Mating Brand: 3 (Mating Heat) (15 page)

NO!
His wolf sent that signal out loud and clear. He
released the male and threw his head in the direction of the alpha house.
Go!
His wolf snarled to emphasize the order.

The males whined in protest but obeyed. They turned tail and
rushed in the opposite direction, leaving him at the scene alone. He waited,
lowered his nose and investigated the faint scent of the she-cat. Braden’s
scent was there too.

Part of him was relived. Braden had found her and he didn’t
find any traces of her blood. He discovered where her scent ended and studied
the tracks. A pair of bare footprints a few feet away told him, from their deep
imprint, that his cousin must have carried Charma’s sister. He’d left in skin,
as a man.

Braden had killed the male and taken the she-cat. It had to
be Charma’s sister, even though her scent didn’t remind him of his mate’s. His
gaze landed on the torn-apart male lying in the woods. Braden could be immature
at times but he wasn’t one to lose his temper without cause. His cousin wouldn’t
harm a she-cat, especially one he’d killed for. Braden had killed the male
while protecting her. The single set of footprints leading away indicated his
cousin was taking her to town, away from the fighting.

Brand made a decision. He turned away from the tracks and
plowed through the woods, back toward the alpha house. Charma was his priority.
Howls ahead spurred him to run faster, wondering what they meant. He came
across the she-cat’s scent on his way to the house and paused, his jaw closed
over her discarded jacket and he took it with him.

He rushed into the front yard of the alpha house and saw a
lot of the enforcers celebrating. The fight was over. Dead bodies littered the
ground but most of them were pride. He spotted a familiar wolf, down and
motionless. Grief rose for a brief second when he realized one of their
enforcers had been lost. He shifted to skin, dropped the she-cat’s coat on the
ground and walked inside the house.

Kane and Klax grinned at him. Blood coated their bodies but
they had kept their clothes on, not fully shifting into wolves. Charma wasn’t
with them and he was instantly concerned.

“Where’s my mate?”

Klax winked. “In the closet, safe as can be.” He pointed.

Brand yanked open the door and Charma nearly fell into his
arms. She turned, staring up at him with wide eyes. He hugged her hard, hating
the smell of fear rolling off her. Then another, scarier scent hit.

“I smell blood.” He jerked away, staring at her waist.

“It’s not mine.”

His relief was instant. “Your sister is safe. At least the
female she-cat is.”

She clung to him. “Where is she?”

“Braden has her.”

She wiggled in his arms, trying to look around him. “Where
is Bree?”

“Braden took her to town, away from the fighting.”

“Did she say her name was Bree? She’s got long dark hair and
big green eyes. We kind of look alike too.”

“I never saw her.”

“What do you mean?” Her voice grew panicked. “You were with
him and you said he has her.”

“Calm down,” he urged. “Braden found her first and he killed
the male who was with her.”

She gasped.

“He wouldn’t hurt her.”

“How can you be sure?”

“She’s a pussy.” Klax snorted. “Killing is the last thing
that pup would do to her.”

“What does that mean?” Charma glared at the enforcer.

Brand instructed Kane to retrieve the jacket he’d left in
the yard.

Kane went outside and brought the jacket, sniffing it. “She-cat.
Does this smell like your sister?”

Charma wiggled out of his arms and lunged, snatching the
jacket out of the enforcer’s hand. She sniffed it and turned back to Brand.
Tears filled her eyes as she clutched it against her chest. “I bought this for
Breeanna.” She reached inside one of the pockets and withdrew a cell phone. She
showed it to him. “This is hers.”

“Braden definitely has your sister then.” He tried to pull
her back into his arms, needing assurance that she was really okay after all
the aggression of fighting. She resisted, staring up at him with the beginnings
of anger stamping her pretty features.

“Let’s go find her. I need to make sure she’s fine.”

Kane cleared his throat. “Um, if Braden has her, you might
want to wait a few hours.”

Brand grimaced and shot the blond a dirty look to shut him
up. Charma gaped at Kane and then spun, facing Brand. “Why? What will Braden
do?”

He grabbed her waist, tugging her closer. “He won’t hurt
her.”

“He’ll fuck her,” Klax muttered.

Charma stiffened in his arms. “No!”

“I’m sure he won’t,” Brand lied, hoping his cousin wouldn’t
try to seduce his mate’s sister. He didn’t really believe that though. Braden
was a horn dog. If Breeanna looked similar to Charma, his cousin would be
attracted to her.

“We have to find them now!” Charma released the jacket with
one hand and snagged his arm. “She’s a virgin.”

“Oh lord,” Klax chuckled. “Not for long.”

“Damn it,” Brand growled, glaring at the twins. “This isn’t
amusing.”

“It depends.” Kane laughed. “It’s not my mate’s innocent
sister who’s with Braden so it is kind of funny.”

“It is,” Klax agreed.

Charma growled. “Brand, take me to them now. He can’t touch
her. She hasn’t even had her coming-out party yet. She’s got to be terrified of
a werewolf.”

“How old is she again?” Brand was afraid to hear the answer.

“Eighteen. She just graduated from high school.”

“Old enough,” Kane announced.

“Damn it, you’re not helping!” Brand wanted to punch him.

“Brand!” Charma demanded his full attention. “Let’s go.”

“Not yet.” Klax shook his head. “There are pride still out
there fleeing. It’s not safe.”

“What if they run right to where my sister and your cousin
are staying? They could be in trouble.” Charma sounded frantic.

“He was taking her into town. That’s the last place the
pride wants to go. They are injured and some of them are too hurt to shift back
into skin. They will want to avoid humans.” Kane was the voice of reason. “Braden
is a lot of things but he’s pussy friendly.” He didn’t bother to hide his
smile. “No male is getting near your sister. He won’t allow it while he’s in
heat.”

Anton strode into the house butt naked and Brand winced when
Charma gaped at his cousin before turning her head away from the sight of so
much skin. She buried her face against his chest.

“We kept four of them alive,” his cousin announced as he
tore a curtain off the rod and wrapped it around his waist. “We’re going to send
a message back to those prides through them. Rave is handling that and
escorting them back to their vehicles with some of our wolves to make sure they
survive that long.”

“He’s decent,” Brand whispered, hooking an arm around Charma’s
waist to keep her close as more wolves returned to the house in different
states of undress. Some had put on pants while others just strode in naked,
looking for something to wear after shifting back to skin. “But you might want
to keep your eyes up for a few minutes. We keep spare clothing in the basement,”
he said louder, letting everyone know.

Charma squeezed his arm. “My sister.”

Anton frowned. “What about your sister?”

“She’s in our territory,” Kane stated. “Braden has her.”

Anton groaned, shooting a dark look at Brand. “Why?”

“It’s a long story.”

“Make it a quick one,” Anton demanded.

“She came with the pride males,” Charma told him.

“To attack us?” Anton frowned.

“No!” She shook her head. “Breeanna isn’t a fighter.”

“She’s a lover,” Klax chuckled. “Or she will be if Braden
has a say in the matter.”

“Shit. You trusted my baby brother with your sister?” Anton
scowled.

“No.” Charma pressed tightly against Brand.

“Charma’s sister ended up in our territory after following
some of the pride here. She thought they were coming after Charma. I tracked
her down but Braden found her first. He carried her off toward town. I returned
here,” Brand explained. “Charma wants to go find her sister but I keep telling
her that Braden won’t hurt her.”

“He won’t,” Anton confirmed. “He’s cat friendly.”

Klax laughed.

Anton and Brand both shot him silencing glares. He turned
away. “I’ll go assess the mess and start a bonfire to be rid of the bodies. We
need to clear away any evidence of what happened here before dawn. Von just
returned and offered to handle that but he could use some help.”

“Go help him, Kane,” Anton ordered.

“What did I do?” The enforcer grinned though. “I’m going.”

“My sister,” Charma pressed.

Anton sighed. “She isn’t in any danger if Braden has her.
Right now we need to focus on the injured and make sure no stragglers are
waiting around to attack us when our defenses are down.” His tone deepened,
befitting that of an alpha. “Brand, you and your mate can man the house. The
enforcers can do most of the cleanup. I’m going to have to make calls to check
on the pack to do a head count to see who we’ve lost.”

Brand nodded. He knew Charma wanted to argue but she kept
quiet, tense in his hold. Anton left the house, issuing orders to the pack. She
turned in his arms, staring up at him.

“I know,” he whispered. “But right now we have to deal with
the aftermath of this fight. Humans can’t find out about us. That’s priority.
There are dead bodies on the lawn and in the woods that they could stumble
across. I’ll call Braden. He probably took her to my house. It wasn’t too far
from where he found her.”

Her shoulders squared. “Please call.”

He released her and strode over to the nearest house phone
and dialed his cousin’s cell. It rang three times before going to voicemail. He
clenched his teeth, waiting for the beep. “Braden, don’t you touch that
she-cat.” He noticed Charma had followed him so watched what he said. “She’s my
mate’s sister. Keep her safe and your pants on. Do you get my meaning? Call me
back at the alpha house immediately. Charma is worried sick about Bree.”

He hung up and turned. “He’ll keep her safe. I know he won’t
hurt her.”

“Why didn’t he answer his phone? Maybe they need help.”

“He rarely answers his phone. It’s normal for him to keep
the ringer off but he checks his messages often. He’ll call back.” He hoped
that was true.

She didn’t seem appeased.

“The pride doesn’t have her, which is a good thing, right?
You met Braden and you know he isn’t prejudiced. He’ll see her as a woman, not
the enemy.” He figured that was the main reason for her fear. “I’m sure she
told him who she is because he’d have wanted to know why she entered our
territory. He killed someone from your pride to protect her and get her away
from him. I’m sure they are okay, probably locked inside my basement, waiting
for the danger to pass. The best thing we can do is end this nightmare quickly
so we can go home.”

“You’re right. Okay. What can I do to help? This is my pack
now too.”

It was a relief that his words had calmed some of Charma’s
fears. He didn’t want her dealing with any grisly tasks. “Food.” He led her
into the kitchen. “We’re always hungry after shifting. Make as many sandwiches
as possible.” He caught the attention of one of the pack, motioning him over. “This
is Dan.
He’s going to help you.” He shot the male a menacing
look. “This is my mate. You don’t let her out of your sight. Protect her if
there are any unfriendly faces coming in here looking for a meal. You help her
feed them.”

The younger male nodded but sniffed at her, his face showing
surprise that she wasn’t a wolf. “Okay.”

“You have a problem with that?” Brand growled.

The pup shook his head. “No.”

“Good.” He took the jacket from Charma’s arms and placed it
on the back of a chair. “Your sister will be safe with my cousin. Don’t worry
about her right now, okay?”

She blew out a breath. “I don’t have a choice, do I? If he
touches her though…”

“He’s not a rapist,” Brand swore, certain Braden wouldn’t
force a woman no matter how bad the heat got. “You met him. He’s immature,
rash, but a good kid.”

She relaxed. “He was really nice to me.”

“Exactly. I have to go help.”
With the bodies.
He
left that last part out. “I’ll be close.”

“I love you.” She held his gaze.

“I love you too.”

He quickly fled the kitchen, wanting to get back to her side
but he had to help his family. That was what made them such a strong pack.

Charma was tired and more than a little disturbed at the
number of werewolves who came into the kitchen in search of food. It was a shifter
trait to get an appetite when they smelled meat cooking. It was what they were
burning that made her queasy.

“I think that’s the last of them.” Dan started to put away
the food. He was a nice kid in his teens. “I hope so, anyway. We’re out of ham
and turkey. The only thing left is bologna.”

“Thank you for all your help.”

“I’d do anything for Brand. He’s cool.”

She smiled, feeling a sense of pride. “He is an amazing man.”

“He’s kind of like a father to me. My old man was killed
when I was a kid but Brand mentors me.”

“He does?” She liked finding that out. Garrett wasn’t a role
model in the pride. Her ex-mate was the epitome of bad influences on the
younger males.

“Oh yeah. There’s a bunch of us without fathers and he
teaches us stuff. We can’t afford handymen coming out to our place so he’ll
drop by to show us how to fix whatever breaks, for free. We even go hunting
together. He always tells us to leave the families alone.”

Surprise tore through her. “What?”

“Animals. Not people.” Dan laughed. “You should see your
face. He gets pissed if we go after a momma with babies. That’s what I mean. We’re
supposed to only take down the older stags and bears. The meat is tougher but
he says it’s good for us.”

That was her Brand. He was a sweetheart. “I see.”

“Werewolves don’t kill humans. At least not in this pack.
You have to have a damn good reason and it has to be approved by the alpha.
They have to pose a serious danger to the pack.” His gaze traveled over her. “We
also apparently don’t kill she-cats. Not that I’d hurt a woman. Brand taught us
that there’s nothing worse than being a bully. We’re naturally stronger than
most humans but even female shifters don’t stand much of a chance in a fight
against a male. He even lectures us about sex with humans, you know? Be gentle,
don’t growl, and reminds us to keep our skin. It would be real bad to burst
into fur on top of one. They’d freak out.”

The conversation had shifted onto a topic she wasn’t
comfortable with. “I’m sure they would.”

“I don’t date humans. I mean, what’s the point? I want
honesty when I am with someone. I’d have to lie to her about everything or risk
her hating me for what I am. That would be the worst. The alpha would have to
decide if she was a danger to the pack. My mom would also flip out. She wants
grandkids who shift. It’s a coin toss when you crossbreed.” He frowned. “Shit.
I wonder how weird your kids are going to turn out. I mean, will they look like
you or Brand? How freaky would a half kitten, half pup be?”

His questions caused a stabbing sensation in her chest. She
wasn’t sure she’d even be able to get pregnant. She’d never met a she-cat who’d
had a child with a werewolf. Her human half might help with that but it was
uncertain. Would any possible children be shunned by the pack and deemed to be
freaks? She knew all about not fitting in and being looked down upon. She
wanted better for her children than she’d experienced as a half-breed.

“Enough,” a deep voice growled, startling Charma. She’d been
unaware of the person who’d walked into the kitchen behind her. Rave met her
gaze before glaring at Dan.

“Go outside and do something useful.”

“Brand told me to guard her. I mean, protect.”

“I’ve got this,” Rave announced. “Scat, pup.”

The kid fled without another word. Charma faced Rave and
forced a smile. “Are you hungry?”

“I already ate a rabbit.” He wore sweats and nothing else. “I
was feeling a little raw after all that fighting. That’s a joke. You’re
supposed to laugh.”

“I like my meat cooked.”

“You don’t shift, right?”

She shook her head. “No.” She worried that Brand’s cousin
might have wanted to get her alone to warn her off. It would be understandable
if he wasn’t happy with his cousin’s choice of mate. It was a natural reaction to
cross her arms over her chest to protect her belly and heart.

He noticed the gesture and both eyebrows rose. “Easy,” he
rasped. “You can relax. I’m cool with kittens, remember?”

“Yes.” She fought her instincts and lowered her arms.

“Sorry about the pup. He was running off at the mouth but
that’s a kid for you. They are pretty thoughtless at times. He didn’t mean to
hurt your feelings.”

“He didn’t.”

He just stared at her. He reminded her a lot of Brand and
she could see the family resemblance. They had some of the same mannerisms and
that look stated that he wasn’t buying it.

“Not much,” she admitted.

“Brand won’t give a shit if you birth him kittens or
dolphins.” A lazy grin surfaced on Rave’s face. “He’s crazy about you.”

She hesitated. “What about the rest of the pack? Will any of
our kids be in danger if we’re able to even have any?”

“Never.”

“How can you be sure?”

He chuckled. “Because we’re the Harris Pack. Nobody fucks
with us and lives. You’re one of us now, Charma. You also won’t be the only one
who has mixed kids. My oldest half-human brother mated a human and another one
is mated to a quarter-puma. We’re sturdy stock.”

“I just want them to be healthy and happy.”

A beep sounded and he reached inside the pocket of his
sweats and removed a cell phone. He touched the screen. “Sorry to be rude but I
need to respond to this text.” His thumb tapped out a few words before he put
it away. He glanced up at the ceiling, then back at Charma. “I had to tell her
I’m alive. She was worried.”

“Your mate?”

He masked his expression. “Someone I’m spending my heat
with. I’ll stay with you, though, until Brand comes in.”

“I’ll be fine. Go check on her. I take it that she’s
upstairs?”

“Yeah.” Heat crept into his cheeks. “In my old bedroom. How
embarrassing is that?”

“I don’t understand.”

“My parents never bothered to clear out the rooms and change
them around. I still have all my teenage shit in there. I’d forgotten how many
posters I had with nearly topless women straddling motorcycles until I walked
her in there. Would you want Brand to see the room you grew up in?”

“Probably not. It’s all pink and frilly. That was my mom’s
taste instead of mine. She was always decorating our rooms the way she wanted
us to be.”

He cocked his head.

“I was kind of a tomboy.”

“Got it.” He swept the room with his gaze. “How is the food
supply holding? There’s more in the freezer downstairs.”

“Most have eaten. It’s pretty dead right now.” She regretted
the words. “I mean—”

“Don’t sweat it,” he interrupted. “We have a sense of humor.
Luckily we only lost two of the pack. How are you holding up?”

“Good.”

He studied her shirt. “You fought?”

“One of your enforcers touched me and his hands were bloody.”

“Brand is going to kill him.”

“It wasn’t in a bad way. He kind of put me in a closet to
keep me safe.”

His phone beeped again and he removed it, read the screen.
He typed a response. “That’s good. We don’t need any more deaths today. Sorry.
It’s my brother.”

“Braden?” She hoped he’d say yes.

“Yeah.”

“Ask him how my sister is.”

His head snapped up. “What?”

“He has my sister.”

“Why?”

She sighed, telling him the facts she knew. Rave appeared
grim as he typed. He paused, reading the response. “She’s fine. Her ankle was
twisted but that’s about it. She said to tell you hi and she’s okay.”

Charma resisted the urge to lunge and tear the phone out of
his hands. “May I talk to her?”

“Hang on.” He texted something else and then the phone rang.
He held it out. “Here you go.”

Her hands trembled as she accepted it. “Bree?”

“I’m okay. Are you okay?”

“What the hell are you doing here?” Fear and worry raged at
hearing her sister’s voice.

“I thought the pride was tracking you. Garrett said you ran
away. Did he hurt you again?”

“No. It’s a long story. Are you hurt? Randy said his brother
had you.”

Her sister paused. “He’s dead. Braden saved me.” Her voice
lowered. “He’s a werewolf.”

“I know. He’s treating you okay?”

“Yeah. He packed my ankle with ice and we’re hanging out in
a basement. He said you mated his cousin. How is that possible? Is he lying to
me?”

“No.” Charma glanced at Rave. His gaze kept darting up at
the ceiling. “Listen, now isn’t the time to talk all of this out. You stay with
Braden and I’ll be there as soon as it’s safe.”

“Okay.”

“May I talk to him?”

“Sure. Love you.”

“I love you too,” Charma said and waited for Braden to take
the phone.

“Yes?”

“Please protect my sister.”

“I will.”

“And, Braden?”

“Yes?”

“Don’t touch her. Do you hear me?”

“I do.”

“We’ll be there as soon as it’s safe to travel. Bye.” She
hung up and handed the phone to Rave. “Thank you. I was really worried. He’ll
keep her safe, won’t he?”

“Yeah.” He darted another glance at the ceiling.

“Go. I’m fine. You’re worried about the woman upstairs. That’s
obvious.”

He seemed unsure.

“I’m fine. Brand is right outside.”

He strode away toward the living room. Charma watched him go
and leaned against the counter. She closed her eyes. Things could have gone so
much worse. Bree could have gotten hurt or had a werewolf who hated cats find
her instead of Braden. Brand could have died. Randy could have taken her away.

“Hey, cat.”

The male voice drew her attention as she opened her eyes to
stare at an unfamiliar werewolf. “What, wolf? You hungry? We only have bologna
left to make sandwiches but I saw a box of corndogs in the freezer. They’d only
take about a minute or two in the microwave.”

He looked scary as his eyes narrowed. She guessed him to be
in his sixties but shifters looked a lot younger than they really were. He
directed an unfriendly glare her way and a sense of danger stabbed at her.

“I’m Charma, Brand’s mate.”

“I know who you are.”

“Do you want a sandwich or corndogs?”

His nose flared. “Corndogs. I want six. I’m hungry.”

She spun around. “I’m on it. Keep your pants on.” She was
grateful he wasn’t naked. “Ketchup?”

The silence caused a chill to run up her spine and she
realized she probably shouldn’t have turned her back on him. It was too late
though. She jerked open the freezer and removed the box then faced him. He hadn’t
moved any closer but he didn’t appear any friendlier either.

“Mustard,” he finally answered. “I’m Raymond Borl and I don’t
trust your kind.”

He got points with her for blunt honesty. “I don’t blame
you.” She tore open the box and counted out the corndogs. “I’m not real fond of
prides myself. I’m half human.” She held his gaze. “Chips? There are some bags
in that cupboard behind you if you want some.”

He hesitated. “Just that.” Long seconds ticked by. “Thank
you.”

“Thanks for not attacking me when you seemed to want to.
Brand would be furious and he’s got a temper.”

“No shit.” The older man sat on a barstool at the counter. “All
those boys are hotheads but they run a fair pack. I came from one that wasn’t
so hot.”

She microwaved the corndogs. “Everyone deserves a fresh
start somewhere.”

“I guess they do.”

They appraised each other and the older werewolf hunched in
his chair. “Don’t repeat this but my joints are killing me.” He flexed his
fingers. “Is there any booze to be found? I could use a shot of whiskey or
something to ease some of the pain.”

Brand was prepared to tear Raymond’s head off when he walked
into the kitchen. He was too close to Charma and he didn’t like that one bit.
He was glad he hadn’t instantly reacted instead of waiting to hear some of
their exchange. “There’s a full bar downstairs. Hit it up when she hands you
that food. I am curious why you’re here.”

“I told you I didn’t want to hear my son-by-mate nailing my
daughter. He filled my basement with some of his friends to protect the house
so I came to fight.”

“We appreciate that.” Brand stood next to Charma, feeling
better that she was within reach in case the cagey bastard decided to attack
her.

“We’re pack. I don’t always agree with the decisions made
but in the end that’s what it comes down to.”

Brand removed the paper plate from the microwave and held it
while he added mustard. “Here you go. You can’t miss the bar. I suggest the
whiskey.”

Charma remained silent until they were alone. She stepped in
front of him and lifted her chin. “How are you holding up?”

“Good.” He didn’t want to think about the tasks he’d just
performed, one of them being cleaning up the mess in the attic. The carpet
would need to be replaced. “Where is the pup?”

“Rave had a chore for him. I was fine. He heard from Braden
and I got to talk to my sister. She’s okay.”

He was grateful. “I’m glad, hon. I hated you being so
worried about her and stuck here. We’ll be able to go home in a few hours. The
carnage outside is mostly dealt with and the families of the deceased in our
pack have been notified. Just don’t go downstairs and open the big chest
freezer. Both bodies were put in there until their families collect them. We
were lucky we didn’t lose more.”

Her expression almost made him laugh. “Their kin will want
to bury them in the pack cemetery. It’s not safe to travel yet until we make
certain our territory is cleared of all pride. Some of them are severely
injured and probably in hiding. The enforcers and a few of my cousins are
tracking them. We only burned the pride members who died. I hope that doesn’t
offend you.”

“No. Of course I hurt for their families but only enforcers
were sent for the joining. They know the risks. It’s a sad fact of life that
most of them don’t have a long lifespan.” She bit her lip, staring up at him.