Page 116 of Scrum Heat

“Is this about the OSC, or your delayed gratification kink?”

“Why not both?”

I roll my eyes, but I’m smiling now. “So? What’s the plan?”

Theo straightens a little. “We play it smart. They want structure, we give them structure. But it’s onourterms.”

“Define that,” Rory says, sounding more curious than cautious.

“We give them the image of a stable, functional, consensual pack. Clear timelines. Scheduled bonding. Public-facing unity, minimal chaos. Basically… we feed them just enough to keep them satisfied without letting them take over.”

Finn grins. “So we manufacture an illusion of control while secretly doing everything our way.”

“Exactly,” Theo says, pointing at him. “Weekly check-ins. Intentional updates. Scheduled bonding milestones. They’ll eat it up.”

Jax lifts an eyebrow. “So we lie.”

“We curate,” Theo corrects, smug. “Big difference.”

Finn nudges my knee with his. “We could even meet with the OSC rep ourselves. As a full pack. Take the pressure off you.”

“You shouldn’t be doing this alone,” Rory says, meeting my eyes across the table. “None of us should let you carry this solo.”

That hits me right in the chest. His voice. That steady, quiet intensity. The way hemeansit.

“You’d really all do that?” I ask softly, looking between them.

Jax glances up from his carving. “If it protects you? Every time.”

Finn’s hand wraps around mine beneath the table.

Theo lifts his mug in a toast. “And some of us may just enjoy making smug government stooges sweat.”

I blink. “The meeting?”

“No.” He smirks. “You. In the middle of all of us. Calm, confident, glowing—and making them realize you’re not the liability. You’re the power move.”

That pulls a surprised laugh out of me. “I do like being a power move.”

“We noticed,” Rory mutters into his mug.

I let out a long, shaky breath. “Okay. So we give them the highlight reel. We move forward. No dragging this out for their comfort. I’m ready to bond with all of you. And I want to.”

Theo leans back with a self-satisfied smile. “Finally. Someone around here with initiative.”

I shake my head and glance around the table—at the two alphas who’ve already claimed pieces of me, and the ones I haven’t fully touched yet, butwill. Soon.

“They want proof we’re a real pack?” I say. “Then let’s show them how it’s done.”

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Theo

We’ve been running drills all day. Tackles, scrums, and strategic plays so precise Rory practically growled at someone for being two steps offside. Finn kept shouting “play like you’re protecting Frankie’s honor!” until Coach threatened to permanently bench him for emotional damage.

But that’s not why I’ve been vibrating out of my skin since noon.

This—right now—is why.

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