Mating Brand (Mating Heat Book 3) Read online

  She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed his lips with a brush of her own. “I love you too.”

  “I just worry that I’m going to screw this up somehow. I can’t take coming home to an empty house a second time.”

  “You know I didn’t leave because of anything you did. You can’t get rid of me now. I’m here to stay.”

  He prayed that was true. “The only reason I survived when you disappeared was because my family kept pulling my ass out of bad situations. I turned self-destructive. You know how I mentioned that I figured out I loved remodeling? I went into rages sometimes and nearly destroyed this place. I had to fix it at some point. That’s when I discovered I enjoyed the work.”

  Her finger slid into his hair and she clenched them, getting a firm enough hold that it stung his scalp. “Listen to me. It wasn’t your fault.”

  “We fought that morning and I shouldn’t have stormed out. I just left you when I should have stayed to work it out. I’ve kicked my own ass over that decision a million times. I drove you to leave.”

  “People argue, Brand. Just because you love someone doesn’t mean you have to agree on everything. It ripped me to shreds when I packed my bag and drove away. It had nothing to do with you going for a run. That was your way of cooling off and I’ve always understood that. I just realized how much not being mated was tearing us apart. I wouldn’t have been able keep saying no if we’d had more time together but I couldn’t live with knowing what it would cost my family. I’m the one who’s sorry. I should have told you everything but I was too afraid.”

  “Why?”

  She chewed on her bottom lip and he remembered what that meant.

  “Spit it out, hon. I hate when you think something but won’t share it with me. That’s part of the reason you just said you left me. Tell me.”

  She released her lip and sighed. “You tended to be rash back then. I was terrified you’d make death threats to my pride leader, trying to protect my family from his wrath. I could see you doing that.”

  “It might have worked.”

  “You would have been killed, Brand. Percy is a dick, and he would have killed my family out of spite just because you threatened him. He’d have ordered my people to attack you. One wolf against an entire pride is suicide.”

  “I would have called him out if that were the case. I’d have issued a challenge.”

  “You’re assuming Percy has honor. He has none. He rules through fear and intimidation. You would have been facing down every enforcer while he sat on his lazy ass, watching them tear you apart. He’d never have taken you on by himself. He and his son have that in common. They always have others do the dirty work.”

  Questions filled Brand’s head, ones he wasn’t sure he wanted answers to, but he had to know. “Did that son of a bitch you mated ever allow anyone else to hurt you, Charma?”

  “No. He did that himself. I was weaker and not a threat. He didn’t hit me as much as you might assume. We avoided each other most of the time.”

  He silently swore to hunt the bastard down and kill him after the mating heat passed. He’d seen the bruises on her. It never should have happened. The prick would pay dearly for daring to lay an abusive hand on his Charma.

  “I wasn’t implying Garrett had others hurt me. I was thinking about what he’d have done to you if you’d shown up on our pride lands. Percy would have had you killed, but Garrett would have made sure you suffered first, Brand. He would have taken it out on you that I’d allowed someone else to touch me.”

  “You said you weren’t dating anyone when we met.”

  “He wasn’t my boyfriend. I never dated him or let him touch me. He tried plenty of times but I wasn’t interested. He decided I was going to become his mate and made it clear he’d hurt anyone who looked at me twice. He would have seen it as a betrayal to find out we’d lived together and I loved you. I used to have nightmares about the horrible things he and his friends would have done to you.”

  Anger rose but he pushed it down. “He might have changed his mind about wanting you for a mate if he’d learned about me.”

  She eased her hold on his hair. “No, Brand. You don’t get it. He knew I hated him, that he was the last person I wanted to be with, but he didn’t give a damn. He was a spoiled-rotten first son of a pride leader. A bully. Vicious.” She took a deep breath. “He beat on and harassed anyone he didn’t like because he could. His father never reined him in or scolded him for the messed-up things he did. He just would have made an example of you and counted it as a bonus to watch me suffer your loss. That’s the type of jerk he’s always been.”

  “I would have killed him.”

  “I’m not insulting you. You’re obviously a great fighter. I saw that firsthand when you got all those werewolves away from my car, but you would have been facing off against an entire pride. Garrett makes sure he can win before he gets involved. He’d have had his friends attack until you were so injured you couldn’t fight back, and then he would have struck.”

  “I really want him dead.”

  “So do I.”

  He studied her closely and saw sincerity. “How could you stand to be with him?” He had a new sense of her inner strength if her life had been as appalling as he suspected.

  She looked away. “No choice. I had to stick it out until my sisters were old enough to mate.” She held his gaze then. “It was my responsibility as the oldest to keep them safe. I never suspected that one of them would hook up with the son of another pride leader. If she hadn’t, I’d still be trapped there until Bree is settled.”

  The tears that filled her eyes broke his heart but she blinked them away. His mate was strong and beautiful. “I understand. I’d do damn near anything for blood.”

  “I have.” Her smile appeared forced. “Let’s change the subject. You said something about us going to the alpha house. Does your family want to meet me?”

  It was a reminder that they needed to leave. “My cousin Anton decided it would be safer if the family and the enforcers move into Uncle Elroy’s home. We’re stronger united, and we’re the ones the pride males want. It’s safer for our pack if the pride isn’t tearing apart the town seeking us out. We’ll make certain they know where to come.”

  She gaped at him.

  “It’s a good plan. We want to draw them away from the weaker members. There’s nothing to worry about. You’ll be safe inside the house. I wouldn’t leave you here alone anyway. Some of them might decide to go house to house searching for easy prey. My cousins need me in this fight. I wouldn’t do it, though, if I believed you’d be in danger. You’re my priority.”

  “You need to fight. I understand that, even if I hate it. I’d never ask you to abandon your family when they’re depending on you.”

  He hadn’t thought for a minute she would. She’d suffered plenty for the safety of her own family. “I know it’s going to be difficult being around so many wolves but they’re aware that you’re my mate. No one will dare give you any shit. My cousins and I made that damn clear.”

  “What about Alpha Elroy? Is he upset that I’m here?”

  “No.” Brand tried to hide his anguish. “He doesn’t know about you. Long story short, his parents arranged his mating to my aunt Eve. He did his best to love her and be a good mate. It wasn’t reciprocated. She did something really bad recently and he banished her from our territory. He had no choice but to shun her.”

  Charma’s eyebrows arched, her surprise clear.

  “She endangered her own son, put his new mate in grave jeopardy, and planned to kill Uncle Elroy and his half-human son, who was born before they mated. She deserved to die but my uncle has a big heart. Mating heat had begun so losing her at this time would have driven him insane. You don’t come back from that. Our doctor put him in an induced coma. My cousins are leading the pack until it’s safe to wake him, after the heat passes. He’ll have a rough time of it, adjusting to the loss of a mate but he’s strong. He’ll survive.”

&nb