Moon Bound

Chapter 42-Scents of Consequence

The doors to Codrin's apartment flew open with so much force they bounced back off the stone walls with a bang, sending chips of rock dust crumbling to the floor. Codrin's eyes snapped up from the document he'd been studying to see Silas standing in his doorway, a murderous look darkening his features. When Silas' eyes lit on Codrin, he headed straight for him, prompting the royal guardian who was currently on duty to step away from his position against the wall and move forward to intercept him.

Codrin waved the guardian off.

Codrin knew the minute Silas caught Willa's scent, he would know what they had done. He'd been fully expecting this confrontation at some point today.

Silas wasn't here to harm him—not really.

This was about his sister's honor, and Codrin would expect nothing less than an overly dramatic entrance from his soon-to-be bond brother. That's right, he reminded himself, he was going to be related to this fucker.

Codrin let out an exasperated sigh. There was one in every family, he supposed.

Standing from his seat in the large leather armchair, Codrin turned toward him, discarding the paperwork onto the coffee table. He would suffer through this for Willa, but he sure as hell wouldn't be taking Silas' castigation sitting down.

"What the fuck did you do to my sister?" Silas ground out. "Do you think you can just take whatever you want because you're the Prince of Wolves?"

"Firstly," Codrin began, crossing his arms over his broad chest. "I didn't take anything. I accepted what she offered."

Charging forward, Silas moved further into the room, his lips pulled back in a snarl.

"And what did she get in return—"

Codrin opened his mouth to answer, only to be cut off by Silas' encroachment into his personal space.

"Don't you dare say something typically arrogant like, 'the best night of her life' or some other shit like that because, friend or not—Prince or not, I will do my best to fucking end you, even knowing you would probably kill me first."

Codrin arched a brow, and his lips turned up into an arrogant smirk. He normally wouldn't be so forgiving of that level of insubordination, but it did sound like something he would say, under different circumstances, of course. It had, in fact, been the best fucking night of Codrin's life, he could only hope his mate felt the same.

"Watch yourself, Silas. You're toeing the line of my patience, and while I don't doubt your courage, you are correct, you're no match for me," Codrin said, his voice deceptively calm.

Silas met Codrin's glare with one of his own. "I would die satisfied knowing I at least dealt you the damage you did her," he spat back.

Silas' words should have enraged him, but there was something in his voice that gave Codrin pause, planting a seed of unease deep in his gut. Codrin narrowed his eyes and studied the much younger male. "Don't you think you're being a bit dramatic? Willa is a grown woman—an intelligent, capable female. Do you not trust her ability to make decisions regarding her own body?"

"No, I don't," Silas snarled, his eyes glowing green with his anger.

He was so much like his sister. They were both stubborn and brave to the point of stupidity. If the situation hadn't required a certain seriousness and delicacy on Codrin's part, he would have thrown his head back and laughed at the similarities between them.

Silas got right into his face. "Not when those decisions leave her broken and bruised."

Codrin's haughty expression slipped from his face. Willa was neither broken nor bruised when she'd left his rooms this morning. What the fuck was Silas going on about. That seed of unease sitting in his gut sprouted into sharp briars of apprehension that grew a painful path to his chest and dug in deep, constricting his lungs. He snagged Silas by the collar, lifting him almost off his feet. Silas was tall, but not as tall as Codrin.