Free Mating Brand: 3 (Mating Heat) by Laurann Dohner

her
children are mated so she’s considered family. A new mate’s protection would be
extended to her children if they were too young to take a mate. Without that
protection, she would have been killed and the pride leader would have killed
my brother as well. No one would have taken him into their home to raise
because he is half human. They couldn’t risk sending him to live with humans in
case he had the ability to shift. It could have given us away for what we are.
My sisters and I would have been handed off to other prides that pay for
half-breeds who can’t shift. They would have used us as breeders. They—”
    “I know what those bastards do. They took my cousin’s mate,
hoping to force a litter from her.”
    She nodded. “Breeanna was just nine years old and Megan was
thirteen. I was eighteen and the only one old enough to take a mate to save our
family. Adam, my brother, wasn’t even a year old at the time.” Her gaze held
his. She needed for him to see the truth. “The pride leader would have killed
my parents and baby brother and sold my sisters into hell if I had run off with
you. That’s why I had to go back, Brand. My agreement to mate the pride leader’s
son was all that protected my family.”
    “Fuck.” He closed his eyes and his forehead pressed against
hers. “You could have told me. I would have gotten them out.”
    “And taken them where? Your pack and other prides would have
killed them. If you’re not inside pride lands, you’re inside pack territory, or
a lot worse. Either way, they would have been killed and my two sisters turned
into breeders. It’s sick and wrong but just the thought of a bunch of males
touching my sisters when they hit breeding age…” She took a deep breath. “Do
you get that? They don’t wait until they are of mating age. Megan would have
been sold to those monsters and she hadn’t even started high school yet. Hell,
she never would gone because most prides think educating breeders beyond
learning how to read is a waste of money and time. I also was afraid your pack
would turn on you if you brought me home. We’re natural enemies.”
    His eyes opened to stare at her. “You and I are not enemies.”
    “I know that but does your pack?”
    “They’ll accept you. Where is your family? I’ll bring them
here and smooth it out somehow to make sure they are safe. I won’t allow anyone
to hurt them, Charma. Your sisters won’t be touched by anyone.”
    “They are fine where they are now. Megan mated last year to
the younger son of a stronger pride leader in the lands adjoining ours. It was
a negotiated deal when they fell in love, between the two prides. Percy, my
pride leader, can’t harm my family without causing a war he can’t win. Their
pride is bigger, their family really large, and they’d wipe out every male in
my pride if it came down to a fight. Darbin, the other pride leader, accepted
our family as his own when Megan mated his son. To harm any members of her
family except me would be a grave offense.”
    “Why not you?” His voice turned into a snarl again, his rage
clear.
    “Because I am mated to Percy’s son. I’m considered their
property and not part of my family any longer. I’m not protected by Darbin.”
    “You’re mine now to protect and no one will ever hurt you.
Why didn’t you come to me sooner if you could have left a year ago after your
sister and family were safe?”
    “I didn’t know where you were. I thought you’d have mated by
now anyway or you wouldn’t want me back. I only found you because the prides
were declaring war on your pack and I saw your picture.”
    “Us and our damn rules about not talking about our families.”
He growled. “I should have given you my address and made you memorize it. I
should have ignored you when you made that stupid rule.”
    “It was safer for us both if we didn’t know where our
families lived. We knew one day we’d have to part.”
    “It was stupid. You could have come