GIDEON
I found Jaxon exactly where Marcus said he’d be; sitting on the ground in the garden, his head in his hands, his whole body shaking.
He looked up as I approached, and I watched the color drain from his face.
“Gideon,” he said, scrambling to his feet. “I can explain–”
“Explain?” The word came out as a snarl. “You’re going to explain why you tried to force a claiming bite on my mate?”
“I didn’t– it wasn’t–” He backed up as I stalked toward him. “I lost control. I didn’t mean to–“
“You lost control.” I laughed, and it sounded like broken glass. “You lost control, so you pinned her down and tried to mark her against her will. Is that your explanation?”
“I love her!” he shouted desperately. “I’ve loved her for eight years! And you– you’re trying to steal her with some bond that
