Page 12 of Bound by Alphas 1: Bound (The Blood Moon Chronicle #3)
SINCLAIR brOTHERS
F rom the upper deck of the Sinclair mansion, three pairs of enhanced alpha eyes tracked every movement on the beach below. The brothers stood in a perfect line at the railing, their postures identical despite their different builds—tense, focused, predatory.
“This is torture,” Logan muttered, his knuckles white against the railing as he watched Finn emerge from the water, board shorts hanging dangerously low on his hips to accommodate the tail that curved elegantly from the base of his spine. “Absolute fucking torture.”
Cade didn’t respond, his jaw locked so tight a muscle ticked visibly beneath the skin.
His eyes never left Finn’s form as their mate shook water from his hair, fox ears twitching adorably with the motion.
The thin white tank top Finn wore had become practically transparent when wet, clinging to his slender torso and outlining dusky nipples hardened by the cool water.
“He has no idea what he looks like down there,” Keir said, his usual playfulness replaced by something darker, hungrier. “Prancing around half-naked, water dripping down his skin like some kind of offering.”
He’s not doing it on purpose , Cade reminded them through their pack bond, not trusting his voice to remain steady. He has no idea we can see every detail from here .
Maybe he should . Logan’s internal voice was rough with desire. Maybe then he wouldn’t torture us like this .
On the beach below, Finn laughed at something Drew said, the sound carrying on the breeze.
Even from this distance, their enhanced hearing caught the musical quality of it, the pure joy that had been missing since the ceremony.
The sound hit all three alphas like a physical blow, their wolves surging forward with the need to be the ones making their mate laugh.
“I’m going down there,” Keir decided suddenly, already pushing away from the railing.
Cade’s hand shot out, gripping his younger brother’s arm with bruising force. “No.”
“Why not?” Keir challenged, blue eyes flashing with defiance. “He’s ours. It’s been six years, Cade. Six years of watching, wanting, waiting. He’s nineteen now. The ceremony confirmed what we already knew.”
“And you saw how well that went,” Cade said, his voice deceptively calm while his mental presence radiated tension. “Barging down there now will only frighten him more.”
“I don’t care,” Logan growled, his eyes shifting to amber as his control slipped. “Look at him, Cade. Really look at him.”
Below, Finn had stripped off his wet tank top, revealing a torso that was slender but toned from years of swimming.
Water droplets caught the sunlight as they slid down his skin, tracing paths that all three brothers ached to follow with their tongues.
His hair was darker when wet, slicked back to reveal the elegant lines of his face—high cheekbones, full lips, those amber-gold eyes that seemed to shift color with his emotions.
“I see him,” Cade said, his voice dropping to a dangerous register. “I see every inch of him.”
It was still jarring sometimes—this transition from the child they’d protected to the breathtaking young man who now stood before them.
They’d watched him grow day by day, yet somehow it felt as though they’d blinked and the transformation had occurred overnight.
The soft curves of childhood had given way to elegant lines and subtle strength, his mixed heritage blessing him with a beauty that was neither fully Eastern nor Western but something uniquely, perfectly Finn.
Through their bond, images flashed between them—Finn asleep in his bed that morning, fox ears twitching with dreams; Finn at sixteen, bent over his sketchbook with that look of intense concentration; Finn at fourteen, when they’d first felt the bond intensifying.
Each memory a snapshot of his metamorphosis from the child they’d marked to the mate they now craved.
“He has no idea how beautiful he is,” Keir said softly, a rare moment of complete sincerity from the usually playful alpha. “How perfect.”
“When did he become this?” Logan murmured, his voice rough with wonder and desire. “We’ve watched over him every day, and yet…”
“Like watching a masterpiece being painted,” Cade finished for him. “Each brushstroke too subtle to notice until suddenly the full canvas takes your breath away.”
The mate marks they’d placed on him six years ago had formed a promise—a claim on a future they could only imagine. But the reality of Finn now, with his artist’s hands and fox-like grace, with his delicate strength and unconscious sensuality, exceeded even their most forbidden dreams.
Below, Drew had shifted into his wolf form, and Finn was chasing him along the shoreline. The grace of his movements, even with the partial shift, was mesmerizing. His fox tail streamed behind him, balancing him as he darted after Drew, his laughter carrying up to them on the breeze.
“He’s faster with the fox parts,” Logan noted, professional assessment momentarily overriding desire. “More coordinated too.”
“His fox is waking up,” Cade agreed. “The ceremony triggered something.”
Maybe more than just his fox , Keir added through their bond, a hint of his usual mischief returning. Did you see how he responded to us this morning? The way he melted when you touched his ears? The way he couldn’t stop scenting Logan?
“Don’t,” Logan warned aloud, his hands clenching into fists. “Don’t give me hope if there isn’t any.”
“There is,” Cade said firmly. “He’s responding to the bond, even if he doesn’t understand it yet. His body knows who he belongs to, even if his mind is fighting it.”
On the beach, Finn suddenly stopped his game with Drew, turning toward the mansion with an expression of confusion. His fox ears swiveled in their direction, and even from this distance, they could see the way his tail swished nervously.
“He feels us watching,” Keir said, a note of triumph in his voice.
“The bond is stronger than he realizes,” Cade confirmed. “Even with the distance, he can sense us.”
Drew shifted back to human form, and they watched the brief conversation, saw Finn’s glance back up toward them before the pair began gathering their things.
“They’re coming back,” Logan said, straightening. “We should?—”
“Stay right here,” Cade finished for him. “Let them come to us.”
“And then what?” Keir demanded. “More pretending? More distance?”
“No.” Cade’s voice was firm. “No more pretending. But we move carefully. He’s skittish, confused. We show him how we feel without overwhelming him.”
And if he rejects us? Logan’s internal voice was raw with the possibility.
Then we let him go , Cade responded, the words as painful mentally as they would have been aloud. And we wait. For as long as it takes .
The three brothers remained at the railing, watching as Finn and Drew made their way up the path toward the house, their mate’s slender form moving with unconscious grace despite the wet board shorts and tail that should have made him awkward.
“They’re coming up to the deck,” Keir warned, his voice tightening.
Before they could retreat to a less obvious position, Finn and Drew emerged onto the lower deck, still dripping from the ocean.
Finn stood there, board shorts hanging dangerously low on his narrow hips, the waistband barely clinging to the curve of his backside.
His fox tail emerged just above the hem, the fur damp and slightly darker from the seawater.
His chest was bare, water droplets sliding down the lean planes of his torso, catching sunlight like diamonds against his pale skin.
Mochi trotted alongside Finn, shaking his white fur and sending water everywhere. Boba waddled behind, tongue lolling as he panted dramatically from the exertion of the climb.
Logan’s growl was audible, causing Drew to freeze mid-step, immediately recognizing the sound of an alpha on edge. A slow, knowing smile spread across his face as he took in the brothers’ reactions.
“Well, look who’s enjoying the view,” he said cheerfully, draping an arm around Finn’s bare shoulders. “We didn’t expect an audience for our triumphant return.”
Finn, oblivious to the effect he was having on the brothers, shook his head like a fox caught in rain, sending water droplets flying. “Sorry about the puddles. Elena’s going to kill us.”
“I think Elena has other concerns,” Drew said with mock seriousness, his eyes twinkling with mischief as he deliberately pulled Finn closer. “Like the three alphas who might shift and tear up the deck furniture.”
“What?” Finn looked between the brothers, confusion evident on his face.
“Nothing,” Cade managed, his voice remarkably steady despite the white-knuckled grip he maintained on the railing. “I see you enjoyed the beach.”
Finn turned slightly to grab a towel Drew offered, the movement revealing the three silvery marks on his lower right hip—the pre-marking scars partially visible above his sagging shorts. The sight of their claim on his skin sent a jolt of possessiveness through all three brothers.
Those shorts are a crime against my self-control . Keir’s internal voice was strained. One wrong move and they’ll fall completely .
Focus on his face , Cade commanded, though his own gaze kept dropping to the visible marks.
“You should have joined us,” Drew said, his tone innocent but his eyes knowing as he tossed another towel at Finn. “The water was perfect. Finn here is quite the swimmer—beat me in a race, actually.”
“Did he?” Keir asked, his eyes tracking Finn’s movements as he attempted to dry his hair, the motion causing his shorts to slip even lower.
Boba flopped dramatically at Finn’s feet, rolling onto his back and exposing his belly. Finn laughed and crouched down to rub the dog’s stomach, giving the brothers an even better view of the marks on his hip.
Is he doing this on purpose? Logan’s internal voice was strained.
No, but Drew definitely is , Keir responded.