I roll my eyes. Older brothers are a pain in the butt. “I don’t know, Sebastian. I didn’t touch it.”
“I know you took it!”
My cheeks get hot as my temper rises, and I twist around so I can glare up at him without feeling like he’s upside down. “I didn’t take your letter, Sebastian.”
“Well, someone did, and you’re the only one who would have done something like that.”
I flinch. “Well, I’m not like that now!”
“Sure,” he growls, but then his eyes take in Devon’s hand on my knee. Sebastian’s face turns red, and his eyes bulge. “This is absolutely not happening. Get your hands off my sister, Hart!”
Devon stands up and gives him a flat and cold look I’ve never seen him use before. He actually looks somewhat scary when he wants to. I stand and step between them. Sebastian reaches for me, but Devon sweeps me behind him. My brother’s nostrils flare, and his temper surges, making the air crackle around us. He bunches his hands, and anger turns his muscles tense.
“We’re dating, Seb. You’re going to have to deal with it.” I’ll give it to him; Devon sounds completely calm and confident. He doesn’t appear worried about Sebastian at all.
“No. I forbid it.”
My brother’s arrogance falls into the air like a king announcing a new decree. I think we’re all supposed to just do as he says, but I never once did before.
“Sebastian, you sound insane.” It’s on the tip of my tongue to tell him this is all fake anyway, but I think of my dads and close my mouth. They would tell Mum, and I’d get in trouble, and I’m doing exactly what I hate most in the world; hurting people I care about.
I just need time to figure out what to do.
My thoughts bounce around, and I step around Devon, but he grabs my wrist, stopping me from approaching Sebastian.
“Why?” Devon asks. “What possible reason could you have for not accepting this?”
Sebastian draws himself up. “You aren’t good enough for her.”
I whip my head around, staring at my brother, silently willing him to take those evil words back.
“Sebastian,” I say slowly. “What the hell?”
He presses his lips together and glares.
“Get in the house, Sofia.”
My eyebrows raise. “You remember I lived alone for four years, right? I’m not going to-”
“In the house!” he thunders, and the bark slams into me.
I cry out, fighting it with everything in me.
Mack grabs my face, turning me to him. “You listen only to your alphas. His bark has no power over you.” His soothing bark strips my brother’s command of power, but it takes a moment.
I shudder, sweating and fighting until the last remnants of it vanish, then I swing around and hit my brother with a glare that would strip flesh from bones.
“How dare you?”
He snarls.
I snarl back.
He reaches for my arm, but I move quickly, stepping into him, tripping him and dropping him to the ground in a move Asher taught us all when we were sixteen years old.
“Do that again, Brother, and I’ll give your balls to this rogue seagull.”
“You’re not allowed to date them. I said no.”
