Prologue
It was life or death.
Do or die.
Vivi moved her gaze left then right. The world went quiet around her as she tuned it all out.
It all came down to this.
She grabbed the ball. Crouched down. Arms up. Flick of the wrist as she rose up and the ball flew. Straight through. No fucking net!
“Fuck, yes!” Swinging her hips, she pumped her arms in a victory dance.
“My baby got game! We fucking kicked your sad asses!” Aleki crowed.
“What are you doing?” Wolfe stared at her like she’d grown horns and a tail.
“It’s called a victory dance,” she crowed.
“That is a dance? I thought you were having a fit.”
She stopped and gaped at him. “Aww, Wolfe, did you just make a joke?”
His obsidian eyes narrowed. “No, I did not.”
She had to grin. Wolfe didn’t like joking around. Not that that stopped her from teasing him. Aleki might be her boyfriend. But she adored Wolfe and Caleb.
Probably more than she should.
Vivi pushed that thought away. It was unfair to Aleki. She loved him and she’d never do anything to jeopardize what they had together.
“Don’t listen to him, baby. You got all the moves.” Aleki wiggled his eyebrows suggestively and she giggled. She thought she saw the other boys stiffen but didn’t pay them any attention as Aleki grabbed her and lifted her onto his shoulder.
“Be careful!” Wolfe growled, frowning at Aleki. “Don’t drop her.”
“I won’t drop her, mother hen,” Aleki scoffed.
Wolfe hovered, looking ready to catch her if she slipped. Not that she would.
Caleb held up his arms to her. Mouth dry, she reached down. Nobody denied Caleb. He was an alpha without being a jerk. He didn’t have to rule by barking orders or putting others down.
All he did was crook an eyebrow and people did what he wanted.
She slid down his body until she was trapped between him and Aleki. Her big, gorgeous dark-skinned man at her back, the joker with a huge heart. And the blond, serious, responsible leader at her front.
She shivered in reaction. This was something dreams were made of. If only they were both hers.
Stop it, Vivi.
That shit only happened in books. In real life it would be a nightmare fueled by jealousy and misunderstanding. It would never happen.
The three of them were as tight as a family. Tighter, maybe. She knew that she was only allowed in because of her relationship with Aleki. When it ended, she’d never see them again.
“Hey, you okay?” Caleb raised his hand, as though to cup her face then he seemed to realize what he was doing and lightly touched her arm instead.
“Baby? Vivi? You okay?” Aleki turned her towards him, dislodging Caleb’s hand which had been burning through her clothing to her skin.