It was the right thing to do, but my heart broke for Wheeler. He looked discouraged, and his muscles were like granite beneath my touch.

Angry tears sprang to Ben’s eyes. “You can’t do this, Austin. Not to family.”

“I’m not cutting you out of our lives, or even our family. But you can’t keep putting the pack in danger. That’s it. My decision is final.”

When Austin stepped aside, Ben walked toward the door. Wheeler reached out to touch his shoulder and Ben knocked his arm away.

“Go to hell. When the rest of the pack finds out what you’ve done, you think they’ll have any love for you?” he said, clearly hurt.

When he left the room, he did it with a dramatic slam of the door.

Austin gripped Wheeler’s shoulders and looked him in the eye. “You okay?” He dropped his forehead against Wheeler’s. “Tomorrow we’re going to have a long talk, you and I. Maybe now I get where you’ve been coming from. You’re a man I respect, and a good example for the pack. Well… except for the tattoos. That dragon freaks the hell out of people.”

Wheeler shook his head. “I never wanted to break up the pack. I wanted him to change but didn’t know how to make him. I thought I could keep it under control.”

“You’ve got nothing to be sorry about,” Austin said, backing up a step. “Not unless you don’t complete your assigned duty by cleaning up the front lawn after the party—then my woman will give you something to be sorry about.” He patted Wheeler gently on the cheek. “Join the party. We’ll work this out tomorrow.”

When Austin left the room, Wheeler slid down to the floor, draping his arms over his legs. He grimaced and shed tears, and I allowed him a moment to grieve for the separation. Maybe now he’d realize that some people are beyond help if they’re not willing to help themselves.

I knelt down beside him and pinched at his stretchy shirt. “Thank you.”

“For what?”

I averted my eyes. “I’ve never been with a man who trusts me. I’m not sure how to feel about it, especially since you took my word over your own brother’s.”

His voice lowered and he wiped his wet cheeks. “I’ve never trusted him.”

I tugged on his black burglar shirt. “You have on the wrong outfit. Lexi chose the police uniform for you. Why did you swap with Ben?”

“Cops piss me off.”

“Well, too bad. I have a thing for men in uniform.”

“That why you came in here with Ben?”

I lightly pushed his temple. “I thought he was you. I found out soon enough that he wasn’t.”

“Was he… forceful?” Wheeler jerked his head to the side.

“All I saw was an insecure man desperate to prove he was the better brother. It didn’t have anything to do with me. Maybe that little boy inside him still sees you as the better half and that’s why he’s always tried to take what’s yours. But guess what? He was a terrible kisser.”