Luca backed up, not wanting to be in the middle of whatever this was. He didn't get far before Jeb pinned him with a scathing look. "I suppose you just couldn't wait to spill your guts to my mate, could you?"
"He didn't tell me anything," Erik insisted. "He refused to. He told me to ask you, so I'm asking. Where is Randal?"
Jeb frowned. "You didn't tell him?"
Luca smirked just because he knew it drove Jeb crazy. "Unlike you, I don't believe in involving mates in my disagreements with other people. I also don't lie so I told him to talk to you." He snorted. "I had no idea you'd lie about it."
"I didn't lie!"
"Okay." Luca pressed his lips together and walked over to sit on the side of the bed.
"Jeb, what have you done?" Erik asked.
"Baby—"
"Don't you ‘baby’ me. What have you done?"
Jeb's shoulders slumped. "I told Randal and Luca they had to wait forty-eight hours to claim each other and that Luca would be staying with us during that time so that I could ensure they wouldn't."
Erik's eyes narrowed and he stared intently at Jeb for several minutes. "Then you're sleeping on the couch until Randal and Luca are allowed to claim each other."
"Erik!"
When Erik started to storm past him, Jeb glared at Luca. "See what you've done?"
Luca couldn't keep the smirk off his face if his life depended on it. "I didn't do this."
This was all on Jeb.
"Do you understand that what Randal did was wrong?" Jeb asked.
"Yes, and so does Randal, but how is what you did any better?"
"It's called restitution."
That's not what Luca would call it, but whatever. "I'll remember that."
Jeb frowned. "Remember what?"
"The next time someone does me wrong, I can take their mate away from them." He shrugged. "I can't get in trouble for it because it's called restitution."
Jeb huffed as he stormed out of the room.
Luca smiled as he got up and walked over to shut the door. He wasn't purposely trying to cause trouble between Jeb and Erik, which was why he refused to tell Erik what Jeb had done, but he couldn't say he was upset that Jeb was in the doghouse. The man deserved it, as far as Luca was concerned.
Luca glanced up when someone knocked on his door a little while later. "Yes?"
Erik opened the door and walked in, followed by Casey. "Get your shoes."
"Am I going somewhere?" Luca asked as he reached for his shoes.
"We're going to get your mate."
Luca paused in what he was doing and glanced at the two men. "I can't."
Erik frowned. "Why the hell not?"
"Look, I appreciate you trying, but I am not going to do anything that will mess with my chance to claim Randal. Your mate is already out for bear. I'm not going to add to it."
