As the wolves dispersed back to the tents, I barely registered the crowd cheering behind us. The fights had sucked me in so deeply that I’d forgotten people were watching. It felt like another intense training session—just with opponents that could actually give me a run for my money.

We were making our way toward the changing area when Delta Kyle stopped me.

“Good job today, kid,” he said, his eyes gleaming with pride. “I’ll admit, I was a little worried about how today would go. I knew you’d been training, but you’ve been holding back more than I thought.”

My wolf gave an internal purr, clearly satisfied with the compliment. Told you we were better than they expected. I ignored her smugness, though I couldn’t deny how good it felt to know Kyle had noticed.

“Thank you,” I said, brushing a stray strand of hair behind my ear. “I just hope it was enough to catch their attention for when I can actually join the program.”

Delta Kyle smirked. “I wouldn’t worry about that. What I can tell you is this—you fought the most opponents over the past two days. And today? You were the closest anyone got to the target.”

I blinked. “There’s no way.”

I thought back to the chaos, remembering how fierce the other fighters were. “There were people way faster than me out there. And I barely made it halfway before they boxed me in.”

Kyle chuckled. “Nope. You did better than you think. But don’t take my word for it—your fan club is waiting to celebrate with you. Go change. I’ll see you at the pack house.”

I shot him a grateful smile. He knew me well enough to give me space—space to hide my scars, and space from the questions that inevitably came when people noticed them. Kyle never pried, and I loved him for that.

I slipped into the tent, changed quickly, and headed toward the gate. Before I even made it out, I felt myself being lifted into the air.

“What the—?” I yelped as my hair flew in every direction, obscuring my vision. I had no idea what was happening until warm, familiar hands caught me, followed by the scent of salt and ocean.

"Devin," I gasped, laughing as he twirled me once before setting me down.

“Holy sh*t, Selene!” Devin grinned, breathless. “That was unreal. You’ve been holding out on us! Where’s this speed been hiding?”

Kylie appeared beside us, giggling. “Alright, let her breathe, Devin! We all want a turn.”

He pouted but reluctantly placed me on my feet, and Kylie swooped in, wrapping me in a tight hug. “Watching that was way harder than yesterday,” she murmured. “I hated being on the sidelines. I don’t know how I kept from jumping in.”

There was something deeper in her words, but I didn’t have time to unpack it before Ryan swept me into a bear hug.

“You should’ve heard Dad when he realized which wolf was you,” Ryan laughed. “I don’t think I’ve ever heard him curse so much. Most of it was directed at me and Delta Kyle for keeping it from him.”

Before I could respond, Ethan pulled me into his arms. He said nothing, but the way he buried his nose in the crook of my neck made my heart stumble. When he stepped back, Aaron and Ryan did the same, their noses brushing my hair for just a moment—so subtle, yet intentional. The way they moved left me flustered, but I didn’t have time to dwell on it.

Prince Andrew strolled up with a grin that stretched across his face. “That was amazing,” he said, his large hands resting on my shoulders. “I’ve never seen anyone give the elite warriors a challenge like that. You were incredible.”

He pulled me into a quick hug, but the second a low growl sounded behind me, he stepped back, keeping his hands raised in mock surrender.

“They asked to spar with you,” he continued, grinning. “The warriors—my parents' personal guards—they heard about you and wanted to see what all the fuss was about.”

My jaw dropped. I fought against the royal guards? No wonder they were so skilled.

Still reeling, I turned to the others. “Can we please eat? I’m starving.”

Ryan didn’t wait for an answer. “This time, you’re mine.” He crouched down, and before I could protest, I was on his back, and he took off running, the others chasing after us, laughter filling the air.

The pack house was alive with music, chatter, and the mouth-watering scent of barbecue. People filled the lawn and porch, and the grill in the backyard roared with flames as the Alpha cooked for the crowd.

“Ry, can you take me upstairs for a quick shower?” I asked as he slowed at the porch steps.

“Sure, Smalls,” he said, throwing me a mischievous look over his shoulder. “I’d love to help you get all cleaned up.”

“Ugh, stop.” I smacked the back of his head. “Just get me to our floor.”

He chuckled, but before I could jump off, he tightened his grip on my thighs. I was trapped.

As we reached the pack house door, a shrill voice cut through the buzz of conversation.

“Oh my goddess, babe! There you are!” Stacey’s high-pitched voice made my ears ring. “The Alpha King wants to talk to you and your brother. You really shouldn’t keep him waiting. We have so many plans to discuss—you know, about the future. As Alpha and Luna.”

Ryan held up a hand, stopping her in her tracks. She either hadn’t noticed I was on his back or was pretending I didn’t exist.

“Stacey,” Ryan said slowly. “Who am I?”

Her eyes widened. “What? That’s such a weird question.”

“Say my name,” he repeated, his voice calm but firm. “Which one of us am I?”

She froze, clearly panicking. “Uh…”

I buried my face in Ryan’s neck to stifle my laughter. She can’t even tell them apart.

Ryan let out a low, rumbling laugh, which sent an unexpected shiver down my spine. He tilted his head slightly. “Careful, Smalls,” he murmured in my ear. “You keep doing that, and our earlier conversation might become a reality.”

I froze.

“Ugh!” Stacey scoffed, glaring at me. “You should stop making him carry you everywhere. It’s not appropriate for a future Alpha to be treated like a pack mule.”

Ryan didn’t even flinch. “We’ll be down in a bit,” he said, punching in the code to the door. “Go rejoin the party.”

Just as the door clicked open, the rest of the guys came bounding up the steps.

“Would you quit hogging my sister?” Leo grumbled.

“She wanted a shower,” Ryan said casually, stepping through the door with me still on his back. “And we’ll be down soon.”

He turned toward the stairs, deliberately blocking Stacey from following us. “See you later, Stacey,” Ryan added with a grin, just before the door clicked shut behind him.

Once we were on the third floor, Ryan finally let me down. I stretched, shaking out my legs.

“So,” Devin said from behind me, his grin widening. “She really can’t tell you apart?”

“Apparently not,” Ryan replied with a chuckle.

“That’s ridiculous,” I said, rolling my eyes. “You two don’t even look that much alike.”

Aaron crossed his arms, giving me a skeptical look. “Oh yeah? What’s the difference?”

“For starters, your eyes.” I pointed at him. “Yours are green, like emeralds. And Ryan’s are blue, like the Caribbean.”

Ryan raised a brow. “Our eyes are the same color—teal.”

“No, they’re not!” I shot back, confused. “How has no one else noticed?”

Devin looked between them and then at me. “Wait… Do they smell different to you too?”

“Yeah.” I blinked, unsure why this was such a revelation. “Aaron smells like citrus, and Ryan smells like cinnamon.”

The room went dead silent. Everyone stared at me like I’d grown a second head.

“What?” I asked, suddenly self-conscious.

“They smell exactly the same to the rest of us,” Devin whispered, his expression equal parts curious and baffled.

Aaron and Ryan exchanged a look, something unspoken passing between them.

“Well,” Ryan finally said, his voice soft, “I guess you really do know us better than anyone else, Smalls.”