they don’t have anything they can charge me with.” Trick shrugged. “I really didn’t do anything, I know that. I do feel better with Max here. I had no idea you were so deadly, Max-i-pooh.”
Max-i-pooh? mouthed Kevin.
Judd huffed in amusement.
Colin tried not to grin.
Max didn’t take offense. Instead, he waggled his eyebrows suggestively. “It’s always the ones you least suspect.”
Trick nodded enthusiastically. “I know, right? I mean, look at Colin there, so fierce. He totally came to my rescue.”
“Oh, stop.” Colin could feel himself blushing. He was the opposite of fierce. But he supposed that, to Trick in that moment with the selkie looming over him, Colin might have come off as a bit of a savior. It felt good, in retrospect. Like for the first time in his life he’d been a real werewolf. A contributing member of the pack. Of course, he’d also basically gotten them into this whole mess.
“You guys are kinda fabulous, you know that, right?” Trick glowed at them.
Alec hid a smile and then looked pointedly at his enforcers. “Well, what are you waiting for? You have a celebrity to guard. Wouldn’t want to be late. And Judd, I’m tolerably certain you should be wearing socks when you meet the reigning queen of country music.”
“Aw, Alpha. Do I have to?”
Alec rolled his eyes and waved them off.
With very little fuss, they made their way back to the pack house after that.
Colin wasn’t quite sure what to do. He was about to go on a proper operation with Heavy Lifting, like he was important. He’d run com and tech for them in the past, but only remotely. He’d never gone to a client meeting. Even though this was only his mother, it seemed significant.
Kevin came to fetch him from his room. His brother was dressed in dark wash jeans and a clean black t-shirt – formal wear for Kevin Mangnall.
“What are you wearing, Col?”
“What I always wear, Pinky. Hoodie and jeans.”
Kevin said something odd then, as if he had insight into Colin’s true desires. As if he were his real brother, who shared confidences, who’d never left him behind. “I always thought you’d dress prettier when you grew up. Softer. I don’t know. Up to you, of course.”
“I don’t own anything pretty,” confessed Colin, which was intentional. For all he’d eyed the unicorn shirt and petted that cashmere sweater yesterday, he’d never let himself actually buy that kind of thing.
“You should go shopping with Marvin some time.”
Colin frowned up at him. “Kev, you aren’t trying to push me into some preconceived notion of flaming, are you?”
“No, I’m trying to push you into something I think will make you happy.”
“Okay then.” Colin dipped his head, face heating.
“Col?”
“Yeah, Kev?”
“I’m sorry I left you behind.”
“It’s okay.” Colin felt a rush of something in his ears, clawing non-sound. He wasn’t sure he wanted this. Not right now.
But Kevin had that set look on his face, the one that came before a game when they were kids, or before a hunt when they were wolves. “No, it isn’t. I didn’t really know what he was like. Or I did know, but I didn’t realize how bad it would be for you without me. I realize that not knowing is hardly fair as an excuse, and not really worth anything. But there it is. I didn’t know.”
Colin needed to nip this in the bud. This wasn’t their relationship. Guilt he was accustomed to deflecting, but he would not be an object of his brother’s pity. “It’s okay, Kev, really. You were perfectly right to go to college. That’s normal.”
“It wasn’t right at the time, though. I’m your older brother. I was supposed to look after you. It can’t be fixed now, but, well, there is it.”
“No, it can’t be fixed.” Being firm hurt a little, but Colin couldn’t bear the weight of his brother’s emotions. He’d too many of his own to deal with. He tried to be a little more kind. “Please don’t worry, Kev, I’ll figure myself out.”
“With Judd.”
“I don’t know that sex with a really hot guy is the solution to all my problems, but I aim to give it a try.”
“Okay then. But I’ll always worry. I’m your brother.”
Colin wished Kev had worried a bit more in the past and a bit less now. But he had his own concerns and questions. “You don’t mind? You know, me and Judd?”
“Why should I mind? Because Judd is my friend? Our enforcer pairing?”