“It’s beautiful,” Devon says and wraps his arms around me. I lean back against him.
“Do you remember the day you and Sebastian went swimming in the storm? It was so stupid. Mum was so mad at you two.”
Devon chuckles. “We were being brave teenagers. Logic and intellect weren’t to be found.”
Mack comes to stand on one side, Elijah on the other. Thunder rolls.
“I love storms. I used to sneak out of the house. It’s the only time they wouldn’t notice I’m gone. Mum was phobic,” Elijah murmurs. “She’d drink herself unconscious or fight with dad.”
“Would you just watch the storms?”
Elijah shakes his head. “No. I would take my skateboard out.”
We all turn to look at him, missing the lightning crashing into the ocean.
“What?” he says when he realises we’re staring at him.
“You had a skateboard?”
“Have. I have a skateboard. It’s a hobby.”
“Wow,” I murmur. “My entire view of you has changed. You are like a totally different alpha.”
Elijah laughs, his eyes crinkling at the sides. “I like that I can surprise you.”
A slow burn works its way over my skin. I can taste him and feel his hands on me.
The storm gets more intense as it grows closer.
“Wow!” I say when the whole sky lights up.
“We need to talk about this fake dating thing,” Devon says.
I stiffen in his arms. “You want to end it?”
“No!” he says quickly. “I just don’t know that it’s-”
“I know I’m asking a lot,” I say in a rush. “I know it’s not fair to you guys, but I really do need your help.”
Devon sighs against my ear. “What is so important? What happened that you have to hide it from everyone?”
Thunder booms so loudly that it hurts my ears. I shove out of Devon’s arms and intercept Danger as he races for the stairs, screaming.
“It’s okay, Mama's got you.”
He snuggles into my chest. I carry him back to the couch, pulling out a bag of his favourite treats.
“Let’s play a game,” I say and slide down onto the floor.
The alphas come and sit around me. Danger yelps and struggles to get free, but then Mack lets out a rumbling sound.
Danger pauses, his eyes fixed on the alpha.
I can’t stop looking at him either.
Mack is purring, and it's calming Danger down. Another explosion of thunder has Danger yelping, but Devon and Elijah join in. I stare at them, listening to the sound that flows into my body and into my very soul. This is a sound I will hear for the rest of my life whenever I think of them. Something that I want to be mine more than I want anything else.
He curls up in my lap, yawns, and goes to sleep. I stroke Danger’s ears and cuddle him closer.
