Page 9 of Marked By Alphas 2: Claimed

I jumped, nearly dropping the phone. Caleb had materialized besidethe couch, looking amused at my screen. “Don’t you have code to write?”

“Lunch break,” he said, settling next to me. “Though I see you’re keeping busy. ‘How to get ripped in thirty days’?”

“I’m being proactive,” I said, feeling my face heat. “In case you haven’t noticed, I’m basically a scrawny midget compared to you guys. I need to at least try to get some muscle definition. Maybe even abs. Give me three months.”

Caleb’s laugh was warm against my ear. “Ambitious. Though you might be surprised—once your wolf side fully awakens, your body will naturally adapt. It’s in our genes.”

I perked up. “Really? Like automatic supernatural six-pack?”

“Something like that.” He grinned. “Though training will help speed things along.”

“Perfect.” I clicked on another video with renewed enthusiasm. “The sooner I heal, the sooner I can start. I mean, I’ve always healed pretty quick anyway—like that time Luke and I tried skateboarding and both ended up with sprained wrists. We were fine in like two days.” I paused, remembering. “Actually, Luke’s always been weirdly quick to bounce back from injuries…”

Before I could follow that train of thought, Miguel appeared in the doorway, covered in dirt but grinning. “Lunch is ready! And Jorge only threatened to quit twice, so it should be good.”

“Three times,” Anna corrected, appearing with fresh napkins. “You missed the gochujang incident.”

“That wasn’t a real threat,” Maria called from the dining room. “He says he’ll quit at least twice a day. Now come eat before it gets cold!”

Caleb stood, offering me his hand. “Need help?”

“I can walk,” I insisted, then immediately winced as I tried to stand. “Mostly.”

His smile was far too knowing as he helped me up. “Of course you can. Just like you’ll have a six-pack in three months.”

“Just you wait,” I said, letting him support more of my weight than I’d admit. “I’ll be bench-pressing Derek by Halloween.”

His laugh echoed through the hall as we made our way to lunch. “Now that I’d pay to see.”

Derek appeared in the doorway, still in his tactical gear and looking unfairly attractive for someone who’d spent the morning patrolling territory. Sweat glistened on his neck, and the tight black shirt left nothing to the imagination.

“Bench-pressing me by Halloween, huh?” His grin turned wicked as his eyes raked over me. “I’d rather teach you some other exercises first. The kind that requires you underneath me, working up a sweat…”

My entire body flushed hot. The image his words conjured made my knees weak, and not from injury this time.

“Quit it,” Caleb snarled, his grip turning possessive on my waist. The playful brother from moments ago was gone, replaced by something darker, more primal. “He needs to eat first.”

“First?” I squeaked, my voice embarrassingly high.

Maria swooped in like a blessing, shoving a basket of fresh bread at Derek. “Ya basta(enough)! Wash up and sit down. Both of you stop terrorizing the poor boy.”

I sank gratefully into my chair, trying to will away my blush. “Is Marcus joining us?”

“Alpha business in town,” Caleb explained, sliding into the seat beside me—notably closer than necessary. “Some of the local pack representatives wanted to meet after last night’s… incident.”

Jorge set down a massive paella that smelled divine. “Politics,” he snorted. “Always politics. But food first! Maria only tried to add Korean spices to the side dishes twice.”

“Three times,” Maria corrected proudly, bringing out a dish that definitely had a Korean flair. “And my kimchi-seasoned vegetables were delicious.”

“This is a traditional Spanish meal!” Jorge protested, but there was fondness in his exasperation. “Save your fusion experiments for tomorrow’s lunch.”

The familiar bickering washed over me as everyone settled in. Even the dogs seemed content, crunching away at their own fancy-looking meals in the corner. Miguel and Anna shared knowing looks across the table while Derek and Caleb subtly competed to fill my plate with the best portions.

It felt… normal. Well, as normal as lunch could be with two alpha werewolves, their very human—and apparently completely unfazed—relatives, and three massive wolf-dogs.

After lunch, the manor settled back into its routine. Caleb disappeared upstairs to his office, muttering about security protocols. Derek headed out for another patrol round, his tactical gear making him look like some kind of supernatural SWAT team leader. Maria bustled around with her usual efficiency while Jorge’s Spanish cursing indicated he was already planning dinner.

“Here, cariño,” Maria said, setting a tablet in my lap. “Much better for your eyes than that broken phone. And look—I already bookmarked some good workout videos.”

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