He huffs, crossing his arms. Normally Nolan is the calm, cool, and collected one. “I saw…her…coming into the house, and I was curious.”
“I smell bullshit.” I snap, matching his stance and crossing my arms. “Even if that were true—which it’s not, by the way—she’s my sister. Why would you be curious as to why she would be visitin’ me?”
A little crease of frustration appears between his brows, and he won’t meet my eyes. I huff in irritation. “Is this about you and Dec?”
He whips his head up, startled. “What about me and Dec?”
“Oh come on.” I roll my eyes. “You guys are obviously involved in some way, and maybe it’s botherin’ you that he’s showin’ interest in her.”
“No offense, Jo, but you don’t know what the fuck you’re talking about.” His tone is hard.
“Then maybe you should inform me,” I snap. “I’m not an idiot, Nolan, and neither are the other members of your pack. Just—”
A high-pitched scream from inside the house cuts off my words, followed by a mild pulse of alarm from Kole in the bond.
Mabel.
Nolan and I exchange a glance before rushing inside, and imagine my shock when I see Aidan standing over Kole, his hands fisted in my Russian giant’s collar.
Kole, to his credit, seems to recognize what’s going through Aidan’s head and doesn’t fight back. He remains still, markers still in his hand.
Mabel stands, eyes wide with shock.
“Aidan,” I growl, prowling towards the alpha. “I don’t know if Declan shared this information with you, but I don’t take kindly to people gettin’ handsy with my alphas.”
He doesn’t answer.
“It is alright,Lisichka.” Kole’s eyes don’t move from Aidan. “He merely…misunderstood what he walked in on.”
My eyes dart from his hands, holding the markers, and Mabel, a half-done vine up her arm.
Shit. I need to save this before Mabel decides Aidan is just as bad as her old pack. Despite not wanting her to know about the potential of a scent-match yet, I don’t want her to be scared away from them before she has a chance to get to know them.
“Aidan,” I say carefully, coming up beside them. Aidan’s eyes are black with fury, and he breathes out of his nose like a damn bull as he stares at Kole. “Kole wasn’t tryin’ to step out on me. It was my idea for him to give Mabel the temporary tattoos.”
Probably not what he thought, but it’s an explanation that both seems plausible and won’t alert Mabel to the potential scent match.
He still doesn’t answer.
Nolan speaks up. “What the fuck is going on?” His brows are furrowed as he looks between Kole and his packmate. “Aidan?”
But, again, the alpha is silent.
“Have you tried barking at him?” I ask, hoping for the least amount of conflict possible. I’ve never seen Aidan reach a state like this. He’s almost…feral.
“Right after he grabbed me,” Kole confirms. “It had no effect. It seems that his dominance is even stronger than mine.”
Damn.
So if he’s unresponsive, even to an alpha-bark, I don’t have many options. I grimace, coming to an unfortunate conclusion. “Whatever happens here in a second, I can handle it, okay?”
My alpha smirks and nods once.
Then, because even though I know Aidan doesn’t necessarily like to be touched, I also need him to snap out of whatever funk he’s in—so, I jab a finger in his arm. “Earth to Aidan!”
Instead of coming to his senses, though, he turns on me, snarling. Before I realize what’s happening, Mabel is putting herself between the two of us, shielding me with her body.
“No.” She puts one palm out in front of her, the other reaching back to grasp my hand even as she’s shaking. “Don’t touch her.”
