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“Oh, no!” Evangeline started to stand. “Let me get a paper towel—”
Maddox swiveled and crouched, using his body as a shield like he was afraid Colt might lose control in the middle of the living room.
“Ang, it’s fine. Stay back, okay? Shit. I brought his mate into it. That was my mistake. Colt, forget I said it. But you know I’m right.”
Colt kept his trap shut. He was afraid, if he so much as parted his lips, he’d issue a warning growl and that would be the end of that. He wouldn’t be able to rein in his instincts. Neither would Maddox.
And it wasn’t like he wanted to challenge his brother. He didn’t have a death wish. Colt knew damn well that Maddox would hand him his ass—and that was if his brother’s wolf didn’t take over and rip out the would-be challenger’s throat first.
He nodded, wordlessly accepting that Maddox would back down if he did. Then, subtly baring his throat in submission as he bent to the floor, Colt scooped up as much of the mangled apple as he could.
Pointedly avoiding both Maddox and Evangeline, he headed toward the kitchen. He tossed the pulp and washed his hands, breathing slowly through his nose as he corralled his wolf back into its cage.
It took a minute. He was heated. Fuming. Anger buzzed in his ears, cutting him off from the mated couple in the other room.
The water was still running from the tap. Colt jerked the handle to the right, splashing his face when it was cold enough.
Better.
He ran his damp hands through his hair, causing the short, sandy brown strands to darken and stand up at odd angles all over the sides of his head.
Colt didn’t give a shit. He just wiped his hands on his jeans before returning to the living room.
His brother had resumed his pacing. Evangeline had shifted her position, leaning forward, talking quietly to her mate.
As his flash of anger subsided, Colt’s shifter hearing kicked in in time to hear Evangeline murmur, “Maddox. You’re being ridiculous.”
“Ridiculous because I don’t want Wright sniffing around you again? He tried taking you away from me. I can’t ever forgive him for that.”
“Babe, it’s fine. I haven’t even talked to Adam since September.”
Maddox’s amber eyes flashed as he went absolutely still. Slowly, he turned to face his mate. “September? I thought he got the hint back in June.”
Colt muttered a curse under his breath. Welp, he’d definitely picked the wrong fucking time to walk back into the room.
“He called me, wanted to make sure I was doing alright. I am. The next time he called, I didn’t answer.”
“He shouldn’t be calling you at all! Let me get my paws on him. I’m gonna rip that asshole to shreds. Is that what he wants? Damn it, Ang, I warned him.”
Fur sprouted along Maddox’s bare arms. White fur tinged with black and grey, the telltale sign that Maddox’s grey wolf was trying to force its way out while Mad fought against the shift. As if the amber eyes weren’t a big enough clue that Maddox was ready to snap, the inch-long fangs coupled with the fur warned Colt that the wolf wasn’t just riding Maddox at that second—it was in charge.
Following his instincts, he swallowed the whine in his throat before backing off. So what if Colt didn’t want a fight? The state he was in, Maddox might say screw it and lunge at him anyway.
The big alpha wolf shifter loomed over his mate, bristling with a protective rage. She didn’t even blink. Her gaze locked on Maddox, a soothing pout on her lips as she pushed off of the couch again and, only inches separating them, placed her hand on her mate’s chest. His eyes immediately stopped flashing as he leaned into her touch, but the grimace lingered on his weathered face.
In the entire world, Evangeline was the only person who could approach Maddox while he was in this vicious of a mood and know that she was one hundred percent safe.
Maddox took a deep breath. On the exhale, his fangs returned to their normal canine size. He lost the fur on his arms as the tension in the air dropped from bomb about to explode levels down to a mild discomfort.
Phew.
“Okay,” he said, nodding. He lowered his mouth, pressing his lips to her cheek in a sweet kiss. “I’m okay. Thanks, Angie.”
Evangeline patted him on the chest. “You got it, babe.”
As soon as she was sure that Maddox was back in control, she sank down on the couch, folding her long legs beneath her.
Colt arched his eyebrows when Maddox glanced over at him, a sheepish expression twisting his features as he remembered that his brother was still there.
