Jade’s POV
The private car humd softly beneath us as it carried us away from the Alpha estate, the world outside the tinted windows blurring into streaks of green and gray. No one spoke. Not a single word. Yet the silence was anything but empty.
I sat beside Ryder, my thighs brushing theirs every ti the road curved or the driver slowed. Renzo and Ronan sat opposite , their posture deceptively relaxed, gaze fixed on the window like everything was normal except I could feel it. Every ti I shifted. Every ti I breathed too deeply. Every ti my hair slid over my shoulder.
The mate bond pulsed like a living thing.
I kept my back straight, chin lifted, rembering Mr. Valerio’s voice in my head. Confidence, I need to believe in myself and be confident.
When the car finally pulled up beside the private jet, the air changed. Sothing sharpened. Anticipation, maybe. Or inevitability of being stuck in the sa space with them for a much longer ti. The jet glead under the sun like sothing unreal, and as the staff ushered us forward, I felt the weight of what this trip truly was.
This was not a honeymoon.
This was a test.
The flight itself was... unbearable in the best and worst ways.
The cabin was intimate, decorate with flowers to create a romantic atmosphere. Plush seats, warm lighting, a soft hum beneath everything. Ronan sat across from , his eyes dark and unreadable. Ryder took the seat beside mine, his arm resting close enough that I could feel the heat of him through the fabric. Renzo sat diagonally across, one ankle resting on his knee, jaw tight.
Every movent felt magnified.
When turbulence hit lightly, my fingers instinctively curled into the armrest, and Ryder’s hand was suddenly there, steadying mine. Not gripping. Not possessive. Just there. On top of mine, touching.
I looked at him.
He looked at .
Sothing flickered. Heat. Confusion. Want.
He withdrew first.
I swallowed.
By the ti we landed on the island resort, the air was thick with salt and warmth, the ocean stretching endlessly under the sun. The resort itself looked like sothing out of a dream. white stone, cascading greenery, open spaces that breathed luxury and privacy all at once.
The staff greeted us with reverence.
“Welco,” they said, smiling knowingly. “Your suite has already been prepared.”
Suite.
Singular.
When the doors opened and we stepped inside, my breath caught.
It was massive, high ceilings, flowing white curtains, a wall of glass that opened to a private terrace overlooking the ocean. The bed alone looked large enough to swallow all four of us, draped in silk and linen, candles already placed carefully around the room. Roses. Soft lighting. Champagne chilling in an ice bucket.
Romantically designed.
Intentionally so it seems
I felt it then, Alpha Ashford’s presence without him being here. His expectations pressed into my spine like a hand.
This is where it happens.
The sex.
My wolf stirred uneasily.
The staff explained the itinerary calmly, professionally. Couple activities scheduled over the coming days. Spa treatnts. Bonding exercises. Private dinners. And then...
“A certified relationship and sex therapist will be available to guide you through select sessions,” the attendant added smoothly.
I froze for half a second.
A sex therapist.
I didn’t look at my mates, but I didn’t have to. The shift in the room was imdiate. Ryder’s jaw tightened. Ronan’s shoulders stiffened. Renzo exhaled sharply through his nose.
The staff assured us nothing would begin today, we had just arrived. Today was for settling in. A tour of the resort. Dinner. Rest.
Rest.
If only.
The tour was torture.
The resort was breathtaking, private beaches, infinity pools, hidden walkways lined with lanterns, but I barely saw any of it. Not really. All I could focus on was how close we were forced to walk, how often hands brushed, how Ronan’s fingers lingered at the small of my back just a second too long when he unexpectedly decided to guid up a step.
How Renzo kept glancing at like he was trying not to.
How Ryder kept ending up beside no matter where we stopped.
The mate bond thrumd louder with every step.
By dinner, my nerves were frayed raw.
We were seated at a secluded table overlooking the ocean, candles flickering softly as the sun dipped into the horizon. The cuisine was exquisite, flavors rich and indulgent, but I could barely taste anything.
I applied what I’d learned.
I didn’t fidget.
I didn’t shrink.
I t their eyes when they spoke.
When Ronan’s knee brushed mine, I didn’t pull away. When Renzo’s gaze dropped briefly to my lips, I pretended not to notice.
But I noticed everything.
The silence between us grew heavy. Charged. Every accidental touch felt deliberate. Every look lingered too long.
By the ti dinner ended, the heat between us was undeniable.
Back in the suite, the ocean breeze flowed through the open doors, curtains fluttering softly. No one spoke. No one moved to separate rooms, because there weren’t any.
Just space.
Shared space.
I set my bag down slowly, my heart pounding. This was it. The mont where sothing could tip, one way or another.
Renzo broke the silence first.
“This place...” he muttered, running a hand through his hair. “It’s a lot.”
I nodded. “Yeah.”
Ryder shifted, his voice low. “Father planned everything.”
I walked toward the terrace, needing air, needing space, and I felt them follow without thinking. The moon reflected off the water, casting silver light over everything.
I turned.
They were all there. Close. Too close.
The mate bond surged.
For a mont, no one breathed.
Renzo took a step forward, then stopped, like he was restraining himself by sheer force. Ryder’s eyes darkened, his fists clenching at his sides. Ronan’s gaze softened in a way that made my chest ache.
I felt exposed. Seen. Wanted.
Terrified.
My wolf pressed forward, urging closeness, warmth, connection.
I swallowed hard.
“This trip,” I said quietly, breaking the spell, “is going to be... intense.”
Ronan let out a slow breath. “Yeah.”
No one disagreed.
The air between us crackled with things unsaid, with desire wrapped in confusion, with longing tangled in resentnt. We stood there under the moonlight, four people bound together by fate and desire, none of us knowing who would be the first to give in.
Eventually, Ryder stepped back. Just one step. Enough to breathe again.
“We should rest,” he said roughly. “Tomorrow’s going to be.... a lot.”
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