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His laugh was dark and promising against my throat. “Want me to stop?”

“Don’t you dare.”

Just as things were getting interesting, Cade pulled his hand away, earning a frustrated whine I’d definitely deny making later. My tail lashed in protest, betraying my frustration more openly than I’d have liked. The sudden absence of his touch left me aching, my body humming with unfulfilled desire.

“Patience, little fox,” he murmured, reaching past me to shut off the water. The sudden loss of heat made me shiver, goosebumps rising on my skin.

Before I could voice my objection to this cruel and unusual punishment, he was wrapping me in what had to be the softest towel in existence. Because of course even his towels were extra.The material was warm and plush against my sensitized skin, a sensual caress that did nothing to calm the fire burning inside me.

He led me into his sitting area, settling onto the massive sectional with casual grace. And complete nudity. The evening light streaming through those floor-to-ceiling windows painted his skin in gold and shadow, creating an image that belonged in a museum. If museums displayed naked alpha werewolves. Which they definitely should. His body was a masterpiece of strength and grace, all hard planes and defined muscles that made my fingers itch for a sketchbook. Or maybe just to touch him again.

“Your choice,” he said softly, extending his hand. “We can stop here.”

I should leave. I should definitely leave. But the mate bond hummed between us like a living thing, pulling me closer with an insistence that was impossible to ignore. It vibrated with need and longing, a siren song that called to something deep inside me. My brain had apparently taken an extended vacation to parts unknown, leaving my body to make decisions it had no business making.

I crossed the room and climbed into his lap, straddling his thighs. The position brought us into intimate contact, making me gasp as heat shot through me. My tail curled around his arm, anchoring me to him as if afraid I might change my mind. “Just this once,” I told myself as much as him, wrapping my arms around his neck. “Just to… get it out of our systems.”

His laugh was dark and knowing against my lips as I leaned in to kiss him. He knew as well as I did that this was more than a one-time thing, that the mate bond wouldn’t be satisfied with a single encounter. But I needed the lie, needed to pretend this was something I could walk away from tomorrow.

His hands roamed my back, tracing patterns that made me shiver before sliding lower to cup my ass. When he spread me slightly, I couldn’t help the moan that escaped into his mouth. The sensation was electric, sending sparks of pleasure racing up my spine. His other hand found my tail again, stroking from base to tip in a rhythm that had me trembling.

“Never knew a tail could be so sensitive,” he murmured against my lips. “So responsive to my touch.”

“It’s not”—I gasped as he found a particularly sensitive spot near the base—“supposed to be like that. It’s just a tail.”

Cade’s laugh was dark and knowing. “Nothing about you is ‘just’ anything, little fox.” He gave my tail a gentle tug that sent a jolt of pleasure straight to my core. “Especially not this.”

“If I’d known—ah!—having a tail would be this much trouble,” I managed between shaky breaths, “I’d have tried harder to get rid of it.”

“I’m glad you didn’t,” Cade replied, his fingers finding that spot again that made me arch against him. “It’s like having a direct line to what you’re really feeling.” He stroked upward, watching my face as I struggled to maintain composure. “When your mouth says no, but your tail says yes…”

“My tail is a traitor,” I muttered, even as it curled possessively around his wrist, keeping his hand in place. “It has terrible judgment.”

“Or maybe,” Cade murmured, leaning in to nip at my lower lip, “it’s the only honest part of you right now.” His fingers worked magic along the length of my tail, alternating between featherlight touches and firm strokes that had me trembling. “Telling me exactly what you want, even when you’re too stubborn to admit it.”

“Not stubborn,” I protested weakly, my hips rocking against his stomach of their own accord, seeking friction, desperate for more contact. “Just—oh God—maintaining some dignity.”

“Dignity is overrated,” Cade growled, giving my tail another gentle tug that made me gasp. “Especially when you look so beautiful falling apart for me.”

The mate bond pulsed between us, demanding closer, deeper, more. It was like a living thing, pushing us together with an urgency that was both terrifying and exhilarating.

A knock at the door made me freeze, my ears swiveling toward the sound.

“Just Logan and Keir,” Cade murmured against my neck, and something in his tone made me pull back.

“You’ve been broadcasting,” I accused. “Through your pack bond.”

“Might have sent them a few images,” he admitted, not looking remotely sorry. The thought of them seeing us like this, of Cade sharing these intimate moments with his brothers, should have been mortifying. Instead, it sent a new wave of heat through me, making me tremble with anticipation.

“I can send them away if you want,” he added, his eyes searching mine for any sign of hesitation.

I buried my face against his neck, trembling at the implications. At the thought of all three of them, here, with me. It should have been weird. Should have been wrong. Instead, it felt… inevitable. Like we’d been moving toward this moment since the day of the Augury, or maybe even before. The mate bond hummed its approval, reaching out to include Logan and Keir even through the closed door.

“They can… they can come in,” I whispered, shocking myself with my boldness.

Cade’s smile was pure sin. “Are you sure, little fox?”

Before I could second-guess myself, the door opened.