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She sighs. “Babe, I say this with all the love in the world, but don’t cockblock me. I want this.” Her eyes flick over my shoulder, and she smiles broadly. “And I willdefinitelynot cockblock you either.”

Before I can glance over my shoulder, a warm hand falls to my waist, and I feel Kane’s heat at my back. If I were any less intoxicated, I’d be embarrassed that Kane overheard Sybil’s words. Instead, I lean into the shifter at my back, my need still building.

“Hey there,” Sybil says to him, giving Kane a tiny wave.

“I don’t want to leave you,” I insist.

“I trust Sawyer with my life,” Kane says, jumping into the conversation. “He won’t let anything happen to your friend.” To Sawyer, Kane adds, “Walk her home at the end of the night.” Those words are accompanied by a burst of shifter magic. It brushes my skin and bends the soft light out here before settling on Sawyer’s shoulders.

I don’t know much about pack hierarchy and dynamics, but I think I just witnessed a bit of the power play involved.

“Kane, man,” Sawyer says, “you know you don’t have to tell me.”

I think I’ve been given all the reassurances I can. Still, I don’t like leaving my friend out here regardless. Sybil must see it on my face because she pulls me in for a tight hug and whispers in my ear, “Babe, go screw the brains out of that man. I’ll see you at breakfast tomorrow.Promise.”

She releases me, then pushes me into Kane, who catches me by the upper arms. To further drive home the fact I’ve been excused, Sybil drags Sawyer’s mouth back down to hers.

All right, message received loud and clear.

I turn from her, and Kane is there, his eyes shining a little too brightly.

“You’d fit right into the pack, you know,” he says, as we move toward the outskirts of the clearing.

“What do you mean?” I ask, threading my fingers through his.

“Pack doesn’t leave their own behind. You were ready to drag her out of there, and even with all our reassurances, I can still scent your worry.”

He can scentwhatnow?

Shit, what else has he been smelling over the past few hours?

I redirect my thoughts back on topic.

“Sybil’s my best friend,” I say as we leave the clearing, the trees looming around us. “She’s always been there for me. I’d give my life for that girl.”

That wolfish glint is back in Kane’s eyes, watching me like he’s tracking my every movement. “Like I said, you’d fit right in with the pack.”

I’m somehow both flattered and unnerved by the compliment.

Lycanthropes have been known to lay a claiming bite on witches out late in these woods.

“Where did you want to go?” Kane says, interrupting my thoughts.

Right. We hadn’t decided on that.

“My place,” I say, leading Kane along by his hand.

Three steps later, I nearly twist my ankle when I step on a branch wrong.

Freaking heels.

Kane catches me before I go down and reels me in close.

“You okay?”

I swallow and nod at him.

“Good.” He smiles and leans in a little closer. “I’m pretty good at giving piggyback rides—if you’re interested.”