Page 23 of Bound by Alphas 1: Bound (The Blood Moon Chronicle #3)
I felt a familiar tingle at the base of my spine—a warning that had become all too familiar lately. I didn’t need to turn around to know that at least one of the brothers had decided to join us.
“Looks like we have company,” Sophia murmured, her gaze shifting over my shoulder.
I closed my eyes briefly, gathering my composure. When I opened them, I plastered on my best neutral expression and turned to face whatever was coming.
Or rather, whoever.
Keir approached with that effortless grace that seemed unfair in someone his size. He wore board shorts and a thin white t-shirt that did nothing to hide his sculpted physique, looking more like a model in a beach photoshoot than someone who’d just wandered down from the house.
“There you are,” he said, his gaze finding me immediately despite the others present. “Elena wanted me to tell you lunch will be ready in an hour.”
“She could have texted,” I pointed out, trying to ignore the way my heart rate picked up at his proximity.
“She did,” Keir replied with an easy smile. “You left your phone in the studio.”
I patted my pockets and realized he was right. “Oh.”
His fingers brushed mine as he handed me my phone, and the brief contact sent a jolt of electricity up my arm.
I nearly dropped the device, my body’s reaction to his touch both embarrassing and impossible to control.
From the way his nostrils flared slightly, I knew he could smell the sudden spike in my scent.
Drew and the others emerged from the water, and I didn’t miss the way Jake and Tyler straightened when they spotted Keir, exchanging glances that bordered on starstruck. It was weird seeing that reaction to someone I’d watched eat cereal in his pajamas.
“Keir,” Drew greeted his brother, performing hasty introductions. “These are my friends from school—Jake and Tyler Richardson, and Sophia and Mia Blackwood.”
Keir took Mia’s hand, and I tried to ignore the ridiculous flare of jealousy that shot through me at the simple contact. “A pleasure. The Blackwood Pack has quite the reputation.”
“So do the Sinclairs,” she countered with a smile that was just a touch too warm. “Your victory at last year’s Pacific Northwest Challenge is still being talked about in every pack from here to Vancouver.”
“You follow the challenges?” Keir asked, sounding genuinely surprised.
“Are you kidding?” Tyler broke in, unable to contain himself any longer. “The way you and your brothers took down the Tebb Pack was legendary. Three against seven, and you didn’t even break a sweat!”
Jake nodded enthusiastically. “The Richardson Pack has the video footage. We study it during training sessions.”
I looked between them in confusion. This was the first I’d heard of any “challenge” or the brothers fighting other packs. I knew they were respected in the supernatural community, but the way Jake and Tyler were looking at Keir was more appropriate for meeting a celebrity than a local alpha.
“You’re exaggerating,” Keir said, though I could tell he was pleased. “The Tebb Pack had poor strategy, that’s all.”
“Strategy?” Tyler laughed. “The way Logan took down their second-in-command with that single move was pure power. And when Cade forced Alpha Tebb to submit?—”
“It was a fair match,” Keir cut him off smoothly, his eyes flicking to me. I realized I must have looked as confused as I felt. “The regional challenges are just friendly competition between packs. Nothing serious.”
“Nothing serious?” Jake sounded scandalized. “The Sinclair brothers are three-time champions! Even the Stone brothers from Cedar Grove haven’t managed that streak.”
“The Stone brothers?” I asked, unable to help myself.
“Another alpha trio,” Mia explained. “Similar reputation on the east side of the mountains. There’s always talk about what would happen if the Sinclairs and Stones ever competed directly.”
“Which won’t happen,” Keir said firmly. “We respect each other’s territories.”
The conversation continued as we gathered our things and headed back toward the house, Jake and Tyler peppering Keir with questions about various techniques and matches. I trailed behind, trying to reconcile this new information with what I knew about my not really brothers .
Keir kept glancing back at me, his eyes lingering longer than necessary.
Each time our gazes met, I felt that now-familiar heat spreading through my body.
Twice he slowed his pace until he was walking beside me, his arm occasionally brushing against mine in a way that seemed too deliberate to be accidental.
“You okay?” he asked quietly, his voice pitched so only I could hear.
“Fine,” I lied, acutely aware of how close he was, of the scent of him—citrus and sandalwood and that distinct alpha musk that seemed designed specifically to drive me crazy.
“You don’t look fine,” he murmured, his fingers grazing the small of my back as he guided me around a dip in the path. The touch, brief as it was, sent another wave of heat through me. “You’ve been avoiding us.”
“I’ve been busy,” I said, stepping away from his touch before I did something embarrassing like lean into it.
His eyes darkened slightly. “We miss you, Finn.”
The simple statement hit me harder than it should have. Before I could formulate a response, we reached the house, and the moment was broken.
The delicious aroma of Elena’s cooking filled the air as we entered through the back door. My stomach growled embarrassingly loud, reminding me that I’d been skipping too many meals lately.
“Perfect timing,” Elena called from the kitchen. “Wash up and come eat.”
The dining room table was already set, platters of food arranged family-style down the center. I hesitated in the doorway, scanning the room automatically for Cade and Logan.
“They had to go into town,” Keir said, reading my thoughts with unsettling accuracy. “Some issue with the shipping contracts. They’ll be back tonight.”
I tried to ignore the conflicting emotions that surged through me—relief at not having to face all three of them at once, disappointment that they weren’t here, and irritation at myself for feeling either.
“Come on,” Drew said, nudging me toward the table. “Elena made your favorite enchiladas.”
Lunch was a surprisingly relaxed affair without Cade and Logan’s intense presence.
Drew’s friends turned out to be easy company, sharing stories from college that had even Elena chuckling as she refilled drinks.
I laughed more than I had in weeks, the tension that had been my constant companion temporarily easing.
Keir sat at the head of the table, effortlessly charming everyone. I couldn’t help noticing how Sophia and Mia angled their bodies toward him, their attention clearly focused on the youngest alpha brother despite their conversation with the rest of us.
After lunch, Drew suggested video games in the media room, a transparent attempt to keep the easy mood going.
“I’ve got some work to finish,” I said, already planning my escape back to the studio.
“Nope,” Drew declared, grabbing my arm. “You’ve been hiding long enough. One hour of gaming won’t kill you.”
I wanted to protest, but the hopeful expressions on Jake and Tyler’s faces made me hesitate. They’d been nothing but nice, and it wasn’t their fault I was in the middle of a supernatural crisis.
“Fine.” I sighed. “One hour.”
“I’ll join you shortly,” Keir said, his phone buzzing in his pocket. “Need to take this first.”
As we headed to the media room, I glanced back to see Sophia and Mia lingering, clearly waiting for Keir to finish his call. The familiar twist of jealousy returned, sharper than before.
“They’re wasting their time,” Drew murmured, following my gaze. “Keir’s just being polite.”
“It’s none of my business,” I replied, perhaps too quickly.
Drew gave me a knowing look but mercifully changed the subject as we entered the media room.
One hour turned into two as we rotated through racing games and fighters.
I’d forgotten how much I enjoyed these mindless competitions, the good-natured trash talk and ridiculous victory dances.
For a brief time, I wasn’t the fox shifter with three alpha mates or the struggling artist—I was just Finn, celebrating after blue-shelling Drew into last place.
I was in the middle of a heated battle with Tyler when I felt it—that familiar prickle at the back of my neck that told me I was being watched. I glanced toward the doorway to find Keir leaning against the frame, arms crossed, a small smile playing at his lips as he observed our antics.
Behind him, I could see Sophia and Mia hovering in the hallway, their attention fixed on Keir’s broad shoulders. Something possessive and entirely unwelcome flared in my chest.
“Room for one more?” Keir asked, pushing away from the doorframe.
“Always,” Drew replied, tossing him a controller. “Though fair warning—Finn’s on a winning streak.”
“Is that so?” Keir’s eyes met mine, a challenge in their blue depths that made my heart rate pick up. “Let’s see if I can break it.”
As Keir settled onto the couch beside me—closer than strictly necessary—I couldn’t help noticing how Sophia and Mia exchanged disappointed glances before drifting away. The satisfaction I felt was petty and completely unjustified, but I couldn’t seem to help it.
“You’re going down, Sinclair,” I said, focusing on the screen rather than the warmth of his thigh pressed against mine.
Keir’s low chuckle sent a shiver down my spine. “We’ll see about that, little fox.”
For the first time in a month, I didn’t immediately run from the nickname or the feelings it stirred. Instead, I tightened my grip on the controller and prepared to defend my title—even if my concentration was severely compromised by the alpha at my side.