The knock thundered, but Theodore didn't bother. His eyes, sharp as knives, already knew who it was. "Come in," he barked.
Seraphina slid through, a sly grin on her face. Theodore's jaw tightened, shoulders rigid. She looked straight at Isabella. "My mate," she said dramatically, "is one of Theodore's men."
Isabella blinked. "Wait… who?"
"The Leo," Seraphina said, voice smooth like silk wrapped around steel. "Yes, that mountain of muscle, arrogance, and testosterone. Mine. The one who flexes like gravity itself bows to him."
Isabella snorted. "That idiot? Yours? The same one who nearly headbutted a chair because it dared to wobble?"
"Yes," Seraphina said, savoring it. "And the beauty? He thinks he's the storm incarnate. The universe bends to him. Meanwhile…" she leaned closer to Isabella, lowering her voice like a conspirator, "…I'm holding the reins, and he doesn't even notice."
From the corner, Theodore's eyes flared, all predator and pride. "Holding the reins, huh?" he muttered under his breath. Every muscle tensed, chest expanding like he was about to declare war on… well, everything.
"And tomorrow," Seraphina continued, ignoring his growl, "the wedding. Chaos guaranteed. Leo will strut like the king of idiots, Theodore will brood like a volcano that smells coffee, Oliver will whisper schemes no one asked for, and Lucas…" She paused, smirking. "…Lucas will cry into his own ego because nothing is ever fair."
Isabella laughed so hard she almost fell back into the bed. "Oh man… it's testosterone overload. The sheer chaos. I can feel it radiating!"
Seraphina's grin widened. "Exactly. And the best part? They think they're untouchable. They think the world is theirs. They don't even realize they're the punchline."
The room shifted; Theodore's glare could have melted steel. He stepped forward, every alpha instinct roaring, voice low and dangerous. "Punchline, huh? We'll see about that…"
Theodore's eyes flicked between Isabella and Seraphina, a slow, teasing smile curling across his lips. "You two," he said, voice low and playful, "sitting there, whispering and blushing like I just grew wings and sprouted fire. Honestly… the way you overanalyze every flex, every smirk, every word my boys say—it's almost cute. Almost."
Isabella shot him a glare, half-laughing, half-annoyed. "We're just… observing!"
"Observing?" Theodore leaned closer, each step deliberate, predator-like. "Is that what you call it? I call it plotting. Calculating how to survive the storm of testosterone that surrounds you. And yet," he spread his arms like he owned the room, "you think your little giggles can intimidate me? Or my boys? Sweetheart, the only thing you're intimidating is yourselves."
Seraphina huffed, trying not to laugh. "We're… not intimidated!"
Theodore chuckled, low and dangerous, pacing a slow semicircle around them. "Not intimidated… but clearly terrified of thinking too much. Every glance at Leo, every twitch when Oliver whispers, every sigh when Lucas… well, Lucas exists—oh, it's all very dramatic in here, isn't it?"
He pointed toward the corner where the three alphas were undoubtedly puffing their chests somewhere in imagination, the sheer ego energy radiating like a storm. "Meanwhile, your eyes are tracking, analyzing, measuring… and yet somehow, you've missed the main point. We're all ridiculous. And you—" he leaned toward Isabella, a grin cutting across his face—"you think you're clever, pretending to hide your amusement. We see it. Every single flutter of your pulse, every suppressed laugh, every glance that screams, these boys are insane."
Isabella stifled a giggle, Seraphina nearly doubled over, but Theodore's grin only widened. "Ah, but I forgive you," he said smoothly, voice now dripping with mock solemnity. "For thinking you can predict the chaos, control the energy, or even understand the storm that is… us. Keep trying. It's entertaining."
He leaned back, arms crossed again, alpha posture perfected. "Just remember: you can watch, you can speculate, you can whisper and giggle—but you will never, ever contain this. And if you think for a second that Leo, Oliver, Lucas, or even I care about your opinions… well, that's cute. Truly, very cute."
Isabella and Seraphina exchanged looks, half horrified, half laughing. Theodore's grin sharpened, the room thick with his presence—a predator enjoying the chaos he both caused and controlled.