I watch her retreat down the hallway, her footsteps light on the floor. The door to her room closes with a soft click, and I’m alone again with my thoughts.
I settle back onto the couch, adjusting the pillow behind my head. The static in my brain is barely noticeable with her so close. Much better than the constant roar I’ve lived with for years. But it’s not only that. My alpha is more settled, too, knowing she’s here with us.
My eyes grow heavy as the hours pass. I catch myself drifting, caught in that hazy space between wakefulness and sleep. Images flash behind my eyelids. Zoe’s smile. The curve of her hip. The claiming mark I left on her neck.
And that strange, unexpected sensation of my knot trying to form inside her. Even now, the memory makes heat pool low in my belly, my cock stirring against my thigh.
I shift, trying to get comfortable despite the growing hardness. This isn’t the time or place. But my alpha doesn’t care about propriety or timing. It only knows that our mate is sleeping just down the hall, that she carries our mark, that she belongs with us.
With me.
The thought should frighten me. I’ve never felt this possessive, this protective. Never had my knot try to form for anyone, let alone a beta.
Yet here I am, hard and aching at just the thought of her. Of being inside her again. Of feeling her tighten around me as shecomes. Of seeing my mark on her neck, knowing she carries a piece of me with her always.
My alpha rumbles with satisfaction at the image, even as the rational part of my brain argues that this is temporary. That she set firm boundaries.
But boundaries can change. And the claiming marks on her neck aren’t fading.
I allow myself a small, rare smile in the darkness. Patience. That’s the key. I will wait. I will watch. I will protect. And eventually, she will choose to stay.
With that thought, a sense of peace settles over me. The hard couch feels softer. The hum of the penthouse’s climate control fades away. For the first time in what feels like a lifetime, my entire system is at ease. Relaxed.
I let sleep take me.
I wake hours later, pulled from a deep, dreamless sleep by a single, sharp sound that cuts through the profound silence of the penthouse.
A scream.
My body is moving before my brain has fully processed it, years of training taking over. My feet hit the floor, and I’m already reaching for the weapon I don’t have, my every instinct screaming THREAT.
But then the sound registers, and I freeze halfway to the door.
It wasn’t a scream of terror. It was a scream of pure, unadulterated pleasure.
And it came from Zoe’s room.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Zoe
I’m back in the penthouse bedroom, but it’s different this time. Darker. The air feels thick and heavy, making it hard to breathe. The city lights outside cast long shadows across the massive bed where I’m lying, completely naked and trembling with anticipation.
They emerge from the darkness one by one like predators circling their prey. Rett first, his blue eyes glinting in the dim light, then Tristan with that dangerous dimple, followed by Diego’s warm intensity, and finally Dane, silent and watchful as always.
Four alphas.Myalphas.
They don’t speak. Cedarwood, ginger, cardamom, and peppermint fill the room, blending together into something so intoxicating I can feel my body responding, growing wetter, hotter with each breath I take.
Rett approaches the bed first. The mattress dips beneath his weight as he crawls toward me, his eyes never leaving mine. I should be afraid. I should be running. Instead, I spread my legs wider, inviting him in.
“That’s our mate,” he murmurs, his voice a low rumble that reverberates through my bones. “Already so wet for us.”
His hand slides up my inner thigh, leaving a trail of fire in its wake. When his fingers finally reach my center, I arch off the bed with a gasp.
“Ay, preciosa, tan sensible,” Diego murmurs, his voice a low, rough purr right next to my ear.Oh, precious one, so responsive. His hands are in my hair, gently at first, then tightening into a possessive grip that sends sparks of pleasure-pain shooting down my spine.
Tristan is suddenly between my legs, his hot breath fanning over my stomach as he plants open-mouthed kisses along my abdomen. “You taste even better than I remember,” he murmurs against my skin.
