As I sat down behind my mother, I could already feel the chaos of my mind spinning up again. Great, more “bonding time” with my new family, watching Gabriel and Lucas spar like they’re in some kind of werewolf showdown. Gabriel, my new stepdad—seriously, stepdad—was all precise moves and Alpha bravado, practically radiating confidence as he lunged and dodged. And Lucas? He moved with this sleek, fierce energy that was both impressive and, yeah, annoying as hell.
But of course, my gaze kept drifting to him. Not on purpose or anything. He just… stood out, okay? His every move had this magnetic pull, this raw intensity, like he was trying to make a statement with every punch. Not that I cared. Really.
Just as I was working up my resolve to look anywhere but at Lucas, my mother leaned in, he
