Lone Wolf (The Wulf Pack Book 1)
Chapter Thirty-six

They looked at each other from opposite sides of the desk. Neither could remember the last time that had been alone in the same room together. It had been years and never for very long.

“I am under the belief that Willow is yours to claim,” Rage shook his head at his brother, she wasn’t anyone’s, she was welcome to choose whom ever she wanted, even though he felt angry at the thought of her laying with a male.

“Did you not take her virginity?” Hunter gave him a knowing look as Rage stiffened at his words. Virginity... he should have known his family would replace out. He should have suspected that they would expect him to do right by Willow.

“I did,” Rage tried to keep his face blank, brother or not, he did not want his brother to know what was going on inside his head, and chest.

“Do you plan on taking her as your mate?“Rage stared at his twin, his mind racing over every word, every feeling that seemed to be swirling inside him.

“Honestly, I don’t know,” he bowed his head missing the smirk that crossed Hunter’s face. Finally Rage was being truthful, “I am not sure I want a mate, and I am sure she doesn’t want a mate like me,” Hunter frowned, how could his brother think that? Did he not realize that she knew who he was, what he was, maybe not the specifics, but she loved him.

“Has she told you this?” Rage didn’t raise his head as he shook it, his eyes trained on his lap. He couldn’t bring himself to look his brother in the eye. He felt ashamed, of what he did and of how he felt, the knot of confusion that tangled within him.

“You do realize that there is someone else interested in taking her as their mate,” Hunter did not miss the soft possessive growl from Rage, causing him to smirk again, “If you don’t claim her, this other male might win her heart while you are gone, still telling yourself you don’t want to be with her,”

“Who?” The aggressive growl rumbled through the room, more menacing than Hunter had expected.

“You need to figure out what you want, before someone else comes along...”

“WHO?” Rage growled again, shaking everything in the room with it’s force. Hunter’s eyes widened as Rage leaned over the desk, his twisted face exactly what his brother was known for. The feral look in his eyes sent a chill down his spine. This was the Wulf to fear, the one that would rip a persons heart out without a second thought, before or after.

“Rage...” the next growl cut him off, nearly stopping his heart as his brother began to shift, his face showing signs of a mussel as his teeth grew into his other form’s lethal fangs.

Rage’s mind was stuck on one thing: Who? Who would try to claim Willow, try to woo her when he was the one to bring her here, when everyone in his family made it clear that she wasn’t just a pack member...

Realization dawned on him. His family... the male was family... the only one in his family that was acting strange...

“Fury,” Rage growled as he realized why his brother was ignoring him, why he wasn’t answering his calls, responding to his texts. He growled, storming over to the door, intending to have some words with his brother.

“He isn’t here,” Hunter’s words cut through the red haze. Rage turned to look at him, standing now, as if ready to follow him, “I sent him away to avoid problems,”

“Problems...” Rage was shaking with anger for his brother, Fury had no idea what Rage was going to do to him when he saw him.

“He is not happy with you, not since he found out about you taking Willow’s virginity,” he reclaimed his seat behind the big wooden desk, that had somehow survived both his brothers and probably others before them.

“He...” Hunter cut Rage off and continued, he was not interested in hearing how angry he was at their brother or what he wanted or planed to do to him when he saw him.

“AND I knew you would not be happy when you found out about his feelings for Willow,” just hearing the words seemed to spike anger through him once more, “to avoid any trouble or fights, I sent him to do something so that you wouldn’t run into each other right now,”

“Hunter...” Rage growled lowly, irritated with him, his father would have let them duke it out, let them beat the shit out of each other until their anger was released.

“Rage, think, if you feel like this about the idea of her being with anyone else, do you really think you don’t want to be with her. Because to me, it seems like you want her, you just don’t want to,”

When Rage stayed silent, Hunter knew he had him, knew he had come to the realization that everyone else knew: Willow was his, claimed or not.

“Get some rest, maybe stop by and speak with Willow, I will see you in the morning,” He dismissed his brother, who, surprisingly, left the office without a word.

He really hoped that he would claim and mark her before he left in two days. Fury might be upset but it would make everything a bit easier.