CHAPTER 5: UNAVOIDABLE PROXIMITY
984 Words
Andre's pov
The knowledge that I was a werewolf didn't make the terrifying pull disappear; it just gave it a name. Mate Bond.
I spent the morning after my research oscillating between panic and exhilaration. I wasn't running from lust anymore; I was running from destiny. Yet, now that I knew the truth, avoiding Zakk and Zane felt like fighting gravity. Every nerve ending in my body was tuned to their location, their scent, their presence in the house.
Around lunchtime, Henry walked into the kitchen, looking perplexed. "The irrigation system in the back garden is completely blocked. I can't reach the valve near the shed. It's too tight."
Zane, who was meticulously organizing the pantry, spoke up immediately. "I'll handle it, Dad. Zakk can help me move the large stone that's blocking the access."
"It's heavy," Henry warned. "Maybe I should call a landscaper."
"Nonsense," Zakk said, walking in, his energy already high. He caught my eye, and the brief, possessive flicker of his gaze was a warning: I know you know.
"Actually," Henry said, looking at me, "Andre, you're the smallest. You might be the only one who can fit into that gap to even see what the problem is. Could you perhaps poke your head down there for us?"
I froze. Working with them? In close quarters? After learning I was a werewolf destined to marry both of them? This was the absolute last thing I wanted, and precisely what the bond demanded.
"I... I suppose I could," I stammered, hating the weakness in my voice.
The back garden was shaded and quiet. The access point to the valve was indeed tight—a narrow, earth-packed space beneath a low concrete lip, partially obscured by a massive, flat paving stone.
"Zane, you take the left side," Zakk instructed, already squatting down and bracing his shoulder against the heavy stone. "Andre, you wait until we get this thing moved, then you can crawl in."
I watched them work, mesmerized. Side-by-side, they were the very definition of synchronized power. Muscles flexed and strained beneath their thin t-shirts, mirroring each other perfectly as they shifted the enormous weight. The heat of their effort amplified the cedar and earth scent, which rolled off them in waves. It was potent, intoxicating, and completely overwhelming.
"Almost," Zane grunted, his face tight with effort.
The stone finally ground free, sliding a foot to the side. Both men stood up, breathing hard, their chests heaving. They were sweaty, slightly dirty, and intensely, primitively male.
"Your turn, Mate," Zakk said, though he quickly masked the last word with a deliberate cough, turning it into a simple, arrogant challenge.
I dropped to my hands and knees and squeezed into the damp, shadowy space. The valve was visible, but before I could inspect it, I heard a quiet thud.
Zane had settled onto his knees just behind me, shielding me from the rest of the garden. Zakk was across from him, squatting low, leaning his elbows on his knees, his face inches from mine as I looked into the gap.
I was trapped between them.
"See anything, Andre?" Zakk whispered, his voice low and close.
The proximity was agonizing. The mate bond, now fully acknowledged by my subconscious, surged with unbearable heat. I couldn't focus on the valve; I could only focus on the pulse jumping in Zakk's throat, the shadow of his afternoon stubble, the shared scent.
"It looks... like roots," I managed, my voice strained. "A thick knot of roots choking the valve."
"We'll need to cut them out," Zane murmured from behind me. His breath stirred the hair on my neck, and the sudden, soft warmth made my entire body tighten.
"You'll have to come out first," Zakk said, and instead of moving, he leaned closer. "Or..."
He reached out slowly, deliberately, his fingers brushing the fabric of my shirt near my shoulder. It wasn't a touch meant to help me move; it was a touch meant to test my resistance.
The fleeting contact was an electric shock. I gasped, the sound muffled by the concrete. The mate bond flared, sending a rush of heat straight to my core.
"Or what, Zakk?" I whispered, struggling to keep my breathing even.
His eyes, dark and knowing, held mine captive. "Or I can just reach over you."
He didn't wait for permission. He leaned in, his heavy forearm pressing against my back as he stretched his body over mine to get a better look at the roots. His chest was brushing the back of my head, and his body heat was overwhelming. I was utterly pinned, paralyzed by the inescapable physical reality of the bond.
"Roots," Zakk confirmed, his voice now a mere rumble right next to my ear. He smelled the confusion and the longing radiating off me. "Hard to move, aren't they?"
He was no longer talking about the irrigation problem. He was talking about destiny.
Then, just as quickly, he pulled back, straightening up.
"It’s not safe to leave you pinned in there," Zane said, his voice curt. He reached down and gripped my hand, pulling me swiftly out of the cramped space and onto the grass. His touch was firm and necessary, the touch of a protector.
I stumbled, breathless and flushed, back into the open air. I looked at Zane's face. His eyes were dark, his jaw was tight—frustrated by Zakk’s aggression, yet undeniably aroused by the close proximity.
The house still stood, and the family was still oblivious. But I was covered in sweat, dirt, and the overpowering, beautiful scent of my mates. The slow burn was moving too fast, and I knew that soon, proximity wouldn't be enough.
- Writer
