Page 17 of Bound by Alphas 1: Bound (The Blood Moon Chronicle #3)

I remained frozen in place long after the brothers left, my brain struggling to process what had just happened. What had I been thinking? Or rather, what had my body been thinking? Because my brain certainly hadn’t authorized leaning in toward Cade like some desperate, touch-starved idiot.

“Stupid, stupid, stupid,” I muttered, tugging at Cade’s shirt that still engulfed me, his scent wrapped around me like a second skin. Cedar and alpha male, a combination that should be bottled and labeled Dangerous to Fox Shifters.

I glanced down at myself, the sleeves hanging past my fingertips, the hem reaching mid-thigh.

The shirt was ridiculously large on me, making me look like a child playing dress-up—which was exactly how Cade saw me.

That forehead kiss had made it painfully clear.

The kind of kiss you give a little brother, a child, not someone you desire.

Not that I wanted him to desire me. Because that would be wrong. Inappropriate. Completely messed up.

So why did my heart feel like it had been stomped on?

“Because the universe hates you,” I told my reflection in the glass wall. “It wasn’t enough to make you a defective shifter. It had to make you fated mates with your adoptive brothers too.”

My fox ears flattened against my head, and my tail curled tighter around my waist. At least the partial shift gave me a physical outlet for my emotions, even if it was mortifying.

I grabbed my sketchbook, needing to get this confusion out of my system. Drawing had always been my therapy, my way of processing emotions too complicated for words. My hand moved almost of its own accord, charcoal flying across the page in harsh, agitated strokes.

I wasn’t sure how long I’d been drawing when a knock at the door pulled me from my trance.

“Yo, fox-face. You alive in there?” Drew’s voice called through the door.

“Unfortunately,” I called back, not looking up from my sketch.

The door opened, and Drew strolled in, immediately raising an eyebrow at the sight of me in Cade’s shirt. “Nice outfit. Very ‘morning after.’”

“Shut up,” I growled, flipping my sketchbook closed before he could see what I’d been drawing. “There was a paint accident.”

“So I heard,” Drew said, dropping into the chair across from me. “Elena is lamenting the loss of one of Cade’s custom shirts. Apparently, it was Italian.”

“Of course it was,” I groaned, looking down at the garment with new horror. “He probably paid more for this than my entire wardrobe.”

“Probably,” Drew agreed cheerfully. “But he won’t care. He has like fifty identical ones.”

I made a mental note to wash it carefully before returning it. Assuming I could ever look Cade in the eye again after nearly kissing him.

“So,” Drew said, studying me with unusual intensity. “Want to tell me why the brothers bolted out of here like their tails were on fire?”

“Pack business,” I said. “Some meeting with the northern representatives.”

“Right,” Drew drawled, clearly not buying it. “And that explains why you’re sitting here looking like someone kicked your puppy because…?”

“I don’t look like that,” I protested, though my flattened ears probably betrayed me. “I’m fine. Just… working through some art stuff.”

Drew’s eyes flicked to my closed sketchbook, then back to my face. “Uh-huh. And this ‘art stuff’ wouldn’t happen to involve three overprotective alphas who can’t decide whether to smother you or avoid you completely?”

I threw my eraser at him, which he caught easily. “Don’t you have business homework or something? Go calculate some spreadsheets.”

“Nope.” He grinned, tossing the eraser back. “My only assignment today is making sure you don’t spend the entire afternoon moping in your studio.”

“I’m not moping,” I muttered. “I’m contemplating the existential absurdity of fate.”

“Same thing.” Drew stood, stretching. “Come on. I just got the new volume of that manga you like. The one with the demon hunter guy.”

Despite myself, I perked up. “The one where he finds out his sister is actually part demon?”

“That’s the one. It’s waiting in your room, along with those weird Japanese snacks you ordered online.”

My stomach growled. “Fine.” I sighed, setting aside my sketchbook. “But only because I’m hungry, not because your distraction techniques are working.”

“Whatever helps you sleep at night, foxy.”

I spent the rest of the afternoon in my room, losing myself in manga and pretending the world outside—specifically the part containing three alpha werewolves—didn’t exist. The strategy worked reasonably well until evening, when my enhanced hearing picked up the sound of car tires on the gravel driveway.

My ears swiveled toward the sound before I could stop them, and my heart rate kicked up embarrassingly. I told myself it was just surprise, not anticipation, definitely not excitement at the brothers’ return.

I was still trying to convince myself of this when Drew poked his head in my room twenty minutes later.

“Dinner in ten,” he announced. “And after, I’ve got the new superhero movie cued up. The one with the multiverse thing.”

“I thought that wasn’t streaming until next week?”

Drew’s grin was pure mischief. “Keir has his ways.”

Of course he did. Keir could probably charm state secrets out of government officials if he put his mind to it.

“Fine,” I said, trying to sound put-upon rather than eager. “Let me finish this chapter first.”

Drew gave me a knowing look but retreated without further comment.

When I finally made my way to the dining room, the brothers were already seated, their massive frames making the antique chairs look like dollhouse furniture.

Cade sat at the head of the table as always, with Logan and Keir flanking him.

Drew had claimed his usual spot next to Keir, leaving me the chair beside Logan.

I slid into my seat, trying not to make eye contact with anyone, especially Cade. My fox ears twitched nervously as Elena began serving, placing a plate of her famous garlic butter salmon in front of me.

“You changed,” Keir observed, his eyes lingering on my t-shirt—my own this time, though still oversized.

“Yeah, well, paint stains,” I muttered, stabbing a roasted potato with unnecessary force.

“I must say, Cade’s shirt suited you,” Drew said.

I choked on my water, earning a concerned look from Logan, who thumped me on the back with enough force to dislodge a lung.

“Easy,” he rumbled, his hand lingering on my shoulder a moment longer than necessary. “Chew, then swallow.”

“Thanks for the basic eating instructions,” I rasped, shrugging away from his touch. “I’ll try to remember that complex sequence.”

Drew snorted into his wineglass, earning a disapproving look from Cade.

“How was your afternoon?” Cade asked, smoothly changing the subject. “Did you make progress on your portfolio?”

I shook my head, focusing intently on cutting my salmon. “Not really. Just sketched a bit.”

“You should show Cade those charcoal studies you did last week,” Drew suggested. “The ones of the coastline at dawn.”

“Maybe later,” I mumbled, not wanting to think about showing the brothers any of my art after what had happened in the studio.

An awkward silence fell over the table, broken only by the sound of silverware against china. I could feel the brothers exchanging glances over my head, having one of those silent alpha conversations that always made me feel like I was missing something important.

“Oh!” Drew suddenly exclaimed, pulling out his phone. “I meant to ask—some friends were wondering if they could come up for a weekend. Jake and Tyler from the Richardson Pack, and Sophia and Mia from the Blackwood Clan.”

I tensed immediately. More shifters? Here? While I was stuck with fox parts?

“I don’t know,” Cade said slowly, his eyes flicking to my ears. “This might not be the best time for guests.”

“They’re cool,” Drew insisted. “And they’ve been dying to see the estate.”

“You mean they’ve been dying to see if the rumors about the Sinclair alphas are true,” Keir corrected with a smirk.

Drew had the grace to look slightly embarrassed. “Well, yeah, maybe. It would be nice to have some company our age around here.”

“Our age?” I repeated. “They’re all your classmates, Drew. They’re not my age.”

“Close enough.” He waved dismissively. “Come on, Cade. One weekend? They can stay in the guest wing.”

Cade looked at me, his expression unreadable. “What do you think, Finn? Would you be comfortable with visitors right now?”

The question caught me off guard. Since when did Cade ask for my opinion on pack matters?

“I… I don’t know,” I admitted, my tail wrapping tighter around my waist. “Not if I’m still like this.” I gestured to my ears.

“The partial shift will resolve itself,” Logan said with surprising gentleness. “It’s just a phase.”

“Your body is adjusting,” Keir explained. “Once your fox settles, you’ll have more control.”

“And if it doesn’t?” I challenged. “What if I’m stuck like this forever? Half-shifted, unable to control my own body?”

“You won’t be,” Cade said with such certainty I almost believed him. “But if you’re uncomfortable with visitors, we’ll postpone.”

Drew looked disappointed but nodded. “I get it. Another time.”

“No.” I sighed, feeling guilty. “It’s fine. Invite them. I’ll just… hide in my studio if I’m still like this.”

“You will do no such thing,” Logan growled, making me jump. “This is your home. You don’t hide.”

“Easy for you to say,” I muttered. “You’re not the one with animal parts.”

“Those ‘animal parts’ are part of who you are,” Cade said firmly. “Anyone who can’t respect that isn’t welcome here.”

The intensity in his voice made my ears perk up despite myself. There was something almost… possessive in his tone that sent a shiver down my spine.

“Fine,” I conceded, focusing on my food again. “Invite them. But don’t blame me if they think you’ve adopted a mascot.”

“They’ll think no such thing,” Keir said.