“Doogans,” Brendon reminded him, leaning back in the chair. “They wanted the Llewellyn Pride. They killed Petrov. And they almost killed me.”

“Is that what happened to your face?”

Brendon chuckled. “Yeah. That’s what happened to my face, but it’s healing.”

“Where are they now? The Doogans?”

Brendon knew that look on his brother’s face. He’d seen it on Marissa’s enough. Knew what the kid would do if he had the chance. Too bad for him he wouldn’t have the chance.

“Hyenas ate ’em.”

Mitch stared at him for a long time. Nearly a minute. Until he said, “Excuse me?”

“Hyenas ate them.” Brendon lifted his hands and let them drop. “Like forty of them. Ripped the three of them apart. Considering the bastards were about to shoot me in the back of the head—they kind of deserved it.”

“Good point. Although I don’t see a bunch of hyenas helping you.”

“They didn’t. A really well-endowed cop and a Pack of wolves helped me.”

“Is that where you met She of the Sexy Shorts?”

“She stayed with me through my fever. She protected me from a couple of guys. Got me out of the hospital and stashed me at her aunt’s.”

Again that look passed across Mitch’s face clearly stating he knew more than he was spilling. Only, for once, he looked a bit panicked. “What guys?”

“I don’t know. White. Humans. That’s all anybody knows.” Completely useless information in a court of law.

“You didn’t…uh…I mean…” He cleared his throat. “How badly did you…uh…”

“They’re still breathing, if that’s what you’re asking me.”

Mitch nodded, guzzled his beer.

“Anyway, she stayed with me, man. She didn’t desert me. And she looks amazing in those cowboy boots.”

Mitch put down his beer. “You like her.”

Brendon grinned. He couldn’t help himself. “Yeah. I like her.”

“And what’s your precious Pride have to say about that?” He never could keep the disgust out of his voice when he mentioned them. Just like Marissa. They’d hate it if they knew how alike they were.

“I’ve only been hanging around lately because of the Doogans. I wasn’t going to let them get near my kids. But we’ve been done with each other for a while now. They got what they wanted out of me and I got what I wanted out of them. So everyone’s happy.”

Mitch smiled. “How are my niece and nephew?”

“Beautiful. Kitten-cranky.”

“I love that age.”

“They’d love to see you.”

“Maybe.”

“What’s going on, Mitch?” Brendon asked yet again.

His face perfectly blank, Mitch stated, “Nothing.”

A stranger might have believed him, but Brendon knew better. Unfortunately, Mitch had the Shaw stubbornness. He wouldn’t tell anyone anything until he damn well wanted to.

“So basically you came to check up on me. You were worried about your big bruh.”

“I wasn’t worried. But I knew if you were dead, I’d want your stuff.”

“Oh, that’s very nice.”

“Come on. Can you blame me?” Mitch gestured around the opulent room. “This gorgeous hotel. Staff waiting to do my bidding. Beautiful woman right upstairs…even if she is a dog.”

Brendon ignored the flash of uncharacteristic jealousy over a female he suddenly experienced. “She-wolf.”

“Whatever.”

“You’d still have to fight Marissa for it all.”

“I could take her. Once I took a bat to her head.”

“Such family love we have.”

“We’re like the lion equivalent of The Waltons.”

Brendon laughed and shook his head. “You’re the biggest idiot.”

It made him feel really good when Mitch smiled.

Chapter Seven

B rendon opened his front door not expecting but hoping to find Ronnie still there. And he did. Asleep on his couch, the television playing an X-Files repeat low in the background. Her body curled into a tight ball, her feet and hands twitching in sleep as she dreamed. She sort of looked like she was…well…running. In her sleep.

Forcing himself not to laugh, he crouched in front of her. Carefully, Brendon brushed her brown hair off her face. She made little whimpering sounds in her sleep and then her lip pulled back in a snarl.

Perhaps the cutest damn thing Brendon had ever seen in his entire life. He kissed her cheek and Ronnie snapped awake…and up. Their heads slammed together. You could almost hear the “thunk.”

“Ow!” Brendon rubbed his nose where her cheek made contact. Christ, his body had taken more abuse in the last few days.

“Sorry,” she said while gripping her own head.

“I didn’t mean to startle you.”

“No. No. It wasn’t your fault. I dreamed I was fighting a puma. A full one,” she added, which explained why she might be so jumpy. A Pride of shifters might decide not to attack a lone wolf because they know her Pack would come after them, but the full-bloods had no such worries about repercussions.

Which explained why Brendon left hunting in wild animal parks to the hearty and insane, of which his father turned out to be both.

“Did I hurt you?” she asked with a giggle.