Page 42 of Talk Howly to Me

"Now," Kozue continued, stepping closer to demonstrate, "in this position, you have several options. You could go for the throat with a punch—" He mimed the motion without actually making contact. "—or target the flank near the kidneys. Either would buy you time to escape."

He moved around to Ronan's side, his hands hovering over the wolf's neck. "Or if you wanted to kill the wolf, you'd need to snap the neck. Like this." He demonstrated the arm movement, showing her the precise angle and leverage required without actually following through.

When he stepped back, Sloane tried the technique exactly as he'd shown her, her movements controlled and deliberate. She had the natural instincts of a born fighter, but more than that—she had the discipline to learn quickly and adapt to new situations.

"Impressive," Kozue murmured. "You're picking this up like you were born to fight wolves."

Sloane stepped back, allowing Ronan's wolf to roll to his feet and shake out his thick coat. The massive predator's tail wagged once—a purely Ronan gesture that made Kozue's chest warm with affection for his best friend.

But now it was his turn.

Kozue began stripping off his clothes with efficient movements, starting with his gray t-shirt. Sloane's gaze tracked his every motion, her hazel eyes darkening with appreciation as he revealed the lean muscle of his chest and shoulders. Years of combat training had left their mark on his body—not just in strength, but in the small scars that decorated his ribs and arms like a map of battles fought and won.

Next came his jeans, then his boxers, until he stood completely naked before her in the afternoon sunlight. Sloane's eyes widened as she took in the full view of his body, her tongue darting out to wet her lips in a gesture that sent heat straight to his groin.

Focus, he told himself firmly.

But as the transformation began, Kozue couldn't deny the primal satisfaction of knowing his mate was watching him shift into his wolf form for the first time.

The change hit him like lightning—bones cracking and reforming, muscles expanding with supernatural speed, rich chocolate-brown fur erupting across his skin in waves. His face elongated into a muzzle, his hands became paws tipped with razor-sharp claws, and his perspective shifted as he dropped to four legs.

When the transformation completed, Kozue's massive brown wolf stood beside Ronan's black one, both predators easily weighing close to three hundred pounds each. His green eyes found Sloane's face, drinking in her expression of wonder mixed with something deeper—something that looked like recognition.

Sloane stared at both wolves together, then she reached out to touch them both with a reverence that warmed his soul, and Kozue felt the exact moment when understanding hit her through their mate bond. Her pupils dilated, her breathing quickened, and a flush of heat spread across her cheeks as she truly comprehended what she was connected to.

These are mine, he could practically hear her thinking.

The hunger in her eyes was so potent that Kozue felt it echo through their nascent connection, a wave of want and acceptance and trust that made his wolf preen with satisfaction.

Both wolves began circling her slowly, moving with the synchronized precision of predators who'd hunted together for years. Sloane immediately dropped into her fighting stance, her body coiled and ready as she tracked their movement with sharp focus.

What followed was the most beautiful dance Kozue had ever been part of.

Without words, they began to spar. Sloane read their advances with supernatural accuracy, dodging Ronan's feinted attack while simultaneously pivoting to avoid Kozue's approach from her blind side. She moved like water, flowing around their strikes and using their own momentum against them. When Kozue lunged low, she vaulted over his back and landed in a crouch that put her in perfect position to tackle Ronan's wolf as he charged from the opposite direction.

They moved together like they'd been training as a unit for years instead of minutes. Sloane's human agility complemented their wolf strength perfectly, creating a rhythm that felt as natural as breathing. But more than that, she trusted them completely—trusted that they wouldn't hurt her, trusted that this was preparation, trusted that they would always protect her.

She's incredible, Ronan's voice echoed through their telepathic pack link, his mental tone filled with awe. Look how perfectly she fits with us. Like she was always meant to be part of our pack.

Yes, she was meant to be our mate, Kozue projected back, his wolf's satisfaction bleeding through every word.

An hour passed in what felt like minutes, their bodies moving in perfect synchronization as Sloane grew more confident and they became more attuned to her fighting style. She was smiling now—genuinely smiling—in a way Kozue had never seen before. The careful walls she kept around herself had dissolved completely, replaced by pure joy and the kind of freedom that came from finally finding where you belonged.

The triad mate bond sang between all three of them, a harmony of recognition and approval that made Kozue's wolf want to howl with happiness. This was what they'd been missing—not just a mate, but a partner who could stand beside them as an equal, who could fight with them.

This is it, Kozue realized as they finally began to wind down, all three of them breathing hard from exertion. This is what we were always meant to be—not just two wolves sharing a mate, but three people who make each other stronger.

When they finally stopped, both wolves padded to the edge of the training area and began their transformation back to human form. Bones cracked and reformed, fur receded into skin, and within moments both men stood naked and sweat-slicked in the afternoon sun.

Sloane stared at them both, her chest rising and falling rapidly from exertion and something that looked like wonder. Her hazel eyes moved from Ronan's face to Kozue's and back again, as if she was seeing them clearly for the first time.

"I think I understand the triad mate bond now," she said softly, her voice carrying a note of certainty that made Kozue's heart race. "And I think I know what I want now."

The words hung between them, shimmering with possibility and promise. Kozue felt his wolf stir with anticipation, sensing that whatever came next would change everything.

SEVENTEEN

SLOANE