Feral Hearts: Pucked By The Alphas

Chapter 1: Callie

I stood outside Luca's apartment door, my heart hammering against my ribs like it was trying to escape. Tonight was supposed to be different. Special. After six months of dating, I'd finally decided I was ready to take things further with him.

My hands smoothed down the front of my purple dressthe one Sienna had convinced me to buy last month. "You look hot in it," she'd said. I didn't usually wear things like this, preferring my oversized hoodies and jeans that let me blend into the background at college. But tonight, I wanted Luca to see me differently.

I knocked on the door, clutching the bottle of his favorite whiskey I'd splurged on. The door swung open, and my smile froze.

A she-wolf with bright pink hair stood there, wearing nothing but an oversized t-shirt. My eyes zeroed in on the designa wolf devouring the moon. Cannibal Moon. The concert shirt Luca had bought when we went together three months ago. The same shirt that had a bleach stain on the left sleeve from when I'd accidentally caught it while cleaning his kitchen.

"Can I help you?" she asked, her cherry-red lips curling into a smirk.

My stomach twisted. "I'm looking for Luca."

"He's busy." She leaned against the doorframe, and that's when I saw themfresh bite marks covering her neck and shoulders. Bruises shaped like fingerprints decorated her thighs where the shirt rode up.

My wolf snarled inside me, but I kept my face neutral. The meek college nerd. That's what everyone expected. "I'm his girlfriend. Who are you?"

"Oh, sweetie." She laughed, stepping aside to let me in. "I'm so much more than his girlfriend."

I walked past her into the apartment, my hands trembling. The place was a messblankets thrown everywhere, clothes scattered across the floor. The smell of sex hung heavy in the air, making my wolf pace anxiously.

The bathroom door opened, steam billowing out. Luca emerged wearing nothing but a towel slung low on his hips. His chest was covered in scratches, and he had matching bite marks on his neck.

Our eyes met. For a second, guilt flashed across his face. Then it was gone, replaced by annoyance.

"Callie. What are you doing here?"

What was I doing here? The bottle of whiskey suddenly felt heavy in my hands. "I thought... we had plans."

"Plans?" He ran a hand through his wet hair. "I don't remember making plans."

The pink-haired she-wolf sidled up next to him, running her fingers down his chest. "Baby, who's this?"

"Nobody important," Luca said, not even looking at me.

Nobody important. The words hit me like a physical blow. My wolf whimpered, but I forced myself to stay calm. "Luca, what's going on?"

"Look, Callie." He sighed like I was inconveniencing him. "This was never serious. You kept making such a big deal about 'taking things slow' and 'waiting until it meant something.' I got tired of waiting around."

My throat tightened. "You said you understood. You said you'd wait"

"Understood what?" He laughed, cruel and sharp. "That you're some innocent little Omega who needs everything to be perfect? Do you know how boring that got? Always having to pretend I cared about your feelings, your boundaries?"

The she-wolfBianca, I heard him call hersmirked. "He told me all about you. How you wouldn't put out, how you were always whining about emotional connection. God, you sound exhausting."

Heat flooded my cheeks, but it wasn't embarrassment anymore. It was rage. "You talked about me? About our private relationship?"

"Oh, honey, it gets so much better." Bianca pulled out her phone, tapping the screen. "Tell her about the bet, Luca."

My heart stopped. "What bet?"

Luca's jaw clenched. "Bianca"

"No, she should know." Bianca turned her phone toward me. On the screen was a photoheavily edited and clearly AI-generatedshowing her and Luca in an intimate position. But my face had been photoshopped onto her body. "The guys at college made a bet. Who could get the uptight Omega nerd to finally loosen up? Luca said he could take your virginity within six months."

The room spun. Every sweet word, every patient gesture, every time he'd told me he loved meit had all been a lie. A game. My meek persona had made me a target, and I'd fallen for it completely.

"I already won the bet, actually." Bianca's smile widened. "Posted this pic last week. Everyone thinks Luca already sealed the deal. You're just too stupid to know he's been playing you this whole time."

Something inside me snapped.

My hand moved before I could think. The crack of my palm against Bianca's cheek echoed through the apartment. Her head whipped to the side, and she stumbled back, clutching her face.

"You bitch!" she shrieked.

"Me?" My voice came out low and dangerousnothing like the quiet girl everyone thought I was. "You created fake pictures of me? Spread lies about my body, my choices? Being a girl yourself, how low can you go? Have you no self-respect?"

"Callie!" Luca stepped between us, his hand shoving my shoulder. "What the hell is wrong with you?"

I stumbled back but caught myself. Everything crystallized in that momentall the times I'd played small, made myself invisible, let people walk all over me because it was easier than fighting back. The Cinderella at home who scrubbed floors while her stepfamily partied. The nerd at college who let people ignore her existence.

Not anymore.

"What's wrong with me?" I straightened, my wolf rising to the surface. "What's wrong with YOU?"

Luca moved toward me again, his hand raised. "You need to leave before"

My leg shot out, my knee connecting solidly with his groin. Luca's eyes bulged. He made a strangled sound and crumpled to the floor, hands clutching himself.

Bianca screamed and lunged at me, nails extended like claws. I grabbed a fistful of that bright pink hair and yanked hard. She yelped, stumbling into me as I pulled out my phone with my free hand.

"Let go of me!" She tried to scratch at my arm, but I twisted her hair tighter.

"Smile for the camera." I switched to video mode, angling it to capture Luca writhing on the floor and Bianca's tear-streaked, furious face. "Actually, don't smile. I want everyone to see exactly what you really look like."

"Don't you dare" Bianca hissed.

"Too late." I hit the live button, streaming directly to my social media. My college network. The local pack feeds. Everyone.

"Hey everyone, it's Callie Mason. You know, the quiet Omega nerd who keeps to herself?" My voice was steady, cold. "I want you to meet Luca Rodriguez and his girlfriend Bianca. They're the ones who created fake AI pictures of me and spread them around campus to win a bet."

"Turn it off!" Luca groaned from the floor, trying to crawl toward me.

I stepped back, keeping Bianca's hair wrapped around my fist. The comments were already flooding inshocked emojis, angry reactions, people tagging others to watch.

"Luca made a bet with his friends that he could take my virginity within six months. When he couldn't, because I'm not an object to be won, his girlfriend here decided to fake it." I turned the camera to Bianca's face. "Tell them. Tell everyone what you did."

"You're insane!" Bianca shrieked, but her eyes were wide with panic as she saw the viewer count climbing.

"Am I? Or am I just done being your victim?" I released her hair, shoving her toward Luca. "This is who they really are. Luca Rodriguez, who manipulates innocent girls for sport. And Bianca, who has so little self-worth she'll help destroy another woman just to feel special."

The comments were exploding nowdisgust, outrage, support for me. I could see pack members tagging the Council. College administrators being notified. Luca's friends frantically commenting that they never agreed to any bet.

"I'm not the meek little nerd you all thought I was," I said to the camera, my voice strong. "I'm Callie Mason. I'm an Omega. And I will not be anyone's joke or victim ever again."

I ended the live stream and pocketed my phone. Luca was still on the floor, pale and sweating. Bianca had collapsed against the wall, mascara running down her face.

"You're going to regret this," Luca wheezed.

"No." I picked up my purse, leaving the whiskey bottle on his coffee table. "The only thing I regret is wasting six months on someone who never deserved me."

I walked out, my head high, my hands steady. Only when I reached my Jeep did I let myself breathe. My phone was already exploding with notificationsmessages of support, offers of testimony, even texts from she-wolves thanking me for exposing Luca's true nature.

A text from Sienna lit up my screen: "HOLY SHIFT! Everyone's watching! You're my HERO! Get to Savage NOWwe're celebrating! "

I smiled, real and genuine. Tonight was supposed to be special. And you know what? It was. Just not in the way I'd planned.

I texted back: "On my way. Time everyone sees the real me."

Chapter 2: Something Sweet

The city lights blurred past my windshield as I navigated through the streets toward Savage. My hands were still shaking slightly on the steering wheel, adrenaline from the confrontation with Luca pumping through my veins. My phone kept buzzing with notifications, but I ignored them. Tonight wasn't about Luca anymore. Tonight was about me.

Sienna had sent me the address with a string of fire emojis. "Trust me, this place is PERFECT for letting loose," her text read. I'd never been to Savage beforeit was one of those clubs everyone talked about but the "nerdy Omega girl" never got invited to.

Well, screw that version of me.

I found parking a few blocks away and checked my reflection in the rearview mirror. My auburn hair was still in place, my makeup hadn't smudged from angry tears, and my eyes... my eyes looked different. Fiercer. Like I'd finally woken up.

The walk to the club was short, and I could feel the bass thumping through the sidewalk before I even saw the building. Savage rose up before metall, imposing, built from dark brick that seemed to absorb the streetlights. Above the entrance, someone had painted a massive full moon that almost seemed to glow. The neon green sign spelling out "SAVAGE" hummed and flickered.

I pushed open the heavy doors and immediately understood why Sienna loved this place.

The smell hit me firstalcohol, yes, but underneath that was something wild and woodsy. Pack scents. Lots of them. This was a werewolf club, the kind where we didn't have to hide what we were. Where dominance and submission played out on the dance floor as much as in dark corners. My Omega wolf perked up, curious and alert.

The interior was dimly lit, all shadows and flashing lights. A set of stairs led down to the main floor where a massive bar dominated one side and a packed dance floor stretched out beyond it. The music was loud, primal, the kind of beat that made your wolf want to move.

I descended the stairs, my heels clicking against the wood. Several heads turned as I passedalphas and betas sizing me up, catching hints of my Omega scent. I'd stopped suppressing it after leaving Luca's apartment. Why hide? I was done with that.

The bar gleamed under the low lights, and behind it worked the most gorgeous man I'd ever seen.

He was tall, his black hair pulled back into a messy bun that somehow looked perfect on him. Tattoos covered both armsintricate designs I wanted to trace with my fingers. A silver hoop pierced his nose, another through his eyebrow. When he looked up and caught my eye, his smile was slow and devastating.

And his eyes... they flashed bright green. Wolf green.

My heart stuttered.

"What can I get you, beautiful?" His voice was smooth, with a slight accent I couldn't quite place. Australian, maybe?

I approached the bar, hyperaware of every step. "Jack and Coke, please."

"Coming right up." He didn't look away from me as he reached for a glass. "Haven't seen you here before. First time at Savage?"

"That obvious?" I managed a smile, trying to ignore how my pulse was racing.

"Nah, I just remember a face like yours." He fixed my drink with practiced ease, and when he slid it across the bar, our fingers touched.

Holy shit.

Sparks. Actual, literal sparks that shot up my arm and made my wolf howl with recognition. Mate. The word echoed through my mind, primal and certain.

His eyes widened, pupils dilating. He felt it too.

"What's your name?" His voice had dropped lower, rougher.

"Callie," I breathed. Then, for some reason, I added, "Callista, actually. But everyone calls me Callie."

"Callista." He said it like he was tasting it. "Beautiful name for a beautiful girl. I'm Marco."

"Marco," I repeated, and his wolf definitely liked hearing his name on my lips because his eyes flashed green again.

"This one's on the house, Callista." He leaned closer, and I could smell himpine and rain and something uniquely him. "Welcome to Savage."

I picked up my drink with trembling fingers, needing to put some distance between us before I did something crazy like climb over the bar. "Thank you."

"Anytime." His gaze tracked me as I stepped back. "I'll be here all night if you need anything. Anything at all."

The promise in those words made heat pool low in my belly. I turned away before I could respond, my cheeks burning.

What the hell was that? Mate bonds were supposed to be rare. I'd dated Luca for six months and never felt even a fraction of what just passed between Marco and me in thirty seconds.

I needed to find Sienna. And maybe another drink.

I scanned the crowd for my best friend's blonde hair but didn't spot her. The dance floor was packed with bodies moving to the heavy beat. I made my way to one of the high tables that overlooked the floor, climbing onto a bar stool and smoothing down my dress.

The black dress suddenly felt too short, too tight. But in a good way. In a way that made me feel powerful instead of exposed.

I took a sip of my drinkperfectly made, of courseand let my eyes wander over the crowd. That's when I saw him.

Santiago De La Cruz.

Everyone at college knew Santiago and his brother Mateo. The De La Cruz brothers were basketball royaltytall, gorgeous, dangerous. They had a reputation for breaking hearts and rules in equal measure. Bad boys in every sense of the word.

Santiago stood near the edge of the dance floor with a group of guys I recognized as his teammates. His dark hair had streaks of blue and green that caught the club lights, making him look almost otherworldly. He was tallat least six-threewith broad shoulders and the kind of athletic build that came from serious training. A tight black t-shirt showed off muscles that made my mouth go dry.

I'd seen him on campus dozens of times. Had watched him play basketball once when Sienna dragged me to a game. But I'd never been close enough to really look at him.

He was... devastating.

As I watched, he threw his head back and laughed at something one of his teammates said. The movement was loose, confident, the kind of easy dominance that made my Omega wolf take notice.

Then his head turned, and his eyes locked directly on mine.

My breath caught. Even from this distance, I could see his pupils dilate. Could see the moment he caught my scent on the air, recognizing what I was.

His nostrils flared. His entire body went still, predatory. And those eyesdark and hungrynever left mine.

"Callie!" Sienna's voice broke the spell. She appeared at my side, throwing her arms around me. "Oh my God, you actually came! And everyone's talking about your live stream. You're like, a total legend now!"

I tore my gaze away from Santiago to look at my best friend. Sienna was dressed in a silver sequined dress that hugged her curves, her long blonde hair falling in perfect waves. "You saw it?"

"Saw it? Everyone saw it! The pack group chats are exploding. Half the she-wolves want to buy you drinks, and Luca's friends are all scrambling to distance themselves from him." She squeezed my shoulders. "I'm so proud of you!"

"Thanks," I said, emotion tightening my throat. "I just... I couldn't let him get away with it."

"Damn right." She grabbed my hand. "Come on, let's dance. We're celebrating your freedom and your badassery."

"Wait" I glanced back toward where Santiago had been standing, but he'd disappeared into the crowd. Something like disappointment curled in my chest.

"What's wrong?" Sienna followed my gaze.

"Nothing. I just..." How did I explain that I'd felt the mate bond with the bartender and then gotten eye-fucked by Santiago De La Cruz all in the span of ten minutes? "Nothing. Let's dance."

Sienna didn't look convinced, but she pulled me toward the dance floor anyway. "Okay, but firstyou see those guys over there?" She nodded toward a group near the bar. "That's Mateo De La Cruz and his crew. Santiago's probably around here somewhere too."

My heart jumped. "You know them?"

"Kind of. They're friends with my stepbrother." She grinned. "Why? You interested?"

"No! I just... I've seen them at school."

"Uh-huh." Sienna's grin widened. "Well, just so you know, they're both single. And both absolute heartbreakers. But after what you just did to Luca? I think you could handle them."

Could I? The old Callie would have said no, would have hidden behind her books and baggy clothes. But the new Calliethe one who'd kicked Luca in the balls and exposed him to the entire packmaybe she could.

As we pushed through the crowd toward the dance floor, I caught another scent on the air. Different from Marco's pine and rain. This was darker, wildersandalwood and smoke and pure alpha dominance.

And it was getting closer.

My wolf perked up, alert and interested. I looked around, trying to find the source, when a hand touched my lower back.

"Excuse me, beautiful." The voice was deep, smooth as whiskey. "Mind if I buy you a drink?"

I turned and found myself staring up at Santiago De La Cruz.

Up close, he was even more devastating. His dark eyes held flecks of gold that seemed to glow in the club lights. A small scar cut through his left eyebrow. His jaw was sharp enough to cut glass, and when he smiled, it was pure sin.

"I..." Words failed me. This was Santiago De La Cruz. Campus bad boy. Basketball star. The guy who'd never looked at me twice in two years of college.

And he was looking at me like I was the only person in the entire club.

Chapter 3: He's Lickable

"I..." My brain had apparently stopped functioning. Santiago De La Cruz was standing in front of me, asking to buy me a drink, and I couldn't form a coherent sentence.

His smile widened, like he knew exactly the effect he had on me. "Cat got your tongue, hermosa?"

"I already have a drink," I managed, holding up my glass like proof.

"Then dance with me instead." It wasn't really a question. His hand was still on my lower back, warm even through the fabric of my dress, and every nerve ending in my body was screaming at me to say yes.

Before I could respond, Sienna appeared at my other side. "Callie! There you are! I've been looking everywhere" She stopped mid-sentence when she saw Santiago. "Oh. Hey, Santiago."

"Sienna." He nodded at her but his eyes never left mine. "I was just asking your friend here for a dance."

"Was he now?" Sienna's grin was pure mischief. "Well, don't let me interrupt."

"Sienna" I started, but she was already backing away.

"You kids have fun! I'll be at the bar!" She disappeared into the crowd before I could protest.

Traitor.

Santiago's thumb traced small circles on my back, and I had to fight not to shiver. "So? What do you say, Callista?"

He knew my full name. How did he know my full name?

"How do you"

"Everyone's talking about your live stream," he said, his voice low enough that only I could hear over the music. "Luca Rodriguez is a fucking idiot. Any man who'd treat you like that deserves worse than a kick to the balls."

Heat flooded my cheeks. "You saw that?"

"Everyone saw it. You're kind of famous now." His hand slid slightly lower, resting just above the curve of my hip. "The quiet Omega nerd who turned out to be a fierce little fighter. I like it."

Little? I was five-seven, but next to his six-three frame, I supposed I was little. And the way he said itlike it was a compliment, not an insultmade my wolf preen.

"I'm not that fierce," I said, then mentally kicked myself. This was exactly the kind of self-deprecating thing the old Callie would say.

Santiago's eyes darkened. "You kicked a man in the balls, exposed him to the entire pack, and walked out with your head high. That's pretty fucking fierce, hermosa."

The way he kept calling me hermosabeautiful in Spanishmade my stomach flutter. Nobody had ever called me that before. Well, Marco had called me beautiful too, but this felt different. More intense. More... right.

"One dance," I heard myself say. "But I'm watching you, De La Cruz. I know your reputation."

His grin was wolfish. "Good. I'd hate to disappoint."

He took my hand and led me toward the dance floor. His palm was callousedfrom basketball, probablyand the moment our hands touched, something shifted inside me. It wasn't like the pleasant sparks with Marco. This was deeper. Primal. Like my wolf recognized something in him that made her sit up and pay attention.

As we moved through the crowd, I noticed heads turning. People watching. Whispering.

Santiago De La Cruz was dancing with the Omega nerd who'd just gone viral for destroying her ex-boyfriend.

We reached a spot near the center of the floor, and Santiago pulled me close. One hand stayed on my hip while the other held mine. The song was fast-paced, primal, but he moved with an easy confidence that made it look effortless.

"You've been at college for two years," he said, his mouth close to my ear so I could hear him. "How come I've never seen you before?"

"You have seen me. You just never noticed." I tried to keep my voice steady despite how close he was. "I'm usually in the library or wearing baggy hoodies."

"My loss." His hand tightened on my hip. "But I'm noticing now."

God, he was good at this. Probably had a different girl every week. But my traitorous body didn't care about his reputation. It cared about how good his hands felt on me, how his scentsandalwood and smokemade my wolf want to rub against him like a cat.

Then our eyes locked, and the world seemed to tilt.

My stomach clenched with an overwhelming need to get closer to him. To touch more of him. To claim him. The pull was magnetic, undeniableexactly like what I'd read about in my Omega studies.

Mate bond.

No. No, that was impossible. Mate bonds were rare. They didn't just happen on random Tuesday nights in clubs.

But Santiago's pupils had blown wide, his nostrils flaring as he pulled me impossibly closer. "Fuck," he breathed. "Do you feel that?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," I lied, even as my wolf howled with recognition.

"Yes, you do." His hand slid up my back, possessive. "Tell me you feel it too, hermosa. Tell me I'm not going crazy."

My heart was racing so fast I thought it might burst. "Santiago"

"Your brother's here too, right?" I blurted out, desperately trying to change the subject. "Mateo?"

"Yeah, he's around somewhere." Santiago spun me, then pulled me back against his chest. His arm banded around my waist, holding me there. "Why? You interested in him too?"

"No! I just" I stumbled over my words. "Sienna mentioned you guys were looking for someone. Her stepsister?"

Something flickered in Santiago's eyes. "Stella. Yeah, we were supposed to meet her here. You know her?"

My stomach dropped. Of course. Stella. My stepsisterthe golden child who could do no wrong. The one who got all the attention, all the praise, while I scrubbed floors and did homework in my room.

"She's my stepsister too," I admitted.

Santiago's eyebrows shot up. "Wait, you'reyou're Stella's sister? The one who"

"Lives with her family? Yeah." I tried to pull back, but his grip tightened. "Let me guess, she never mentioned me."

"She mentioned she had a stepsister, but she said..." He trailed off, looking uncomfortable.

"She said what?" My voice came out sharper than I intended.

"That her stepsister was kind of a loner. Kept to herself." He was choosing his words carefully now. "She didn't mention you were an Omega. Or that you looked like this."

Of course she didn't. Stella loved being the center of attention. Having an Omega stepsister would have stolen her spotlight.

"Well, surprise," I said bitterly. "The loner stepsister actually exists."

"Hey." Santiago's hand came up to cup my jaw, forcing me to look at him. "I didn't mean it like that. I just meant... fuck, I'm bad at this. What I'm trying to say is, if I'd known about you, I would have noticed. Trust me."

The intensity in his dark eyes made my breath catch. This close, I could see the gold flecks in them, could see my own reflection in his pupils. Could feel that pull getting stronger with every passing second.

"Santiago"

"There you are!" A familiar voice cut through the moment.

I turned to see Sienna pushing through the crowd with another man beside her. He was just as tall as Santiago, with the same athletic build and sharp features. His hair was darker though, almost black, and his eyes were a lighter brown.

Mateo De La Cruz.

"We've been looking everywhere forCallie?" Mateo's eyes widened when he saw me in Santiago's arms. "You're Stella's sister?"

"Stepsister," I corrected automatically.

"Holy shit." Mateo ran a hand through his hair. "Stella never said... I mean, she told us she had a stepsister but"

"But she failed to mention I was an Omega who actually leaves the house?" I finished for him, unable to keep the edge out of my voice.

Sienna winced. "Cal"

"It's fine." I stepped out of Santiago's embrace, immediately feeling the loss. My wolf whined in protest. "I'm used to it. Stella's the star. I'm just the shadow."

"That's not" Santiago started, reaching for me, but I shook my head.

"I need another drink." I turned away from all three of them, pushing through the dancing bodies toward the bar.

My mind was spinning. Mate bond. With Santiago De La Cruz. The campus bad boy who was here looking for my stepsister. This was a disaster.

I made it to the bar and leaned against it, trying to catch my breath.

"Back so soon, beautiful?" Marco appeared in front of me, his green eyes concerned. "You okay? You look upset."

"I'm fine. Just need another drink."

"Another Jack and Coke?" He was already reaching for a glass.

"Make it a double."

His eyebrows rose but he didn't comment. As he fixed my drink, I felt eyes on my back. I glanced over my shoulder to see Santiago watching me from the dance floor, his expression intense and hungry. Mateo was talking to him, gesturing, but Santiago wasn't listening. He was focused entirely on me.

"Here." Marco slid the drink across the bar. "On the house."

"You keep giving me free drinks, your boss is going to fire you," I tried to joke.

"I am the boss." His smile was crooked. "Well, co-owner actually. This is my club."

Of course it was. Because my night wasn't complicated enough already.

"Thanks, Marco." I took a long sip, letting the alcohol burn down my throat.

"Anytime, hermosa." He winked before moving to help another customer.

"Callie!" Sienna appeared at my side again, slightly breathless. "Okay, so don't freak out, but"

"But what?" I asked warily.

"But Stella just texted. She's on her way. She'll be here in like ten minutes." Sienna bit her lip. "And she has no idea you're here."

Perfect. Just perfect.

My stepsister was about to walk into a club where I'd just been dancing with the guy she was supposed to meetwho also happened to be my mateafter exposing my ex-boyfriend to the entire pack.

Chapter 4: Mate

After Santiago disappeared into the crowd, I needed a moment to collect myself. My skin was still tingling where he'd touched me, and my wolf was restless, confused by the multiple mate bonds pulling at me.

"I need another drink," I told Sienna, fanning my flushed face.

"Good idea. I'll come with." She linked her arm through mine, steering us toward the bar.

As we approached, I spotted Marco immediately. He was serving someone else, but his eyes tracked my movement across the room like a predator watching prey. When the customer left, he made his way over to us, his full attention focused on me.

"Back for another round, Callista?" His voice was rougher than before, edged with something dark and possessive.

"Yes, please." I slid onto a bar stool, hyperaware of how my dress rode up my thighs. Marco's eyes followed the movement before snapping back to my face.

"Same thing? Or you want to try something different?" The way he said 'different' made heat pool in my belly.

"Surprise me," I said, then immediately regretted it when his eyes flashed that bright wolf green again.

"I can do that." He leaned forward on the bar, bringing his face closer to mine. "You smell incredible, by the way. Like cherries and something sweeter. Drives me crazy."

My breath hitched. The mate bond was pulling tighter, making me want to lean in, to close the distance between us.

"Marco." A deep voice cut through the moment. "You working or flirting?"

I turned to find Santiago standing beside my bar stool, his jaw tight with irritation. Behind him, Mateo approached with that same predatory grace, his amber eyes fixed on me with unsettling intensity.

Marco straightened but didn't back down. "Can't I do both?"

"Not when she's with me." Santiago's hand found the small of my back, warm and possessive.

"Funny," Marco said, his smile sharp. "I don't see your name on her."

The tension between them crackled like electricity. My wolf was caught between wanting to submit to their dominance and wanting to snap at them both for acting like I was property.

"Guys," I started, but Mateo interrupted.

"She's not with anyone yet." His voice was cold, controlled. "Which means she's free to choose."

Choose? My head was spinning. This morning, I'd been in a relationship with Luca. Now I had three gorgeous men acting like they wanted to claim me.

"I need a drink," I said firmly, looking at Marco. "Please."

He held my gaze for a long moment, then nodded. "Coming right up, sweetheart."

Santiago's hand tightened on my back as Marco turned away. "You don't have to choose him."

"I'm not choosing anyone right now," I said, trying to sound confident even though my heart was racing. "I just broke up with my boyfriend today. This is all... a lot."

Mateo pulled up the bar stool next to mine, sitting close enough that our knees almost touched. "The one from the live stream? Luca Rodriguez?"

"You saw that too?" God, everyone had seen my meltdown.

"The whole campus saw it." Mateo's lips curved slightlynot quite a smile, but close. "You handled yourself well. Most Omegas would have cried and run. You fought back."

"I'm not most Omegas." The words came out fiercer than I intended.

"No," Santiago agreed, his thumb stroking circles on my lower back. "You're definitely not."

Marco returned with a drinksomething pink and fruity with a cherry on top. "Amaretto sour. Sweet with a bite. Thought it suited you."

I picked up the glass, acutely aware of all three men watching me. The first sip was perfectsweet amaretto balanced with tart lemon, smooth and dangerous.

"Good?" Marco asked.

"Really good." I popped the cherry in my mouth, and Marco's eyes darkened.

"I bet you taste just as sweet," he murmured. "Cherry-sweet with that Omega spice underneath."

Heat flooded through me at his words. My nipples tightened against the thin fabric of my dress, and I knew they could all see it. Could smell my arousal mixing with my cherry scent.

Santiago's hand slid higher on my back, his fingers tracing my spine through the dress. "Careful, Marco. You're making our girl uncomfortable."

Our girl. The possessive claim in those words made my wolf purr even as my brain screamed that this was insane.

"Am I making you uncomfortable, Callista?" Marco leaned across the bar, close enough that I could see the silver flecks in his green eyes. "Because your scent says otherwise."

"I..." Words failed me. Because he was right. I wasn't uncomfortableI was aroused. Confused, overwhelmed, but definitely not uncomfortable.

Mateo's hand rested on my knee, the touch light but deliberate. "You're allowed to want this. Want us."

"I don't even know you," I protested weakly.

"Then let us fix that." Santiago's lips brushed the shell of my ear, making me shiver. "Dance with me again. Let me show you I'm more than just the bad boy basketball player."

"And I'll make you another drink," Marco added. "On the house. Give you something to think about."

"And I'll make sure no one bothers you while you figure this out," Mateo finished, his hand squeezing my knee gently.

They were tag-teaming me, and my traitorous body was responding to all of it. Every touch sent sparks through my skin. Every word made my heart race faster. The mate bondor bonds, pluralwas pulling me in three different directions at once.

This shouldn't be possible. You were supposed to have one mate. One person who completed you. Not three devastatingly attractive men who all seemed determined to claim me.

"This drink isn't on the house," Marco said suddenly, his voice dropping to something darker, more intimate. "It's on me. Personal gift from me to you, sweetheart."

His sharp canines flashed when he smiled, and I couldn't help but imagine those teeth scraping down my neck, marking me

No. Stop. I couldn't think like that.

"I need to use the bathroom," I blurted out, sliding off the bar stool. All three hands fell away from me, leaving cold spots where warmth had been.

"We'll be here," Santiago promised, his dark eyes intense. "Waiting for you."

"Take your time, Callista," Mateo added, though his expression said he didn't want me to take any time at all.

"Come back soon, sweetheart," Marco called as I grabbed my purse and practically fled.

The bathroom was brighter, quietera refuge from the overwhelming male attention. I leaned against the sink, staring at my reflection.

My cheeks were flushed, my eyes bright. My lips were swollen from biting them, and my hair was slightly mussed from dancing. I looked... alive. More alive than I'd felt in years.

Luca had never made me feel like this. He'd never looked at me with that hungry intensity, never touched me like he was afraid I'd disappear. He'd been content to keep me at arm's length, to play his games and make his bets.

But these three menMarco, Santiago, Mateothey looked at me like I was something precious and dangerous at the same time. Like they wanted to worship me and devour me in equal measure.

Was this what it felt like to be truly desired? Not just wanted, but needed?

I pulled out my lip gloss, hands shaking slightly as I reapplied it. The girl in the mirror looked different from the one who'd stood in Luca's apartment hours ago. That girl had been broken, hurt, ready to cry.

This girl was fierce. Powerful. Ready to take what she wanted.

And what did I want?

The answer scared me because it was all three of them. I wanted Marco's rough voice and silver piercings. I wanted Santiago's bad boy charm and protective touch. I wanted Mateo's cold control and the promise of darkness in his eyes.

I wanted to stop being the good girl who did what she was told. I wanted to be the Omega who made alphas compete for her attention.

My phone buzzed. A text from Sienna: "Where are you? The tension at this bar could cut glass. These boys are ready to fight over you!

CHAPTER 5

EVERY BIT HOW I FEEL

When I finally stepped out of the bathroom, still feeling the weight of the presence I now carried, I didnt expect to walk straight into temptation wearing a human shape.

Ouu! The words slipped out of my mouth the moment my eyes laid on him. Which was weird because I should've gotten a whiff of his scent.

He was leaning against the wall opposite the door, arms crossed over his chest, ankles casually overlapped like he had all the time in the world. But his eyes told a different story as they raked my formCdark and hungry fixed entirely on me.

Again, Luca Rodriguez was a fool.

I tried to keep my wolf at bay as I tried not to squirm. Neon lights pooled the hallway, hitting his face at just the right angle, casting shadows across his jaw in a way that made him look carved from night itself.

My heart tripped so violently I almost reached back for the bathroom door. Instead, I drew in a breath and forced a smirk on my lips.

Well, I said, lifting one eyebrow, trying so damn hard to pretend he didnt affect me, couldnt stay away from me for five minutes?

His answering smile was slow and dark, like danger wrapped in silk. The kind of smile you'd runaway from if it was coming from someone ugly.

Not when you smell like that. His voice dropped to that gravelly wolf-vibe that always slid right down my spine.

Before I could even inhale again, he pushed off the wall. In two strides he closed the distance between us, and then my back hit the opposite wall with a soft thud.

By now, my wolf was wagging its tail as my breath caught.

Santiago braced one hand beside my head, caging me in. His other hand rested lazily on my hips, thumb brushing against the skin there like he was memorizing it.

What are you doing? I strangled out, keeping my voice even.

Callie he murmured, his eyes tracing the lines on my lips. Let me claim you.

The words crashed through me like a shockwave. Claim?

The one thing every she-wolf whispered about with excitement that seemed to drug them and it was the only thing I never thought a wolf would do to my nerdy omega ass.

I shook my head, even though my knees were already turning to water.

Santiago, I I cant. My voice wobbled. I donC Im not ready for that.

His jaw flexed, frustration and something deeper flickering through his eyes, but he didnt push. Instead, he exhaled slowly, the warm breath hitting my lips with a little tease.

How can someone be so inviting? I just want to run my finger along his focus Callie!

Then let me have something, he whispered, leaning in until our foreheads touched and I could feel the steady, restrained rumble of his wolf beneath his skin.

A taste. A little moment. Anything, please. His voice cracked just slightly. Can I at least kiss you? I need to feel you again. Im starving, Callie.

Did Santiago Dela-cruz just beg me?

The confession punched through my chest, because fucking moons! I needed a taste of him too.

My head moved in a positive nod before I allowed myself think about the consequences of my decision. I let my body betray me in the worstC and bestC way possible.

In an instant, his lips met mine.

Holy Selene!

The kiss didnt start gentle. It wasnt slow or sweet or cautious. It was a collision, raw and electric like hed been holding himself back for too long and the second he got permission, his restraint snapped.

One hand grabbed my waist firmly His fingers almost getting past the fabric of my dress. The fingers in his second hand slid into my hair, pulling me closer as his body pressed against mine, breathing solid heat into me.

He kissed me like he needed it to breathe, and I responded like Id been waiting for this my whole damn life. My hands fisted in his shirt, dragging him even closer. It felt like we were burning but this fire wasn't the type you'd want to quench.

His wolf growledCa deep, low vibration that rumbled through his chest and into me, making me gasp against his mouth. I was not only drunk in the heat from his touch, but from his intoxicating scent.

Luca could never come close.

My back was warm from his palms now, his tongue delving deep into my mouth, his fingers splayed wide as if holding me in place was the only thing keeping him sane.

And for a moment, just a moment, the world outside that hallway disappeared. There was only him, only us, only heat and breath and want.

And then A scream tore through the air. A loud, high-pitched shriek that sounded like someone had walked in on a murder scene.

OH MY GOD CALLIE!

Santiago jerked back slightly, chest rising and falling like he was barely holding himself together. I blinked, lips swollen, oxygen not fully returned to my lungs yet.

Standing a few feet away, frozen like shed just caught her grandmother pole dancing, was Stella.

Just great!

Her eyes were huge, her mouth hanging open so wide I could see the back of her throat.

Oh no, I whispered under my breath.

Santiago growled in what sounded like disappointment as Stella pointed at us like wed committed the worst crime.

Because of course.

Of course the moon would give me Santiagos mouth, and Stellas scream on the same night. The universe clearly had a personal vendetta against me.

StellaC I was saying, but she cut me short.

Wow. You're not only an omega, but also a whore.

Stella's words stung more than they should, I mean, I should be used to her insults, but something about what I was feeling for three men made it sting differently.

You should mind the way you speak to people, Santiago warned, but Jessica was far from reasoning.

Why did I just walk in on you kissing my step sister Santiago? I mean, of all the sheCwolves in this club my step sister?

Just then, Matteo and Marco walked in on the whole showdown and embarrassment flooded my cheeks. Rather than a response to Stellas question, Santiago glared at Marco and Matteo, the type that said I knew you led her here.

What the hell were you thinking, kissing this she sized me up and down with her eyes, lost for words to describe me. Unable to take in the stares and scrutiny, my legs moved.

No matter how many times all three men tried to make me stop running, I didn't stop. Tears flooded my vision and I could finally feel the rush of all the alcohol I had taken tonight hit me.

Stupid! Stupid! Stop crying over words you've heard a lot of times, I chided myself, stopping right in front of my car.

With shaky hands, I reached into my purse for my car keys and fished them out the moment the metallic thing came in contact with my fingers. Getting into the driver's seat, I inserted the key in its hole. The engine revved to lifeC at least pretended toC before dying again.

I tried, again and again, but no matter how many times I twisted the key, the engine never stayed working. In frustration, I got down from the vehicle and reached for my phone. It was better to order an Uber than stay around this vicinity another minute.

I was still scrolling through my phone when a particular rain scent hit my nostrils.

Marco, I called the name in my head before I lifted my head to meet his gaze. He placed his hands softly over mine, squeezing gently without breaking eye contact.

Let me take you back to your dorm.

I don't think he knew just how much his thought sent a wave of heat and butterflies to my stomach.

Okay.

Like a simple command, he turned around and headed towards his car. I followed quietly behind him, thinking about what his physique would look like under his clothes.

I was still in my thoughts when I ran into a wallC sorry, MarcoC I didn't realise he had stopped.

I guess you've had too many Jacks tonight.

I nodded my head, not bothering to correct him. He went around and opened the passenger door. I got in, watching as he went round and got into the driver's seat.

Callie

I turned at the sound of my name, staring at his side profile as he pulled out of where he was parked and into the streets. I swallowed, watching as his muscles flexed when he turned the steering wheel.

Can someone get any sexier??

Can I ask you a question?

Sure. As long as it doesn't have to do with me kidding you.

He turned to stare at me, his eyes growing darker than they were a few seconds ago.