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The drive back was torture of the sweetest kind. None of us looked directly at each other, but the air crackled with unresolved tension. Even Archer was unusually quiet, though his scent kept wrapping around me like a heated caress.

I couldn’t help thinking that if I was still human, if they were just regular guys instead of powerful alphas, we’d probably be… well. My imagination helpfully supplied several scenarios that made my fangs ache. No complicated vampire politics, no unmanifested powers to worry about, no need to wait. Just passion and desire and…

The car hit a bump, making me slide closer to Archer. His sharp intake of breath matched my own as our thighs pressed together.

“Fuck it.” Archer’s voice broke the charged silence. Before I could process what was happening, he’d pulled me onto his lap. “Come here, little bat.”

His mouth found mine with devastating accuracy, and whatever protest I might have made dissolved into a pleased sigh. My arms wound around his neck as I melted into the kiss,tasting traces of his blood still on his tongue. His scent wrapped around me like a heated blanket, making everything else fade away.

His hand slid up my thigh, the touch was both too much and not enough, making me arch against him with a needy sound that would have been embarrassing if I’d been capable of thinking straight.

A warning growl came from the front seat. “Archer.” Zane’s voice held enough alpha command to make the air vibrate.

“Hmm?” Archer’s laugh vibrated against my lips as his fingers traced dangerous patterns on my inner thigh. “Jealous, big brother? Your turn was quite… thorough, if I recall.” His other hand tangled in my hair, tilting my head to deepen the kiss in a way that made me completely forget about floating or manifestation or anything that wasn’t his mouth on mine.

The dashboard crackled with Ryker’s power. Their silent conversation through the pack bond was almost visible in the tension between them—probably some variation of ‘stop that’ and ‘make me’ based on how Archer’s grin curved against my lips.

Zane’s midnight-starlight scent darkened dangerously. “We’re almost home.”

“Exactly,” Archer murmured between kisses, his hand sliding even higher. “Making the most of our time.”

We finally pulled into the private parking beneath Whitlock Tower, but I barely registered the stop. Not when Archer was kissing me like he was trying to memorize my taste, his hands leaving trails of fire on my skin.

The door suddenly yanked open, and I found myself being swept up into Zane’s arms bridal-style, pulled away from Archer’s very comfortable lap. One strong arm supported my back while the other curved under my knees, holding me securely against his chest. My shirt, still rumpled from Archer’sattention, slid dangerously high as Zane strode toward the elevator with alpha purpose. The way he carried me, like I weighed nothing at all, combined with his scent heavy with possession… it made everything inside me tighten with want.

“We’ll catch up,” Ryker called out, amusement clear in his voice as Archer made sounds of protest. The lightning in his eyes suggested he’d enjoyed the show more than he was letting on.

“Take the next one,” Zane growled over his shoulder, stepping into the elevator with me still cradled in his arms. The possessive display should have annoyed me. Instead, it just made the ache inside worse, especially when I could feel every ripple of muscle where I was pressed against his chest.

“Really?” Archer rolled his eyes dramatically, adjusting his obviously uncomfortable pants. “What are you, twelve?”

Ryker’s laugh echoed as the doors closed. “Let him have this one, brother.”

“Penthouse,” Zane commanded as the elevator purred to life. In the enclosed space, his midnight-starlight scent was devastating—like being wrapped in pure alpha desire with a side of ‘mine.’

“My hero,” I drawled, tightening my arms around his neck. “Saving me from the big bad Archer and his wandering hands.” I grinned up at him. “Though I have to say, this whole caveman-alpha ‘mine, mine, mine’ thing you’ve got going? Surprisingly hot.”

His growl vibrated through his chest where I was pressed against him. “You’re playing with fire, little bat.”

“Good thing I’m fireproof.” I traced a finger along his jaw, watching his pupils dilate. “Or did you forget I’m a vampire? Though technically, shouldn’t you be more worried about me playing with midnight? And starlight?” I made a show of inhaling his scent. “Because that’s what you taste like, you know.Pure midnight wrapped in starlight with a dash of ‘I’m the boss of everything.’”

“When did you get so…” He searched for the word, steel-gray eyes burning into mine. “How does our painfully shy brother, who needed coaxing just to join family dinner, transform into this devastating creature who seems intent on destroying three centuries of carefully cultivated control?”

The question made something twist in my chest. I bit my lip, suddenly uncertain. Should I tell him? That I wasn’t exactly the Luca they knew? That technically, I was someone else entirely? Maybe they’d feel less guilty about wanting their adopted brother if they knew…

But no. I was still Luca, wasn’t I? Just… different. Changed. And telling them wouldn’t make this any less complicated. Besides, how do you even start that conversation? ‘Hey, surprise! I’m actually from another dimension where I binge-watched anime and collected plushies. Still want to kiss me senseless?’

“Maybe,” I said instead, running my fingers through the soft hair at his nape, “I just needed the right motivation to emerge from my cocoon of introversion. Though in my defense, have you seen you? All three of you? It’s like someone took every alpha romance novel ever and…” I waved my free hand vaguely. “Triple-concentrated the hotness.”

The elevator doors opened to the quiet penthouse foyer, where a single table lamp cast intimate shadows. Zane stepped out, still carrying me like I was his most precious possession.

When he set me down, I kept my arms locked around his neck. “Not yet,” I whispered. His thumb traced my bottom lip as he gazed down at me, and every vampire instinct I had screamed ‘mine’, the way he looked at me made everything inside turn molten.

“Kiss me?” The words came out breathy, needy, but I was past caring. “Please? Just one goodnight kiss?”

He sighed, but it was the sound of a man surrendering to the inevitable. “You know damn well it’s never just one kiss with you, little bat. Not when you look at me like that.”

Zane’s mouth claimed mine with devastating intensity, and I tightened my arms around his neck, melting into the kiss. He moved forward, each step deliberate and predatory, until my back met the wall. The impact wasn’t rough—even lost in desire, he handled me with alpha care—but the way he pressed against me, caging me in with his body, made everything inside me tighten with want.