X5

"Then get the hell out. I want to wash in peace."

I reach up, threading my fingers through his soaked hair and yanking his head back until he hisses. "I want you." I don't bother masking the hunger in my scent. "And based on how you were working yourself over, I’m not the only one. Unless you were fantasizing about the beta in your bed? Because if you wanted Ethan, he’s right through that door."

"No!" Cain tries to twist away, but his wet skin sliding against my chest only fuels the fire. "Your knot was just inside Lila."

"Is that a growl of jealousy I hear, Prince?"

He let out a jagged laugh but offered no retort.

The fact that I’d used protection didn't matter, so I kept that to myself. I reached for the shelf, grabbing his charcoal body wash. I seized his wrist and squeezed a dollop into his palm before wrapping his fingers around the base of my heavy, aching length. "Clean me."

"I'm not—"

"Clean me, Prince," I commanded, slamming my palms onto the white tile on either side of his head, caging him. I leaned in until I could taste the mint on his breath. I dipped my head, tracing the racing pulse in his throat with my tongue, licking away the droplets of water. "Scrub her scent off me, and I’ll break you exactly how you crave."

"Kai." He whispered my name, and I pulled my hands from the wall. I stepped back, wrapping one hand firmly around his throat. He swallowed hard, his chest heaving as a soft whimper—the sound of a submissive coming to heel—broke from his lips.

He was lethal. Dark hair, thick lashes, and those eyes... they were made to watch me while he took it. "Like this." I placed my hand over his, guiding his grip in a slow, punishing rhythm up and down my shaft. His fingers couldn't even meet; I was too much for him to handle. When I felt his own grip tighten and take over, I let go.

"I loathe you," he breathed, his hand gripping me with painful intensity as he accelerated the pace.

I’d already decided he was mine, but that didn't extinguish the friction between us. He made me want to claim him with my teeth at his throat, marking him until the world knew he was off-limits.

"I know." I leaned in until our lips grazed, the scalding spray drenching us both. "I fucking loathe you too, Prince."

"You leaked the footage," he said, his voice dropping to a fragile note, playing the part of the betrayed partner. It was a hell of a performance. Cain was a natural actor. He blinked, his wet lashes casting shadows on his cheeks before he looked up at me with faux innocence, his hand abandoning my heat.

"I did." I expected a shove, but instead, his hand drifted lower, cupping my weight. He began to massage the sensitive skin, his black-painted nails dragging just enough to make me jump. He arched a dark brow and squeezed until my breath hitched and I had to rise on my toes. This was the peak of our toxicity. We never just played; we fought. It was explosive—as evidenced by the smoldering titanium frame in the driveway. "Cain..." I warned, my voice breaking.

He smirked, and my heart hammered. He was pushing to see where the line was, or trying to break my focus. He should have known better.

I tightened my grip on his throat, cutting off his air just enough to force his lips apart. He gasped for oxygen but he didn't struggle. My good little wolf took the dominance like the addict he was. I lowered my mouth to his ear. "I just wanted the pack to see how beautiful you look when you’re on your knees for your Alpha."

Releasing me, he swung. His palm connected with my face in a sharp crack. He couldn't get full leverage in the cramped stall, so I simply took the sting and stepped back, wiping the suds from my cheek. I raised my hands in mock surrender. "I know you can hit harder than that—"

Thud. His fist caught my jaw, snapping my head to the side. I rubbed the hinge of my face, working the bone to dull the throb.

"Fuck you, Kai!" He shouldered past me, reaching for the glass door, but I caught the back of his neck, digging my fingers into his wet skin and yanking him back. I spun him, slamming him face-first against the tiles. He cried out, and I muffled the sound with my palm. "Hush, Prince. Your boyfriend is ten feet away. We wouldn't want him to catch me claiming what’s mine."

He tried to buck, his wet hair slapping my chest while the curve of his ass ground against my cock.

I looked down to see the water had cleared the soap. I gripped myself and stepped into him, pinning him to the wall with my hips. I leaned into his ear. "Now, you’re going to take this like a good little slut. And you’re going to stay silent. Understood?"

He nodded, his breath hot against my palm.

"Good wolf." I nipped at his earlobe. "Spread those legs."

He complied immediately, adjusting his stance so I could press in. I was too tall for this space, really, but the risk of the audience made it better.

I sank into him, groaning as his heat stretched to accommodate me. He let out a muffled whimper, and I reached up to fist his hair, pulling his head back to expose his mouth. I crashed my lips onto his, devouring his taste as my hips found their rhythm.

He reached back over his shoulders, his fingers tangling in my hair while I took him. Water filled our mouths, teeth clashing as we fought for dominance even while he submitted.

"Touch yourself," I ordered, breaking away for air.

His hands dropped, and I felt his fingers working his own length while I drove into him. There was something about his scent, his heat, that made me feral. I couldn't get enough.

I kissed him again, and he clamped down around me, drawing a moan from my throat. He pulled away, panting for breath. I needed a better angle. I pulled out, dragging him to the stone bench at the back of the shower. I forced him down, bending him over. His hands slapped the wet stone while I gathered his hair in one hand. With the other, I delivered a stinging slap to his ass.

He yelped.

"It’s like you want Ethan to hear us, Prince. Is that it? Want him to know what a slut sounds like when he’s being bred by his Alpha?"

"No."

"Want him to walk in and see me using you? Want me to show him how you really like it?"

He was gasping. "We... shouldn't—"

"We already are." I slammed back into him, making him cry out. I yanked his head back at a sharp angle and growled into his ear. "I want my scent all over you, Prince. That way, when you wake up tomorrow and he tries to touch you, all he’ll taste is me."

Whimpering, he pushed back against me, begging for the depth. "Kai," he gasped.

"I want our scents so tangled he can't breathe without smelling me on you." I’d be lying if I said the jealousy wasn't a living thing in my chest. But I’d never say it. Ethan would be gone soon. Once he saw that tape, he’d judge Cain just like the rest of the world. But Cain was mine—my bitch to break—and I’d carve my name into his soul if I had to.

The sound of skin hitting skin echoed in the steam. I reached around, working him toward the edge.

His moans grew reckless. I didn't stop him. I wanted him to break, and if someone walked in, they’d just get a front-row seat to the hierarchy.

"That's it, Prince." I bit into his shoulder, tasting the salt and iron. He pushed back, his hands flat against the wall. He was right there.

I stood to my full height, spitting onto his skin before using my thumb to find the pressure point I’d trained him to crave.

He shattered instantly, his body clamping around me as he came. I watched, mesmerized, as I followed him over the edge, slamming home one last time.

I took a jagged breath, pulled out, and helped him stand. I turned him around, brushing the wet hair from his eyes. I looked into his dazed, heavy stare and cupped his cheek almost gently. I kissed him—a slow, deep claim that stole his remaining air.

My pulse was a riot. I had the sudden, dark urge to hold him under the spray and watch him struggle for breath.

I loathed him. Or I thought I did. Now, the lines were blurred. I’d gone public. He wasn't just my stepbrother anymore. The whole pack knew he belonged to me.

He broke the kiss, regret already clouding his eyes. We hadn't crossed this line since the night of the recording six weeks ago. He’d been keeping his distance, and I’d been too busy with the team to hunt him down. But the thing with Ethan had gone on long enough. It was time to remind him of his place.

He pulled away and slipped out of the shower. Through the fogged glass, I watched him grab a towel and bolt from the room, still dripping wet.

I leaned against the tile, eyes closed against the spray, pushing my hair back. I was more determined than ever to make sure Ethan saw that footage. One way or another, the truth would out.

"I’m not even sorry, Prince," I whispered, turning off the valve.

As I stepped out, I spotted his black kohl on the counter. I picked it up, chuckling. "You only think you loathe me."