The house rattled.

I groaned, rolling onto my stomach and stuffed the pillow around my ears to block out the sound.

"Kotya! You in here? I can smell you!"

The floors vibrated.

I heard the loud steps become louder .

The bedroom door banged open, sending in a gush of cold wind.

One second, I was wrapped tightly in warmth. The next, I felt the sheets being ripped from my body.

"KOTYA-"

"What in the fuckery?" I sat up, trying to open my eyes from the onslaught of light.

"-YOU'RE NOT KOTYA!"

I blinked rapidly, trying to adjust to the brightness of the room. When my vision focused, I squealed as a tall-as-fuck woman stood staring at me from the foot the bed, cupping her mouth from shock.

I glanced down at my birthday suit and squealed again, grabbing two pillows to hide my lady bits. "Who are you?!"

The woman scanned the room, before her eyes landed on me again. Her dark golden eyes were familiar. She wore a violet two-piece suit that she paired with strappy black heels. From my vantage point, I could see she had painted her nails a hot pink shade. She was stunning, the type of beauty people stopped mid step to appreciate. She looked embarrassed now as she tried to avoid staring right at me, "I'm Tatiana."

Now why did that name sound familiar?

The bathroom door opened, and we both turned to see Alexei exit the steam filled room, rubbing a towel over his head. He paused when he noticed we had company.

"Kotya, why is there a naked woman in your bed?"

Alexei seemed to take in the fact that I had been rudely awakened in my nude state. He quickly snapped into action, storming to the woman and grabbing her arm. "Tati, what are you doing here so early in the morning? I thought you were coming next week." He dragged the woman to the door.

The poor thing stumbled as she resisted his pulling. "I swear I told you my plans to come a little earlier. I didn't get a reply, so I thought you were fine with me coming."

"Kotya, you there?" A smaller voice asked from outside the door.

"Sascha is here too?" Alexei asked, flinging the door open with a sigh. He tried to push the woman out, but she was still resisting.

"Yeah, we came to surprise you-"

"Wait, explain later. Just get out for now. My mate needs to get up." He told her firmly.

"YOUR MATE?! YOU'RE MATED!" The woman, Tatiana, shrieked. I was surprised the glass hadn't shattered.

Alexei finally managed to shove her out. He slammed it shut, locking it.

"Oh my gosh brother, you're mated? That's so cute. Is she in there with you? Can I see her? Hello? Alexei's mate? I'm Sascha. I'm twelve-"

"Give us a minute Sascha. We'll come out soon enough."

A small sigh resounded, "Fine. Alright. Can I at least raid your fridge?"

"Go, help yourself."

"Babushka is going to want to have a word with you." Tatiana said.

"Yeah, I know. I know. Just please give us a few minutes. We'll be down shortly."

Their steps faded.

When they were gone, Alexei turned, "Well..."

"Those are your sisters?" I asked.

"Yeah." He sighed, running his fingers through the wet strands of his hair, "I wasn't expecting them until next week."

"They seem nice."

"They are."

"She looks like you."

"That was Tatiana. People have mistaken us for fraternal twins."

"You both have the same eyes."

"The Vasiliev trait you could say."

"I guess I should get ready huh?" I slid from the bed, placing the pillows back to their original resting place.

I was more than aware of Alexei's gaze on me as I opened the bathroom door. My thoughts were confirmed when I peeked over my shoulder, meeting his dark gaze. "Your sisters are downstairs. No funny business."

I watched his throat bob. "They can wait."

I picked up his discarded shirt, throwing it in his direction, "No. Get dressed. You have guests to entertain."

"No Solnishko, we have guests to entertain."

I couldn't hide my snort as I closed the door behind me.

Once he was out of sight, I began to freak.

I paused in front of the mirror, wiping away the steam from Alexei's shower. My hair was a mess, and my eyes were baggy. My only saving grace was the fact I hadn't gone to sleep with a speck of make-up, not that I wore any on the usual basis. My right cheek was pink from my palm that I used to as my pillow. I huffed, twisting the tap. Water rushed out. I quickly doused my face in cold water, letting it wake me up.

When my nerves settled, I turned the tap off. "Focus Pen. It's no big deal. They're Alexei's sisters. This is good. You're just meeting the family,"

I focused my attention on turning on the shower. Once the room was filled with steam, I slid under the rush of water while I tried to simultaneously calm my nerves.

I had boyfriends before, none of which were serious. Most were humans. I never did want to meet their families either, especially when they insisted.

It was surreal to me knowing that his sisters were downstairs, waiting for us.

I was unprepared.

I didn't know if I was ready to meet Alexei's family. He loved them. They were precious to him. I was a new addition to the mix.

It was obvious they hadn't known about me either.

I quickly dried off and only remembered that I hadn't taken any clothes into the bathroom when I moved to the door. I also didn't have any clean clothes since Alexei had stripped them off me last night. From memory, I knew they were still scattered on the ground.

Three knocks tapped against the door, "You okay in there?"

I took a deep inhale, and exhaled.

No, I wasn't okay.

I was going to vomit.

"Give me a few minutes."

Silence met my words.

The doorknob began twisting. "Open the door."

"Just give me a few minutes. Please."

"You're freaking out."

I was.

"Open the door Solnishko."

I counted to three, before I opened the door, reluctantly.

Alexei slipped through the crack, catching my expression before I could hide it. "Tell me what's going on?"

"No need to worry about me. Just a little freak out. It'll be over in a few seconds."

"You're scared." He stated.

My shoulders slumped. "Only a little." I admitted.

Warm hands cupped my cheeks, coercing my head to an angle where I met those familiar golden-brown eyes. He studied my expression again. "They're just my sisters."

"That's exactly why I'm panicking. They're your sisters Alexei."

"And you all will get along. Trust me. I know my sisters. They may act psycho but they're not."

"Alright, I'll be ready in a sec, I just don't have any clean clothes to put on."

"I have plenty for you." He assured, leading us out from the bathroom and into his room. He moved to his drawers, pulling out some sweats and a baggy tee and hoodie. "Want some socks too?"

"Yes please."

Alexei grabbed all the bits and pieces and returned to me, holding out the bundle of clothes. "Here. They're definitely a bigger fit for you but it'll have to do until your clothes are washed and dried."

"This is fine. Thanks." I reached to grab the pile, but he held it away. I blinked up at him, confused.

"You forgot something." He smirked.

"What?"

He pointed to his cheek, "Place your lips here."

I rolled my eyes, "Of course you would." I closed the gap between us, but I should've known he had other plans. His fingers clasped my jaw, pulling me to him until his lips nipped mine.

The feel of his lips cast me in a spell.

If there was anything I was sure of, it was the fluttery sensation I felt when Alexei's lips touched mine.

***

As soon as we joined Tatiana and Sascha downstairs, they immediately stopped talking and ran to their brother. Alexei engulfed both girls into his arms, holding them tightly.

"I've missed you starshey bratt." Sascha sighed into her brother's chest. "It's been like forever."

"You saw me a few months ago."

"A few months ago, is still too long. We need to come see you at least a few more times a month."

"You already know both you and Tatiana are free to come here any time you want."

When the trio released each other, the two girls' gaze latched onto me.

I stepped forward, smiling. "I'm Penelope but you can just call me Pen. I'm Alex-"

"-you're his mate!" Sascha interrupted with a squeal, clapping her hands.

Whereas Tatiana and Alexei shared similar looks, Sascha had short strawberry blonde locks and soft hazel eyes. She was much shorter than Alexei and Tatiana. She had decided on denim overalls with a long-sleeved yellow shirt inside. The ensemble was paired with well-worn converses she matched with purple socks.

Alexei's gaze was warm as Sascha approached me, holding out her arms. "Can I hug you?"

I nodded.

She immediately lunged into me, the same way she tackled Alexei. She placed her arms around me, squeezing tightly, "I'm so happy Alex found his mate. I was getting worried he wouldn't find anyone. There were so many women who thought they'd get-"

"-that is enough Sas." Alexei cut her off, pulling her back.

If I didn't know any better, he looked embarrassed by his sister's words.

"Sorry, I talk too much." Sascha smiled, albeit a little smaller now that her brother was certainly giving her the look to behave. "I'm Sascha by the way."

"Nice to meet you." I couldn't help but smile. She was adorable.

"And I'm Tatiana." Alexei's other sister came forward, holding out her manicured hand. "I'm sorry I barged into the room and ripped the blanket off you. If I had known the lump on the bed was not my brother, I wouldn't have been so-"

"-stupid?" Alexei offered.

Tatiana flushed red, clearing her throat. "Apologies, I won't do it again."

"Of course, you won't because I'll be taking that spare key to my house away from you." Alexei threw over his shoulder as he walked to the kitchen. We all followed him, claiming the stools near the marble island as he began taking out a fry pan from his drawers.

Tatiana huffed, "Hey, I apologized bratt, are you really going to take away the keys from me?"

"We'll see how I'm feeling after I cook up some breakfast."

"Yes!" Sascha cheered, throwing her hands in the air. "Big bro is so good at cooking. Have you tried his food Pen? It's ah-maz-ing!"

I chuckled, "He's a great cook."

"He's so good at it. He always cooked for babushka and us. I always made him make things for school whenever we had bake sales. I always win because no one can make banana bread like Alex. He's seriously awesome."

It was clear the girl worshipped her brother.

"You should make some today." Sascha suggested.

Alexei's broad shoulders shook. It was clear he was trying to tamper down his laugh.

"Enough Sas, let Pen speak."

"Sure." The girl rotated on her stool, facing me. "How did you and big bro meet Pen? Did he sweep you off your feet when you first met each other?"

"Umm." He didn't. Not even close.

I wasn't sure I could tell Sascha that her brother had been a big dick to me. It sure wasn't love at first sight.

"We actually met while I was a Recruit."

"Recruit?"

"Yeah, I was a recruit, training to be a part of the Elite Syndicate."

Sascha held up a hand, "Wait, you're an E.S Enforcer?" She gaped at me. "Like the badass Enforcers that guard this Pack?"

I nodded.

"Freaking hell Alexei. Babushka said you would find someone strong; she was damn right."

I froze, surprised by her exclamation.

Alexei finished cracking three eggs into the pan and glanced over his shoulder, catching my eye. "Babushka was right about many things."