"Can we? With two other males circling you? With Caspian's Alpha instincts demanding he know who his competition is?" Julian shakes his head. "The moment he finds out, everything could fall apart. He could report me out of jealousy. Or someone else could notice and use it against us."
"He wouldn't. He cares about me."
"He's an Alpha." Julian's voice is gentle but firm. "When they perceive a threat to their mate, they don't think rationally. Theyact on instinct. And a professor claiming their mate? That's not just a threat, that's a violation of every rule he's been taught to respect."
"Then I'll make him understand." I square my shoulders. "I'm not giving you up and I'm not giving him up. He needs to accept that."
"And if he doesn't?"
"Then..." I hesitate because I'm not actually sure. Can I really walk away from Caspian if he can't accept Julian? Can I demand he share me with someone who could lose everything if our relationship is discovered?
Julian sees my hesitation. "When are you going to tell him?"
"Soon. I have to." I move toward the door but stop before opening it. "I need to talk to all of you together. Soon. Before this gets more complicated."
"Do you want me there when you tell him first?"
"No. This needs to be between him and me." I pause. "But after... I want everyone together. To figure this out."
"Nova." He stops me before I can open the door. "Be careful. Caspian's young but he's powerful. And protective. Finding out about us could trigger reactions you're not prepared for."
"I know." And I do. I'm asking an Alpha to share his mate with a professor who could lose everything if they're discovered. I'm asking Knox to join something when he doesn't do connection. And somewhere in the back of my mind, there's still Nico's broken bond aching like an infected wound that I don't know how to heal. I don't know if any of this can work.
But I have to try.
I leave his office and head to the training hall, needing to work off the nervous energy building in my chest.
The training hall isn't empty when I arrive.
Knox is already there, working through a combat sequence against the practice dummy with focused violence. Each strikeexact, each movement deadly. I watch him for a moment before he notices me and I understand what everyone means when they say he's dangerous. This isn't sparring. This is someone who knows exactly how to hurt people and has done it before.
He stops mid-strike and turns to face me. "Heat's over."
"Yes."
"Good." He circles me and there's something predatory in the movement. "You look like hell."
"Thanks. You're always so charming."
"I'm honest." He stops in front of me. "How do you feel?"
"Why does everyone keep asking me that?"
"Because heat takes a toll. Especially Silverpelt heat." His pale eyes are unsettling, like he's cataloging every reaction I have. "I felt the pull last night. Spent hours fighting the urge to break down your door."
I stare at him. "You did?"
"The bond wants to form. Whether I want it to or not." He doesn't look happy about this. Looks dangerous about it, like a wolf backed into a corner. "I don't do connection. Don't do anything that makes me vulnerable. But my wolf doesn't care what I want. It recognized you and it wants to claim you."
"Knox..."
"I'm not saying I'm ready for that." He cuts me off and the edge in his voice makes me take a half-step back. "I'm saying the pull is there. And ignoring it is getting harder. Makes me unpredictable."
"I'm not asking you to do anything you don't want."
"Aren't you?" He moves closer, invading my space intentionally. "Because you are what you are. Silverpelt. And my wolf knows you're supposed to be mine. Fighting that is like fighting instinct itself."
"So don't fight it."
