Page 19 of Bound By Alphas 1: Bound

Through their bond, they shared the agony of this realization—that their mate, the center of their world for six long years, was planning to flee rather than face what he believed was their rejection.

“We can’t let him go,” Logan snarled, his eyes flashing amber as his control slipped.

“We won’t force him to stay,” Cade said firmly, though the words felt like glass in his throat.

“He’s running because he thinks we don’t want him,” Keir said, his voice uncharacteristically bitter. “Because we’ve spent years pretending to be his brothers instead of what we really are.”

The truth of this hit all three of them through their bond. They had protected Finn physically while neglecting his emotional well-being, keeping him in the dark about his own destiny.

“We had no choice,” Logan growled, pacing the study like a caged predator. “After what happened to his parents… after what we witnessed that night…”

None of them needed to elaborate. The memory of eleven years ago was seared into their minds—the Shadow Harvesters’ attack, the slaughter of Finn’s parents while they could only watch in horror, hidden by their own parents’ protective magic. Eight-year-old Finn, covered in his parents’ blood, eyes vacant with shock. How his fox nature had retreated so deeply inside him that for years, they’d thought it gone forever.

“We swore to protect him,” Cade said quietly. “All of us. Our parents died keeping that promise six years ago.”

The second attack—the night they lost their own parents during another Blood Moon when Finn was thirteen—had only strengthened their resolve. The Shadow Harvesters had returned, seeking to finish what they’d started, to claim the rare fox shifter whose dormant powers they somehow sensed. The Sinclair Pack had fought to the death, buying time for the brothers to complete the emergency pre-marking on thirteen-year-old Finn.

“Tomorrow,” Cade decided, his resolve hardening. “We tell him the truth about us. About the mate bond. How we feel.”

“Not everything,” Keir cautioned. “The elders warned us—if his memories return too suddenly…”

“We tell him about us,” Cade clarified. “About how long we’ve known. Why we waited. The rest… when he’s ready.”

“And tonight?” Logan asked, looking toward the ceiling where they could feel Finn’s distress.

Above them, they felt Finn’s nightmare begin—felt his fear and confusion even in sleep. The same nightmare he’d had since childhood—shadowy figures with bloodred eyes, the scent of copper and fear, the feeling of being hunted.

The three brothers moved to the center of the room, standing close enough that their shoulders touched. They closed their eyes, focusing on the fragile thread that connected them to their mate. Through their pack bond, they combined their energy, sending waves of calm, of safety, of protection toward their distressed mate.

We’re here, they projected together.You’re safe. We have you.

Upstairs, they felt the moment Finn’s nightmare began to fade, his breathing evening out as he unconsciously accepted their comfort. The laptop slipped from his fingers as he drifted into deeper sleep, Keir’s jacket still clutched against his chest.

“Tomorrow,” Cade repeated softly. “We make this right.”

Chapter 4

Iwoke to sunlight streaming through the curtains I’d forgotten to close and the horrifying realization that something was twitching on top of my head. Something that shouldn’t be there.

“No, no, no,” I groaned, reaching up with trembling fingers to confirm my worst fear.

Fox ears. Soft, fuzzy, and unmistakably vulpine, perched atop my head like some anime character’s costume accessories—except these were very real and very much attached to my skull.

A quick check under the covers revealed the matching tail—silver-white with delicate gold highlights along the tip, currently tucked between my legs in a perfect display of my emotional state. Fan-freaking-tastic.

This wasn’t the first time I’d partially shifted in my sleep. It had been happening with increasing frequency over the past year, but never the morning after finding out I was fated to be mated to my three adoptive brothers. The universe really had a sick sense of humor.

I curled into a fetal position, hugging my tail and burying my face in the pillow. What kind of pathetic shifter couldn’t even control their own transformations? Most wolf shifterscould fully transform by thirteen. Meanwhile, here I was at nineteen, stuck with random animal parts appearing whenever my emotions ran high.

A soft knock at the door made my ears—both sets of them—twitch involuntarily.

“Finn? You awake?” Cade’s deep voice sent an unwelcome shiver down my spine, making my tail fluff out in response. Even through the door, his scent reached me—cedar and something distinctly alpha that made my insides twist with want.

I remained silent, squeezing my eyes shut as if that could make him go away. Maybe if I pretended to be asleep, he’d leave me to my humiliation.

The door opened anyway. Of course it did. Personal boundaries had never been Cade’s strong suit.

“I know you’re awake,” he said, his footsteps approaching the bed. “Your breathing changes when you’re faking sleep.”

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