This was ridiculous. They were having a “who’s in charge” argument in a sickroom. So Laddin—who was arguably the shortest and smallest one there—jumped in front of Bruce and pointed his finger straight at his nose.
“Not a word. Outside.”
Bruce stiffened, and it looked like he was going to argue. But he was a firefighter, which meant he understood the chain of command. Laddin watched as he swallowed down whatever he wanted to say, gave a mocking bow, then sauntered out the door.
Laddin didn’t wait for it to close before spinning around to glare at Nero. “Get your puppy in line or mine is going to kill him.”
Nero and Josh answered at the exact same moment, “He could try.”
Maybe it took an only child to see the obvious, but Nero was being head-up-his-ass stupid. “You don’t think sibling shit is powerful? That it can cut deep and dig up the most awful stuff at the worst fucking moment? What happens if Bruce goes off the rails?” He stared at Nero. “What happens to Josh if we have to kill his own brother in front of him? Or worse, if Josh is the one who has to take him down?”
Laddin watched as his words hit both men. They blanched and swallowed, looking appropriately chagrined. Meanwhile, a low chuckle came from the bed. Apparently Wulfric wasn’t unconscious after all.
“Never underestimate the little ones,” he said. “We have to be smarter.”
Laddin felt his lips twitch. Yes, by werewolf standards, he was below average in size, but that didn’t make him little. Still, he couldn’t deny that being included in a “we” with Wulfric made his inner child do a happy dance. “I’m the fastest too,” he said. Josh started to object because—honestly—the guy’s long-legged body was built for speed, but Laddin interrupted. “I’m fast because I know where everything is stored. Like the backboard and my laptop.”
He had them both there. Josh had indeed misplaced his laptop dozens of times in the lab.
And with that parting shot, Laddin stepped outside to confront Bruce. The man was leaning against the wall, a smirk on his face.
“Obviously you heard every word.”
“You guys weren’t quiet.”
“Actually we were, but your werewolf hearing has kicked in.”
That startled Bruce enough that he paused. Good—because Laddin wasn’t finished.
“And just as obviously, you didn’t hear the message.” He paused long enough to make Bruce think, but not let him speak. “And that message was… they can and will kill you.”
Bruce smiled and echoed the other weres’ words. “They can try.”
“Mamma mia, you big guys are idiots. First off, there would be two against one. That alone ought to make sense to you. But Josh has been training for weeks now. Nero’s been the alpha of an elite combat pack for three years. Any of that give you pause? Josh has been around the block, Nero’s been around the world, and you’ve taken one step. Catch a clue or die. Those are the werewolf ways.”
Bruce didn’t respond as his expression tightened into a hard mask. But it was a respectful mask, so that gave Laddin hope. As did the knowledge that Bruce was a firefighter. He was no stranger to harsh training. Laddin was counting on him responding to a drill-sergeant tone.
“Second off, thank you for helping Wulfric. He’s important to us, and we appreciate the help.”
It took a moment for those words to sink in, and Bruce’s eyes widened in surprise. He obviously hadn’t expected gratitude.
“It’s my job.” He delivered the words in a flat tone, but they told Laddin that Bruce was always a first responder, no matter whether he was getting paid for it. His role as a firefighter/paramedic was his identity, and that scored points in Laddin’s mind.
“You’re not on the paramedic clock here,” he said. “You don’t have to help if you don’t want to.”
He waited for Bruce to say something, but no words came out. If Laddin was a good judge of expressions—and he usually was—then Bruce himself was feeling conflicted about everything. And that didn’t jibe with the fact that he’d willingly become a werewolf.
“Third, I need to know why you did it.”
Bruce’s eyes narrowed. “I’m a paramedic. I can’t not help.”
“I’m not talking about Wulfric. Why’d you eat the fruit? Why are you here in the first place?”
He was just posing the questions. He didn’t really expect any answers, but then Bruce’s gaze hopped to the closed bedroom door. “I’m here for my brother.”
“Josh is doing fine.”
Bruce’s mouth flattened into a thin line. He didn’t respond, but his silence spoke volumes.
“You’re a ‘see it to believe it’ kind of guy. I get that. So why are you taunting Josh instead of talking to him?”
Bull’s-eye! Bruce flushed the same ruddy color that his brother did.
“I haven’t had the chance.” His gaze shot back to Laddin, and it was dark with challenge. “You want to thank me for taking care of Wulfric? Let me talk to my brother alone.”
“Josh doesn’t answer to me.”
Bruce shrugged. “Find a way.”
Laddin nodded as if he were considering the difficult challenge. He even rubbed his chin for good measure. Then he grabbed the door and opened it enough to whisper inside. “Josh. Your brother wants to talk to you alone. You up for that?”
A chair scraped back, and Josh appeared in the doorway. “Sure. Am I allowed to beat the shit out of him?”
“No.”
“Bummer. I guess I’ll just have to think of something more devious.”
Out of the corner of his eye, Laddin saw Bruce wince. Probably because Josh was a scientific genius and had likely put his brother through a lot when they were kids. But to his credit, Bruce didn’t back down. He stood there, tall and stern, as if he were facing a firing squad.
Ugh. Laddin made a mental note to thank his mother for not having any more kids. This sibling shit was annoying.
“Keep it quiet,” he ordered, “and keep it right here.” That way Nero would be on hand if the shit
