I slide out of the bathroom in my socks, smirking at the two lazy, sleeping bums in my doorway. Tiptoeing past them back to my dresser, I grab my bag with my dance shoes and check the schedule that Conner sent me. The room is bathed in a soft pink glow from the sunrise. It looks soft and pretty and I can feel the promise of a new day. My first day as Beta, I think as my she-wolf wags her tail excitedly.

Maybe it's just the sleep. Oh, beautiful, precious sleep. I haven't slept that well since... I cast a baleful glare at a snoozing Sean, looking all male and delicious... since the heat cabin.

I huff (silently) at the two males. Jerks. I don't like thinking about my heat and the shitstorm that ensued. The abrupt end to the pain and fog of heat was not what I would wish on my worst enemy. My she-wolf scoffs. Georgina.

OK, so I'm in denial. Deep denial. I figure I'll just power through these next two weeks and then when Sean or Braxton takes over... and that's where my brain fizzles out. I'm sporting Braxton's Mark on my neck and I swear to the goddess I can still feel Sean inside me. Neither Claim is complete, but because I haven't Marked anyone it's not too overwhelming. So... denial.

My phone vibrates silently in my hand as the last morning alarm goes off. At least today I got up at five-thirty and yes, that half-an-hour makes a difference.

I'll be sure to tell Bailey when I meet her at the pool. Or was I meeting her at the studio after swimming? Or not until my first official Beta meeting with Conner? Glancing at my phone, I scroll back through my messages.

Dance. Bailey is skipping swimming this morning so she can sleep in. Smiling, I think about her unborn pup. Mamas need sleep!

I look up into sleepy caramel eyes. Startled, I glance to the right, only to see a pair of sharp, ink-black eyes also staring at me.

I let out an embarrassing shriek of surprise. My head swivels between the two, caramel and black, sleepy and alert, both males on their feet and blocking my exit.

"How did you stand up so quickly and silently?" I blurt out.

"Training," Sean rasps in a sleep-roughened voice. My she-wolf licks her chops. She likes this voice. She also enjoys the view. They slept in just their pants last night.

"Right," I suck in a quick breath and immediately regret it. They smell so damn male. I should hate it. I bet, objectively, it reeks like day-old gym socks and moldy bread, but goddess, it's delicious. Flustered by the lewd ideas running through my she-wolf's head, I babble, "I'm heading to training. Now. That's where I'm going now. Training. I'm going to training right now."

Braxton is laughing quietly at me because he's a jerk. Sean has a half-smile on his face. "Try to have breakfast, Daisy," Sean orders as if he doesn't even register how dumb I just sounded. Maybe he thinks I'm typically stupid.

The sudden thought is devastating. My she-wolf wilts as if someone flipped her switch to 'off.' Sean doesn't really know me. He never wanted to know me. He only cares now because Georgie is a cheater and I think maybe his wolf has taken over the farm. My eyes slide to Braxton. My best friend, who assaulted and Marked me without consent. His wolf might be too broken to take over the farm.

The urge to cry. "Damnit! You ruined my pink glow! Stupid males!" Once again, I find myself hemmed in by their muscular, half-naked bodies. Neither male touch me, but they're so close that I can practically feel the caress and it's comforting and warm.

"Don't cry, babydoll. Sean was being stupid. You don't need breakfast. We can do... brunch. Right?" Braxton punches Sean in the arm.

"In the truck," Sean agrees, shaking out his arm. "Brunch in the truck in half an hour."

"Fifteen minutes," Braxton amends.

I start to laugh through my tears. Crazy males. "I'm going to training. I'll eat after." I try to infuse my voice with authority. Last night I was able to give a speech to the entire pack with authority. Granted, Sean basically wrote the speech for me, but I delivered it.

"How long is your session this morning, Doll?" Braxton tries to peer at my phone.

"An hour," I clutch my cell to my chest, glaring at him.

"An hour? Is it weights today? Stretching?" Sean is nodding as if he's already planning my routine for me.

Braxton suddenly goes still. All of the amusement flees from his face. His expression is so foreboding that I step back, slightly behind Sean. "What is this?" he asks me.

For the first time since he was physically torn away from me with his canines sunk into my shoulder, Braxton touches me. Just two fingers skim my shoulder and smoothly slide under the strap of my swimsuit. It burns like Icy-Hot, with a sudden burst of coolness followed by soothing heat.

"What is this?" Braxton murmurs in a low, dangerous voice.

"My workout clothes," I lie breathlessly. I can feel my pulse in my Mark.

His thumb rubs the material and my shoulder underneath, coming perilously close to his Mark. "It's a swimsuit," he mutters, eyes flashing gold. My nerves skyrocket. My she-wolf goes belly-up to the dominant male.

"Babydoll," Braxton growls. "Where are you going?"

"Swimming," I gasp out. I hate this morning. I sound like a complete idiot. Why can only the first ten minutes of my day be good?

Another hand comes down over Braxton's. Sean's touch isn't light, but heavy, pressing Braxton's palm fully into me before pulling his hand away. The double touch nearly sends me to my knees. I breathe in shakily as my nerves settle just the tiniest bit. I peek at Sean's eyes. He's calm and I take more comfort in that than I should.

They hold each other's eyes. And hands. They haven't let each other go. A silent, still battle breaks out between them. Their kiss from last night starts to replay in my head. I shut that down as fast as I can and think about my schedule. No getting aroused at five-thirty in the morning.

"I'm going to be late," I say more calmly.

"Fine," Braxton finally bites out. He's still glaring at Sean. "Let's go."

That sounded plural. Was that plural? I skate around the two males and they fall into place on either side, just a half-step behind me, reminiscent of last night. I guess I can't shake them so easily.

We walk outside to the parking lot. It's quiet. Most of the pack is probably sleeping off the effects of the party last night. Or... they are existing in a state of stupor over the many shocks of last night as well as the impending sense of doom hovering over ClearHowl. Yeah, that's probably it.

We're twenty feet away from Braxton's truck when the smell hits me.

"What the fuck is that smell?" Braxton says, suddenly sounding worried.

His beautiful, almost-new, expensive truck is sitting isolated from everything else. After the curfew announcement, most of the pack came to the packhouse, so the parking lot is pretty full, but the closest vehicle is two spaces away from Braxton's truck.

We get closer and Braxton rushes past me, muttering curses under his breath. I play it cool. "What is it?" I ask.

"Fucking hell, it reeks," Braxton gags comically. His face is screwed up as he pinches his nose. "Goddess, is this a fucking joke?"

He opens the cab and the scent rolls out stronger, wafting to us in a cloud of weeks-old fish and onions. "It's clean," he says in a nasal voice as he frantically tosses a sweatshirt to the ground. It's all that is left inside. I eye the sweatshirt. Damnit, it'll never smell right again. I should have taken it, first.

"We'll take my truck. Ili's late for swimming," Sean says.

Braxton doesn't listen, at first. He peers through the spotless truck, pops the hood, then flattens himself on the ground to look up at the undercarriage.

"Maybe you hit a skunk?" I ask innocently.

"It's not a skunk smell," Sean says.

"Well, what could it be?" I keep up the charade as best I can, but when Braxton re-emerges, he looks deadly. My she-wolf huddles into herself as she's reminded of the day he crashed through solid glass.

With purposeful, powerful strides Braxton circles the truck and zones in on the muffler. A powerful kick to the tailpipe makes the entire truck, all seven thousand pounds of it. The muffler clatters and a thin stream of residue falls to the asphalt. Braxton watches it with narrowed eyes that glow gold.

"Someone vandalized my truck," he growls hoarsely.

"A prank," Sean mutters, going to stand next to him. "Pups, most likely."

Braxton abandons his truck, shaking his head in fury as he backs away. "Fuck. What the fuck is that?" He gags again before stalking past us fifty feet. Sean and I hurry to catch up. I work on keeping my face serene and still while praying to the goddess that he doesn't ever figure out it was his luna and beta.

"Someone is going to pay for this bullshit," Braxton mutters. "Fuck. Someone is pranking me..." He goes quiet for a moment. I see him toss me a suspicious glance from the corner of my eyes. Oh, goddess, Bailey and I didn't do anything, I swear.

I try to keep a straight face even if I'm breaking out into a sweat from nerves. Looking up at Sean, I ask, "do you think your truck is OK? I don't think either of you will fit into my car." Good save, Ili!

"You're not driving that car anymore," Sean responds quietly. "It's safety ratings are too low."

"Didn't you get a new car last year?" Braxton asks me. All of the anger has seeped right out of him.

I shrug my shoulders. I had been given a new Eclipse a month before I overheard Sean that evening. When I sank into my depression I never drove it, so in July when Georgina got into a fender-bender, she convinced Mom and Dad to let her 'borrow' my SUV. "I just take Mom's old car," I explain quietly, playing with my fingers. I feel Sean stiffen next to me. He must be putting the pieces together.

"Well, I need a new truck," Braxton announces, the gold light in his eyes settling back into familiar caramel. "I'll buy you an SUV, too, Doll."

"No," Sean says. "Nothing for Ili." Anger rushes through me. As if Sean Green can stop me from getting a truck that I can't afford but Braxton is going to buy for me even though he doesn't know I ruined his perfectly beautiful truck in the first place! Ludicrous.

"You'll drive, most of the time," Sean continues speaking to Brax, "so that Ili can work. She won't have time to drive herself anywhere."

Braxton nods in acceptance as I splutter in between them. Work, he says? Well, then. Fine. My she-wolf struts in total acceptance of this idea. Beta. Too important to drive herself.

We reach Sean's truck and he tosses his keys to Braxton. Grinning, Brax bounds over to the driver's seat. Before I can climb in, Sean is there to help me. As I put my first foot in, I feel a light smack on my butt. "Naughty girl. That was a seventy-thousand dollar truck," he murmurs low enough that only I can hear him.

Blushing, I climb in, my bottom tingling and not from the sting. I settle in the middle seat between Brax and Sean, grateful, for once, that the pick-up is so large.

Braxton leans over and nuzzles the side of my head, then nips my ear. I freeze, like a frightened rabbit. "When are you meeting with Bailey, Doll?"

"At dance?" I squeak out. Am I in heat or is it hot in this truck?

Braxton hums in acknowledgment before pulling away from me and starting the truck. A softly chuckling Sean drapes his arm across the back of the seat and I'm encapsulated in warmth and my own raging hormones.

In unison, the males hit the windows, rolling them down.

When we pull up to the training center, I immediately see the new patrols. I only spot them because it's so early in the morning. Otherwise, it would look like any other day at the ClearHowl Athletic Center. Big males, everywhere, in just gym shorts and sneakers... or less.

There are a few, though, who aren't moving anything but their eyes as they scan the parking lot, towards the athletic fields, then the parking lot. As I watch them, quiet inside the cabin of the truck, they move position, then start scanning again.

"Are they too obvious?" I murmur.

"These aren't the best patrol wolves we've got," Sean answered just as quietly. "The best are outside of the zone."

"My dad?" I whisper.

"In the yellow zone, Daisy," Sean soothes.

I wonder how he knows all of this, but then he tells me as if he anticipates my next question. "Conner, Beta T, and I came up with the emergency plans years ago."

"Should I be-"

"Train, Doll," Braxton interrupts me smoothly. "Even Sean and I are training. All of the beta contenders are. It gives everyone a sense of normalcy."

I look back over the patrolling wolves skeptically. "I suppose so," I reply, uncomfortable with the whole beta thing.

"I'll walk you to the pool," Braxton announces as he pulls into a parking space and cuts the engine.

As we exit the truck, I see every pair of eyes swing our way. Oh, some of them pretend that the three of us are just part of the routine 'patrol scan' while others gawk openly, but they all look.

"Let's go, Doll," Brax reaches for my hand, then changes his mind. With a tight smile, he says, "you lead."

OK, no problem. I lead, with my head held high. When I'm about to enter the building, one of the patrol wolves comes around the corner. He doesn't see us at first, his head swiveling to and fro with narrows eyes almost comically. When he does spot us, he grinds to a halt, eyes springing wide, mouth dropping open.

"Hi, Walker," I greet him.

Walker blushes, "Hi, Ili-"

"Beta," Sean warns.

"B-Beta!" Walker stammers.

I nudge Sean with my elbow, snatching it back to my side when I hear him moan under his breath as if I just did something naughty. Blushing, I skirt around Walker and hurry toward the door, only to have Braxton beat me there. Grinning, he grabs the handle and swings it open for me. "Beta Ili," my name drips from his mouth like molten chocolate.

Frantic to keep from falling into Braxton's gorgeous smile, I look toward Sean (as if that's any better). He holding Walker in a predatory thrall with only one dark, menacing look. Towering over him, Sean's dark hair and eyes are even more intimidating compared to Walker's fair skin, freckles, and gangly uncoordinated teenage frame.

"Sean!" I hiss.

Instantly, those dark eyes find mine. Sean relaxes and walks forward, leaving a pale, trembling Walker in his wake. I'm confused at the obvious intimidation until I remember that Landon, Walker's older brother, is one of the Beta contenders. Obviously, Sean remembers.

"Sean, now," I say more sharply. I don't know Landon, but Walker is an absolute sweetheart. Hell, the male offered to buy me lunch, twice, last year in school when it was clear I wasn't eating anymore.

I glance at Sean suspiciously as he walks inside the building behind me. There's no way he knows Walker offered to feed me, right? Either way, I think I'll keep Walker's generosity to myself.

Braxton and Sean fall in step behind me again as we walk to the pool. Other than Lauren Morenni manning the front desk, we don't see any other packmembers until we get to the pool.

Owen greets me with a smile that falters when he sees me. I hold my breath, waiting to see if either Sean or Braxton decides to act like a primitive dire wolf today.

When neither of them reacts to Owen, I smile brightly. "Good Morning, Owen!" I walk to the bench and start to take off my long-sleeve t-shirt.

Owen doesn't reply. When the t-shirt clears my head I snarl in fury. "Let him go, Braxton."

Braxton releases his grip on Owen's shoulder instantly. I just can't with them. Overbearing, possessive assholes! The wolves swimming in the pool are all unranked wolves. There are no beta contenders here and there shouldn't be.

"Both of you go to training right now," I snap. "Only swimmers are allowed in the pool. Owen, have someone print out a sign. Only swimmers in the group can enter the pool." Owen grins happily and walks off to talk to another wolf in a hushes whisper. I wait, but I know Sean and Braxton haven't left, yet. I can feel them.

Spinning around, I put my hands on my hips and glare. "Now."

"Yes, Beta," Braxton replies first. Swooping in, he kisses my lips softly. "Have fun. We'll see you in an hour."

I'm still feeling the effects of that kiss when Sean follows in with his own. "Be safe. One hour," he murmurs.

"Cool," I say faintly. My she-wolf wriggles with glee. Stunned and foolishly happy, I finish undressing, folding my clothes carefully into my bag before walking to the pool. Enya is already hanging signs at every door and the window Braxton broke earlier this summer.

I ease into the water, for once more afraid of being out than being in.

---

"Does every fucker in this building love our girl?" I snarl at Sean as we walk to the gym.

"Or they want her place," he adds quietly.

"Tell me you don't want to choke some of those assholes back there," I snap.

"That's the feral part of us," Sean mutters. "We need to focus. Ili isn't Beta, yet."

I take a deep breath, inhaling the scent of Sean, salt water, Ili, and my own unwashed body. Sean's reminder works. I feel my pacing wolf settle at the subtle suggestion of intimacy with Ili that I know every wolf who comes near us will be able to pick up. "Yeah, true. Right, so who do you think was brave enough to show today?"

Sean raises an eyebrow at me and pushes open the door to the gym. The scent of blood and testosterone rolls out. "All of them," he says with pure satisfaction dripping from his words.