Mating Brand (Mating Heat Book 3) Read online

  Kane groaned. “I’m the one who had to talk their future mates out of killing your ass the morning after when they arrived to pick up those women. You were passed out from exhaustion when the shitstorm hit.”

  Braden grinned. “Thanks.”

  Kane glared. “I can’t wait until you mature. Like I don’t have enough to do without cleaning up your messes.”

  “Let’s change the subject,” Brand suggested, wanting to save Braden some grief.

  “I agree. Enough,” Anton softly ordered. “You’ve all got one hour to pack a bag, grab whoever you’re spending your heat with and get back here. We’re going on lockdown until this is over.” He stared at Kane. “Patrols go out in shifts, with two of us and enforcers, no less than eight-member teams at a time. That’s how it’s going to be until the pride realizes they can’t win. I refuse to lose anyone on my watch while our father is down. I gave him my word we’d take care of everyone, and that means nobody dies.”

  “Easier said than done,” Kane muttered. “But agreed. We stick together while we’re out and everyone stays ready to roll if trouble hits. I’ll call my brother. He took the night shift but he’s slept for at least four hours by now.”

  Brand sighed. “Great. It’s going to be damn crowded here. I just took a mate.”

  “So did I.” Anton gave him a sympathetic look. “Protecting them takes priority over privacy right now.”

  “Is Dad safe? He can’t defend himself while he’s drugged. Maybe we should wake him.” Braden seemed nervous.

  “He’s stashed with the doctor. The prides won’t find him, and I assigned three elder, trusted enforcers to stand guard,” Anton informed him. “We can’t risk waking him until after heat. The severed mate bond would kill him for sure at this time. The best chance he has of surviving is being kept in an induced coma.”

  “We’ve got this,” Grady confirmed. “Dad’s safer where he is.”

  “What about my fucking schedule?” Rave arched his eyebrows. “I have appointments booked with those bitches from other packs. Do I just have them come here?”

  “I’ll call their packs to cancel the meetings. I’m sure their fathers won’t want to send them into a battle zone just on the off chance that you’ll pick one of them to mate. I know they want a Harris to add to their bloodline but they want their daughters alive more.” Anton shrugged. “It’s too dangerous for them to be here, and I don’t want a pack war on top of it if one of them were to die when a fight breaks out.”

  “Then who am I supposed to fuck?” A horrified look crossed Rave’s face.

  Braden snickered. “Your hand. It isn’t so funny when it’s being said to you, is it? I suggest you stop at a store and buy a dozen bottles of lotion. You’ll want the oily kind.”

  Rave opened his mouth to speak but his cell phone rang, halting whatever response he was about to make. He grabbed it but shot a menacing glare at his baby brother before leaving the room to answer. “It’s my shop. I have to take this.”

  “Let’s go.” Anton sighed. “We’ll kick some ass hard and fast so this ends quickly. I don’t know how I’m going to tell Shannon about our new living arrangements but it’s necessary. She had a hard enough time not being embarrassed having one of my brothers within hearing range of us in bed. Now she’s going to have an entire houseful to deal with.”

  Brand said nothing but he hated the idea of subjecting Charma to so many werewolves too. She wasn’t used to them and he wasn’t sure how she’d react. Keeping her protected was paramount though. She’d be safer with plenty of pack to guard the house while he worked his patrol shifts.

  Rave returned, his face grim. “Some bitch showed up at my shop. It has to be my two o’clock appointment arriving a bit early, but she mustn’t have gotten the address I texted her. At least I’ll get in one last fuck before I return. I’ll make a few calls about the bar too. It will be handled.”

  “An hour,” Anton warned. “One. Make it a quickie and send her home, damn it. Don’t bring her back. I mean it about not wanting them endangered if shit hits the fan. Those women are alpha-blooded and their packs would take serious offense if we allowed her to stay in a war zone.”

  “Got it.” Rave sailed out the front door.

  Brand turned and motioned to Braden that it was time to leave. He wanted to get back to Charma. He missed her and hated leaving her alone.

  Chapter Seven

  The phone rang and Charma rolled over on the bed to reach for the receiver on the nightstand. “Hello?”

  There was a pause. “I’m sorry. I must have dialed the wrong number.”

  The other woman sounded perky and young. “Were you looking for Brand? He’s not home right now.”

  “Who is this?” The tone changed from friendly to downright hostile.

  A stab of jealousy pierced her heart for a second and suspicion flared that the person on the other end of the line was someone Brand had been seeing before her arrival. She was torn between the satisfaction of being able to claim Brand as her mate and knowing the right thing to do would be to allow him to be the one to share that news.

  “I’m Charma. Would you like to leave a message?”

  “Did he hook up with you during the heat? Goddamn it!” The woman snarled. “That bastard. He was supposed to meet up with me in the woods yesterday but never showed. I just heard the runnings were called off so I assumed he wasn’t able to make it because of the trouble they said is heading our way.”

  Charma winced, her suspicion confirmed. She wasn’t sure what to say, so remained silent.

  “I don’t recognize your voice.” The woman was worked up, her voice angry. “But let me tell you something about Brand Harris. He’s a cold son of a bitch without a heart. He’ll use you and toss you away as soon as some fresh meat hits town. Ask any woman in the pack and they’ll tell you how sorry you’ll be if you think he’s a keeper.”

  That pissed Charma off. “Brand is a wonderful, loving man.”

  The woman snorted loudly. “Right. You keep saying that until you realize it’s just sex to him. You think you’re the first bitch he’s fooled into thinking he’d be a great mate? I could give you a list of people to call who’d tell you the truth. Don’t get too comfortable, bitch. Your ass will be booted out of the territory as soon as the heat is over. He’s a user.”

  That was it. No one insulted her mate. “What’s your name?”

  “I’m Peggy. Did I mention he hates kids? What kind of jerk does that? He’s nothing like Alpha Elroy. Now that’s a real man who values taking care of his pack and has a sense of honor. He should banish his nephew and do this entire pack a favor.”

  “I wanted to give Brand the chance to break this to you gently but you don’t seem the nice type who deserves that respect, since you show none for him. Brand is my mate. He loves me. How dare you try to spread the garbage you just spewed? I know him better than you ever did if you actually believe that bullshit. He’s very loving, very kind, and he reeks of honor. He also loves children. He’s always wanted to have them with me. Did you ever consider if he’s cold to you, it might be because you’re a nasty, spiteful bitch? I’ll tell him you called.” She slammed the phone down.

  Charma closed her eyes and cursed. She hadn’t handled that well. The phone rang again and she gritted her teeth. She lifted the receiver. “Hello?” She had a sinking feeling it would be Peggy calling back. She wasn’t wrong.

  “He mated you?”

  “Yes.” Charma took a deep breath and opened her eyes, staring at the ceiling. “We go way back. I just arrived in town last night.”

  “And he mated you?” Peggy gasped.

  “We’re as mated as a couple can be.”

  “Son of a bitch! That bastard! That rat! That—”

  “I’ve heard enough. I’ll tell Brand you called. Please don’t call back. I don’t want to hear any more.” Charma hung up.

  The phone didn’t ring a third time. She rolled out of bed and entered Brand’s bathroom, grabbing