“Brand,” Rave snarled. “Let her go. I gave my word we wouldn’t hurt her. She’s a little thing and could get hurt if I have to force you to release her.”

“Go away,” Brand ground out. He really feared he might kill anyone who tried to get between him and Charma, even the cousin he loved as a brother. “Leave us alone.”

“I know the heat is bad but damn, you can’t go around grabbing stray cats and forcing them to allow you to rub up against them. This is embarrassing. I told her she’d be safe.”

Brand adjusted her in his arms just to verify that she’d definitely lost weight. His Charma had been curvy and lush. Most she-cats kept a fuller figure than werewolf bitches. He’d loved that about her. She currently could have passed for a lean bitch by the feel of her. A horrible thought struck. He’d once heard that pride males shunned a mate if she was dying or gravely ill.

“Are you sick, hon?” He was afraid to hear the answer.

“No.”

He could breathe again. “It doesn’t matter. You’re with me and this is where you belong. I’m going to take care of you.”

She sniffed, wiping her face against him. Wetness seeped through his sweater to his skin, assuring him she’d done it to hide her tears. Her pain, and the possible reason behind it, tore him apart. It didn’t matter though. Nothing did, except the fact that she was real. All the bitterness and anger he’d suffered at her loss paled in comparison to having her back in his life. He wouldn’t allow her to take off on him again. Once had been bad enough.

“Is he dead?”

She shook her head, clearly knowing what he asked. He lifted his gaze to stare into her eyes—the most beautiful he’d ever seen. The love he felt remained strong, tightening his chest. Time had passed but his feelings hadn’t changed. She was “the one” and always would be. He knew that deep in his soul, without doubt.

“Brand?” Rave stepped closer. “You know you’re acting insane, right? Did you take drugs, trying to ease the heat? Talk to me, man.” He glanced at Charma. “Don’t be alarmed, she-cat. I’ll talk him down. He might be a little out of his head. Please don’t claw or bite the crazy wolf. He’s harmless.”

Brand glared at his cousin. “This is Charma, Rave. My ‘I-fell-in-love-with-a-half-human-spotted-leopard-shifter’ Charma.”

“Shit.” Rave gawked, studying her. “She’s tiny, man.”

“She’s five foot one. Leopards are small. She used to weigh a lot more.” He peered at her, noticing the change in her thin face. “Where’s my love handles? You know how much I enjoyed them.” His mood darkened, though, when he inhaled that stench coming off her. “I’m going to kill your mate when he comes after you. You’re never going to leave me. I’ll chain you to my bed, dig a big-ass moat around my house and fill it with alligators to eat any damn cats who show up. And barricade every door and window.”

She appeared a little stunned. “Brand—”

“Did you say mate? She’s mated?” Rave coughed. “I’m sure I heard you say that.”

A snarl tore from Brand’s throat that he couldn’t hold back. Fury gripped him but he tried to regain control. His fangs wouldn’t retract for anything but his claws remained sheathed while he stared into Charma’s eyes.

“He doesn’t matter. You still love me, don’t you? I want you to kill me if you say no. That’s what you’d be doing anyway.”

“I love you, Brand. I always have.” Fresh tears filled her eyes. “I never stopped. I had to warn your pack about the joining call. You’re in danger.”

“I never stopped loving you either.” He blinked back his own tears. “You came here and risked your life to save mine, didn’t you, hon?”

She nodded. “The prides are going to attack your pack tomorrow night. I couldn’t let you die.”

Dozens of questions filled his head. How had she known it was his pack that was in danger? Did that mean she’d always known where to find him, yet stayed away? The stabbing sensation to his heart hurt but as he stared into her eyes it eased. She said she loved him and she’d left the creep she’d mated to warn him when she thought he was in danger.

She picked me over her mate. That soothed him somewhat.

“Clusterfuck,” Rave growled. “That’s what this is.”

Brand turned his gaze on his cousin. “It’s not that big of a deal. I’ll kill the pussy if he comes after her. She’s always been mine.”

Rave ran his fingers through his hair, gave him a frustrated look and clenched his teeth. “I’m not talking about you and her. We’ve got to warn the pack and prepare for the arrival of the pride. They obviously don’t know this is the absolute worst time for them to attack us. It’s going to be a slaughter with all the aggression going on during the heat.”

Charma couldn’t believe that Brand held her once again. His wonderful scent had changed slightly from what she remembered but it had been nine years. Memories could fade and obviously had. He seemed bigger than she remembered, bulkier, beefier and even stronger. She dangled from his arms where he kept her face level with his. Her arms were wrapped around his neck and she didn’t ever want to let go. She even fought the urge to wrap her legs around his waist, regardless of her skirt, just to press even tighter against him.

“At least thirty pride males will come,” she informed them, not sure if she’d mentioned that already after her shock of seeing Brand. “You need to flee the area if that’s too many and the mating heat has weakened your pack. They can’t stay for more than a week. Your people can safely return after that time. I’ve never heard of a joining call lasting longer than that. The males will clash amongst themselves. We don’t have a pack mentality. Pride males keep a wide berth of each other unless they are family. They kill each other after extended contact, especially when they aren’t in the same pride. There’s no sense of hierarchy so they will fight for dominance.”

Brand stared into her eyes. “The slaughter wouldn’t be ours. It will be the pride males. We’re really aggressive right now, more so than any other time of the year, and our hold on our humanity is barely there. The only fleeing that will be going on is from the pride that shows up here.”