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“Protected,” all three brothers corrected simultaneously.

“Now who’s been practicing?” I said, but I couldn’t help smiling at their synchronized protectiveness.

“The festival is important,” Marcus continued, his thumb still tracing maddening patterns on my leg. “All the local packs attend. It’s… political.”

“Everything’s political with wolves.” I sighed. “Fine. What’s the plan?”

“Simple,” Derek said in his tactical voice. “You stay with at least one of us at all times. My team will maintain perimeter security. The council has arranged neutral territory agreements for the duration of the festival.”

“And Jorge and I will keep your Imo busy with the cooking competition,” Maria added cheerfully. “She already signed up!”

“Of course she has.” I wasn’t even surprised anymore. “Wait, is that why you two have been trading recipes all week?”

“Research,” Jorge said seriously. “Very important research.”

The brothers exchanged one of their telepathic looks. Marcus’ hand was definitely moving even higher on my thigh, and Caleb had shifted closer, his arm brushing mine every time he moved. Even Derek’s eyes had that heated edge from the gym.

“Actually,” I said, trying to ignore how Marcus’ touch was making it hard to think straight, “I was wondering if I could watch your team train today? The shifting part, I mean.” I focused on my water glass, suddenly self-conscious. “If I’m supposed to learn how to do it eventually, it might help to see how it works.”

The brothers exchanged another look, this one more surprised than heated.

“You want to watch us shift?” Derek asked carefully.

“Well, yeah.” I shrugged, aiming for casual despite the blush I could feel creeping up my neck. “Better than going in blind, right? Unless it’s some secret wolf thing?—”

“No,” Marcus cut in, his hand squeezing my thigh gently. “It’s a good idea. Practical.”

“Very practical,” Caleb agreed, but his grin suggested he was thinking of something else entirely.

Derek nodded slowly, his tactical expression returning. “My team trains at three. We can watch from the observation deck.” His eyes met mine, still holding that dangerous heat from earlier. “Though you might want to prepare yourself. The first time seeing a full shift can be… intense.”

The way he said ‘intense’ made heat pool in my stomach. Something told me watching Derek and his team transform into massive wolves was going to be anything but practical.

Maria and Jorge exchanged knowing looks as they cleared the table.

“I’ll bring snacks to the observation deck,” Jorge announced. “For strength.”

“And that protein smoothie I’ve been perfecting,” Maria added with a smirk. “The one with extra berries and honey. For… stamina.”

The way she said ‘stamina’ made me blush, but I couldn’t deny my supernatural metabolism was always craving Maria’s special smoothies now. The brothers had explained that the shift required a lot of energy, and my quarter-wolf body was already preparing for it, even if I couldn’t transform yet.

“The red one?” Jorge perked up. “With the secret ingredient?”

“Secret ingredient?” I asked suspiciously.

“For strength,” they said in unison, sharing another conspiratorial look.

I was definitely going to need it—whatever ‘it’ was.

Chapter 8

The observation deck overlooked what the brothers casually called their “training grounds,” which was actually a massive clearing surrounded by dense forest. High-tech equipment was cleverly disguised to look like natural features—because apparently even supernatural training had to maintain the manor’s aesthetic.

“Your team’s already warming up,” I noted, watching the group of men stretching below. They all had that same coiled-power vibe as Derek, like they were barely containing something wild beneath their tactical gear.

“Johnson’s running today’s drills,” Derek explained, coming to stand beside me at the reinforced glass. “He’s my second.”

“The one who looks like he bench-presses trucks for fun?”