“You said you weren’t dating anyone when we met.”
“He wasn’t my boyfriend. I never dated him or let him touch me. He tried plenty of times but I wasn’t interested. He decided I was going to become his mate and made it clear he’d hurt anyone who looked at me twice. He would have seen it as a betrayal to find out we lived together and I loved you. I used to have nightmares about the horrible things he and his friends would have done to you.”
Anger rose but he pushed it down. “He might have changed his mind about wanting you for a mate if he’d learned about me.”
She eased her hold on his hair. “No, Brand. You don’t get it. He knew I hated him, that he was the last person I wanted to be with, but he didn’t give a damn. He was a spoiled-rotten first son of a pride leader. A bully. Vicious.” She took a deep breath. “He beat on and harassed anyone he didn’t like because he could. His father never reined him in or scolded him for the messed-up things he did. He just would have made an example of you and counted it as a bonus to watch me suffer your loss. That’s the type of jerk he’s always been.”
“I would have killed him.”
“I’m not insulting you. You’re obviously a great fighter. I saw that firsthand when you got all those werewolves away from my car but you would have been facing off against an entire pride. Garrett makes sure he can win before he gets involved. He’d have had his friends attack you until you were so injured you couldn’t fight back and then he would have struck.”
“I really want him dead.”
“So do I.”
He studied her closely and saw sincerity. “How could you stand to be with him?” He had a new sense of her inner strength if her life had been as appalling as he suspected.
She looked away. “No choice. I had to stick it out until my sisters were old enough to mate.” She held his gaze then. “It was my responsibility as the oldest to keep them safe. I never suspected that one of them would hook up with the son of another pride leader. If she hadn’t, I’d still be trapped there until Bree is settled.”
The tears that filled her eyes broke his heart but she blinked them away. His mate was strong and beautiful. “I understand. I’d do damn near anything for blood.”
“I have.” Her smile appeared forced. “Let’s change the subject. You said something about us going to the alpha house. Does your family want to meet me?”
It was a reminder that they needed to leave. “My cousin Anton decided it would be safer if the family and the enforcers move into Uncle Elroy’s home. We’re stronger united and we’re the ones the pride males want. It’s safer for our pack if the pride isn’t tearing apart the town seeking us out. We’ll make certain they know where to come.”
She gaped at him.
“It’s a good plan. We want to draw them away from the weaker members. There’s nothing to worry about. You’ll be safe inside the house. I wouldn’t leave you here alone anyway. Some of them might decide to go house to house searching for easy prey. My cousins need me in this fight. I wouldn’t do it, though, if I believed you’d be in danger. You’re my priority.”
“You need to fight. I understand that, even if I hate it. I’d never ask you to abandon your family when they are depending on you.”
He hadn’t thought for a minute she would. She’d suffered plenty for the safety of her own family. “I know it’s going to be difficult being around so many wolves but they are aware that you’re my mate. No one will dare give you any shit. My cousins and I made that damn clear.”
“What about Alpha Elroy? Is he upset that I’m here?”
“No.” Brand tried to hide his anguish. “He doesn’t know about you. Long story short, his parents arranged his mating to my Aunt Eve. He did his best to love her and be a good mate. It wasn’t reciprocated. She did something really bad recently and he banished her from our territory. He had no choice but to shun her.”
Charma’s eyebrows arched, her surprise clear.
“She endangered her own son, put his new mate in grave jeopardy and planned to kill Uncle Elroy and his half-human son who was born before they mated. She deserved to die but my uncle has a big heart. Mating heat had begun so losing her at this time would have driven him insane. You don’t come back from that. Our doctor put him in an induced coma. My cousins are leading the pack until it’s safe to wake him after the heat passes. He’ll have a rough time of it, adjusting to the loss of a mate but he’s strong. He’ll survive.”