Reno narrowed his eyes. “Yeah, but somehow you seem to have more information than the rest of us when it comes to this area of expertise.”

Wheeler didn’t like the insinuation. His brothers assumed the men he’d worked for were involved in this kind of shit. Maybe they thought him no better than a criminal.

“Austin!” Lexi screamed from downstairs.

Lexi shouted for Austin all the time because she hated going up and down the stairs, but the urgency in her voice had both men running out the door.

Maizy walked toward the stairs in her pajamas. “What’s going on?”

“Go back in your room,” Denver snapped.

She warily returned to her room and closed the door. Denver and Reno ran ahead of Wheeler, Denver wearing only a pair of sweatpants and still half-asleep.

“Austin, get in here!” Lexi shouted again.

“What’s wrong?” Reno said, stomping his boots on the wood steps until he reached the bottom.

Lexi stood by a bright window with her arms folded. “Naya’s here. She needs to talk to Austin, and I don’t know where he is.”

“And this is a crisis?” Denver tipped his neck and made it crack.

Wheeler glanced at the empty foyer.

“Is she outside?” Reno pulled the sheer curtain away and peered at the front porch.

“She’s in the bathroom. What’s going on around here?” Lexi narrowed her eyes at Reno. “You’ve been acting weird, and she’s not telling me what’s wrong. Something’s going on, because Naya doesn’t just show up unexpectedly with dirty feet and grass on her clothes.”

Wheeler advanced toward the half bathroom beneath the stairs—his heart pounding against his chest. Before he made it, Lexi knocked him aside and pressed her body against the door.

“Naya, open the door and let me in. It’s Lexi.”

Austin appeared in the hallway and approached Lexi, wiping his sweaty forehead with a rag. “I was out back digging up the tree stump. What’s going on?”

Lexi whispered in his ear and Austin flicked his eyes around the room.

“I need everyone out,” Austin commanded.

“I’m staying,” Reno insisted, widening his stance.

Austin stepped forward with a loaded glance. “As your Packmaster, I’m respectfully ordering you to wait outside. This is private business.”

“Go on,” Lexi parroted. “Everyone out.”

His eyes slid to hers and danced with amusement. “That means you too, Ladybug.”

She planted her feet in place. “Naya is my friend, Austin.”

“Who came here asking to speak to the Packmaster. Rank trumps friendship.”

“I’m the alpha female.”

He lightly gripped her arm. “Let’s go, smartass,” he said, walking them all outside. “When someone wants to meet in confidence with the Packmaster, they’re going to get privacy. If it’s something you need to be involved in, I’ll call you in. Promise.”

He kissed her cheek to make it right and she wriggled away. Austin popped her butt playfully. “We’ll kiss and make up later,” he growled.

Regardless of love or brotherhood, they all had to respect rank in order to keep the pack united.