her inside.

  She stared in amazement at the interior. It had beautiful log beams, a high ceiling in the living area, and a rock fireplace that dominated one wall. The kitchen area was under a loft. There were hardwood floors with a few rugs thrown in the living space near the couch and loveseat. The furniture was basic but looked comfortable.

  He kicked the door closed behind them. “What do you think?”

  She grinned. “It’s stunning.”

  Footsteps sounded from a hallway on the other side of the kitchen, and then another big man walked forward, holding a platter. He grinned at them, entering the kitchen. He was tall, maybe six-five, with a muscled body covered in a tight T-shirt, faded jeans, and black boots. His black hair was long, pulled into a ponytail that had fallen over his shoulder. It nearly reached his waist. Light blue eyes were a stark contrast against his tan skin and hair color.

  “Welcome home! Four steaks, medium rare. Baked potatoes and all the trimmings are on the counter. I even remembered to put out plates.” The guy winked. “Now I’ll get the hell out.”

  “Thanks, Tymber. This is Shay.”

  She waved to him. “Hi. It’s nice to meet you—and thank you for dinner.”

  “I was glad to do it. I can’t wait to get to know you, Shay. You must be someone very special to have caught Trayis.” He grinned wide, his gaze locking on his clan leader. “You did good, man. See you in the morning. Wen and I told everyone there would be a meeting outside your office at ten. That way you can announce your mate.” He inhaled, his nostrils flaring. “She’s carrying your scent, but not strong enough yet.”

  “We haven’t officially mated,” Shay admitted.

  Surprise widened Tymber’s eyes.

  “Yet. I wanted to wait until we got here,” Trayis added. “Thanks for dinner and for helping to get this place ready for Shay.”

  “Anytime.” Tymber passed by them, leaving out the front door.

  Trayis gently deposited her on her feet. “Take a look around real quick if you want. I’m going to get our bags. I’ll be right back, and then we’ll eat. I’m starving.”

  “Me too.” It had been a while since their in-flight meal.

  He left but Shay didn’t move. She just looked around, taking in every detail. The living room was large but cozy at the same time. The kitchen was updated, at least six times larger than what she was used to, and it had nice appliances. Even a dishwasher. It shocked her to find a home this nice in such a remote area.

  Trayis returned with their bags and walked to the other side of the room to the curved staircase. “I’m going to drop these in the master. Want a quick tour?”

  She nodded, hurrying after him. They’d used logs for the banister, too. She ran her hands over the smooth, polished rails. “This is amazing.”

  “We have a lot of time up here to learn skills. And tons of trees. It also saves money when we can build our own stuff from natural resources. Not that we’re broke. The gold rush times were damn good to us.”

  Shay laughed. “Really? You mined gold?”

  He chuckled when he reached the top of the stairs. “We did. VampLycans don’t fear hard work, long hours, or physical labor. We excelled at it.”

  There were some bookshelves, most of them empty, and a leather couch in the loft. He entered a hallway and she followed. It led to three open doors. The first one was a bathroom. The second a compact guestroom. The third door opened into a bedroom larger than she’d expected. It had another fireplace along the back wall, and an open door to the left revealed another bathroom. Next to it were two slider closets. “Wow.”

  He dropped their bags near the bed and turned. “Under this, behind the kitchen area, is another master bedroom with a bath, a half bath, and some storage space, which could be turned into another large bedroom down the road, or even split into two smaller ones.” He paused. “If we ever need more.”

  She felt her cheeks heat. “Do you want that many kids? I mean, you have two spare bedrooms already. You’re implying we could convert two more. That would be at least four kids.”

  He nodded.

  “That’s probably good since, you know, I can’t control my ovaries.”

  He grinned. “You say that like it’s a bad thing. We can even expand the cabin to six or more bedrooms by adding onto the sides or the back.”

  “Whoa!” She was stunned. “That many, huh?”

  “We live a long damn time, Shay. You’ll be drinking my blood on a regular basis once we’re mated. Even if your aging wasn’t going to slow from your Lycan father, my blood will do that for you. You’re thinking in human terms again.”

  “I tend to do that.”

  He approached her. “Let’s eat, and think about making babies afterward.”

  “Good plan.”

  “Do you like the bedroom? We can move downstairs if you like the other master more. I just prefer being on the second story because of our winters.”

  She glanced at the fireplace. “I bet that’s nice to have on chilly nights.”

  “The other master has a fireplace, too. I just like the views better from up here. In the winter, the snow can pile high enough to block some of the windows on the lower level.”

  “I’m great with this as our bedroom.” She glanced at the huge bed. “That looks comfortable.”

  He chuckled. “It is. You’ll find out yourself soon—I’m going to mate you in it.”

  She was looking forward to that.

  Trayis took her hand and led her downstairs. They plated the food, fixed their baked potatoes with butter, cheese, and chives. “This was really nice of Tymber.”

  “He and Wen have a motive for being so welcoming. They say I work too much, which makes me moody.” He winked. “Now that I have you, I’ll cut back my hours. That means I won’t be such an asshole.”

  She laughed. “At least you have a sense of humor about it.”

  “I told you the clan leader doesn’t take himself too seriously.”

  “You did. I just didn’t realize you were speaking about yourself at the time.”

  “I didn’t want you to run away from me.”

  She couldn’t blame him for that.

  Chapter Seventeen

  Shay showered, wanting to feel refreshed after all their travel time. Trayis waited in their bedroom. She wrapped a towel around her body then exited the bathroom. Trayis had lit the fireplace, and he sat on the edge of the bed. He’d removed his shoes, socks, and shirt. Even the button of his jeans were undone. His sex appeal left her almost gawking at him in appreciation.

  He rose to his feet, his beautiful eyes showing golden streaks. He smiled. “You ready, doll?”

  She nodded and loosened the towel, allowing it to drop. His gaze lowered down her body and a low rumble came from his throat.

  “I’m a little nervous, though.”

  He stalked closer, until he stopped less than a foot away. “There’s no need to be.”

  She reached up and placed her hands on his chest, peering at him. �