Chapter 15 #2
I might actually combust. My face is on fire, spreading down my neck, probably reaching my chest at this point. Of course they heard. The walls in this house aren’t soundproof, and I wasn’t exactly… quiet.
“I—that’s—” I sputter, unable to form actual words.
Seth breaks the awkward silence, pushing off the counter and moving toward me with that slow, deliberate stride.
“It was bound to happen,” he adds. “We’re scent matches.
Our bodies were always going to find each other.
” His lips curve into something between a smile and a smirk.
“And those sounds you were making were hard to ignore.”
I laugh, fake and slightly hysterical. “Yeah, well. I’m sure Carter gave you all the details.” I shoot Carter a pointed look. He crosses the remaining distance between us, stopping close enough that his scent wraps around me like a blanket.
“I don’t kiss and tell.” His green eyes hold mine, serious underneath the charm. “What happened between us stays between us. Unless you want to share.”
“Oh my God, when you say it like that—”
“Like what?”
“Never mind.” I press my hands to my burning cheeks. Kai and Seth have drifted closer too, all three of them circling me like I’m the center of their orbit. I know they’re staring at my neck. At the bite.
“He definitely told you about the mark,” I say quietly.
“How could I not?” Carter reaches out, fingers gentle against my jaw, tilting my face up to show them. “I have you on my mind constantly. My body craves you endlessly. And our bond…” He traces the mark, and I shiver. “It makes you mine for eternity. You have no idea how happy that makes me.”
He pulls me into his arms before I can protest, and I should push back, should maintain some kind of distance while I figure out what I’m feeling.
But his scent floods my senses the moment I’m pressed against his chest, and I melt, lifting myself onto my tiptoes, my face finding the curve of his neck like it belongs there.
I breathe him in. Deep. Deeper. The bond purrs with satisfaction, and I’m already floating, already lost. “You’re dangerous,” I mumble against his skin.
“That’s what a bond does,” Seth explains from somewhere behind me. “Connects you so deeply that you instinctively crave each other. It’s biological and unavoidable.”
“Yep.” Kai’s voice is closer now. “And I’m ready for it whenever you are.”
I pull back from Carter to find Kai puckering his lips comically, making exaggerated kissing sounds, and a surprised laugh escapes me.
“Okay.” I hold up my hands, stepping back. “There’s way too much to unpack here, and I’m not ready to deal with it. Can we please not talk about it right now? You three need to focus on your day.”
They exchange looks, some silent communication I can’t decode, and then nod.
“Fair enough,” Carter says softly. “But we’re not done talking about this.”
“I know.” I grab my camera bag from the counter. “I know.”
In no time, we’re piled into Carter’s red pickup truck, country music blasting from the speakers as we wind through the Montana countryside. Kai is in the back with me, and he has one arm stretched along the seat behind me, fingers occasionally brushing my shoulder like he can’t help himself.
I should mind. I don’t.
Seth rides shotgun, tapping his fingers against the edge of the window with the music. Carter is singing along under his breath, slightly off-key, and it’s so endearing that I want to kiss him again.
This right here, the easy comfort of being with them, the way they don’t push when I need space, the way they seem to communicate without words, it’s the sweetest thing they do. Well, one of many.
We drive past golden fields and rolling hills, the morning sun painting everything in shades of amber. By the time we reach the rodeo grounds, my nerves have settled into something manageable.
The arena is massive, an outdoor stadium that’s been set up in the wide-open fields just outside town. A huge banner stretches across the entrance: WILDFIRE STAR RODEO in bold letters, with the dates underneath and photos of the star riders.
Including three very familiar faces.
Seth on horseback, hat tipped low. Carter in mid-motion, reins in hand, grinning at the camera with that golden-boy charm. Kai, all muscle and intensity.
And here I am with them in their truck, wearing one of their mating marks.
Heat creeps up my cheeks again, and I catch Carter watching me in the rearview mirror. He grins, slow and knowing, and mouths a single word: Mine.
I duck my head, fighting a smile. Okay. What is wrong with me? I am completely, utterly lost.
Kai is already out of the truck, and in seconds he’s on my side, pulling open the door with a flourish and offering his hand. “My lady,” he says with mock gravity.
I take his hand, letting him help me down, and my smile is probably too wide, but I don’t care. “Such a gentleman.”
“Only for you, doll.”
Seth chuckles as he rounds the truck, and before I can say anything, he’s right there in my space, fingers brushing hair from my face and tucking it behind my ear with surprising tenderness.
“Don’t worry,” he murmurs. “There’s no rush to make any decisions. We’re a pack now. You and us.” Then he leans in and kisses me.
I freeze on the spot. It’s not a quick peck, not a chaste brush of lips. It’s a real kiss that’s deep and claiming, his hand cupping the back of my head, his mouth moving against mine with a hunger that makes my knees buckle. And I’m gripping his shirt just to stay upright.
When he finally pulls back, I’m breathless. Dazed. My lips are tingling, and there’s a very good chance my underwear needs changing.
“That’s—” I manage. “That was—”
“Unfair is what it was.” Kai is right there, practically in our faces, and I laugh despite myself. Seth doesn’t seem bothered, just smirks at him.
“Back up, buddy,” Seth says.
“Fuck no.” Kai’s pale eyes are fixed on me, hungry and a little petulant. “Carter gets to make her scream, you get to kiss her like that, and what do I get? Left behind? Forgotten?” He pouts, and it’s dangerously adorable on a man built like a weapon. “I’m feeling very neglected here.”
Something reckless surges through me. I’ve already gone this far. Already let Carter mark me, already kissed Seth in a public place where anyone could see. What’s one more kiss?
I grab the front of Kai’s shirt and pull him down to me.
He makes a surprised sound against my mouth, then his hands are on my cheeks, cradling my face like I’m something special, and he’s kissing me back with everything he has.
It’s different from Carter, different from Seth—Kai kisses like he’s showing me the stars and he’s trying to make sure I’ll remember this moment for the rest of my life.
His tongue sweeps into my mouth, tasting, exploring, and I moan softly before I can stop myself.
When we finally break apart, he’s inches from my face, gray eyes blazing. “You have no idea what I have in store for you,” he whispers.
An excited shiver runs down my spine. “You worry me, Kai, when you say things like that.”
He grins and gives my rear a playful smack that makes me yelp. Then his arm loops around my back, pulling me close.
“Let’s go, doll. We’ve got a rodeo to win.”
I glance over and catch Seth’s father watching from across the lot. He’s standing near one of the equipment trailers, arms crossed, expression unreadable. Our eyes meet for a split second before he turns away, and I have no idea what he’s thinking.
To him, I’m just the chaperone. Just some Beta they hired to keep his son and the other riders out of trouble. If he saw those kisses, saw the way they’re touching me…
I push the thought aside. Today is not the day to worry about it.
And here I am, walking into a rodeo with three star cowboys at my side, life speeding up in ways I never expected.
Everything seems to be telling me they’re meant to be in my life.
But things in my life have never been simple or perfect.
Quite the opposite. And I’m terrified of what the future holds.
Today is not the day to think about it, I remind myself, echoing Seth’s words.
I’m such a terrible liar. Even to myself.
Once we’re inside, the guys peel off toward the stables where the other performers are gathering. I’ve got a pass around my neck, courtesy of Belle’s photography credentials, that gives me behind-the-scenes access, so I figure I’ll start there.
The arena is even more impressive from the inside.
Rows and rows of seating surrounding the central ring, a massive Wildfire Star Rodeo sign spinning overhead, banners featuring the star riders—including my three Alphas—rippling in the breeze.
My heart races at the sight of their faces blown up twenty feet tall.
I snap a few photos of the empty arena, the early morning light casting long shadows across the dirt. Then I wander toward the back, where the real action is happening.
Riders warming up, horses being brushed and saddled, equipment being checked and double-checked. I capture it all, candid shots of stars, the beautiful, powerful animals, the worn leather and polished buckles.
I’m adjusting my lens near the main-office trailer when I spot Seth’s father.
He’s deep in conversation with someone I recognize: Holden, the town committee’s finance guy who works closely with Pete.
But it’s odd to see him out here, because Holden is usually glued to his desk at town hall.
I’ve never seen him at community events, let alone chatting up rodeo owners.
They haven’t noticed me yet, and I inch closer, pretending to photograph a nearby horse.
“…last chance for the town.” Seth’s father’s voice is gruff, irritated. “If you don’t bring in decent numbers for me this year, I’m pulling the circuit from Honeyspur Meadow permanently.”
“We’re just not attracting the attendees we used to,” Holden replies, sounding defensive. “The economy, the competition from other events—”
“I don’t want excuses. I want results.”