"So you're telling me you could identify each of us just by our scent and eye color alone, even if we were dressed exactly the same?" Ryan asked, looking at me with an expression that bordered on disbelief.

“Yeah, probably,” I shrugged. It seemed like common sense to me.

“Our parents can’t even do that,” Aaron chimed in, his tone almost disbelieving.

“Okay, you guys are being weird. I’m going to jump in the shower and change. Give me five minutes.” I didn’t wait for their reply, turning away as they muttered behind me. I tuned them out, but the air was thick with something I couldn’t quite place.

Why was it so surprising that I could tell them apart? Of course they smelled different. They were two separate people, after all. Sure, they had similar builds, but anyone who paid attention would notice the subtle differences. The fact that people couldn’t tell them apart was just lazy.

I quickly showered and stepped out to see an outfit laid neatly on my bed. Kylie had definitely been here. She was always pushing me to look a little more "put together," and today was no different. I chuckled as I spotted her choices: a short yellow halter dress and a much more comfortable pair of dark wash jeans with a soft, off-the-shoulder sweater.

Naturally, I went with the jeans. The dress was Kylie’s way of getting me to wear something slightly more dressed up, but she knew me too well. I slipped into the jeans, pulled on the sweater, and tied my hair into a simple high ponytail just as she knocked on the door.

“You ready yet?” Kylie asked, peeking her head in with that all-knowing smirk.

“Almost, just need to get dressed and throw my hair up,” I replied.

“Absolutely not,” she scoffed. “Get dressed and I will do your hair.”

“We don’t have time for this,” I grumbled, but I sat down at the vanity anyway. “The guys are going to barge in and haul us downstairs if we take too long.”

“It’ll only take a second.” Kylie combed her fingers through my hair, giving me a deep side part and securing it with two jeweled clips she pulled out of nowhere. The simple style made me look like I’d put in way more effort than I had.

She stepped back, admiring her work as I caught a glimpse in the mirror. “See? Perfect. Now, let’s go before your brothers and their gang start pounding on the door.”

“They’re already here,” I said with a grin.

Sierra frowned. “What do you mean?”

“I can smell them,” I said, heading toward the door. “Ryan and Ethan are right outside, Aaron’s behind them, and Leo and Devin are trailing behind.”

I yanked open the door just as Ryan raised his hand to knock, startling all of them. Kylie’s eyes went wide as she looked between me and the guys. “Holy shit,” she breathed. “You knew exactly where they were. I couldn’t smell them until we were halfway across the room.”

The twins exchanged a look, Aaron’s expression skeptical. “Call it a social experiment,” he said, still studying me.

“What are you trying to prove, Aaron?” I asked, genuinely curious now.

“That you’re the only one who can tell us apart without needing hints,” he said.

“I told you, you each have different scents, different eye colors,” I explained, exasperated. “Even your hair is cut differently.”

“And that’s something we’ll unpack later,” Aaron said with a smile. “But right now, Mom is getting impatient.”

He held out his hand, and I took it, letting him lead me down the stairs. As soon as we hit the second floor, we were greeted by a sea of pack members. The crowd had thickened since we went upstairs, and everyone wanted to talk to the guys, Kylie, and, surprisingly, me.

We drifted apart in the chaos, but I could still spot them across the room. It wasn’t hard with how tall they all were. Just as I was about to make my way to the food, a guy I vaguely recognized stepped up next to me, talking a mile a minute about the trials.

I smiled politely, but my attention drifted until I felt something brush against my hand. Startled, I looked down to see him lightly stroking my fingers. My stomach turned, and I stepped back, but he quickly closed the gap, his hand snaking up my arm.

"Why don't we go take a walk?" he murmured, his voice low and dripping with arrogance.

I froze, thrown off by his sudden proximity. The guys had always flirted with me, but it had never felt like this—never so slimy or threatening.

When I didn’t respond, he took it as encouragement, tightening his grip on my arm. "I was promised a good time with you," he continued, his voice darker now. “After watching you fight, I’ve been thinking about what else you can handle.”

The insinuation made my blood boil. “Let go of me,” I snapped, trying to pull my arm free.

"Not a chance," he sneered, yanking me closer. "I don't think you understand. I want what I was promised."

Before I could react, a low, menacing growl rumbled behind me. The warmth of Ethan’s body pressed against my back, and I exhaled in relief.

“I suggest you remove your hand if you value keeping it,” Ethan’s voice was dangerously calm as he wrapped an arm around my waist, pulling me out of the creep’s grasp. “She said no. Take the hint and move on.”

Mike—the guy, apparently—scowled but backed off, realizing he was outmatched. Ethan didn’t relax until Mike slunk away.

“Come on,” he said, steering me away from the crowd. “Let’s get you out of here before something else happens.”

We made our way to the backyard, where the rest of our group was already gathered by Luna Ava and Alpha Michael. Ethan kept a protective arm around me until we reached them, then gently placed me between Kylie and Luna Ava, like I was being passed off to a safe zone.

I glanced at the twins, whose expressions darkened as they processed what had just happened. I stared at Aaron and Ryan, and their auras practically crackled with rage.

Guys, calm down, I linked to them. People are starting to stare.

Someone put their hands on you, Selene, Aaron replied, his voice firm through the link. Without your permission.

Ethan handled it before anything got out of hand, I shot back, exasperated. Now stop brooding. Your mom and dad want to speak.

Kylie leaned in, her voice low. “I need a full explanation of what just happened.”

I rolled my eyes. “It’s not a big deal. Just the guys being overprotective.”

She snorted. “Overprotective is one thing. That? That was another level. Their auras are practically suffocating everyone. If they were fully in charge, the entire pack would be on their knees in submission right now.”

Before I could respond, Luna Ava cleared her throat, drawing everyone’s attention. She and Alpha Michael stood, ready to address the crowd.

But even as the crowd hushed, I could feel the weight of the boys’ protectiveness lingering around me like a storm waiting to break. I just hoped this wouldn’t escalate any further—though something told me that hope was a little too optimistic.