Page 31 of The Coyote's Veterinarian Omega

Just the sight of Cam was balm to my uneasy mind. I wanted nothing more than to rush into his arms, to hold and be held.

Thankfully, I was too tired to do much more than drag myself toward the door, like a shuffling zombie from some horror movie. “Hey,” I greeted.

“The hell are you doing here?” Cam practically growled, glaring down at me.

I recoiled, his words stinging me almost physically. Why was he angry? Didn’t he want to see me?

My stomach lurched. Had I misread the entire situation, and he just wanted a one-night stand with me? Oh God.

I felt heat rising in my cheeks. “I, uh—”

Cam raked his amber gaze over me. “You look like death warmed over,” he continued. “You should be at home, sleeping, not out here driving around! And look at you. Where the hell have you been, you’re covered in …”

He leaned in to sniff at me. “Is that cow shit?”

I pulled back, both embarrassed and offended. “I was up at Jed’s. One of the cows was calving. Took forever.”

Cam opened his mouth, but Cal butted in, saying, “He said he wanted to check in on you.”

Cam snapped his mouth shut, expression still twisted with displeasure. Cal tossed me a look. “I think what my numbskull brother is trying to say is you should come on in, Wyatt. We’ll get you a shower and something hot to eat.

Thank God one of them had some sense. “Thanks,” I said numbly to Cal, not taking my eyes off Cam.

Cam, who was still scowling when he finally turned to his brother. “I can handle it,” he said in a low, dangerous voice.

Cal seemed to broaden his shoulders and stand taller. “Can you though?”

“I got it,” Cam said, his teeth flashing, and despite how tired I was, my stomach did flip-flops at the thought of those sharpcanines …

I drew a breath, and Cam’s attention snapped back to me. “Well,” he huffed, “come on in. The night’s pretty chilly, you’ll catch your death standing around out here.”

I swallowed, then shuffled over the threshold.

Inside, it was like there was a veritable party going on. I blinked a few times; I hadn’t ever seen the foyer lit up with the hall lights, which cast the room in sharp shadows. There was music playing somewhere, although I could barely hear it over the sound ofMario Kartin the living room—the TV was blasting, nearly drowning out someone shouting, “Blue shell, blue shell!”

I turned back to Cam and Cal. “Sorry,” I said, “I didn’t know you were having a party.”

“We’re not,” Cam grumped. I blinked; maybe he wasn’t mad at me? Maybe he was just in a bad mood?

Cal cracked a smile. “Our brothers are back for spring break,” he said, ushering me past the den, where I spied two gangly teenage boys sprawled on the floor, both of them staring with intent at the enormous flat-screen TV mounted on the wall. Behind them, on a well-worn sofa, was Caroline, who had her ankles crossed and her hands folded neatly in her lap. Beside her was a mountain of a woman, who was drinking a beer.

Cal herded me down the hall, toward the kitchen. “Our aunts,” he explained as I kept twisting my head toward the living room. “Cody and Connor are staying with them until they graduate.”

“Ah,” I said. Vern had mentioned that two brothers were staying with an aunt. He hadn’t mentioned the aunt was a lesbian.

Cam followed us to the kitchen, like a black cloud. Cal pointed toward the laundry room, where Cam’s makeshift pen had been. “There’s a shower just past there,” he said. “You know where the linen closet is, right?”

“I’ll show him,” Cam said, turning.

“You’ll stay right here, Cameron.” Cal’s tone brooked no argument, but Cam tossed him a glower.

I cleared my throat. “I’ve got a good idea where it is,” I offered, then darted down the hall before either brother could protest.

I felt like I was floating, even though I could hear my feet slapping the tiles of the floor. Were they …fightingover me? Honestly, it seemed like Cal was trying to keep Cam away from me, and Cam …

I stopped at the end of the hall, leaning on the door to the closet as my knees threatened to give out on me. I’d never felt like this before, my head swimming.

You’re tired, I told myself sternly. It had been a long day, and I certainly hadn’t slept well the night before, not with Cam keeping me up until the small hours.