“Why the hell would you allow her to marry someone else if you already knew she was your mate?” Wulfric asked.
“Because I wanted her to be happy, even if that meant not claiming her.”
“I didn’t take you for a bloody martyr.”
Brand scowled. “I’m not. Elsa is my mate. Are you saying you don’t feel the need to ensure Cydney’s happiness? You wouldn’t sacrifice anything for it?”
Wulfric gave him an apologetic look. “Sorry. I see your point. I would do anything to make sure she stays happy.”
“Aw, thanks, babe,” Cydney said as she put her arm around her mate’s waist and squeezed him.
Brand looked at Nika when he heard her sniffle. “Ah hell, you made me cry,” she said. “My damn hormones are still out of whack from being pregnant.”
Garrick pulled his mate close and kissed the top of Nika’s head. “It’s all right.”
“That’s where you go day after day,” Lexi said. “You go to your mate. So when do we get to meet Elsa?”
“Soon,” Brand replied. “Even though I’ve known about Elsa for years, she doesn’t remember me and thinks we just met for the first time today.”
“How did you meet her, Brand?” Kamryn asked. She stood at Algar’s side.
He smiled at the memory. “She’d been at a friend’s place, drinking. Very drunk, Elsa attempted to walk home by herself. I just happened to have that particular part of the city to hunt that night. When I saw her weaving all over the pavement, I figured I couldn’t let her go by herself, especially if werewolves happened to be around. It was a bit of a shock when my wolf reacted to her, just a teenage girl. I ended up walking her home, where she just about puked on me. After that night, it didn’t take me long to figure out what she meant to me. I was drawn to her and couldn’t stay away, even though I knew she was too young.”
“Wow,” Cydney said. “I don’t think I’ve ever heard you say this much, Brand.”
He shook his head. “I’m only telling this story once.”
“Well, I guess that’s going to leave me now as the unmated one,” Chris said.
Chris had recently joined them. He was technically one of Fenris’s get, but he was nothing like the others of his kind. When shifted in his werewolf form, he retained his ability of speech. He also was able to think like a man, just as Brand and the other warriors could. Chris had also managed to turn the tables in their favor when it came to the beasts they hunted. After taking out the former pack leader, Chris had taken Stephen’s position. Now the werewolves came looking for Chris because of what he was. They also were compelled to obey everything he said. The new pack leader could also sense where others of his kind were before even picking up their scent. It made the warriors’ job a lot easier when werewolves arrived at the manor’s property line and basically served themselves up on a platter.
Maggie went and gave Chris a hug. She and the other man had grown up together and were long-time friends. “Don’t worry, Chris,” she said. “I’m sure you’ll find yours.”
“That’s if he can find a woman crazy enough to take him,” Garrick said with a laugh.
Nika scowled at her mate. “You can be such a smartass at times.”
Garrick kissed her. “But you still love me.”
She smiled. “True.” Nika looked at Brand. “Good luck with your mate, Brand. On that note, I’m going to say my good-bye now. Luke is sleeping, and I’m going to get in my pajamas and enjoy the break before he wakes up again wanting to be fed.”
“Don’t worry, Nika,” Lexi said. “It does get easier. Now that Petra is a year old, it’s nice not having to do late-night feedings.”
Brand watched the mated couples say good-bye to each other. That would be him soon. Elsa would kiss him before he went out on a night of hunting, and she’d be in his bed waiting for him when he returned. At long last he’d finally have the one thing he’d longed for—his mate at his side, sharing his life.
Brand waited for Chris to get out of the car before he headed down the pavement. Given what Chris was and what he was capable of, the other man took turns pairing up with each of the warriors. Tonight was Brand’s turn to partner him.
Once Chris joined him, Brand asked, “Sense any?”
“Nothing yet. Let’s get moving and see if that changes.”
Brand started them walking in the direction of a park that was a few blocks away. Parks were a werewolf’s favorite place to lurk, hoping to catch mortals off guard. They were bloodthirsty creatures.
After a minute of silence, Chris said, “I don’t know how you did it.”
Brand gave him a questioning look. “Did what?”
“Waited for so many years for your mate to grow up and then just step aside for another man to take your rightful place in her life. I get what you meant about ensuring her happiness, but I still couldn’t do it. Maybe that makes me a selfish bastard, but I’d fight for the woman who was meant to be mine.”
“You’re still young. Once you’ve lived as many years as I have, you’ll come to look beyond just what your wants are.”
“Maybe so, but I would have tried something, especially now that I’ve seen what the other mated couples have.”
Brand could admit to himself that watching his fellow warriors find their mates and start a new life with them had him questioning whether he was being stupid for doing nothing to make Elsa his. It’d been especially bad near the end when the babies were born. He wanted a child of his own, but with Elsa seemingly out of the picture, he’d figured it wasn’t something he’d ever experience. Now all that had changed.
“It’s no longer like that, so it doesn’t matter now,” Brand said.
Chris’s steps slowed, and he came to a stop. “Hold up. I’m sensing a werewolf.”
“Where? Do you think he’s at the park?”
“Or the empty lot that’s not too far from it. I’m sensing he’s in that direction, anyway.”
“Let’s go then.”
Brand walked at a faster clip, Chris easily keeping up with him. The other man had bulked up a bit muscle-wise since Dolf had started to train Chris to become a warrior. And Chris now handled a sword with competence. He even fought in his werewolf form three times better than when Dolf had first run across Chris cowering in the bushes one night, trying to hide from others of his kind.
Just as they reached the empty lot, Chris slowed again and then said quietly, “He’s in here.”
Brand nodded. “We’ll draw him to the park,” he said softly. “The lot is too close to houses. Someone might see us there.”
Breaking into a run, Chris and he headed for the park. Once they were in far enough not to be spotted, Brand came to a halt and turned to the other man. “Time to do your thing.”
Chris stepped away from Brand. Chris’s body blurred as he shifted into his half-human and half-wolf werewolf form. Once the change was complete, Chris threw back his lupine head and let out a long howl, the call of a werewolf pack leader. It would draw any werewolf within hearing distance. The creatures wouldn’t be able to help themselves. They’d be unable to ignore their leader’s call.
Sure enough, almost a minute later, one of Fenris’s get approached Chris. The creature had shifted to his werewolf form. Brand willed his sword into his hand. The silver mixed in the hard steel of the blade was deadly to werewolves sired by Fenris, all except for Chris. One thrust of the sword through the heart was all it took to kill the creatures he and his fellow warriors hunted.
As Brand went to move in to take out the werewolf, he noticed a second stepping out of the shadows closer to him. He turned to intercept it. The beast growled when he saw Brand and went on the attack. Brand blocked the swipe of sharp claws swinging his way with the flat of his sword. He pushed the werewolf back and moved in to make the kill. The creature spun away at the last moment, obviously not one of the newly turned. Brand kept on him until the beast bled from a few cuts Brand had managed to inflict on the werewolf’s chest and stomach. The creature’s skin sizzled when the blade made contact. Once the opening came, Brand sank his sword through to his prey’s heart. The beast let out one last howl and then fell to the ground, dead.