Page 74 of Dearest Alpha Brothers 1: Vampire Prince

Kinky. But I’d rather you didn’t. Pretty sure if any of us leave our wings right now, we’re going straight up to?—

DON’T.Both older brothers cut him off.

As four a.m. approached, the scent grew stronger. Zane’s claws dug into his mattress, shredding expensive sheets. His wolf was going mad, demanding they go upstairs, claim what was theirs. Each breath brought more of that intoxicatingsweetness—Luca’s natural scent but amplified, heated, calling to something primal in him.

This isn’t just desire,Ryker’s mental voice was rough.Something’s happening to him. Something…

Hot? Devastating? Literally killing me?Archer had shifted, his wolf unable to maintain human form.Because yes to all of the above.

Focus,Zane commanded, though his own control was slipping.We need to?—

A wave of pure need hit them through the air, making all three wolves howl in response. The clock struck four thirty, each chime accompanied by a surge in Luca’s scent.

Oh gods,Archer whined.He smells like… like…

Like ours,Ryker finished, his lightning now visible through the penthouse windows.Like he’s meant to be?—

ENOUGH.Frost covered every surface in Zane’s room as his power leaked out.We are not having this conversation. We are not going to Luca. We are not?—

Going to survive this night?Archer suggested.Because I’m pretty sure I’m actually dying this time. Not like those other times I said I was dying. This is it. The real deal. Death by vampire prince pheromones.

If you don’t shut up,Ryker growled,I’ll help you achieve that death.

By five a.m., the situation had become unbearable. Luca’s scent had turned fever-hot, carrying notes of need that made their wolves thrash against their chains.

Underground,Zane commanded through the bond.Now. Before I destroy the entire penthouse.

Oh, thank gods,Archer’s wolf whined.I’ve already shredded everything in my room. Twice.

The electrical grid is about to collapse anyway,Ryker added, his voice crackling with barely contained power.

They converged on the private elevator that connected the penthouse directly to the underground facility. Even in their agitated state, the familiar presence of pack helped ground them somewhat. Though none of them spoke during the descent, their wolves recognizing the need to work off this dangerous energy together.

The underground training facility welcomed them with its cathedral-like space, the reinforced walls lined with ancient runes providing blessed relief from the intensity of Luca’s scent. Not complete escape—nothing could fully block out that sweet, maddening perfume—but enough to let them think almost clearly.

Almost.

Better?Ryker asked, already stripping off his shirt as lightning danced across his skin.

Define better,Archer growled, his wolf form pacing the titanium-reinforced chamber.Because I can still smell him. Still feel him. Still want to?—

Shut up and hit something,Zane ordered, frost already coating the training dummies nearest to him. His wolf was too close to the surface, making his voice more growl than speech.

They didn’t need more encouragement. The first dummy exploded under Ryker’s lightning-enhanced kick. Archer’s wolf tore through three more in rapid succession, synthetic stuffing flying everywhere. Zane’s frost shattered two others, leaving them in glittering shards across the floor.

You know what’s worse than smelling him from here?Archer’s mental voice was strained even as his wolf ripped through another dummy.Knowing exactly what he tastes like. Remembering how he felt in my lap, how he gasped when I?—

A blast of arctic cold cut him off as Zane hurled a frozen dummy at his head.

What part of ‘shut up and hit something’ was unclear?But Zane’s own control was slipping.

The part where we pretend this is helping,Ryker said, his lightning reducing another dummy to ash.Because I can still feel him through the bond. Still taste his blood. Still hear those little sounds he made when?—

This time both Zane and Archer attacked him, three apex predators channeling their frustrated need into violence. What followed was hours of destruction—training dummies shattering under their combined assault as Zane’s frost turned them brittle, Ryker’s lightning scorched them to ash, and Archer’s wolf form ripped through whatever remained. When they ran out of dummies, they turned on each other, their sparring matches growing increasingly violent as they fought to exhaust this maddening energy.

At least the runes are holding,Archer commented as he dodged Zane’s ice blast.Imagine explaining to the council why we destroyed another training facility.

Focus,Zane growled, though his wolf was grateful for the distraction of combat.Or I’ll give you something else to worry about.

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