But it didn’t make sense. I may not be the most observant guy in the world, but I can tell when someone is about to wet themselves because they think they're about to get busted in a lie. And Alex was going to have to change his underwear when we left. Something wasn’t on the up-and-up. I could feel it in my bones.

I glanced over at Jase. We were only cousins, but in many ways he was closer to me than even Toby. We grew up side by side and could communicate with nothing more than a look. The one we shared in front of the Cole’s home said neither of us believed a bit of this crap.

Toby, however, seemed to believe him but wasn’t exactly impressed. “If you don’t mind my asking, Potential Cole, why have you and the Alphas decided to grace us with your presence?” The annoyance in his tone was more than evident.

Liam ambled down from his perch, leaning against the rail once he was on the bottom step. “I have business to attend to here.”

“What kind of business?” Toby asked.

“Private Alpha Pack business.”

“So, I should contact the Alpha Pack with my inquiry?”

Alex’s fist clenched again. Perhaps my brother wasn’t as oblivious as to the wrongness of this situation as I thought.

But while Alex looked like he was on the verge of some sort of fit, Liam just casually shrugged his shoulders. “If you choose to bother them with your concerns, that’s your call.”

The wind blew, carrying Liam’s scent with it. This far away from a full moon, I shouldn’t have been able to pick up his smell so easily, and it certainly shouldn’t have triggered a fight or flight response. I watched Toby, ready to follow my pack Leader’s decision on what to do next.

To my surprise, Toby didn’t growl or offer his throat in submission. Instead, he uncrossed his arms and stuffed his hands into his pockets. He rocked back on his heels as if he was completely unaware of the way the other Shifter’s scent had affected me and Jase, who was snarling quietly at my side.

“Here’s the way this is going to work,” Toby said, causing Liam’s eyes to narrow. “You can stay here, and I won’t alert the Alpha Pack.” Liam started to say something, but Toby held up a hand. “Maybe you are who you say you are, or maybe not, but I know that neither of us really want to get the Alphas involved in our business. So, you stay, and I’ll keep my mouth shut, as long as you agree to a few terms.”

“Terms?”

“You’ll stay within the confines of Lake County during the full moon, and you won’t have any contact with any member of my pack. Deal?”

“Deal.”

I thought I might have heard Toby sigh in relief.

“For the record,” Jase said, “My sister is part of the Hagan Pack.”

“No.” I wasn’t quite sure who had said it, but then he repeated himself. “No. I’m not staying away from Scout,” Alex said.

Liam rubbed the back of his head. “Alex…”

“No. She’s mine. You can’t make me stay away from her.”

Of the three of us, I’m the least volatile. As Pack Leader, Toby is always on the edge of lashing out, and since starting to come into his own Dominance, Jase was getting just as bad. They both had tendencies to Hulk out at the drop of a hat, going from normal guy to angry coyote in a matter of seconds, but not me. I wasn’t concerned with Dominance in the least, and I learned a long time ago that the only thing aggression would get you is more of the same in return. That’s why it shocked everyone, including myself, when I rounded on the younger Cole.

“She. Is. Not. Yours.” I ground the words out through clenched teeth. I could feel myself shaking all over and didn’t even give a damn if anyone could see it. He wasn’t touching her. Ever.

Alex was maybe two or three inches taller than me, and he used that height to hover over me as he paced a slow path, circling his prey like the wolf he was under the full moon. “You can’t keep me from my mate.”

I heard Jase say something about Scout not being a Seer, but I didn’t pay attention. As far as I was concerned, Jase was on another planet. Until we came to an understanding, my world was reduced to me and the asshole who thought he could lay claim to Scout.

“Scout belongs to me.”

What the hell was I saying? Although, as soon as the words were out of my mouth, I knew they were true. Scout was one of my best friends, but I wanted more. I needed more. We were supposed to be together. In some ways, I had always known it would be the two of us forever and always, but I hadn’t really voiced it to anyone, including myself.

Alex continued pacing around me, and Jase and Toby moved back, giving us the space we needed.

“Damn it,” someone muttered as I launched myself at Alex. He met me halfway, growls in his throat. I struck with a hammer fist, but he dodged it and followed with a punch of his own. His swing was more boxing ring than dojo, so I went low with my next attack, assuming he wouldn’t be able to avoid a leg sweep so easily. A smile spread across my face when he landed on the gravel with a grunt of pain. I was closing in when someone pushed me back just as another person grabbed me from behind.

“Stop it before this turns into a Challenge,” Toby hissed in my ear. Across from me, Liam was restraining Alex in a similar hold to the one Toby had me in. Jase stood in between us, his back to me. I didn’t have to see his face to know he was glaring at Alex, wanting his own go at the guy who thought he could claim rights to his sister.

I jerked against the arms holding me. “He can’t have her.”

“Calm the hell down. I’ve got this,” Toby said, his voice low in my ear.

“She’s mine.”

“She’s going to kick your ass for referring to her like she’s a piece of property,” Toby said before loosening his hold enough to stand up straight. “The entire Donovan family, including Scout, is under the protection of the Hagan Pack. We consider them honorary members since one of our own resides in their home.”

Liam muttered something else to his brother, and then let him go so quickly the smaller guy almost stumbled to the ground. “We accept the terms of your treaty.”

The look Alex threw my way promised a slow and painful death. I welcomed him to try with a smile.

“Liam…”

“We accept the terms of the treaty. You won’t approach the girl. Do you understand?”