Page 52 of Brock’s Mate

Everybody froze.

Brandon snapped, “Brock. Cut that out. There aren’t any enemies here.”

Brock paid no attention. He took a slow step forward, eyes on Desi and Remy. The snarl morphed into a low growl.

Remy said, “Oh, for fuck’s sake. Change back and help her yourself, if it makes you feel better.” He backed off.

Brock took another step forward, his muscles bunching.

Brandon said in a commanding voice, “Brock. Stand down. Change back!”

Some kind of energy rolled out through the clearing, pressing on Desi, making her want to do what this person said.

Oh hell no. She fought it.

Brock did too. He stopped, but he didn’t Change. His head swiveled toward Brandon, transferring his animosity to him. With a sigh, Brandon unbuckled his holster and shrugged off his tactical vest.

Remy muttered, “Oh, fuck. Here we go.”

And Brock leaped at Brandon.

By the time their bodies collided, Brandon was in panther form, his clothes shredded on the ground. He was huge, as big or bigger than Brock, with wicked teeth and lethal claws.

Brock was already hurt. He was going to get killed.

They rolled on the ground in a storm of fur and claws. Desi strode down the porch steps and punched Remy in the shoulder. “Stop them, you fucking idiot! What the hell is wrong with you people?”

She could feel Brock’s wolf, still hyped up and out of control. Seeing everyone as the enemy. Didn’t they get that?

They rolled over again. Brandon had maneuvered himself so that his jaws were around Brock’s neck, his weight all on his rib cage. Brock was struggling to breathe, and Desi could swear she heard a crack of bones. Remy was just standing there watching, the fucker.

Fury raged through her. These were supposed to be his friends? His alpha? Before Remy could stop her, she hurled herself at the two animals, reaching deep down inside her for the well of pain. She flung herself on them, sending the pent-up pain lancing through the panther.

He let go of Brock and yowled, heaving her off him and scrambling to his feet. His glowing yellow-green eyes were fixed on Desi, and he was pissed.

Desi didn’t even care. “Get away from him, you overgrown pussy! He’s been through enough! Were you trying to kill him?”

The panther reared up and Changed to human with a popping of bones. Same ‘I’m going to kill you’ look in his eyes, but now there was a dangling dong in front of her as well. Fucking awesome.

Brock took in a great gasp of air and Changed too, getting as far as one knee before giving up on standing. He had new wounds from the panther fight, and most of him was filthy and bleeding.

“Are you okay?” she asked him, glaring at Brandon, who glared back.

“Oh, sure,” Brock said. “He only killed me a little.”

“I should have killed you all the way,” Brandon snapped. He glared at Desi again. “And what the hell was that? Stun gun?”

“Fuck off,” Desi told him. “Or I’ll do it again.”

Brock started laughing, and then coughing. He held his right side. “Oh. Hell. Ribs.”

“Broken?” Desi asked.

He shook his head. “Cracked. I think Brandon did it.”

“These people are fucking lunatics.”

“We’re lunatics?” Brandon’s eyes were glowing with outrage. “Fuck. Me. He deserves to have his ribs cracked. Fucking around with mutant wolves and sorcerers and secret rogues, and does he give me even a tiny little warning? Hell fucking no. I’m just his alpha. Not like I could do anything, with a whole crew and weapons and allies and shit. Who’ve been standing by in shifts since yesterday, I might add, to come save your asses. But no, you two have to do it on your own. What is even the matter with you people? The only person in this goddamn crew who gives me a heads-up when he’s about to do something that could get him killed, is the one who’s already dead!”