“Unless any of them are gay, the only ones who’d have noticed are Rayna and Kennedy, you idiot. How do you think your Alpha’s gonna feel knowing you were swinging your dick around in front of his little sister and her mate?” Bennet shot back, still teasing Danny.
If it were anyone else, Bennet would be right, and I probably would have told Danny off. But these two had known my sister her entire life, and they cared about her as much as I did. Since she’s the only female ranked member, we might have gone a little overboard with our protectiveness.
“Yeah, well, dibs on Kennedy. But seriously, you should come check them out. I’m impressed with all of them. Rayna’s in good hands.”
Why did her name send a flutter through my chest? Kennedy. I’ve met impressive female warriors before**hell, one is a close friend**but just hearing her name shouldn’t make me want to drop everything and run at Danny’s command to watch them train. Yet, that’s exactly what I planned to do.
I had a few calls to make to move things along for other packs who’d made requests at our monthly meeting, so I headed to my office first. To save time, I changed into the spare workout gear I kept there. If I was going to watch the training, I might as well be ready to jump in.
Jogging to the training grounds, I felt a strange energy buzzing beneath my skin, like an electric current of anticipation. My wolf wasn’t restless, but even he sensed something was coming. By the time I arrived, I was warmed up, a light sheen of sweat glistening on my skin. I chose a seat high up in the arena, giving me a clear view of the entire training area.
Rayna was easy to spot**she was like a female version of me, and we’d been mistaken for twins more times than I could count.
Her mate stood tall and confident, the very image of an Alpha. I could tell who he was just by the way he never let Rayna stray more than a few steps from him. He was staking his claim without ever restraining her, allowing her to be herself but making it unmistakably clear that she had a boundary that began and ended with him. He smiled easily, engaging warmly with anyone who approached.
The rest of his pack mirrored that same confident energy. They mingled with my warriors, working on various skills**sometimes teaching, sometimes learning.
It didn’t take long to understand why Danny was so insistent on calling dibs on Kennedy. After spending a few minutes assessing Rayna’s mate and his male pack, my attention was suddenly pulled to the other side of the training grounds by a whirlwind of dark blonde hair. There she was**the most stunning woman I’d ever laid eyes on. Time seemed to stop.
Her lean, sun-kissed body, clearly sculpted through hard work, was clad only in a sports bra and leggings that hugged every curve perfectly. I felt a twitch of desire, imagining wrapping my hand around that ponytail and… I shook my head, banishing the thought. I only messed around with brunettes. That was a rule I never broke. Blondes were for my imagination, a safe place to indulge without consequences. So, for now, Danny could have his dibs.
Still, I found myself unable to tear my eyes away, watching her graceful movements longer than I probably should have. Every twist and turn revealed new angles of her feminine form, and I filed those images away, letting them live rent-free in my mind.
She didn’t seem to notice as people began to filter out. Even her packmates exchanged looks and gestures with Rayna before apparently agreeing to leave her alone with Greta.
Danny and Bennet stayed behind too, watching over them. I had mixed feelings about that, especially given the way both of them looked at her. From my vantage point, I couldn’t see their expressions clearly, so I couldn’t read their thoughts.
I shifted my focus back to Greta and Kennedy, who were deep in conversation before setting up to spar again. Greta called out, “Danny, come check this out!” as if he hadn’t been distracted by Kennedy the entire time, taking more hits than usual.
Kennedy didn’t take the bait, keeping her eyes locked on Greta. Good girl.
Wait**what?
Damn, this girl didn’t quit. They moved fast, and I found myself wincing for both of them as they exchanged blows. She wasn’t holding back, and I could only imagine the bruises Kennedy would have later from Greta’s strikes. But Kennedy was giving as good as she got.
“Time!” Bennet’s voice rang out as he approached them. I caught snippets of their low conversation but not enough to understand fully. Danny joined, getting uncomfortably close, then Greta wrapped her arm around Kennedy’s shoulders. They walked away laughing, the sound sending chills down my spine and leaving my Gamma and Delta frozen, speechless. That was a first.
Kennedy
“Damn, girl! No one stands a chance tonight. You look absolutely stunning!” Rayna exclaimed, handing me a pair of black crystal chandelier earrings. I took a step back, surveying my reflection in the mirror. She wasn’t exaggerating**she had truly outdone herself. My blonde hair was swept up into a high ponytail, styled with soft beach waves cascading down, and adorned with a delicate black crystal hairpiece that caught the light beautifully. My eye makeup was smoky and sultry, yet subtle enough to make my blue eyes shine. A shimmering blush highlighted my cheekbones, and my lips were painted a deep, rich red that contrasted perfectly with the black accents. I looked like myself, only elevated**more polished, more radiant.
Turning around, I noticed I wasn’t the only one dressed to impress. Rayna was a vision in a deep forest green velvet gown that looked as soft as it was luxurious. The long sleeves hugged her slender arms elegantly, while the boat neckline framed her graceful, swan-like neck**perfectly showcasing the spot where her mark would soon rest. Her skirt flared just enough, hitting mid-thigh like mine, and when she turned, the back of her dress was completely open, revealing smooth, glowing skin. She’d left her hair down, but swept it over one shoulder, allowing her warm olive complexion to glow under the soft lighting.
“Jeremiah might just lose it when he sees you,” I teased with a giggle. “Or, more likely, other guys will be dying to get a look at you. You’re smoking hot! He might not even let you go downstairs.”
Rayna smiled, a playful glint in her eyes, as I fanned myself dramatically. Before we could continue admiring each other’s transformations, a knock sounded at my door. Quickly, Rayna slipped on her nude pumps, and together we made our way to answer it.
We swung the door open to reveal all my guy friends, looking sharper than ever before in our entire lives. Tonight, they had clearly put in effort. Having seen them at every ball and party our pack had ever thrown, I could confidently say this was on a whole new level. Their suits fit like they were tailored just for them, radiating power and confidence. Jeremiah wore a steel gray suit paired with a black button-down shirt so tight it looked like it might burst if he moved too quickly. Ben and Jason went classic**black suits with crisp white shirts**but Ben added a deep blue tie, while Jason left his top buttons open, forgoing a tie altogether. Tommy, always eager to stand out, sported a sapphire blue suit with a dark silver-gray shirt, also without a tie. Together, they looked like a formidable team, ready to fend off any mateless girls who dared approach.
“Wow! You two look incredible!” Jeremiah said, a hint of breathlessness in his voice. He stepped forward to kiss Rayna softly, whispering something in her ear that made her blush and giggle. Then he turned to me, planting a gentle kiss on my temple. “Looks like the boys are going to have their hands full tonight.”
I rolled my eyes at him. “I really doubt anyone’s dumb enough to try and approach Rayna, so you’ll be fine.”
“No doubt about that. No one’s coming near my Luna,” he said firmly, pulling Rayna closer. Then his gaze shifted to me, his grip tightening slightly. “It’s you I’m worried about, Ken. You look amazing, and after your performance in training today, plenty of people want to talk to you.” He winked at the look of surprise on my face. “Come on, let’s go.”
Jeremiah wrapped his arm around Rayna’s waist and led her out. Ben stepped forward and offered me his elbow, the perfect gentleman. Together, we headed downstairs toward the main floor, where the lively sounds of the gathering reached us even from the top of the stairs.
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.