"Theo, don't get too cocky too soon. Have your senses dulled so much that you haven't noticed your right-hand wolf is missing from the pack?"
Theo's eyes frosted over with a lethal chill, but he forced a tone of careless rebellion into his voice. "Haha, are you referring to Thea? She's just a scatterbrained pup; what kind of capable warrior do you take her for?"
Inside, however, a lump of territorial anger burned in his chest. He was still reeling from the fact that she had misread his scent, turning his carefully prepared mating-confession into a cold business parley.
Nathan paused. Although Theo spoke with disdain, the Alpha’s keen ears caught a noticeable flicker of tenderness in Theo’s voice whenever he spoke her name—a biological slip he couldn't hide.
"Theo," Nathan said, his voi
