"So…" Boyd narrowed his eyes at me as I tapped the blue chalk off my cue. He was racking the balls like he'd done it a thousand times — slow, smooth, and deliberate. The way his fingers slid between them wasn't just for function. It was for show. "You actually know how to play?"
I gave him a casual shrug. "Maybe."
"She does," Beau chimed in, stroking his stubble as he watched me. "And from the look in her eyes, she's about to eat you alive."
Boyd's grin turned wolfish. "A Luna and a man-eater? Damn. We needed this kind of energy in here."
His open flirting made me laugh — it was new territory for me. Cameron sure as hell never flirted, and back in the Fire Moon pack, the she-wolf warriors weren't exactly encouraged to mingle with the guys until we hit eighteen. Aside from a few older trainers or friends' brothers, I never really had casual banter like this with men.
In the early school years, things were mixed, but by fourteen, I'd chosen the warrior path. And teenage boys? They weren't charming — just cruel. Being an orphan in a brutal pack made me an easy target.
Things shifted when I joined the warrior training corps. My commander ran a tight unit — no bullying tolerated. The other she-wolves who chose the warrior life were like me. We weren't looking for approval; we were searching for a place to belong. We found it in each other.
Of course, the pack's future Alphas still messed with the girls who trained casually. But us hardcore warrior women? We stuck to each other. We didn't need or want the attention of the ranked heirs.
Then Cameron had to screw it all up.
He yanked me from everything I knew, everything I loved. Moving into the main packhouse as his Luna was like being exiled from my own life. My sisters waved goodbye with tears in their eyes — and I never saw them again, except from my window. The walls between us were physical... and cruel.
But now? I was shooting pool and getting hit on by half-naked, flirtatious strippers. I could practically hear Luna Klarissa screaming from wherever she was. And Cameron? Let him choke on it.
"I like your boxers," Darren said with a playful smirk. The giant werebear had a deep-chocolate complexion, long braids, and muscles for days.
"Thanks," I shot back, nodding at the visible CALVIN KLEIN waistband peeking over his jeans. "Yours are pretty nice too."
He grinned. "I can show you more of them later."
"Hey. I called dibs," Boyd interrupted, shooting Darren a mock glare.
"Dibs?" I cocked a brow, grabbing the cue ball from his hand. "What exactly did you claim dibs on? First peek?"
"Something like that." His eyes trailed over me as I leaned over the table again, deliberately giving him a view. Just to mess with him.
Then I got a little idea.
"Tell you what," I said, elbows planted on the table as I looked back at him. "Let's make it interesting. We play. And for every ball sunk, the other person has to lose a piece of clothing."
Boyd's eyebrows shot up. "Wait. Seriously?"
I smirked. "Dead serious. Oh — and the winner? Gets to bend the loser over this table in front of everyone."
That got their attention.
Boyd's grin turned devilish as the guys around us snickered and exchanged looks. "You sure, sweetheart? You're not even wearing socks. I've got layers."
I stepped close and pressed the cue stick to his chest, smearing a bit of chalk onto his neon yellow shirt. "I'm sure. And trust me — I'm not the one who should be worried."
"You want to break?" he offered.
"Gladly," I purred, turning back to the table.
I lined up my shot. It had been years, but my body remembered everything. Pool was muscle memory — and I'd been deadly with a cue.
"She looks like she knows exactly what she's doing," Alexi muttered, eyes locked on my stance.
"Yeah," Darren mumbled, clearly still distracted by my ass.
Boyd? Totally unaware he was about to get hustled.
The break was clean, crisp — and devastating. Five balls dropped in one shot. Mostly stripes.
I straightened up and smiled, bouncing on my toes. Boyd looked like someone had just slapped him with reality.
"You're kidding me. You're a Luna."
"I was a warrior before that," I said sweetly, twirling the cue stick behind my back. "And the best way to welcome new blood was to beat their ass at pool."
I brought the stick to his chin, dragging it down his chest and around his back. Then I gave him a sharp swat on the butt, making him jump.
"Just a preview," I said with a wink.
"This isn't fair," he grumbled. "I thought you were some pampered little mate with no game."
"Do I look pampered to you?"
He rubbed his neck. "You were in a coma for a year. Maybe I thought it made you soft."
"Oh, sweetie." I popped my hip out and tilted my head. "You just sound scared to lose now."
I slowly lifted the hem of my sweater, just enough to flash some skin and fan myself. "I'm getting warm anyway."
"Shit," Boyd muttered under his breath, his eyes locked on the peek of stomach and underboob.
"Don't be a coward," Darren teased. "If you get that sweater off, it's worth the risk."
With a groan, Boyd finally yanked off his shirt and kicked off his shoes. "I've got layers to spare."
"Lucky you," I giggled.
"No fucking way," Beau muttered as I dropped the final striped ball into the pocket. "She cleared the damn table in one turn."
Boyd stood scowling beside it — now down to just his tank and boxer briefs. Poor thing never stood a chance.