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Kaal drawled from the far end of the table, biting into a lush cannoli with deliberate slowness. ‘Tell me I’m not the only one seeing this? Care to explain?’

Xander and Savvine tore their eyes from each other, blinking as if waking from a trance.

She flushed and ducked her head, her hair slipping over her flaming cheeks, suddenly aware they’d been caught.

‘I was wondering when someone would say it,’ Boaz muttered, arms crossed, half-grinning. ‘Pretty sure Savvine just got undressed. Twice.’

Savvine choked. ‘Excuse me?’

All heads turned as Santiago leaned against the nearest bulkhead, lazy as ever, wagging a gloved finger between them. ‘So. You two kicking it?’

Savvine opened her mouth, but no sound came out. Her gaze darted to Xander.

His gold-ringed eyes narrowed, energy shifted, a whip of menacing warning.

A dark and possessive pulse rippled through the room, a wired petrichor and drop in pressure, akin to the stirring before a storm.

‘Pipe down,cabrón.’

‘Fokkno,’ Santiago replied, grinning. ‘We’ve been taking bets.’

Savvine gaped. ‘A betting pool?’

Mak shrugged. ‘Unofficial. But lucrative.’

‘What happens in my bedroom,’ Xander clipped, cutting through the laughter, ‘is none of yourfokkin’ business.’

The room stilled, not out of fear but respect.

That dangerous growl, that commanding tone, full alpha, war-wolf mode engaged. Even the overhead lights seemed to dim.

‘I don’t pry into your hookups,hermanos,’ he snarled, straightening, radiating dominance. ‘I don’t comment on who sneaks random bunks after midnight, or whose boots hit the floor first. So simmer down with your jokes and bets.’

A beat of silence followed.

Then Zev smirked. ‘So that’s a yes?’

Xander gave him a glare penetrating enough to cleave hull plating.

Mak leaned toward Boaz and whispered. ‘Naam. She’s got his mark.’

The entire pack tilted to stare at her neck.

Savvine pulled back, rearranging her collar, her face burning.

Xander’s spectral energy flared, then exploded over the room. ‘Suficiente!’

His star wolves retreated, with glints in their eyes.

Savvine cleared her throat and rubbed her temples. ‘Y’all are something else.’

She turned to Xander’s side and hissed under her breath, ‘Next time, maybewarnme that I’ve got a mating mark on my throat.’

Xander’s eyes burned with a possessive gleam. ‘What if I want the entire ship to see it,querida?What I don’t welcome is their verbal speculation about how it got there.’

She huffed, unbelieving as he sat back with a smirk, ‘We done? Now let’s talk business. Miral?’

‘We’ve confirmed the Lombardis are receiving weapons shipments from a shadow contact. They’ve received nano weapons, molecular spike charges, evenHadesstealth ordnance,’ the synth AI said.