And it didn’t help that she was going into heat again. It was why her brothers were being particularly careful about letting the humans too near her. They wanted to protect the bloodline as closely as her parents did.

So why didn’t she?

Fang’s skin crawled as he got the fierce sensation of being watched. Expecting an enemy, he scanned the dark club and was surprised to find Aimee openly staring at him as if she wanted to take a bite out of him.

That was fine by him since he wouldn’t mind having a piece of her either.

“Dude!”

He jerked around at Colt’s angry snarl. Rushing forward, he grabbed his end and helped to move it. But he could still feel Aimee watching him. It made every nerve ending in his body sizzle and his groin swell to the point he was practically limping.

By the time they’d moved the speakers into their new position, Aimee was gone.

Fang wanted to curse.

It’s for the best.

Yeah…

He jumped off the stage to find Fury waiting for him by the bar. Instant rage singed him. The bastard was currently living with Vane and that really didn’t endear him to Fang in the least.

“You want something?” Fang asked churlishly as he reached behind the bar to grab a beer. One of the perks of working here. Free alcohol.

“Yeah.” Fury turned to face him. “I’m abdicating the pack.”

Fang froze and set the bottle down. “What do you mean?”

Fury sighed, arms akimbo. “Look, we both know I’m not strong enough to hold it from anyone who attacks me with magick. But for Vane, I wouldn’t have it now. The Katagaria Grand Regis should have been yours anyway. It’s only right.”

Fang sneered at his “magnanimous” offer that insulted him to the core of his being. “I don’t need your fucking charity.”

“Then fight me for it.”

Fang curled his lip at the asshole and his stupidity. “Don’t tempt me. I fight you and I undermine Vane-I don’t think so.” He drained his beer, then went to grab a towel so that he could help Wren wipe down tables.

Fury followed after him. “Why do you hate me so much? What have I ever done to you?”

You were with Vane when he needed me to help protect Bride. And he was with Vane when Fang needed Vane to help him. But he’d never admit that hurt to anyone. It was his to carry, not something to be shared so that they could mock him over it.

When he didn’t answer, Fury raked him with a disgusted glare while Fang wiped down a table near them.

“You know what, Fang? I don’t even give a shit. You keep being an asshole all you want. I don’t care. Stay here sulking with the bears. It’s nothing to me, but let me tell you something. I’ve never had what you and Vane do. I never had a brother at my back, not once. Really, one day you should meet our brother Dare and see what a piece of work he is. Just for the record, he was the first one who came at my back when he learned I was Katagaria. Pardon the pun, but he threw me to the wolves and went for my throat. So if you want to be as human as he was, I’d appreciate a little warning first.”

Fang watched as Fury stalked off. He wanted to blast him. To throw him down and rip his throat out.

But they were brothers.

Fury had come here and offered to abdicate as leader. Fang knew the wolf well enough to know that Fury didn’t back down easily. It had been a massive knock to his ego to make that offer.

Stop being a dick, Fang. His brother was trying to make peace between them.

Fang looked away as he tried to imagine what it had been like for Fury to be in the pack with them all these past centuries, knowing he was family and not saying anything to any of them.

Why? Why would he have done that?

Wanting an answer, he went after him. He caught up to him outside as Fury was unlocking his bike while holding his helmet in one tight fist.

“Tell me something?”

Fury paused.

“Why didn’t you ever tell us the truth?”

“I already answered that,” Fury said snidely. “The last time my brother found out what I was, he stabbed me and tried to kill me and that was the one I was raised with. The one I used to protect from the rest of the pack when they wanted to beat on him for being part Katagaria. Our sister spat in my face and drove her dagger through my ribs-again, this was the same sister I used to protect from our mother and Dare and everyone else. So I wasn’t expecting anything better from you. Thanks so much for not disappointing me, asshole.”

Fang didn’t know why, but those words sent him over the edge. Rage descended on him with a vengeance and before he knew what he was doing, he’d launched himself at Fury. Wrapping his arms around his waist, he threw him to the ground and proceeded to beat the holy shit out of him.

Aimee gasped as she saw an image of Fang being hurt in her head. He was fighting outside. All she could see was a blur of body parts and black leather.

Before she could think better of it, she ran to the door where she saw him and Fury across the street, fighting each other with everything they had. The moment she stepped outside to stop them, Dev caught her against him.

“Let me go!” she demanded, tempted to stomp on his foot. If he’d been wearing anything other than his steel-toe biker boots, she would have. But in those, he wouldn’t feel anything and she’d bruise her heel.

Experience with Remi had taught her that.

He tightened his hold. “Let them settle this, Aimee.”

She stopped fighting to stare up at him. “They’re going to get hurt.”

“Probably, but you have enough brothers to know that sometimes we just have to beat each other’s heads in. It’s just a moral imperative.”

It was true. She’d never understood that tendency herself, but for some reason one brother would say something or look weird and then it was on. At least until Papa broke them up.

“Why are they fighting?”

Dev shrugged as he released her and stepped away to return to leaning against the brick wall behind him. He crossed his arms over his chest and bent one knee to rest his foot on the wall too. “I have no idea. But I’m taking odds on Fang.”

She wasn’t amused by his humor. “Then how do you know this is the best thing?”

“’Cause I saw the look on Fang’s face when he went for Fury. It’s the same one I get right before I open a can of whup-ass on Remi.”

Aimee ground her teeth in frustration, but Dev was right. She knew that look intimately and had worn it a time or two herself. “Papa always breaks you guys up.”

“Yeah, and if they go too far, I will too. But this I think they need to get out of their systems.”

“And if they turn into wolves while they’re fighting on a public street?”

“We’ll deal with it if it happens.”

Aimee wasn’t so sure about this as she watched Fury lift Fang up off his feet and slam him onto the ground. Fang flipped up and then dealt Fury a blow so hard she swore she could feel it. They looked like they were trying to kill each other with their bare hands.

What on earth were they thinking?

Fang pounded Fury with a lifetime of pent-up anger. Every time Fury had flipped him off or mouthed at him over the centuries and Vane had stopped him from attacking the little prick. Every time he’d wanted Vane in the Nether Realm and had been forced to fight the demons on his own…

Every bit of it came out.

But as he pounded other images came to him too. Fury trying to stand up to their father when no one else would. Fury staying with them when Anya had died…

Fury fighting by their sides…

Brothers.

He dealt Fury a blow to the chin that knocked him straight onto his back, flat on the ground. He went down on his knee and twisted his fist in Fury’s black T-shirt, intending to hit him again. But the sight of Fury’s face gave him pause.