Mating Brand(56)

“He’s decent,” Brand whispered, hooking an arm around Charma’s waist to keep her close as more wolves returned to the house in different states of undress. Some had put on pants while others just strode in naked, looking for something to wear after shifting back to skin. “But you might want to keep your eyes up for a few minutes. We keep spare clothing in the basement,” he said louder, letting everyone know.

Charma squeezed his arm. “My sister.”

Anton frowned. “What about your sister?”

“She’s in our territory,” Kane stated. “Braden has her.”

Anton groaned, shooting a dark look at Brand. “Why?”

“It’s a long story.”

“Make it a quick one,” Anton demanded.

“She came with the pride males,” Charma told him.

“To attack us?” Anton frowned.

“No!” She shook her head. “Breeanna isn’t a fighter.”

“She’s a lover,” Klax chuckled. “Or she will be if Braden has a say in the matter.”

“Shit. You trusted my baby brother with your sister?” Anton scowled.

“No.” Charma pressed tightly against Brand.

“Charma’s sister ended up in our territory after following some of the pride here. She thought they were coming after Charma. I tracked her down but Braden found her first. He carried her off toward town. I returned here,” Brand explained. “Charma wants to go find her sister but I keep telling her that Braden won’t hurt her.”

“He won’t,” Anton confirmed. “He’s cat friendly.”

Klax laughed.

Anton and Brand both shot him silencing glares. He turned away. “I’ll go assess the mess and start a bonfire to be rid of the bodies. We need to clear away any evidence of what happened here before dawn. Von just returned and offered to handle that but he could use some help.”

“Go help him, Kane,” Anton ordered.

“What did I do?” The enforcer grinned though. “I’m going.”

“My sister,” Charma pressed.

Anton sighed. “She isn’t in any danger if Braden has her. Right now we need to focus on the injured and make sure no stragglers are waiting around to attack us when our defenses are down.” His tone deepened, befitting that of an alpha. “Brand, you and your mate can man the house. The enforcers can do most of the cleanup. I’m going to have to make calls to check on the pack to do a head count to see who we’ve lost.”

Brand nodded. He knew Charma wanted to argue but she kept quiet, tense in his hold. Anton left the house, issuing orders to the pack. She turned in his arms, staring up at him.

“I know,” he whispered. “But right now we have to deal with the aftermath of this fight. Humans can’t find out about us. That’s priority. There are dead bodies on the lawn and in the woods that they could stumble across. I’ll call Braden. He probably took her to my house. It wasn’t too far from where he found her.”

Her shoulders squared. “Please call.”

He released her and strode over to the nearest house phone and dialed his cousin’s cell. It rang three times before going to voicemail. He clenched his teeth, waiting for the beep. “Braden, don’t you touch that she-cat.” He noticed Charma had followed him so watched what he said. “She’s my mate’s sister. Keep her safe and your pants on. Do you get my meaning? Call me back at the alpha house immediately. Charma is worried sick about Bree.”

He hung up and turned. “He’ll keep her safe. I know he won’t hurt her.”

“Why didn’t he answer his phone? Maybe they need help.”

“He rarely answers his phone. It’s normal for him to keep the ringer off but he checks his messages often. He’ll call back.” He hoped that was true.

She didn’t seem appeased.

“The pride doesn’t have her, which is a good thing, right? You met Braden and you know he isn’t prejudiced. He’ll see her as a woman, not the enemy.” He figured that was the main reason for her fear. “I’m sure she told him who she is because he’d have wanted to know why she entered our territory. He killed someone from your pride to protect her and get her away from him. I’m sure they are okay, probably locked inside my basement, waiting for the danger to pass. The best thing we can do is end this nightmare quickly so we can go home.”

“You’re right. Okay. What can I do to help? This is my pack now too.”

It was a relief that his words had calmed some of Charma’s fears. He didn’t want her dealing with any grisly tasks. “Food.” He led her into the kitchen. “We’re always hungry after shifting. Make as many sandwiches as possible.” He caught the attention of one of the pack, motioning him over. “This is Dan. He’s going to help you.” He shot the male a menacing look. “This is my mate. You don’t let her out of your sight. Protect her if there are any unfriendly faces coming in here looking for a meal. You help her feed them.”