Mating Brand

by Laurann Dohner

  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. Greif 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 a 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 blue 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 broke free 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’re injured and some of them are too hurt to shift back into skin. They’ll 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 to Charma, hooking an arm around her 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 and 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, i
ssuing 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 voice mail. He clenched his teeth, waiting for the beep. “Braden, don’t you touch that she-cat.” He noticed Charma had followed him, so he 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’re 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.”

  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, already wanting to get back to her side, but he had to help his family. That was what made them such a strong pack.

  Chapter Eleven

  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 are 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 also 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 to 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’m 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’re 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 l
ook 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—”