“This is humiliating,” I muttered but opened my mouth anyway. The eggs were perfectly seasoned, and I realized I was starving.
“This is practical,” Stefano corrected, offering another bite. “You need nutrition, and you can’t manage utensils right now. Simple problem, simple solution.”
The feeding continued with methodical care, Stefano ensuring I ate every bite while Marco kept up a steady stream of commentary that was clearly designed to distract me from the indignity of the situation. By the time the plate was empty, I felt marginally more human.
“Better?” Marco asked, noting how some color had returned to my cheeks.
“Marginally,” I admitted, leaning back against Stefano’s chest without consciously deciding to do so. “Though I still feel like I’ve been hit by a truck.”
“The suppressants will clear your system completely in another day or two,” Matteo said, efficiently packing up the last of their gear. “Until then, you’ll need rest and proper nutrition.”
That’s when I noticed something that made my remaining energy spike with indignation. Three vehicles were partially hidden behind some bushes near the campsite—ATVs, four-wheeled off-road machines that could navigate rough terrain with ease. Their black frames were nearly invisible in the shadows but unmistakably there.
What the fuck.
“You’ve got to be kidding me,” I said, my voice rising with the last reserves of my outrage. “You had those the whole fucking time?”
The three alphas exchanged glances, and I caught something that looked suspiciously like amusement in their expressions.
“We might have,” Marco admitted with a shrug that was entirely too casual for the magnitude of his betrayal.
“MIGHT HAVE?” I exploded, all the fear and humiliation from last night crashing into fury at their manipulation. “You scared the shit out of me about walking through the forest at night during my heat! You made me think it would take hours to get back to the cottage! You manipulative, lying pieces of?—”
Before I could finish my tirade, Stefano’s hand clamped around my jaw, fingers digging into my cheeks hard enough to bruise. His mouth crashed against mine with bruising force, his tongue forcing past my lips to fill my mouth completely. I gagged around the invasion, my hands flying to his shoulders as he kissed me with ruthless efficiency.
His tongue swept against every surface of my mouth, claiming and possessing while I struggled for breath around the thick intrusion. When his teeth caught my tongue and bit down just hard enough to make me whimper, the sound vibrated against his lips.
When he finally pulled back, I gasped, my lips swollen and raw, as I stared at him in shock.
“Better,” he said with dark satisfaction, his thumb roughly wiping away the moisture from my abused mouth. “Much quieter.”
Oh, hell no. He did not just?—
“You could have driven me back in twenty minutes last night!” I snapped, my anger reigniting despite the way my lips still throbbed from his assault. “Instead, you made me think I’d have to suffer for hours, that I’d attract every alpha for miles! You made me desperate enough to beg you to?—”
This time Marco’s hands framed my face, tilting my head back as his mouth descended on mine. Where Stefano had beenbrutal, Marco was devastatingly thorough. His tongue slipped between my parted lips, stroking and exploring with maddening skill. He sucked my tongue into his mouth, teeth grazing the sensitive muscle until I was trembling against him.
“Such a pretty mouth when it’s not complaining,” he murmured against my bruised lips, his breath hot against my skin. His thumb traced my swollen lower lip, pressing into the tender flesh. “Looks even prettier when it’s been properly used.”
I stared at him in outrage, my face burning with humiliation as I tried to form words around my abused mouth. “You can’t just kiss me every time I try to?—”
“We made you realize what you needed,” Matteo said quietly, moving closer. Before I could react, his fingers tangled in my hair, gripping tight enough to make my scalp tingle as he guided my head back.
“What I needed was to go HOME, not to be manipulated by three alphas who think they can just?—”
Matteo’s mouth claimed mine, his kiss methodical and devastating. His tongue traced the roof of my mouth, finding spots that made me arch against him. When his teeth found my already tender lower lip and bit down, I couldn’t stop the broken moan that escaped my throat.
His free hand gripped my chin, holding me exactly where he wanted me as his tongue delved deeper, stroking against mine with calculated skill. Each movement seemed designed to catalog my responses, to learn exactly what made me melt.
“Fascinating,” he murmured when he released me, his amber eyes studying my dazed expression. “You make the same sound every time I bite your lip. And your pupils dilate exactly three seconds after initial contact.”
Taking notes. They’re literally taking notes on how to dismantle my defenses most efficiently.
“You can’t just—” I started, but my voice came out hoarse and breathless, my mouth still tingling from their systematic assault.
“One more outburst,” Stefano said conversationally, “and we start the cycle again. Though I suspect by the fourth round, you’ll be too busy moaning to form coherent complaints.”
The threat sent unwelcome heat spiraling through my exhausted body, my traitorous omega biology responding to their dominance despite my conscious fury.
