Morning sunlight broke through the curtains like it owned the place, and I realized only then that I had woken up tangled between three living heaters. Cristof, Cole, and Geri didn’t look like the terrifying Alphas everyone feared. They looked… peaceful. Too peaceful. If the world saw them this soft, they might actually faint.
Cristof’s arm was still around my waist. His fingers twitched like he was already prepared to pull me closer if anyone tried to steal me. Cole, annoyingly sweet even when asleep, had his face buried in the crook of my neck, breathing warm and steady. Geri’s head rested on my thigh again, like he refused to move an inch away as long as he was breathing.
For a moment, I just let myself exist in their warmth. No wars. No rival hunters. No blood memories eating inside my chest. Just three men who, against every rule nature probably had, wanted me. A dangerous comfort.
Then my brain decided it was time to panic. “What is my life,” I whispered into the air.
Cristof mumbled, “Mine,” still half asleep.
Cole added, “Ours,” pressing his forehead closer to my skin.
Geri, without even opening his eyes, muttered, “Luna.”
I covered my face with both hands. If embarrassment could kill, I’d be ashes by now. Carefully, I slid out of the cocoon of muscular limbs and possessive cuddling, though Cristof made an unhappy noise. Cole reached for me in his sleep. Geri gave a low growl, like even the idea of me moving annoyed him.
“I’m just… going to drink water,” I whispered.
No one responded. They just clung to the warmth left behind like wolves claiming a den.
I tiptoed out, and the moment the door closed behind me, I let out the longest sigh. The hallway was quiet except for footsteps approaching. Familiar steps. Predictably irritated ones. Radolf and Cloud.
Radolf leaned on the wall, stretching the stiffness from his shoulders. Cloud was holding two mugs of coffee, one with my favorite sweet scent. They both froze when they saw me.
Cloud’s face turned red so fast he could’ve been overheating. “Ah, Bam! Morning! We, uh, brought coffee.”
Radolf handed Cloud a look that clearly said don’t stutter like a fool. Then he spoke in his deep, almost too calm voice, “You’re awake early.”
“Couldn’t sleep in,” I said awkwardly, taking one of the mugs Cloud offered. My fingers brushed his for a second. He stiffened and swallowed hard.
Radolf’s eyes lowered to my neck. There was no hiding the marks. Crisp, clear marks. Lots of them.
I covered them with my hand, cheeks burning.
Cloud looked like he wanted to explode. Radolf looked like he wanted to kill someone. “I see,” he said, sharp but controlled. “They moved fast.”
Cloud nodded too quickly. “Very fast. Too fast.”
My stomach twisted. They were the ones acting weird around me lately, not the other way around. “You two…” I started slowly, “When did it start? This whole… mate thing?”
Cloud’s voice wobbled. “I liked you since childhood. You saved me once. But you forgot.”
My eyes widened. “Childhood…?”
He nodded and smiled painfully. “You patted my head and told me not to cry. Said I wasn’t weak.”
A memory flashed faintly. A boy, surrounded by jeering kids… and me stepping in without thinking. Radolf stepped forward. “Same for me. Human world. You saved me when I was being hunted. I never forgot. You did.”
I swallowed hard. Too many memories lost, stolen, or shoved aside by trauma and chaos.
“I’m sorry,” I whispered.
Cloud shook his head fast. “Don’t apologize! You were amazing then, and you’re amazing now.”
Radolf nodded. “We’re not asking to replace anyone. Just… remember we’re here too.”
Their honesty hit deeper than I expected. And of course, that’s exactly when the door creaked behind me.
Footsteps. Three wolves emerging like they’d smelled a threat. Cristof came out first, shirtless and hair a mess, but eyes sharp as blades. Cole followed, buttoning his shirt with a calm that looked fake. Geri crossed his arms like he was ready to throw both men into the sun. It felt like the hallway shrank.
Cristof spoke first. “Why are you cornering her?”
“We were talking,” Radolf replied coolly.
Cole tilted his head just enough to show danger. “Talking about what?”
Cloud took a deep breath. “Her. Us. How we feel.”
Cristof’s lips curled. “Cute. And what exactly do you expect to happen? You think we’ll step aside because you two suddenly grew spines?”
Geri scoffed. “Weaklings dreaming too big.”
Radolf’s gaze sharpened. “Being weaker than you doesn’t make our feelings less real.”
“And being stronger doesn’t make yours more valid,” Cloud added firmly.
For a beat, no one breathed. Then a slow clap echoed. Yance. He leaned casually on the doorway to the living room, but there was nothing casual in his eyes. He looked like a demon bored at a carnival.
“So this is what we’re doing now,” he said. “A little mates conference.”
Cristof stiffened. Cole’s shoulders tightened. Geri’s jaw clenched. Yance pushed off the door frame and walked closer, hands in pockets. “Let me remind you. All five of you may be drooling over my sister, but I can put every one of you in the ground before breakfast.”
Radolf swallowed. Cloud paled. Even the Alphas looked away for half a second. Yance pointed two fingers at his eyes, then at them. “Don’t hurt her. Don’t pressure her. Don’t make her cry. Or I’ll remove your spines and make a pretty sculpture.”
Then he turned to me, expression softening only for me. “Eat breakfast.”
He left like he hadn’t just threatened a mini-war in the hallway. The moment he disappeared, everyone exhaled at the same time. Cristof, ever the stubborn wolf, stepped closer and wrapped his arm around my waist. Cole touched my back gently. Geri moved protectively in front of me.
Cloud and Radolf saw it… the closeness, the familiarity, the trust. Their faces fell but they didn’t step back.
Radolf squared his shoulders. Cloud clenched his fists. They weren’t giving up. And somehow…some deep part of me didn’t want them to.
I stood there in the middle of tension, affection, and territorial chaos… realizing something terrifying and thrilling:
My heart wasn’t done deciding. Not even close.