Page 3 of Ours (Mating Run #5)

Blake ran through the woods, his blood singing with the thrill of the hunt. The cold night air burned in his lungs, crisp and wild, filled with the scent of earth, pine, and possibility.

Luca ran beside him, a shadow moving in perfect sync, their strides matching without thought or effort. They'd been doing this for years—hunting together, fighting together, living as one unit split between two bodies.

The pack never understood it. Neither did their past lovers.

Everyone expected them to compete. To snarl and snap over territory, over mates, over everything.

But Blake and Luca had sworn their brotherhood with blood and blades when they were barely more than pups, a bond more powerful than if they were siblings.

The world could burn, and they'd still have each other's backs.

Which was why they'd been alone for so fucking long.

Every potential mate had started the same way. "I love how close you two are," they'd say. "It's beautiful, really. I'd never want to come between that."

Lies. Every single time.

The red-haired wolf from three moons ago had lasted two weeks before he started with the questions.

"Does Luca really need to join us every night?

" Then came the manufactured emergencies that only Blake could help with, the sudden illnesses when Luca planned to visit.

By the end, he'd actually said the words: "He has his own life, Blake. He doesn't need you anymore."

As if Luca was some childhood toy to be outgrown.

The human two years before that had been subtler.

She'd played them against each other, whispering to Blake about how Luca looked at her, suggesting to Luca that Blake was getting possessive.

When her game fell apart, she'd turned vicious.

"Fine, keep your codependent little brotherhood.

No one's ever going to want both of you damaged freaks anyway. "

Maybe she was right.

Blake and Luca weren't just looking for someone to fuck. They wanted what other wolves had—someone to protect, to spoil, to come home to. Someone who'd let them both bring gifts, share heat, offer comfort.

Not taking turns like some custody arrangement, but together. Equal.

A mate who understood that loving one meant loving both, that their bond made them stronger, not divided.

The scent of human sweat and adrenaline curled through the air, teasing, pulling them deeper into the forest. The mating run was full of offerings—mates ripe for the taking.

Blake had already caught whiffs of three different appealing humans, each one flooding with pheromones and fear in equal measure.

He hadn't pursued any of them.

Neither had Luca.

They were looking for something specific.

Luca's light-furred form brushed close, his amber eyes flicking toward Blake in silent question. Blake huffed a breath. Not yet. None of them felt right.

Then, on the cold night wind?—

A new scent hit him like a fist to the gut.

Fear, yes, sharp and electric. But underneath it, something else. Something sweet and desperate and achingly lonely that made his wolf surge forward, teeth bared, every instinct screaming mine .

Blake paused, overwhelmed by the intensity of his reaction.

Wait. No. This was exactly how it always started, wasn’t it? That pull, that certainty, only to watch it crumble the moment things got complicated. He was projecting, reading what he wanted into a complete stranger's scent.

But then Luca made a sound—low, approving, hungry—and Blake knew he felt it too.

They shared a look, barely visible in their wolf forms but clear as speech after all these years. Luca's eyes held the same mix of want and wariness.

Was this real? Or were they so desperate they were imagining something that wasn't there?

Only one way to find out.

They changed direction without discussion, moving through the trees with lethal precision. Their pace quickened, paws eating up the distance between them and whoever carried that intoxicating scent.

Blake tried to smother his expectations. It was just another human. Probably terrified, running on instinct, would take one look at them together and panic like all the rest.

But his wolf didn't care about logic. It wanted. It needed.

And for once, Blake let himself follow.

The human lay sprawled in the dirt, chest heaving, eyes wide with terror and something else that made Blake's mouth water.

Blake shifted, his bones cracking and reforming until he stood on two legs, naked in the moonlight. The cool air kissed his heated skin, but he barely noticed. His entire focus narrowed to the trembling figure against the tree.

Luca shifted beside him, equally bare, equally focused.

The human looked between them with those impossibly green eyes. His pulse fluttered visibly in his throat, rabbit-quick and just as tempting.

Christ, he was beautiful.

Not in the polished way of city wolves or the athletic grace of most runners. He looked soft, breakable, with shadows under his eyes that spoke of sleepless nights and a mouth that begged to be bitten.

Blake's wolf prowled beneath his skin, wanting to claim, to possess, to protect all at once. The conflicting urges should have torn him apart. Instead, they settled into something deeper, more certain.

This one. This was the one they'd been looking for.

"Stay back," Cole whispered, but he didn't move. Didn't run.

Blake let his gaze roam, cataloging every detail. The way the human's shirt had ridden up, exposing a strip of pale skin. The way his fingers dug into the earth, grounding himself. The way his teeth caught his bottom lip?—

Fuck.

Blake had to swallow a growl. Such a simple gesture, but it shot straight through him, igniting something raw and primal.

He prowled closer, noting how the man's weight shifted but didn't flee. The human was caught between fight and flight, body tense but unconsciously tilting his head, exposing the long line of his throat.

An invitation he probably didn't even realize he was making.

Blake glanced at Luca, finding the same hunger reflected in his brother's eyes. The same recognition.

But also the same doubt. They'd been wrong before. So many times…

Blake moved closer, Luca matching him step for step. They'd done this dance so many times it was second nature—closing in from both sides, cutting off escape routes, making their prey feel the weight of their combined attention.

The human's breathing went shallow, quick little pants that made Blake's cock stir with interest.

"You're not running," Blake observed, keeping his voice low.

The man's eyes darted between them, but still he stayed put. "Would it matter if I did?"

"No," Luca admitted quietly, and Blake appreciated his eternal honesty. "But most people try anyway."

Blake leaned in, close enough to feel the heat radiating from Cole's skin. Their eyes met—forest green locking onto ice blue—and Blake felt the impact sear through him.

"I'm Blake," he said, voice rough. "That's Luca."

"C-Cole." The name came out breathy, uncertain.

Blake dragged in a slow breath, letting Cole's scent settle in his lungs. This close, he could see the way Cole's lashes fluttered, the nervous dart of his tongue over his lips.

Then Cole bit his bottom lip again.

Blake's control cracked. His fingers curled into fists to keep from reaching out, from taking what his wolf insisted was already theirs.

"Why two of you?" Cole's question came out small, curious rather than accusatory. "Wolves don't... I mean, you're supposed to fight over..."

"Over you?" Blake stepped closer, close enough that Cole had to tilt his head back to maintain eye contact.

Cole's scent spiked with arousal, but then Blake caught something else underneath. Something… something broken and desperate.

This one had been hurt. He wanted—but then he felt shame.

He wanted so, so hard. It was burning him from the inside.

Luca moved to Cole's other side, effectively caging him against the tree. Blake could see the recognition in his brother's eyes, could scent Luca's own surge of possessive delight.

They'd found him. Someone who needed exactly what they had to give.

"I don't understand," Cole whispered, looking between them. His pulse was racing, visible in his throat.

Blake reached out, fingers tracing Cole's jaw. The human leaned into the touch before he could stop himself, then flushed with shame at his own neediness.

Blake's smile was sharp, satisfied. "Yes, you do."

Cole's breathing went shallow as Luca's hand settled on his hip, thumb stroking over fabric. The simple touch made Cole shiver, made him press closer despite himself.

"You want this," Luca said quietly, reading Cole's body language like a book. "You've always wanted this."

"I can't," Cole breathed, but he wasn't pulling away. His hands came up to grip their arms, holding on instead of pushing back.

Blake leaned closer, pressing Cole fully against the tree. "Can't what?"

But Cole had gone beyond words. His body was speaking for him—the way he pressed into every touch, chased contact like he was starving for it.

Blake and Luca exchanged a look over Cole's head. There it was. The hunger they could scent, the desperate need that called to every possessive instinct they had.

Blake pressed his mouth to Cole's neck, just below his ear. The human went liquid against him, a soft whimper escaping his throat that went straight to Blake's cock.

Needy. So fucking needy. Perfect.

Luca's hand tightened on Cole's hip, pulling him closer. Cole's reaction was immediate—he arched into the touch, desperate for more.

Blake pulled back enough to meet Cole's eyes. The human looked wrecked already, pupils blown wide, lips parted.

"More," Cole whispered, so quiet Blake almost missed it.

Blake's smile was predatory. "Greedy."

Cole flinched, shame flooding his scent, but before he could apologize, Blake silenced him with a finger over his lips.

"Don't," Blake growled.

Luca's other hand came up to cup Cole's face, thumb stroking over his cheek. "We like greedy.”

Cole stared at them, searching for lies. Blake let him look, let him see the hunger and satisfaction and desperate want.

Then Blake claimed Cole's mouth.

The kiss was demanding, possessive, everything Cole had probably been made to feel guilty for wanting. And Cole melted into it with a moan that vibrated through both of them.

When Blake pulled back, Cole chased his mouth, unwilling to let go.

"Please," Cole breathed, the broken need in his voice making Blake's wolf howl with triumph.

Blake met Luca's eyes over Cole's head and saw his own savage satisfaction reflected there. They'd found him. A mate who wanted more.

Wanted both of them.

Blake's hand tangled in Cole's hair, tilting his head back, and he leaned in for a kiss.