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The gray area we’re now flirting with is uncharted territory. With our friendship firmly in the white and this new potential to become lovers solidly in the black, I’m not sure if we’ll truly be able to separate the two after they start to mix.

If I had any doubts about that, watching her walk out of the Hacienda, holding hands with a strange Beta, has something possessive and dark rearing up inside. I was a little jealous of the Alphas, sure, because their history goes further back than ours does, but this is different. She’s already got one Beta, and like hell does she need another. I’m not sure my fragile balancing act can withstand the feelings already deepening inside me. No, once I get my hands on Elliott Mitchell, there will be no turning back. Not for me. Which is all the more reason to get my head on straight before I take that leap because losing her will be devastating.

Forcing myself to walk out of her room last night was one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to do. With the scent of her perfume stuck in my nose and the sight of her lying on that soft bed looking more delectable than ever, it took surprising control not to sneak back in later and give her what she so readily agreed to. Luckily, there’s the rational part of my brain that understands the importance of what’s sparking between us. It’s patient enough to make sure this is really the route we want to take before heading down that road. And she’s right, I do trust her, but do I really trust myself enough to walk away when it’s done? Doubtful.

“Thought you didn’t have to follow her around?”

His voice catches me by surprise, and I turn just as Flint steps up beside me. His gaze follows the stubborn Omega and her newest experiment , an indecipherable look on his face. He smells like winter—the brisk scent of snow in the air mixing with a heady dose of hot cocoa—and I’m forced to acknowledge how much I like that particular combination. He’s casual today, wearing a pair of navy swim trunks and a white tank with wide arm holes that show off the impressive muscles of his chest and arms. Bracelets dangle from his wrist as he runs his hands through his thick, dark hair. He’s every bit the attractive, well-built hockey star, and I can see why Elle would find him attractive.

“It’s not required, but I never said I wasn’t going to keep an eye on her.”

Chocolate brown eyes meet mine, and there’s a familiar understanding staring back at me. “How long have you been in love with her?”

The breath I was about to take catches in my chest. “Who said that I was?”

His grin makes his face even more impossibly handsome, his scent deepening in the air between us. “It’s obvious to everyone with eyes.”

“Not everyone,” I mutter under my breath.

His chuckle tells me he still heard it. “Welcome to our world.”

“Where are the other two?” I ask.

“They went down to the fitness center to work off some steam. Being under the same roof with her is going to be a struggle for all of us.”

I know at least part of their story, but I’ve never been able to drag all the details out of Elle. She always clams up and changes the subject, so this might be the best chance I have of sizing up the competition.

“How long have you all been interested in her?”

His sigh almost breaks my heart because I’ve heard the same one slip from my own lips more times than I can count.

“Nixon’s known her for years, but there was never anything there because she was so young. Plus, she’s best friends with West, who is practically a surrogate sister to him. Then we came along—Raff about thirteen years ago and me about five years later—and we formed our pack. Any time we got together with Barrett and the Parker brothers, West and Elliott were always hanging around with Cadence, whispering and giggling like young girls do around older boys. It wasn’t until about a year before they went off to college, right around the time her designation came in, when biology knocked us upside the head with her scent.”

He motions with his head as he starts to slowly follow in the direction Elle just disappeared to with the Beta, and I fall into step beside him. His story draws me in as I begin to realize just how long they’ve denied their feelings for my best friend. “I’m not even sure how long it took before we all realized how potent the draw to her was, and we sure as hell didn’t talk about those feelings as a pack. Barely eighteen and planning for college, she was already a sassy little thing, so we kept our mouths shut. On the rare occasion she’d attend games with West, our paths would cross, and it was like the tether between us had somehow grown stronger. Not that she seemed to realize it, and if she did, she sure didn’t look like she gave a damn. It was…disheartening.”

“Why didn’t you ever say anything after the girls graduated?”

His laugh is harsh, more frustration than amusement. “You’re her best friend. Surely you can imagine how that would’ve gone over. Not to mention, she lives in Chicago, so it’s not like we get many opportunities.”

We round a curve and catch sight of the pair up ahead. Elliott’s leaning into the man’s arm with her fingers gripping his massive bicep as she slips her sandals off her feet, letting them dangle from her fingertips as they head down the white sandy beach.

“She has her reasons for being so closed off, and while I’ve always respected them, even from a strictly platonic standpoint, there have been times where I’ve wanted to shake some sense into her. The woman is maddening.”

“But also gorgeous, and smart, and incredibly attractive when she aims all that sarcasm and righteous anger at you.”

“Mmhmm,” I hum, swallowing down my jealousy when she tilts her head back and laughs at something the musclehead says.

We’re quiet for a moment, the two of us watching the woman we’re obsessed with walk along the ocean’s edge, hand in hand with another man, feet trailing through the rough surf. Berta may be long gone, but it’s the start of hurricane season, so despite the few clouds in the sky, the water looks pretty choppy today. Kind of like my mood.

I barely know this Alpha, but I can sense the moment his eyes are on me, the connection between us sparking dangerously.

“What about you? Why haven’t you told her how you feel?”

I take a deep breath in and exhale, centering myself before turning to meet his curious stare. “You said it yourself. Can you imagine how that would’ve gone over? She’s important to me, and I’m not sure I’m willing to risk what we have for what could be.”

His gaze never wavers as he studies me, hands in his pockets in what should be a casual gesture, but there’s this power radiating off of him. I have no idea if it’s his Alpha pheromones or just his normal presence, but something in me is curious enough to see if I can try to figure it out. He’s at least a solid three or four inches taller than me, so when I turn to face him, pushing my glasses up, my head tips back the slightest bit to meet his eyes.

“Tell me something. If you’re set on Elliott, then what is this?” I motion between the two of us with one finger.

I’m not normally this forward, but something about this Alpha brings out a boldness I’m barely familiar with outside of Elliott. Of course, maybe it’s the fact that she’s attracted to him too, even though she’s fighting it tooth and nail, that makes me want to set things straight from the beginning. She’d never be interested in someone who wasn’t worthy, and that means he’s worth the effort.

His nostrils flare at the same time tension pushes his shoulders back. “I’m not sure. But at least now I know you feel it too.”

“I’ve never been with an Alpha,” I say absently, watching the muscles clench in his jaw. “And I’d never hurt Elle.”

His head tilts quizzically. “That would insinuate that she’d care if something happened between us.”

Releasing a ragged breath, I glance over to where the woman in question is bending down to pick something up out of the sand as the Beta ogles her asscheeks peeking out from those short-shorts. The jealous side of me wants to stalk over there and dick punch him. The rational side reminds myself that she’s not mine…yet.

“She would never admit it because that would be admitting to the feelings she refuses to acknowledge, but she’d possibly feel betrayed or, more than likely, she would use our budding relationship as an excuse to distance herself because why would we need her if we have each other?”

His body angles toward mine as he takes a small step forward, closing the distance between us. His scent has gone deeper, spicier, and I swallow down an unexpected groan.

“What if we could change her mind? What if she let us in? Would you be willing to figure out what this thing between you and me could become?” His voice is deep, a little husky even, as his eyes dart down to my lips.

An answer is ready on the tip of my tongue, but I hold it back, letting my brain process everything that he just said. This feels important, like it’s not something that should be considered lightly, but there’s something about him. About the way my entire being comes to attention when he’s near. There’s only one other person that’s ever sparked the same yearning in my soul, and it’s the woman that he’s intent on making his.

Could it be this simple? Could we both win…possibly more than we ever expected?

“If Elle agrees, and she’s open to everything you just said, then I don’t see why we couldn’t?—”

A scream has my head whipping toward the last spot I saw Elliott. There’s no sign of her or the Beta, and I’m running down the boardwalk toward the beach before I can make the conscious decision to do so. The second I reach the water, I realize the surf is stronger than earlier, breaking along the shore with a ferocity that shocks me. My eyes nervously scan up and down the sand, landing on a spot about fifty yards down where two heads are bobbing in the rough water.

“They’re right there,” I point out to the Alpha beside me, and he takes off in a sprint toward the pair.

I’m right on his heels, throwing off my sandals and shrugging out of my t-shirt as I go, ready to jump in to the rescue. By the time we reach the shoreline, I realize that they’re actually moving closer and closer to where I stand, the mop of blond hair being dragged in by the brunette that has fury brimming in her emerald eyes. Right as I’m about to run in to see how I can help, I make out Elliott’s voice.

“Be fucking romantic, they said. It’ll be great , they said.”

Flint and I stare in helpless confusion as Elliott continues to swim with one arm, the other wrapped around the Beta’s chest as she pulls them both to safety. When they reach waist-deep water, my brain finally kicks in. I trudge toward the pissed off Omega, still carting along the Beta who doesn’t seem obliged to help himself at all even though he can probably stand up and touch the ground at this point.

“You told me you were an expert sailor and had traveled the world, yet you can’t even fucking swim ? Should’ve known that was all a lie by those pussy-ass hands of yours,” she snarls, her eyes flashing to mine when she finally notices me standing there looking shellshocked. “Come take this dickweed from me, will ya? I’m exhausted.”

Speechless, I reach down, grabbing the trembling Beta under his arms and dragging him up toward the sand until he’s completely out of the water. Then I unceremoniously drop him on his ass. His chest is rapidly rising and falling like he just swam in a triathlon rather than be rescued by a girl.

“You okay, man?” I ask. I don’t really give a damn, but it’s the right thing to do.

His eyes are closed as he shakes his head.

Well, fuck.

When I turn back to tell Flint I’m going to get help, he’s kneeling in the water next to Elliott, who’s sitting up far enough that the water just barely covers her legs. He brushes the wet hair out of her face, eyes trailing over her to check for injuries until she sags into his chest.

I wait for the flare of jealousy to spike in my blood at the sight of her snuggled up to the Alpha. To my surprise, it never comes. Instead, I watch him tenderly stroke her back, whispering words that are too low for me to make out. She looks so small next to him, while he appears large and looming over her, ready to protect her from whatever may come their way.

Heat unfurls in my gut as I imagine myself at her back, sandwiching her between the two of us. Sharing her. Kissing him .

My breath stalls in my lungs, and for a second, I can barely breathe. The rush of need is so strong, my dick is rock hard and pressing against the zipper of my khaki shorts. Shaking my head to get myself back under control, I walk over and clear my throat. Two sets of eyes turn to stare up at me.

“I’m going to help him walk to the Hacienda so he can call his friends. Pretty sure he’s fine. Just embarrassed and a little weak from the adrenaline crash.”

“I’m just letting Elle take a breather, then I’ll help her back to the villa.”

“You okay?” My voice cracks as our eyes lock.

Her face scrunches up. “I’m fine, Sy. Just…fucking exhausted. Dude weighed a ton, and it’s not like I’m a professional or anything. Thank fuck for that lifeguard job in high school.”

“Let Flint take care of you, okay, babe? That was some scary shit just now, and I’m glad you’re alright.”

She nods, peering shyly over at the Alpha who can’t take his eyes off her. Yeah. Okay. This is a good time to leave the two of them alone. Her walls are down, so maybe he can make some headway with that whole changing her mind thing because now that he said it, I want it more and more each second that I stand there, looking down at the two of them together.

Walking back over to lover boy, I may accidentally-on-purpose kick sand over him. His hands fly up to brush it off as he curses. When his eyes finally open, I hide my smile.

“C’mon.” I offer him my hand. “I’ll help you get to the Hacienda. But from now on, you’ll stay away from our girl.”

He nods and accepts the help up, and when he sways on his feet a little, I consider letting him fall again. Luckily, he rights himself and manages to stay mostly upright as we head toward the boardwalk. I glance back at the pair still sitting on the sand, praying Flint’s got enough balls to take the opportunity I just handed him.