Echoes of Fire (The Mercury Pack #4)(89)
All the males suddenly snapped out of their stupor, but no one moved to intervene. It was never a good idea to get between two fighting female shifters. Never. They’d just as easily turn on you for the implication that they couldn’t finish the fight themselves. So Bracken, Derren, and Claudia’s team all just stood there, shouting encouragement at whichever female they were supporting.
Claudia lifted her legs and kicked the locker, shoving her weight back at Madisyn. Bracken and his wolf snarled as their mate stumbled backward and crashed into the kitchenette counter. Since she still had a firm grip on Claudia’s hair, the she-wolf was forced to go with her.
With a disturbing laugh, Madisyn snatched an unwashed cup from beside the sink and smashed it over Claudia’s head. Drops of coffee and bits of porcelain splattered all over the she-wolf and the floor.
Shrieking, Claudia slammed her foot on Madisyn’s instep, wrenching a hiss of pain out of her. Bracken clenched his fists against the urge to stalk forward and grab the little bitch by her throat.
Her expression one of pure fury, Madisyn yanked Claudia’s head back by her hair, grabbed the—oh God—coffee maker, and brought it crashing down on Claudia’s face. There was a nauseating crack. Claudia cried out. Blood spurted. His wolf bared his teeth, satisfied.
Madisyn shoved her at the table with a sneer. Claudia, far too dazed to steady herself, went down as she staggered forward. There was a god-awful thump as her head smacked the table, knocking Claudia clean out.
The security team jumped into action, eyes narrowed on Madisyn, but Bracken and Derren planted themselves in their path.
Bracken jabbed a finger at them. “You don’t fucking touch her.”
“She just beat the shit out of our boss!” one of the males yelled.
“Oh, please.” Breathing a little fast, Madisyn sidled up to Bracken. “I only smacked her around a little.”
The thing was . . . Bracken knew she wasn’t kidding. He’d seen how vicious his mate could be. Seen how fast she could incapacitate someone if she chose to do so. Technically, she hadn’t fought with the she-wolf. Hadn’t given her the respect of a duel. No, she’d dragged her around the room, hitting her with objects and knocking her into shit—which would make the embarrassment of losing the fight much worse for Claudia. In that sense, what Madisyn had done to her was nothing, really. A direct message that, in Madisyn’s view, Claudia herself was nothing.
“She went in there to make peace with you,” another male ground out.
Madisyn snorted. “She wanted to know what I’d do if she wouldn’t stay away from Bracken. Now she knows. And if any of you can deny that someone who tries coming between mates had that coming, I’ll call bullshit.”
The males didn’t say anything. What could they say? Madisyn had only been defending her mating, and she’d had every right to do so.
“Here’s what you’re going to do,” Bracken said to the wolves. “You’re going to leave. You, Claudia, the rest of your team—you’re all gonna leave right now. And you will not return to this club ever again.”
Bristling, the male in the center shook his head. “Claudia’s father won’t like hearing that. It’s really not a good idea to have her barred from here.”
“It wouldn’t be a good idea for her to get within two feet of my mate ever again in her life,” said Bracken. “So if you’re really interested in Claudia’s safety, you’ll get her out of here, and you’ll keep her away.” He stepped aside, allowing the males to pass.
Casting odd looks at Madisyn, they scooped up a bleeding, coffee-covered Claudia and removed her from the room.
Bracken guided his mate over to the sink, wet a paper towel, and dabbed the blood spatter from her face and neck. “I can’t leave you alone for five minutes, can I?”
“You mad at me?” she asked.
“Mad?” He grabbed her hand and put it over his cock, letting her feel how hard he was. His wolf was just as turned on by the strength and mercilessness she’d shown just now.
Her brows lifted. “I see.”
“Besides, how can I be mad when our scents have mixed?”
She frowned, nostrils flaring. “Shit, they have.” And it made feminine satisfaction flutter through her. “I don’t get why.”
He tucked her hair behind her ear. “I do. After the barbecue, you swore that the next time someone attacked what we had, you’d defend it. And that was exactly what you did.” He kissed her. “Whatever Claudia said to you, you didn’t let her fill your head with doubts, didn’t start to doubt me all over again. That strengthened the bond.” And now she smelled of him, just as he did of her. Everyone would know the moment they picked up her scent that she was mated, that she was his. And that made the cock in her hand throb. “You’d better take care of this when we get back to my lodge.”
Her smile was all sin. “I think I can do that.”
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
Driving across the border of pack territory a little while later, Bracken tangled his hand in his mate’s hair as she licked and sucked his cock, humming and moaning. She was fucking lethal with that mouth. Took him deep. Kept the suction tight. Drove him insane with her tongue by dancing it around his length, tracing the thick vein, and flicking the spot beneath the crown.