3

As we pulled up to the last snare, his posture changed. "It's big," he whispered. 

He was right. It was almost ten feet long and so thick I could hide behind it. Thankfully, it was too large for him to want to wrestle. After dispatching it with the pistol, he effortlessly flipped it up into the boat.

Getting the alligator meant we caught it and several giant catfish, which had not happened since the last hurricane. Teddy was ecstatic, obviously proud he could provide the pack with a good meal tonight.  

He had already sent a mental message to everyone, getting them ready for a gator BBQ. Considering they'd been living on glorified roadkill, I knew this would quickly become a party.

It always frustrated me that I couldn't hear him when he talked to the pack. "Will I be able to hear you once I'm marked?"

He shrugged and grinned. "I think so, but no reason to worry about it, Mon Loup. After you're marked, we'll never be far enough apart to need it."

We'd finally figured out how to create the mind link. It took weeks, literal weeks, and it only happened when our wolves got flustered and started licking each other in the mouth obsessively.

 Making it weird somehow made it work. 

We joked it only happened because our wolves hated 'kissing' like humans do and wanted us to talk to stop it.

As we pulled up to the dock, a white wolf was waiting for us.

I sighed, looking at Teddy. "Take the food up and give me a bit, will you?"

"Sure thing." Teddy walked by the wolf and called out, "Hey, Kael, nice to see you again."

Kael growled and snapped at him, making Teddy laugh. "There are extra shorts on the boat, Bro," he said, and Kael yipped playfully in response. 

Over the past year, Teddy and Kael had gotten close. Kael still wanted to kill him half the time, and Teddy loved to tease him about it, but they managed to get along.

Once Teddy was out of sight, Kael shifted back. I threw him a pair of shorts. 

"You need to stop sneaking out like this, sis," he huffed.

I snorted. "You weren't even home."

"How did you know that?"

"Sky caught me because she was up with the babies. If you'd been home, you would have been up instead and caught me."

"Fair enough." Kael sighed. "I had to come out here for a bit."

"Funny, me too."

He looked out at the water. "You're coming to find something. I'm coming to lose something."

Kael often came out here to escape Burk's ghost. He'd learned that Burk seemed to leave him alone for a few days whenever he visited the bayou. So, anytime he felt Burk's presence, he came out here.

"You only have three more weeks," he said quietly. "Please don't make me lose it before then."

"You'll be fine," I assured him. 

I was already eighteen. My birthday was last week. 

My virtue was no longer his concern. 

He just looked at me. "Oh, I will... but he won't."

I rolled my eyes. "Come on, come eat some gator."

"I'll pass. How do you know you're not eating the one that ate..." He trailed off, but I knew he meant Burk.

Burk had almost gotten Teddy killed when he plunged him into the water below the house where he'd kept Kael after kidnapping him. It was the reason I had to mark Teddy early.

"Good riddance. That asshole didn't even deserve to be food," I muttered.

Kael shuddered. "Still, I'm good. Have fun, but not too much fun, okay? And come home before it's been three days. You two still aren't sleeping in the same bed, right? I know you're an adult now, but the temptation..."

I laughed. We had always slept in the same bed, though Kael didn't know. "Yep," I lied.

Teddy reappeared and asked, "Are you coming?"

"Of course." I stood up, watching Teddy and Kael do their awkward man-hug thing. 

"You really don't have to run, you know. We don't mind having you around... most of the time."

Kael shrugged off Teddy's arm. "I'm good. Maybe once I don't have the urge to rip your throat out."

Teddy winked. "You wouldn't."

"How do you know?"

"Because then she'd rip your throat out." Teddy shot back with a grin on his face.

He was right. I'd kill anyone who touched Teddy. I had never felt so protective over anything before. 

The celebration was already in full swing as we returned to the packhouse.

Teddy didn't like me being at these things, but I needed to be. This was his home, his roots, and the family I was joining. 

Phin was drunk with an arm slung around a tiny girl with a black pixie cut. I laughed. He must be running out of options since he always said he hated girls with short hair.

He staggered over, wrapping his other arm around me as Teddy walked around the building to tell some omegas to get lost before they caused trouble. He promised to bring some of the gator later and then played with them, chasing them around the grounds before running them back down to the docks.

"Well, if it isn't my favorite little blonde-haired blue-eyed thief. Here to steal my Beta for good tonight, or do I have a few more weeks?" Phin slurred, tightening his grip on me as the short-haired girl huffed and walked off.

Great, there goes another one.

He was breathing heavily. "I heard you helped catch dinner tonight, little wolf. Are you sure you don't want to stay with us once he marks you? I could put you to good use around here. You'll never get that kind of freedom with your brothers."

Teddy came around the corner and quickly removed Phin's arm from around me. "Where'd your new mate go, Phin? Better grab her. You might find yourself lonely tonight otherwise."

Phin huffed. "I won't, I assure you."

Teddy guided me through the crowd. He leaned down to whisper in my ear, "You okay?"

I nodded. "Just not used to all this yet."

He just grinned. "You will be. This is your home now, you."

Another topic we fought over. I had no plans to move here. 

Ever.

"Want to dance?" he asked with a playful glint in his eyes as he finished his third beer.

"Why not?" I smiled, letting him lead me to a spot near the fire. 

The music from a portable speaker mingled with the sounds of the celebration, and Phin's drunken tirades.

As we swayed to the rhythm, Teddy's breath was warm against my ear. "Ignore Phin," he whispered. "It's just us."

I closed my eyes, the steady beat of his heart in one ear and his voice humming softly in the other, drowning out everything else. 

"Feeling better?" Teddy asked after the song ended, his forehead resting against mine.

"Much better," I murmured.

"Good." He kissed me. "Are you tired?"

"A little," I admitted.

"Head back to the house," he said. "I'll be there soon. Just need to grab some food for the omegas."

I nodded and started towards his house by the docks, away from the main packhouse. The path was dark and quiet as the sounds of the celebration grew distant. 

As I stepped on the porch, I was pushed against the front door hard from behind.

 I gasped, trying to push off the door, but whoever it was held me in place with a strength that overpowered mine. There was only one person on this land who was stronger than me.  

I twisted my head, glancing over my shoulder. Phin's eyes glowed. "I told your boyfriend I wouldn't end up alone," he slurred. His breath was hot against my neck.

Thankfully, we had kept it under wraps from his pack that Teddy and I had established the mental link. Desperation clawed at my throat as I screamed in my head for Teddy.

Phin's hold on me was suffocating, his intentions clear in the way he pressed against me. 

"You think you're so special," he sneered. "But you'll see. I get what I want."

 I pushed back against him with all my strength, but he didn't budge. He just laughed and thrust his hips against me even harder.

"Get off me!" I managed to choke out.

He leaned in closer, his voice a mocking murmur in my ear. "What's the rush, Cassy? Your boyfriend isn't here to save you. He's too busy treating the omegas like they matter. How does that make you feel? Sharing your time with omegas? You wouldn't have to share me with anyone, you know."

I continued to scream for Teddy mentally, hoping he could hear me. 

"Phin, stop!" I cried, my voice trembling with fear and desperation. "Please, don't do this."

His eyes gleamed with twisted satisfaction. "Why should I?" he taunted. "You think you're too good for me? Just because you're a Monroe?"

I fought to keep my composure. To keep from crying. This asshole didn't need to see me cry. "Let me go," I pleaded.

His breath was hot as he ranked his teeth against my neck. "Not until I get what I want," he hissed.