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Then we need to be there, Derek finished, his protective instincts flaring.But if he’s playing games…

Then we’ll teach our little mate a lesson about teasing three alpha wolves. Caleb’s thought held equal parts hunger and amusement.

They converged on the gym complex from different directions—Derek taking the most direct route while Marcus and Caleb approached from opposite wings of the manor. Through their bond, they could feel each other’s mounting anticipation, their wolves already stirring with possibility.

None of them were prepared for the sight that greeted them.

Derek reached the gym first, his military training evident in how he burst through the door, scanning for threats before his eyes landed on Kai. Their mate sat on the sauna bench looking appropriately distressed, but there was something in his eyes—a glint of mischief that Derek’s wolf immediately recognized.

He’s fine, Derek reported through the bond, though his relief was tinged with suspicion.Too fine.

“Kai? What’s wrong?” he demanded, crossing to the sauna in three long strides.

“I don’t know,” Kai replied, his voice convincingly troubled. “I just feel… hot. Like my skin is on fire.”

Derek knelt before him, instinctively checking for fever or signs of distress. Kai’s temperature was elevated, but no more than usual since his dragon blood had awakened. What was more concerning was the scent rolling off him—desire, barely contained, mixed with something that smelled suspiciously like… anticipation?

“Any other symptoms?” Derek asked, his wolf already on alert.

“Just… pressure,” Kai said vaguely. “Like something building up.”

Marcus and Caleb arrived together, their concern a palpable force through the pack bond.

“What’s happening?” Marcus demanded, his alpha presence filling the room as he joined Derek in the sauna.

“He says he’s overheating,” Derek reported, his hand still on Kai’s forehead. “Temperature definitely elevated.”

“That could be the dragon blood,” Caleb suggested, completing their circle around Kai. “Dr. White mentioned possible temperature fluctuations as his body adjusts.”

Through their bond, all three brothers shared the same suspicion—Kai wasn’t in any real distress. This was something else entirely.

He’s planning something, Marcus warned.

Look at his eyes, Caleb noted.That’s not dragon fire—that’s pure mischief.

“I think I need to cool down,” Kai said suddenly, standing up. “Maybe a shower would help.”

“Good idea,” Marcus nodded, stepping aside to let him pass. “We’ll wait here in case you need anything.”

“Actually,” Kai said, moving toward the door with a casualness that set all three wolves on edge, “I think I need a minute alone. To… center myself.”

Before any of them could react, Kai slipped through the door and slammed it shut behind him. The supernatural lock engaged with an ominous click that echoed in the sudden silence.

Did he just…?Caleb’s thought was incredulous.

Lock us in?Derek finished, disbelief coloring his internal voice.Yes. Yes, he did.

Marcus’ wolf surged forward, recognizing the trap too late. “Kai?” he called, his voice betraying his confusion. “What are you doing?”

“Getting a little payback,” Kai replied from the other side of the glass, smugness radiating from every inch of his smaller frame as he stepped back to admire his handiwork—three powerful alpha wolves trapped in a glass box like the world’s most attractive museum exhibit.

“Did you really think you could work me up like that and then just leave me hanging?” Kai asked, crossing his arms with a defiance that had all three wolves stirring with appreciation. “Consider this… educational. Lesson one: Don’t start what you can’t finish, wolves.”

“Kai.” Marcus’ voice dropped to a dangerous register, his wolf pushing forward. “Open the door.”

“You little brat!” Derek growled, his eyes beginning to glow amber with rising frustration.

The answer came in the form of Kai reaching for the hem of his shirt, pulling it slowly over his head in a deliberate tease that had all three brothers freezing in place. The shared intake of breath echoed through their bond, their collective desire spiking sharply as Kai’s smooth skin was revealed inch by tantalizing inch.