“No! Nicholas!” he heard Adam shout.
He fumbled with his keys, trying to find the unlock button on the fob key. His hands were shaking, making a simple task impossible.
The jaguar’s large paws hit his back, shoving Kaden to the ground. Hitting the dirt, Kaden rolled into a ball, trying to protect himself from the huge cat. He felt the scrap of sharp teeth before the animal struck, burying them into the back of Kaden’s neck. He screamed as pain turned to immense power. The jaguar pulled his teeth free and licked the wound, laying his body on top of Kaden’s back, forcing him to stay down.
Kaden laid flat on his stomach, unmoving. He took a few deep breaths, taking stock of his current situation. Kaden never planned for things to happen this way. He had hoped the three of them might have a conversation.
“He claimed you,” Adam stated, sounding upset.
Kaden cringed. He didn’t want to anger his Alpha. Worse, he didn’t want Adam to hate him. Even though Nicholas brought the three of them together, it didn’t mean Adam would accept a trio. The Alpha didn’t have to accept him as a third.
“I’m his mate.”
Adam ignored his statement, speaking directly to the jaguar. “I get it, Nicholas.” His voice was harsh. “You want Kaden, but it’s not going to happen, not unless you shift and talk to me.”
The jaguar got off of Kaden, following Adam’s orders.
Kaden glanced over his shoulder, unable to stop himself from watching the jaguar shift. Spotted fur gave way to tanned, muscular flesh. Nicholas was incredibly beautiful with his short, black hair, deep blue eyes, and the stubble on his cheeks.
Pulling his lower lip into his mouth, Kaden bit down, preventing himself from moaning.
He studied the man’s nude form, running his eyes along Nicholas’s body—hard chest, six-pack abs, and a beautiful cock nestled between powerful thighs. He had a full sleeve of colorful tattoos running along the length of his left arm, spiraling up the side of his neck and over his chest. Thick, black designs stood out in dark contrast on his sides from armpit to thigh. Nicholas seemed to have that bad-boy image down to an art form.
Wetting his lips, Kaden fantasized about licking each of the man’s tattoos. He wanted to taste the man’s skin. Inhaling deeply, Kaden’s eyes rolled back. The intoxicating scent coming off Nicholas called to Kaden’s wolf. It was true. They were mates.
“Oh fuck,” Nicholas muttered. Pushing himself up off the ground, Nicholas turned around, presenting his back to Kaden and Adam. He shoved his hands through his hair, messing up the black locks.
Slowly rising to his feet, Kaden brushed the dirt off his hands. He opened his mouth to say something but quickly closed it when he couldn’t find the right words.
“Nicholas,” Adam growled.
The other shifter turned around, facing them both once again. “I didn’t mean to bite him.” He shook his head. “My jaguar, he reacted, and I couldn’t stop him.”
Adam nodded in understanding. “Is Kaden your mate?”
Kaden held his breath as he waited to hear the answer. Would Nicholas deny it? Would the other shifter reject him?
“I’m sorry,” Nicholas whispered. “I can’t do this right now. I just…I…”
The shifter ran away, leaving Adam and Kaden behind. Once he was gone, Kaden felt the full force of Adam’s anger directed at him.
“Why did you come here?” Adam asked, his tone accusatory. “I asked the pack to stay away. I told everyone that I needed time to bond with my mate. You disobeyed an order from your Alpha.”
Kaden exhaled on a sigh. “I had a feeling that he might be my mate. Please, let me explain what I’ve learned about mating trios. You’ll understand once you know.”
“It doesn’t matter.” Adam slashed his hand through the air. “You betrayed me.”
“What?” Kaden’s brows drew together in confusion.
He couldn’t understand why Adam was speaking to him this way. They had been lovers and friends for many years. He would never purposefully hurt the other man.
“You need to move all of your belongings into one of the empty houses within our territory. We’ll set up some sort of schedule so that we get equal time with Nicholas.”
Kaden shook his head rapidly. “That’s not what I wanted.”
“It’s too late for regrets. You and I aren’t mates. In fact, our relationship is over.”
“Please, Adam…if you would just listen…”
“No. We’re done here.” Turning on his heel, Adam marched back into his house.
“Adam!” Kaden shouted as Adam slammed the door.