Echoes of Fire (The Mercury Pack #4)(39)

“I can’t walk away, Slater. Not from this.”

Bracken smiled. “I was hoping you’d say that.” He shrugged off his coat and tossed it on the hood of Madisyn’s car. “I guess we’ll have to battle it out, right here, right now.”

Shocked, Archer stared at him. “Are you forgetting that I’m an Alpha?”

“You’re a born alpha, but you’re nothing close to a true Alpha.”

Archer exhaled heavily, aiming to look bored, but he didn’t pull it off. No, his wariness was clear. “Don’t want to fight with you, Slater. Like I said, I respect you.”

“I can’t return the sentiment.”

A muscle in Archer’s cheek ticked. “All right. You and I will battle this out. Copper and Ink will watch over your mate,” he added with a smile. The message was clear: while Bracken was distracted, they’d attack her.

“She’ll kill them if they touch her.”

“She won’t have to,” said a female voice to their far left. Dawn. “We’ll do that.”

Seemingly out of nowhere, dozens of shifters stepped out of the trees that bordered the parking lot. Bracken figured that they were staff or residents of the shelter.

Dawn flicked him a brief look as she said, “I called Nick. He’s on his way.” She went back to glaring at Archer. “And he’s not at all happy to hear that two of his pack members are being threatened—especially on land that’s under his protection. So if you have any sense in that thick head of yours, bear, you’ll leave right now and stay the hell away.”

Bracken knew why the female would rather they flee. She didn’t want violence occurring near the shelter; many of the residents had run from violence, and it was important for them to feel safe there. Plus, sponsors might not want to be linked to a place that engaged in war with other shifters, and they might withdraw their funding—it had happened after a wolf pack had invaded the place. Nonetheless, Bracken didn’t want the Alpha to leave. He wanted to fucking obliterate him.

Clenching his fists and grinding his teeth, Archer stared at him, clearly struggling with the need to back down. Bracken prayed that he wouldn’t, but that prayer went unanswered. Finally, eyes hard as stone, Archer signaled his enforcers. “Let’s go.”

“I meant what I said,” Bracken called out. “If you ever so much as bother Madisyn again, I won’t just destroy you, I’ll wipe out your entire clan. It’ll be as if you never existed.” Just like the compound of extremists—the words went unsaid, but they were heard.

Without a word, the Mavericks headed to a cluster of motorcycles. Moments later, they were whizzing out of the lot.

Dawn let out a relieved breath. “Let’s hope the bastards let this alone.”

Bracken doubted that they would, which meant there was an ongoing threat to his mate . . . who didn’t seem in the least bit remorseful for having ignored his warning. Rage a living, breathing, hissing thing in his gut, Bracken turned to her. “I told you on the phone to go back inside.”

“You did,” she said, unfazed by the menace in his tone. “But you had to know I wouldn’t.”

“Madisyn—”

“If I’d retreated into the building, he would have interpreted it as fear. Showing weakness to a predator is just plain dumb. Besides, it was best just to get the conversation over and done with.”

Bracken advanced on her. “Over and done with? Like he’ll just walk away after a little talk?” Looming over her, he growled, “I saw how badly he wants the sow. He’s not gonna give up easy.”

“He’ll find coming at me a pointless exercise. And you need to back the fuck up.” She didn’t like his aggressive body language at all. Her cat’s upper lip quivered as a low gurgle rumbled in her chest.

“Back up?”

“Yeah. Unless you’re curious about testicular replacement surgery.”

Dismissing that, he asked, “Do you really think those bears came here just to chat with you? They probably meant to knock you around a little. Maybe even take you somewhere for a whole different kind of chat. If I hadn’t turned up and made it clear that you’re mine—”

“Bracken, I’ve been taking care of myself for a long time, and I’m good at it. I like doing it. You can feel as overprotective as you want, but don’t think I won’t burst any Bubble Wrap that you try to wind around me. I don’t need it.”

“I warned you how I’d be.”

“Yes, you warned me that I’d find it hard to handle what you threw at me. But what you’re missing is that you will find it hard to handle what I throw right back at you. I know you’re hyperprotective, and I get why. But that doesn’t mean I’ll accommodate it.” Her cat sniffed, in full agreement with that.

He ground his teeth. “You’re not listening to me.”

“I’m hearing you, Bracken, but you’re not hearing me. If you want someone biddable who’ll roll over and submit to your every command, you need to walk away. Just walk. Because—knowing what you’ve been through—I’ll be as understanding as I can, but I will not change who I am for you. I will not pander to your paranoia. I will not be wrapped in cotton wool and play down my level of dominance for you. No way. I’m not asking you to be anyone other than who you are—push all you want. But know that I’ll just push back. And I’ll push harder.”