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Did he just—Logan’s internal voice was strangled.

Yes, Keir confirmed, his own mental presence vibrating with tension.And he has no idea what he’s doing to us.

“Good, isn’t it?” Drew asked innocently, watching the brothers’ reactions. “Finn always makes the most interesting sounds when he enjoys something. You should hear him when he tries chocolate cake.”

Finn remained oblivious to the subtext, twirling pasta around his fork with those elegant artist’s fingers, his pink tongue darting out to catch a drop of sauce at the corner of his mouth.

“You’ve got a little something…” Drew reached over, brushing his thumb slowly across Finn’s bottom lip to remove a drop of sauce. The casual intimacy of the gesture made all three alphas tense visibly. “There. All better.”

I’m going to kill him, Logan’s internal voice promised.

Not if I get to him first, Keir responded.

“So,” Drew continued, clearly enjoying himself, “did you hear the Pattersons are trying to arrange a mating between their son and the alpha daughter from that pack in Oregon?”

“Jason Patterson?” Finn asked, looking up with interest. “The one who kept hitting on me at the party last night? He kept telling me how good I smelled.”

Three low growls vibrated around the table before the brothers could stop themselves. Finn’s eyes widened, his ears swiveling toward the sound.

“Did I say something wrong?” he asked, confusion evident in his tone.

“Not at all,” Cade said smoothly, though his knuckles were white around his fork. “The Pattersons have been trying to strengthen their alliances for years.”

“By pimping out their son to every eligible wolf in the Pacific Northwest,” Keir added with a snort. “Last month it was the Richardson Pack. Before that, the Calhouns.”

“He seemed nice enough,” Finn said with a shrug that made his oversized shirt slip farther down his shoulder, revealing more of that tantalizing skin. “A bit handsy, but nice.”

“Handsy?” Drew repeated with exaggerated concern. “Where exactly was he handsy, Finn? I need to know as your protective brother figure.” He shot a pointed look at the alphas, whose expressions had darkened dangerously.

“Just my lower back, mostly,” Finn said, reaching around to touch the spot—precisely where his mate marks were located. “Right around here.”

Handsy?Logan’s mental roar made both his brothers wince.I’ll tear his fucking hands off.

Easy, Cade cautioned, though his own wolf was snarling at the thought of another alpha touching their mate.He’s baiting us. Testing our reactions.

Is he?Keir wondered, studying Finn with narrowed eyes.Or does he genuinely not realize what he’s doing?

Drew knows exactly what he’s doing, Cade realized.This is deliberate torture.

“You know,” Drew said thoughtfully, “Jason did mention something about feeling a strange energy from you. Said your skin felt warm to the touch. Weird, right?”

Aloud, Cade kept his tone casual while shooting Drew a warning look. “The Pattersons have always been ambitious. But I doubt Jason will find happiness in an arranged mating.”

“Why not?” Finn asked, genuinely curious now. “Isn’t that how it usually works for packs? Political alliances and all that?”

“Sometimes,” Logan admitted, his voice still rough with suppressed possessiveness. “But it’s rare for it to result in true happiness.”

“Not like a true mate bond,” Keir added, his eyes fixed on Finn with an intensity that made their mate shift uncomfortably in his seat. “Nothing compares to that.”

“Oh, speaking of which,” Drew interjected with false innocence, “Finn was telling me earlier how fascinated he is by the whole mate bond concept. Weren’t you, Finn?”

Finn choked slightly on his water. “I was not?—”

“You were asking all those questions about how it feels and what happens when mates touch,” Drew continued relentlessly. “You know, the brothers probably know all about that. Being alphas and all.”

Finn’s ears flattened completely, his gaze dropping to his plate as a blush crept up his neck. “Right. The magical mate bond. How could I forget?”

The bitterness in his voice was like a physical blow to all three alphas. Through their bond, they shared the pain of it, the knowledge that Finn still believed they didn’t want him.