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I feel the air shift behind me, and before I can even process it, I hear it – Blaise’s roar, the power in it making the ground beneath me tremble.

“Eviana, stop!” he commands, and that voice – that alpha voice – it pulls at something inside of me, something I’ve spent years locking away. My feet falter, just for a moment, but that’s enough. I can hear them closing in, and suddenly, my legs feel weak, my chest tight with the effort of running away from them, away from everything I’ve tried to protect myself from.

But I won’t stop.

I push harder, forcing myself to go against my instincts, against his command, my heart pounding so fast I can’t hear anything but the blood thrumming in my ears. I can’t breathe. I can’t think.

Then – thud.

I don’t see it coming. The ground shifts beneath me, my ankle catching on something, and before I can catch myself, a strong arm wraps around my waist, hauling me against a solid chest.

A chest that feels far too warm, far too right.

“No!” I scream, my hands slapping at the arm that holds me, but it’s too late. I’m caught. I’m trapped.

I twist, desperate to break free, only to meet the steady, amused gaze of Xar. “Gotcha,” he rumbles, and god help me, the sound skates down my spine like a touch.

I glare at him, but there’s something in his eyes – something steady, something anchoring – that makes my pulse spike even harder. Heat flashes through me, my omega instincts stirring restlessly beneath the surface.

“You’re not getting away that easily,” he murmurs, his voice low, teasing and devastatingly fond. His scent, warm and steady like sunbaked stone, curls around me before I can shove it away. My body leans into him without permission, seeking more of it, more ofhim.

Panic spikes higher. I thrash in his hold, fighting myself as much as him, but the more I struggle, the firmer his grip becomes. I can feel the air between us thickening, crackling with a tension I can’t deny. A primal part of me keens at the recognition, clawing against the walls I’ve spent years building.

“Let me go,” I snap, my voice raw and shaking. But there’s no real fight behind it. Only fear of what might happen if I don’t. I know I’m defeated, but I can’t let them know that.

Xar chuckles, low and warm, the sound brushing over my skin like a caress. His hand strokes along my arm as he holds me steady, and every nerve ending lights up at the simple touch.

Then Blaise steps forward, his eyes dark and dangerous, a smirk curving his lips. “What are you going to do now, Eviana?” he growls, his alpha tone sliding beneath my skin, making my knees weak.

I stare at them, struggling to pull myself together. Fighting against the traitorous heat building inside me.

But then the absurdity of it all hits me – the way they’re standing there, towering over me like I’m some prize they’ve finally caught, the flour dusting their hair…

The laugh bursts out of me before I can stop it – shaky, startled, but real.

The sound catches them off guard, their expressions shifting, but I don’t care. It’s like a valve releasing under pressure, a wild, gasping break in the tension.

“You look crazy,” I say between fits of laughter, my voice wobbling with too much feeling. “All of you. Tripping over your own feet, falling into traps, getting tangled in rope and covered in flour.”

I see the humour flicker in their eyes, but then Blaise steps forward, his face darkening with mock annoyance. “You think this is funny?” he growls.

But there’s no real malice behind it. And I know it.

“No,” I say, sitting up and trying to catch my breath. “But you dolookridiculous.”

The moment I finish speaking, I hear it – the low, deep growl that rumbles in their chests, the warning in it, the possessiveness. But instead of fear, it makes something inside me stir, and I can’t help the small whine that escapes my throat. I feel it. I can feel their alphas reacting to me, and my omega stirs inside me like a living thing, calling out, needing them.

Their eyes flash with the acknowledgment of it.

Xar helps me to my feet but he doesn’t let me go.

“Eviana,” Blaise says, his voice dark, but there’s something else beneath the growl. Something like desire. “You’re going to pay for that.”

Xar’s hands tighten around my waist as he pulls me closer, his breath warm against my skin. “We’ve been patient, but you need to understand something.” His voice is a low growl,sending heat shooting through me. “You’re ours. You always have been.”

I freeze. The words, the way he says them, send a jolt through me, and my heart pounds in my chest.

“No,” I whisper, my voice shaky. “No, I’m not?—”