“Fixing you,” he said in a deep voice.
At his short answer, Maggie remembered Cydney telling her Brand only spoke when he had something to say, and when he did, it was short and to the point.
“How?” She yelped as he shifted back into a wolf, licked her hand, then just as quickly, turned back into a man.
“Like this. I’m going to keep doing this until you’re no longer afraid of me. And in turn, of Dolf.”
True to his word, Brand shifted half a dozen times into his wolf form, then back to human again. Each time, he urged her to touch him in some way. By the sixth one, Maggie had to admit seeing him as a wolf didn’t seem quite as scary. She could handle it now.
But her fear returned in a sudden rush when Brand shifted from wolf to werewolf form. She opened her mouth as if to scream, only to have a large, furred hand clamp over it, silencing her before any sound escaped.
“No, Maggie,” Brand said in a gruffer sounding voice than his normal one. “Look at me.”
She shook her head as her eyes widened, while she breathed at a fast pace through her nose. He was so much bigger in this form, scarier, standing at almost seven feet, looking half human and half wolf.
Brand pulled his hand away from her mouth and took hold of her chin, forcing her to meet his wolf-eyed gaze. “Look at me,” he repeated. “I won’t hurt you.”
“I can’t,” she whispered.
“Yes, you can. I’m not hurting you. You’re perfectly safe.”
With her chin held firmly in Brand’s grip, Maggie didn’t have much choice but to stare at him. She looked into his eyes. Even though they were those of a wolf, she didn’t see anything feral in them. If anything, they stared back at her with patience lurking in their depths.
By degrees, her heart rate slowed until it almost beat normally. Her fear didn’t completely disappear, but she was no longer terrified. It still didn’t mean she was ready to accept a man like Brand, or Dolf, into her life with open arms, though.
“Better?” he asked.
She nodded and swallowed. “Yes.”
“Then you’ll see Dolf,” Brand stated.
“No.”
“Yes, you will. You’re his mate.” He let go of her chin.
“It doesn’t matter. Just because I’ve gotten a little over seeing you like this…” she let her words trail off before she waved her hand up and down in front of him, “…I don’t want to be a part of what you are. What Dolf is. I ended up in the middle of it once. What are the chances it’ll happen again?”
“It won’t. The Anglo-Saxon god, Tiw, protects the mansion.
Cydney
doesn’t feel as if she’s in danger.”
“That’s because Cydney is Cydney, and she loves Wulfric.”
“You’ll love Dolf.”
“I can’t take that risk.”
“He’s your mate,” Brand said as if that were the answer to everything.
“So? It doesn’t matter. I don’t love him. I barely know him.”
“Only because you refuse to give him a chance. If you did, you’d see he’s yours.”
Feeling frustrated, Maggie asked sharply, “Why do you care whether I’m with Dolf or not? It doesn’t affect you.”
Brand shifted into his human form. “I care because I know what it’s like to find your mate, and then have to keep your distance. To watch her from afar while aching to hold her in your arms. It’s hell. I don’t want that for Dolf. He’s my family and I look out for him. All of them.”
Maggie was a little taken aback by Brand’s admission. While he’d spoken, a look of such longing and desperation had flashed across his face. She felt tempted to try to comfort him in some way, but it disappeared before she could do anything.
Brand took a step back. “That’s why I want you to give Dolf a chance. He needs you, Maggie. His life will be a living hell without you.”
His body blurred and he was once again a wolf. Without a sound, he loped away toward the house. She silently followed, his words running through her head.
* * *
Just before their guests left, Cydney managed to corner Maggie in the kitchen while Wulfric and Brand kept her mother busy. It wasn’t a surprise to Maggie—she knew her best friend wouldn’t leave without hearing what’d happened out in the back garden with Brand.
“So spill,” Cydney said in not too loud of a voice, “did Brand help you with, you know what? I noticed once you two came back inside he sat at your feet, and that you were petting him.”
Maggie sighed. “I’ll admit I have no problem seeing him in his wolf form.”
“And the other?”
“I’m not going to say it didn’t scare the bejesus out of me, because it did. But he forced me to take a good look at him. I’m no longer terrified out of my wits, only very uneasy.” She paused. “I don’t think I can do it, Cyd. I don’t think I can get over it enough to ever consider having Dolf in my life. Though, Brand said I need to give Dolf a chance. He doesn’t want Dolf to go through what he has.”
Cydney’s brow furrowed. “What do you mean?”
“Brand said he doesn’t want Dolf to have to go through life knowing I’m his mate, and him not being able to be with me like Brand can’t be with his.”
A shocked expression settled on Cydney’s face. “He actually said that to you?”
“Yeah.”
“Holy shit, Maggie, he’s never told any of us about it. That would explain why he goes off during the day, every day, without telling anyone where he’s going. Apparently, he’s been doing it for years, before Raed met Lexi. They always assumed Raed was the first one to find his mate. Obviously, Brand was.”
Maggie bit her bottom lip. “Ah, Cyd, maybe you shouldn’t tell the others. He didn’t say it was a secret or anything, but if he’s kept quiet about it, he might not want it as common knowledge.”
“I’ll just tell Wulfric.”
“No, promise me you’ll keep this just between us. If you don’t, I’ll tell Wulfric what you did in that bar during our second year of university in Toronto.”
“You wouldn’t.”
“I would.”
“So not fair. I was shitfaced drunk and so was the guy.”
“Then promise.”
Cydney sighed dramatically. “Fine, you win. I promise I won’t say a word, not even to Wulfric.”
“Good.”
“And since you managed to wrangle that out of me, I want you to do something for me.”
Maggie looked at her friend suspiciously. “What?”
“Come spend the night at the mansion tonight.”
“Cyd—”
“Don’t say no. Most of the night, it’ll be just the girls. Us, along with Lexi, Kamryn and Nika. And baby Petra, of course. You can get dropped off after the guys go out hunting.”
“And where would I sleep?”
“There’s a guest bedroom. Yeah…you can stay there.”
“What about Dolf?” Maggie asked. “He’s going to know I’m there.”
Cydney chuckled. “Oh yeah, he’ll know you are.” She then sobered. “Don’t worry about him. I’ll take care of him for you. Just say yes, or I’ll get Brand in here to harass you until you do.”
Maggie wouldn’t put it past Cydney to do just that. And she had a feeling Brand would go along with it. He came across as the type of person not to back down from something he had his mind set on. “All right, you win. You know I’m going to find this hard as hell to do. I don’t know if I’m even ready to take this step. Christ, I really haven’t walked out of the house these last two months until earlier today.”
Cydney hugged her. “I know, Mags. And I’m proud of you. I swear you won’t regret this.”
“I hope you’re right. Give me a call when the coast is clear. I’m sure my dad won’t mind dropping me off.”
Wulfric appeared in the kitchen doorway and looked at Cydney. “Are you ready to go?”
His mate nodded. “We’re all set.” Cydney turned back to Maggie. “I’ll see you later tonight.”
Once her friend crossed the room to the man she loved, Cydney walked into Wulfric’s open arms. He pulled her close and kissed the top of her head. It wasn’t hard to see the love Wulfric had for Cydney. And that Cydney returned it. At one time, Maggie had thought her best friend would never find a man she could love, considering the emotionally neglected home life she’d lived through since her teenage years.
Maggie wanted what Wulfric and her friend had. An image of Dolf flashed through her head. Supposedly, she’d have exactly that, if she were to let Dolf claim her. And immortality to boot.
She sighed inwardly as Wulfric led Cydney out of the room and toward the front door. Did she want that type of forever with Dolf? Maggie didn’t really know. Right now, the question was moot. She wasn’t anywhere near ready to take the kiss Dolf had given her any further.
“Take me hunting with you.”
Dolf looked at Chris and shook his head. “I don’t think that would be a great idea.”
“I have to learn some time.”
“Yes, but you don’t have to start tonight. Just because you had a couple of lessons on how to handle a sword doesn’t mean you’re ready to come hunting werewolves with me.”
“Then I guess I don’t have to help you with Maggie anymore. After I’d informed Raed of everything I’d told you in the car, he’d assured me I no longer have to worry about not having a place to stay. I’m here for good. So you don’t have anything to hold over my head as leverage.”
Dolf growled low in his throat. “You think you’re a hotshot now that Tiw wants you trained as one of his warriors, don’t you? Remember, I’m the one who’ll be beating your arse during said training. I can make it really hard for you.”
“Let me tag along tonight. If I get in the way, or hinder you, I promise I won’t bother you again until you tell me I’m ready.”
He pondered what Chris had said. Even though he hadn’t told him, the other man had done exceptionally well with his first lessons in sword play. For someone who’d never held one before, Chris learned pretty fast, as he’d said he would. But that didn’t mean he was ready to take on another werewolf. On the other hand, it would show his new pupil how much he still needed to be taught.
Dolf nodded. “All right, you can come along tonight. On the condition you do everything I tell you. And no trying to take down prey unless you somehow get caught in the middle of it. Understand?”
“Yes. You have my word.”
“Good. Then go get some dark clothes on. Your white t-shirt will stand out too much.”
He watched Chris walk out of his bedroom. Dolf, already set to go hunting, followed in the other man’s wake and headed downstairs. He then went in the direction of the kitchen to get a drink.
Reaching his destination, Dolf found all the women of the household there. They had large bags of crisps open and popcorn popping away in the microwave. A big bottle of white wine sat on the kitchen table along with a couple of bottles of flavored water, which he figured were for Lexi and Nika, since the former was still nursing Petra and the latter was four months pregnant.
“What’s all this for?” he asked as he walked toward the fridge.
Kamryn answered his question. “We decided to have a girls’ night in. We’re going to watch a sappy, romantic movie and stuff ourselves with junk food, and those who can drink it, alcohol.”
“Sounds like my kind of night,” he said. “Minus the movie, though. A football game would be better.”
“Well, you weren’t invited, Dolf,” Lexi said.
“Now I’m hurt.” He opened the fridge and took out a bottle of water. He unscrewed the cap and drank half of it in three big gulps. “Is Petra asleep?”
Lexi nodded. “Yes, and she should stay that way. She’s sleeping through the entire night now, thank goodness.”
Dolf finished the rest of his drink and put the empty plastic container on the counter. “Enjoy your girlie movie. And just so you know, I’m taking Chris out hunting with me.”
“Good,” Cydney said.
He turned his gaze on her. “I would’ve thought you would’ve told me it was a bad idea, considering he’s Maggie’s friend and all.”
“I’m confident you’ll keep him safe. Plus, it’s better that Chris is out of the house, since we’re having a girl’s night. I think he’d much rather spend it with you.”
“I can see your point,” Dolf said with a chuckle. “Anyway, have fun. I’m off.”
He left the women in the kitchen and headed for the foyer. Chris, along with his fellow warriors, waited for him near the front door.
“All set?” Raed asked.
“Yeah,” Dolf replied.
Raed assigned them different areas of the city to hunt before they all left the mansion. As he walked to his car with Chris, Dolf saw the other man had his sword strapped to his back, wearing a black jacket over it. The only part that showed was the grip, which stuck out a little by the collar. Unlike Dolf and his fellow warriors, Chris couldn’t will the weapon away. He’d have to physically carry it if he wanted to use it.
It didn’t take long before they were in their section and out of the car, walking down the dark streets in search of prey. They neared the neighborhood park, a favorite place werewolves liked to lurk. The area was dark enough to hide their presence, and if any mortals happened to pass through, the beasts would consider them fair game.