Page 3 of Marked By Alphas 2: Claimed

“Very sweaty, extremely muscular peacocks,” I murmured into my coffee.

Jorge burst through the kitchen doors, brandishing a wooden spoon like a weapon. “Maria! What have you done to my kimchi? It’s supposed to be fermenting!”

“It was fermenting for two weeks! Any longer and it would have grown legs and walked away!”

“That’s the point! The flavor?—”

“The flavor is perfect now. I already used it in the breakfast fried rice.”

Jorge gasped like Maria had just confessed to a culinary crime. “Without telling me?”

“I’m telling you now,” Maria said sweetly, spooning a generous portion onto my plate. “Try it,cariño,” she said to me. “Show Jorge how good it is.”

I took a bite, and oh God. “This is amazing,” I moaned around a mouthful of perfectly spiced rice. “Illegally good.”

Jorge’s outrage melted into preening pride faster than butter on hot toast. “Of course it is. My kimchi recipe?—”

“Our kimchi recipe,” Maria corrected.

“—is perfect. Though perhaps…” He tasted a spoonful. “The shorter fermentation does bring out the fresh cabbage notes…”

The sound of footsteps on the stairs announced the return of Marcus and Derek, now properly clothed in what I suspected was thousand-dollar casual wear. Their hair was damp from quick showers, and they looked unfairly gorgeous.

Marcus took the seat opposite me while Derek claimed the chair on my other side, effectively boxing me in. They dug into their breakfast with the kind of focused intensity that reminded me they were, in fact, part wolf. Jorge’s kimchi fried rice disappeared at an alarming rate, accompanied by several helpings of eggs and bacon. I tried not to stare, but it was like watching a nature documentary about apex predators at a breakfast buffet.

“What?” Derek asked, catching my wide-eyed look between bites.

“Nothing,” I said quickly. “Just… appreciating your healthy appetites.”

“We burned a lot of energy this morning,” Marcus explained, reaching for more eggs.

“Right. During your workout. Which you definitely needed to do shirtless. For reasons.”

Caleb’s fingers tightened slightly on my neck. “They’re showing off.”

“We’re not—” Derek started, but Maria cut him off by dropping another platter of food in front of him.

“Eat first, deny later,” she ordered, and even the mighty Stone brothers knew better than to argue.

When the feeding frenzy finally wound down, Marcus dabbed his mouth with a napkin and glanced at me. “I believe you had some questions for us, little mate?”

I swallowed hard, suddenly very aware of being surrounded by three very intense, very attractive wolf shifters. “Yeah, just a few hundred or so. Starting with why you all keep calling me ‘little mate’ and ending with what exactly happened last night when I went full ninja warrior on those other wolves.”

“Perhaps we should move this conversation somewhere more comfortable,” he suggested, noting how I was starting to fidget in my chair. “The living room?”

“Right,” I agreed, eyeing the plush sofas visible through the doorway. “Because nothing says ‘casual supernatural revelations’ like designer furniture.”

Caleb helped me up, his hand steady at my lower back. “You’re still hurting.”

“I’m fine,” I insisted, then promptly stumbled. Three pairs of hands reached for me at once. “Okay, maybe I’m slightly less than fine. But I can walk!”

“Of course you can,” Derek said, sounding amused. Then he simply scooped me up.

“This is becoming a habit,” I grumbled but didn’t fight it. My muscles were secretly grateful for the reprieve.

The dogs followed us into the living room, arranging themselves around the sofa where Derek deposited me with surprising gentleness. As the brothers settled around me—Marcus in an armchair, Caleb and Derek flanking me on the sofa—I couldn’t help but feel like I was about to get the world’s most complicated “talk.”

“So,” I said, pulling my legs up under me, “who wants to go first?”

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