The mood shifted immediately. I could feel the tension thick in the air as if someone had flipped a switch. The guys inhaled deeply and exhaled, like they were preparing for battle. Stacey, Jeanie, and Marnie strutted toward us, their faces lit with smug smiles that practically screamed we own this place. They wore mini skirts so short it was a miracle nothing had fallen out, paired with cropped tops that barely contained them.

Jeanie’s top was doing double duty—her chest threatened to pop out from both the bottom and the neckline. And the heels? Tall black stilettos. We were in the woods, and it was cold. I had no idea how they managed to walk on the uneven forest floor without snapping an ankle. The mental image of them wobbling through the woods made me bite down on a giggle.

Too late. A laugh escaped, and Stacey’s head whipped toward me, her glare sharp and full of venom. I quickly looked away, hoping my amusement hadn’t painted a target on my back. She turned back to the guys, all fake smiles again.

“I brought your favorite tequila!” she announced with a squeal, skipping over to Aaron and Ryan. “I thought we could do some shots to celebrate the new school year and how close you are to becoming Alphas!” She pouted dramatically, holding the bottle out like it was the answer to all their problems. “But silly me, I forgot the shot glasses.”

I tried to keep my face neutral, but the way she forced out that pout made it look like she was trying not to choke.

Kylie didn’t miss a beat. “Just drink straight from the bottle—the alcohol makes it hygienic.” Her voice was flat, dry as dust.

Stacey’s lip curled in disgust as she slowly turned toward Kylie, her gaze lingering on how Devin had her tucked into his lap. “Um, thanks, new girl, but I figured my men could take shots off me. Wouldn’t that be more fun?” She flicked her hair, batting her lashes at Ryan and Aaron. The way she called them “her men” made my stomach turn.

Before I could figure out why it bothered me so much, Devin grinned mischievously. “I’ll do one off Kylie.” He wiggled his eyebrows at her.

Kylie rolled her eyes, clearly unimpressed. I, on the other hand, was totally lost. Is this how parties work? I tried to keep my expression neutral, but I was sure confusion was written all over my face.

Jeanie draped herself over Leo’s back, arms snaking around his waist. “You can take one off me, Lenny,” she purred, using a nickname I’d never heard anyone call my brother before. Leo didn’t pull away, but the discomfort on his face was obvious.

“That leaves you and me, Ethan,” Marnie cooed as she dropped onto the ground between his legs—just in time for him to stand up. She toppled backward awkwardly, her skirt flipping up and flashing half the clearing.

Ethan grinned slyly. “What about Shorty? We can’t leave her out.” He nodded toward me, and my cheeks burned as everyone’s eyes landed on me.

Stacey’s face twisted into an ugly sneer, but she plastered on a fake smile. “I’m sure she doesn’t mind being left out.” She waved her hand dismissively. “We could always grab one of the other guys for her.”

“NO!” The five guys shouted in unison, the sharpness of their voices startling everyone. I jumped at the sudden outburst, and Stacey, Jeanie, and Marnie stared at them in bewilderment.

“Well, that was aggressive,” I muttered, attempting to lighten the mood with a small smile. “Seriously, it’s fine. Don’t worry about me.”

Kylie shot me a sympathetic glance, and I mouthed, I’m good. But Kylie wasn’t having it.

“I have an idea,” she announced with a mischievous grin, grabbing my hand before I could protest.

“She is not taking a shot, Kylie,” Leo warned, his voice low and serious.

Kylie rolled her eyes. “Obviously not.” She pulled me toward the log next to Devin. Then, in one smooth motion, she draped herself across Devin’s lap and stretched out until her head rested on my legs, her shirt riding up slightly to reveal her toned stomach.

“All right, Leo,” she giggled, “set us up!”

Devin grinned, catching on immediately. “This is so much better.” His voice dropped into a playful growl, and though it should’ve made me uncomfortable, I found myself relaxing. Kylie had an effortless way of diffusing tension, even in situations as bizarre as this one.

Leo took the tequila bottle from Stacey, ignoring her protest. He crouched next to Kylie and poured a small stream into her belly button. She squealed at the cold, giggling uncontrollably.

Devin leaned down slowly, dragging his tongue along the waistband of her jeans before teasingly circling her belly button. His hand slid up my friend’s side and landed firmly on my knee, giving it a playful squeeze that made me squirm involuntarily.

“All right, Devin,” Leo groaned, his voice both amused and exasperated. “That’s enough. Quit groping my sister while you’re at it.”

The group erupted in laughter, and Devin sat back with a satisfied smirk, squeezing my knee one last time. Even Leo chuckled, though I could tell he was keeping a close eye on things. His protectiveness was both new and a little reassuring.

The rest of the guys reluctantly followed suit, each taking a shot off the girl who had claimed them. None of them seemed to enjoy it quite as much as Devin did, though. Ethan held Marnie’s wrists together as he drank his shot, ignoring her suggestive remarks about tying her up later.

Stacey, of course, went overboard, insisting that both twins take shots off her. She ground her hips against them, flipped her hair dramatically, and arched her back like she was auditioning for a bad soap opera. The twins exchanged a glance that said, What the hell is this? but played along.

Despite Stacey’s theatrics, the guys kept circling back to include Kylie and me in their conversations, much to Stacey’s irritation. The dynamic had clearly shifted, and she didn’t like it one bit.

After about an hour, I leaned over to Kylie. “I think I’m going to head out. You can stay if you want.”

“Nope,” she said, standing up faster than I expected. “I was thinking the same thing. We have training tomorrow, and some of us—” she shot a pointed look at Stacey—“don’t slack off.”

Ryan snickered, catching the dig. “Training on Saturdays, too?” Ethan asked, abandoning the Barbie trio’s conversation mid-sentence.

I shrugged. “Yeah.”

“I’ll bet money Ethan shows up just to prove a point,” Devin joked, standing up beside us.

Ethan didn’t deny it, draining the rest of his beer instead.

“Guess I’ll walk you two home,” Ethan said, ignoring Stacey’s indignant huff.

“I’m coming, too,” Devin added with a grin. “Gotta see this training for myself.”

Leo pried Jeanie’s arms off him, much to her annoyance, and stood. “We’re all going. Delta Kyle will be impressed.”

Aaron and Ryan exchanged looks before standing as well. “Yup,” Aaron said. “If the whole crew shows up, Kyle won’t know what hit him.”

Stacey clung to the twins in a last-ditch effort to salvage the night. “But we just got here! I was hoping we could end with a little... one-on-one time.” She batted her mascara-heavy lashes, her meaning painfully obvious.

I fought the urge to gag.

Kylie leaned in, whispering in my ear with a sly grin. “Well, that was... subtle.”

I bit back a laugh, grateful that no matter how weird things got, I had at least one person firmly on my side.