Page 59 of Marked by Alphas 2: Claimed (The Blood Moon Chronicle #2)

“ A re you freaking kidding me?” I demanded of my reflection, touching the marks already darkening on my neck. “They seriously just… and then they… because of dinner?”

Shadow, who had wisely retreated to the corner during our earlier activities, huffed what sounded suspiciously like a laugh.

“Oh, you think this is funny?” I turned to glare at him. “You try having three ridiculously hot alpha werewolves work you into a frenzy and then just leave because, what? The Rivera Pack can’t wait to kiss my supposedly royal behind? Unbelievable.”

My reflection told the whole embarrassing story—flushed cheeks, kiss-swollen lips, hair looking like I’d been thoroughly ravished—which I hadn’t been, thank you very much. And those marks… those were definitely going to be visible for days.

“This is not how this works,” I informed my reflection, narrowing my eyes. “They don’t get to just wind me up and walk away. Again. What am I, some kind of supernatural booty call they can put on hold for pack politics?”

Shadow’s tail thumped against the floor in what I chose to interpret as solidarity .

“Exactly,” I agreed, a plan already forming. “If they think they can make me wait through an entire dinner while I’m like this, they’ve clearly forgotten who they’re dealing with.”

I needed revenge. Something deliciously evil that would make them suffer at least as much as I was suffering now. Something that would have them squirming through dinner, unable to focus on anything but me and what they couldn’t have.

The gym complex’s sauna was exactly as I remembered—a ridiculous glass box of supernatural excess that Caleb had been way too proud of during my tour.

“Specially treated to withstand supernatural strength and temperature fluctuations,” he’d boasted, like I was supposed to be impressed by fancy werewolf-proof glass.

At the time, I’d rolled my eyes. Now? Now it was perfect.

I fired off the most innocent text I could manage. Need help at the gym sauna. Feeling weird dragon energy. Might be overheating?

The responses were immediate and hilariously predictable.

Marcus: On my way. Don’t move. Because heaven forbid I do anything without his alpha permission.

Derek: Stay put. 2 minutes. Already calculating fastest security routes, no doubt.

Caleb: Coming! Don’t do anything dragon-y without me! At least someone was excited about my potential spontaneous combustion.

I barely had time to arrange myself on the sauna bench, doing my best ‘damsel in supernatural distress’ impression, before Derek burst through the door like a SWAT team on a raid. Honestly, did the man ever just walk into a room like a normal person?

“Kai? What’s wrong?” he demanded, eyes scanning for threats like assassins might be hiding behind the weight rack.

“I don’t know,” I said, channeling my inner drama queen. “I just feel… hot. Like my skin is on fire.” Not technically a lie—my skin was still burning from where they’d left me hanging earlier.

His brow furrowed as he knelt in front of me, all concerned alpha male. If I wasn’t planning to torture him, it might have been sweet. “Any other symptoms?”

“Just… pressure,” I said vaguely, fighting to keep my expression serious. “Like something building up.” Yeah, like revenge.

Right on cue, Marcus and Caleb burst in together, because apparently none of these wolves understood the concept of casual entrances.

“What’s happening?” Marcus demanded in his best alpha voice, the one that usually had other supernatural beings tripping over themselves to obey. Too bad for him I was developing an immunity.

“He says he’s overheating,” Derek reported, his hand on my forehead like some supernatural thermometer. “Temperature definitely elevated.”

“That could be the dragon blood,” Caleb suggested, completing my collection of worried alpha wolves as he crowded into the sauna. “Dr. White mentioned possible temperature fluctuations as his body adjusts.”

I had to bite the inside of my cheek to keep from smiling. All three brothers, exactly where I wanted them. Sometimes they made it too easy—wave a damsel in distress flag and watch three alpha wolves come running.

“I think I need to cool down,” I said, standing suddenly. “Maybe a shower would help.” And oh, what a shower it was going to be.

“Good idea,” Marcus nodded, stepping aside to let me pass. “We’ll wait here in case you need anything.”

Oh honey, you have no idea what I need.

“Actually,” I said, moving toward the door with what I hoped was award-worthy casualness, “I think I need a minute alone. To… center myself.” Or, you know, exact my revenge .

Before any of them could process what was happening, I slipped through the door and slammed it shut, engaging Derek’s fancy supernatural lock with a deeply satisfying click. The irony of using his own security measures against him was just chef’s kiss perfect.

“Kai?” Marcus’ voice held a note of confusion that was absolutely delicious. “What are you doing?”

“Getting a little payback,” I replied, unable to keep the smugness from my voice as I admired my handiwork—three powerful alpha wolves trapped in a glass box like the world’s most attractive museum exhibit.

“Did you really think you could work me up like that and then just leave me hanging?” I asked, crossing my arms. “Consider this… educational. Lesson one: Don’t start what you can’t finish, wolves.”

“Kai,” Marcus’ voice was low, warning. “Open the door.”

“You little brat!” Derek growled, his eyes glowing.

“That’s it? ‘You little brat’ is the best you can do?” I taunted, reaching for the hem of my shirt. “And here I thought I was dealing with three big bad alpha wolves.”

The sharp intake of breath as I pulled my shirt off was exactly the reaction I’d been hoping for. Three pairs of eyes tracked every movement like I was their prey, which, given our current positions, was hilariously ironic.

“ What are you doing?” Derek demanded, his voice deliciously rough.

“Getting ready for dinner,” I replied with mock innocence, tossing my shirt aside. “Can’t meet the Rivera Pack looking like I’ve been mauled by three werewolves. Well, almost mauled. You didn’t quite get that far, did you?”

I kicked off my shoes, making a show of stretching my arms above my head. Three sets of eyes followed every movement like I was performing some kind of supernatural striptease. Which, okay, maybe I was .

“Kai,” Marcus’ voice was strained, his eyes bleeding crimson. “This isn’t funny.”

“Oh, I disagree,” I replied, slowly unbuttoning my jeans. “I think it’s hilarious. Almost as funny as leaving someone worked up and wanting, then saying ‘sorry, got a dinner date with the Rivera Pack.’ Ring any bells?”

The denim slid down my legs with deliberate slowness. I might not have supernatural grace, but I’d learned a thing or two about using what I had.

“When we get out of here,” Derek growled, his eyes pure molten silver now, “you’re going to regret this.”

“Promises, promises,” I sang, standing before them in just my briefs. “But you’ll have to catch me first. And right now? You’re not catching anything except a show.”

“Kai,” Marcus’ voice was strained now, his eyes bleeding crimson. “This isn’t funny.”

“I’m not trying to be funny,” I replied. “I’m trying to make a point.”

“Which is?” Caleb asked, his hands pressed against the glass as if he could reach through it by sheer force of will.

“That you don’t get to call all the shots,” I said. “That this goes both ways.”

“Kai,” Caleb’s voice was barely human. “Let us out.”

“Hmm, let me think about that… no.” I walked to the shower, making sure they had a perfect view of exactly what they couldn’t have. “Consider this a lesson in frustration. I hear it builds character.”

I hooked my thumbs into the waistband of my briefs, watching their expressions darken with hunger. “You know what I think?” I mused, turning my back to them. “I think you three have gotten a little too comfortable being in control.”

The collective growl as I slid my briefs down was music to my ears. I glanced over my shoulder, giving them my best innocent look. “Something wrong, alphas? ”

Completely naked now, I walked to the shower area directly across from the sauna. The open-concept design meant they had an unobstructed view as I turned on the water, adjusting the temperature before stepping under the spray.

“You’re playing a dangerous game, little mate,” Derek warned, his voice carrying easily despite the running water.

“Am I?” I asked, letting the water cascade over me, tilting my head back to wet my hair. “Seems pretty safe from where I’m standing. You’re the ones locked in a glass box.”

I reached for the soap, working it into a lather between my hands before slowly—very slowly—running them over my chest, down my stomach, across my thighs. Their eyes tracked every movement, three pairs of irises now glowing their respective colors—crimson, amber, electric blue.

“When we get out of here,” Caleb promised, his voice rough with desire, “you’re going to regret this.”

“No,” I corrected, my hands continuing their deliberate journey across my body, “I’m going to enjoy it. The question is, how much are you going to suffer through dinner first?”

I turned, giving them my back again, running soapy hands over my shoulders and down my spine, knowing exactly what I was showcasing. The marks they’d left earlier were clearly visible on my body, a reminder of what had started this little revenge scenario.

“This is what happens,” I continued, glancing over my shoulder to meet their heated gazes, “when you leave me worked up with no relief.”

“We were being considerate,” Marcus ground out, his knuckles white where he gripped the sauna bench. “Giving you time.”

“Maybe I don’t want time,” I replied, turning to face them fully, making no attempt to hide my own arousal. “Maybe I want you to stop treating me like I might break.”