Braden groaned. “Pregnant? Is that even possible? She’s a puma and we’re wolves.”

Brand shrugged. “She’s mostly human and we know we can breed with them.”

“That would be a nightmare,” Braden muttered.

Rage simmered under Anton’s skin and he took a threatening step toward his youngest brother. “Seal your mouth or eat my fist. If Shannon is pregnant, I’ll be happy about it.”

Rave threw his hand out and smacked the youngest brother on the back of the head. “Dumbass. That’s your possible niece or nephew you just called a nightmare. You sound like our mother.”

Braden flinched. “Sorry.”

“Take us home. We need to find out if Dad is safe and I want Shannon to wake in my bed.” Anton glanced at his family. “Thank you for helping me find her in time.”

“We’re brothers.” Rave smiled. “I know you would be there if I needed you.”

“You could have gone after Dad instead.” Anton had worried about that.

Rave hesitated. “He knows how deceitful our mother can be at times. He defends her f**ked-up actions. Your woman is an innocent in this, a victim, and there were other wolves to help Dad. It was a no-brainer for me.”

“That’s what we have enforcers for,” Von reminded them. “To help us when we’re busy. I’m just glad we found Shannon.” He shot a curious look at Rave. “How did you know where they’d take her?”

“I told you. I go undercover to hang out at the biker bar that borders their lands. I hear shit about the pride. We have a meeting tree in our woods and they have a log.” He shrugged. “I figured that would be the most logical place for them to take her. I’m just glad they were so predictable. Otherwise we would have had to grab one of their members, torture them into telling us the location, and we might have been too late.”

“I owe all of you,” Anton promised softly.

“Want me to smack you on the back of the head next for being a dumbass?” Rave grinned. “Shut up. The only thing I’m pissed about is I’m in heat and you’ll kill me if I touch the only woman within a mile of us. Let’s go. I have a woman at my place who is probably pretty pissed she’s had to wait for me to show up.”

Anton climbed back inside the van and sat on the bench seat in front of Shannon. Her breathing was slow and steady. He met Rave’s gaze when he slumped into the seat in front of him.

“She’s beautiful, Bro. I can see the way you look at her. Don’t allow politics to screw up your happiness.”

“I meant it when I offered,” Von interrupted. “I don’t want to lead the pack but if you mate her and they won’t follow you because of it, I’ll step up to the plate. Your happiness comes first.”

Emotion nearly overwhelmed Anton. “Thank you.”

Von shrugged. “It’s not as though I have a life. Besides, I can’t see our father stepping down any time soon. He’s strong and healthy. He could hold the pack for decades.” He paused. “Did you mate her? I don’t smell blood but it would be too soon to scent a change in both of you if you had.”

“I can’t smell anything but sex,” Braden grumbled. “This is mean, by the way. I’m in heat too. I think my dick is permanently bent at an odd angle from wearing pants in this condition. I’m sorry I put them on when we headed off into the woods.”

Rave snorted. “I heard your heavy breathing. You didn’t keep the pants on the entire time.” He winked. “Is your hand tired or did you switch up?”

“Shut up.” Braden blushed. “I could hear them. Don’t tell me I was the only one.”

“It’s all about control.” Von snickered. “We all have women waiting for us. I wasn’t jacking off. I prefer the real thing.”

Brand started the van and backed out of the woods, onto the road. He threw it in drive and punched the gas. “Don’t let them get to you, Braden. I don’t have a woman waiting for me and you weren’t alone.” He turned his head and smiled. “I switched up. It helps keep my biceps even so one arm isn’t bigger than the other. Remember that.” He returned his focus to the road.

“Fuck,” Anton groaned. “I’m glad Shannon is sleeping. She gets embarrassed easily. I never want any of you to mention this. Let her think you couldn’t hear anything and nobody got off with us.” He glared at Braden. “You better have been picturing another woman in your fantasies.”

His brother blushed again.

Anton snarled and lunged. Rave grabbed him and shoved him back against his seat.

“Don’t. He’s a kid.”

“I’m twenty-five,” Braden protested. “I’m full grown.”

“But you’re not overly bright to think about your brother’s woman while you’re jacking off.” Von chuckled. “At least learn to lie.”

Rave laughed and only released Anton after he relaxed back against his seat. “Dumbass.”

“Fuck you,” Braden growled.

“Seems you do fine on your own,” Rave shot back.

“Just get us home.” Anton turned his head to watch Shannon. “And slow down, Brand. I don’t want the rough road to wake her.”

He ignored his brothers, his sole focus on the sleeping woman. A cell phone rang. Von twisted his body and yanked it from his back pocket.

“Von here.” He listened for a while. “Thanks.”

“Well? Was that news from our enforcers?”

“That was Dad. The enforcers found him with our mother, having sex. When he would talk to them and got past his anger at them interrupting, he wasn’t pleased with what they had to say. He wants us at the house now.”

“Drop me off at my place,” Anton ordered. “Shannon is my priority.”

Von hesitated. “It’s a direct order. He wants us all there.”

“I don’t care.”

“Anton, don’t do this. Dad is upset. You should have heard him. You’re his son, probably his favorite since he’s been training you since birth to take his place, and he just found out his mate betrayed you both. He needs you. You can bring her with us. I heard Brand about not letting her out of your sight. If she gets bad again, you can take her to your old room at the house. We all understand mating heat.”

“Okay. Stop at my place first though. I want her in clothes when we go to our parents’ house. Did he mention if any of the other pack is there?”

“He didn’t.” Von shoved his phone back into his pocket. “Brand, you heard him. Stop at the bar first.”

“Got it.” Brand sighed. “Remember when the biggest problem we had used to be remembering to carry enough condoms at this time of year? Things were less complicated when we were younger.”

Anton gazed at Shannon’s face. “I wouldn’t go back for anything. I’ve found what I’ve been looking for all my life.”

“Shit.” Braden groaned. “He’s going to mate her. Great. A cat in the family. I can just imagine the pu**y jokes the guys are going to torment me with now.”

Anton smiled when he heard the sound of a hand slap the back of Braden’s head and his responding curse. Rave had nailed him again. Some things never changed.

Chapter Fifteen

Shannon awoke when Anton forced her into a shower with him. The pain she’d suffered from going into heat faded to a dull ache. Her muscles were sore but the shower helped. Anton tended her by washing her hair and body with his big, gentle hands.

“We have to go to my parents’ house. I’m sorry I had to wake you. My family is outside waiting for us.” He’d turned off the water after quickly washing his hair. “How are you feeling?”

Her cheek remained a little tender from being hit by Mark. She could still feel the heat there, but didn’t mention it hurt. Anton had been injured far worse with his gashes and bruises when he’d fought to rescue her. She didn’t want to complain about something trivial in comparison.

“Sore but more like myself.”

“According to my cousin, who seems to know a lot about your kind, this could last for days. If you start to hurt, tell me immediately. Do you need me?”

“I’m a little turned-on. You’re hard. I noticed but I’m okay. There’s no pain. I’ll wait here while you go to your parents’ house.”

He shoved a towel at her. “No. I’m not leaving you alone.”

Fear sprang forth. “You think those jerks will come after me again?”

He hesitated. “I don’t want your heat to return while I’m not here to take care of you.”

Memory surfaced of something his cousin had said and she stared at the floor. “Oh. You think I’ll hit on someone.” Mortification gripped her. “I’ll go with you.”

A hand gripped her chin, forced it up, and she met his intense gaze. “I didn’t mean what I said in the woods. I was jealous and worried they’d hurt you. I told you, when I shift I’m more wolf than…me. I know you didn’t want them to f**k you. My wolf was going nuts.”

Tears filled her eyes. “I’ve never even had a one-night stand. Is it possible that I’d allow anyone to touch me while I’m in heat?”

“I don’t know. We’re never going to find out either. No male will ever get near you when you’re vulnerable. It’s just going to be me.”

Her mouth parted but she held back the words.

“What?”

She licked her lips. “What about the next time? You won’t be with me then. I mean, if I’m similar to a cat, this will return if those hormones they gave me triggered me to change more or woke dormant genes.”

He tensed. “Hormones?”

“They gave me a shot to force me into heat. I’m hoping now that they have probably dissipated in my system that it will never be that bad again. It could have just been from what they did to me when they gave me that shot. I really hope that’s the case. I never want to go through that again. It hurt so much, being in full heat. I’m not sure I could take suffering that kind of agony again.”

“We’ll discuss this later. We need to get dressed and go to my parents’ house.”

She glanced down at his cock. “You’re aroused.”

“You’re na**d and I’m in mating heat. This is how I’m going to stay. I can control myself for a while. I can make it a few hours without the need growing too strong. We’ll be home by then.”

Shannon dropped the towel and eased to her knees to kneel on it, in front of him. Anton had to release her face when she did it. She saw his eyes widen with surprise as she licked her lips.

“You took care of me. Now it’s my turn to take care of you.”

His c**k stiffened more, lifted straight up, and desire made him softly growl at her. “They are waiting for us.” He paused. “But I’m not saying no.” A grin framed his lips. “Learning patience won’t hurt them.”

She hesitated and then her hand brushed his thigh, caressed his skin, and her fingers brushed his shaft. For someone so hard, the texture of his skin felt velvety soft.

“I don’t have much experience at this.”

He brushed her hair back over her shoulder. “Open up and take me. You couldn’t do it wrong. I’d enjoy anything you do to me.”

Her lips parted and he leaned closer. She adjusted him until the crown of his c**k hovered just over her bottom lip. Her tongue slipped out to swirl around the rim of him. A soft groan came from Anton. It encouraged her to grow bolder when she opened her mouth to make room for his thick size. She pressed forward, taking him inside and sealed her lips around him.