Connor walked into Derek's home study to find the King pacing the length of the room like a caged animal.
Declan stood off to one side, saying something low and urgent, trying to talk him down. But the moment Derek's eyes landed on Connor in the doorway, whatever Declan was saying no longer mattered.
Derek moved fast, crossing the room in three long strides, seized Connor by the collar, and slammed him back against the nearest wall hard enough to rattle the framed maps hanging on it.
"Explain," Derek growled, his face inches from Connor's.
"Explain to me how, for an entire month, my wife was sitting in Crystal Moon Pack, and you stood in front of me, day after day, and told me you couldn't find her."
Connor said nothing.
"You were in charge of the scouts I sent out to the packs," Derek went on, his grip tightening, his voice climbing.
