The older man didn’t look happy but he sat. “I’m still worried about our human neighbors. They need us to protect them.”

Rave looked ready to lunge at Raymond but it wasn’t Brand who prevented bloodshed. Braden handled the situation.

“I know about prides too. They are totally anal about keeping shifter secrets. They make us look lax about that. Dad sent me to deal with a few of them when Rave was busy. They aren’t about to do anything that will expose what they are to our human neighbors. We’re the targets.”

“When did Dad do that?” Rave touched Braden’s shoulder to get his attention.

The youngest Harris shot him a quick look. “Someone likes to go to biker rallies sometimes. Life doesn’t stop just because you leave town.”

“Why you and not me?” Anton frowned. “I didn’t know that either.”

Braden grinned. “Dad knows I’m up for anything that involves pussies and I’m good with them.”

Grady smacked him on the back of the head. “Funny. Let’s cut the shit and deal with this mess.”

“Yeah,” Brand agreed. He wanted to get this over with and return to Charma as soon as possible. He knew she had to be afraid in a house full of werewolves. He glanced upward, hoping she was okay.

Anton backed away from their small circle to address the room. “The prides are coming here and they want a fight.” His eyes transformed to show his inner wolf while his fangs grew. “We’re going to make them regret invading our territory.”

“Hell yeah,” Kane growled, rallying his enforcers. “We’re more than up for it.”

Brand laughed. “It was a bad decision to hit us during mating heat. You know our pack motto. If you can’t fuck, fight!”

Braden chuckled. “I want a leather jacket with those words printed across my back.”

Rave glared at him. “He was kidding.”

“I’m not. We should make it our official slogan while Dad is allowing us to lead the pack.”

Chapter Nine

Charma couldn’t sit still after she’d barricaded the door. Worry for Brand and his pack left her feeling nervous and edgy. She turned off all of the lights and opened the window. Fresh air breezed inside the room as she peered out into the night.

The moon gave off enough light for her enhanced vision to take in all the details of everything going on around the side of the house she viewed. Heavy woods surrounded the property but the trees had been cut back far enough to make it impossible for anyone to sneak close enough to break in. Sentries were posted, their dark shapes barely distinguishable unless someone was looking for them, as she was.

She eased down to her knees, rested her chin on her folded hands on the windowsill, and strained her ears for any noises beyond the branches whispering in the wind. It was only a matter of time before the attack began.

No way could she stand to lose Brand. Life can’t be that cruel, right? She chewed on her bottom lip, hoping not. They’d both been through too much for fate to separate them once more.

Temptation pulled at her to use the cell phone Brand had forgotten when he’d left. She doubted anyone would try to retrieve her but she wasn’t willing to chance it. Her car had been a piece of shit. No way would Garrett have spared the expense of putting any kind of system on it that could be tracked.

She crawled over and retrieved Brand’s cell phone. It was a nice one and it took her a minute to figure out how to use it. She dialed Megan’s cell, not wanting to deal with her parents. They’d be angry that she’d fled the pride and she wasn’t sure she could trust them. It was sad but true. Both of them were grateful to the pride for being alive. She understood but didn’t agree with their beliefs.

It rang twice before her sister picked up. “Who is this?” Alarm was clear in her voice. “How did you get this number?”

“Hi, Meg. It’s Charma.”

“Who is B. Harris? Where are you? Garrett called and came over here, looking for you. He seemed worried.”

She refrained from snorting. He was such a good liar. “I left him. I’m not coming back.”

Silence ensued and she imagined her sister was a little shocked. “He beat you again, didn’t he?”

It was Charma’s turn to be a little stunned. Did her whole family know?

“Char?” Meg lowered her voice and a door closed. “Are you hurt? Do you need me to come to you? Some of the pride are nearby but I can sneak out. Tell me what you need and where you are. I know Darbin and my mate can’t protect you without starting a war between our prides but we can help. Do you need money? Where did you go? Are you safe?”

“You knew Garrett hit me sometimes?”

A small sniff escaped Megan. “I suspected but had no proof. I do now. I’m mated and I know how wonderful that is. I never saw your mate treat you as well as Cole does me. I’m so sorry. You did it to protect us, didn’t you? I wondered why you mated Garrett. You always said he was a prick but then you agreed to be with him after you returned from college. You refused to answer my questions but Cole and I talked. He said you might have done it for us, the family.”

“Yeah.” Charma sat on the floor, leaned against the bed. “Percy is a bastard. You know how he rules. He wanted me mated to his son and that was the end of it.”

“Darbin isn’t anything like him. My father-by-mate is pretty awesome.”

“I’m glad you ended up with a good pride, honey. I called to tell you that I’m safe.”

“Have you called our parents?”

“No.”

“Are you going to?”

“No. You can’t tell them about the name on the caller ID. I’m trusting you, Meg. I doubt Garrett will come after me but I’m not willing to risk it. Okay?”

“Is this B. Harris a friend of yours?”

She hesitated. “It’s a long story.”

“I have all the time in the world for you.”

She hesitated but knew she could trust her sister. “I met him in college and we fell in love. I had to give him up for the family. I ran to him and that’s who I’m with. I’m safe and he still loves me.”

Her sister sucked in air. “A human?” She recovered before Charma could speak. “Okay. I can deal with that. You can hide what you are from him and hell, I guess you could get him drunk when you go into heat and feed him Viagra to help him keep up with your sex drive. He’ll just think he became some mega-stud. I won’t judge.”