Mating Brand
Page 49
“They didn’t want any incoming calls on this line from that area. Come on, Charma. You know all this. It’s going to be fine. Have some faith.”
She blew out a frustrated breath. “I wish I could have talked him out of this. It was insane.”
“He’s got all his cousins with him. They insisted they go and he’s got the twin enforcers too. They scare the crap out of me every time they look my way.”
That distracted Charma enough to stop pacing and stare at her baby sister. “Are you happy living with werewolves? No one treats you bad, do they?”
Bree scoffed. “Not more than once. I ran down to Rave’s bike shop yesterday to drop off something I found at the alpha house that belongs to him and one of his employees made a rude comment. Rave grabbed him by the scruff of his neck and made him kiss the counter.” She winced. “That’s what he called it but the guy lost a few teeth. I was assured they’d grow back but it was brutal. Rave offered them to me to make a necklace. I said no thanks. Werewolves are more aggressive than leopards.”
“What did the guy say to you?”
Bree smiled. “I think he’s been punished enough. I’m not going to tell you. You’ll get angry and tell Brand. He’s already on the hunt for one male. I made Rave swear not to repeat it to anyone or I was afraid Braden and his brothers would go after the guy too. He’d lose more than a few teeth for those crude comments.”
It was a reminder that Brand wasn’t home and she glanced at the clock.
“It’s going to be fine,” Bree murmured. “You don’t see me freaking out.”
“You’re younger and can’t imagine all the horrible things that I am picturing. I remember when you used to think Garrett was hot. He is so not.”
Her sister winced. “That’s an understatement if Brand gets his way.”
“I asked him to rethink this.”
The front door opened and Charma spun, raking her gaze over Brand as he entered the room. She flinched at the sight of a fresh wound near his temple but he otherwise looked okay. She rushed forward and leapt, her arms wrapping around his shoulders.
“You’re home.”
“Always.” He hugged her, pulling her farther up in his arms. “We Harrises kicked ass and nobody on our side was hurt.”
They were moving and she realized he’d carried her down the hallway and kicked the new bedroom door closed, giving them privacy. She lifted her head, staring into his eyes. “Is it done and over with?”
“Yeah. The bastard is dead. I killed him myself.”
“Good.”
He studied her. “You okay?”
She nodded. “I’m just so happy that you’re alive and home.” Her gaze flicked to the wound on his face. “Are you hurt anywhere else?”
“Just some bruises and a few claw marks. He wasn’t a good fighter. I’m almost depressed over how easy that son of a bitch was to kill. I kept in skin so they’ll think a human killed him when they find his body.”
“What about scent?” She didn’t want to offend him. She thought he smelled wonderful but her half-shifter side could detect he was a werewolf. A full-blooded shifter had an even better sense of smell.
“He’s taking a bath in the river near where the pride lands end. They won’t pick up anything off him by the time he’s found.”
“Are your cousins okay?”
“They didn’t have to fight at all. They stayed back and just watched my back when I took on Garrett. You’ll never have to worry about him coming after you.”
“I told you he wouldn’t bother.”
“I don’t believe that for a second. The guy had an ego and there’s a good chance he’d have heard about where you ended up one day. Shifters tend to talk about a wolf and she-cat mating. His pals would have teased him until he wanted payback. I just made damn sure he’s never a threat.”
She couldn’t deny that Garrett might have wanted revenge if he discovered that she’d left him for someone else. The fact that Brand was a werewolf would have really set off his temper. “I can’t believe he was alone when you found him.”
He cleared his throat and glanced away.
“What?”
He met her suspicious stare. “Um, I might have had a little help with that.”
“I don’t understand.”
“I called your sister Meg and talked to her mate. He wasn’t a fan of Garrett’s. I like Cole. He’s a pretty cool guy for being a pussy.”
“You involved them?” That surprised her.
“I told Cole what Garrett had done to you and how I wanted to make sure you were safe. I needed to get your ex alone without his entourage.”
“What did Cole do?”
He hesitated.
“What did he do, Brand? Did he put himself and Meg in danger?”
“No. He just kind of implied that Bree had come back and she was hiding out by the river. He mentioned that she didn’t feel safe coming home after finding out Percy had told Randy he could have her after her coming-out party.”
Her eyes widened. “Why would Garrett want to see Bree? I keep telling you he had to have felt relieved when I ran away. He sure as hell wouldn’t want me to return to the pride by asking her where I’d gone.”
Anger deepened Brand’s voice. “He wanted you because of your looks and because you could breed him litters. Meg was taken and you have to admit that Bree looks a hell of a lot like you. He’s suddenly single. Think about it.”
She did and it turned her stomach. “Bree never would have agreed to mating him. Never. He had to know that.”
“You didn’t agree either but he forced the matter.” He moved them to the bed and shifted her a little so he could sit.
She straddled his lap. “I’m glad he’s dead.”
“Me too.”
“Did you tell him we mated?”
Brand grinned. “Your scent was all over me. I didn’t have to. He was shocked at first when he ran into a werewolf in his territory but then he inhaled. It was priceless, seeing his expression right before I decked him. I made sure he knew why he was going to die.”
“I really don’t want to hear the details.”
He nodded. “It was faster than I planned but I was pissed. He started telling me how I’d regret mating you and why.”
She blew out a frustrated breath. “I wish I could have talked him out of this. It was insane.”
“He’s got all his cousins with him. They insisted they go and he’s got the twin enforcers too. They scare the crap out of me every time they look my way.”
That distracted Charma enough to stop pacing and stare at her baby sister. “Are you happy living with werewolves? No one treats you bad, do they?”
Bree scoffed. “Not more than once. I ran down to Rave’s bike shop yesterday to drop off something I found at the alpha house that belongs to him and one of his employees made a rude comment. Rave grabbed him by the scruff of his neck and made him kiss the counter.” She winced. “That’s what he called it but the guy lost a few teeth. I was assured they’d grow back but it was brutal. Rave offered them to me to make a necklace. I said no thanks. Werewolves are more aggressive than leopards.”
“What did the guy say to you?”
Bree smiled. “I think he’s been punished enough. I’m not going to tell you. You’ll get angry and tell Brand. He’s already on the hunt for one male. I made Rave swear not to repeat it to anyone or I was afraid Braden and his brothers would go after the guy too. He’d lose more than a few teeth for those crude comments.”
It was a reminder that Brand wasn’t home and she glanced at the clock.
“It’s going to be fine,” Bree murmured. “You don’t see me freaking out.”
“You’re younger and can’t imagine all the horrible things that I am picturing. I remember when you used to think Garrett was hot. He is so not.”
Her sister winced. “That’s an understatement if Brand gets his way.”
“I asked him to rethink this.”
The front door opened and Charma spun, raking her gaze over Brand as he entered the room. She flinched at the sight of a fresh wound near his temple but he otherwise looked okay. She rushed forward and leapt, her arms wrapping around his shoulders.
“You’re home.”
“Always.” He hugged her, pulling her farther up in his arms. “We Harrises kicked ass and nobody on our side was hurt.”
They were moving and she realized he’d carried her down the hallway and kicked the new bedroom door closed, giving them privacy. She lifted her head, staring into his eyes. “Is it done and over with?”
“Yeah. The bastard is dead. I killed him myself.”
“Good.”
He studied her. “You okay?”
She nodded. “I’m just so happy that you’re alive and home.” Her gaze flicked to the wound on his face. “Are you hurt anywhere else?”
“Just some bruises and a few claw marks. He wasn’t a good fighter. I’m almost depressed over how easy that son of a bitch was to kill. I kept in skin so they’ll think a human killed him when they find his body.”
“What about scent?” She didn’t want to offend him. She thought he smelled wonderful but her half-shifter side could detect he was a werewolf. A full-blooded shifter had an even better sense of smell.
“He’s taking a bath in the river near where the pride lands end. They won’t pick up anything off him by the time he’s found.”
“Are your cousins okay?”
“They didn’t have to fight at all. They stayed back and just watched my back when I took on Garrett. You’ll never have to worry about him coming after you.”
“I told you he wouldn’t bother.”
“I don’t believe that for a second. The guy had an ego and there’s a good chance he’d have heard about where you ended up one day. Shifters tend to talk about a wolf and she-cat mating. His pals would have teased him until he wanted payback. I just made damn sure he’s never a threat.”
She couldn’t deny that Garrett might have wanted revenge if he discovered that she’d left him for someone else. The fact that Brand was a werewolf would have really set off his temper. “I can’t believe he was alone when you found him.”
He cleared his throat and glanced away.
“What?”
He met her suspicious stare. “Um, I might have had a little help with that.”
“I don’t understand.”
“I called your sister Meg and talked to her mate. He wasn’t a fan of Garrett’s. I like Cole. He’s a pretty cool guy for being a pussy.”
“You involved them?” That surprised her.
“I told Cole what Garrett had done to you and how I wanted to make sure you were safe. I needed to get your ex alone without his entourage.”
“What did Cole do?”
He hesitated.
“What did he do, Brand? Did he put himself and Meg in danger?”
“No. He just kind of implied that Bree had come back and she was hiding out by the river. He mentioned that she didn’t feel safe coming home after finding out Percy had told Randy he could have her after her coming-out party.”
Her eyes widened. “Why would Garrett want to see Bree? I keep telling you he had to have felt relieved when I ran away. He sure as hell wouldn’t want me to return to the pride by asking her where I’d gone.”
Anger deepened Brand’s voice. “He wanted you because of your looks and because you could breed him litters. Meg was taken and you have to admit that Bree looks a hell of a lot like you. He’s suddenly single. Think about it.”
She did and it turned her stomach. “Bree never would have agreed to mating him. Never. He had to know that.”
“You didn’t agree either but he forced the matter.” He moved them to the bed and shifted her a little so he could sit.
She straddled his lap. “I’m glad he’s dead.”
“Me too.”
“Did you tell him we mated?”
Brand grinned. “Your scent was all over me. I didn’t have to. He was shocked at first when he ran into a werewolf in his territory but then he inhaled. It was priceless, seeing his expression right before I decked him. I made sure he knew why he was going to die.”
“I really don’t want to hear the details.”
He nodded. “It was faster than I planned but I was pissed. He started telling me how I’d regret mating you and why.”
