My fingers tug at his shirt, the fabric tearing under my grip, and I feel Eric’s hands on my shoulders, his lips moving lower, trailing fire across my skin. It’s raw, consuming, the kind of heat that could burn this whole pack house down. 

I want more—more of Rick, more of Eric, more of this bond that makes us whole, even without her.

“What the hell are you guys doing?” a voice snaps, sharp and raw, cutting through the haze.

I freeze, my lips still on Rick’s, my hands gripping his hair. I turn my head, slow and deliberate, and there she is—Lia, standing in the doorway, her eyes wide with shock, her face a storm of fury and something else, something that makes my wolf howl. 

My smirk widens, slow and deliberate, as I meet her gaze, letting her see every bit of the monster she hates.

### Chapter 18: Tangled in Toxic Flames 🐺🔥🌙


Dean's lips move against mine, hot and demanding, his tongue teasing, pulling me into a haze I swore I'd never fall for again.


 I pull away, a growl ripping from my throat, my wolf snarling.


 "Stop it," I snarl, my voice shaking, but he just chuckles, his breath hot against my ear, sending a shiver down my spine that I hate myself for feeling.


"You need this more than I do," he whispers, his voice low, teasing, and damn it, he's right, the mate bond burning in my chest, a fire I thought was dead but now roars to life, pulling me to him despite my rage.


He presses his lips to mine again, and this time, I can't hold back, my wolf howling as I kiss him back, rough and desperate, shoving him toward the wall, the old wood creaking under our weight.


 His hands tug at my coat, yanking it off, then my shirt, his fingers grazing my chest, igniting sparks that make my head spin. 


Chapter 19 - chapter 18