The rest of the dinner passed in a blur of delicious courses. Salad, then steak and asparagus with buttery mashed potatoes, and the fluffiest dinner rolls I’ve ever tasted. The conversation flowed naturally, and to my surprise, the Alpha King and Luna Queen were much more down-to-earth than I expected.

I listened intently as Prince Andrew—who insisted we call him Drew—and the warriors, Nickolas and Thomas, shared stories about the Elite Warrior training and recounted moments from their time with the guys. It was strange to hear about Leo, Ryan, Aaron, Ethan, and Devin from someone else’s perspective. I realized for the first time how far away they were sitting from me—scattered at different points along the long table. It didn’t seem accidental.

Dessert arrived—decadent chocolate cake drizzled with fudge and served with vanilla ice cream. As I dug in, Kylie leaned toward Andrew with that mischievous glint in her eyes.

“So, Andrew,” she said casually, “what’s next for you now that school is done? You don’t seem to be rushing to take over the throne.”

My eyes widened. Bold move, Ky. But instead of being offended, Andrew laughed.

“No, no. I’ve got no plans to overthrow my father.” He grinned. “He’s doing a fine job on his own. And to my friends, it’s just Drew.” He glanced at Kylie, but his gaze lingered on me a little too long, making my cheeks warm. “I’ve graduated, and now my next big task is to find my mate—and with her, the next Luna Queen.”

His words hung in the air, and I fought the urge to squirm under his gaze. I glanced toward the other end of the table where Leo and Ryan sat. Both wore matching expressions of barely concealed annoyance, though they tried to hide it with polite smiles.

Andrew cleared his throat, shifting closer. I avoided his gaze, suddenly very interested in the spoonful of ice cream melting on my plate.

The Alpha King chuckled, clapping his son on the shoulder. “That’s the task for all of us, isn’t it? Finding our mate—the one the Goddess designed to make us stronger.”

Just as the tension between the guys began to thicken, Luna Ava clapped her hands, steering the conversation away from dangerous waters. “Why don’t we take drinks on the patio?” she suggested with a grin.

Shifting Tensions

As everyone rose from the table, Delta Kyle gave a small bow to Luna Ava. “I’d join, but I’ve got the trials to set up in the morning. And none of us are training at dawn—including you, Selene.” He arched a brow at me pointedly.

I rolled my eyes as Devin flexed dramatically. “Seriously, Selene, I can’t fit into my clothes anymore.” He puffed up his chest and tugged at his dress shirt, which stretched tight across his lean frame.

We laughed, though he wasn’t wrong—Devin had packed on muscle following my relentless training schedule. The others had grown too, though Devin’s transformation was the most noticeable.

As we made our way toward the patio, Andrew walked beside me, glancing at the guys with a curious expression. “You made them all look like that?”

“No,” I said, brushing him off. “They made themselves look like that by sticking to the same schedule as me.”

“Don’t be modest, Bite Size.” Ethan stepped in smoothly, slinging an arm possessively over my shoulder. “You kicked our asses so hard we had no choice but to keep up.”

Andrew’s gaze flickered between me and Ethan’s arm. “You all call her something different,” he observed, his voice laced with mild amusement. “Doesn’t that bother you?”

I shook my head. “Not really. It started as a joke about how tiny I am compared to them.” I shot a playful eye-roll at Kylie, who grinned. “Now that they’ve bulked up, the difference is even worse. And I’m pretty sure they’re still growing, while I’m... well, not.”

When we reached the patio, Ryan wrapped an arm around my waist and plopped me down on his lap like I weighed nothing.

Ryan grinned, pulling me in tighter, while Aaron and Leo flanked us like a wall on either side. Devin settled on a nearby chair, dragging Kylie into his lap as she laughed. Ethan stood just behind us, an unspoken warning lingering in his eyes.

There was no way Andrew could sit anywhere near me now. I couldn’t decide if the gesture was cute—or infuriating.

What the hell is going on? I linked them all in frustration.

He’s getting too close for comfort, Ryan responded, his arm tightening slightly.

I shot Kylie a glance. She bit her lip, barely containing her amusement at the situation. Great. At least one of us is entertained.

Both, Ethan’s voice cut through the link, his tone clipped.

I rolled my eyes. Seriously? He’s the future Alpha King. Isn’t becoming friends with him a good thing? What’s with the territorial act?

He got too comfortable, too fast. Aaron sounded irritated. And he’s looking for his mate. You’re single. Do the math.

Oh, so now it’s a problem? I shot back. What, are you worried he’s doing to me what you all do with every other girl?

Aaron’s response came quickly. It’s not the same.

I rolled my eyes again. Sure, it’s not. And by the way, who the hell says ‘snuggle’?

Without giving them a chance to respond, I shifted off Ryan’s lap and stood abruptly.

“Where are you going?” Ryan asked, grabbing for my hand.

I pulled out of his reach smoothly. “The bathroom. Or is my leash not long enough?” I raised an eyebrow, daring any of them to say something.

Ryan clenched his jaw, but none of them spoke.

“C’mon, Kylie,” I said, jerking my head toward the house.

She stood, grinning like she was enjoying every second of this. Ethan moved to follow, but I shot him a warning look. “Nope. Sit down. All of you.” I pointed to Andrew, too. “You too, Prince Charming. You can all finish your little pissing contest while I’m gone.”

The patio fell silent except for the quiet chuckles of the adults.

Kylie and I made our way inside and up the stairs to my room. Once the door was shut and locked, I whirled on her.

“What the hell was that?” I demanded, pacing the floor.

Kylie flopped onto my bed, laughing uncontrollably. “Your boys are jealous. It’s hilarious.”

I blinked, confused. “Jealous? Of what?”

“You, dummy.” She wiped tears from her eyes. “You’ve never paid attention to another guy before, let alone flirted. This was the first time they saw someone else taking an interest—and they panicked.”

“I wasn’t flirting!” I exclaimed, my voice rising in pitch. “I have no idea how to flirt!”

“Oh, Selene.” Kylie gave me a pitying look. “You don’t even realize how much you’ve changed. You’re gorgeous, smart, strong—and you treat them like normal people, not gods. They aren’t used to that.”

I flopped onto the bed beside her, groaning. “What do I even do about this?”

She smirked. “You could go back downstairs, pick one of them, and sit on his lap. Or... you could make them sweat and talk to the adults while they stew in their own jealousy.”

I groaned again. “Ugh. Let’s just get this over with.”

Back to the Game

As soon as we stepped outside, my decision was made for me. Ryan’s eyes locked on me—and before I could react, he grabbed me around the waist and pulled me firmly back onto his lap.

“Welcome back,” he whispered smugly in my ear.

I sighed, half-annoyed, half-amused. Maybe Kylie was right—this was going to be fun.