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“This is ridiculous,” Sophia tried again, though her voice had lost its conviction. “It was just a harmless prank?—”

“You attempted to drown our—” Logan began, only to be cut off by Cade’s hand on his arm.

“Five minutes,” Cade repeated. “And then we consider it an act of aggression against our pack.”

The Blackwood cousins exchanged glances, then practically sprinted toward the guest wing of the house. I’d never seen anyone move so fast in designer sandals.

I stood frozen on the deck, my mind struggling to process what I was witnessing. They were throwing the Blackwoods out. Because of me. Because of what had happened at the lake.

Less than ten minutes later, the powder-blue Beetle peeled out of the driveway, gravel spraying in its wake. Drew, in a gesture so uncharacteristic I wondered if he’d been possessed, raised his middle finger in a salute.

“And don’t even think about touching our baby brother again, you Blackwood bitches!” he shouted after the retreating car.

Jake and Tyler burst into laughter, slapping Drew on the shoulders.

“Dude, that was awesome,” Tyler exclaimed. “I didn’t know you had it in you!”

Drew’s posture relaxed, his usual good nature returning now that the threat was gone. “Nobody messes with my brother,” he said simply.

Something warm bloomed in my chest at his words. I retreated inside before they could spot me, not wanting to intrude on the moment. As I settled back into my blanket nest, I tried to make sense of what I’d just witnessed. The brothers had united to protect me—not just from physical harm, but from the social humiliation of facing my would-be drowners again.

It was… confusing. Touching. Terrifying.

Because it made it that much harder to keep pretending I didn’t care about them. That I didn’t want to belong here. That I didn’t feel something complicated and frightening whenever Cade looked at me with those intense blue eyes, or when Logan’s hand brushed mine, or when Keir smiled at me like I was something precious.

I buried my face in Mochi’s fur, trying to hide from thoughts I wasn’t ready to face.

The sound of voices and laughter drifted through the open windows, jarringly normal after the confrontation I’d just witnessed. I quickly rearranged myself in my blanket nest, aiming for “casually lounging” rather than “hiding from emotional revelations.” Pixel gave me a look that clearly said I wasn’t fooling anyone.

“Shut up,” I muttered to her. “You try looking casual with fox ears.”

Drew burst through the front door with Jake and Tyler, their earlier fierce protectiveness transformed into excited chatter about the festival. I busied myself with my phone, pretending Ihadn’t just watched my usually peaceful brother threaten to rip someone’s throat out on my behalf.

“Finn!” Drew’s face lit up when he spotted me, concern barely hidden beneath his smile. “You’re looking… less damp.”

“Amazing what a hot bath and Elena’s hot chocolate can do for near drowning,” I replied dryly. “Though the ears are proving stubborn.” I flicked one of my still-visible fox ears in demonstration, trying not to wince at how it twitched involuntarily.

Drew dropped onto the couch beside me, close enough that our shoulders touched. The gesture was so naturally protective it made my throat tight. “You sure you don’t want to come tonight? The Howling Moons are playing, and I heard they’re bringing their full light show.”

“Hard pass,” I muttered, burrowing deeper into my blanket nest. “In case you haven’t noticed, I’m still sporting some rather conspicuous accessories. Unless you want me starting a new fashion trend: ‘Supernatural Chic: When Your Inner Fox Won’t Stay Inner.’”

“You could wear a beanie,” Tyler suggested, sprawling across one of the armchairs.

I raised an eyebrow. “In summer? Because that wouldn’t look suspicious at all. ‘No, Officer, I’m not hiding anything under this wool hat in this blazing heat. I’m just making a bold fashion statement.’”

“Point taken,” Drew conceded with a laugh that didn’t quite hide his concern. “But if you change your mind…”

“I won’t,” I assured him, ignoring the small part of me that actually wanted to go. To be normal, to hang out with my brother and his friends like we used to, before mate bonds and fox features complicated everything. “Go, have fun, pretend this day never happened. I’ll be fine here with my blanket fortress and judgmental pets.”

Pixel’s one-eyed stare seemed to agree with this assessment.

“You sure?” Drew pressed, his hand squeezing my shoulder. “Because I can stay. We could have a gaming marathon. I’ll even let you win.”

“Let me win?” I scoffed, the familiar banter helping me feel more like myself. “I seem to recall thoroughly destroying you last time without any charitable assistance.”

Jake and Tyler exchanged amused glances, clearly used to our sibling dynamics. But there was something else in their expressions now—a new awareness after witnessing Drew’s fierce defense of me earlier.

“Go,” I said firmly, pushing away the complicated emotions that threatened to surface. “I’m just going to nap anyway. Nearly drowning is apparently exhausting. Who knew?”