The door swung open silently, and Quinton froze in the doorway.
Conall had Nadine backed against the wall, and they were kissing each other with an abandon that made something hard and cold lodge in Quinton’s chest.
This wasn’t just attraction.This wasn’t even just the mate bond.
This was Conall choosing her over everything else.Over pack loyalty.Over the investigation that demanded objectivity.Over the twin bond that had defined both their lives since birth.
Quinton must have made some sound—a breath, a shift of weight—because Conall suddenly stiffened and pulled away from Nadine.When his twin turned toward the doorway, the expression on his face shifted from passion to shock to something that looked like guilt.
Quin,Conall said, but Quinton was already turning away.
He couldn’t watch this.
Couldn’t stand there and witness his brother’s complete abandonment of everything they’d sworn to protect.
Sorry,Quinton managed despite the chaos in his chest.Didn’t mean to interrupt.Malcolm’s looking for you both—wants an update on the archive research.
A lie.Malcolm had gone home hours ago.
But it gave him an excuse to leave, to put distance between himself and the sight of his twin kissing their enemy.
Quinton walked away on legs that felt disconnected from his body, the twin bond carrying Conall’s confusion and regret like salt in an open wound.
Behind him, voices murmured—Conall calling his name, Nadine saying something in that throaty voice that had apparently bewitched his brother completely.
He didn’t stop.Couldn’t trust himself to maintain control if Conall tried to explain, to justify, to make excuses for what Quinton had just witnessed.
Quinton positioned himself near the main door, needing the activity of standing guard to channel the restless energy threatening to tear him apart.
Nadine emerged first, her professional mask firmly in place despite the slight flush in her cheeks and the obvious dishevelment of her usually severe braid.
She paused when she saw Quinton, assessing his expression with uncomfortable accuracy.
Your brother is a good man,she said quietly, the words unexpected enough to catch him off guard.
Quinton’s inner wolf bristled at her words.I know what my brother is.
Do you?Her tone suggested she doubted it.Because from where I’m standing, it looks like you’re more concerned with protecting your territory than protecting him.
You don’t know anything about us.
I know enough.Nadine adjusted the strap of her bag, preparing to leave.I know that mate bonds don’t follow convenient timelines or political considerations.And I know that fighting them only makes everyone miserable.
Is that what you’re doing?Making him miserable?
She paused, considering the question with more seriousness than he’d expected.I’m trying not to.But sometimes the right choice and the easy choice aren’t the same thing.
Before Quinton could respond, she was moving toward the exit, her footsteps echoing in the empty building.At the door, she turned back one last time.
He’s lucky to have someone who cares so much,she said.Don’t let your jealousy make you forget that.
Then she was gone, leaving Quinton alone with his churning thoughts and the growing certainty that his worst fears were being realized.
The mate bond was winning.
And Quinton was powerless to stop it.
Conall appeared in the main room, his dark hair disheveled and his expression guarded.
