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I should say no. I should definitely say no. Instead, I pulled off my sand-covered shirt. “Well, I am pretty dirty,” I said. “Sand. Everywhere. Very uncomfortable.”

Cade’s smile was pure predator, sending shivers down my spine that had nothing to do with being half-naked. “Let me help with that.”

The shower in Cade’s bathroom was basically its own zip code, all gleaming glass and multiple showerheads because apparently, regular-sized showers were beneath alpha dignity. Steam rose around us as Cade pulled me under the spray, his arms wrapping around me from behind.

“Remember when we used to shower together?” he murmured against my fox ear, making me shiver as his breath ruffled the sensitive fur. “Back when you were little?”

“Pretty sure it was different then,” I managed, trying to sound sarcastic even as his hands traced patterns on my stomach that sent electric currents straight to my core. My traitorous tail curled around his thigh, as if afraid he might step away. “Less… naked. More rubber ducks.”

“Definitely different now,” he agreed, pressing a kiss to my neck that short-circuited my brain. “Better.”

I turned in his arms, rising on tiptoes to kiss him again because apparently I’d developed an addiction in the last twenty minutes. His mouth was hot and demanding against mine, tongue sweeping in like he was claiming territory. Which, given the whole alpha thing, he probably was. The kiss was more than just physical—it was a declaration, a promise, a claiming that resonated through the mate bond until I could feel it humming in every cell of my body.

My hands couldn’t stay still, mapping the ridges and planes of his chest, his shoulders, his back. “I should really learn sculpting,” I murmured between kisses. “This”—I traced his abs, following the defined lines with trembling fingers—“needs tobe immortalized in marble. You and Logan and Keir. My own private collection of alpha statuary.”

Cade’s laugh was dark and rich against my lips, the vibration sending a new wave of heat through me. His hand moved to the base of my tail, fingers stroking the sensitive fur in a way that made me gasp. “Happy to model anytime, little fox. Though I rather enjoy how… hands-on your artistic process is.”

His fingers hooked into the waistband of my underwear, and reality crashed back in. I was about to be very naked with my very adoptive brother who was also apparently my mate and oh God, what was I doing?

“Someone’s shy now,” Cade teased, though he paused, waiting for my permission. His eyes were dark with desire but still watchful, still giving me the choice.

“Not shy,” I protested, even as heat flooded my cheeks and my ears flattened against my head in embarrassment. “Just… processing.”

“Process later,” he suggested, sliding my underwear down before I could overthink it further. The material pooled at my feet, leaving me completely exposed to his hungry gaze.

I resisted the urge to cover myself, though it wasn’t easy. Especially when Cade’s gaze traveled down my body with obvious appreciation, his eyes darkening to midnight blue as they took in every inch of me—including the silver-white tail that swished nervously behind me. The mate bond flared between us, carrying his desire straight to my core until I was trembling with need.

“Looks like someone’s happy to see me.” He smirked, and I seriously considered drowning him in his own shower.

“You’re hilarious,” I muttered, then lost all capacity for snark as he shed his own underwear and holyshit.

I tried not to stare. I really did. But… “That’s just unfair,” I heard myself say, my voice embarrassingly breathless. “Even your dick is alpha-sized?”

Cade’s laugh echoed off the shower walls, rich and warm. “I’ll take that as a compliment.” His eyes dropped to my tail, which had begun to sway in what I could only describe as interest. “Seems like all of you is impressed.”

I felt my face heat even further. “I can’t control it,” I muttered, trying to will my tail to stop its betraying movements. “It has a mind of its own.”

“I like it,” Cade said, stepping closer until our bodies were almost touching. “It’s honest, even when you’re trying not to be.”

His hands slid over my skin, spreading body wash that smelled exactly like him—all cedar and rain and something uniquely Cade. The scent wrapped around me, seeping into my pores until I was sure I’d never smell like myself again. When his fingers found my fox ears, stroking the sensitive fur with gentle precision, my knees nearly buckled.

“Oh,” I gasped, shocked by the intensity of sensation. “That’s?—”

“Sensitive?” Cade murmured, continuing his gentle exploration. “Good to know.”

“Now you’ll smell like me,” he added, his other hand sliding down to grasp my tail near the base. The possessive note in his voice should not have been as hot as it was.

“Marking your territory?” I tried to sound sarcastic, but it came out breathless as his fingers stroked my tail, sending waves of pleasure racing through me that I’d never experienced before. Who knew having a tail could be so… intense? “Very alpha of you.”

“You have no idea,” he growled, and suddenly I was pressed against the shower wall, trapped between cool glass and hot alpha. His mouth found mine again, hungrier this time, moredemanding, while his hand continued to stroke my tail in rhythm with his tongue. The kiss was consuming, devouring, like he was trying to imprint himself on every part of me.

I should probably be concerned about how quickly this was escalating. Instead, I arched into his touch, hands exploring every inch of wet skin I could reach. For scientific purposes, obviously. Artistic research. Definitely not because I was desperately turned on and rapidly losing what remained of my sanity.

“Cade,” I gasped as his mouth moved to my neck, teeth grazing sensitive skin in a way that made my toes curl. “We should—ah!—probably slow down?”

“Probably,” he agreed, but his hands kept moving, one tangled in the fur of my tail, the other mapping my body like he was memorizing every inch. When his fingers wrapped around my cock, my brain short-circuited completely, pleasure shooting through me like lightning.

“Oh God,” I whimpered, head falling back against the glass. “That’s… that’s not slowing down.”