Chapter 2: Something Sweet

The city lights blurred past my windshield as I navigated through the streets toward Savage. My hands were still shaking slightly on the steering wheel, adrenaline from the confrontation with Luca pumping through my veins. My phone kept buzzing with notifications, but I ignored them. Tonight wasn't about Luca anymore. Tonight was about me.

Sienna had sent me the address with a string of fire emojis. "Trust me, this place is PERFECT for letting loose," her text read. I'd never been to Savage before—it was one of those clubs everyone talked about but the "nerdy Omega girl" never got invited to.

Well, screw that version of me.

I found parking a few blocks away and checked my reflection in the rearview mirror. My auburn hair was still in place, my makeup hadn't smudged from angry tears, and my eyes... my eyes looked different. Fiercer. Like I'd finally woken up.

The walk to the club was short, and I could feel the bass thumping through the sidewalk before I even saw the building. Savage rose up before me—tall, imposing, built from dark brick that seemed to absorb the streetlights. Above the entrance, someone had painted a massive full moon that almost seemed to glow. The neon green sign spelling out "SAVAGE" hummed and flickered.

I pushed open the heavy doors and immediately understood why Sienna loved this place.

The smell hit me first—alcohol, yes, but underneath that was something wild and woodsy. Pack scents. Lots of them. This was a werewolf club, the kind where we didn't have to hide what we were. Where dominance and submission played out on the dance floor as much as in dark corners. My Omega wolf perked up, curious and alert.

The interior was dimly lit, all shadows and flashing lights. A set of stairs led down to the main floor where a massive bar dominated one side and a packed dance floor stretched out beyond it. The music was loud, primal, the kind of beat that made your wolf want to move.

I descended the stairs, my heels clicking against the wood. Several heads turned as I passed—alphas and betas sizing me up, catching hints of my Omega scent. I'd stopped suppressing it after leaving Luca's apartment. Why hide? I was done with that.

The bar gleamed under the low lights, and behind it worked the most gorgeous man I'd ever seen.

He was tall, his black hair pulled back into a messy bun that somehow looked perfect on him. Tattoos covered both arms—intricate designs I wanted to trace with my fingers. A silver hoop pierced his nose, another through his eyebrow. When he looked up and caught my eye, his smile was slow and devastating.

And his eyes... they flashed bright green. Wolf green.

My heart stuttered.

"What can I get you, beautiful?" His voice was smooth, with a slight accent I couldn't quite place. Australian, maybe?

I approached the bar, hyperaware of every step. "Jack and Coke, please."

"Coming right up." He didn't look away from me as he reached for a glass. "Haven't seen you here before. First time at Savage?"

"That obvious?" I managed a smile, trying to ignore how my pulse was racing.

"Nah, I just remember a face like yours." He fixed my drink with practiced ease, and when he slid it across the bar, our fingers touched.

Holy shit.

Sparks. Actual, literal sparks that shot up my arm and made my wolf howl with recognition. Mate. The word echoed through my mind, primal and certain.

His eyes widened, pupils dilating. He felt it too.

"What's your name?" His voice had dropped lower, rougher.

"Callie," I breathed. Then, for some reason, I added, "Callista, actually. But everyone calls me Callie."

"Callista." He said it like he was tasting it. "Beautiful name for a beautiful girl. I'm Marco."

"Marco," I repeated, and his wolf definitely liked hearing his name on my lips because his eyes flashed green again.

"This one's on the house, Callista." He leaned closer, and I could smell him—pine and rain and something uniquely him. "Welcome to Savage."

I picked up my drink with trembling fingers, needing to put some distance between us before I did something crazy like climb over the bar. "Thank you."

"Anytime." His gaze tracked me as I stepped back. "I'll be here all night if you need anything. Anything at all."

The promise in those words made heat pool low in my belly. I turned away before I could respond, my cheeks burning.

What the hell was that? Mate bonds were supposed to be rare. I'd dated Luca for six months and never felt even a fraction of what just passed between Marco and me in thirty seconds.

I needed to find Sienna. And maybe another drink.

I scanned the crowd for my best friend's blonde hair but didn't spot her. The dance floor was packed with bodies moving to the heavy beat. I made my way to one of the high tables that overlooked the floor, climbing onto a bar stool and smoothing down my dress.

The black dress suddenly felt too short, too tight. But in a good way. In a way that made me feel powerful instead of exposed.

I took a sip of my drink—perfectly made, of course—and let my eyes wander over the crowd. That's when I saw him.

Santiago De La Cruz.

Everyone at college knew Santiago and his brother Mateo. The De La Cruz brothers were basketball royalty—tall, gorgeous, dangerous. They had a reputation for breaking hearts and rules in equal measure. Bad boys in every sense of the word.

Santiago stood near the edge of the dance floor with a group of guys I recognized as his teammates. His dark hair had streaks of blue and green that caught the club lights, making him look almost otherworldly. He was tall—at least six-three—with broad shoulders and the kind of athletic build that came from serious training. A tight black t-shirt showed off muscles that made my mouth go dry.

I'd seen him on campus dozens of times. Had watched him play basketball once when Sienna dragged me to a game. But I'd never been close enough to really look at him.

He was... devastating.

As I watched, he threw his head back and laughed at something one of his teammates said. The movement was loose, confident, the kind of easy dominance that made my Omega wolf take notice.

Then his head turned, and his eyes locked directly on mine.

My breath caught. Even from this distance, I could see his pupils dilate. Could see the moment he caught my scent on the air, recognizing what I was.

His nostrils flared. His entire body went still, predatory. And those eyes—dark and hungry—never left mine.

"Callie!" Sienna's voice broke the spell. She appeared at my side, throwing her arms around me. "Oh my God, you actually came! And everyone's talking about your live stream. You're like, a total legend now!"

I tore my gaze away from Santiago to look at my best friend. Sienna was dressed in a silver sequined dress that hugged her curves, her long blonde hair falling in perfect waves. "You saw it?"

"Saw it? Everyone saw it! The pack group chats are exploding. Half the she-wolves want to buy you drinks, and Luca's friends are all scrambling to distance themselves from him." She squeezed my shoulders. "I'm so proud of you!"

"Thanks," I said, emotion tightening my throat. "I just... I couldn't let him get away with it."

"Damn right." She grabbed my hand. "Come on, let's dance. We're celebrating your freedom and your badassery."

"Wait—" I glanced back toward where Santiago had been standing, but he'd disappeared into the crowd. Something like disappointment curled in my chest.

"What's wrong?" Sienna followed my gaze.

"Nothing. I just..." How did I explain that I'd felt the mate bond with the bartender and then gotten eye-fucked by Santiago De La Cruz all in the span of ten minutes? "Nothing. Let's dance."

Sienna didn't look convinced, but she pulled me toward the dance floor anyway. "Okay, but first—you see those guys over there?" She nodded toward a group near the bar. "That's Mateo De La Cruz and his crew. Santiago's probably around here somewhere too."

My heart jumped. "You know them?"

"Kind of. They're friends with my stepbrother." She grinned. "Why? You interested?"

"No! I just... I've seen them at school."

"Uh-huh." Sienna's grin widened. "Well, just so you know, they're both single. And both absolute heartbreakers. But after what you just did to Luca? I think you could handle them."

Could I? The old Callie would have said no, would have hidden behind her books and baggy clothes. But the new Callie—the one who'd kicked Luca in the balls and exposed him to the entire pack—maybe she could.

As we pushed through the crowd toward the dance floor, I caught another scent on the air. Different from Marco's pine and rain. This was darker, wilder—sandalwood and smoke and pure alpha dominance.

And it was getting closer.

My wolf perked up, alert and interested. I looked around, trying to find the source, when a hand touched my lower back.

"Excuse me, beautiful." The voice was deep, smooth as whiskey. "Mind if I buy you a drink?"

I turned and found myself staring up at Santiago De La Cruz.

Up close, he was even more devastating. His dark eyes held flecks of gold that seemed to glow in the club lights. A small scar cut through his left eyebrow. His jaw was sharp enough to cut glass, and when he smiled, it was pure sin.

"I..." Words failed me. This was Santiago De La Cruz. Campus bad boy. Basketball star. The guy who'd never looked at me twice in two years of college.

And he was looking at me like I was the only person in the entire club.

Chapter 3: He's Lickable

"I..." My brain had apparently stopped functioning. Santiago De La Cruz was standing in front of me, asking to buy me a drink, and I couldn't form a coherent sentence.

His smile widened, like he knew exactly the effect he had on me. "Cat got your tongue, hermosa?"

"I already have a drink," I managed, holding up my glass like proof.

"Then dance with me instead." It wasn't really a question. His hand was still on my lower back, warm even through the fabric of my dress, and every nerve ending in my body was screaming at me to say yes.

Before I could respond, Sienna appeared at my other side. "Callie! There you are! I've been looking everywhere—" She stopped mid-sentence when she saw Santiago. "Oh. Hey, Santiago."

"Sienna." He nodded at her but his eyes never left mine. "I was just asking your friend here for a dance."

"Was he now?" Sienna's grin was pure mischief. "Well, don't let me interrupt."

"Sienna—" I started, but she was already backing away.

"You kids have fun! I'll be at the bar!" She disappeared into the crowd before I could protest.

Traitor.

Santiago's thumb traced small circles on my back, and I had to fight not to shiver. "So? What do you say, Callista?"

He knew my full name. How did he know my full name?

"How do you—"

"Everyone's talking about your live stream," he said, his voice low enough that only I could hear over the music. "Luca Rodriguez is a fucking idiot. Any man who'd treat you like that deserves worse than a kick to the balls."

Heat flooded my cheeks. "You saw that?"

"Everyone saw it. You're kind of famous now." His hand slid slightly lower, resting just above the curve of my hip. "The quiet Omega nerd who turned out to be a fierce little fighter. I like it."

Little? I was five-seven, but next to his six-three frame, I supposed I was little. And the way he said it—like it was a compliment, not an insult—made my wolf preen.

"I'm not that fierce," I said, then mentally kicked myself. This was exactly the kind of self-deprecating thing the old Callie would say.

Santiago's eyes darkened. "You kicked a man in the balls, exposed him to the entire pack, and walked out with your head high. That's pretty fucking fierce, hermosa."

The way he kept calling me hermosa—beautiful in Spanish—made my stomach flutter. Nobody had ever called me that before. Well, Marco had called me beautiful too, but this felt different. More intense. More... right.

"One dance," I heard myself say. "But I'm watching you, De La Cruz. I know your reputation."

His grin was wolfish. "Good. I'd hate to disappoint."

He took my hand and led me toward the dance floor. His palm was calloused—from basketball, probably—and the moment our hands touched, something shifted inside me. It wasn't like the pleasant sparks with Marco. This was deeper. Primal. Like my wolf recognized something in him that made her sit up and pay attention.

As we moved through the crowd, I noticed heads turning. People watching. Whispering.

Santiago De La Cruz was dancing with the Omega nerd who'd just gone viral for destroying her ex-boyfriend.

We reached a spot near the center of the floor, and Santiago pulled me close. One hand stayed on my hip while the other held mine. The song was fast-paced, primal, but he moved with an easy confidence that made it look effortless.

"You've been at college for two years," he said, his mouth close to my ear so I could hear him. "How come I've never seen you before?"

"You have seen me. You just never noticed." I tried to keep my voice steady despite how close he was. "I'm usually in the library or wearing baggy hoodies."

"My loss." His hand tightened on my hip. "But I'm noticing now."

God, he was good at this. Probably had a different girl every week. But my traitorous body didn't care about his reputation. It cared about how good his hands felt on me, how his scent—sandalwood and smoke—made my wolf want to rub against him like a cat.

Then our eyes locked, and the world seemed to tilt.

My stomach clenched with an overwhelming need to get closer to him. To touch more of him. To claim him. The pull was magnetic, undeniable—exactly like what I'd read about in my Omega studies.

Mate bond.

No. No, that was impossible. Mate bonds were rare. They didn't just happen on random Tuesday nights in clubs.

But Santiago's pupils had blown wide, his nostrils flaring as he pulled me impossibly closer. "Fuck," he breathed. "Do you feel that?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," I lied, even as my wolf howled with recognition.

"Yes, you do." His hand slid up my back, possessive. "Tell me you feel it too, hermosa. Tell me I'm not going crazy."

My heart was racing so fast I thought it might burst. "Santiago—"

"Your brother's here too, right?" I blurted out, desperately trying to change the subject. "Mateo?"

"Yeah, he's around somewhere." Santiago spun me, then pulled me back against his chest. His arm banded around my waist, holding me there. "Why? You interested in him too?"

"No! I just—" I stumbled over my words. "Sienna mentioned you guys were looking for someone. Her stepsister?"

Something flickered in Santiago's eyes. "Stella. Yeah, we were supposed to meet her here. You know her?"

My stomach dropped. Of course. Stella. My stepsister—the golden child who could do no wrong. The one who got all the attention, all the praise, while I scrubbed floors and did homework in my room.

"She's my stepsister too," I admitted.

Santiago's eyebrows shot up. "Wait, you're—you're Stella's sister? The one who—"

"Lives with her family? Yeah." I tried to pull back, but his grip tightened. "Let me guess, she never mentioned me."

"She mentioned she had a stepsister, but she said..." He trailed off, looking uncomfortable.

"She said what?" My voice came out sharper than I intended.

"That her stepsister was kind of a loner. Kept to herself." He was choosing his words carefully now. "She didn't mention you were an Omega. Or that you looked like this."

Of course she didn't. Stella loved being the center of attention. Having an Omega stepsister would have stolen her spotlight.

"Well, surprise," I said bitterly. "The loner stepsister actually exists."

"Hey." Santiago's hand came up to cup my jaw, forcing me to look at him. "I didn't mean it like that. I just meant... fuck, I'm bad at this. What I'm trying to say is, if I'd known about you, I would have noticed. Trust me."

The intensity in his dark eyes made my breath catch. This close, I could see the gold flecks in them, could see my own reflection in his pupils. Could feel that pull getting stronger with every passing second.

"Santiago—"

"There you are!" A familiar voice cut through the moment.

I turned to see Sienna pushing through the crowd with another man beside her. He was just as tall as Santiago, with the same athletic build and sharp features. His hair was darker though, almost black, and his eyes were a lighter brown.

Mateo De La Cruz.

"We've been looking everywhere for—Callie?" Mateo's eyes widened when he saw me in Santiago's arms. "You're Stella's sister?"

"Stepsister," I corrected automatically.

"Holy shit." Mateo ran a hand through his hair. "Stella never said... I mean, she told us she had a stepsister but—"

"But she failed to mention I was an Omega who actually leaves the house?" I finished for him, unable to keep the edge out of my voice.

Sienna winced. "Cal—"

"It's fine." I stepped out of Santiago's embrace, immediately feeling the loss. My wolf whined in protest. "I'm used to it. Stella's the star. I'm just the shadow."

"That's not—" Santiago started, reaching for me, but I shook my head.

"I need another drink." I turned away from all three of them, pushing through the dancing bodies toward the bar.

My mind was spinning. Mate bond. With Santiago De La Cruz. The campus bad boy who was here looking for my stepsister. This was a disaster.

I made it to the bar and leaned against it, trying to catch my breath.

"Back so soon, beautiful?" Marco appeared in front of me, his green eyes concerned. "You okay? You look upset."

"I'm fine. Just need another drink."

"Another Jack and Coke?" He was already reaching for a glass.

"Make it a double."

His eyebrows rose but he didn't comment. As he fixed my drink, I felt eyes on my back. I glanced over my shoulder to see Santiago watching me from the dance floor, his expression intense and hungry. Mateo was talking to him, gesturing, but Santiago wasn't listening. He was focused entirely on me.

"Here." Marco slid the drink across the bar. "On the house."

"You keep giving me free drinks, your boss is going to fire you," I tried to joke.

"I am the boss." His smile was crooked. "Well, co-owner actually. This is my club."

Of course it was. Because my night wasn't complicated enough already.

"Thanks, Marco." I took a long sip, letting the alcohol burn down my throat.

"Anytime, hermosa." He winked before moving to help another customer.

"Callie!" Sienna appeared at my side again, slightly breathless. "Okay, so don't freak out, but—"

"But what?" I asked warily.

"But Stella just texted. She's on her way. She'll be here in like ten minutes." Sienna bit her lip. "And she has no idea you're here."

Perfect. Just perfect.

My stepsister was about to walk into a club where I'd just been dancing with the guy she was supposed to meet—who also happened to be my mate—after exposing my ex-boyfriend to the entire pack.

Chapter 4: Mate

After Santiago disappeared into the crowd, I needed a moment to collect myself. My skin was still tingling where he'd touched me, and my wolf was restless, confused by the multiple mate bonds pulling at me.

"I need another drink," I told Sienna, fanning my flushed face.

"Good idea. I'll come with." She linked her arm through mine, steering us toward the bar.

As we approached, I spotted Marco immediately. He was serving someone else, but his eyes tracked my movement across the room like a predator watching prey. When the customer left, he made his way over to us, his full attention focused on me.

"Back for another round, Callista?" His voice was rougher than before, edged with something dark and possessive.

"Yes, please." I slid onto a bar stool, hyperaware of how my dress rode up my thighs. Marco's eyes followed the movement before snapping back to my face.

"Same thing? Or you want to try something different?" The way he said 'different' made heat pool in my belly.

"Surprise me," I said, then immediately regretted it when his eyes flashed that bright wolf green again.

"I can do that." He leaned forward on the bar, bringing his face closer to mine. "You smell incredible, by the way. Like cherries and something sweeter. Drives me crazy."

My breath hitched. The mate bond was pulling tighter, making me want to lean in, to close the distance between us.

"Marco." A deep voice cut through the moment. "You working or flirting?"

I turned to find Santiago standing beside my bar stool, his jaw tight with irritation. Behind him, Mateo approached with that same predatory grace, his amber eyes fixed on me with unsettling intensity.

Marco straightened but didn't back down. "Can't I do both?"

"Not when she's with me." Santiago's hand found the small of my back, warm and possessive.

"Funny," Marco said, his smile sharp. "I don't see your name on her."

The tension between them crackled like electricity. My wolf was caught between wanting to submit to their dominance and wanting to snap at them both for acting like I was property.

"Guys," I started, but Mateo interrupted.

"She's not with anyone yet." His voice was cold, controlled. "Which means she's free to choose."

Choose? My head was spinning. This morning, I'd been in a relationship with Luca. Now I had three gorgeous men acting like they wanted to claim me.

"I need a drink," I said firmly, looking at Marco. "Please."

He held my gaze for a long moment, then nodded. "Coming right up, sweetheart."

Santiago's hand tightened on my back as Marco turned away. "You don't have to choose him."

"I'm not choosing anyone right now," I said, trying to sound confident even though my heart was racing. "I just broke up with my boyfriend today. This is all... a lot."

Mateo pulled up the bar stool next to mine, sitting close enough that our knees almost touched. "The one from the live stream? Luca Rodriguez?"

"You saw that too?" God, everyone had seen my meltdown.

"The whole campus saw it." Mateo's lips curved slightly—not quite a smile, but close. "You handled yourself well. Most Omegas would have cried and run. You fought back."

"I'm not most Omegas." The words came out fiercer than I intended.

"No," Santiago agreed, his thumb stroking circles on my lower back. "You're definitely not."

Marco returned with a drink—something pink and fruity with a cherry on top. "Amaretto sour. Sweet with a bite. Thought it suited you."

I picked up the glass, acutely aware of all three men watching me. The first sip was perfect—sweet amaretto balanced with tart lemon, smooth and dangerous.

"Good?" Marco asked.

"Really good." I popped the cherry in my mouth, and Marco's eyes darkened.

"I bet you taste just as sweet," he murmured. "Cherry-sweet with that Omega spice underneath."

Heat flooded through me at his words. My nipples tightened against the thin fabric of my dress, and I knew they could all see it. Could smell my arousal mixing with my cherry scent.

Santiago's hand slid higher on my back, his fingers tracing my spine through the dress. "Careful, Marco. You're making our girl uncomfortable."

Our girl. The possessive claim in those words made my wolf purr even as my brain screamed that this was insane.

"Am I making you uncomfortable, Callista?" Marco leaned across the bar, close enough that I could see the silver flecks in his green eyes. "Because your scent says otherwise."

"I..." Words failed me. Because he was right. I wasn't uncomfortable—I was aroused. Confused, overwhelmed, but definitely not uncomfortable.

Mateo's hand rested on my knee, the touch light but deliberate. "You're allowed to want this. Want us."

"I don't even know you," I protested weakly.

"Then let us fix that." Santiago's lips brushed the shell of my ear, making me shiver. "Dance with me again. Let me show you I'm more than just the bad boy basketball player."

"And I'll make you another drink," Marco added. "On the house. Give you something to think about."

"And I'll make sure no one bothers you while you figure this out," Mateo finished, his hand squeezing my knee gently.

They were tag-teaming me, and my traitorous body was responding to all of it. Every touch sent sparks through my skin. Every word made my heart race faster. The mate bond—or bonds, plural—was pulling me in three different directions at once.

This shouldn't be possible. You were supposed to have one mate. One person who completed you. Not three devastatingly attractive men who all seemed determined to claim me.

"This drink isn't on the house," Marco said suddenly, his voice dropping to something darker, more intimate. "It's on me. Personal gift from me to you, sweetheart."

His sharp canines flashed when he smiled, and I couldn't help but imagine those teeth scraping down my neck, marking me—

No. Stop. I couldn't think like that.

"I need to use the bathroom," I blurted out, sliding off the bar stool. All three hands fell away from me, leaving cold spots where warmth had been.

"We'll be here," Santiago promised, his dark eyes intense. "Waiting for you."

"Take your time, Callista," Mateo added, though his expression said he didn't want me to take any time at all.

"Come back soon, sweetheart," Marco called as I grabbed my purse and practically fled.

The bathroom was brighter, quieter—a refuge from the overwhelming male attention. I leaned against the sink, staring at my reflection.

My cheeks were flushed, my eyes bright. My lips were swollen from biting them, and my hair was slightly mussed from dancing. I looked... alive. More alive than I'd felt in years.

Luca had never made me feel like this. He'd never looked at me with that hungry intensity, never touched me like he was afraid I'd disappear. He'd been content to keep me at arm's length, to play his games and make his bets.

But these three men—Marco, Santiago, Mateo—they looked at me like I was something precious and dangerous at the same time. Like they wanted to worship me and devour me in equal measure.

Was this what it felt like to be truly desired? Not just wanted, but needed?

I pulled out my lip gloss, hands shaking slightly as I reapplied it. The girl in the mirror looked different from the one who'd stood in Luca's apartment hours ago. That girl had been broken, hurt, ready to cry.

This girl was fierce. Powerful. Ready to take what she wanted.

And what did I want?

The answer scared me because it was all three of them. I wanted Marco's rough voice and silver piercings. I wanted Santiago's bad boy charm and protective touch. I wanted Mateo's cold control and the promise of darkness in his eyes.

I wanted to stop being the good girl who did what she was told. I wanted to be the Omega who made alphas compete for her attention.

My phone buzzed. A text from Sienna: "Where are you? The tension at this bar could cut glass. These boys are ready to fight over you!”