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As I floated back to awareness, I realized they were murmuring praise against my skin—soft words of admiration and affection that would normally make me roll my eyes but in this moment felt like a warm blanket wrapped around my soul.

“So good for us,” Keir was saying, his lips pressed to my temple, his hand stroking my hair with surprising tenderness.

“Perfect,” Logan agreed, his mouth pressing gentle kisses along my collarbone, as if trying to soothe the marks he’d left earlier.

“Ours,” Cade added, his fingers tracing patterns on my hip as he rested his head on my thigh, looking up at me with an expression that made my heart skip.

I became acutely aware that all three of them were still fully aroused, their erections straining against their pants. Despite my recent release, the sight sent a fresh wave of heat through me.

“What about you?” I asked, my voice hoarse from crying out. “I know you’re waiting for the full claiming, but there must be something I can do to… help with that.”

Cade’s expression softened, though the heat in his eyes remained. “If we start down that path, little fox, we won’t be able to stop. The mate bond doesn’t allow for half measures once it’s engaged.”

“The wolf wants to claim completely or not at all,” Logan explained, his voice strained despite his calm expression. “It’s all or nothing for us.”

“Which is why we’re focusing on you,” Keir added, pressing a kiss to my hip bone. “Trust me, watching you fall apart is its own reward.”

I wanted to argue, but the determination in their eyes told me it would be futile. The alpha wolves had made their decision, and nothing short of my full shift would change their minds. Part of me was touched by their restraint—the control it must take to deny themselves while pleasuring me so thoroughly was impressive.

“Besides,” Keir added with a wicked grin, “we have all day to make you fall apart again. And again.”

The promise in his voice sent a shiver through me despite my exhaustion.

“Still with us?” Keir asked, amusement coloring his tone as he brushed hair from my face.

“Barely,” I admitted, my voice still rough. “I think you broke me.”

“Just the beginning,” Logan promised, his eyes dark with a mixture of desire and determination.

“What did you have in mind?” I asked, curiosity overcoming my frustration.

Keir’s smile was pure mischief. “Ever wanted to see the view from the east terrace without worrying about clothes?”

My eyes widened. “You can’t be serious.”

“Oh, he’s entirely serious,” Cade confirmed, already lifting me as he stood from the sectional. “The view is particularly inspiring this time of day.”

“Someone could see!” I protested, though the idea sent an unexpected thrill through me.

“It’s a private estate,” Logan reminded me. “Twenty acres of forest between us and the nearest neighbor.”

“But still?—”

“Still nothing,” Keir interrupted. “Consider it part of your education, little fox. Lesson two: how to overcome unnecessary inhibitions.”

As Cade carried me out into the bright sunshine of the east terrace, I couldn’t help but think that this was one lesson I was very much looking forward to learning—even if it meant risking a sunburn in some very unfortunate places.

Chapter 19

SINCLAIR BROTHERS

Cade carried Finn through the French doors onto the east terrace, his mate’s slender body cradled against his chest like precious cargo—though the wolf within him saw something far different. With each step, his control frayed further, the beast inside viewing Finn not as something to protect but something to claim, to mark, to possess completely.

The afternoon sun cast Finn in golden light, highlighting the marks they’d already left on his neck and chest—temporary claims that did nothing to satisfy the primal hunger growing within all three brothers. The scent of Finn’s earlier release mingled with the fresh air, a provocative reminder of what they’d started but hadn’t finished.

Logan and Keir stalked behind them, their movements more predator than human, eyes tracking Finn’s every breath. The library encounter had merely stoked their appetites rather than sating them, pushing them closer to a dangerous edge.

Steady,Cade projected through their bond, though his own pulse thundered in his ears, his muscles coiled tight with restraint that was rapidly unraveling.