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Luca’s fangs sank into Ryker’s throat with exquisite precision. The initial sting melted immediately into a pleasure so intense Ryker’s vision blurred. His wolf howled in triumph and satisfaction as Luca drew the first pull of blood, the fire in Ryker’s veins turning molten.

This was right. This was perfect. This was…

Something new stirred in Ryker’s chest, a heat he’d never experienced before. It spread through him like wildfire, making every nerve ending sing with awareness of Luca—his taste, his touch, his very presence. Ryker’s wolf recognized it instinctively, even as his human mind struggled to understand.

Luca made a small, desperate sound against Ryker’s throat as he drank, his free hand fisting in Ryker’s shirt.

Each pull of blood sent waves of pleasure through Ryker’s body, the heat building to an almost unbearable intensity.

His wolf was lost in the sensation, in the rightness of Luca’s mark on their skin.

Ryker’s hand tightened in Luca’s hair, his other arm wrapping around the boy’s waist to steady them both.

Luca was so small in his embrace, yet he fit against Ryker like he was made to be there.

Every point of contact between them burned with that strange new fire, making Ryker’s head spin with need and recognition and something he couldn’t quite grasp.

Another draw of blood, another wave of pleasure. Ryker’s wolf was drowning in Luca—his sweetness, his warmth, the tiny sounds the boy made as he fed. The fire in Ryker’s veins pulsed in time with Luca’s drinking, like their heartbeats were syncing to the same desperate rhythm.

“Luca,” Ryker groaned, not sure if he was begging him to stop or continue forever.

Luca pulled back with a gasp, lavender eyes glazed and lips stained crimson. The sight of his blood on Luca’s mouth hit Ryker like a physical blow, making his wolf surge with possessive pride. Two perfect puncture marks on Ryker’s throat throbbed in time with his racing heart.

“I…” Luca blinked, looking dazed. A drop of blood clung to his lower lip, and it took every ounce of Ryker’s control not to lean in and taste it. “That was…”

The fire continued to build between them, making the air thick with tension and unspoken hunger. Ryker’s wolf recognized the signs now—this wasn’t just blood hunger or physical attraction. This was something older, deeper, more primal.

“Luca?”

Zane’s voice made Luca jerk back from Ryker so quickly he nearly toppled his chair, but Ryker’s hand steadied the boy’s waist. The fire in Ryker’s blood hadn’t subsided, and from the way Zane’s nostrils flared, he could smell both the spilled blood and what had just transpired.

“He knocked over his lunch,” Ryker explained, carefully helping Luca settle back in his chair. Ryker’s fingers lingered on the boy’s waist, unwilling to break contact completely. “He was hungry.”

“I’m fine!” Luca squeaked, his cheeks flaming red.

“Let me call Harrison for another blood bag,” Ryker said softly.

“No!” Luca squeaked. “It’s fine, really! I’ll just… I’ll get it myself.” He scrambled up from his chair. “You both probably have work and I’m being a bother and?—”

And with that, the young man practically flew from the garden, leaving behind only the lingering scent of cherry blossoms and want.

Silence stretched between the brothers as they watched him go. Finally, Zane sank into the chair Luca had vacated, running a hand through his hair.

“You feel it too, don’t you?” Ryker asked quietly, settling back into his own seat.

Zane’s eyes met his, a knowing look passing between them. As alpha and second, they’d shared this connection for centuries—every significant emotion, every powerful sensation echoing between them. It had always been this way with the three brothers, a bond deeper than blood.

“I felt your wolf’s satisfaction,” Zane said finally. “That… pleasure. Just like you probably felt mine yesterday in the garden.” He touched his own throat unconsciously, where Luca’s marks had already healed.

Ryker didn’t bother denying it. The connection between the three brothers had kept their pack strong for generations—there was no point hiding anything. “There’s something about him,” he admitted. “Since he came out of isolation… it’s like my wolf can’t think straight around Luca.”

“It’s more than that.” Zane’s voice was rough. “You know it is. What we’re feeling—what our wolves are feeling—it’s not normal attraction.”

Centuries of sharing triumph, pain, and power through their unique bond had taught them to read each other perfectly. But this… this burning need for Luca was something entirely new.

“He’s family,” Ryker said, but his wolf growled at the word. “We’re supposed to protect the prince, not…”

“Want him?” Zane finished, his own wolf clearly visible in his silver eyes. “Tell that to our wolves. Mine hasn’t stopped howling since yesterday.”

The wisteria blooms trembled above them, their sweet scent mixing with the lingering traces of Luca’s presence. Ryker absently touched the marks on his throat, still tingling with that strange heat.

“Did you feel it?” Ryker asked finally. “That fire in the blood? It was different from a normal feeding.”

Zane’s expression tightened. Through their connection, Ryker felt his brother’s wolf stir restlessly. “Yesterday, when he bit me… it was like being struck by lightning. Like something ancient waking up.”

They sat in silence for a moment, both processing what this might mean. As pack leaders, they’d grown up learning about every supernatural bond possible—pack bonds, mating bonds, even the rare blood bonds. But this felt different. Stronger.

“We need to talk to Great Uncle Johnathan,” Zane said finally. “If anyone knows what this is…”

“And tell him what?” Ryker’s laugh held no humor. “That we’re experiencing something stronger than a normal mating bond? That this feels different from anything we learned about in?—”

WHAT THE ACTUAL HELL WAS THAT? Archer’s mental voice crashed through their pack bond like a wrecking ball, making both brothers wince. Why do I suddenly feel like I got hit by supernatural lightning and why do I want to hunt down Luca and ? —

“Don’t finish that thought,” Zane growled, just as Archer burst into the garden, nearly tripping over a potted plant in his haste.

“Okay,” Archer demanded, dramatically dropping into a chair and pointing accusingly at both brothers.

“Which one of you want to explain why my wolf just went from ‘checking marketing reports’ to ‘must find Luca’ in two seconds flat? And why do I smell his blood? And why does my wolf suddenly want?—”

“We know,” Ryker cut him off, rubbing his temples. “We’re feeling it too.”

“Oh, thank God.” Archer slumped in relief. “I thought I was going crazy. One minute I’m working, the next my wolf is howling about Luca and I’m getting these… these…”

“Overwhelming urges?” Zane supplied dryly.

“Exactly! Like, way beyond normal attraction. More like?—”

“Like your blood’s on fire?” Ryker touched the marks on his throat.

“Like you’d tear apart anyone who tried to keep him from you?” Zane added.

“YES!” Archer sat up straight. “Wait.” His eyes narrowed at Ryker’s throat. “Did you just?—”

“Luca knocked over his blood.”

“I moved it closer so he would.”

Both brothers spoke at once, their pack bond humming with shared emotions.

“Sneaky.” Archer grinned, then immediately sobered. “But seriously, what is this? Because it feels stronger than any mating bond I’ve ever heard of.”

“This isn’t just attraction,” Zane said slowly. “It’s not even like a normal mating bond. When the boy is near, it’s like…”

“Like fate itself is trying to push us together,” Ryker finished.

“Like every cell in your body recognizes him,” Archer added quietly, all his usual humor gone. “But he’s our brother.”

The pack bond thrummed with shared guilt and confusion. Decades of protecting Luca, of being his family, warred against this new, primal pull.

“Adopted brother,” Ryker corrected automatically, then grimaced. “Not that it makes this any better.”

“We raised him.” Zane’s voice was firm, though his wolf clearly disagreed. “Luca trusts us to protect him, not… not…”

“Not jump his bones the moment he finally comes out of isolation?” Archer supplied helpfully, earning glares from both brothers. “What? I’m just saying what we’re all thinking. Pack bond, remember?”

Silence fell over the garden as they processed the impossible situation. Through their bond, each brother could feel the others’ struggle—the maddening pull toward Luca warring with centuries of protective instinct.

“So we agree?” Zane finally said, his alpha authority threading through the words. “Whatever this is, whatever our wolves want… Luca is off-limits.”

“Agreed,” Ryker nodded, though his wolf howled in protest.

“Fine.” Archer sighed dramatically. “But someone needs to tell our wolves that, because mine is currently plotting ways to ‘accidentally’ run into the prince in the library.”

“Archer…”

“I know, I know. Hands off the prince.” He stood up, straightening his suit. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I have a marketing meeting to rescue from Tina’s latest glitter explosion idea. Try not to feel too… hungry while I’m gone.”

As Archer sauntered away, Zane and Ryker shared a look. Their pack bond carried equal measures of determination and doubt.

This was going to be harder than they thought.