"Who did it? What, you're suddenly ready to step into the mate role now?" Fenris says, his voice dismissive, barely hiding the sharp edge underneath. "I thought you didn't even understand what that meant. You left. Left with another man in front of everyone, and as if that wasn't enough, you stood there showing the entire crowd… Look, I'm a man! Even after I explained to you, how much I didn't want anyone to know."
The words tumble from Fenris's lips like they've been choking him, like they've been caught in his throat since the day Axel walked away.
They sound bitter, pained, and not nearly as calm as he's trying to make them seem.
"Maybe if you had explained things to me, it would've been different!" Axel fires back, not moving from where he stands, not stepping forward, but not backing down either. "Can you really blame me for what happened to you, or whatever's happening to you even now?"
