Whipping the SUV into the parking lot outside his Alpha’s lodge the next day, Bracken let out a contented breath. He laid a hand on Madisyn’s bare thigh, satisfaction buzzing in his veins. His mate was on his territory. Nervous and edgy, but there.
Right up until this morning, she’d hemmed and hawed about going to the barbecue. He’d finally talked her into not only attending the gathering but also into staying the night at his lodge. The latter was huge for her, because she had to know just how much he wanted her to like his home. Part of her would be fretting that she wouldn’t, not wanting to hurt him. He adored her for that alone.
He gently squeezed her thigh. “You ready?”
A little wide-eyed, she nodded. “Mmm-hmm.”
“It’s going to be fine. It’s not a big affair. Shaya only invited Dawn and the Phoenix Pack. You’ve met everyone before.”
“I know. I’m fine.”
His mouth twitched at her curt tone. “Still mad at me for earlier? Or is it that you’re mad at yourself for losing?”
Madisyn sniffed. “I don’t want to talk about it.” She hated to lose. In hindsight, she should have known better than to play any games with Bracken Slater, considering he was a sneaky fucker. He’d been lying on top of her naked when he said, “We both know how much you like to curse at me when you’re not getting your way in bed, so I can’t help thinking what fun it will be to challenge you to bite those words back.”
The word “challenge” had flipped a switch in her brain. “Oh yeah?” she’d asked.
“Yeah. So here’s my deal: You won’t curse at me, won’t hurl any insults, won’t give me any back talk while I play. If you can show real restraint, I’ll reward you.”
She’d swallowed hard. His deep, velvety whisper had promised all sorts of dirty things. “How?”
“I’ll let you have the control later tonight at my lodge. Total control.” Bracken had smiled, no doubt sensing that he’d piqued her interest. “But . . . if you fail . . .”
“If I fail?”
“I get the control. And that means you’ll follow every directive I give you without question.” He’d licked over his brand on her neck. “Up for the challenge, baby?”
Madisyn had bristled at the implication that she’d ever turn one down, and responded, “Always.”
Still smarting from losing, she slid out of the SUV. She’d been on Mercury Pack land several times. Was more than familiar with the tall territorially marked trees, the huge rustic lodge, and the scents of pine, moss, and sun-warmed earth. She’d never thought that it would be a place she’d ever need to consider calling “home.” While she believed that Bracken truly would be okay dividing his time between her house and his lodge, it wouldn’t be ideal. She wouldn’t like living out of a suitcase.
Taking her hand, Bracken led her past the many all-terrain vehicles. “Get rid of that tension in your spine, baby. I told you, no one is going to gang up on you or talk you into anything you’re not ready for.”
She rolled back her shoulders. “But there’ll be . . . fuss. Hugs. That sort of thing.”
Bracken couldn’t help but smile. His mate was a host of contradictions. Introverted, yet not soft-spoken or careful with words. Caring, but not physically demonstrative. Fine with crowds, but not a great lover of attention or socializing. He made a mental note never to throw her a surprise party. “I’ll be with you. I’ll handle the fuss. You just nod and smile.”
Nod and smile . . . She could do that. Madisyn made an effort to shake off her anxiety as they climbed the wooden steps onto the porch. “You are virtually glowing with satisfaction right now.”
“I have you here on my territory where you’ve agreed to stay the night. Why wouldn’t I be satisfied?”
“Hmm.”
The front door abruptly opened. Kathy stood there, a wide smile of delight on her face. “You’re here! Great!” She moved aside. “Come in, come in.” As they stepped into the rustic kitchen, Kathy eyed Madisyn. “You look very pretty today.”
Taken aback by the woman’s welcoming behavior, Madisyn couldn’t keep the dubiousness out of her tone as she said, “Thank you.”
“Everyone’s outside,” said Kathy. “Go on through and join them.”
Casting Kathy an odd look, Bracken tugged Madisyn through the lodge, passing the empty living and dining areas. “I’d like to say that Kathy seems to have heeded my warning, but I’m not convinced.”
Neither was Madisyn. At the baby shower, Kathy had done weird stuff like ignore Madisyn’s input in a conversation as if she weren’t there and cut everyone a slice of cake except for Madisyn. When Jaime opened Madisyn’s gift, Kathy simply said, “Huh.”
Her smile had been genuine just now, but there was no real welcome in Kathy’s eyes. Madisyn shrugged. “I’d like to think she won’t do anything that might ruin the barbecue, if for no other reason than she wouldn’t want the pups to be upset.”
“So would I,” said Bracken, reaching the rear of the lodge. “Right, here we go. Ready?”
Madisyn gave a firm nod. “Ready.”
He pushed open the back door and stepped out onto the porch. The smoky air shimmered above the barbecue that Shaya’s father and Nick were manning while arguing among themselves. The people who’d gathered around them were clearly enjoying the spectacle.
Most of the guests were relaxing on the open field; some lay on blankets on the grass, and some lounged on lawn furniture, eating and drinking. The children were enjoying themselves in the play area while a Phoenix mated couple, Riley and Tao, kept watch over them.
Shaya was the first to notice Bracken and Madisyn. Beaming, she headed their way. “Hey there!”
And then it was just one hug after another as everyone made a point of passing on their congratulations. When he sensed that Madisyn was close to baring a fang, Bracken curled his arm around her waist and brought her neatly to his side. “I’m done with you lot touching my mate. I want her back, so fuck off.”
There was a female chorus of “Awwww.”
Dominic, a Phoenix enforcer with a propensity to throw cheesy lines at both mated and unmated females, grinned at Bracken. “I don’t blame you for being possessive. Madisyn’s like a candy bar—half sweet, half nuts.”
Bracken narrowed his eyes . . . mostly because that was a fairly tame line for Dominic. The enforcer tended to come out with some truly inappropriate stuff.
Grin widening, Dominic added, “I’m happy for you, Brack. I am. Though it really does pain me that I’ll never get to use her thighs as earmuffs.”
Yeah, that was more like Dominic.
When Dominic’s Alpha fisted his collar and yanked him out of Bracken’s reach—causing the enforcer to laugh idiotically—Bracken pinned Trey’s gaze and warned, “If you want him to live through today, keep him away from me.”
“Consider it done,” said Trey. As the Phoenix enforcer began to protest his innocence, Trey held up his hand. “Don’t even.”
Bracken turned to his mate. “Hungry?”
“Yep,” she said simply.
“Then we eat.” With a hot dog each and a plate filled with foods they’d selected from the long patio table situated on the grass, they both settled on a rattan sofa. Looking at Shaya, who was sitting on the chair beside the sofa, Bracken said, “I didn’t know you’d invited your dad.”
“I didn’t,” said Shaya. “He just showed up and, well, I couldn’t exactly chase him away. Though Nick really, really wanted me to. There might have even been begging involved.” Yeah, Stone and Nick didn’t get along so well.
As Madisyn took a bite out of her hot dog, the tastes of charred meat, tomato ketchup, and soft bun exploded in her mouth. “Damn, that’s good.” Hearing a whistle, she looked to see Makenna relaxing on a blanket with Ryan, who looked as grumpy as always.
Makenna subtly tipped her chin at an elderly, bitchy, and somewhat maladjusted member of the Phoenix Pack, who was also Trey’s grandmother. “Greta has Allen with her, her special friend, so she’s on her best behavior.”
Allen was the uncle of another Phoenix wolf, and he seemed blissfully unaware that Greta was a mean heifer who tried to run off every unmated female that came near her boys. By that, she meant Trey, the Beta male Dante, Tao, and the four Phoenix enforcers—Trick, Ryan, Marcus, and Dominic. Only Dominic remained unmated. She was bitchy to each of her boys’ mates except for Roni, who’d tricked the old dragon into liking her.
“Not that you need to worry that she’ll ever be shitty toward you anyway,” Makenna added. “You have her approval.”
Madisyn blinked. “I do?”
Makenna’s eyes danced with amusement. “Apparently she thinks that pallas cats are much like her.”
“Like her?”
“Unassuming, with plenty of spirit and a wicked streak.”
Madisyn frowned. “I hate that I can’t even dispute that. I don’t like to think I have anything in common with that woman.”
Taryn, the Phoenix Alpha female, raised her hands. “Okay, I wasn’t gonna say anything, but my filters are failing me. I watched the CCTV footage of you with those sows, and damn I want to be a pallas cat.” When people burst out laughing, she said, “I’m not even kidding.”
“She’s really not,” said Frankie, the Phoenix Pack’s newest addition, who sat between Trick’s legs on a blanket.
“It goes without saying,” Taryn went on, “but if the Maverick Clan doesn’t back off, you have us behind you. And if that Archer bastard turns up at the shelter again, feel free to call us. Any of us.”
Makenna snickered. “If they give her any more problems, it’ll be the last thing they ever do.”
“Oh, I’m quite sure she can deal with them all on her own, especially after watching what she did to those sows,” said Taryn. “I just don’t want her to have to.”
Frankie smiled. “The way you kicked their asses, Madisyn . . . it was sheer awesomeness.”
Madisyn returned the smile. “They didn’t put up a great fight, so it wasn’t half as much fun as it could have been.”
Sienna toddled over, covered in the ice cream she was holding upside down. It was smeared all over her little face, dripping from her eyebrows and streaking the dark wispy hair that curled at the ends.
With a tired yet affectionate sigh, Makenna shook her head. “You’re always a mess. Why is that?”
Ryan grunted, taking the ice cream from his daughter’s hand while Makenna cleaned her up. Wearing a glower remarkably similar to his, Sienna grunted right back at him. The kid was a lot like her father in that she tended to communicate in grunts and monosyllables. She also had his dark eyes. Otherwise, she more closely resembled Makenna, especially when she smiled.
Clean, Sienna tottered over to Madisyn, smacking her lips at the plate of food. The little girl would eat pretty much anything, though she tended to only take a few bites of her food before getting bored with the taste—then she just played with it. Meeting Madisyn’s eyes, she made a sound that could only be described as demanding.
“I want a kiss first, missy,” said Madisyn.
Sienna smiled, leaned in, pursed her little lips, and gave Madisyn two air-kisses.
“That’ll do.”
Sienna helped herself to a handful of food and then ran off, at which point Makenna caught up to her and took away the stuff she couldn’t eat—that, of course, earned the mom a grunt and a sharp yank on her hair.
Madisyn had to laugh. “I truly do love that kid.”
After Bracken had finished his food, he joined Jesse and Zander in tossing a football with Kye, the son of the Phoenix Alphas. Madisyn watched them with a smile, thinking the kid was damn good at the game. Except for Sienna, the other kids were still in the play area, charging around and squealing. Sienna was too busy trying to grab the dandelion fluff that was floating in the air. But since there was a good chance she’d try to eat it, no one gave her any help.
Madisyn sighed happily as the cool breeze brushed over her skin and ruffled her hair, providing some much-needed reprieve from the heat. Unfortunately, the majestic weathered trees bordering the open field were too far away to cast shadows and offer shelter from the harsh glare of the sun.
Despite the heat, it was relaxing. The delicious scents of grilled meat, fried onions, and the buffet foods filled the air. Branches shuddered in the breeze. People talked and laughed. Food sputtered and hissed on the grill. Chains creaked each time Cassidy moved back and forth on the swing, pushed by Ally’s foster brother, Cain.
Madisyn had learned that he’d served time in the same juvenile facility as Nick and Derren. And although Cain worked within the Movement doing good, he was somewhat of a sociopath. He rarely smiled. When he did, those smiles never reached his eyes . . . unless he was with Cassidy, who absolutely adored him.
Leaning toward Shaya, Madisyn kept her eyes on Cassidy and Cain as she quietly asked, “Is it just me who wonders if they’re . . . ?”
“Mates? No.” Ice tinkled against the redhead’s glass as she sipped lemonade. “It’s not uncommon for such age gaps to exist between mates. In fact, my uncle is twenty years older than his mate, and they’re insanely happy. Cain is very different with Cassidy than he is with others. At first, I thought it might have been because she’s a Seer, like Ally, who he’s close to and very protective of. But he comes here far more than he did before we adopted Cassidy. And he always brings her a little something. He brings stuff for Willow too, but I think that’s just so that she doesn’t feel left out.”
Shaya puffed out a breath. “I don’t know how to feel about it. On the one hand, it’s good to know she’ll have her true mate. Not everyone finds theirs. But on the other hand, well, I don’t want her bound to a sociopath.”
“He’s not cruel, though. Violent, yes, but he directs that violence against extremists. I don’t think he’d ever hurt her, whether she’s his mate or not. Watching her grow up might soften him a little.” Madisyn took another bite out of her hot dog. “Do you think he suspects that she’s his?”
“That I really don’t know. But I’m scared to ask in case the question spooks him so much that he stays away.”
“Then I guess it’s best not to say anything to him. We could be wrong anyway.” Madisyn cut her gaze back to Bracken, who was still playing football with Kye and the enforcers. A few others had now joined the game, and three of them were pinning Dominic to the ground for some reason.
“You know, I remember the first time you and Bracken met,” said Shaya. “You didn’t say hi. Just sort of stared at each other curiously. Like two predators sizing one another up. Then you both just kind of turned away in a casual dismissal. Dislike at first sight. Or so I thought until I caught Bracken frowning each time you were bantering with Dominic. It was like he wanted to befriend you, and yet something stopped him from taking that step. Something subconscious.”
Like an aversion to mating, maybe. But Madisyn didn’t say that aloud.
“And don’t think I never caught you sneaking Bracken admiring looks. You were cool and subtle about it, but I see all. You avoided him without being obvious about it. Didn’t even glance his way when he entered a room. Didn’t engage him in conversation. Like you were determined to block out his existence. And whenever his attention drifted your way and you were unable to ignore it, you dealt with the situation by poking at him. Of course, he poked right back. And I used to wonder if you both wanted to do a different kind of poking but were fighting it.”
Thinking the female was entirely too perceptive, Madisyn just said, “Hmm.”
“It was more than that, though, wasn’t it? You were both subconsciously fighting whatever pull you felt toward each other. Fighting the bond. I’m not sure why Bracken had doubts about mating, but I can guess what yours are.”
Shaya twisted in her seat to face Madisyn as she continued. “I just want you to hear from me that Nick and I would never try and take away your independence. We lead; we don’t bully. And I get that living on pack territory would be hard when you’re used to privacy, but people will respect your boundaries. If you tell them you want them to call before they show up at your lodge, they will. If you tell them you don’t want them showing up at all, they won’t.”
Madisyn must have looked a little skeptical, because Shaya touched her hand reassuringly.
“We’re shifters. We’re territorial, so no one understands better than we do how important boundaries are,” continued Shaya. “This isn’t me trying to convince you to move here—that’s between you and Bracken. I just wanted to assure you that you can be part of a pack and still have your own rules.”
Madisyn opened her mouth to speak, but then a dark shadow loomed over them.
Bracken glanced between the two females. “This looks serious. I told you, Shaya, no serious talks.”
“It wasn’t meant to be serious,” Shaya said. “It was meant to just be light and reassuring. I don’t know what happened.”
The redhead looked so stressed that Madisyn had to laugh. “We’re fine,” she told Bracken.
He snorted. “I don’t care if she’s fine; she’s Nick’s problem—”
“Hey!” whined Shaya.
“—I just want to know if you’re fine.”
Madisyn smiled. “I am, thank you.”
Bracken bent down and planted a kiss on her mouth. “Good.” With a quick cautioning look at Shaya, he returned to the football game.
Taryn put a hand to her chest. “He’s so sweetly protective. What makes it so much cuter is that you don’t even need him to be.”
Curled tightly around Frankie, Trick spoke to Shaya. “Are we still all going for a run in our animal forms later?”
Frankie’s eyes widened in interest. “I’d like that. My wolf hasn’t been on a run on this territory before.”
“I’ll pass,” said Madisyn. “My cat isn’t used to running with others. Especially on unfamiliar land.”
Trick shrugged. “Yeah, but you know what they say, Madisyn: When in Rome . . .”
Frankie’s brows lifted. “What, visit the pope?”
Trick’s lips thinned. “It’s just a turn of phrase.”
“Yeah, and it’s stupid,” Frankie huffed when he rolled his eyes at her.
Dawn came toward them with a garbage bag. “Shaya, Willow wants you for something—she didn’t say what.”
The redhead stood with a sigh. “She probably wants me to tell her she can have something that her father already told her she can’t.”
Dawn shook the garbage bag. “Any empty cups or plates?” People chucked their trash in the bag and thanked her. As she reached Madisyn, she whispered in her ear, “Kathy’s being remarkably sweet, singing your praises to everyone, but I’m not buying it.”
“I wish I could say I don’t think she’s up to something,” began Madisyn, voice equally quiet, “but I’d be lying.”
As Dawn disappeared, Makenna plonked herself in the spot Shaya had vacated and asked, “What were you two whispering about?”
“Nothing interesting,” said Madisyn truthfully.
Makenna cocked her head. “You doing okay?”
“The whole thing’s been a lot more laid-back than I’d expected.” She lowered her voice as she added, “I just don’t like that everyone’s watching me and Bracken so closely.” It made her nerves raw and agitated her cat.
“You know, when you first told me that he was your mate, I was stunned. Couldn’t really imagine you two together because you’d always acted so ambivalently toward the other. But seeing you together here . . . I don’t know, you just fit. It looks right. Natural. And I just love the way he looks at you.”
“Like he’s imagining spanking my ass?” Madisyn quipped.
Makenna chuckled. “No. It’s like . . . I don’t know how to explain it. When he looks around, he’s not really focusing on things or people. He’s taking everything in, and he’s not missing a thing, but it’s more like someone computing data. Then he looks at you, and it’s like a laser focus. Every bit of his attention centers on you. He sees you, feels something when he looks at you. I really, really love that. I love that you have that.”
Madisyn gently elbowed her. “Don’t get all mushy on me, Wray.”
“You’re happy, Drake. Admit it.”
“I’m not unhappy.”
“You’re happy. Just say it.”
“Don’t wanna.”
Makenna chuckled again, but the sound abruptly cut off as something caught her attention. “Oh.”
“What?” Frowning, Madisyn tracked the she-wolf’s gaze to the wooden porch. And tensed.
“I didn’t think they were invited. I mean, it’s not bad that they were. I just . . . considering this is unofficially a ‘Welcome to the pack’ thing for you, I didn’t think Shaya would invite outsiders. Especially a female your mate was once pursuing.”
Madisyn watched as Kathy rushed to Harley’s cousins and gave them a gushing welcome. “I don’t think Shaya did.”
Realization dawned on Makenna, and her face darkened. “That old bitch,” she growled.
The chatter died down as everyone suddenly became aware of the new visitors. Smiles fell away. Brows creased in confusion. Tension snapped the air taut. And the margays felt it, which made Madisyn wince in sympathy. Because it had to be hard to walk into a party setting and have everyone look at you like they had no idea what you were doing there. And now everyone was waiting to see what Madisyn would do, willing to take their cue from her.
Looking at the smallest of the four females, who also happened to be Shiloh’s twin sister, Madisyn said, “God, Jazz, those are like two-inch heels, and you still don’t look any taller.”
Indie, the oldest of the four, gave a half smile. “That’s what I said.”
Jazz shot Madisyn a mock glare. “Kiss my ass, Drake.”
“Flirting with me already?” Madisyn chuckled. “Sorry, sweetie, you’re a little too short for me.”
And the tension was broken. Talk quickly resumed, and Harley guided her cousins over to the buffet table.
Bracken stalked over to Madisyn. “Hey,” he said softly, eyes serious, “you all right?”
“Fine,” said Madisyn, “but you’re not.”
Taking her hand, he pulled her to her feet and then held her to him protectively. “No, I’m fucking not. I can’t believe—”
Shaya hurried over. “I’m so sorry about this. I didn’t know that Kathy invited them, I swear.”
Madisyn raised a hand. “It’s fine, Shaya.”
The redhead’s lips thinned. “It’s not, because she did this to hurt you. She wants you uncomfortable. She wants this whole thing to be awkward for you and as far from welcoming as possible.”
“Well, she failed.” Madisyn stroked Bracken’s arm, wanting to pet the tension out of him. He was quivering with suppressed anger, and she suspected he was also feeling the sting of betrayal. “It would be weird if Shiloh was pining after Bracken, but Ally assured me that she’s not. I’m pissed with Kathy, sure, but only because she’s got him all riled up.”
Bracken let out a long breath and kissed her forehead. “I’m all right, baby. I just didn’t anticipate this, and that enrages me because I want you to feel safe with me. I feel like I didn’t protect you from her.”
“I don’t need protecting from some old heifer. And I do feel safe with you.”
“But not safe and welcome here, and that guts me.”
Madisyn went pliant against him. “Don’t let her spoil this barbecue, Bracken. That’s what she wants.”
“If you’re uncomfortable and want to leave—”
“I don’t.”
“Nick will lay into her later,” said Shaya, glaring at Kathy, who seemed totally oblivious to the harsh looks she was receiving. “He can’t right now because it would offend Harley’s cousins if he looked upset by them being here.”
“Roni looks like she wants to drag her mother through a rosebush backward,” Makenna noted. “I really hope she does.”
Madisyn patted Bracken’s arm, frowning at how tight his muscles were bunched. “Go get yourself a beer or something. I’d like one.”
He rested his forehead against hers. “Yeah?”
“Yeah.”
“Then I’ll get you one.” He laid a soft kiss on her mouth and then stalked off.
“He is pissed,” said Makenna. “Utterly and righteously pissed.”
“In his position, I would be too.” Sinking back into the sofa, Madisyn sighed, eyes on Kathy. “I figured she might act weird like she did last night. Or make snarky remarks or give me the cold shoulder. Maybe even the silent treatment. I never expected her to invite Shiloh—this is supremely unfair to her, and the margay will quickly realize exactly why Kathy did it. If Shiloh had been carrying a torch for Bracken, this would have been hard for her.”
Just then, Dominic settled himself on the arm of the rattan sofa and put a napkin near Madisyn’s face. “Hey, do you think this smells like chloroform?”
Rolling her eyes, Madisyn swatted his arm. She could see the concern lighting his eyes and knew he’d come to check on her. “I’m fine.” But she’d allow him to distract her and make her laugh purely because it would annoy Kathy to see her enjoying herself.
“I’ll bet your cat wants to claw Kathy’s eyes out, though.” He shot Madisyn a dirty look. “I can’t believe I had to find out what breed of shifter you are from CCTV footage.”
She just snorted at him. Dominic was gorgeous. Seriously gorgeous. He knew it too. There were flirty undertones to their conversations, but they’d never crossed the friends line. He’d have driven her crazy. Driving people crazy was her job.
She’d heard that he and Bracken had had a threesome with a female once. Madisyn had envied the lucky bitch. Not her cat, though. She liked Dominic in a sisterly way.
“Why don’t you just tell people you’re a pallas cat?” he asked. “Why are you so mysterious about it?”
“Who doesn’t want to be a little mysterious?” Honestly, it wouldn’t surprise her if Makenna was right that Dominic had already correctly guessed what Madisyn was. Hearing panting, she looked to see the pack’s Labrador, Bruce, meandering around and giving everyone puppy-dog eyes, hoping for scraps. “Sorry, big guy. I got nothing left.”
“Greedy bitch,” Dominic muttered. So she shoved him off the arm of the sofa.
He laughed, the weirdo. “Don’t be mad, kitty. You know I want you.” Settling back on the sofa’s arm, he said, “Hey, I’ll give you a nickel if you tickle my pickle. I’ll even chuck in a dime if you take your time. Ow! Why do you always go for the nipple?”
The small crowd near the buffet table parted as Bracken headed to the cooler. His jaw hurt from how hard he was clenching his teeth. He couldn’t fucking believe that Kathy had pulled this shit. It wasn’t so much what she’d done as why she’d done it. In trying to cause his mate discomfort, Kathy had betrayed him. Everything in him longed to go and confront the bitch, but he didn’t trust himself not to grab her by the fucking throat—especially when his wolf just wanted to rip said throat right out.
The barbecue wasn’t simply a subtle welcome party; it was a step toward gradually bringing Madisyn into the pack. It was important to him that she felt relaxed and at ease on his territory. How the fuck could she ever feel either of those things when she had Kathy working against her?
“You okay?” asked Eli.
Bracken plucked two beers out of the cooler. “What do you think?”
Eli winced. “Shit, I’m sorry.”
“Not your fault.”
“I know, but we’re all aware of how wary Madisyn is of joining the pack. The point of this barbecue was to get rid of that wariness.”
“Which Kathy knew,” Marcus pointed out, rubbing his mate’s back. Roni still looked ready to leap at the woman and tear her a new one. “Lucky for us, Madisyn’s above this shit.”
Cutting his gaze to Kathy, Eli sighed. “Only my mother could walk around with a smile on her face while pretty much everyone in her general vicinity is glaring at her.”
“I have to say, Madisyn’s acting remarkably restrained,” said Jaime, the Phoenix Beta female.
“You saw her on the CCTV footage,” Roni reminded the Beta. “You don’t get warnings with Madisyn. No posturing or glaring. She just lunges. She might look calm, but she’s probably far from it.”
Greta shook her head in disappointment. “Pulling a stunt like this on the mate of a man who likely thinks of her as a mother . . . disgusting.” She put a hand on Allen’s arm. “I tell you, it’s important to make new members feel welcome and at ease. Especially if they’re someone’s mate. Moving to a new pack, leaving behind everything and everyone you know best is a difficult transition. People need to be respectful and supportive. The kind of behavior that Kathy demonstrated tonight . . . I just don’t understand it.”
Jaime blinked at her. “Don’t you?” She, Taryn, and Roni were all looking at the old woman in utter amazement.
Greta’s eyes narrowed just a little.
Oblivious, Allen said to Greta, “It’s the older members like us who need to really step up when new people join. We need to be the ones helping them integrate themselves into the pack, teaching them what they need to learn, and making them feel a part of us.”
Greta nodded. “I completely agree.”
Taryn raised her finger. “Can I get that in writing, Greta?”
Marcus leaned closer to Bracken and said quietly. “I can’t help but respect how perfectly convincing she sounded just now when she spouted that load of shit.”
Bracken nodded. “I could almost think she believes what she’s saying.” His gaze drifted back to his mate. Bracken tightened his grip on the beers when he saw her laughing with Dominic. Before Madisyn, jealousy wasn’t an emotion he’d been very familiar with. He’d felt twinges of it, but not this dark, venomous emotion that made his blood boil, his scalp prickle, and his stomach harden.
He found himself envying the easy way she and Dominic had with each other. It spoke of an uncomplicated friendship. That was something that Bracken had never had with her. His wolf wanted to charge at the other male, despite knowing that Dominic would never poach.
Roni eyed Madisyn and Dominic. “You don’t have to worry about him,” she told Bracken. “I once wondered if those two would get together, but I quickly realized it wouldn’t happen.”
Marcus nodded. “Dominic doesn’t shit where he eats. As Makenna’s BFF, Madisyn is on Phoenix Pack territory a lot.”
“I don’t just mean that,” said Roni. “Dominic needs a female who’ll give him the room to mess up. Madisyn would kill him.”
Marcus tilted his head. “Yeah, there is that.”
“On another note,” Eli said to Bracken, “I offered to put guards on the shelter, but Dawn turned it down. I get why. If lone shifters think it belongs to a pack, they won’t go there for sanctuary. We put guards there once before, and she said it made a lot of people leave.”
“The bears won’t return to the shelter.” Bracken took a swig from his bottle. “They’ll try to speak with Madisyn again, but not there. When you’re dealing with someone like her who’s hard to intimidate, you try to take them off guard to give yourself more of an edge. They’ll show up somewhere she least expects.”
“Like the grocery store or something like that,” said Eli.
Bracken nodded. “Exactly.”
“If this were any other situation, the fact that you’re her mate would probably be enough to keep them away from her.” Eli rubbed at his nape. “But for all the sows the Maverick Clan has taken over the years, Daisy is probably their heroine. She could inspire them to rise against Archer or even flee. He’ll know that, so he can’t just walk away from this.”
“No, he can’t,” agreed Cain, coming up behind them. “You know you can call on me for backup.”
“Ally doesn’t like bringing you into pack problems,” Bracken reminded him.
Cain gave a careless shrug and studied Bracken. “The last time I saw you, your eyes were empty. Even though you’re clearly pissed right now, you seem a lot better.”
“When you’re here, so do you,” Bracken told him.
“How did you like Vinnie Devereaux?”
Bracken frowned. “How do you know I met him?”
Again, Cain just shrugged. “I know lots of things.”
“He told me that Archer went to see him.” Bracken relayed the rest of what Vinnie had told him, adding, “Do you think he was telling the truth when he said he’d side with Madisyn?”
“Yes. I could tell when I spoke with him on the phone that he’s especially protective of her. Vinnie isn’t protective of many people. If he says he’ll fight alongside you in the event of a battle, believe him. On an unrelated note, how’s the Claudia Brookson matter going?”
“She wasn’t hearing my ‘no,’ so I had a talk with her, told her I was mated now, and made it clear that there was no chance I’d leave my pack. That will hopefully be the end of it.”
A deep growl rumbled out of Nick. “Don’t push me, old man!”
Bracken turned to see the Alpha glowering at Shaya’s father.
Stone just smiled at Nick, all amiable. The ex–Navy SEAL knew and happily stomped on every hot button the Alpha possessed. “I was just pointing out that the burgers are—”
“Biting the hand of the person who’ll choose your nursing home is not smart,” Nick told him as he stiffly flipped the burgers. Noticing the smirk on Marcus’s face, the Alpha sneered. “Laugh it up, Man-slut.”
Roni frowned at her brother. “Hey, we don’t call him that anymore.”
“Hold on a minute,” said Marcus, turning to his mate. “You used to call me that too?”
She shrugged. “Only in my head, so I figure it doesn’t count.”
“It totally counts.”
“Does not.”
“Does too.”
Not interested in listening to them argue, Bracken transferred both beer bottles to one hand and grabbed the bowl of pretzels from the table. He turned to walk away . . . and found himself face-to-face with Shiloh. It wasn’t often that she made eye contact with him—for two reasons. One, she was usually so engrossed in whatever game she was playing on her phone that it took her a moment to realize he was even there. Two, he got the feeling that the introverted feline avoided meeting people’s eyes because it discouraged them from trying to talk to her. But when she did make eye contact, it was never shyly—she did not blush, stutter, or fidget. No, she had a very bold stare that dared a person to lie.
When he’d first met her, she’d flicked him a bored look from under coppery-blonde bangs . . . and he’d smiled. She’d intrigued him that quickly. And the more she’d withstood his efforts to get her attention, the more he’d wanted it. The whole thing seemed trivial now.
“I heard about you and Madisyn. She’ll be good for you, so don’t fuck it up.” And then Shiloh nabbed a fork and ambled away. Huh.
Becoming very aware that silence had descended, he raised a brow at the people watching him . . . and suddenly, they all had something much more interesting to look at. With an inner snort, he headed for his mate. And frowned. Because she wasn’t on the sofa. Glancing around, he saw no sign of her. “Where’s Madisyn?” he asked Shaya.
The redhead blinked. “I don’t know. She was just here.”
Bracken once more swept his gaze around the groups of people. And another question formed in his head. “Where’s Kathy?”
Shaya jumped to her feet. “Shit.”