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Through their bond, they all felt Keir’s amusement and tenderness.“Never known you to shy away from the spotlight, little fox. Not when there are compliments about your art to be had.”

The nickname hit differently now, loaded with new meaning. Through Keir, they felt Finn’s grip tighten on the railing.

“Yeah, well, maybe I’m growing up,”he said, his voice strained.

“Maybe you are,”Keir agreed softly.“Nineteen. Hard to believe.”

When Finn finally turned to look at Keir, the image transmitted through their bond made both Cade and Logan freeze mid-conversation. Moonlight transformed Finn intosomething ethereal—his gold-flecked eyes luminous, his delicate features thrown into perfect relief, his lips slightly parted. For one wild moment, all three alphas shared the same thought: what it would be like if he actually wanted them, if the mate bond was something he welcomed instead of endured.

The conversation took a turn that made their wolves snarl in unison—Finn telling Keir to return to his “admirer,” the redhead who’d been flirting with him all night.

“Jealous, Finn?”Keir asked, unable to keep the hope from his voice.

Heat flooded Finn’s cheeks.“Don’t be ridiculous. I just don’t want to keep you from your… entertainment.”

The hurt in his voice was unmistakable, slicing through their bond like a physical pain.

Keir’s response was immediate and fierce.“Is that what you think we’re doing? Finding entertainment?”

“I don’t know what you’re doing,”Finn admitted, his vulnerability bleeding through.“I don’t know what any of this means. This morning?—”

“Not here,”Keir cut him off, glancing toward the house.“We’ll talk about it later, when it’s just family.”

Through their bond, they all felt Finn’s flinch at the word “family,” felt the way it twisted in his gut like a knife.

“Sure,”he said, forcing a smile that didn’t reach his eyes.“Later. You should go back to your friend.”

The dismissal hurt, but what followed hurt more—Keir’s instinctive gesture of draping his jacket over Finn’s shoulders, the way their mate unconsciously responded with a soft purr of satisfaction, and then the moment of connection shattered by Keir’s own uncertainty, falling back on the safe brotherly gesture of ruffling Finn’s hair.

“Happy birthday, little fox,”he said before retreating, leaving Finn alone with the moonlight and the ocean.

She’s with him now, Keir’s voice noted through their bond several minutes later, drawing Logan’s attention back to the deck where Aunt Vivian had joined Finn, offering him what appeared to be a drink.

Logan felt a surge of gratitude for their aunt’s intuition. If anyone could provide Finn comfort without complication, it was Vivian. She’d been their rock after their parents died, stepping in as CFO so Cade could focus on becoming the pack alpha while also caring for Finn.

Through the glass, he watched her lean against the railing beside Finn, her posture relaxed but protective. Even from this distance, Logan could see the tension gradually easing from Finn’s shoulders as she spoke.

Thank the moon for Aunt Viv, Logan thought, the sentiment traveling through their bond.She always knows what he needs.

Better her than any of us right now, Keir agreed, his mental tone tinged with regret.We’d only make things worse.

Logan nodded slightly in acknowledgment, watching as Vivian placed a comforting arm around Finn’s shoulders. The simple gesture made his wolf both grateful and jealous—grateful that Finn was receiving comfort, jealous that he couldn’t be the one providing it.

She’s good for him, Logan observed as they all felt Finn’s emotional turmoil begin to settle under Vivian’s gentle guidance.

Always has been, Keir agreed, grateful beyond words for their aunt’s steady presence in all their lives, but especially in Finn’s.

When Vivian finally pressed a kiss to Finn’s temple and left him alone on the deck, Logan felt the moment Finn’s emotions began to spiral again, his mate’s distress pulsing through their bond like a physical pain.

Back at the gate, Cade had finished warning off the McLean wolves, his diplomat’s smile never reaching his eyes as he madeit clear what would happen if they crossed Sinclair territory again. But his attention had been divided the entire time, following the interaction between Keir and Finn through their bond.

Tomorrow, Cade decided, rejoining them in the great room.We explain everything tomorrow.

But as the night wore on, their carefully laid plans began to unravel. Drew found Finn on the deck, bringing him back inside for cake. The brothers watched from different parts of the room as Finn went through the motions—smiling, thanking everyone, playing the part of the grateful birthday boy while his scent betrayed his distress.

As the crowd began to thin, Cade found himself momentarily alone near the study entrance. Aunt Vivian appeared at his side, her expression composed but her eyes sharp with concern.

“A word?” she asked quietly, nodding toward the relative privacy of the hallway.