Xander


    | nodded curtly at Zane.


    | wasn’t even a little bit interested in discussing that right now


    Instead, | pulled the bedroom door shut behind me before Alice could step all the way inside.


    Lanie was already gone, but her smell was still lingering in every corner of that room, and there was no way in hell | was going to


    give Alice the chance to identify it. | didn’t think she would smell it on us because she was too fixated on whatever else


    she wanted.


    “Are you gonna tell me what the hell is going on with you guys today?” Her nose wrinkled as she spoke, a sign she was


    getting very pis sed off.


    | used to think it was cute, but now | had zero patience for her short temper.


    And to be honest, mine was even shorter.


    | moved closer to Alice, forcing her to take several steps backward.


    The bigger question is, where the f u ck were youst night?” My voice trembled with contempt.


    “Seriously, Alice.” Zane advanced on her too, his eyes shing with rage. “Who do you think you are demanding who we''re


    with and what we''re doing? This is our house, and you''re our mate!


    My lips curled into a mischievous smile, and | could sense Alice’s resolve crumbling.


    She was no match for the two of us when we were on form.


    And boy were we on form right now.


    “Gabri caught you sneaking back in this morning, so you sure as hell weren''t in this house,” | growled. “And we already


    know you weren''t with your parents, so don’t even try it.”Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    She bit her lip and her eyes shifted around the room, like she was looking for some other pathetic excuse for running off all


    night.


    “W-why does it matter where | was?” She was trying to stand her ground, but she was shrinking under our collective rage.


    “It''s none of your business anyway.”


    Oh g od s, first Lanie, now Alice with this s hit.


    | weed Hunter to the surface, flexing my fists as my ws shot out.


    “You can’t be desperate to be our mate one second, and then sneak around behind our back the next,” | snarled.


    Alice was backing away slowly now, but | was moving closer and closer.


    Hunter prodded at me, a devil on my shoulder.


    You don’t want her. Get her out of the way.


    “Zane,” | said, my voice ice cold. “Grab her.”


    Zane shot me a confused look. “Xander, she gets it, what the f uck are you doing?”


    | waved hirn off. “Just do what | say.”


    Zane took Alice by the arm, and she gasped. | could smell her fear growing.


    “Take her to her quarters,” |manded.


    For a second, | thought he’d refuse, and then we’d have a whole other fight on our hands, but then he pulled her away and down


    the hall, stopping in front of her door.


    “Get inside,” | ordered. When she stepped in, | mmed the door behind her.


    All doors to the she-wolves’ quarters hadtches on the outside, something my father once told me was a remnant from the


    Great Wars.


    | didn’t ask questions, and | sure as hell didn’t n on ever using them, yet here | was,tching Alice’s door from the outside.


    “What the f uck is this, Xander?” Zane growled, reaching to utch the door. But | swiped his hand away, my ws still


    extended.


    “Until we can trust that you won''t sneak off again,” | called to Alice, “this is what we have to do.”


    She beat her fists on the door.


    “You can’t, Xander! This is crazy!” she yelled back, her voice mu ffled.


    | turned to walk away, but Zane pped a heavy hand on my shoulder.


    “You''re treading a very fine line here, Xander.”


    | shook him off.


    “I''m doing this for us. I’m doing this for Lanie.”


    Lanie


    Iran straight to the edge of theke.


    | didn’t care if it was st upid or predictable, I''d been going to see Braden when Zane stopped me anyway. Now that he and


    Xander had humiliated me, I’d see if Braden was serious about his littlement.


    I''d be happy to reap the benefits of being your sidepiece.


    When | got back to the mansion, Braden’s smell would be all over me, smothering thest traces of the mistake I’d made


    sleeping with that as shole Alpha and his st upid minion Beta again.


    When | reached theke, | wasn’t surprised to see Braden waiting there. He’d probably smelled my distress from a mile away,


    from...wherever he lived.


    1 shifted just as he turned around.


    My clothes sat on the ground, but | didn’t even bother picking them up.


    | walked right over to Braden and stood in front of him.


    He looked me up and down, and his eyes darkened.


    He reached out for me, his fingers softly tracing the curve of my waist. | shivered. “Lanie, what are you...”


    But | shook my head and cut him off.


    “I need you to stop talking...” | leaned in close, so our lips were inches apart. “And just kiss me.”