My fists tighten, knuckles white, but I force myself to stay rooted in place. He’s baiting me, pushing me, and damn if it’s not working. My lungs burn as I inhale, and that scent—ourscent—hits me again like a sledgehammer. I know the alpha. It’s Dean. And them combined…Dean, Chad, Lakelyn—Pack.
The realization crashes over me, drowning out everything else. They’re mine. All of them. This isn't just some messed-up desire. This is instinct, raw and primal, and it takes every ounce of restraint not to act on it right here, right now.
I’m supposed to protect them, to be at the center of this connection that’s already thrumming between us. But they’ve already gotten too close to each other without me, and that part of me—the part that refuses to let anyone else touch what’s mine—roars to the surface. No matter how much I try to tamp it down.
"Lake," I say, my voice strained as I glance over at her. She’s watching us both, her lips slightly parted, wide-eyed like she’s waiting to see who’s going to make the next move.
"Mase," she breathes, stepping closer, her fingers brushing my arm. Her touch sends a jolt through me, grounding me for a second. But it’s not enough to stop the heat flooding my veins.
Chad chuckles, the sound low and teasing. "What’s got you all worked up?" His eyes are locked on mine, daring me to admit what we both know. "Is it because you can’t handle the fact that I know what Lakelyn’s lips taste like and you don’t?" His voice drops lower, taunting. "That you want both of us."
His words are a punch to the gut, but they’re true. I want them both. I want everything—every part of this pack, of them. But more than that, I want control. I need to know they’re mine, that no one else can touch them the way I will.
I step forward, my jaw tight. Chad’s grin fades slightly as he straightens, his cocky attitude faltering for just a second, like he wasn’t expecting me to close the distance so fast. My hand shoots out, gripping his chin, forcing him to look up at me. His breath catches, but his eyes gleam with anticipation.
"You think this is a game, Chad?" I growl, my voice low and rough. "You think I don’t see what you’re doing?"
Lakelyn gasps softly beside us, but I don’t turn my attention from Chad. His lips part slightly, and there’s a flicker of something in his eyes—maybe surprise, maybe satisfaction—but he doesn’t pull away. He leans into it, into me.
"Maybe it is a game," Chad says, his voice barely above a whisper. "Maybe you’re just scared to play."
That’s it. That’s the final shove I need. The last ounce of restraint shatters, and I’m done pretending.
I slam my mouth against his, hard, demanding, pouring everything into it. He groans into the kiss, his hands fisting in my shirt, and it only fuels the fire. The taste of him—spicy and sweet and undeniably Chad—has my senses roaring, my body reacting like I’ve been starving for this. For him. For them.
Lakelyn’s soft inhale pulls me back for a split second, reminding me she’s watching. Her scent curls around me, and I break away from Chad, my breath coming out in heavy pants as I turn to her. The way she’s looking at me, her lips parted, cheeks flushed, it’s like a punch to the gut. She wants this, wantsme. And I want her, just as much as I want Chad.
But as I reach for her, a fleeting thought slices through the haze clouding my brain—Landon. My best friend. Her brother.
He’s trusted me my whole life with her, trusted me to keep her safe, never knowing how I’ve felt. And now here I am, crossing a line that can’t be uncrossed. How the hell am I going to face him after this? Explain why I didn’t stop this from happening? That I couldn’t stop myself from wanting her—and Chad.
I’ll have to deal with the fallout later. Landon’s not going to be happy, but this isn’t just some casual hookup or something I can walk away from. It’s deeper than that, something primal, something bigger than any of us.
Pack.
I shove the thought away for now, focusing on Lakelyn’s gaze, the way she leans in, her breath hitching as my fingers brush the side of her neck. Her skin’s soft, warm, and it sends a jolt straight through me. My grip tightens just slightly, and she lets out a small gasp, her eyes fluttering shut for a second.
“Lake…” I whisper, my voice rough, hoarse with the need I’m barely keeping in check. I’m so close to losing it, to pulling her against me and showing her exactly what she means to me—what they both mean to me.
Chad moves behind me, and I feel his presence like a magnet pulling at my instincts. His hand lands on my shoulder, firm but not possessive. It’s a reminder that he’s here, that we’re all connected in this. His lips brush my ear, and his voice, low and teasing, sets my skin on fire.
“Don’t stop now,Alpha,” Chad murmurs, his words dripping with that smug confidence that usually drives me crazy. But right now, it only makes me hungrier. For them.
Lakelyn's eyes are wide, searching my face as if waiting for my next move. I pull her closer, my lips grazing the corner of her mouth, teasing. Tasting. I groan against her lips. Fuck me. She tastes like she smells. Blueberries.
“You’re both mine,” I growl, the possessiveness I’ve been holding back slipping out without my permission.
Lakelyn moans softly, her body pressing closer to mine, the sound vibrating through my chest, making me nearly lose it. I grip her tighter, the heat between us building with every second, my mind spinning with the need to claim them both, to make this real.
Chad’s lips trail along the back of my neck, sending shivers down my spine as his words sink in. “Show her,” he urges again, the heat of his breath driving me wild. My control is slipping, fast. His teeth graze my skin, and Lakelyn’s hands tangle in my shirt, pulling me closer.
I’m on the edge, so close to giving in to every primal urge screaming at me, but just as I lean down, ready to press my lips against Lakelyn’s neck, something snaps.
A loud bang from the back of the shop, metal clattering to the floor, breaks through the haze.
Lakelyn startles, jerking back from me, her breath coming in shaky gasps as her wide eyes flicker toward the source of the noise. Chad’s grip on my shoulder tightens, but even he pullsaway slightly, his gaze snapping to the back of the shop, where the sound came from.
“Shit,” I mutter, my heart pounding, the moment shattered. My body protests, wanting to pull them both back, to finish what we started, but instinct kicks in, demanding I figure out what just happened.
