Page 65

“I don’t live in anyone’s shadow,” I replied, perhaps too defensively.

“Of course not.” Sophia smiled, the expression not reaching her eyes. “But three alpha brothers… that’s a lot of strong personalities in one house. Don’t you ever feel… suffocated?”

The question hit closer to home than I wanted to admit. “We manage.”

“Still,” Mia continued, “someone with your… creative sensibilities must crave independence. Freedom to explore your own path.”

I tensed, wondering how they knew to target my exact insecurities.

“I’m perfectly free to do what I want,” I lied.

Sophia laughed lightly. “Are you? From what we’ve observed, they seem rather… protective of you.”

“Overprotective, some might say,” Mia added, watching my reaction carefully. “Almost possessive.”

“They’re just being brothers,” I said, trying to slide away from them, only to find myself trapped against the railing.

“Brothers,” Sophia repeated, something knowing in her tone. “Is that really all they are to you?”

My heart skipped a beat. What exactly were they implying?

“What else would they be?” I asked, keeping my voice steady.

“Oh, nothing.” Mia waved dismissively. “It’s just… unusual, the way they watch you. The way they hover.”

“Almost like they’re afraid someone might take you away,” Sophia added.

“Or that you might choose to leave on your own,” Mia finished.

“You don’t know what you’re talking about,” I said, but I could feel heat rising to my cheeks.

“Don’t we?” Sophia’s smile turned predatory. “We’ve seen how they look at you, Finn. And how you look at them.”

“It’s not healthy,” Mia said, her voice lowered to a conspiratorial whisper. “You know that, right? You should be out living your own life, not trapped here playing little brother forever.”

Their words were hitting every insecurity I’d been wrestling with since the ceremony.

“We should all go for a swim,” Sophia suggested suddenly, standing up. “The water’s perfect.”

“I’m good here,” I said firmly, wanting nothing more than to escape this conversation.

“Don’t be silly,” Mia insisted, tugging at my arm. “The water will clear your head. Help you think about what we said.”

Across the boat, I caught a glimpse of Cade watching us, his expression unreadable. For a moment, our eyes met, and something like concern flickered across his face.

Sophia followed my gaze, her smile tightening when she saw where I was looking. “Your brother seems worried. Perhaps he thinks we’re stealing you away.”

As I turned back to respond, Mia shifted her position, moving slightly closer to the railing. Her hand remained on my arm, fingers tightening.

“I really should get back to—” I began.

“Just one more thing,” Sophia said, stepping forward suddenly. Her movement coincided with Mia’s firm pull on my arm, creating a perfect pincer movement that left me off-balance.

I felt myself tipping backward against the low railing. In that split second before I fell, I caught the exchange of looks between them—a flash of calculated satisfaction quickly masked by expressions of alarm.

Then I was falling, the shock of cold water closing over my head.

I wasn’t a bad swimmer, but the unexpected fall disoriented me. I kicked toward what I thought was the surface, only to realize I was moving sideways instead. My lungs began to burn as I tried to reorient myself.