Except Lyla. From the moment she moved to their pack last year, everything changed. Hewantedher.
But if she wanted his brother instead…
“Go. She’s waiting for you,” Hansel said, giving his back a firm slap.
Boaz coughed and shifted an inch away. “Fuck, that hurts. Keep your massive hands to yourself.”
“Massive hands,” Hansel barked out a laugh and took a swig of his beer. “Compared to you, I’m tiny. You’re a damn giant.”
Boaz snorted, but he tugged his shirt higher over his shoulder like it could hide the size of him. His height and packed muscles made him self-conscious. He always suspected that was why women didn’t give him a chance. He was too big, too rough around the edges… and standing next to Hansel, he felt like an ogre. Nothing about him said charming or handsome.
He rubbed the back of his neck, fighting the urge to bolt and head home. He had promised Hansel he’d stay through the pack’s first full-moon dance, and they still had a run to do afterward.
He wasn’t looking forward to that.
His wolf was a menace. It didn’t play well with others. That was one reason he could never be alpha, well, that and the fact that he preferred being alone.
He couldn’t give the pack what it needed, and Hansel clearly could. Watching him move through the crowd, talking and joking with the others like he’d been born for this, Boaz almost forgot he was the younger brother. Hansel was a true leader.
“No. I think she likes you,” he said finally, dragging the conversation back. The words had to be said, and he needed them out. If Hansel wasn’t interested…then…
“You need the fuck more than I do,” Hansel muttered.
So, he knew. Boaz’s jaw tightened.
It shouldn’t have mattered whether his brother knew or not, a fuck was a fuck. But the thought of being with a woman who didn’t actually want him left a sour taste in his mouth.
Boaz lifted his beer and took a slow sip, his eyes on the bonfire. Sparks shot upward, drifting into the trees. The scent of wildflowers rolled in from the meadows. It should’ve been a perfect night, exactly the kind he lived for. But when he lifted his gaze to the full moon, its pale light crawling over his skin, something inside him stirred restlessly.
Maybe a run would clear his head. At the very least, it would burn off some of the aggressive energy clawing at his wolf before the others arrived.
He pushed himself up, but Hansel grabbed his arm, stopping him.
“Don’t go,” his brother said softly, a hint of sadness creeping into his voice, like he already knew what Boaz was feeling. “I’m going to get you laid tonight.”
“Don’t bother. I’m fine,” Boaz said, patting Hansel’s hand. “Besides, a pity fuck is worse than no fuck at all.”
Hansel barked a laugh and got to his feet, yanking Boaz up with him. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. A fuck is afuck. Pity or not, you still get to enjoy it. Now I know for sure you’re a virgin.”
“Me? A virgin? I’m—” Boaz sputtered, heat rushing to his ears.
Hansel didn’t give him a chance to recover and dragged him toward the clearing. Lyla was there, dancing with the rest of the pack. She looked radiant under the moonlight, her hair catching the silver glow as she laughed with her friends.
The moment they noticed Hansel and Boaz approaching, the dancing slowed, then stopped. Boaz tried to pull back, mortified.
“Please don’t,” he muttered, ears burning hotter.
Hansel didn’t stop. He kept dragging him forward like a man on a mission.
“Good evening, ladies,” Hansel said smoothly. A gaggle of giggles spread through the group. “May we join you?”
“Of course,” Lyla said, stepping toward Hansel with a bright, breathtaking smile. The music thumped behind her, the bonfire crackling in the background as she swayed to the beat, dancing around his brother like she’d been waiting for him all night. Hansel slid an arm around her waist and whispered something in her ear.
Boaz winced. God, what was he saying to her?
He braced himself to turn away before the humiliation swallowed him whole, until Lyla looked directly at him.
Her smile didn’t dim. If anything, it grew softer, freezing him in place.