The Alpha's Unforeseen Intervention

The water embraced me like a second skin as I cut through it, stroke after powerful stroke. Swimming had always been my refuge when my thoughts became too chaotic, when control seemed just beyond my grasp. Tonight, it wasn't helping.

Hazel's scent lingered in my house, in my mind. Every breath I took was filled with her—honeysuckle and sunshine teasing my senses, driving my wolf to near madness. I'd told myself that I was strong enough to resist, that my decades of discipline would see me through this. I was beginning to doubt my own conviction.

Three more laps. Just three more, and then maybe I could attempt to sleep.

A soft noise at the pool house entrance made me pause mid-stroke. I surfaced, wiping water from my eyes, to find her standing there—Hazel, my torment, my salvation. She wore an oversized t-shirt that barely reached mid-thigh, her hair tousled from sleep. The sight of her nearly stopped my heart.

"Sorry," she mumbled, clearly embarrassed. "I was looking for the kitchen. Rhys wanted some water."

Of course. She wasn't here for me. She was here for one of her bonds. I ignored the stab of jealousy that thought provoked.

"Through the main hall, second door on the left," I replied, my voice rougher than intended. "Help yourself to anything you need."

She nodded, but didn't move immediately. Her eyes tracked over my bare chest where I stood in the shallow end, water lapping at my waist. The look in them was curious, confused, and undeniably heated.

"Thank you for letting us stay here tonight," she said finally.

"It was no trouble." A blatant lie. Having her sleeping under my roof, so close yet untouchable, was exquisite torture.

She lingered a moment longer, as if wanting to say something else, but then turned and disappeared back into the house. I released a breath I hadn't realized I was holding and plunged beneath the surface again, pushing myself harder, faster, trying to outswim my own desires.

The wolf inside me howled in protest at letting her walk away. Mine, it insisted. Ours.

Not yet, I countered. Not like this.

I lost track of time as I battled my instincts, lap after lap until my muscles burned. When I finally dragged myself from the pool and wrapped a towel around my waist, I felt marginally more in control.

That control shattered completely when a scream tore through the night.

Hazel.

I didn't think, didn't hesitate. I sprinted from the pool house, water still streaming from my body, following her cries to the kitchen. She was on the floor, curled into herself, face contorted in pain. The glass she'd been holding lay shattered beside her, water spreading across the tile.

"Hazel!" I was at her side in an instant, gathering her into my arms. "What's happening? What's wrong?"

She couldn't answer, just shook her head frantically, tears streaming down her face as another wave of pain hit her. Her body convulsed against mine, and the scent coming off her changed dramatically—becoming sweeter, more potent. My eyes widened as realization dawned.

"No," I whispered, remembering our conversation from days ago about her fear of unwanted pregnancy. "No, no, no."

I lifted her effortlessly, cradling her against my chest as I headed toward my bedroom. I could help her through this. I should be the one to—

Another whimper escaped her lips, and suddenly I understood. This wasn't a normal reaction. This was something deeper, something that required more than just me. As much as it killed me to admit it, she needed her bonds. All of them.

Changing direction abruptly, I carried her to the sitting room and laid her gently on the couch. She curled instantly into a fetal position, her face pale with pain.

"WAKE UP!" I roared toward the guest wing, my voice reverberating through the house. "ALL OF YOU! NOW!"

Thundering footsteps responded almost immediately as Hazel's bonds came running. Rhys appeared first, his usually cheerful face dark with concern.

"What happened?" he demanded, rushing to Hazel's side. "What did you do to her?"

I bristled at the accusation but forced myself to step back. "Nothing. She was getting water for you and collapsed."

Jaxon burst in next, pushing past me roughly. "Move," he snarled, his eyes flashing blue as he took in Hazel's condition. The scent of her distress seemed to trigger something primal in him; his entire demeanor shifted into something predatory and protective.

Ronan and Silas arrived together, both looking disheveled and alarmed. They formed a protective circle around her immediately, instinctively, each reaching out to touch some part of her—a hand, an arm, a cheek.

"Haze, we're here," Rhys murmured, stroking her hair back from her sweaty forehead. "Tell us what's wrong."

She couldn't speak, just gasped and reached for him blindly. A sound somewhere between a sob and a moan escaped her lips as another spasm wracked her body.

I stood frozen, dripping pool water onto my expensive carpet, torn between the need to take charge and the knowledge that I wasn't what she needed right now. The scent emanating from her was unmistakable to any Grey male—especially one as attuned to her as I was.

Heat. She was going into heat.

It was rare for female Greys, usually only occurring in special circumstances. Like carrying a powerful child. Or forming an exceptionally strong bond group.

Landon appeared in the doorway, looking confused and concerned. "What's happening to her? Is she sick?"

Jaxon whirled toward him with a growl. "Get out. Now."

"She's my friend," Landon protested, taking a step forward. "I want to help—"

"You can't help with this," Silas interrupted, moving to intercept him. His voice was firm but calmer than Jaxon's. "Trust me, take your girl and go to the kitchen."

As Silas guided Landon away, I watched Hazel's bonds work instinctively as a unit. Rhys had her head in his lap, whispering soothing words. Ronan had shed his shy demeanor entirely, his hands steady as he checked her pulse. Jaxon stood guard like a sentinel, eyes never leaving her face while his hands clenched and unclenched at his sides.

They knew what to do without being told. Her body was calling to them, and they were answering.

I was the outsider here. The one holding back, denying the bond, pretending I wasn't affected by her every breath. And now, when she needed the connection most, I had nothing to offer her except the space for her true bonds to help her through this.

Hazel's eyes suddenly fluttered open, unfocused and fever-bright. Her gaze swept the room before landing on me, still standing apart. She reached out a trembling hand in my direction.

"Kaelen," she whispered, my name a plea on her lips.

I took an involuntary step toward her before catching myself. This wasn't my place. I wasn't supposed to be what she needed. I had made sure of that.

But she was calling for me specifically, even surrounded by her bonded mates.

Jaxon's head snapped up, his eyes meeting mine with a mixture of anger and reluctant understanding. After a tense moment, he stepped aside slightly, creating a space for me to approach.

"She wants you," he said, the admission clearly costing him. "Don't make it worse by denying her now."

My feet carried me forward before my brain could argue, compelled by her need. I knelt beside the couch, taking her outstretched hand in mine. The moment our skin touched, she sighed in relief, some of the tension leaving her body.

"I'm here," I said, my voice low and strained. "We're all here."

Her fingers tightened around mine as another wave hit her. I shared a look with her bonds over her trembling form. This was only the beginning. What she was experiencing now would intensify before it got better.

The four young men stared back at me, various degrees of challenge and acceptance in their expressions. We were united only in our concern for her, in our shared knowledge of what was coming.

"We need to move her," I said finally, authority slipping back into my tone. "Somewhere more comfortable, more private."

Rhys nodded. "Our room?"

Jaxon shook his head sharply. "Not big enough. Not for all of us."

An image flashed unbidden through my mind—my bedroom, my massive bed, Hazel at the center of it with her bonds surrounding her. With me among them. The thought was both intoxicating and terrifying.

Hazel's grip on my hand tightened painfully as she curled further into herself, another cry escaping her lips. There was no more time for hesitation or territorial disputes. Her need outweighed everything else.

"My room," I said finally, the decision made. "It's the largest."

I lifted her once more into my arms, her body burning against my still-damp skin. Her head fell naturally against my shoulder as another tremor passed through her.

As I carried her toward my private quarters, her bonds following close behind, I knew with absolute certainty that everything was about to change. The careful boundaries I'd constructed, the distance I'd maintained—all of it was about to crumble.

And I wasn't sure I had the strength to rebuild it afterward.