Echoes of Fire (The Mercury Pack #4)(52)

Bracken didn’t let his expression alter. “Did he?”

“When I heard you were Maddie’s mate, I called Cain for some info on you. I need to be sure she’s looked after. He assured me that you’d treat her well and that her safety would be your priority. Does he have that right?”

Both Bracken and his wolf bristled. “You don’t get to act all paternal and protective of her when you didn’t offer her a place in your pride.”

Vinnie’s mouth curled. “She wouldn’t have joined—I saw that straight off. But I did hold out hope that she’d mate with one of my boys.”

Bracken didn’t rise to the taunt. He simply stated, “Not gonna happen.”

“Yeah, I see that.”

Ingrid shot her son a reprimanding look. “Stop poking at the wolf.”

“Give me that back, you scrawny little freak!” a girl shouted.

The sound of footsteps thundering up the stairs made Bracken look to the doorway just as a teenage girl and a boy of about eleven came running into view.

Glowering madly, the teen snatched a pink cell phone out of the boy’s hand. “If you ever touch my phone again, Damian, I’ll puncture your lung with my heel! Why don’t you go play Dungeons and Dragons like the loser you are!”

He sneered at her. “You’re just mad ’cause Gran loves me more! And why wouldn’t she? You’re so dumb, Elle, you couldn’t find water if you fell out of a boat!”

Elle’s fingers retracted like claws. “At least I wasn’t born on a highway where most accidents happen!”

“At least I wasn’t dropped on my head repeatedly as a baby!”

“No, you were thrown at the freaking wall!” she hissed. “God, it offends me that you breathe!”

“You know what?” Damian pointed at her. “You’ve put on weight!”

Staggering back a step, she gasped in horror, hand flying to her chest. “You take that back!”

“Why? You gonna eat that too?”

“Satan’s child!”

“Flabby-assed bi—”

“Enough!” bellowed Vinnie.

Elle flushed, eyes slamming on the Alpha. “You always take his side.”

“Because he loves me more,” Damian taunted.

Vinnie didn’t bother pointing out that he hadn’t taken anyone’s side. Just watched as the teen and the boy stormed off in opposite directions. Sighing, Vinnie turned to Bracken. “If you and Maddie are going to have kids, don’t have more than one. Or at least wait a decade before having the next one.”

Bracken’s brow furrowed. “Why?”

Ingrid explained, “Pallas kits don’t get along well with their siblings if they’re too close in age.”

Luke pulled up his sleeve, showing a huge scar on his elbow. “Tate gave me that when I was ten. I ate one of his fries.”

Tate pointed to a scar on his neck. “That was courtesy of Luke when he was twelve. I went into his room without knocking first. Little bastard nicked an artery.”

“You startled me on purpose,” Luke accused. “And you did it because you could.”

Tate shrugged. “I was bored.”

Looking at Bracken once again, Vinnie advised, “Just stick to one kit, Slater.”

“We might not have any kits,” Bracken pointed out. “We could just have pups.”

“I still wouldn’t risk it,” said Vinnie. “You can tell yourself it can’t be that bad, but you’ll change your mind eight years down the line when you’re disciplining one kit for trying to kill the other in its sleep.”

Luke glared at his brother. “Not a night I’ll ever forget.”

Again, Tate shrugged. “That sound you made annoyed me.”

Luke’s brows snapped together. “What? Snoring?”

“Breathing.”

As the brothers proceeded to argue, Vinnie held up a finger. “One, Slater. Just one.”





CHAPTER TEN



Done wiping down the barbecue so it would be ready for the following day, Bracken dug out his phone. Before he had the chance to swipe his thumb across the screen, Marcus spoke.

“It’s two minutes later than when you last checked the time.”

Probably. But fuck if the time didn’t seem to be dragging. There was still another hour before the baby shower was over, and Bracken was impatient to go and collect his mate.

Hearing a childish squeal, he looked to find Kent chasing the pups around the play area. They were the only other members of the pack still on their territory. Caleb hadn’t gone to the baby shower either, but he was working Gwen’s shift at the motel.

Rolling back his shoulders, Bracken tried to shake off his tension. Couldn’t. Not while Madisyn was so far away from him.

Derren unscrewed the cap from his bottle. “Your mate will be fine, Brack. She’s on Phoenix Pack territory, which is very secure. We helped make it that secure.”

He knew that. But he also knew that the territory wasn’t impenetrable. Madisyn wasn’t a member of that pack, which meant she wouldn’t be the priority of anyone there in the event of a problem. And yeah, okay, he just fucking missed her. She made him smile. Laugh. Relax. Smoothed over the frayed edges of his soul. How could he not detest it when she was away from him? His wolf also missed her.