Page 31 of Marked by Alphas 2: Claimed (The Blood Moon Chronicle #2)

We joined the crowd sampling the winning dishes.

Jorge’s paella was a revelation—each grain of rice perfectly cooked, the flavors balanced in a way that had to be supernatural.

I mean, food this good had to break some laws of nature, right?

But it was Imo’s temple cuisine that really got my attention.

One bite, and it felt like someone had spring-cleaned my brain, every thought suddenly arranged in perfect order.

Or maybe this was what a zen garden felt like—all neat lines and perfect organization.

“Your mom’s food is doing things to my head,” I told Luke between bites. “Things that probably violate several laws of physics.”

“It’s the mushrooms.” He shrugged, completely unfazed. “Eomma says they open the third eye. I just think they taste good with her sauce.”

“Only you would be this casual about psychedelic fungi.”

The festival was in full swing by early afternoon.

Derek made an appearance during our tour of the artisanal cheese tent—because apparently, regular cheese wasn’t fancy enough for Cedar Grove.

His massive presence cleared a path through the crowd effortlessly.

People took one look at his tactical gear and intimidating size and practically dove out of the way.

Marcus materialized during the woodcarving demonstration, and my body reacted before I even saw him. My skin prickled with awareness, that damned mate bond humming to life like a live wire. His hand found the small of my back, and the casual touch sent electricity racing up my spine.

“Enjoying the show?” His voice was low, meant just for me, and I had to suppress a shiver at how close he stood. His thumb traced small circles against my back, each movement deliberately possessive.

I tried to focus on the craftsman’s detailed explanation of wood grain, but Marcus’ presence was overwhelming.

He radiated heat and power, his scent wrapping around me like an invisible claim.

When he leaned down to murmur something about the artisan’s technique, his breath ghosted across my neck, and my knees actually wobbled.

Traitor body.

Luke’s knowing smirk told me I wasn’t hiding my reaction well. The fact that Marcus’ satisfied rumble suggested he could probably smell exactly what he was doing to me didn’t help .

“Do they have you on some kind of supernatural timeshare?” Luke whispered after Marcus handed me off to Caleb. “Because their rotation schedule is weirdly perfect.”

“Apparently, I’m too precious to be left unsupervised.” I rolled my eyes, but the constant protection was oddly comforting. Like having three very hot, very possessive bodyguards who occasionally looked at me like I was dessert.

The afternoon sun painted everything in warm gold as we made our way through the festival crowds. Local artisans had set up elaborate displays of their crafts—everything from hand-blown glass to carved wooden figures that seemed to move when you weren’t looking directly at them.

“Oh my God.” Luke grabbed my arm, pointing at Jorge’s churro stand. “Is that edible gold dust?”

It was. Because of course Jorge wouldn’t settle for regular cinnamon sugar when he could literally gild his churros. The line stretched halfway down the block, but Maria spotted us and waved us over to a small side table.

“Special batch,” she said with a wink, sliding a plate of perfectly crispy churros our way. “Jorge’s been experimenting with his spice blend.”

One bite and I nearly moaned. The churros were still warm, crispy outside and tender inside, dusted with something that tasted like autumn itself—cinnamon and nutmeg and some other spices I couldn’t identify.

That’s when Caleb’s hand wrapped around my wrist, his eyes sparkling with mischief as he tugged me away from the crowd.

“Be right back,” he called to Luke, who just raised an eyebrow and smirked.

“What are you—” I started to protest, but he was already pulling me behind the massive flower display that bordered the square. The sweet scent of late-blooming roses mixed with his familiar alpha musk, making my head spin.

“Been wanting to do this all day,” he murmured, backing me agains t the wooden trellis. Clusters of climbing roses framed his face, and the sight of him surrounded by flowers did dangerous things to my heart rate. “You look too tempting.”

“There are people everywhere,” I whispered, but my hands were already fisting in his shirt, pulling him closer.

“Don’t care.” His lips found mine, and the playful nip he gave my bottom lip made me gasp.

He took advantage immediately, his tongue sweeping into my mouth to taste the lingering sweetness of churros.

Each teasing stroke of his tongue had me rising on my toes, chasing his mouth when he pulled back to scatter kisses along my jaw.

“So eager,” he murmured against my skin, and I could feel his smile. “Love how you can’t help yourself.”

I made a frustrated sound, fingers tightening in his shirt, and something in him snapped.

The playfulness vanished like it had never existed.

Suddenly his hands were everywhere—one tangled in my hair to tilt my head back while the other slipped under my shirt to spread fire across my skin.

His kiss turned savage, all tongue and teeth and desperate hunger.

The wooden trellis creaked as he pressed me harder against it, roses scattering petals around us like sweet-scented snow. I melted into him, lost in the way he seemed determined to devour me. His thigh pressed between my legs, and the sound I made had his eyes flashing electric blue.

“God, baby,” he groaned, his hand sliding down to grip my thigh and hitch it up around his waist. “The sounds you make… driving me crazy. Can feel my brothers getting jealous through the bond.”

That shouldn’t have been hot, but it was. The idea of Derek and Marcus sensing this, feeling everything Caleb was doing to me… Heat pooled low in my stomach as I imagined them watching through the bond, growing more possessive with each kiss.

Caleb’s mouth found that sensitive spot below my ear, and my who le body shuddered. “They can feel everything,” he whispered, rolling his hips against me in a way that made stars explode behind my eyes. “Every touch, every gasp. They know exactly how perfectly you respond to me.”

I was drowning in sensation—the sweet scent of roses, the heat of his mouth, the way his hands seemed to brand my skin. When he captured my lips again, the kiss was pure sin. His tongue moved against mine in a rhythm that made my toes curl, promises of other things those clever lips could do.

“Caleb,” I gasped as his teeth found my neck. “Please…”

He growled, the sound vibrating through my chest, and suddenly I was being lifted. Both legs wrapped around his waist as he pressed me more firmly against the trellis. Roses rained down around us, but I couldn’t focus on anything except the way he was claiming my mouth like he owned it.

“We should get back,” he said reluctantly, ending the kiss, though his hands still gripped my hips. “Before I do something really inappropriate behind these roses.”

I nodded, trying to catch my breath. He put me down and helped straighten my thoroughly rumpled clothes, looking entirely too pleased with himself as he plucked rose petals from my hair.

My face was still burning as we rejoined the festival crowds. Luke’s knowing smirks weren’t helping, nor was the way Caleb kept “accidentally” brushing against me as we walked.

The afternoon had shifted into that golden hour when everything looked magical.

Local musicians had started playing on the small stage near the town square, the haunting melody carrying over the crowd.

We stopped to watch a master woodcarver demonstrate his craft, his hands moving with supernatural precision over the wood.

I was examining one of the finished pieces, a wolf that seemed to shimmer in the light, when a familiar large hand wrapped around my waist. Derek’s presence was impossible to miss —like being approached by a mountain made of muscle and tactical gear.

“My turn,” he rumbled in my ear, and really, what was I supposed to do? Say no to the wall of alpha wolf currently steering me away from the crowd?

He led me past the security checkpoint into a wooded area behind the festival grounds.

The sounds of celebration faded, replaced by rustling leaves and my increasingly rapid heartbeat.

Before I could make a snarky comment about his stealth skills, my back hit a tree trunk and his massive frame pressed against me.

“Been watching Caleb’s memories,” he growled, nuzzling into my neck. “Your scent’s all over him. Mixed with roses.”

“Jealous?” I meant it to sound teasing, but it came out breathless as his stubble scraped against my throat.

His laugh was dark and possessive. “Of my brother? No.” His teeth grazed my pulse point. “But everyone else looking at you? That’s different.”

When he finally kissed me, it was like being claimed by a storm.

His mouth crashed against mine with devastating intensity, and I gasped at the sheer force of it.

He took immediate advantage, his tongue sweeping in to possess every inch of my mouth while his hands gripped my thighs, lifting me effortlessly against the tree.

My legs wrapped around his waist instinctively, and the bark was rough against my back through my thin shirt.

The contrast between the harsh tree and his burning hot skin had me arching into him.

Derek kissed like he fought—all tactical precision and overwhelming power.

Each stroke of his tongue, each bite of his teeth was calculated to draw desperate sounds from my throat.

“Mine,” he growled against my mouth, and the pure possession in his voice made me shudder. His hips ground against me in a way that had me seeing stars, and my fingers dug into his shoulders. “Ours. ”