Make Him Mine

by Lia Bevans

  “The alpha we met, Hazel, she’s my sister.”

  Blaez didn’t flinch. “I know.”

  “Oh. You do.” Chantal folded her fingers together and moved on. “When I paid Hazel a visit this morning, she told me that she was leaving Connor be. Something’s been going on with young werewolves that demanded even more of her attention.”

  Panic climbed his throat. Was Caldon in trouble? He grabbed her shoulders, his mind focused on his brother. “Something like what?”

  As Chantal opened her mouth to tell him, his phone rang. He ignored it, raising both eyebrows in the hopes that she would continue. Chantal waved her slender hands. “Go ahead. Pick it up. I can wait.”

  He nodded and slipped his phone from his pocket. “Hello?” He turned his face to the sun and listened to the man on the line. It was Jeffery, his apartment’s security superintendent.

  “Mr. Dramoth, sir? You requested that I alert you when a young man matching the description of your brother appeared.”

  Blaez sat straight up. He’d listed his apartment online for the public to see and then slipped Jeffery the needed incentive to keep an eye out for Caldon if he ever showed up. It was his weakest line and one he hadn’t expected to actually work.

  “Did you see him?”

  “He came in a few minutes ago. I gave him the passcode to your apartment like you requested.”

  “Thank you so much, Jeffery. I’m on my way.” Blaez hung up and jumped to his feet.

  “Is it really your brother?” Chantal asked.

  “I think so.” He laughed at the sky, joy exploding through his entire body. “I’ve got to go.”

  “Can I come with you?”

  He glanced at Chantal in surprise. “Why?”

  “You said your brother was hanging around a sketchy group, right? I’m glad he’s okay, but there are some questions I want to ask him.”

  “Okay.” He led the way to his convertible. “But don’t be hurt if Caldon doesn’t cooperate.”

  “I’ll be fine,” she said over the roof of his car. “Let’s go meet your brother.”

  He grinned so wide his smile nearly broke his face in half. “Yes, ma’am.”

  CHAPTER NINETEEN

  BLAEZ WAS A PUZZLE Chantal wanted to—no—needed to solve. Hearing a snippet of his history had calmed her wolf enough that she could sit next to him without trying to paw at his body in broad daylight. Which was both good and bad.

  When she first laid eyes on Blaez walking into the park, not even the presence of impressionable children was enough to keep thoughts of getting him naked at bay. She’d pounded with sexual frenzy, the restraint she’d used over the past week piling up and threatening to explode.

  Then he started talking about his family, about his brother and his mother and his father. Chantal started to imagine what it must have felt like to be abandoned by someone he trusted. How lonely and frightening it must have been to grow up without the love she’d been smothered with.

  Even though Chantal was—in essence—abandoned by her real parents Hazel had stressed how much they had loved her and somehow, that was enough. Blaez didn’t even have that reassurance from his father.

  To make matters worse, when he was just starting to build a life for himself he was strapped with the burden of looking after his little brother. It must have been another blow. Yet, he stuck with it. Barreled through. And even now, he was caring for Caldon when many others would have given up.

  After all, Caldon was only his half-brother. He was man enough to run away and therefore man enough to take care of himself. Any other person would have washed his hands and bid Caldon goodbye. But not Blaez.

  Therein lay the mystery. How could someone so devoted possibly accept a call to murder a sick child? How could someone so caring and responsible set traps for shifters in the woods? It just didn’t make sense and Chantal was convinced that something was wrong.

  Either Blaez was lying to her or she hadn’t gotten the full story.

  Even more concerning than Blaez actually being a good person was her wolf’s reliance on him. Blaez was the only one who could put her to sleep. The only one who could replace a good run in the woods. The only one who could chase her wolf into submission.

  She was starting to crave him—his scent, his touch, his presence—almost as much as she craved sex with him. Her wolf was growing fond. Problem was Chantal wasn’t sure she should blame it all on the creature inside.

  She couldn’t stop thinking about this man. Couldn’t stop wanting him. Needing him. Desiring him. The lines between her wolf’s feelings and her own were blurry. The sooner she figured Blaez out, the sooner she’d shake his spell and free herself.

  “We’re here,” Blaez said, breaking into her thoughts. Chantal glanced out the window and noticed the sprawling apartment building in the richer side of town.

  “Nice place,” she said, suddenly curious. “What exactly do you do?” He was at the center all the time. She’d never seen him take a business call or ask for time off for another job. Given his shenanigans with the traps and his eagerness to kill, she’d assumed he was a vagabond with a nice car.

  Clearly, she was wrong.

  “I’m currently unemployed,” he said with a smirk.

  She plucked her seatbelt loose and glanced at the huge building again. “Wow... I wish I was unemployed.”

  He chuckled and parked the car. They climbed out and Chantal noticed that Blaez’s step was lighter than she had ever seen it. His hazel eyes sparkled and he would slant tiny looks at her as if to make sure she was still there and he wasn’t dreaming.

  Confusion descended on her shoulders again, warning that she’d misjudged him. He was like a little kid opening a Christmas present early. All because his troubled, rebellious brother had come home.

  They stepped into the elevator and though they were alone, her wolf was content to gaze at him and soak in his happiness.

  Mine... the wolf said contentedly.

  “Are you really that excited?” she asked.

  “You have no idea.” He pressed the elevator button again as if that would help them to ride faster. “Call it intuition or whatever, but Caldon hanging out with those folks never sat right with me. If he’s home, he’s safe. That’s all that matters.”

  The bell ‘dinged’ and Blaez led her to his apartment—though it was bigger and more richly decorated than any ‘apartment’ she’d seen. Everything was brand new, holding the ‘just bought’ smell she adored.

  Except...

  Chantal sniffed. “What is that?”

  Blaez froze and glanced around, tasting the air with his tongue. “That’s strange.”

  “Is it your brother?”

  He shook his head and held his arm in front of her, protecting her, prepared for anything. “That’s not Caldon.”

  Her wolf on high alert, Chantal followed Blaez deeper into the living room. The artwork on the walls depicted photos of still rivers, snow-capped mountains and bright green pine trees. They tiptoed past the light blue sofa to the kitchen where her eyes zeroed in on a trail of blood.

  “Blaez!” she hissed and pointed.

  He stiffened. “You should leave. I don’t know what’s in here and I can’t have you getting hurt.”

  “Leave?” She couldn’t fathom choosing such a route. Even if her wolf wasn’t obsessed with him, Chantal would never leave someone in need behind. “Have you forgotten I’m as much a wolf as you are?”

  “Chantal!” He raised his voice and glared at her stubbornness. Genuine panic flickered behind the green flecks in his eyes. “Something’s wrong. I don’t know what it is, but I couldn’t live with myself if...”

  She lifted her chin and punctuated each word. “I’m. Not. Going. Anywhere. Whatever it is, I’ll be here.”

  He swallowed and nodded, moving quietly down a hallway lined with doors. The smell intensified, a mixture of werewolf blood and another scent that was oddly familiar. Chantal strained to identify the fragrance.
<
br />   The scent was coming from the bathroom. A heart thudded behind the door. Someone was there. Blaez caught her eye and pointed to the knob, urging her to stand back. She obliged, every muscle in her body prepared to war by his side if the time came.

  Mine... her wolf growled, poised for a fight.

  Chantal curved her fingers into fists.

  What she said.

  STUBBORN WOMAN THAT she was, Chantal insisted on sticking by him even when every nerve in his body screamed for him to get her out of harm’s way. Some nut job was in his house, leaking blood everywhere. Blaez prayed it wasn’t Caldon’s. Either way, he’d find out soon enough.

  He glanced over his shoulder at her. Chantal’s ponytail swung like a pendulum as she bent at the knees and stared at the bathroom door. She was channeling her wolf and he felt a twitch of pride that someone so ferocious had deemed him worthy of her attention.

  Taking in a sharp breath, he stepped forward and kicked the door. The wood cracked and shattered. Blaez roared and let his claws slide from his fingers. With a mighty swipe, he slapped the knob from its place and threw the door open. They stormed inside.

  “Don’t hurt me!” A teenager yelled, covering his face with his bruised arms. He wore a dirty white T-shirt and torn jeans. Black hair covered his forehead and hung low behind his ears. Not Caldon’s usual style, but—with his face covered—he could see why the security guard had made a mistake.

  “Who are you?” Blaez roared, not quite ready to trust the stranger.

  “I’m a friend of Cal’s!” The boy lowered his hands and dull blue eyes peered at him. “Are you Blaez?”

  He nodded. “Who are you?”

  “I’m Timmy. Timmy Crenshaw.” The kid stepped forward, reaching into his pocket. Chantal growled and lurched at him. Blaez held his hand up. The kid was a weakling. There was no danger here. Chantal responded immediately and let her fists swing at her sides, though her fangs remained alert.

  “What are you doing in my apartment, Timmy?”

  “Cal gave me this.” He slipped a ragged piece of paper from his pocket. “It’s your address and name. He said to go to you if anything ever happened to him. He said you’d know how to help him. Because you were his only family.”

  Blaez’s heart sank and he staggered. “What happened to my brother?”

  “Blaez...” Chantal rushed to hold him steady.

  “I’m fine. I’m fine.” He flew to Timmy and pleaded. “Where is Caldon?”

  Timmy glanced away. “I-I don’t know.”

  He took the boy by his collar. “Don’t give me that. Where is he?”

  “I’m not lying!” Timmy whimpered.

  He felt a hand on his shoulder and looked over at Chantal. Her eyes were beseeching when she said, “He’s telling the truth.”

  Blaez’s heart cracked. Blood. It stained Timmy’s side. His arms. His legs. He’d been scraped by sharp claws. Wolf claws. Why did Timmy come in Caldon’s place? What had happened to his brother that he couldn’t explain for himself?

  “No...” His throat clogged with emotions and he found it hard to breathe.

  “Let’s talk in the living room.” Chantal put her hand on his. Her soft palm on his knuckles brought tears to his eyes. He fought desperately to keep the tears from falling. Now wasn’t the time to break down. He had a kid to question.

  He nodded and released Timmy, but his hands weren’t empty for long. Chantal slipped her hand through his, lacing their fingers together. Blaez didn’t know if it was her or her wolf who initiated the touch, but he was grateful for it.

  “Let’s go.” He pushed Timmy in front of them, keeping a sharp eye on him in case he tried to pull anything. The kid stumbled ahead and fell into a chair, staining it with the mess on his clothes. Blaez glared at him but said nothing.

  Chantal led him to the love seat and drew him down, moving as tenderly as a mother hen with her chick. “Start from the beginning, Timmy,” she said. “When did Caldon give you that address?”

  “It was a few weeks ago.” Timmy scratched his sharp nose and pulled on his thin bottom lip. Now that he was looking closely, Blaez saw a tattoo winding up the kid’s neck. Looked like a howling wolf. Subtle. “It was the day he took the fall for the wolf traps.”

  “The wolf traps?” Chantal asked.

  “Yeah.” Timmy nodded. “We thought we were done for, but this guy showed up and warned us the cops were coming. Those wolf pack cops are freaking scary. So we didn’t wait around. Soon after, Cal explained the guy who saved our butts was his brother and he gave me this.”

  Chantal’s eyes widened and she blinked at him. “You took the rap for your brother?”

  He ignored Chantal’s question. “Why’d you keep it?”

  “Because...” Timmy shrugged. “I never had anyone who cared about me like that. I knew about being thrown under the bus so someone else could save his own skin. What you did for Cal was cool. I didn’t understand why he’d run from that.”

  Blaez swallowed the lump in his throat. “What happened, Timmy? Why did you decide to use that address today?”

  A scared look pervaded his eyes. “We’d heard the rumors. Word on the street was some rival gang was targeting crews like ours. Taking people in the night at random. We got ready. Dared the pricks to try us. Early this morning... they did.”

  “Who are they?”

  “I don’t know. All I know is... I woke up to hear everyone shouting their heads off. I heard growls and roars. Came outside and saw everyone fighting each other. Their eyes were wild. Like they weren’t themselves anymore. Cal came at me, snapping and biting. I pushed him off.”

  “Did you...” He struggled to remain calm. “Did you kill him?”

  “Nah, man. He tried to kill me though. I got him off and ran for my life. Laid low for a few hours and then went back. Our hideout was empty. Blood everywhere. No one in sight. I tried calling everybody, but no one responded. I’m freaked out, man. I was hoping Cal reached out to you.”

  “He hasn’t.” Blaez clenched his teeth.

  “Do you need somewhere to stay the night?” Chantal offered. “I have a farmhouse and an extra room.”

  Blaez opened his mouth to tell her she’d harbor a gang member over his dead body, but Timmy rejected her before he could do so. “Nah. I’ve got to find my people. Cal has his brother—” Timmy glanced at him—“But my pack is all I got.”

  They exchanged numbers and then stood. “Stay safe, Timmy,” Blaez said. “And don’t worry. I’ll get to the bottom of this.”

  The boy slipped out and the thud of the door slamming behind him resounded in the silence.

  CHAPTER TWENTY

  FRANTIC THOUGHTS BUZZED in Chantal’s mind. She struggled to make sense of the revelations about Blaez and about the menace kidnapping young werewolves. Blaez, too, seemed lost in thought. Chantal had so many questions, but she didn’t even know where to begin.

  At last, he addressed her. “You should go.”

  “Yeah, not before you explain why you lied, buddy. Why didn’t you tell me you were innocent? How did Hazel not catch the truth? She’s normally better at tracking lies than that. Unless...” She sighed. “What did Hazel get in exchange?”

  He avoided her eyes. “Why don’t you ask her?”

  Chantal stood. “I’m asking you.”

  “If you don’t mind,” Blaez rubbed his forehead, “I have a lot to do right now.”

  “I can help, but first I need some answers.”

  “I’m not asking for your help.”

  “Why? Because I’m getting too close to the truth? Because I’m raising my voice? You need all hands on deck to figure this out, Blaez. Trust me. Whatever your brother and all those kids are up against, it’s bigger than we can handle alone.”

  “That may be true, but what I do for my brother is my business.”

  “Not when it involves me.”

  “Why would it involve you?”

  His questions surprised her. Chantal was in control now,
but the urgency to be there for Blaez had not left with the wolf. It wasn’t like she could admit that. She could never admit that. She cleared her throat and said, “Well... you’re the man my wolf wants. Of course I have to be worried. I don’t have a choice.”

  His eyes burned through her. “Who do you think you are, huh?”

  She stepped back. “Excuse me?”

  “Why do you care? Is this your wolf’s new tactic? Do you think feigning interest in my personal life will make me want to sleep with you? You think acting like you care will trick me into backing you into the couch like this—” He thrust her into the sofa and climbed over her. “And touching you like this—” His hands roved down her thighs. “And kissing you—” He slammed his mouth over hers, forcefully, aggressively.

  Chantal tore her lips away, her chest heaving from a mixture of need and humiliation. The threading of distress and desire drove her crazy. Her wolf whimpered, sensing Blaez’s anger. It wanted him, but not like this. Not when he was upset with her.

  Chantal glared. Her breath mingled with his. “What do you think you’re doing?”

  “I’m giving you what you want.” He settled on top of her, leaning his weight so that she could feel the length of him. “Let’s go. Right now. Take your pants off. We’ll have sex. Mind-blowing sex. As much as you want. On one condition. Don’t act like you care about me. Don’t pretend I’m anything more than a sperm donor to you.”

  “Get. Off,” she growled.

  Her wolf was silent. Probably ducking its head somewhere, running scared because Blaez had shouted at her.

  Furiously brown eyes locked on hers, he pushed himself up and straightened. “I’m going to look for my brother. Alone. You can see yourself out.”

  BLAEZ WAS A JERK. HE couldn’t scrub his mind of Chantal’s hurt expression if he tried. And he tried. He climbed into his car. Slammed the door shut. Turned the ignition. Spit gravel as he turned onto the highway. Pressed the gas. Yet, he couldn’t outrun those big, brown eyes.