Dominick didn’t back down; instead, he let out a sharp, agitated huff.
"Gabriel, stop giving your Beta and Gamma so much rope. They’ve started overstepping by lashing out at princes whenever they please," he warned. "I’ve tolerated this from you in the past because you’re my brother, but they can, and will, be punished for it."
Gabriel’s jaw clamped shut, his fists curling at his sides. "You never had to tolerate me, Nick. I never asked you to be my brother," he growled, his eyes darkening to a deep violet as his wolf pushed to the surface.
Dominick stepped closer, refusing to drop it. "You told Denzel about me seeing Jeniva, didn’t you? You’re the one feeding them information."
That was the breaking point. Gabriel’s restraint snapped, and he swung a heavy punch straight across Dominick’s face. The force of the blow sent Dominick stumbling back.
Dominick didn’t hesitate. He lunged forward, returning the strike with equal ferocity. Their wolves were surging, ready to tear into each other right there in the hallway. Just as they both reared back for a second blow, Cassio appeared between them, catching both of their fists mid-air with a crushing grip.
With a powerful shove, Cassio forced them apart and stood his ground in the center of the corridor.
"What the hell is wrong with both of you?" Cassio roared, his voice echoing off the stone walls. "Have you forgotten where you are and what occasion is this?"
"Get away, Cas! I’ll show him exactly what happens when he throws around false accusations," Gabriel growled, his voice vibrating with the threat of his wolf.
"I’m not accusing you falsely!" Dominick bellowed back, refusing to yield an inch.
"Shut your mouths! Both of you!" Cassio snapped, his voice cutting through their anger like a blade. "It’s Katelyn’s wedding, for God’s sake!"
He turned a sharp, warning look toward Dominick. "Nick, calm down," he commanded, searching for a shred of rational understanding from his younger brother before spinning toward Gabriel, the youngest.
"And you, you do not raise your hand against your elder brother," Cassio reminded him sternly.
"I will if he keeps provoking me like this," Gabriel spat, wiping a stray drop of blood from his lip. "Fucking hell. He started it this time. He’s the one who made me lose it, and I’m going to show him why he can’t just run his mouth whenever he pleases."
"Gabriel, it’s our sister’s wedding. At least think about her," Cassio said, his tone shifting to something lower and more grounded, trying to appeal to whatever restraint Gabriel had left. "Do you really want her to remember her day by the sight of her brothers tearing each other apart in the hallway?"
"What’s going on?" Amelie’s voice cut through the air.
Cassio turned to find her standing beside Zilia, while little Noah peered out from his stroller with wide, curious eyes. Katelyn stood to Amelie’s left, a designer bag gripped in her hand, her expression shifting from confusion to alarm.
"Brother Nick, what happened to your mouth?" Katelyn asked, stepping forward.
"Amelie, don’t stay angry at him. It was my fault; I was the one who provoked him," Dominick intervened, his voice dropping as he tried to shield his brother from her wrath.
Amelie turned her gaze toward him, her eyes narrowing. "Brother Nick, you don’t raise your fists against your younger brother either. This is a time of celebration for our family, yet you choose to brawl in the hallway. I expected better from you."
The sudden tension and the harshness in his mother’s voice were too much for Noah. The toddler burst into tears, his loud wails echoing off the stone walls and drawing every eye.
Amelie moved instantly, lifting him from the stroller and pulling him against her shoulder, rocking him gently as she patted his back.
"Give him to me," Gabriel said, stepping forward with his arms outstretched. "I’ll calm him down."
"No," Amelie pronounced. "I won’t have you touching Noah until you’ve rectified your mistake. Don’t speak to me, either."
Without another word, she turned and walked away, leaving a heavy silence behind her.
"Don’t talk to me either, brothers! You three have not changed!" Katelyn stomped on her heels, and left behind Amelie while holding the stroller.
"Amelie is right. You two are no longer kids. And you, Cas, being the eldest why didn’t you stop them? I didn’t expect you to stay quiet," Zilia said, shaking her head and leaving their sights.

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