The Mating Heat(32)

Ryder’s words echoed in her mind as she held her brother’s best friend and beta, letting him finally grieve his true mate’s death. After a few minutes, he lifted his face, his eyes reddened and swollen. He grabbed some tissues from the box on the end table and wiped his eyes and blew his nose.
“Thanks. I needed that. I look a mess.” He looked around, clearly uneasy. “I can’t let anyone see me like this.”
Kara thought hard. “Wait here. Give me a few minutes.”
She returned with a plate of corn chips. Darius blinked, his eyes puffy and red. “A snack?”
“Aiden’s special recipe for macho nachos. Jalapeno and habanero peppers. And I seasoned the chips and cheese with hot sauce. No one can accuse you of anything more than being stupid, for eating more than one.”
She picked up a chip and nibbled on it, her tongue on fire. “Oh my gods, that is freaking hot!”
They ate the nachos, both of them now crying, their faces red and eyes swollen.
Footsteps sounded on the staircase. Five rugged males from her pack entered the living room, saw Darius sitting with her. One frowned.
“Why are you with my alpha’s mate?”
“She’s my adopted sister. We’re sharing a snack.” Darius coughed. “But don’t try it. It’s lethal.”
“Lethal for weak Lupines,” the male taunted. Scoffing, the Lupine picked up a chip loaded with peppers. Red suffused his face as he ate it. He began to cough and gasp and then tears streamed down his face. The other males pounded him on the back. Suddenly the Lupine shifted into his wolf. Howling, he ran off.
Darius gave the remaining males a level look. “Care for a chip?”
They shook their heads.
“Then get to work on the barn.”
They stared at him.
“Now,” he snapped.
They scurried to obey. Kara grinned at him. “You talk like an alpha.”
Darius shrugged. “It helps keep our males in line, knowing Aiden’s not the only one who can order them around.” He squeezed her hand. “Thanks, kiddo, for everything.”
“Just remember to wash your hands very thoroughly before using the bathroom.”
“Yeah, did that once. My dick felt like someone slathered lava over it. Think it took a whole day before I dared to piss again.”
He reddened. “Sorry about the swearing. Forgot myself.”
Kara laughed. “Never do that, Darius.”
“Piss again after eating hot peppers?” He gave a charming grin.#p#分页标题#e#
“Apologize. This is me. And as my mate has pointed out, no one needs to fear being anything but themselves around me ever again.” Ever.
    







 
    Dark and Deadly: Eight Bad Boys of Paranormal Romance by Jennifer Ashley, Alyssa Day, Felicity Heaton, Erin Kellison, Laurie London, Erin Quinn, Bonnie Vanak and Caris Roane
    
 


 
CHAPTER 11
Kara continued sitting on the sofa after Darius went to supervise the Lupines fixing the barn. She gave a long, luxurious stretch, wincing at her sore muscles. Everything would work out. It was going to be great. Terrific. She closed her eyes.
“It’s not ours,” her brother said roughly.
Kara opened her eyes. Okay, maybe not so terrific. “What are you talking about? Where’s Ryder?”
“In dad’s old office, going through some stuff. I found these, and thought you should look before we tell your new mate.”
The blood drained from Aiden’s face as he set down a dusty box and a sheaf of papers onto the coffee table. “The ranch doesn’t belong to us, Kara. It never did.”
Stunned, she shuffled through the legal papers as he sat beside her. “I don’t get it.”
“Did you know this property belonged to Ryder’s family?”
Kara’s heart stopped.
Her brother's expression tightened. “Dad didn’t legally own the ranch.”
“But he and mom bought the property fifty years ago!”
“They owned it back then, but money was tight, so they sold it to the Carringtons and Mom and Dad stayed on as managers. Dad paid the taxes, worked the land, and no one ever questioned it. No one bothered going through the crapload of documents until now.”
The papers fell from her trembling hands. Kara stared at Aiden. “Everything he ever said, about us being the alphas, it was a lie.”
“Not a lie. Alastair was an alpha and so was Ryder’s dad.” Aiden opened the box and removed a typed manuscript. “Just a broke one. It’s all here in dad’s book. The Carringtons left their family because Ryder’s grandfather ruled the roost and kept threatening to take Ryder away and raise him the way he thought an alpha’s son should be raised. So they came here for a fresh start, bought the ranch and all the contents from mom and dad. It was an unusual arrangement, but not too odd for the time when Lupines banded together for protection. The ruling of the pack by an alpha pair, while a second alpha pair took care of everyday business. They left the ranch in trust to Ryder.”