The woods were my sanctuary.

Some people found comfort in crowded bars or neon-lit city streets. Me? I found it in the hush between trees, in the thick perfume of pine and damp earth. Out here, the silence wasn’t empty—it was alive. Whispering. Breathing. Waiting for me.

As a writer, that mattered. When my words ran dry and the page stared back at me like a taunt, I came here. The forest never judged me for unfinished drafts or crumpled pages. It welcomed me back every time, as if it knew my secrets.

Tonight, the air was cooler than usual, silver with moonlight. I clutched my notebook close to my chest as I stepped deeper into the woods, my boots crunching softly over fallen leaves.

“Okay, Raine,” I muttered under my breath, “time to pull a story out of your ass before your agent drops you.”

The words felt ridiculous in the quiet, but humor was the only thing keeping my nerves in check. Because beneath the calm, something prickled in the air tonight. A vibration, almost. Like the forest itself was holding its breath.

And then I heard it. A low ,guttural and pained sound.

Not quite human. Not quite animal.

I froze, heart slamming into my ribs. Every survival instinct screamed at me to run. But something else—something reckless—pulled me forward instead.

“Hello?” My voice cracked embarrassingly. I swallowed and tried again. “Is someone there?”

The sound came again, a groan laced with a growl. I crept toward it, moving branches aside until the world opened up to a small clearing.

That’s when I saw him.

Or… it.

A wolf. Massive, dark-furred, sprawled on the ground. His chest rose and fell raggedly, and blood gleamed black under the moonlight.

“Oh my God,” I whispered. My notebook tumbled from my fingers.

Run, Raine. He’s a predator. Get the hell out.

But my feet refused to move. Something in those glowing, molten-gold eyes pinned me in place. They weren’t wild, not completely. They were too… aware.

He growled weakly when I inched closer, but he didn’t lunge. Didn’t snap. His gaze tracked me like he knew me.

“Hey,” I whispered, crouching low. My pulse raced, but my voice softened like I was coaxing a frightened animal. “I’m not gonna hurt you.”

I fumbled in my bag, pulling out the little first-aid kit I always carried. My fingers trembled as I reached toward him.

The moment my hand brushed his fur, heat jolted through me. Not warmth. Not comfort. Heat. A lick of fire that raced from my fingertips straight to my core.

I gasped and snatched my hand back, but I couldn’t stay away. My body leaned toward him like it already belonged to him.

The wolf’s lips peeled back in a faint snarl, but his eyes burned brighter.

And then the impossible happened.

His body convulsed, bones shifting, fur receding. The sound was horrible, cracking and tearing, but I couldn’t look away. Within seconds, where the wolf had lain… was a man.

A man, naked and bleeding, sprawled across the leaves like some fallen god.

I staggered back, a shocked cry escaping me. He was… impossibly beautiful, even torn open with wounds. His body was all muscle and scars, chest heaving, jaw clenched. The moonlight kissed every inch of bare skin, and my eyes—traitorous—drank him in before I could stop.

Broad shoulders. A torso built for sin. And lower—

I snapped my gaze away, heat flooding my cheeks, but not before I caught the heavy, undeniable proof of his masculinity.

“Fuck…” I whispered, and immediately hated myself for the word.

His eyes opened—still that same molten gold. They locked on me, sharp and unyielding.

“Human,” he rasped, voice rough like gravel. “Why did you touch me?”

My throat went dry. His voice wasn’t just a sound—it was a caress, deep and commanding, curling low in my stomach.

“You were hurt,” I managed, though my voice shook. “I—I was trying to help.”

One corner of his bloodied mouth curved, and somehow that smirk was more dangerous than his teeth had been. “Help… or claim?”

The word rolled over my skin like a brand. Claim. My thighs pressed together instinctively, heat coiling inside me.

“I don’t even know what that means,” I whispered.

His gaze dragged down my body, slow, deliberate, hungry. My breath hitched under the weight of it.

“You smell like temptation,” he murmured. “Like mate.” His head fell back for a second, a groan rumbling deep in his chest. “Fuck… I should kill you for finding me. But all I want is to taste you.”

My pulse thundered. My legs should’ve been carrying me the hell away, but instead I edged closer, kneeling in the leaves. Something about him—feral and broken and burning—snared me.

“You need… help,” I said, voice barely more than a whisper. “You’re bleeding.”

“I need you.” His hand shot out, lightning-fast, fingers curling around my wrist. His grip was iron, but not cruel. “Don’t pretend you don’t feel it too.”

I did. God, I did. My whole body was trembling, not with fear but with raw, aching want. My lips parted, but no words came.

His thumb stroked the inside of my wrist, slow and rough. “You’re shaking,” he said darkly. “Not from fear. From need.”

I shuddered. “You’re insane.”

“Am I?” His eyes burned hotter. “Or are you just wet for me already, little human?”

Heat shot straight between my thighs, shame and desire tangled. He was a stranger—no, worse, a predator, a wolf, a monster—and yet my body was betraying me with every breath.

“I…” I swallowed hard, voice breaking. “This is crazy.”

His smirk deepened. “Crazy would be letting you walk away when your scent is driving me out of my fucking mind.” His grip tightened just enough to make me gasp. “Tell me you don’t want me, Raine, and I’ll let you go.”

My heart stuttered. “How do you know my name?”

His eyes glittered. “Because it was written in my blood the moment you touched me.” He dragged my wrist to his mouth, teeth grazing my skin. “Say the word, and I’ll stop. But if you stay silent…” His tongue flicked against my pulse. “…you’re mine.”

My breath caught. The woods spun around me. My voice trembled out of me before I could stop it.

“I… don’t want you to stop.”

His growl was low and primal, vibrating against my skin. “Good girl.”

His mouth hovered against my wrist, teeth grazing my skin, and I couldn’t think. I couldn’t breathe. My body burned with a hunger I didn’t understand.

I should’ve been running. Screaming. He was a wolf—a monster. But when his golden eyes pinned mine and his hot breath teased my pulse, the only thing I wanted was more.

“Say it again,” he growled, voice vibrating through me. “Tell me you don’t want me to stop.”

I swallowed hard, my voice trembling. “I don’t… want you to stop.”

His answering snarl was primal, triumphant, and then his mouth closed over my wrist, sucking, biting just enough to make me gasp. Pleasure and pain blurred until my thighs pressed together helplessly.

“You’re trembling,” he muttered against my skin. His hand slid from my wrist down my arm, strong and rough, until his fingers brushed the curve of my breast through my shirt. “Here. And here.” He pinched my nipple, sharp and deliberate. “Your body doesn’t lie, little human.”

A whimper escaped me, and shame flared hot in my cheeks. “This… this isn’t right.”

His gaze darkened. “It’s the only thing that’s right.”

He shoved me back gently but firmly, until I was lying against the forest floor, leaves and earth cradling me. My heart thundered as he prowled over me, bracing himself on either side of my head. The heat of his body was overwhelming, every muscle straining, every scar a promise of violence and survival.

“Look at you,” he whispered, almost reverent. “Fragile. Soft. And still, you touched me. You saved me. That makes you mine.”

My breath caught. “I’m not—”

His mouth crashed down on mine, stealing the rest of my words.

The kiss was brutal, claiming, nothing like the hesitant brushes of lips I’d known before. His tongue invaded my mouth, demanding, and I moaned into him, clutching at his shoulders. His taste was wild—smoke and salt and something darker, addictive.

When he pulled back, I was gasping, dizzy.

“Fuck,” he snarled, grinding his hips against mine. His cock—thick, hard, impossible—pressed into my stomach. “Do you feel what you’ve done to me?”

Heat flooded me, my body arching toward him against my will. “You’re hurt,” I whispered weakly, trying to find sense in the chaos.

His eyes glowed brighter. “I’ll heal. You’re the only wound I can’t walk away from.”

His hand slid down, fingers pressing between my thighs, right over my jeans. I gasped as he rubbed against me, slow and teasing.

“You’re soaked already.” His grin was wicked, sharp teeth flashing. “You want this as much as I do.”

“Please…” The word slipped out before I could stop it, a desperate whisper.

“Please what, Raine?” His voice was silk over steel. “Say it. Beg your Alpha.”

Something in me shattered at the word. Alpha. The sound of it sank into my bones, heavy, right, like my body recognized something my mind refused to accept.

“Please… touch me,” I whispered, trembling.

His growl was pure satisfaction. “Good girl.”

His hand moved fast, yanking my jeans open, shoving them down. Cool air kissed my bare skin before his hand slid beneath my panties. His fingers found me soaked, aching, and he groaned low in his throat.

“Fuck, you’re perfect,” he muttered, sliding a finger inside me, then another, stretching me, curling just right. My back arched, a cry ripping from my throat as pleasure shot through me.

“Louder,” he ordered. “Let the forest hear who you belong to.”

His thumb circled my clit, relentless, and I broke, gasping his name though I didn’t even know it yet.

“Yes,” he groaned, lips on my throat, biting, marking. “Say it again.”

“I—I don’t even know your name,” I managed between moans.

His teeth scraped my skin, making me shiver. “Kael,” he growled. “Your Alpha. Remember it.”

Kael. The name burned into me like fire.

He thrust his fingers harder, faster, until I was writhing under him, lost, begging. My body tightened, pleasure building sharp and unbearable.

“Come for me,” he commanded, and my body obeyed.

The orgasm ripped through me, hot and blinding. I cried out, clawing at his back, shaking as waves of pleasure tore me apart.

Kael snarled against my neck, biting down hard enough to sting, but the pain only made the release deeper, sharper.

When I finally collapsed, trembling, his fingers slid free, slick with me. He lifted them to his mouth and sucked them clean, groaning like a man starved.

“You taste like sin,” he rasped. “And I’ll never have enough.”

I whimpered, overwhelmed, body still quaking.

He shifted, pressing the head of his cock against my entrance, and my eyes flew wide.

“Wait—” I gasped. “You’ll break me.”

His gaze softened just a fraction, though his hunger didn’t fade. “I’ll be gentle. This time.” He smirked, leaning down to kiss me again. “Next time, I’ll ruin you.”

The blunt pressure of him nudging at my opening made my breath hitch. He was huge, impossibly so, and I wasn’t sure my body could take him. But god, I wanted to try.

Kael groaned, forehead pressed to mine. “You’re so tight already. You’re going to feel every inch of me.”

“Kael…” I whispered, torn between fear and need.

Before I could say more, he froze. His head snapped up, nostrils flaring. His grip on me tightened.

“What—?” I started, but he silenced me with a finger to my lips.

“They’re coming,” he growled, eyes burning.

“Who?” My heart raced.

His lips curved in a wicked smile. “My brothers.”

The way he said it made my pulse stutter all over again—fear, anticipation, and something hotter tangled in my gut.

Because if one Alpha felt like this… what would three of them do to me?

The echo of Kael’s growl still vibrated in my chest when I felt it—another presence. No… two. The air shifted, heavier, like the forest itself held its breath.

Kael froze above me, every muscle taut. His cock still pressed against me, my panties damp from the friction, my body begging for more. But his gaze was locked on the darkness beyond the trees. His nostrils flared, his lips curling into a snarl.

“They’re here.”

A shiver raced down my spine. “Who?”

The answer came before he could speak. Two figures emerged from the shadows, tall, broad, and devastatingly familiar. My breath caught. They looked like Kael—same golden eyes burning like wildfire—but each of them carried a different kind of danger.

The first stepped forward with a grace that was almost lazy, though his presence made my pulse thunder. His hair was a shade lighter, falling in careless waves to his jaw, his smirk sharp enough to cut. His gaze raked over me, lingering on the way Kael had me pinned, my jeans shoved down, my shirt rumpled, my skin flushed.

“Well, well,” he drawled, voice smooth like silk over a blade. “Our runaway Alpha finally finds a reason to stop sulking in the dirt.”

“Lucian,” Kael growled.

The smirking one winked at me. “And who’s this little prize?”

Before I could answer, the other brother moved closer, slower, like a predator circling prey. His hair was darker than Kael’s, his jaw sharper, his presence quieter—but somehow heavier. Brooding, dangerous. His gaze wasn’t teasing like Lucian’s. It was consuming.

“Mine,” he said simply, his voice low, guttural, final.

Kael snarled, shifting slightly to shield me with his body. “She’s mine.”

Lucian laughed softly. “You’re both wrong. She smells like mate. To all of us.”

The word cracked through me like thunder. Mate. My stomach flipped, my chest tightening.

“What?” I whispered, though my body already knew. That strange heat coiling in my veins since I touched Kael—it surged now, sharper, pulling me toward the other two men as much as the one above me.

The dark one’s gaze sharpened on me. “You feel it too,” he said, not a question.

I swallowed hard. “I… I don’t know what I feel.”

Lucian’s smirk widened. “Let us help you figure it out.”

Kael bared his teeth. “Stay back.”

But they didn’t listen. They moved closer, steps perfectly in sync, surrounding me with heat and shadow and fire. The forest seemed to shrink until there was nothing but them—the three of them, golden-eyed and hungry, their attention stripping me bare.

I should have been afraid. Three monsters, three predators closing in on me. But fear wasn’t what tightened my thighs and made my breath hitch.

It was need.

Lucian crouched beside me first, his hand brushing my cheek, thumb smearing Kael’s bite mark. “Already marked. Already ruined for anyone else.” He leaned closer, his breath teasing my lips. “But not ruined for us.”

The dark one—Damon, I realized from the way Kael hissed his name under his breath—moved to my other side. His hand wrapped around my wrist, lifting it to his mouth. He kissed the inside slowly, then dragged his teeth across my pulse. My entire body shuddered.

“You’re shaking,” he murmured. “Not from fear. From want.”

I whimpered, helpless.

Kael’s snarl was low, torn between fury and hunger. “Don’t touch what’s mine.”

Lucian chuckled. “You feel it too, brother. She belongs to all of us. The bond doesn’t lie.”

Damon’s eyes locked on mine. “Say it,” he ordered softly, a command that sent heat rushing straight between my thighs. “Say you want us.”

“I…” My voice trembled. Their eyes burned into me, their bodies so close I could feel their heat. “I shouldn’t.”

Lucian’s grin turned wicked. “Shouldn’t feels a lot like begging when your nipples are this hard.” His hand slid boldly down my chest, palming my breast through my shirt, thumb circling until I gasped.

“Lucian,” Kael barked.

“Relax,” Lucian teased. “I’m just introducing myself.” He pinched my nipple through the fabric, sharp, making me cry out, then leaned close to whisper in my ear. “I’m Lucian. You’ll scream it soon.”

Damon’s mouth brushed my other ear. “And I’m Damon. You’ll beg for me.”

Kael growled again, furious—but his cock still pressed against me, thick and hard, his own restraint unraveling.

I moaned, overwhelmed, my body arching helplessly between them. “This is… too much.”

Lucian’s laugh was dark, sinful. “Sweetheart, we haven’t even started.”

His mouth covered mine suddenly, hot and demanding, his tongue sweeping in to claim me. I gasped against him, kissing back without thought, the taste of him dizzying—smoke and spice, wild in a different way than Kael.

When Lucian finally pulled back, my lips swollen, Damon replaced him. His kiss was slower, deeper, his tongue exploring me like he had all the time in the world. My body melted, trapped between them, every nerve ending on fire.

Kael cursed low, then grabbed my jaw, forcing me to look at him. “Mine,” he snarled, before crushing his mouth to mine in a brutal, possessive kiss that left me whimpering.

Three kisses. Three flavors of hunger. My body didn’t know where to turn, every touch sending me spiraling.

Lucian’s hand slid beneath my shirt, tugging it up, baring my bra. He groaned. “Fuck, look at her.”

Damon’s hand joined his, tugging the fabric down to free my breasts. Both of them stared hungrily before lowering their mouths, Lucian sucking one nipple while Damon teased the other with sharp bites. I cried out, arching into them, my hands flying to their hair.

Kael shoved Lucian back, growling, but instead of stopping, he leaned down to claim my mouth again, his hand sliding between my thighs. His fingers found me wet and desperate, and his groan was feral.

“She’s dripping,” he snarled. “For us.”

Damon’s mouth left my breast just long enough for him to whisper against my skin. “Let us taste her.”

Kael hesitated, his body vibrating with fury and need. Then, with a curse, he shifted off me, tugging my jeans the rest of the way down, ripping my panties aside.

The night air kissed my slick heat, and all three of them groaned in unison.

Lucian’s grin turned savage. “Fuck yes. She’s ready.”

Before I could process, Damon moved lower, settling between my thighs. His eyes met mine once, dark and unyielding, before his mouth descended.

The first stroke of his tongue made me scream.

He licked me like a starving man, slow then fast, sucking my clit until my hips bucked uncontrollably. My fingers tangled in his dark hair, holding on for dear life as he devoured me.

Lucian kissed my throat, biting gently, whispering filth into my ear. “So sweet. So wet. You were made for this. For us.”

Kael’s hand fisted in my hair, forcing my head back so he could watch every reaction, his own cock straining against his pants. “Don’t come yet,” he growled. “Not until we say.”

But Damon’s tongue was merciless, curling, stroking, thrusting inside me. I was shaking, moaning, my body betraying me.

“Please,” I sobbed. “Please, I can’t—”

Lucian chuckled. “You hear that, brothers? She begs so pretty.” He pinched my nipple hard, making me gasp. “Go on, sweetheart. Beg louder.”

“Please, Kael, Damon, Lucian—please, I need to—”

“Now,” Kael snarled.

Damon sucked hard, and I shattered.

The orgasm ripped through me like fire, my scream echoing in the trees. My body convulsed, my thighs clamping around Damon’s head, but he only growled and licked me harder, prolonging it until I was sobbing, boneless, wrecked.

When he finally pulled back, his mouth glistened with me. He licked his lips, eyes burning. “Addicted already.”

Lucian leaned down, licking a stray drop from Damon’s mouth before kissing me again, making me taste myself. “Perfect,” he purred.

Kael’s voice was rough, breaking. “She’s ours. All of ours.”

I could barely think, trembling, overwhelmed. “I… can’t…”

“Yes, you can,” Kael growled, cupping my face. His eyes were wild but certain. “You were born for us. The bond chose you.”

Lucian kissed my neck, Damon bit my thigh, Kael pressed his forehead to mine—and I knew, with bone-deep certainty, that I was lost.

Three Alphas. Three mates.

And they weren’t going to let me go.