Page 91 of Brandon’s Mate

The orange light turned to red, and Brandon Changed without warning, back to panther. He felt Raines pressing down on his mind, trying to break him, trying to control him.

Trying to make him hurt Kitty.

Fight, he told his panther. Don’t let him beat you. He wants us to hurt Kitty.

Mate. Protect… He could feel the strain in his panther’s mind, as the desire to protect his mate warred with the magic of the artifact.

He was going to break under the strain.

We are alpha, Brandon said. We submit to no one.

He glanced at Kitty. Monster Wolf was half-crouched, and he could feel her fighting Raines’ control.

Raines bore down on his mind. “Submit,” he said. “Kill her.”

Then a voice came into his mind, harsh yet familiar.

Kill it?

Monster Wolf was talking to him.

Chapter 41

Kitty felt the connection between her and Brandon spring to life. No, the connection between Monster Wolf and Brandon, forged the day she was born.

The only person the monster trusted. She said, We submit to no one.

Fuck no we don’t, he replied. We’re Bad Blood.

No, Monster Wolf said. Better. We’re Wild Blood.

Wild Blood. Untameable. Uncontrollable. Submitting to no one, protecting the people they loved. Kitty summoned all her power and strength and love and shoved it through the bond. A line of crackling blue energy sprang up between her and Brandon.

Raines’ eyes widened.

His voice boomed through the sound of crackling flames. “You will submit!”

They strained against the magic, but it wasn’t enough. As much as they loved each other, as strong as their bond was, it wasn’t enough.

We need Colt and Remy! she said frantically to Brandon. He was growling now, his panther’s eyes going feral. Colt and Remy! Call them!

But it wasn’t Colt or Remy who came. There was a shout behind them, and the sound of gunfire. Kitty’s nose was hit by the scent of winter, and then something huge and white barreled out of the woods surrounding the parking lot, scattering a group of panthers.

A freaking polar bear the size of a minibus. Sasquatch?

He was bleeding from half a dozen bullet wounds, but he didn’t even slow down. He cannoned into Raines with a roar, and knocked him halfway across the parking lot.

Raines, spitting gravel out of his mouth, raised his arm, red light spilling out from that damn bracelet. “Panthers! Kill!”

All hell broke loose. Crows and panthers dove into action.

For a minute, Kitty thought they were done. They couldn’t fight two armies. Then she saw columns of crows dive-bombing the panthers, and she realized exactly what Caleb had done.

The crow leader wanted to get rid of Raines and Jax, and take the Farville territory for himself—and he also wanted to get rid of Brandon and Kitty. He’d lined them all up like damned dominoes. Callie to draw in Kitty, Kitty to draw in Brandon, and Brandon to draw in Raines and his panthers, making them come out here in the open instead of Caleb trying to attack them in their own compound.

Unfortunately, the panthers hadn’t forgotten about her and Brandon. A group of them leaped out of the darkness, and the battle was on.

She slashed and tore and bit, going for leg tendons, soft bellies—crippling was faster than killing, and they needed to take down as many as they could. If they could only make it to the Catalina, they might be able to get away.