The Crystal Moon Curse: Book 3: CHOSEN

8. Balcony

FREYA

I have no idea why I said that. My inner bitch rearing at Xander’s bold assumptions. Assumptions that hit a little too close to home. This is too much for me.

“I think I should leave, thank you for dinner.” I try to stand but find myself unable to move my chair as Xander holds the back of the chair firmly in place leaning into me with a low rumbling growl.

“I don’t think I’ve ever been called sloppy seconds before and I’m honestly not sure what to do with that. Part of me wants to put you over my knee and turn your sweet ass pink, but my brother would likely tear my heart out if I did.”

I gasp as Knox flings Xander’s arm off my chair.

“Xander, fuck off. You have a speech to make.” Knox growls. He pulls my seat out, grasping my elbow, he guides me away. Xander’s light chuckle follows us as Knox takes me out of the main ballroom to a private balcony.

“I’m sorry about Xander,” he says as the balcony doors close behind us muffling the music and laughter in the ballroom.

I lean on the metal rail breathing the fresh air with relief. How do I say that I’m not that offended? Should I tell him that for a brief second the thought of Xander’s palms hard on my bare ass sent a tingle of excitement through me? The idea of being manhandled not exactly a turnoff.

Fuck it. He probably knows exactly how he and his stupid twin affect me. Damn Alpha senses.

I glance at Knox cautiously but his face is stoic. So like Xander’s and yet so different. Where Xander wears his emotions on his sleeve, Knox hides his.

“Forget it, I was being a bitch. He didn’t deserve what I said.” I murmur looking out into the night sky.

Knox leans over the rail next to me, his jacket-covered shoulder just brushing mine. I feel like I should move away but for the life of me, the heat emitted from him feels like a warm blanket.

“No he didn’t, and you are gracious to admit that,” he replies. I sigh closing my eyes.

“He just rubs me the wrong way, he’s so damn arrogant, he has no filter and just assumes I’m going to roll over at his feet like one of his playthings. Such an asshat.” I grumble.

Knox laughs loud, a belly rumble that draws my eyes to him. Just like Xander, he is beautiful when he laughs, his strong neck exposed as his head flings back. I can’t take my eyes off him.

“That’s a pretty accurate description of Xander. I’m happy to pass the Asshat title back to him,” he says and I chuckle along with him as I remember mistaking him for Xander in the elevator.

Inside the music dies and a round of applause breaks out as Xander is called to the stage for his speech.

“So Xander runs the city and you run the home pack? You are co-Alphas?” I ask, changing the subject to safer territory.

“Yes, although Bane Industries is ours equally.”

“So who is older?” I ask, finding it easy to talk to Knox in a way that I can’t with Xander.

Xander just removes any semblance of clarity from my brain with his overbearing sexuality. Not that Knox is any less sexy, if anything his restraint makes him even more attractive to me.

“I am, by seven minutes. It’s why I run the main pack. As the first born I handle all the traditional Alpha roles, but the pack became so large with us reclaiming the city that by the time I was close to officially ascending I knew I needed to share the role. It would have been impossible for me alone to run and I didn’t have a Luna. It wasn’t a hard decision and Xander was more than ready and qualified.” He says with a shrug.