Once he grounded himself, he continued his reprimand.
“How dare you!” he yelled again. “You had no right!”
His brother Travis and his wife Sabrina sat across from him on one couch, and his other brother Tyler and his wife Dawn sat on the adjacent love seat. He stared them all down, as anger swiftly coursed through his veins. The urge to shift into his bear form and attack his brothers rode him hard, but he would never do something so primal indoors, especially with humans around. His mother’s rules were ingrained deep, and his brothers knew it, too. It was probably why they’d chosen to have the conversation inside.
His angry voice echoed through the living room and the windows rattled in their frames. He knew the house had been built solid, they’d built it after all, and he forced himself to take several deep breaths.
Even though he’d been in a bad mood for what seemed like forever, he realized that he hadn’t been close to being this angry in nearly four years.
The night his life changed forever.
Dawn’s eyes widened and she pressed herself closer to Tyler. As soon as she realized what she’d done, she tried to hide her fear, but failed. He looked at Bree and gritted his teeth. He’d scared Dawn, which made some of his anger dissipate, but Sabrina’s look of sympathy pissed him off.
Fuck this shit.
He didn’t want their fear or their pity. He just wanted to be left alone. After he hit something. Preferably both of his brothers’ faces.
Suddenly, his leg tingled with pain and he sighed and sat back down in the chair.
“I know you’re angry, but—”
“Don’t,” Trent barked, cutting off Travis’ words. “I know you all meant well, but you shouldn’t have done this. I’m glad everything worked out for the four of you, but I told you what I thought about your stupid ad from the beginning. Even if I was open to meeting someone—which I’m not—going behind my back was not the way to do it.”
“If they didn’t go behind your back, you would never meet anyone,” Bree reasoned.
“And what part of I don’t want to meet anyone don’t you guys understand? I don’t know how I can be any clearer.”
“There was a time,” Tyler started, “when you believed in love. Travis and I wanted to see that part of you return. We know what we did was wrong, but we thought if you could find someone, the way we did with Dawn and Bree, then maybe you’d start to live again.”
Tyler was two years younger than him, and the baby of the Mallory siblings. He was also the peacekeeper among the three of them. Growing up, he’d always been able to goad Travis into a fight, but Tyler had always been the reasonable one. If he had to guess, he’d bet money this idea had been Tyler’s from the very beginning.
As much as he loved his brother, he wouldn’t stand by and let the man insult him.
“What the hell does that mean?” Trent roared again. “I have a home, a job, and I take care of myself just fine. I don’t need anyone to help me live . I’m alive, no thanks to a woman mind you, and I’m living my life the way I want to.”
“No you’re not,” Travis offered. “You don’t shift often, you hardly eat, and most of the time, you’re a grouchy son-of-a-bitch. I know you’re not happy, and I’ve seen the way you are with Bree and Dawn. You don’t hate all women like you claim, and I bet you’d smile more if you had someone in your life.”
Fucking asshole.
If Travis didn’t have Bree plastered to his side, he’d deck him.
“I’m nice to Bree and Dawn out of respect for you and Tyler,” he ground out. “That’s all there is to it.”
“You’re lying,” Dawn said.
Everyone turned to face Tyler’s wife. She’d dropped a lot of her nervous habits since the truth about her past had been revealed, but she usually stayed quiet around him.
“Excuse me?” he asked, using his best lethal voice.
“You’re lying. You’ve been nice to me from the beginning, and I know
“How dare you!” he yelled again. “You had no right!”
His brother Travis and his wife Sabrina sat across from him on one couch, and his other brother Tyler and his wife Dawn sat on the adjacent love seat. He stared them all down, as anger swiftly coursed through his veins. The urge to shift into his bear form and attack his brothers rode him hard, but he would never do something so primal indoors, especially with humans around. His mother’s rules were ingrained deep, and his brothers knew it, too. It was probably why they’d chosen to have the conversation inside.
His angry voice echoed through the living room and the windows rattled in their frames. He knew the house had been built solid, they’d built it after all, and he forced himself to take several deep breaths.
Even though he’d been in a bad mood for what seemed like forever, he realized that he hadn’t been close to being this angry in nearly four years.
The night his life changed forever.
Dawn’s eyes widened and she pressed herself closer to Tyler. As soon as she realized what she’d done, she tried to hide her fear, but failed. He looked at Bree and gritted his teeth. He’d scared Dawn, which made some of his anger dissipate, but Sabrina’s look of sympathy pissed him off.
Fuck this shit.
He didn’t want their fear or their pity. He just wanted to be left alone. After he hit something. Preferably both of his brothers’ faces.
Suddenly, his leg tingled with pain and he sighed and sat back down in the chair.
“I know you’re angry, but—”
“Don’t,” Trent barked, cutting off Travis’ words. “I know you all meant well, but you shouldn’t have done this. I’m glad everything worked out for the four of you, but I told you what I thought about your stupid ad from the beginning. Even if I was open to meeting someone—which I’m not—going behind my back was not the way to do it.”
“If they didn’t go behind your back, you would never meet anyone,” Bree reasoned.
“And what part of I don’t want to meet anyone don’t you guys understand? I don’t know how I can be any clearer.”
“There was a time,” Tyler started, “when you believed in love. Travis and I wanted to see that part of you return. We know what we did was wrong, but we thought if you could find someone, the way we did with Dawn and Bree, then maybe you’d start to live again.”
Tyler was two years younger than him, and the baby of the Mallory siblings. He was also the peacekeeper among the three of them. Growing up, he’d always been able to goad Travis into a fight, but Tyler had always been the reasonable one. If he had to guess, he’d bet money this idea had been Tyler’s from the very beginning.
As much as he loved his brother, he wouldn’t stand by and let the man insult him.
“What the hell does that mean?” Trent roared again. “I have a home, a job, and I take care of myself just fine. I don’t need anyone to help me live . I’m alive, no thanks to a woman mind you, and I’m living my life the way I want to.”
“No you’re not,” Travis offered. “You don’t shift often, you hardly eat, and most of the time, you’re a grouchy son-of-a-bitch. I know you’re not happy, and I’ve seen the way you are with Bree and Dawn. You don’t hate all women like you claim, and I bet you’d smile more if you had someone in your life.”
Fucking asshole.
If Travis didn’t have Bree plastered to his side, he’d deck him.
“I’m nice to Bree and Dawn out of respect for you and Tyler,” he ground out. “That’s all there is to it.”
“You’re lying,” Dawn said.
Everyone turned to face Tyler’s wife. She’d dropped a lot of her nervous habits since the truth about her past had been revealed, but she usually stayed quiet around him.
“Excuse me?” he asked, using his best lethal voice.
“You’re lying. You’ve been nice to me from the beginning, and I know
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