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In the soft lighting, his features revealed the perfect harmony of East and West—almond-shaped eyes with a distinctive fold, but larger and with the striking amber-gold color that flashed when he turned toward the windows. High cheekbones and delicate chin framed lips that were full and expressive, somehow both soft and defined. His honey-brown hair caught the light with natural gold highlights no stylist could replicate, falling in silky strands that combined silken texture with warm, rich tones.

The pack members watched him with barely concealed interest—not just because he was the brother of their three alphas or because he was a fox among wolves, but becausehe was simply beautiful in a way that made him seem almost otherworldly. Too delicate for their rough world, yet somehow perfectly suited to it.

A low growl escaped Cade’s throat when he saw Jason Patterson deliberately brush against Finn as they passed. The young wolf’s nostrils flared, obviously scenting the newly revealed mate status that the ceremony had brought to the surface.

I’ll kill him. Logan’s internal voice was deadly calm.One more touch and I’ll tear his throat out in front of his father.

Not yet, Cade cautioned, though his own claws were pressing painfully into his palm.But mark him. He needs to understand.

Logan pushed off from his position by the doors, moving with deceptive casualness toward where Patterson stood too close to Finn. As he passed, he deliberately bumped the younger wolf’s shoulder, the contact seemingly accidental to observers but carrying an unmistakable threat. Patterson paled, stepping back immediately.

Good boy. Keir’s mental tone was viciously amused.He finally remembers whose territory he’s in.

Through their bond, all three felt the moment Finn noticed Cade watching him. His heartbeat accelerated, a flush spreading across his cheeks before he quickly looked away. The scent of cherry blossoms and honey intensified, tinged with something that made Cade’s mouth water.

Arousal, Logan identified, his internal voice roughening.He wants us.

And fears it, Keir added, catching the bitter note of anxiety in their mate’s scent.The ceremony this morning—he thinks we’re trapped. That we don’t want this.

Cade set down his cracked glass before he shattered it completely. For five years they had hidden their true nature from Finn, playing the role of protective older brothers whiletheir wolves howled for more. The memory of that summer day by the lake rose unbidden—Finn at fourteen, sunlight catching in his hair as he sketched, unaware of how his developing scent had intensified their already-established bond. That day, their connection to the mate marks they’d placed on Finn the year before had intensified so powerfully they could feel it burning through their bodies, forcing three alphas to flee to the woods to maintain control.

We should have prepared him, Cade admitted through their bond.The shock on his face this morning when Elder Miriam announced our bond…

The pain, Logan corrected, his internal voice harsh with self-recrimination.Did you see his eyes? He thinks we’re horrified to be bound to him.

When we’ve been dying to claim him for years, Keir finished, his frustration palpable through their connection.

Across the room, Finn had found temporary refuge near the sushi display, his artist’s hands arranging the pieces with the same precision his mother had once shown them. Sakura’s lessons in Japanese cuisine had been one of the few things Finn had embraced after her death, preserving her memory through food and art.

The sight of those slender fingers, so careful and precise, sent heat coursing through Cade’s body. His wolf surged forward, demanding he cross the room, seize those hands, and show Finn exactly what they could be doing instead of arranging food for strangers.

Your eyes, Cade, Logan warned.They’re shifting.

With supreme effort, Cade forced his wolf back, blinking until his vision returned to normal. But the momentary lapse had been enough—across the room, Finn had frozen, his head tilted slightly as if sensing the predator’s attention.

Their eyes locked.

For one breathless moment, Cade allowed himself to look at Finn—really look at him—without the pretense of brotherly affection. He let his hunger show, his possessiveness, his need. Finn’s lips parted in shock, his pulse visibly accelerating in the delicate column of his throat.

Then Drew appeared at Finn’s side, breaking the connection as he handed Finn a drink. The moment shattered, leaving Cade’s wolf snarling in frustration.

He felt it.Keir’s internal voice was triumphant.Did you see his reaction?

He’s confused, Logan countered.Scared. The women aren’t helping.

Cade followed Logan’s gaze to where Rebecca, a red-haired alpha from an allied pack, was making her way toward Keir. Part of their arrangement—women who understood the situation, who provided distraction and release without emotional entanglement. Women who were nothing like Finn—tall where he was petite, bold where he was thoughtful, aggressive where he was artistic.

The arrangement had been necessary during the agonizing wait for Finn to reach maturity. But now, with their mate freshly awakened to their bond, the sight of these women at their party felt like betrayal.

End it, Cade commanded through their bond.All of it. Tonight.

Agreement flowed back from both brothers, tinged with relief. None of them had wanted to continue the charade.

Cade moved through the crowd with purpose, his alpha presence causing guests to instinctively step aside. As he approached, he watched Finn’s body language shift—a slight stiffening of his shoulders, a quickening of his pulse that Cade’s enhanced senses detected easily. Up close, Finn’s scent wasintoxicating—cherry blossoms and honey with an undercurrent of fox that had strengthened since the ceremony.

“Having a good time?” Cade asked, his voice deeper than intended as he fought to maintain his composure.

Finn looked up at him, searching his face with those gold-flecked eyes. “It’s great,” he lied, the slight tremor in his voice betraying him. “Thanks for… all this.”