5

Caden’s POV
“Absence makes the heart grow fonder,” I quipped, standing up and slipping my arm around my mate.
Oh, she was furious, and damn, was it attractive. Sure, this plan of ours was sneaky, bold, and borderline reckless, but it was exactly what we needed. It got her out of her self-imposed isolation, gave us a chance to meet her parents, and, as a bonus, left her seething-and sexy as hell.
All things considered? Mission accomplished.
Her mom was over the moon about her “finally settling down,” and her dad couldn’t wait to boast to the entire pack that his daughter was mated to Alphas. Oddly enough, they seemed to care more about that than our reputation as star athletes-apparently, human sports weren’t much of a selling point here. Caleb and I had even prepped this elaborate spiel to win over her dad, complete with key points and a few jokes. Total waste of time.
“It makes … something all right,” Lily muttered with a forced smile at her dad, who was currently thumbing through one of her old baby photo albums.
“The picture of her rushing to the potty? Priceless,” Caleb teased, grinning.
“Yeah, by the time she made it, it was already too late,” her dad chuckled, clearly amused.
We joined in on the laughter, though the growl rumbling from Lily’s chest made it hard to keep a straight face. I’d never found her more alluring. Honestly, the entire drive here, knowing she was stuck stewing in her anger for two solid hours, was like the ultimate foreplay.
And the cherry on top? When we arrived, her mom casually mentioned she’d left her phone at her sister’s house, and her dad didn’t even own one. So they hadn’t received a single heads-up about our arrival. It was perfect. Every piece of the puzzle just slid into place, like it was destined to happen this way.
“In. The. House. Now,” Lily snarled, her tone laced with barely restrained fury.
Her parents, oblivious to the tension simmering beneath the surface, just looked delighted. I could tell this moment meant the world to them.
“Anything for you, sweetheart,” I said smoothly, guiding her inside with an arm around her waist. Caleb trailed close behind, his grin widening as her anger practically crackled in the air.
We were getting closer to what we wanted: her shift. Once her wolf emerged, instincts would take over, and there’d be no going back. She’d submit, as nature intended. Some might call it unfair, but I saw it as inevitable. The goddess had chosen us as mates, and there was no fighting that. She didn’t want a rejection, so why not lean into fate and get things moving?
We walked through the kitchen, where we’d just spent an oddly wholesome half-hour helping her mom make lemonade. She’d regaled us with stories of Lily’s high school years-her top grades, her achievements, her complete lack of interest in sports. Not a surprise, really. Her mom, however, had made it clear she wasn’t thrilled with Lily’s current college dating habits. That, of course, she assumed would end now that we were in the picture.
If only she knew our own past. Hell, I prayed she never did. Whatever Lily’s lifestyle, it was probably tame compared to ours. But this? This was our chance to start fresh.
“Are you two absolute idiots?” Lily snapped, stepping into Caleb’s space with a fury that sent a thrill down my spine.
He smirked, crossing his arms.
*God, she’s stunning when she’s angry,* Caleb said through the mind-link.
*Completely irresistible,* I agreed, considering how far we should push her.
Caleb, of course, had no limits. He loved to test boundaries. I pushed them too, but I at least knew when to stop.
“No, just eager to meet the family. We’ve already told our parents all about you, and, honestly, it crushed us to know you were hiding us, sexy pants,” Caleb said, fluttering his lashes dramatically.
I laughed, shaking my head. Caleb could’ve been an actor. Our parents, though? They were ecstatic and couldn’t wait to meet Lily. We’d already arranged for her to visit Blood Moon to get acquainted with the pack.
They wouldn’t understand her reluctance about becoming Luna-hell, we didn’t fully get it either. A million she-wolves would kill for the chance to lead our pack. Blood Moon wasn’t just any territory; it was perfectly situated between breathtaking coastline and a bustling city. The best of both worlds.
“Hiding you?! It’s barely been twenty-four hours!” she exclaimed, throwing her hands up. “I can’t even-ugh! Freaking males!”
She glared at both of us, her frustration radiating like heat from the sun. And yet, I couldn’t stop my grin.
Yep. Mission definitely accomplished.
Something stirred deep within me as I watched her squirm, her breath hitching in short, uneven gasps. It was unbearable. My body screamed for more, craved it with an intensity that felt almost primal. My skin burned like it was aflame, and my mind raced with questions-what would she taste like?
She wasn’t dressed to impress. Her hair was a wild mess, like she’d just woken up from a nap. But none of that mattered. To me, she was the most breathtaking woman I’d ever laid eyes on. Maps had always fascinated me-they were my thing. Now, I needed one of her. A mental map of Lily’s body. I wanted every curve, every line etched into my mind.
*Kiss her. Kiss her! She’ll want it once she feels us,* my wolf, Hade, urged.
Hade and Caleb’s wolf couldn’t be more different-almost opposites. But since we’d found our mate, even they seemed to be in sync, a rare and unsettling shift.
I stepped forward, placing my hands on her waist, catching her off guard. Her wide eyes locked on mine as her lips parted slightly, caught somewhere between hesitation and curiosity. Gently, I pulled her closer, my right hand brushing her face, tilting it just enough so my lips could meet hers. Softly, deliberately, I kissed her.
Caleb had wanted to fight over who’d get the first taste, the first claim, but I’d argued she should decide. He’d scoffed, saying that if we left it up to her, we’d be waiting forever. As much as I hated to admit it, his arrogant reasoning stuck with me. My wolf agreed, pushing me further.
*She just needs to know what she’s missing,* Hade insisted, his voice a low growl in my mind as I pressed against her, savoring the softness of her body against mine.
She didn’t move. She didn’t kiss me back, but she didn’t push me away either. No slap. No rejection. That had to mean something, right?
Every nerve in my body came alive. Her breath mingling with mine, our chests brushing with each shallow inhale-it was like the universe narrowing to just the two of us. She was my mate. My everything now.
*Jealous. Dick. If I kissed her, you’d say I was being too much,* Caleb muttered through our mind-link, breaking my concentration.
*You wouldn’t be sweet like this,* I shot back, still savoring the kiss.
*I can be sweet,* he grumbled.
But we both knew better. That wasn’t his strong suit. Being five minutes older made me the eldest twin, and Caleb never let me forget it. Our parents always treated us as equals, and we were both set to become Alphas together, but he constantly acted like I had some invisible edge.
Finally, I pulled back, searching her face as she stared at me, her lips slightly swollen from the kiss. For a brief, victorious moment, I reveled in having rendered her speechless-the ever-mouthy reporter at a loss for words. Still, the tension between us gnawed at me. I needed her to say something.
*Compliments! That’s what they all want,* Hade said, practically bouncing with excitement.
He wasn’t wrong. Compliments were a good start-but would she even accept one? Or would she brush it off and call me something sarcastic?
*Be sincere,* Hade pressed, sounding suspiciously like a lovesick coach.
“You’re so beautiful, Lilith,” I said, my voice soft, as I stroked her unruly hair and held her gaze.
Her reaction was immediate. She grabbed my hand, shoved it away, and stepped back, her back pressing against the fridge. Her scowl was sharp, cutting through whatever tenderness had started to build between us.
“This was low. Really low. Coming here like this,” she said, her voice low and angry.
“You wouldn’t talk to us. We had to do something,” Caleb said, stepping closer.
“And what made you think *this* would fix anything? This just made everything worse,” she snapped, crossing her arms as she looked away.
“Are you embarrassed by us?” I asked, tilting my head slightly, the thought striking like a fresh wound.
That couldn’t be it. It wasn’t possible. Our fathers led the largest, most powerful packs. We owned a wildly successful construction company. Caleb and I had both majored in architectural design with minors in business. I was the dreamer, the one who could sketch anything and see the bigger picture. Caleb, of course, was the charmer, the one who could sell ice to an Eskimo and make him beg for more. He thrived in HR and hiring, connecting with people in ways I never could.
Even our younger twin sisters, Violet and Chloe, were shaping up to be extraordinary. At fifteen, they were already brilliant with computers and graphic design, though I preferred my pencil and paper. Our family wasn’t just strong-we were exceptional. Lily needed to see that she could have it all with us.
*She doesn’t know that about us,* Hade said, his voice tinged with frustration.
*She would if she read the damn interview we spent hours perfecting,* I shot back, the irritation bubbling up.
“I’m not embarrassed,” she finally said, her voice cracking as a tear slid down her cheek. “I just… I can’t wrap my head around this. I have dreams-ambitions. I can’t achieve them if I’m stuck in a packhouse making sandwiches and wiping snotty noses. That’s not the life I’ve ever wanted. I want to live in the city, to work, to have my own identity.”
Her words struck like a knife. My wolf growled, low and guttural, demanding I comfort her. But how could I give her what she wanted when it went against everything we were? Everything we needed?
This was her destiny-our destiny. She could have a career, sure, but living in the city? Living without us? That was impossible.