A chime pierced Madisyn’s dream and tugged her out of a deep sleep. Her phone was ringing, she realized. Blinking away the cloudy vestiges of sleep, she snatched her cell from the nightstand. Makenna. After swiping her thumb across the screen, Madisyn slurred, “Hello?”
“Why am I hearing from Taryn that you brawled with three sows last night?”
Rubbing at her eyes, Madisyn explained, “I got home super late, and I didn’t want to wake you. How did Taryn find out about it?”
“Are you forgetting that she and Shaya are BFFs? What the hell happened last night?”
“I’ll explain everything when I see you at the shelter in”—Madisyn glanced at the clock—“an hour. The brawl is connected to the shelter, so I’ll tell you all about it. But I want to tell you and Dawn at the same time.”
A sigh. “Fine. You okay? I heard about Bracken. Must have been a shock for you.”
She tensed. “What?”
“Um, hello, that you watched him get knocked over by a hit-and-run driver last night? Ring any bells?”
“Are you okay? You sound weird.”
“I’m fine. Really. Just tired.”
“All right. See you soon.”
Madisyn returned her phone to the nightstand and buried her face in the plush pillow as memories of her conversation with Bracken began to play through her mind.
Lying in bed last night unable to sleep, she’d done a whole lot of thinking and—although she’d continued to freak out in her mind—she’d nonetheless made peace with three things. One, Bracken Slater was in fact her true mate, even if it didn’t seem to fit. Two, he wasn’t going to walk away, so she’d have to give this thing between them a chance. Three, she didn’t truly want him to walk away, but letting him in wouldn’t be easy.
It wasn’t just because pallas cats kept an emotional distance from others by nature. It was because Madisyn’s reflexive response to “change” was to reject it, and a whole lot of changes would come with accepting Bracken as her mate.
For one thing, she’d have to join his pack. That meant she’d have to answer to people, which she didn’t do well with at all. She’d been a lone shifter all her life, couldn’t imagine having Alphas whom she’d need to heed, support, report to, and even seek permission from to do certain things. She liked Shaya and Nick and could swear loyalty to them. But answer to them? That would be one fuck of a struggle.
She’d also have to move onto Bracken’s territory, which would be difficult. She’d not only have to share living space, she’d have to deal with his pack mates turning up day and night. She’d also be expected to eat with them at least once a day. To add to that, she could say goodbye to privacy. Living on pack territory would be like living in a small town—there were no secrets, everyone knew each other’s business . . . much like it had been at the shelter.
Privacy, peace, and quiet did not exist in shelters. Madisyn liked to have all three—maybe because it reminded her that she was no longer there. She didn’t even like having people in her lair; needed that little haven that was hers and only hers. Living on pack territory would mean giving all that up.
If she took Bracken as her mate, she’d also be expected to welcome him totally into her life, and Madisyn didn’t really know how to share her life with someone. She’d been on her own since her parents died when she was twelve. The human authorities had passed her from foster home to foster home like a parcel. No one kept her around for long. Apparently, people didn’t like it when you started fires for the sheer fun of it. Shocking.
Looking back, she realized now that the display of deviant behavior had been her way of testing people, of seeing how committed they were to keeping her before she let herself get comfortable. She wondered if her past efforts to annoy Bracken had been her subconscious way of testing him.
Social services had eventually dumped her at the shelter. It had taken a while before Madisyn truly believed that Dawn would allow her to stay. Before that, she’d been constantly on edge, thinking it was only a matter of time before Dawn forced her to leave.
Makenna had turned up at the shelter not long after her, and they’d immediately clicked. Over time, Madisyn had also developed a bond with Dawn. But they were really the only people she had a true attachment to. She’d never developed any attachments to the males in her past. Those relationships had been simple and fun. None of those males had dared look at her with the possessiveness that Bracken had. They hadn’t expected anything of her. Hadn’t laid any demands on her. Hadn’t questioned her actions or interfered with her decisions. But Bracken would. He’d be, by his own admittance, a pain in her ass. And as a matter of fact, she’d be a pain in his.
Nope, what lay ahead wouldn’t be easy on either of them. But now that the shock had worn off and she was no longer feeling off-balance, she could think just fine. Could breathe without panicking. Could even smile at the idea that the guy she’d been craving for years had turned out to be her mate. Plenty of people would think her fortunate.
Hugging her pillow, Madisyn sighed. Like the rest of the bedding, it was soft and luxurious. Nothing like the beds she’d slept in at the shelter. She could still remember the feel of bedsprings poking into her back. Still remembered how the bed squeaked with each move she made. Still remembered huddling under the bobbly, threadbare blankets, trying to stay warm. There were times when the shelter was so full, she’d been forced to sleep on a thin sleeping pad so that the elderly residents had something comfier to sleep on.
Now that she had her own home, she enjoyed her comforts. No cheap shampoo and soap. No rough, secondhand clothes. No coarse towels or thin, lumpy pillows. Best of all, she had her own space. A space she might soon lose, she remembered, but she’d stop thinking about that now. She had other things to concern herself with, like the Maverick Clan situation—something that Makenna and Dawn needed to be warned about.
She peeled back the crisp rose-gold coverlet and edged out of bed. For once, she didn’t feel groggy. Probably because it was the best night’s sleep she’d had in two weeks. There was no restlessness. No cold sweats. No itching. Nothing. Which, of course, was thanks to Bracken’s very skilled fingers—that was another thing she wouldn’t think about now.
After a quick feline stretch, she opened the venetian blinds, letting rays of sunlight stream into the room. Heading into the tiled bathroom, she glanced at herself in the mirror. No bags or black smudges under her eyes. No paleness of the skin. It was nice not to look at her reflection and wince.
She cringed at the sight of Bracken’s bite, of course. She gently touched the mark, frowning when it tingled. She’d never worn a brand that deep before. It would take a good dose of concealer to hide it. Shifters healed quicker than humans, but it would probably take a couple of days for a mark that distinctive to completely fade. He wouldn’t like that she’d covered it, but she wasn’t ready for the questions it would raise. Not yet.
Reminding herself she had shit to do, Madisyn did her business, brushed her teeth, and took a long shower. The latter was a luxury she’d missed while living at the shelter, where there had always been a queue of people waiting for their own turns. Leaving her hair to dry naturally, she quickly dressed and then headed to the kitchen. By the time she’d finished her breakfast and coffee, her hair was dry, and it was time to leave.
It was a short drive to the shelter. Madisyn parked her car in the lot, walked up the path to the redbrick building, and unlocked the door. As she stepped into the small, bright reception area, the smells of coffee, bleach, and various breeds of shifter swirled around her.
Having so many different kinds of shifter in one place wasn’t easy, and it sometimes led to trouble. It was rare that residents were ejected from the facility, but it happened occasionally.
They rarely received problems from outsiders. A witch had embedded protective wards into the walls, keeping anyone who meant harm out of the building unless they were invited inside. That didn’t mean the place was invulnerable. In fact, an Alpha wolf once had a witch bypass such wards to allow him and his pack inside. A massive fight had occurred, during which Makenna had almost died. Madisyn was still pissed at her for that, which was irrational, but whatever.
“You know the rules, Harrison,” said Shaun, the cheetah shifter manning the desk, who worked there in return for being allowed to stay permanently. “I can’t let you in if you’ve been drinking.”
Harrison, a fox shifter with a scraggly beard, scowled. “I ain’t been drinking.”
Shaun shot him an impatient glance. “I can smell the alcohol on your breath. And we both know how much shit you cause when you’re drunk.”
“I ain’t drunk. I had one whiskey. One.”
Sighing, Madisyn exhaled heavily. “Doesn’t matter how many you’ve had, Harrison, and you know it. You’ve been coming here long enough to know how it works. But just in case you’ve forgotten the rules, they’re on that sign right above your head.” The rules were pretty simple, really. No drugs, alcohol, weapons, violence, theft, or breaking of curfew hours.
Most respected and followed the rules. Others, like Harrison, thought they should be an exception. In fact, the very reason he was banished from his pack was his refusal to respect authority. Not all loners were banished for crimes, though. Others were runaways, homeless, in hiding, or quite simply lost after the death of their mate. In cases where residents wanted to live among humans rather than join other packs, flocks, or various shifter groups, the shelter provided them with whatever education, support, and therapy they needed.
Harrison looked at her, mouth twisted into a bitter pout. “You have no mercy in you.”
“And you’re determined to make life hard for yourself, which is your business. But you’re not allowed to make life hard for others.” They’d had this conversation before. Knowing he’d argue just for the sake of arguing, she turned her back on him and walked off.
As she wandered down the hallways, she heard babies crying, showers running, and residents arguing upstairs. The building was pretty big, especially compared to most shelters.
The first floor featured the common room, communal toilets, cafeteria, and some private bedrooms that were reserved for people with children. Unmated females and males slept on separate floors—the females used the dormitory on the second floor, and the males used the dormitory on the third floor.
Not wishing to be separated, mated couples often slept outside in dome-shaped tents scattered around the back of the shelter beyond the children’s play area. All supplies were kept in the basement, while Dawn lived in the attic.
Madisyn helped in various ways, doing different jobs on different days. Today, she was due to help in the kitchen before doing laundry. First, she needed to speak with Dawn and Makenna.
Reaching Dawn’s office, she rapped her knuckles on the door.
“Come in!” Dawn called out.
Striding inside, Madisyn found Makenna sitting on the desk while Dawn sat in the chair behind it, both drinking Starbucks. “Morning.”
“Morning,” greeted Dawn. The plump brunette was a born alpha and could have run a pride easily. Instead, she’d sacrificed that future and dedicated her life to running the nonprofit organization for loners. With the help of grants, sponsors, and private donations, Dawn was able to keep it running well. “What’s this I hear about you going head-to-head with three bears?”
Madisyn frowned. “Let me at least sit down.”
“Here. Caramel Macchiato.” Dawn handed her a Starbucks coffee. “Now tell us what happened last night.”
Sinking into the sofa, Madisyn told them about the Enigma incident.
“Bitches,” snapped Makenna. “You should have slit their throats.”
Madisyn looked from one female to the other. “You both need to be careful. The clan could decide to go after you next, thinking you’ll know Daisy’s location. Though I doubt it, since Charles didn’t mention your names.”
Dawn puffed out a breath. “I couldn’t help them even if I wanted to. We have so many people coming and going, I don’t even remember where you placed her. It was months ago.”
“Alaska.” Madisyn sipped at her coffee. “She’s safe. And happy. And I’m determined that she’ll stay that way. On another note, I’m sure Makenna also told you that Bracken was hit by a car last night. Obviously, the pack wants to make the heifers pay. They have every right to. I know you don’t like sharing shelter business with others, but we’re assholes if we don’t tell the pack what we know.”
“I agree, and I think we need to tell my pack about this too,” Makenna declared. “When I joined the Phoenix Pack, I agreed not to involve them in any of our problems unless absolutely necessary—I’ve stuck to that deal. But they’re all pissed at what happened to Madisyn and Bracken. They want blood too.”
“But I don’t want blood,” said Dawn. “I just want the bears to go away. They might. This isn’t the first time someone’s come looking for one of our residents. It won’t be the last.”
Makenna sighed. “You honestly think the Mercury Pack will just forget that their pack mate was knocked over by a car? They’ll find the answers with or without our help. And when they discover that we held out on them, they’ll be pissed. Like Madisyn said, we’re assholes if we don’t share what we know.”
Dawn rubbed at her temple. “I know you’re right. I just don’t like it.” She blew out a breath. “I’ll call Shaya or Nick later today and—” She cut off as her office phone rang. Lifting it, she greeted, “Hello?” Whatever the caller said made her sigh. “I’ll be right down.” Ending the call, the female stood. “Wait here. I’ll be back in five.”
When Dawn closed the door behind her, Makenna shot Madisyn a glare and said, “You should have called me from Enigma.”
“You couldn’t have done anything. Besides, the club owner called Nick and asked him to send someone to collect me.”
“Bracken.”
Madisyn cursed the heat that rose to her cheeks. “He led me out of the club like he was my damn bodyguard, making it clear I was under his protection.”
“Since when does the mention of Bracken make you blush?”
Madisyn shifted uncomfortably. “Well, he gave me a helping hand with the touch-hunger. Literally.”
Sipping her coffee, Makenna lifted her brows. “Your cat finally accepted a male’s touch? Thank God. I wasn’t sure how long she’d keep stewing about Lucah.” Makenna was one of the very few people whom Madisyn had told about Lucah, knowing the she-wolf wouldn’t judge her for trying online dating whereas others might have lectured her over it. When Makenna had learned about his betrayal, she’d wanted to rip out his throat.
“Oh, she’s not done with the stewing just yet,” admitted Madisyn. Her kind were not forgiving creatures.
“It’s really no wonder your cat keeps lashing out at guys who pay you attention—she thinks she’s protecting you from more hurt and betrayal. It’s good that she let Bracken close without shredding him to pieces. That’s progress. Where did you two have your little rendezvous? Enigma?”
“My house.”
Makenna’s mouth fell open. “You let him in your home?”
“I didn’t really have a choice. I could barely walk. He had to help me inside.” Which had been mortifying. Madisyn hated that he’d seen her weak.
“So I’m guessing you told him about the touch-hunger.”
“He worked it out for himself.” And he’d no doubt have many questions about it later. He had no idea that her relationship with Lucah hadn’t involved physical contact. She wasn’t looking forward to telling him about it—hell, she hadn’t even told Dawn the truth about Lucah—because it was just so damn embarrassing. But Bracken wouldn’t let it drop. He’d hound her for answers.
“You’re scowling,” said Makenna. “Why? What is it?”
Meeting her friend’s gaze, Madisyn sighed. Truth time. “Bracken marked me.”
The she-wolf blinked. “Marked you? Where?”
“My neck. I covered it with concealer. I marked him first but not on purpose. He was teasing me, and my body was in no state to take it, so I pricked him with my claws as a warning. But that warning drew blood. He bit my neck and, well, it was deep. Deep enough to bleed. He then insisted that I not go to anyone else but him when the touch-hunger strikes again.”
Makenna’s brows lifted. “Well, it’s pretty natural that he wouldn’t want another male’s hands on the female he’s marked. I gotta be honest—it’s kind of surprising that he marked you, since he never struck me as the possessive type. And I never got the feeling he was harboring a crush on you, especially since he was pursuing Shiloh pretty hard for a while.”
Yeah, and that hadn’t been easy for Madisyn to watch. Her cat had hated it.
“But then, he hasn’t pursued her since the extremist attack, has he?” Makenna mused. “Experiences change us. He’s changed, which means his needs may have changed too. She might not be what he wants and needs anymore. In any case, if he bit you that hard, it wasn’t an accident. Some part of him wanted to put that brand there. What did you tell him?”
“I pointed out that he was being unreasonable, which he didn’t deny. Then he left, went to get in his car, got knocked over by the sows, and then . . .”
“Then, what?”
“Well, he’d hit his head kind of hard, so he was pretty dazed. I kept talking to him, telling him to keep his eyes open. And then he looked at me. I’ve never seen his eyes look so . . . clear. Probably because in that moment, while he was totally out of it, he had no guards up. And I was thrown by what had happened and panicking because of all the blood, and I just kept thinking that he’d better not die. And then, well, something happened.”
Madisyn scratched at her nape. “I sort of, um . . . felt the pull of the mating bond.”
Makenna’s mouth dropped open. “No shit! You’re serious?”
“Very. I only felt it for a few moments. The power of it seemed to be too much for his brain to bear while he was in so much pain from hitting his head, which is probably why the mating urge didn’t kick in. But yeah, he’s definitely my true mate.”
Makenna scooted forward on the desk. “Oh my God, this is huge. Why didn’t you tell me earlier?”
“Because I’m still getting used to the idea. I haven’t told anybody yet.”
“I gotta say, Madisyn, I did not see this coming. I mean, you and him . . .”
“There was no immediate, overpowering sexual attraction,” Madisyn finished. “Not even an elemental fondness. Nothing.”
“But you’ve always liked him.”
“I always found him good-looking, but I’m not alone in that. I was a little drawn to him but not in a way that rang alarm bells.”
“Yeah, but that’s not so strange. You’ve never been keen on finding your true mate. It could be that some part of you felt something around him that you instantly rejected, I don’t know.” Makenna clasped her hands. “Did he feel the bond? Tell me he did.”
“He felt it.”
“And he wants this, right? I mean, he’s not stupidly pushing you away out of guilt over his family’s death or anything?”
“No, he wants the bond.”
Makenna frowned. “You don’t sound happy about that.”
“I am. Sort of. I mean, like you said, he never harbored a crush on me. I really doubt he would ever want a relationship with me if there were no mating bond, and that kind of puts a downer on this for me.”
“You’re not thinking of fighting this, are you? Because it would be fruitless. Bracken’s the type to go after what he wants.”
Madisyn nodded. “Point in fact, he pursued Shiloh relentlessly.”
“Forget about Shiloh. Like I said, experiences change people. Bracken has changed in many ways.”
“Yes, but the fact that I annoy him hasn’t changed. I really don’t think he likes me as a person.”
Makenna waved that away. “If he didn’t like you, he wouldn’t have given you the time of day. That’s the way he is. My mate’s the same.”
“Speaking of Ryan, how is he?”
“His usual gruff self.”
“How’s Sienna?” Just thinking of Makenna’s little girl made Madisyn smile. The toddler was the cutest thing ever.
“Fine. She was busy stealing food from Dexter’s pockets when I left . . . which is bad, because she then eats his stash, and you know that kid hoards things for weeks on end.” Makenna rolled her eyes. Little Dexter was a cheetah shifter who’d once been a resident of the shelter before the Phoenix Pack adopted him. “But I refuse to be distracted. Back to the none-too-small discovery you made last night—how do you feel about it? Not about Bracken being your mate. About finding your mate.”
“It’s a little scary. Everything will change if I let him claim me.”
“If?” echoed Makenna with a snort. “You’re going to let him claim you at some point.”
Madisyn raised a haughty brow. “Is that so?”
“Yes, because at this point in your life, you want a mate. You just don’t like change—never have. Get to know the guy better, give this a chance. I don’t think you have to worry about Shiloh trying to lure him from you. But Claudia Brookson might be a problem. Whenever I go to the Velvet Lounge on the weekends, she seems to be there. And she always has her eye on Bracken.”
“She wants him to be her personal bodyguard. Maybe he would have accepted the role if it wouldn’t mean joining her pack—I don’t know. But by the way she looks at him, I’d say she’s hoping to also have him in her bed.” Just the thought made Madisyn’s blood boil. Her cat bared a fang.
“She might be respectful enough of mating bonds to back off,” said Makenna. “If she doesn’t, you can take her. Just the same, you can deal with Bracken. He won’t be an easy mate, but neither will you. If he thinks differently, he’ll have some shocks coming his way. Does he know you’re a pallas cat?”
“I don’t think so. I don’t recall him ever asking. Dominic’s the only one who won’t stop pestering me about it.” The blond, incredibly hot wolf was another of Makenna’s pack mates. “I’d tell him to shut him up, but it’s more fun to mess with him.”
Makenna snorted. “Dominic has probably already correctly guessed what you are and is just fucking with you right back. He’s very perceptive.”
The door swung open, and Dawn walked in. “Sorry about that. So where were we?”
“Well, we were talking about telling the packs about the Maverick Clan,” said Makenna. “But then you left, and Madisyn got talking about her and Bracken.”
“Bracken?” echoed Dawn as she returned to her seat, frowning at the impish grin on Makenna’s face. “You’ve started something with him, Madisyn? What about Lucah?”
Madisyn sighed. “I really don’t feel like telling this story again.” So Makenna told the story instead.
“Oh, sweetheart.” Dawn sent her a look overflowing with sympathy. “You should have told me about this sooner.”
“I was embarrassed. Still am.”
“You have no reason to be,” Dawn insisted. “It was Lucah who messed up. Not you. I don’t get why someone would play another person like that.”
“Me neither. And what was his end game? Because that’s exactly what it was to him—a game.”
“It could have started out that way, but that may not be the case now. Did he claim to care for you?”
“Oh yeah.” Madisyn snorted. “He was smooth, said all the right things. Lying bastard.”
“But totally insignificant,” added Makenna, “since you have your true mate now.”
It seemed to take a few moments for the import of those words to hit Dawn. Then her eyes widened. “Oh my God, Madisyn, you found your mate?”
“It’s Bracken,” Makenna told the cougar, eyes twinkling.
Wincing at Dawn’s squeal of excitement, Madisyn said, “You can’t go around telling everyone, Dawn. I need some time to get used to it myself.”
“I take it you haven’t let him claim you yet—it’s not the kind of thing you’d rush into. Still, don’t delay it too long. I’ve been waiting a very long time to see both my girls mated.” Dawn gave a watery smile. “Now you can forget all about that damn idiot Lucah and build something with Bracken.”
“Yeah, but I still say it would be fun to track down Lucah so you could make him pay for being a dick,” said Makenna.
“It would,” Madisyn allowed.
“Fun?” asked Dawn. “Why? What exactly would you do to him?”
Madisyn averted her gaze. “I don’t want to tell you.”
Dawn frowned. “Why not?”
“You’ll start using words like ‘forgiveness,’ ‘empathy,’ and ‘conscience.’” Madisyn shuddered. “I hate those talks.”
Makenna chuckled. “You gotta be honest, Madisyn—if it wasn’t for Dawn, you and I would be in prison by now. Her ‘talks’ eventually got through to us.”
Dawn patted her arm. “Thank you, Makenna. At least someone appreciates me.”
“I appreciate you, Dawn,” said Madisyn. “I just also want to set the bastard’s ass on fire and watch him burn. Is that so wrong?”
“Yes, actually,” clipped Dawn. “It’s called ‘first-degree murder,’ and there are—”
“See what I mean?” Madisyn made an exasperated sound. “You take the fun out of everything.”
“It should not be fun to watch someone burn.”
“Don’t knock it till you’ve tried it.”
“I know you have a conscience, Mad—”
“See, there you go using those odd words! Next, you’ll have me writing lines like ‘Setting fires is wrong’ over and over. God, that brings back memories.”
Dawn planted her hands on her hips. “Well, it is wrong.”
“Depending on what or who you’re burning, sure.”
“That’s not why—Stop laughing, Makenna! Snorting coffee out of your nose is not attractive.”
That just made the she-wolf laugh harder.