"I told you why!" Nicholas immediately shot back a snarl at her, revealing his own razor-sharp pearly whites. He made no attempt to step back, keeping the same close distance that he happened to be at when she stopped short. His palms were heating up as he kept them clenched into fists. "That bitch was going to kill me. I was on the ground. It was pathetic. I thought for sure he was going to kill her and me both. I...blacked out," his voice had softened now. "I woke up on his couch. He's got a place a couple cities over. He helped me. I helped him." Then, his rage seemed to come back to him. A flash of red passed through his eyes, and he stomped his foot while saying. "He's still my brother."