25.3

The shelf rattled softly behind her, her nails digging into his shoulders. Every drag of his cock sent sparks through her nerves, every grind of his hips pushed her closer to the edge. It was frantic and raw, not about romance or sweet words—but need, pure and consuming.
He bit her shoulder to keep quiet, and she clung to him, already unraveling.
She came with a strangled moan, body convulsing around him. Kalmin followed, his breath hot against her neck, cursing as he emptied himself into her with one final, bone-deep thrust.
They stayed like that for a moment, breathing hard, still locked together.
Then—
“Excuse me, Alpha?”
Kalmin froze.
Nuri’s heart stopped. She turned her head slowly, peering past Kalmin’s shoulder.
A man stood there, sharp suit, unreadable smile, hands behind his back. His eyes gleamed with too much knowledge.
Kalmin growled low in his throat, stepping in front of her, blocking her from view as she scrambled to tug her shirt down and retrieve her underwear from the floor. “You're here about the boy.”
“Yes, as you should have known I would be,” the man replied with a disarming, dimpled smile. He stepped forward, hands tucked behind his back, eyes warm as he casually shifted to get a better view around Kalmin. “I don’t think we’ve met. I’m Micah. And you are?”
"Nuri. My mate," Kalmin cut in, stepping between them as he curled his lip. His posture screamed territorial. Kalmin had never liked Micah’s too-polished cheer, and he’d long suspected it was a mask hiding something darker. Every encounter with the man only strengthened the feeling that Micah was the kind of monster who wore smiles like skin—someone who wouldn’t flinch at blood if it suited his goals.
“Ah, Nuri. Yes, I’ve heard of you. My sister says you’re excelling in your tests—splendid job,” Micah said with a nod, unfazed by Kalmin’s coldness.
“Th-thank you,” Nuri said, blinking up at him. His eyes were Moira’s exact amber shade, but beyond that, the similarities were minimal. She had to really look to notice the same bone structure hidden under his beard. Their energies couldn’t have been more different—Moira was sharp-edged and superior; Micah felt like warmth wrapped in wool. Moira would cut you with a glare. Micah looked like he gave good hugs.
“I apologize for the interruption, but I need to ask why you killed Ross,” Micah said, gesturing toward a nearby desk. He pulled out a chair for Nuri, waiting until she sat before taking the one across from her. “Kalmin,” he added with a flick of his hand toward the other empty seat.
“There’s no need. This won’t take long,” Kalmin said, remaining behind Nuri with one hand gripping the back of her chair. “He disrespected his alpha. He learned his lesson.”
Micah raised a brow. “Seeing how he’s dead, I don’t think he learned much of anything.” He gave a curt nod, then smiled again at Nuri. “A pleasure, truly. I hope the next time we meet; it’s under better circumstances.”
“You too,” Nuri replied softly, watching him as he stood and left. He didn’t look back.
“Are you sure he and Moira are related?” she asked once the doors swung shut behind him.
“They’re twins,” Kalmin muttered, his eyes following Micah’s retreat down the hallway. “Come on. If we leave now, we’ll have time to finish what we started before your party.”
“Sounds good.” Nuri took his offered hand, lacing her fingers through his as they walked back to the car. The coroners were wheeling Ross’s body across the lot when they arrived, and her stomach turned. She folded her hands in her lap as Kalmin drove, her thoughts tangled. ‘Is this going to be my new normal? Watching him kill like this? How long until I stop feeling guilty?’
‘Are you forgetting about Gael?’ Tempest asked gently, and Nuri’s heart jumped. ‘Is this how you'll feel toward me after I kill him?’
‘No—that's different. I’ve made peace with what we have to do. It’s about sending a message. Showing that hybrids deserve to be treated the same as anyone else.’
‘You say that,’ Tempest said softly, ‘but it’s not so different. Ending a life is ending a life. Just because we have a reason doesn’t make it clean.’
‘Are you trying to make me feel guilty for something we haven’t done yet?’
‘Not at all.’ Tempest’s voice was calm, but heavy with truth. ‘You asked if you’d have to keep watching Kalmin kill. I’m saying you won’t be able to walk this path without getting blood on your own hands. Gael won’t be the only one.’
Nuri didn’t respond right away, her chest tightening. The car was quiet, save for the hum of the road beneath them.
‘Sorry,’ Tempest added with a small, sheepish tug on Nuri’s awareness. ‘I was just trying to think about anything other than what you and Kalmin were doing a few minutes ago.’
Nuri bit her lip. ‘Oh my god. I forgot you could see that.’ She groaned silently. ‘How did I forget?’
‘At some point,’ Tempest teased gently, ‘all four of us need to be comfortable doing stuff like that together. It’s inevitable, you know?’
‘I know,’ Nuri admitted, the heat in her cheeks rising. For once in her life, she was wholly unmindful of Tempest’s presence and forgot to be too scared to do what she wanted. ‘Maybe... maybe you could ask Rian to meld with you?’