Claude heard the name Len had said, but his brain froze in the middle of processing it. He was suddenly torn between grabbing Len's collar and covering his face in horror. It was just that… the gangster before him still looked like he was only expecting an outburst.
The mate grunted as if he felt physical pain from overthinking. Claude rubbed his forehead. "What does that mean? We can't be brothers. We're mated to each other…"
"That's right."
"Don't you fucking dare 'that's right' me, Valentin Dietrich…"
Len cleared his throat and sighed in discomfort, but his lips were still curling in a smile. Claude couldn't imagine doing anything but wiping that smile off his face. With a growl, Claude repeated, "What does that mean, Valentin? Don't make me repeat myself twice."
The Alpha cleared his throat again, taming his smile. "I think you know what it means, baby. You're smart. I don't have to tell you."
