X3

"Your little boyfriend just sold you out, Cain." I fight the urge to smirk, the wolf in me preening at the chaos. "He’s up in his quarters," I say, nodding toward the grand staircase of the Mercer Estate, dismissing him before he can ask another question I don't feel like answering.

"Goddamn, Kai." Lucas Reed—one of the varsity wingers—clatters up the steps, beer in one hand, phone in the other. "You really know how to push Cain’s buttons." He whistles, shaking his head. "You’re a brave bastard letting a Hayes live under your roof." He’s still laughing as he vanishes into the lounge.

Ethan Cole looks at me, his face pale. "Cain did this? To your car?"

"Makes you wonder what Kai did to earn it," Logan Pierce adds from the shadows of the porch. I cut him a look that promises a long session on the ice if he doesn't shut his mouth.

"What's the story, Kai?" Ethan presses.

I shrug, leaning against the doorframe. "How should I know?" If the video hasn't reached him yet, I’m not going to spoil the climax. Not without Cain there to witness the fallout. That would be a waste of good theater.

Without another word, Ethan brushes past us, heading deep into the estate to find out why his boyfriend is playing with fire.

"What’s his deal?" Logan asks, watching Ethan go.

"He hasn't seen the footage yet," I answer, the smile finally breaking through. "My little submissive doesn't want his 'official' partner knowing he’s been the Alpha’s favorite plaything."

"I don't know," Logan argues, checking his own screen. "It’s gone viral on the pack-net. I’ve had twenty pings in the last hour from guys who didn't even know we were filming."

I shrug. "It’s the only reason he’s still acting like he has a chance with him."

"Want me to clear the floor?" Mason asks, crushing his cigarette under the heel of his skate-guard.

"Let them stay," I say, waving a hand at the lingering crowd.

"You sure?"

"Yeah. It’s a Lupercalia celebration, after all." I end the talk and head back upstairs. I pass my room and see Lila is out cold on the silk sheets, naked and useless. The urge to storm into Cain’s room, kick Ethan out, and remind that brat exactly whose mark is on his soul is a physical ache. But I don't.

I’ll let Ethan have his moment. It’ll be the last one he ever gets.

CAIN

Pacing the length of my room, I’ve finally killed my phone. I couldn't handle the constant vibration of the world watching my humiliation. The click of the door has me spinning, claws halfway out. I expected Kai to burst in, ready to drag me to the obsidian shrine or humiliate me in front of his brothers while the car still smoldered. To my shock, it’s not the Alpha.

"Cain?" Ethan Cole frowns, stepping inside and locking the door behind him.

I plant my hands on my hips, my pulse still racing from the adrenaline of the fire. "What are you doing here?" I’d dropped him at his dorm an hour ago.

"What the hell is happening downstairs?" He gestures vaguely at the window. "Kai’s Sian is a melted heap of scrap metal."

I wave it off, trying to look bored. "Kai plays dangerous games." It’s the truth. The video circulating proves he’s the most dangerous player I know.

"Are you alright?" He walks toward me, his voice soft, concerned.

"Perfect." I toss my dead phone onto the desk. "Why wouldn't I be?" I’m testing him, seeing if he’s seen the footage.

"Because you’re the one who torched it," he says, his light brown eyes narrowing.

"Kai told you that?" That arrogant prick.

"He didn't have to." Ethan takes a step closer. "What did he do to you, Cain? If he touched you, if he hurt you... I’ll go down there and end him."

"Drop it, Ethan." I move to him, placing my hands on his chest, but he recoils.

"Drop it?" he snaps. "You committed arson on an Alpha’s property. Do you have any idea how fast your mother will pull you out of Northbridge for this?"

I smirk. "No, she won't." Kai won't say a word to the parents. To do that, he’d have to explain the why, and that would ruin the twisted power dynamic he’s built. He has to play the "Good Alpha" for the elders; it's part of his sick ritual. "You're overthinking it." I reach for his buttons, my body still humming from the fire, my inner wolf pacing, needy. I'm wired and ready to be used.

"Cain," he growls, shoving my hands away.

"Why are you here again?" I ask, my patience fraying.

He sighs, patting his pockets. "After you dropped me off, I realized I didn't have my phone. Did I leave it in your SUV?"

"No. You had it when you hopped out." A lie. I’d swiped it from the cupholder.

He rubs his face. "I've looked everywhere. The last time I had it was after the scrimmage. I’m going to go check your car." He turns to leave.

I grab his shirt, spinning him back around and locking my arms behind his neck. "I can think of a much better use of your time."

I’m not a fool. He’s going to see that video eventually, but I want to delay the explosion. Not because I’m in love with Ethan, but because I refuse to let Kai win this round.

Ethan pulls back, sniffing the air. "Are you high? You smell like the pack-stash."

Shit. "Sienna was smoking. I had a hit." He doesn't need to know my history with the leaf.

"Since when do you smoke Kai's gear?"

I shrug. "Just one drag." I hadn't planned on Ethan coming back to play detective. I would have used a different distraction if I’d known.

"Cain." He stares at me, searching. "What is really going on?"

"Nothing. I promise."

He looks ready to argue, but the hunger in my eyes wins out. He grips my thighs and hoists me up. I lock my legs around his waist as he carries me to the bed. I need a distraction after tonight, and he's better than nothing.

He drops me onto the mattress and starts tugging at my cargo shorts. I lift my hips, letting him slide them off along with my underwear. While he fumbles with his slacks, I rip my shirt off and wait. He’s rushing to roll on a condom, skipping the parts I actually enjoy. I wanted his mouth on me, but he’s too in his head.

When he moves over me, his kiss is sloppy, uncoordinated. I swallow the excess spit and spread my legs as his hand fumbles between them. He slides inside, and while he’s decent enough in size, he has no idea what to do with it. Not for a wolf like me. I close my eyes, trying to manifest a fantasy that will actually get me to the edge.

My body needs the friction, the weight. I need the grit. I want to be bound, made to beg, humiliated until I’m nothing but sensation. I want to be called a filthy stray while I’m broken open. I’ve done the reading—some shrinks say it’s the trauma of the pack-feud, but I know it’s just who I am.

I’ve tried to guide Ethan, but he’s too "gentlemanly." The darkness scares him.

"Oh, god, Cain," he groans against my ear, his pace picking up.

I rake my nails down his back, and he winces. "Watch the skin, Cain," he whines.

I want to scream. "Stop," I say, flatly.

"I thought you wanted this?" He looks confused.

It was the perfect moment for him to growl, to pin my wrists and tell me to shut up. That’s what Kai would have done. Ethan’s hesitation is a mood-killer. "I do. Just... let me roll over." I push him up, getting on all fours and arching my back.

Order me to stay still. Bite my neck, my mind screams. But Ethan is still worried about the car fire.

He pushes back in, leaning his chest against my spine, pinning me to the mattress. It’s a marginal improvement.

"There we go." He brushes my hair aside, and for a second, I think he’s going to wrap it around his fist and yank. Instead, he plants a soft, tender kiss on my shoulder. I stifle a groan of frustration. I close my eyes and imagine Kai is the one looming over me, his hand bruising my throat, cutting my breath while he claims me like the animal he is.

The Alpha has officially ruined me for anyone else.

I wake up in the middle of the night to find Ethan passed out. It’s still pitch black. I pull on a oversized shirt and some cotton boxers and slip out into the hall. I have to pass Kai’s master suite, and the sounds coming from inside are unmistakable.

"Kai! Yes... God, yes—"

I test the handle. Unlocked. I push it open with a sharp grin. "Can you put a gag on her? Some of us are trying to sleep without hearing your amateur p**n audition."

The irony isn't lost on me, considering I was faking my way through it with Ethan hours ago.

The lights are blindingly bright. Lila is draped over him, back to me. Kai is propped against the headboard, his eyes locking onto mine instantly. A slow, predatory smirk spreads across his face. He laces his fingers behind his head, making his biceps and chest muscles ripple under the light. I can't help but stare at the definition of his torso, imagining shoving that girl off and showing him how a real wolf takes a knot. Kai doesn't do the bottom. He wants to be the force of nature holding you down.

"Why don't you join the pack, Prince?" he offers, his green eyes dropping to my boxers.

I snort, masking the jolt of heat in my gut. "Pass." I slam the door and head downstairs for water. The weed has left my mouth like sandpaper. The party is dead, just a few bodies slumped on the sofas in the Kuro Lounge. It’s surprisingly tidy—Kai doesn't tolerate messes. If you party at the Mercer Estate, you clean up your own filth before you pass out.

I grab a bottle from the industrial fridge but decide to head for the showers instead of my room. My hair reeks of gasoline and burnt carbon, and the scent is starting to turn my stomach.

Kai and I are the only ones with rooms on the second floor. He took the master suite, obviously. He bought this place with his inheritance the moment he turned eighteen. His mother had passed years prior, leaving him a trust that could buy half of Northbridge. He doesn't just have power; he has the capital to back it up.