Page 29 of Bound by Alphas 1: Bound (The Blood Moon Chronicle #3)
“Deep enough,” Keir replied, his tone polite but lacking the warmth he’d used with me moments before. “Cade knows more about it than I do. Family property for generations and all that.”
Sophia’s smile faltered slightly at the redirection, but she recovered quickly. “Of course. I’ll ask him.”
As she moved away, I raised an eyebrow at Keir. “Smooth.”
“I have my moments.” He shrugged, then nudged my plate. “Finish your breakfast.”
I turned back to my French toast, trying to ignore the flutter of something that felt dangerously like hope in my chest. It didn’t mean anything that Keir had deflected Sophia’s attention.
Or that Logan had ruffled my hair in that casually affectionate way.
Or that Cade kept glancing at me from across the kitchen when he thought I wasn’t looking.
It didn’t mean anything at all.
I n my room, I stared at my limited swimwear options.
The problem with being built like a “delicate artist”—Elena’s words, not mine—was that everything made me look younger than I was.
I finally settled on black swim shorts and a loose tank top that at least wouldn’t emphasize how much smaller I was than every werewolf who would be present.
By the time I made it back downstairs, everyone was loading into vehicles.
Drew’s SUV was already packed with coolers and lake gear.
Sophia and Mia were climbing into Cade’s sleek black Range Rover, both angling for the front passenger seat.
Sophia won, sliding in with a triumphant smile while Mia settled for sitting directly behind Cade.
“You’re with us,” Logan said, appearing beside me and steering me toward the Range Rover with a hand at the small of my back.
“I can go with Drew,” I protested weakly.
“His car’s full of gear,” Logan replied, though we both knew that wasn’t the real reason.
I ended up in the back seat beside Mia, with Keir on my other side. The seating arrangement left me sandwiched between a flirtatious she-wolf and an alpha whose thigh pressed against mine every time the car took a turn. It was going to be a long twenty-minute drive.
“So, Finn, what medium do you work in?” she asked.
“Mostly mixed media and oils,” I answered, trying to subtly shift away from Keir’s touch without success. “Some digital work too.”
Mia’s eyes darted to Keir’s hand, then back to my face, a slight furrow appearing between her perfectly shaped brows.
“How fascinating,” she said in a way that suggested it was anything but. Her attention quickly returned to Cade, leaning forward to ask him something about the lake property.
The rest of the drive passed in a blur of uncomfortable awareness—awareness of Keir’s hand still resting on my knee, of Cade’s eyes occasionally finding mine in the rearview mirror, of Logan’s tension radiating from the front passenger seat as Sophia chatted animatedly beside him.
We arrived at the private dock nestled in a secluded cove, where the Sinclair family’s forty-foot luxury cruiser waited.
The sleek white vessel gleamed in the sunlight, its polished teak deck and chrome fixtures catching the light.
It was the kind of boat featured in magazines—spacious enough for a dozen people to move comfortably, with multiple seating areas and a sheltered cabin below deck.
Ostentatious in that understated way only old money could manage—expensive without trying to look expensive.
The Blackwood cousins were already making appreciative noises when they saw the boat, running their hands along the gleaming surfaces. Jake and Tyler were helping unload coolers and towels, both looking like they’d stepped out of a summer catalog with their perfect tans and easy smiles.
I hung back, watching the activity with a growing sense of dread. A whole day of this—of watching Sophia and Mia fawn over the brothers, of pretending I didn’t care, of fighting the irrational jealousy that seemed to intensify with every passing hour.
“You okay?” Drew asked quietly, noticing my hesitation.
“Just wondering how long I have to stay before I can claim artistic inspiration and need to be taken back,” I admitted.
He laughed. “At least give it until lunch. Elena packed her famous fried chicken.”
“You fight dirty, Sinclair.”
“Learned from the best.” He winked.
Once everything was loaded, we all climbed aboard. I immediately claimed a spot near the bow, as far from the main seating area as possible. If I was going to survive this day, I needed space—physical and emotional.
Drew took the helm, guiding us out into the lake. The day was perfect—clear blue sky, warm sun, just enough breeze to keep the temperature comfortable. Under different circumstances, I might have enjoyed it.
From my isolated perch, I watched the others settle in.
Sophia and Mia had positioned themselves strategically on either side of Cade, both wearing identical expressions of adoration as he explained something about the lake’s history.
Logan stood nearby, seemingly engaged in conversation with Jake and Tyler, but his eyes kept drifting to where I sat alone.
Keir was the wild card. He moved around the boat, chatting easily with everyone, but I could feel his awareness of me like a physical touch. It was only a matter of time before?—
“Hiding?” His voice came from behind me, making me jump.
“Observing,” I corrected, not turning around. “It’s an artist thing.”
He settled beside me, close enough that our shoulders touched. “And what are you observing?”
“The mating rituals of the North American werewolf,” I replied dryly. “Fascinating stuff. All that hair-flipping and arm-touching.”
Keir followed my gaze to where Sophia was laughing at something Cade said, her hand resting on his forearm. “Bothered?” he asked, his voice neutral.
“Why would I be bothered?” I kept my tone light. “They’re consenting adults with functioning hormones. Good for them.”
“Hmm.” The sound was noncommittal, but I could feel him studying my profile. “You know, for someone who claims not to care, you’ve been glaring daggers at them for the past ten minutes.”
“I have an expressive face.” I shrugged. “It’s not my fault if it defaults to ‘mildly homicidal’ when I’m thinking.”
He laughed, the sound warm and genuine. “What are you thinking about that’s so murderous?”
“How much longer until lunch,” I lied. “I’m starving.”
“Liar,” he said softly, but he didn’t press the issue. Instead, he reached into the cooler beside him and pulled out a soda, offering it to me. “Peace offering?”
I accepted it, our fingers brushing in a way that sent a jolt of awareness up my arm. “What are we making peace about?”
“You tell me,” he replied, his eyes never leaving mine. “You’re the one who’s been avoiding us for two weeks.”
Before I could formulate a response, Drew called out that we were approaching the perfect swimming spot. The boat slowed, and Jake and Tyler immediately began helping him drop anchor.
“Saved by the anchor,” Keir murmured, rising to his feet. “This conversation isn’t over, little fox.”
The nickname sent an unwelcome shiver down my spine.
I watched him walk away, trying not to notice how the sunlight caught in his golden hair or how his swim shorts hung low on his hips.
This was bad. Very bad. I was supposed to be maintaining emotional distance, not cataloging the exact shade of gold in Keir’s hair or the way his shoulders moved when he?—
“Earth to Finn!” Drew’s voice snapped me out of my thoughts. “We’re going swimming. You coming?”
I glanced at the deep water surrounding the boat and shook my head. “I’m good here. Someone needs to guard the snacks.”
“Suit yourself.” Drew shrugged, then executed a perfect dive off the side of the boat.
I watched as the others followed—Jake and Tyler with enthusiastic whoops, Keir with effortless grace, Logan with powerful precision. Cade was the last to go, removing his shirt in a casual motion that shouldn’t have been captivating but somehow was.
Rather than joining them in the water, I settled in with the cooler of drinks and snacks Elena had packed. The sun felt good on my skin, and I had to admit, despite my reluctance to come, there was something peaceful about being on the water.
“Not swimming?” Jake asked, pulling himself back onto the boat and shaking water from his hair like a dog.
“Maybe later,” I lied, handing him a towel. “Someone has to make sure Drew doesn’t eat all the food.”
Tyler climbed aboard next, accepting the beer I offered. “Man, we should’ve done this yesterday instead of sitting around the house.”
“Blame Drew,” I said. “He’s the one who insisted on showing you guys his video game collection after lunch.”
“Worth it.” Jake grinned. “I’ve never seen someone get so thoroughly distracted during a race as you did against Keir. That last-minute crash was epic.”
“He cheated,” I insisted, feeling heat rise to my cheeks at the memory of Keir’s hand on my thigh. “No one wins fairly with psychological warfare tactics.”
“Is that what we’re calling it now?” Drew called, swimming back to the boat. “Pretty sure that was just you being completely flustered by?—”
“Finish that sentence and you’re swimming back to shore,” I threatened, tossing a water bottle in his direction.
Drew caught it with a laugh, and Jake and Tyler exchanged knowing glances that I chose to ignore. For a moment, it felt like old times—before I knew I was supposedly destined to be mated to my adoptive brothers. Just hanging out with friends, giving each other crap, and enjoying the day.
“So what’s the deal with the Blackwood cousins?” Tyler asked, nodding toward where Sophia and Mia were now swimming suspiciously close to Cade and Logan. “They seem… intense.”
“They’re Blackwoods,” Jake said, as if that explained everything. “Old money, old blood, old attitudes.”
“And apparently very interested in your brothers,” Tyler said to Drew and me. “They’ve barely looked at anyone else since they arrived.”