Free Suffering & Salvation by Kenzie James Celia Kyle Page A

him. “You know…with that stray staying with you.”
    Simi, not Isa, propelled forward, defense mechanism in overdrive, not letting any woman, let alone this pretentious bitch, touch what was hers. Simi snarled, stepping between them.
    As if the female wolf had just noticed her, the woman jumped back and squealed.
    “ I’m that stray, you bitch. Back the hell off. Brand is with me.” Simi snarled again, louder this time, as Isa helped with the intimidation, lending a hand by extending and displaying her canines, shifting her fingers into claws.
    The female wolf dropped her gaze and Simi placed a razor-sharp claw beneath her chin, raising the woman’s face and pricking her with it, warning, “Am I understood?”
    The woman whimpered and closed her eyes, and Simi hoped the female wolf was smart enough to see just how close to death she was. Okay, death might be a bit extreme, but Isa didn’t appreciate the woman being a wolf-poacher. Wolfie was hers!
    Brand massaged the tense muscles of her neck, his lips a hairsbreadth from her ear. “Easy, Isa. It’s okay, I think she’s learned her lesson. I don’t think she’ll be trying that again.” He ran his hand along her arm, and her anger was quickly replaced by affection, a hint of arousal rising between her thighs as she tried to calm herself. Adrenaline pumping through her veins, Brand pulled her shifted hand from the woman’s chin and back to her side.
    Heartbeat easing, she leaned against Brand, absorbing his calm.
    “Right, Margot?”
    The woman jerked her head in a short nod. “Right. So right. S-Sorry.”
    Good. Hearing Margot stutter made her feel good. Not very nice of her, but Isa was well pleased and Simi had to agree. So this is what it feels like to stand up for myself. Huh. I like it.
    Brand pulled her through the doorway, past the now shaking Margot, and once inside, Simi forced him to change direction, slipping into the first available room.
    “Brand, I’m sorry…”
    He placed a finger against her lips. “Don’t you dare apologize. We’re newly mated, little cat, and if any man were to approach you like that tonight, I’ll probably do the same. Besides, it was kinda hot.” He smiled and tugged her close, showing her just how hot he’d found the possessive display to be. “All better now?”
    “Perfect.”
    “Good, because we’re late.” He guided her toward the door and out into the hallway, following the flow of traffic to the back of the house. “We’re meeting in the Gathering room, and hopefully, there should be enough space to fit all of us.”
    She nodded, finding nothing meaningful to say, still replaying what’d happened, in her head. The crush of people made Isa nervous, made her want to nip at the wolves and birds that got too close to her. To stop touching her.
    Finally there, Brand led her along the wall, staying as far away from the others as possible. He steered her up onto the dais and placed her in a seat to his right, the largest of the chairs resting to his left. That meant… She leaned over and whispered, “You’re Beta?”
    Only, it apparently came out a little louder than she’d anticipated. A snicker emerged from the crowd, followed by a loud, “Guess we know she’s not with you for your position, eh, Brand?”
    Everyone laughed, the sound rolling through the room in waves. Smiling wide, Dean jumped onto the dais and stood before his chair, raising his arms and calling for silence. “I call this Gather—”
    “We want our bitch back!” The roar emanated from the back of the room and the crowd shifted, bodies moving as the one who spoke, as well as his followers, shoved people aside as they approached. Snarls, growls, squawks followed the interlopers, until they all stood in front of the dais.
     Pride. Oh, good lord, they were here to take her back. Did they know what really happened to Bear?
    No, no, no, no! I’m never going back to that hellhole! Isa roared from within, standing up on hind legs and