3

~ Caleb’s PoV ~
How did I know the Goddess would send us a mate who was feisty as hell? Because she had to know exactly what my brother and I would need.
A pushover? That wasn’t going to cut it. We needed someone wild, untamed. Someone who could match our energy, and Lilith Emory fit the bill perfectly-hotter than sin and practically a goddess herself. I’d never met her before, but her reputation? Oh, I knew it. Just like she probably knew ours.
When she showed up at our party last night, it took every ounce of self-control not to throw her over my shoulder right then and there. If it weren’t for Caden stepping in like the buzzkill he can be sometimes, I would’ve done exactly that. Even after she stormed off, I was dead set on following her, making sure she understood who was in charge-who was Alpha in this relationship.
*You’re such an idiot. You can’t treat her like that. Times are changing. Think about our little sister-you’d lose it if a guy treated her like some random hookup,* my wolf, Fang, growled in my head.
*Stop channeling Caden and let me handle this,* I shot back.
I loved my twin, but damn, he could be lame sometimes. He actually suggested we give Lilith space. Nine hours. That was all the “space” I’d allow. My wolf was pacing inside me, clawing for her. He wanted her now, and honestly, so did I.
I had a vision-graduating, going home with my Luna, and celebrating the way only a true Alpha could. Our fathers had doubted when we’d be ready to take over, but now that we’d found her, our trio was complete. There was no room left for uncertainty.
But still, doubts lingered.
Could the Ashford brothers give up their old ways? Could we swear off all other women? And could she do the same?
The moment we’d found our mate-our true, fated Luna-it was like a curtain had fallen over the part of my brain that looked at other females. But the adjustment wasn’t going to be easy. I already needed her, all of her.
When my parents found each other, they were marked and mated within an hour. Most didn’t wait-wolves didn’t allow it. Too much time apart, and the wolf would rip you to shreds from the inside. I knew for a fact her wolf had to be pushing her too. She was fighting it, but it wouldn’t last.
*She’ll be ours soon,* Fang rumbled. *Get her to shift, let her wolf know the deal. She’ll help us-and maybe even put her in heat.*
The thought sent a wicked thrill through me. My girl, defenseless and craving me? Hell yes.
Sometimes, though, my wolf was as infuriating as my brother. He hated how many women I’d been with and had no problem voicing it. But during the act? Dead silent. Hypocrite. At least we were on the same page about our mate-she was ours. And it was going to stay that way.
Watching her now, devouring the breakfast we’d brought, I couldn’t help but grin. Judging by her barren cabinets, she wasn’t much of a cook. How does a woman not cook? Even I could manage the basics-though that was mostly thanks to sneaking into the packhouse kitchen for snacks and getting roped into helping the staff.
“So, what? You’re just going to ignore us unless we try to reject you?” I asked, breaking the silence.
She set her fork down slowly, turning to face us with a glare that could kill. And damn, if it wasn’t the hottest thing I’d ever seen. She was fire incarnate. Most she-wolves would have jumped at the chance for our attention-wanted us to touch them, spoil them. Not Lilith. She wanted nothing more than for us to leave her alone.
Which only made me want her more.
“Thank you for breakfast,” she said, standing and placing her plate in the sink.
“That’s it?” Caden asked, stepping closer and touching her arm.
I clenched my fists, irrational jealousy surging through me. It was stupid. He was my twin, and we’d shared plenty of women before-but they’d never mattered. Not like this. Lilith wasn’t some passing fling. She was *ours*.
“Yes,” she snapped, pulling her arm away. “I have things to do, and they don’t include entertaining a couple of jackasses.”
Jackasses? Did she just call us donkeys?
*We need a nickname for her. Something that’ll drive her crazy,* I said to Caden through the mind-link.
He smirked at her, clearly amused by my suggestion.
“I have it on good authority that you actually need us,” I said, leaning back and folding my arms. “So, the way I see it, maybe you should try being a little nicer. Wouldn’t kill you to smile.”
I braced myself, knowing her response would be nothing short of explosive.
I knew she-wolves like her despised being told what to do-especially when it came to their bodies. If I dared tell her to smile, she’d probably key my car and leave a sarcastic grin scratched into the paint.
Her lips pressed into a thin line as she scowled, practically daring me to push her buttons. She wasn’t the only skilled investigator around here, though. My brother and I knew most of the people on this campus inside and out. The real surprise was that we’d never crossed paths with her before. Finding out anything we wanted about anyone wasn’t just a skill-it was a sport.
“Actually, yes. My boss wants an interview with you for the paper,” she finally said, thrusting a folder into Caden’s hands.
I couldn’t help but laugh. She made it too easy to rile her up, and I wasn’t one to resist temptation.
“Well, aren’t you lucky, beautiful? I *love* talking about myself,” I said, stretching my arms overhead just to drive the point home.
What can I say? I’m a quarterback-cockiness comes with the territory.
“I’m sure that’s the truest thing you’ve ever said,” she shot back, arms crossed in defiance.
Oh, she thought she was clever? Cute. But she needed a little more color in those cheeks.
“The truest thing I’ve ever said,” I replied, my voice steady, “is that I’m going to fuck you until my name is the only one you remember.”
Caden’s grin widened, his eyes fixed on her like a predator waiting for the right moment to strike. That line was pure overkill, I’ll admit, especially since she’d just admitted she needed our help. Maybe I was being a bit of an ass.
She looked at me, her expression a whirlwind of suppressed fury and words she didn’t dare say aloud. I knew I’d cornered her, but this wasn’t the kind of power I wanted over her. Not really. Still, it would have to do for now.
It was dirty, no question about it. Wrong, even. I could almost hear the goddess lining up her karmic payback, but I had to make my point: we weren’t going anywhere. And the more I watched her-the way she stiffened her spine and tried to stay composed-the harder it was to pull away.
She was becoming the center of my attention, eclipsing even football. That was a strange new reality we’d have to figure out, especially with only one game left in the season. The championship was behind us; this last game was just a bonus, a friendly match to close things out.
Despite the early hour, she was already up, her makeup flawless, her attitude sharper than a blade. Meanwhile, the rest of the she-wolves on campus were probably still passed out from last night’s parties.
My brother and I prided ourselves on being the hardest workers in any room-first in, last out. It’s what leaders do. Whether it was on the field or off, we gave everything we had. But now, she was distracting me, pulling my focus away from the one place I felt most alive.
I watched her carefully, noting how she tried to regain control of herself, her posture rigid, her expression carefully blank. She didn’t do well when thrown out of her element, but she wasn’t about to show weakness.
Deciding to cut her some slack, I held out my hand for the folder. Caden passed it to me, and I flipped it open, scanning the contents.
“Look at that,” she muttered. “The caveman knows how to read.”
“Perfect GPA, actually,” I shot back, heading for the living room.
Perfect, thanks to the fact that I sometimes paid people to take notes and keep me ahead of the curve-not that she needed to know that. Caden followed me, and we sprawled out like we owned the place.
“How’d you score a one-bedroom apartment anyway?” Caden asked, noting the layout.
One-bedrooms on campus were rare, practically treasures. I leaned back, curious myself. We’d already dug through her file-perks of Caden’s hacking skills-and we knew her family didn’t have money. She was here on a scholarship.
“I don’t owe you any explanations, donkeys,” she snapped before storming off to her room, slamming the door behind her.
Caden chuckled, shaking his head.
“I’ll take that as… she slept with the right person,” I muttered under my breath.