Page 80 of Marked

The first brush of Kai’s lips against his sent his wolf into a frenzy. Sweet, so sweet, their mate offering himself so perfectly. His hand came up to cup Kai’s jaw, holding him in place as he took control of the kiss. His brothers’ protests turned to static in his mind as Kai’s taste exploded across his tongue—innocence and desire and something uniquely their mate.

Marcus!His brothers’ shared alarm barely registered as Kai melted against him, making those perfect little sounds of submission that had his wolf howling in triumph. When Kai’s fingers tangled in his hair, Marcus couldn’t hold back the growl that rumbled through his chest. The scent of Kai’s answering arousal filled the car, drowning out everything else.

Your eyes are fully crimson. Derek’s warning barely penetrated the haze of pleasure.You need to stop.

He’s not ready for this, Caleb added desperately.You’ll scare him away.

But Kai was pressing closer, offering his mouth so sweetly, his body instinctively responding to his alpha’s touch. Marcus deepened the kiss, swallowing Kai’s breathless moans as he claimed that perfect mouth. His wolf preened at every shiver, every whimper, every unconscious submission. Mine. Ours. Perfect mate.

It took every ounce of control he’d developed over a decade to pull back when Kai finally needed air. The sight of his mate—lips swollen from his kiss, eyes heavy with desire, that delicate throat begging to be marked—nearly broke his restraint completely.

Get it together, Derek ordered through the bond.Now.

Before you do something we’ll all regret, Caleb added.

Marcus forced himself to take a steadying breath, though it only filled his lungs with more of Kai’s intoxicating scent. “We should head back,” he managed, his voice rough with suppressed need. “Maria and Jorge will be… displeased if we’re late for lunch.”

Good, Derek approved.Now get our mate home where we can all protect him.

And maybe steal our own kisses, Caleb added hopefully.

Marcus’ wolf snarled at that, making both his brothers mentally back off. He started the car, his knuckles white on the steering wheel as he fought the urge to pull Kai back into his arms. The drive home was torture, every breath filled with their mate’s lingering arousal, every glance showing him Kai’s kiss-swollen lips and dazed expression.

His wolf was insufferably smug about marking their mate first, while his brothers’ frustration hummed through their bond. But under it all was a shared recognition—their mate was awakening, responding to them exactly as nature intended. Now they just had to hope their control would last until Kai was ready for the full truth about what he meant to them. About what he was becoming.

About what they would all become together.

Marcus pulled into the manor’s circular drive, his wolf still preening over their first taste of their mate. He didn’t need the pack bond to sense his brothers’ agitation—Derek and Caleb were pacing the front steps like caged predators, their expressions thunderous.

You absolute bastard, Derek growled through the bond as Kai emerged from the car. Their mate was a vision of innocent seduction—lips swollen from Marcus’ kisses, cheeks flushed pink, those gold-flecked eyes bright but shy as he ducked his head, deliberately avoiding Derek and Caleb’s hungry stares. The combination of Marcus’ scent on their mate’s skin and Kai’s bashful demeanor had their wolves howling.

Look what you did to him, Caleb whined, his wolf clawing at the surface.He looks…

Perfect, Marcus’ wolf purred, earning mental snarls from his brothers.

Kai seemed to shrink under their intense gazes, unconsciously stepping closer to Marcus for protection—which only made their wolves more excited. The urge to claim, to mark, to possess was rolling off Derek and Caleb in waves.

“Inside, all of you!” Maria appeared at the door, hands on her hips. Her sharp eyes softened as she took in Kai’s flustered appearance. “Ah, cariño, you look all worked up! Did you get to apply for that position at Stone & Page?”

“Oh, I did more than apply,” Kai managed, grateful for the distraction from Derek and Caleb’s stares. “I was interviewed right then and there. Apparently, my ability to alphabetize while quoting Austen was too impressive to pass up. So… I got the job.”

“Dios mío!” Maria’s face lit up. “I knew it! Did I not say the suit would work magic?”

“I wouldn’t get too excited,” Kai said, though his lips twitched. “I might be terrible at it. What if I accidentally shelve Hemingway in the romance section?”

“Nonsense!” Maria waved off his protest. “This calls for a celebration. Tonight, I will make a proper Spanish feast!Cordero al hornowith herbs from my garden, that seafood stew Jorge pretends he makes better than me, and my specialpollo al ajillo. The Stones’ farm has the best lamb, and Miguel just brought in fresh seafood from the coast this morning.”

“Maria.” Kai’s eyes widened. “That’s enough food to feed an army—”

“Exactly! Growing boys need feeding.” She patted Kai’s slim shoulder disapprovingly. “And you, cariño, need feeding most of all. Besides, the brothers eat like wolves.” Her eyes twinkled at some private joke. “Now, inside! The moussaka is getting cold, and if Jorge starts complaining about the béchamel temperature again, I will not be responsible for my actions.”

“Is food always this… dramatic around here?” Kai asked, finally cracking a smile despite his lingering bashfulness.

“Oh, cariño.” Maria patted his cheek. “Just wait until Jorge finds out I’m taking over his kitchen tonight. The last time I made myzarzuela de mariscos, he didn’t speak to me for two days—then asked for the recipe.”

The kitchen war will be an excellent distraction, Caleb noted through the bond, his eyes still fixed on Kai’s kiss-swollen lips.

If we survive the crossfire, Derek agreed, though he hadn’t stopped staring at their mate either.At least there will be good food at our funeral.

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