Damien leans against the counter. “For one, I’d like to know how he can tell us apart.”

When Caleb looks at me with the same curiosity, I realize I’m trapped. “It’s a lot of little things.”

Caleb massages the toy in my ass, and my knees shake, heat pooling in my hips. “Like what?”

“Damien has pierced ears,” I gasp out. “And his nose has a slight bump from being broken. You have a deeper dimple on the right when you smile and a small scar near your left eyebrow.”

Caleb’s pheromones curl around me, and I add, “You also smell nothing alike, no matter what people tell you.”

Caleb studies me for a moment before he relents and stops tormenting me. “That’s very observant of you.”

Damien rubs his earlobe, where a tiny black stud glints under the overhead lights. “You should pierce your ears, too, Caleb. And stop smiling so much.”

“I’m not going to risk my ear being ripped open in a fight so we can have matching piercings,” Caleb scoffs. “And you need to smile more often.”

Damien’s smirk fades as he touches the slight bump on his nose, eyeing Caleb with an intensity that twists my stomach into a knot.

“If you try anything,” Caleb warns him, “I’ll break it again.”

“Fine, fine.” Damien’s attention returns to me, and his expression clears with sudden recognition.

Panic flutters in my chest, and I turn to Caleb, hoping to steer the conversation away from whatever Damien has pieced together. “You promised me proper food.”

Before Caleb can respond, though, Damien points at me, his voice laced with certainty. “The Grand Legacy Gala, five years ago.”

My body stiffens, but I force out a laugh. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. I’m not affluent enough to have ever been invited to something like that.”

“Of course, you weren’t invited.” Damien circles closer. “But you were definitely there.”

Desperate to put distance between us, I try to move away, but Caleb’s hand on my shoulder holds me in place.

“Oliver here is excellent at noticing slight differences in faces, but I never forget a scent.” A chill runs down my spine as Damien stares at me. “You were one of the waiters at the event.”

The blood drains from my face. Oh, no. This isn’t going to look good.

“Remember, Caleb?” Damien turns to his brother, excitement in his voice. “You swooped in and saved him from getting his ass whooped by that big Alpha.”

Caleb’s sharp regard shifts to me, and my shoulders hunch. “No, I?—”

But Damien cuts in with a triumphant shout, pointing at the scar next to Caleb’s left eyebrow. “That’s how you got this! You were like some freaking white knight, and the Alpha punched your lights out.”

Caleb’s grip on my shoulder tightens. “He didn’t knock me out. Just put me on my ass.”

Despite the lighthearted words, tension radiates off of him, making me more nervous. With the truth of our first meeting coming out, what will Caleb now think of me?

Damien laughs, but when his gaze returns to me, no trace of humor reaches his eyes.

“You scampered away like a frightened little bunny, leaving us to clean up the mess.” Contempt drips from his tone. “Then it turned out you weren’t a bunny, but a rat who snuck into the gala for a scoop on one of the party guests.”

Unable to deny it, I swallow hard.

Five years ago, I was in my senior year of college, desperate to prove myself as an investigative reporter to land a job straight out of graduation. I’d heard rumors about a congressman taking bribes, and the organizers were holding a silent auction that would be the perfect place for money to exchange hands unnoticed.

But instead of launching my career as a real journalist, I ended up needing Caleb’s help to escape an angry Alpha, and I fled without so much as a thank-you.

“Now you’ve snuck into Caleb’s home.” Damien’s expression turns chilly. “What scoop are you after this time?”

“I’m not after any scoop,” I insist, though my voice shakes. “Things have changed.”