Love Everlasting

Wolves of East Anglia - 6

by

Marisa Chenery

Chapter One

Brand heard the sound of the mewling cries of a newborn baby coming from upstairs as he headed to the kitchen to grab a quick breakfast. Finding that room empty, he put some bread into the toaster before pouring himself a cup of coffee from the coffeemaker that had been programmed to run around the time the occupants of the manor house awoke.

He’d just sat at the large kitchen table with his food and coffee when Nika walked into the room carrying her two-week-old son, Luke. Brand noticed she looked tired.

“Did you get much sleep last night?” he asked.

“Not really,” Nika replied as she pulled out a chair from the table and sat. “Luke still wants to eat every two hours. Garrick got up a couple of times with him since I’m now supplementing Luke with formula, but it wouldn’t be too fair of me to make Garrick do more than that after hunting Fenris’s get all night. Garrick needs his sleep too.”

The baby made some fussing noises, and Nika put Luke up on her shoulder and patted his back. The infant soon settled.

“Give Luke to me,” Brand said, and held out his arms across the table for Nika to pass him the baby.

She shook her head. “You’re eating.”

“Nika,” he said, “give me the baby. I can eat and hold him at the same time. You need some food as well.”

“Fine. I’m sure you won’t take no for an answer. You never do.” She handed Brand the baby. “I’m not all that hungry, so I’ll be quick. I know you want to go out again, and I won’t hold you up.”

Brand positioned Luke on his shoulder and rubbed the baby’s back until he stopped squirming. Brand turned his head and kissed Luke’s soft cheek as he dragged in the infant’s scent. Even though he hadn’t told anyone, he loved the smell of babies and hoped one day to have one of his own.

“It’s fine, Nika,” he said. “Don’t rush. I have nothing pressing to do.”

As she put some bread into the toaster, Nika asked, “Where is it that you go when you leave? You never say a word about what you do. You’re gone all day and come back to have dinner then go hunting.”

Brand took a sip of coffee before he answered. He liked to keep his daily excursions his business. “Around.”

Nika turned to face the table. “Around? That’s it? I have a feeling Maggie knows, but she isn’t telling.”

Maggie, Dolf’s mate, was the only person he’d said something to about what he’d kept hidden for so many years. And he’d only done it to try to convince her how Dolf would feel if she continued to hold her mate at arm’s length, afraid to accept Dolf as hers.

In way of answer, Brand picked up a piece of toast off his plate and took a big bite. That just caused Nika to shake her head.

He knew she’d hoped to get him to talk, but he wasn’t ready to do that. Maybe one day, though the chances were pretty slim. He wasn’t much of a talker and kept his emotions close. Even as a mortal, he’d been that way.

Brand waited until Nika had finished her breakfast before he handed the baby back and then headed out the front door of the manor house. He went to the large, detached garage and got into his silver Lexus LFA sports car. It didn’t take him long to pull out onto the long, gravel drive and onto the road.

He drove to middle of Norwich and parked at the side of the road two blocks from his destination. On foot, he traveled the rest of the distance as he did day after day. At least today it wasn’t raining, and he wouldn’t end up soaked to the bone from standing out in it.

Slowing his pace as he neared the small building containing a number of flats, Brand looked toward the window on the second floor that faced the road. He came to an instant stop and shifted closer to the wall of the building beside him, though he could still see what took place at the smaller one.

A woman had her head stuck out the window as she yelled at a man who stood on the pavement looking up at her. Brand’s gaze greedily soaked up the sight of the woman—his mate. Though she didn’t know that yet. With his acute hearing, he heard every word she said.

“I told you to come for your shit last week, Teddy,” the woman said sharply.

“Oh, come on, Elsa. Just because I didn’t come and get my stuff when you wanted doesn’t mean you can stop me from picking it up today.”

“Fine,” Elsa called down. “You want your shit right now? I’ll give it to you.” She disappeared for a few seconds, then returned and pushed an armload of clothes out the window to rain down on Teddy. “Don’t go just yet. There’s a little bit more.” Elsa disappeared again just before more clothes went sailing through the air.

“Do you know how much of a bitch you’re being right now?” Teddy called up to her, anger tingeing his words. He scrambled around, picking up his belongings off the pavement. He then shoved the lot into the car parked on the side of the street in front of him.

Brand stiffened, not liking the tone the other man used. Elsa was Brand’s mate, and as such, he wouldn’t tolerate another male abusing her so. But he kept his silence for now, wanting to watch how this played out.

“I’m being a bitch?” Elsa yelled. “Then I guess that makes you an asshole, Teddy. You’re the one who decided to dump me, your fiancée, to take up with your old girlfriend. You’re lucky I haven’t done more than throw your clothes at you. And by the way, I’m keeping the furniture. I paid for most of it, anyway. So sod off. I can’t stand the sight of you.”

“The way you’re acting now, I’m thinking I made the right decision. You can keep the bloody furniture, but I want the laptop. I bought that. And don’t you dare throw it out the window.”

“Will you go away if I give it to you?”

“Yes.”

“I’ll be down in a minute then.”

Brand shifted his gaze to the entrance of the building. Elsa stepped through the door less than a minute later, carrying a laptop. She shoved it at Teddy. “Take the damn thing and leave.”

“I think I should come up and make sure there isn’t anything you’ve forgotten to give me that is mine,” Teddy said as he tried to sidestep around Elsa.

She moved with him, blocking his attempts. “No way in hell are you coming up to the flat. It’s mine now. I even had the landlady take your name off the lease.”

Teddy put out his arm to shove her aside, and that was enough to have Brand closing the distance between him and the other two people. Once Elsa had come down from the flat, he’d inched closer to the couple.

“Everything okay?” Brand asked, his question directed at Elsa.

She nodded. “Yes. He was just leaving.”

“No, I’m not,” Teddy said sharply.

Teddy went to step around Elsa again, but Brand shifted so he stood directly in front of the smaller man, who ended up bouncing off Brand’s chest. Brand took great satisfaction in the fact that he had twice the muscle mass Teddy had, and that he towered over the man.

Brand bent his head slightly, looked Teddy direct in the eyes, and said, “Leave.” He spoke the one word with a hint of a growl and a snarl of his lip.

The other man audibly swallowed, clutched the laptop he held close to his chest, and quickly turned on his heel. Without looking back, Teddy got into his car and drove away, cutting off traffic in his haste.

Brand turned back to Elsa. He couldn’t help but run his gaze over her gorgeous face, taking in her long, light brown hair and slim, curvy body. She stared at him with her hazel eyes. This was the closest he’d been to her in the past seven years. The first time they’d met she’d only been sixteen. Now she stood before him a mature woman and obviously one who was sure of herself.

With that one chance meeting, Brand had known she was the one meant for him—his mate. Back then, his wolf had thrown its head back inside him and had howled with longing. As it was doing right at this moment. Even though none of his other fellow warriors had yet to find their mates at that time, Brand had known what Elsa was to him. Only her age had stopped him from claiming her. Walking away from her that day had been the hardest thing he’d ever done, but that hadn’t stopped him from watching over her all these years to make sure she was protected and happy. He’d even gone so far to ensure her happiness by not interfering when he’d found out she’d become engaged. He would have let her marry another man if that had been what she truly wanted. He’d found out about her engagement six months before when he’d followed her to a local pub where she’d met up with a bunch of her friends to celebrate. It’d just about torn Brand’s heart out.

“Ah, thanks,” Elsa said. “Teddy was being a bit of a wanker.”

“No problem.”

They stood staring at each other for a couple of seconds before Elsa broke the silence. “Do I know you? You look awfully familiar.”

“No, you don’t.”

She smiled. “You don’t say much, do you?”

Brand shrugged. “Not really.”

“So you’re the strong, dark, and silent type. Nothing wrong with that. Must mean you’re more of a thinker.” She held out her hand. “I’m Elsa.”

He wrapped his much bigger one around hers, glorying in the feel of the skin-to-skin contact. His cock twitched, and he became semi-aroused. “Brand.”

“Well, Brand, it was nice to meet you.”

Elsa made to let go, but he didn’t release her. “Have a drink with me at the pub this afternoon.”

She hesitated for a few seconds before she nodded. “Sure. Why the hell not? I can drink to seeing the last of my asshole ex-fiancé while I’m at it. Tell me the time and the pub and I’ll be there.”

“How about the White Stallion? It’s just down the street from here. Around three?”

Elsa tugged her hand free once he loosened his grip. “Sure. Sounds good. See you then.”

Brand watched her walk back into her building before he went down the street. He didn’t go very far. He still had to watch over Elsa and, especially, make sure Teddy didn’t come back to bother her again.

* * *

Elsa closed her flat’s door behind her and locked it. She leaned against it with a big smile tugging at her lips. With a silly giggle, she ran to the window and looked down, hoping to catch another glimpse of Brand before he left, but he ended up being nowhere in sight.

She went to her bedroom and surveyed the mess she’d made while collecting Teddy’s clothes to throw out the window. She had to admit it had felt good watching them rain down on him. After a year and a half of being together, it just went to show Elsa really hadn’t known her ex-fiancé, after all. Never had she thought he would have broken their engagement to jump at the chance of getting back with his former girlfriend. She’d known Teddy and the girl had been in love—he’d told her that much—but she’d thought for sure he’d gotten over the woman and that he’d loved Elsa more. Boy had she been wrong. He’d dumped her and became engaged to his first love on the same day. That’d been a nice slap to Elsa’s face.

But things were looking up for her. Meeting Brand was exactly what she needed. In looks, Brand was all man with his big muscles and gruff, quiet exterior. Teddy had none of those things. Compared to Brand, Teddy came across as a wimp. He really hadn’t been the type of guy Elsa was attracted to. Now reflecting back, Teddy had just been comfortable to be with.

Brand, on the other hand, made her panties wet just from looking at him. He had past-the-shoulders black hair and dark blue eyes. She wanted to eat him up. Or at the very least lick every inch of his well-muscled, hard body. She also liked the fact he was really tall at six feet five. Teddy was only an inch and a half taller than her five foot five. It’d been pretty funny to watch her ex bounce off Brand’s chest.

Elsa set to work cleaning her bedroom. She’d also give her flat a bit of a cleaning, just in case she ended up inviting Brand over after their drink at the pub. Actually, if she had her way, he would be coming here. Even though it’d only been a couple of weeks since Teddy had broken things off with her, Elsa was more than ready to move on. And Brand looked as if he’d be the man to help her do that.

Her phone rang, and Elsa walked over to the nightstand to pick up the cordless. “Hello?”

“Hey, Elsa. How’s my little sis doing today?”

Elsa smiled at the sound of her sister’s voice. Renea was two years her senior. “Much better. Actually, a lot better.”

“Wow. I don’t think I’ve heard you sound this chipper since that fuckwad Teddy walked out on you. Something must have happened.”

That was her sister—she could swear with the best of them. She’d actually rubbed off a bit on Elsa, much to their mother’s disappointment. “More like a someone.”

“You met a new guy?”

“Yeah.”

“When did this happen? When we spoke yesterday, you were still cursing Teddy.”

“Oh, I did a little of that to his face when he came demanding his stuff back.” Elsa went on to explain what had happened with Teddy and how Brand had stepped in.

“He sounds delicious,” Renea said with a sigh. “If Brand happens to have any single friends, you can always send them my way.”

“I thought you and Jacob were still going strong.”

“That was last week. You know me. It doesn’t take much for me to get bored with a man and then move on to the next one.”

“I don’t think you’re ever going to settle down,” Elsa said with a laugh. “Mum bemoans that she’ll never have grandchildren since the two of us aren’t settling down.”

Renea chuckled. “And she’d had such high hopes for you once you became engaged to Teddy.”

“Well, I still have plenty of time. I’m only twenty-three. We both do. On that note, I’m going to let you go. I have to do a little cleaning up around here. I trashed my bedroom getting Teddy’s clothes out of it.”

Renea chuckled again. “I wish I could have been there to see his face when you shoved his things out the flat’s window at him. I’ll let you go, but I want details tomorrow on how your date went with Brand.”

“Will do. Talk to you tomorrow.”

Elsa ended the call, and then placed the cordless back on its base. Time was slipping away, and she had to get to work on the flat. Her thoughts on Brand, she straightened her room before attacking the living room.

* * *

At five to three that afternoon, Brand sat in his car parked at the side of the road just down from Elsa’s flat. He waited for her to come out of her building. Since the pub wasn’t that far from where she lived, he figured she might walk to the White Stallion. He’d already decided he’d let her get halfway there before he drove to the pub. That way he could watch her for a bit and then drive ahead to meet her when she arrived.

A minute later, Elsa stepped out onto the pavement. Brand sucked in a sharp breath at what she wore. She had on a pair of skinny blue jeans that were molded to her shapely, long legs. They also showed off her bottom in a way that had his cock going instantly hard. A lavender short-sleeved blouse and black high-heeled ankle boots completed the outfit. She was gorgeous. Brand let out a low growl as a man walked by her and then turned his head to take a second look as she went in the other direction.

After starting the car, Brand waited for an opening and then merged with the flow of traffic. He slowed a bit as he drove past Elsa. She didn’t look in his direction and kept walking. He arrived at the pub and parked in the lot next to the building. He got out of the car and headed toward the front entrance, pushing the remote on his keychain to lock the vehicle’s doors.

Reaching the pavement in front of the pub, Brand stopped and turned to look in the direction Elsa walked. He saw her a short distance away. She must have seen him because she waved. He waved back, enjoying the sight of how she moved as she came closer.

“Hi, Brand,” Elsa said once she stood in front of him. “Did you just drive by me in a silver Lexus?” He nodded. “I thought that was you.”

“Shall we go inside?”

“Sure.”

With a hand on the small of Elsa’s back, Brand guided her to the entrance and into the building. Her scent wrapped around him. The small contact made his blood flow hotter, rushing to fill his cock. He’d never thought he’d get to touch Elsa in any way or spend one-on-one time with her. For the first time since he’d found her, he actually had hope that she’d be his mate.

Inside the pub, Brand guided Elsa over to one of the tables at the back of the room. He sat so he faced toward the front of the building, which gave him a good view of the entrance. He never left himself in a position where someone could sneak up on him.

After the waitress took their drink order—a glass of white wine for Elsa and a dark ale for him—Brand turned his attention on Elsa and found her staring at him. He gave her a questioning look.

She smiled. “Sorry, I don’t mean to stare, but I still think you look familiar. As if I should recognize you from somewhere.”

“As I said before, we’ve never met. Maybe I just have one of those faces that everyone finds familiar, and they seem to think they know me.”

Elsa shook her head with a chuckle. “I doubt that. You’d have to be pretty average-looking if that were the case, and you’re far from it. You’re too good-looking.”

Brand smiled, liking that his mate found him attractive. “Thanks for the compliment.”

“I bet you have women telling you that all the time.”

He reached across the table and captured Elsa’s hand. “If they do, I really don’t pay much attention to it. Right now all I care about is what you think of me. Your opinion is more important.” Brand watched Elsa’s cheeks darken to a pretty shade of pink.

She looked down and then back up at his face. “All I can say to that is, wow. You must hold me in high regard, even though we just met. You barely know me. What if I turn out to be a big bitch?”

He gave her a crooked smile. “Oh, I know you aren’t.”

The waitress returned and served them their drinks. Once she left them alone, Elsa said, “So you figure you already have me pegged, do you? Do you have some kind of psychic power that you haven’t told me about?”

Brand shook his head. “No, but I’ve been around enough women to know when one isn’t the type of woman I want to be with shortly after I meet her.”

Elsa took a sip of her wine. “Really? It’s too bad I don’t have that talent, or I might have saved myself a lot of trouble when it came to Teddy.”

“Were you two together long?” Brand already knew the answer, but he still needed to ask the right questions, or Elsa would wonder if he let something slip by accident. She was smart and would pick up on anything she considered out of the ordinary.

“Long enough. In total, it was just over a year.”

“Did you love him?” Brand held himself completely still as he waited for Elsa to answer.

She sighed. “Now that I reflect back on it, probably not. I think I was more in love with the idea of being in love, if you know what I mean. In some ways, Teddy breaking off the engagement was the best thing he could have done for me. At least he didn’t dump me and go back to his ex after we were married. That would have been worse.”

And Brand would have made sure Teddy paid for it, considering what Brand would have given up for the other male to marry the woman who was Brand’s.

“So you’re over Teddy then?” he asked.

She snorted. “I’m over the ‘love’ I had for him, but not over the anger quite yet. The man’s a rat. He could have ended things better than he did. Instead the idiot told me exactly why we were over. His ex-girlfriend had taken him back, and he’d already asked her to marry him. He’d said they couldn’t make it official until he ended things with me. He’d even had the audacity to ask for the ring back that he’d given me so he could give it to his new fiancée.”

Brand suddenly had second thoughts about letting Teddy walk away without facing some kind of consequences. Yes, the other man’s leaving left everything wide open for Brand to claim Elsa as his, but Teddy had insulted Elsa.

“I should pay Teddy a visit,” he said. “Make him squirm a bit.”

Elsa looked solemnly at Brand and then burst out laughing. Brand’s brows furrowed in confusion. She held up a hand, her laughter slowly fading. “I’m not laughing at you. I promise. I just had the mental picture of Teddy pissing himself and screaming like a little girl if you were to show up on his doorstep. The man’s a wimp. He’d probably faint at your feet if you so much as lifted a fist in his direction. You saw today how he couldn’t get away from you fast enough.”

“Well, if he bothers you again, I won’t let it go.”

“If he does, you have my blessing to scare the shit out of him. The fuckwad—as my sister calls Teddy—would deserve it.”

Brand barely managed to hide the smile that tugged at his lips. His mate had a bit of a potty mouth, and he liked it. That meant she wouldn’t hold back if they ever had an argument. She would give it to him with both barrels, which was a good thing. He was the first person to admit he tended to have a domineering personality. If Elsa were the type of woman to sit back and let him do or say anything he wanted, they’d never last. And if he had his way, they’d be together forever.

“Enough about Teddy,” Elsa said. “The more I talk about him the more pissed off I get. So what do you do for a living, Brand?”

“A little of this and that. Nothing you’d consider a real job, I’m sure.” Watching over Elsa had become his day job while hunting werewolves was his night job. He couldn’t tell her about either of those things though.

She took another sip of wine and twirled a lock of her hair between her fingers while she looked at him. Brand itched to reach out and touch the silky mass that fell over her shoulders. He wanted to bury his face in it and just breathe Elsa in.

“Judging by the car you drive,” she said, “I’d say money isn’t a problem for you.”

“No, not really.” Being immortal and having lived for over a thousand years, he’d had plenty of time to amass a fortune. “What do you do?” He’d followed her to work once, but he really didn’t know exactly what her job was.

“Nothing exciting. I’m a bookkeeper at a smallish roofing company. I went to the University of East Anglia for accounting and finance.” Elsa smiled. “Most people think my job is boring, pushing numbers around all day, but I like it. I could have taken my education further to certify myself for something higher. I didn’t. I prefer just being a bookkeeper. Not as much stress.”

Brand stroked his thumb across the back of her hand. He liked listening to Elsa talk, especially about herself. He wanted to learn everything there was about her. “Nothing wrong with liking what you do, no matter what type of job it is.”

Elsa shifted her hand under his and linked their fingers together. “I think we’ve talked enough about me. What about you? Have you always lived in Norwich?”

“Yes. I was born here and can’t see myself ever leaving.”

Back during the time of his birth, it hadn’t been a city, just a settlement called Northwic, which had eventually grown, merging with others until it became the largest walled town in all of medieval England.

“I feel the same way,” Elsa said. “I would never want to live in a city as big as London. Too many people for me.”

Their conversation turned to other subjects with Elsa doing most of the talking. Brand held her hand the entire time, but she didn’t seem to mind. Seven long years he’d waited for this. The last year had been agonizing. He’d waited for her to grow up only to lose her to another man. He’d kicked himself over the stupid mistake he’d made of waiting longer than he should have to approach Elsa. But now he had the opportunity to rectify it. After today, he wouldn’t let anyone, or anything, come between them.

Chapter Two

Elsa watched Brand drink the last of his ale. He was almost too good-looking for words. She’d never thought of herself as the type of woman who liked a man with long hair, but when it came to Brand, she would think it a travesty if he were to cut it short. The way it was suited him. She could almost picture him in armor, looking like a warrior of old with his hair and muscular frame. And for some silly reason, she thought Brand would fit into that time period no problem. He gave off a vibe that let everyone in the pub know he wasn’t to be messed with. His gaze scanned the room from time to time, as if looking for an enemy attack or something.

The way Brand was seemed to call out to a very feminine side of her, one that gloried in the idea that he was all male and would protect her from anything. She was quite capable of taking care of herself, but there were times when she wished she could have a big, strong man in her life to lean on when she wanted to. Teddy hadn’t fit that bill, but Brand sure as hell could.

Elsa emptied her glass of wine, her mind already made up on how she wanted the rest of their date to go. She placed the wineglass down on the table and squeezed Brand’s hand, which still held hers. “How about we have our next drink at my flat? I have some beer and wine there.”

The flare of heat she saw in Brand’s eyes had her sucking in a deep breath. Then an ache built inside her pussy when he shifted his hand around hers and made small circles against the inside of her wrist while staring at her as if he wanted to eat her. Elsa knew exactly how she wanted him to do that. It involved both of them naked and his head between her legs.

Brand’s nostrils flared slightly when he drew in a breath. His gaze became even more heated. “Let’s go,” he said. He released her hand before he pulled enough money out of his pocket to cover their bill.

Elsa stood at the same time Brand did. He held out his hand, and she slipped hers into it, linking their fingers. Her heart beat faster in anticipation of what she hoped would come next after they arrived at her flat.

He walked her out of the pub and to the parking lot. Her gaze ran over his silver Lexus. He definitely had money. The car was one of those newer sports models that only the well-to-do could afford.

When they reached the Lexus, Brand unlocked it with a push of a button on the remote attached to his keychain. He then held open the passenger door for her to get inside. Once she was settled, he closed it before walking around the front of the car to the driver’s side. Elsa watched him as she put on her seatbelt. The way he moved even turned her on, all lethal grace with his heavy thigh muscles flexing with each step he took.

The short drive to her flat was over before Elsa knew it. She directed Brand to where he could park in the visitor parking at the back of the building. Once they were out of the car, she led him to the rear entrance and unlocked the secured door. They took the two flights of stairs up to reach her flat. She unlocked her door and pushed it wide open as she stepped through it. Brand followed behind her and shut it.

From force of habit, she stepped around him and engaged the lock before she turned to face him. “Would you like that beer now?”

He nodded. “Sure.”

“Go take a seat in the living room, and I’ll be right back with it.”

Elsa left Brand and headed for her small kitchen. She placed her purse on the table before she took a wineglass out of the cupboard for herself and put it on the counter. Next, she went to the fridge and took out a bottle of beer for Brand and the white wine she’d opened the night before. She poured herself a glass and then put it back in the fridge. After picking up both drinks, she headed for the living room where Brand sat on the couch. She handed him his beer before she took a seat next to him.

“Nice place,” he said.

“Thanks. It’s small, but I don’t mind. Means I have less to clean. Housework isn’t one of my favorite things to do.”

“You’d never be able to tell.”

“Thanks.”

She took a sip of wine. Now that she had Brand up in her flat, she hesitated on whether or not she should make the first move. Elsa was woefully out of practice. She inched closer so her thigh pressed against his. The heat from his body soaked into hers. The scent of the aftershave he used filled her nose. It smelled very masculine, matching the man who wore it.

Elsa lifted her head to say something, but he took her wineglass from her and put it, along with his untouched beer, on the coffee table in front of them. He then put his arms around her, turning to face her, and dragged her closer. His lips came down on hers in a gentle kiss. She wrapped her arms around his neck, returning it, her blood heating.

“I’ve waited so long to do this,” Brand said softly against her lips before he took her mouth in a more thorough kiss.

She opened her mouth as his tongue swept along her lips, seeking entrance. She shivered in delight when he tasted her. Wetness pooled deep inside her pussy, and her arousal increased. Elsa wanted to touch and explore every inch of Brand’s body, feel his hard muscles under his clothes.

Their kiss turned more carnal, and Elsa moaned into Brand’s mouth. Having never been much on the shy side, she dropped one hand and cupped his cock through his jeans. What sounded almost like a soft, animal-like growl pushed out of Brand when she stroked him. Her pussy clenched, aching to have him inside it. He was thick and long.

Brand pushed her back on the couch so she lay stretched out on it. He followed her down, never breaking contact with her lips. Her hand trapped between them, Elsa continued to stroke his cock. It jerked in her grasp, causing her to moan. Being in Brand’s arms, she realized how mediocre sex had become with her ex. Teddy had never caused her body to go up in flames, or made her want to tear his clothes off so she could do wanton things to him. Only Brand excited her that much.

A large hand came up and covered her breast. His thumb brushed back and forth along her taut nipple. Elsa gasped into Brand’s mouth when he plucked at it. She released his cock and skimmed her hand around his body until she reached his hard ass. She gripped it and urged him fully between her legs. His erection came in contact with her jean-clad pussy, and she ground against him.

Brand made that growling sound again before he pulled away from her lips and kissed his way along her jaw and down the side of her neck. He propped himself up on one bent elbow as he used his other hand to work on the buttons of her blouse and then pulled the bottom of it out of the waistband of her jeans. He pushed the material aside and yanked one of her bra cups aside. He shifted lower on her body until he drew even with her breast. Elsa sank her hands into his thick, black hair and held him to her chest as he circled her nipple with his tongue before he sucked it inside his mouth. Each pull on the taut peak caused her pussy to grow wetter, aching with need.

He released her nipple and pulled down the other bra cup before he sucked on the second. Elsa lifted her hips against Brand, her moans sounding breathy. God, she wanted him. And given how hard his cock was, he wanted her too.

Feeling bolder, her body on fire, Elsa pulled Brand’s head away from her chest and yanked him up to take his lips once more. She sucked his tongue into her mouth, loving the taste of him. Obviously taking him by surprise, she rolled them both so they fell off the couch and onto the floor with Brand on the bottom. He let out a grunt when he hit. Now on top, Elsa pulled away from his lips and went up on her knees, straddling his hips. She looked down at him and found he had his eyes closed, his wide chest rapidly rising and falling with each breath he took.

Elsa yanked up his T-shirt to his chin and then sucked in an appreciative breath at the work of art she’d just revealed. Brand’s chest and abs were well defined. She scooted lower on his thighs and used her tongue and lips to explore all those muscles, learning all the planes and angles.

She continued her downward travel until she reached the top of his jeans. Elsa licked the strip of skin just above it as she undid the button and zipper. She parted the material and pushed down the waistband until Brand’s cock sprang free. Since he wore no underwear, there wasn’t any other barrier between her and his erection. She looked at it and licked her lips. Brand was a big man in every sense of the word.

Elsa dragged a finger down the length of Brand’s cock. It jerked in response. He felt like velvet-wrapped steel. She imagined how good it would feel to have it moving in and out of her pussy. Before that happened, she wanted to taste him and thoroughly explore that part of him.

With her fingers wrapped around his thickness, Elsa pumped her hand up and down. Brand lifted his hips, pushing his cock into her grip as she stroked him. He grew even harder. Giving him one last pump, she fisted his shaft at the base. She bent her head and laved the very tip with the flat of her tongue, licking away the bead of precum that had leaked from it. Brand let out a deep moan.

She opened her mouth and took him inside, almost taking him to the back of her throat before she slid him almost out. Her head bobbed as she sucked him in and out. Brand buried his hands in her hair, and Elsa felt a slight prickling sensation along her scalp where he held her.

Brand let her pleasure him this way for only minute more before he pulled her up his body and rolled them so she ended up on the bottom. She then sucked in a sharp breath when he undid the front clasp of her bra and took a nipple into his mouth. He ran a hand down her side before he lifted himself slightly to undo her jeans. They were pushed down past her hips along with her panties, and Elsa helped him peel them off her. She thought for sure he’d settle between her legs and sink his cock into her pussy, but Brand released her nipple and shifted even farther down her body.

He wedged his wide shoulders between her thighs and dragged his tongue along her wet opening. “You taste as good as you smell,” he said, his voice husky.

“Yes,” she said, panting. He licked her again, circling her clit. “Don’t stop. More.”

Brand licked and sucked on the small bundle of nerves that was the center of her pleasure, alternating that with stiffening his tongue and pushing it inside her pussy. Elsa’s arousal continued to build. Her body coiled tighter, edging ever nearer to release. She ground herself against his mouth, unable to hold still any longer.

He pushed his tongue inside her pussy while a finger stimulated her clit. Elsa moaned as she came, her inner walls clutching, pleasure washing over her in waves. Brand continued to work her, making her climax go on and on. Once it was over, her body went limp, and she fought to catch her breath. She’d never come so hard just from oral sex. Brand was definitely a keeper.

He rose above her before he lowered himself on top of her to nuzzle the side of her neck. Elsa opened her legs wider, thinking this time he’d take her, but once again, he didn’t. Brand placed a hard thigh between hers, his still erect cock pressing against her hip. She dropped her hands to his ass to urge him in the position she wanted. He didn’t budge.

“Brand?” she asked, not understanding why he held back.

He nipped her neck before he licked it. “I’m not taking you on the floor,” he said.

She smiled. “In that case, my bed is just a short walk away. We can move this to my bedroom.”

“How about we finish our drinks first? Let things simmer a bit.”

Elsa shivered in anticipation. She could wait a little bit longer to have Brand. It would only make their coming together more intense, especially since she doubted she’d be able to stop thinking about having him.

“Okay,” she said. “We’ll finish our drinks and then move to the bedroom.”

Brand rolled off her and stood in one smooth movement. Elsa sat up and reached for her jeans and panties. She sighed to herself when he shoved his cock back inside his pants and zipped them up. She could wait. It might kill her, but she could do it.

* * *

Brand watched Elsa tug on her jeans before she did her bra and blouse back up. He ached to stop her, wanting to continue with what they had started, but he kept silent. If he hadn’t already known Elsa was his mate, he would have known now. While she was in his arms, his eyesight had grown keener, heralding the change to wolf’s eyes. Also his claws had broken through the skin of his fingertips. Both were signs that she was his. The last thing would be while they made love. Just before he came, his cock would swell until Elsa and he were locked together. Once he reached release, he’d continue to come in half-minute intervals until the swelling went down. He knew all this from his mated fellows-in-arms.

What would happen between them had Brand wanting to slow things down just a touch. Elsa was going to notice—there was nothing he could do about that—but he planned to take his time with her. He’d eventually tell her what he was, though not today. He planned to make love to her, more than once, before he had to leave her to go on a night of hunting werewolves sired by Fenris the wolf. He’d waited so long to touch and taste her, sink his body into hers. He was going to have her before he told her the truth just in case she didn’t take the news too well. And from past experience with the other mates of his brothers-in-arms, Brand expected Elsa to react badly.

Once Elsa was dressed, they sat on the couch. Brand passed Elsa her drink before he grabbed his beer. He put his arm around her and tucked her against his side. She leaned into him. He drew in a lungful of air, the scent of her arousal still strong around them. His blood rushed hotly through his veins, and his cock throbbed with unfulfilled desire.

“I like sitting here with you like this,” Elsa said. “But I still think it would be better if we moved to my bedroom.”

He chuckled. “Patience.”

“That’s easy for you to say. You know, it’s not nice to get a girl all hot and bothered and then tell her to wait.”

Brand kissed the top of Elsa’s head. “I promise to make it up to you. I want to get to know you a bit better.”

She sighed dramatically. “All right, though there isn’t much more to tell. Besides my parents, I have an older sister. She’s my best friend. And speaking of her, she wanted to know if you have any single friends. Renea sometimes goes through men like tissue.”

He smiled. “I only have one friend who is unattached. The others are all married, and two of them have started families.”

“I’ll have to meet this friend of yours then. I can check him out and see if he’d be a good match for my sister.”

“You’ll meet Chris and the others once I bring you to my place. We all live together.”

Elsa swallowed the mouthful of wine she’d taken. “You all live in the same house? Even your friends with kids?”

“Yes. They’re more like family than just strictly friends.”

“How many of you are there?”

“Fourteen. Five couples and two babies.”

Elsa’s eyes widened. “Holy crap, that’s a lot of people for one house. Your place must be bloody huge.”

“It’s a manor house.”

“Of course it is,” she said with a laugh. “How else would you comfortably fit that many people in a place?” Elsa took another sip of her wine. “You aren’t drinking your beer.”

Brand took a huge swig from the bottle he held, drinking a quarter of it. “Is that better?”

“Much. The faster you drink, the faster we get back to the good stuff.”

“You always this impatient?”

“When I want something, yes.” Elsa met Brand’s gaze, giving him a heated look. “And I definitely want you.” She then took a big sip of her wine, which drained the glass.

Brand lost the battle to cool things down a bit. The way she stared at him made his cock even harder. It pressed uncomfortably against his zipper, probably leaving an imprint on his dick. He mentally said to hell with his plans and downed the rest of his beer in two big swallows.

Not saying a word, Brand rose to his feet before he turned to face Elsa and looked down at her. He reached out his hand. Once she placed hers in his, he picked her up and swung her over his shoulder so her head hung down his back. He walked in the direction of the bedroom.

She giggled. “I have to say I have a very nice view of your arse in this position.”

“And I of yours,” he said, and reached up to fondle her ass, running a finger along the seam of her jeans until he delved between her thighs. He heard Elsa’s breath hitch.

Brand stepped into the bedroom and walked straight to the queen-size bed. He lowered her onto the mattress and stood at the side of it as he stared down at Elsa. Already there was a splash of color on her cheeks, her breathing had grown faster, and the scent of her arousal permeated the air around them. He bit back a growl of need that threatened to rumble out of him. She looked beautiful sprawled on the bed, but she’d look even better naked.

“Take your clothes off for me,” he said in a voice husky with arousal.

She peered at him wantonly as she reached for the buttons on her blouse. Elsa took her time undoing them and then pushed the silky fabric off her shoulders and down her arms. She gave it a toss over the side of the bed. Next, she undid her bra, and it followed in the blouse’s wake.

Brand gazed at her more-than-a-handful breasts, which were tipped with taut, rosy-pink nipples. His cock jerked, throbbing in time with his rapidly beating heart. Somehow he managed to stay where he was, watching as Elsa took off her jeans. She hooked her panties with her fingers and slowly pulled them down past her hips and long, toned legs. She teased him and damn well knew it.

Hungering for her, he reached for the bottom of his T-shirt and yanked it over his head before he tossed it to the floor. Brand placed his hands on the top of his jeans to undo them, but Elsa rose on her knees and shook her head.

“Not so fast,” she said, and slid off the mattress to stand in front of him. “I get to take off the rest of your clothes. But first I want to have a better look at you.”

He sucked in a sharp breath as she trailed a hand across his chest. She moved to stand at his side and ran her fingers up his left arm, starting at his wrist and working her way up to the cap of his shoulder where Tiw, the Anglo-Saxon god known as the sky father, had put his mark after Brand had vowed to serve him. Done in black, it depicted the figure of a stylized man flanked on either side by two stylized wolves standing on their hind legs. The man symbolized Tiw, while the wolves represented Brand and the rest of the warriors.

Elsa traced the mark with a fingertip. “I love your tattoo.”

“Thanks,” he said gruffly.

She shifted back to his front and undid his pants. She shoved her hand down the front and grasped his cock. Brand couldn’t hold back a moan. The feel of her touching him so intimately kicked his libido into high gear. Elsa gave him a good squeeze before she pulled her hand out and pushed his jeans down. Once his pants reached his ankles, he stepped out of them and kicked the garment away.

Brand cupped the back of Elsa’s head and brought her closer as he took her mouth with his own. She wrapped her hand around his cock again and pumped it. He moaned against her lips while she worked his shaft. He loved the taste of her on his tongue.

Needing to be inside Elsa, he gently pulled her hand off him and picked her up. He placed her on the bed and followed her down. Brand reached between her legs and caressed her pussy. His fingers came away wet with her juices. He pushed one inside and then a second. He pumped them in and out. Elsa’s inner muscles gripped them, and her hips lifted, matching the pace he set.

“Now, Brand,” she said, panting. “I want you now. Don’t make me wait any longer.”

He pulled his fingers out of her just as the tips burned and his claws pushed through his skin. He knew his eyes had already gone wolf, which he tried to hide from Elsa by keeping them only open to mere slits.

Brand shifted fully on top of Elsa with his hips wedged between her spread thighs. The tip of his cock came to rest against her slick opening. She wrapped her arms around him as he pushed the head inside her pussy, and then he slowly worked himself deeper until she’d taken him to the hilt. He canted back his hips, almost pulling all the way out, before he surged back into her. Her inner muscles gripped him, increasing the pleasure he felt. His cock grew harder when he pumped at a faster pace.

He took her in hard thrusts, the sound of her moans filling his ears. Brand reached under Elsa and took hold of her bottom to angle her hips where he wanted them, careful not to scratch her with his claws. A low wolf’s growl rumbled out of his chest. It wasn’t going to take much for him to find his release. She felt way too good. Elsa put her legs around his waist and locked her ankles at the small of his back. She met each of his strokes. The sound of their harsh breathing filled the room.

Feeling the point of no return edging ever nearer, Brand said huskily, “Come, Elsa. I can’t hold back for long.”

“Almost there.” She then let out a keening moan.

Brand felt her pussy rhythmically clutch his cock as Elsa climaxed. Her strong inner walls squeezed his shaft in a tight fist, milking him into his own orgasm. His erection swelled until he no longer could move inside her. Their bodies became locked together. He groaned, a bit of a wolf’s growl mixing with it, as he emptied himself deep inside her. Brand collapsed on top of Elsa and held her tight against him. Fighting to catch his breath, he felt himself come again.

Elsa ran a caressing hand along his back. “That was amazing.” She sucked in a breath as his cock pulsed once more, sending a splash of cum into her. “Are you still coming?” She tried to shift under him, but Brand stopped her from moving much. “And are we … stuck … together?”

He lifted most of his weight off her, resting his upper body on his bent arms and then lowered his head to brush a kiss across her lips. “Yes to both those questions. Does it bother you?”

“Not really, it’s just … different. Oh, you did it again.”

After that last pulse, Brand felt the swelling in his cock go down somewhat. “Only with you.”

“What?”

“This has only happened with you.”

“And you don’t find that strange?”

He grinned and kissed the tip of her nose. “No.”

“That’s all you have to say about it? Just no?”

Now able to pull out of Elsa, Brand rolled to his back, taking her with him so she lay on top. “It just means you turn me on so much I can’t control myself.” He kissed her slow and deep before he released her mouth. “Shall we see if you can make me come like that again?”

She gave him a sexy smile. “That would be my pleasure, as well as yours.”

Chapter Three

Elsa lay naked under the covers on her bed as she watched Brand walk back into the room, equally naked. He’d gone to use the loo. She ran her gaze over his body. She’d licked, tasted, and explored every inch of him over the last couple of hours. They’d also made love four times. The man seemed insatiable. Not that she minded. She couldn’t get enough of him. He touched her, and her body instantly reacted, growing wet and aching.

Then she thought about what happened each and every time Brand came. His cock swelled to the point that they were locked together, and he came a hell of a lot longer than any guy she’d slept with before. He didn’t seem worried about it, so neither did she. It wasn’t exactly “normal,” but it didn’t make the sex bad, by any means.

Brand collected his clothes and then sat on the bed next to her. She trailed a hand up and down his hard, muscular thigh. “You really have to go?”

“Yes, but I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“So I can’t talk you out of it?” She sat up, the covers falling away from her breasts as she leaned against him and nipped his earlobe. “And there’s nothing I can do to change your mind?”

“No,” he said, his voice sounding a little strained.

“Damn. Well, I tried.” Elsa put some space between them. “I guess I’ll admit defeat. When will you come over tomorrow?”

“In the morning, however early you’ll let me.”

“If that’s the case…” She slid off the bed and walked over to her dresser. She picked up the two keys that sat on top of it and then turned and went back to Brand. Elsa held them out. “Then take these. They were Teddy’s set to the flat. This way you can come as early as you want, even if I’m still sleeping.”

He met her gaze with his. “Are you sure?”

“Yes. I trust you.” She placed the keys in his hand and closed his fingers over them.

And Elsa did trust Brand. She felt as if she’d known him longer than a day. He was comfortable to be around. Though he wasn’t much of a conversationalist, that didn’t bother her in the least. She tended to be on the talkative side and more than made up for his reticence. When Brand held her in his strong arms, she wanted to melt into him. He’d also done a great job of erasing all the intimate moments she’d had with her ex. Teddy was only a bad, vague memory now.

Brand tugged her down onto his lap and kissed her until her toes curled, and his cock was hard and pressing against her bottom. Once he let her up for air, Elsa wiggled a bit, hoping it would encourage him to stay a little longer.

He kissed her again before he shifted her onto the bed. “Nice try, but I really do have to go.”

“Fine,” she said.

Elsa watched Brand stand to tug his jeans on. The man had the nicest ass she’d ever seen. Actually, he had the nicest everything she’d ever seen. He flipped his long hair over his shoulders before he donned his T-shirt, covering his muscular chest and the tattoo on his left arm. She’d already gotten to inspect it with great detail, as well as the rest of his body.

Once he was completely dressed, Elsa went to her closet and pulled out her bathrobe before she put it on. She then followed Brand out of the room. As he headed for the door, she remembered something.

“Oh, I almost forgot. You don’t have my phone number. I should give it to you just in case you need to call me.”

He reached into the front pocket of his jeans and took out his mobile phone. “I’ll put it in my contacts.”

She rattled off the number as Brand pushed the buttons on his mobile. When he suggested she take his, Elsa went to the kitchen and got her purse and entered it into her phone.

With one last kiss, Brand walked out of the flat. Elsa locked the door after him and then leaned back on it and sighed. A wide smile spread across her lips. Teddy’s dumping her had turned out to be a blessing in disguise. If Teddy hadn’t, she never would have met Brand, who was three times better than her ex. Instead of waking up the next morning feeling pissed off, she now had something infinitely better to look forward to.

* * *

Brand stepped into the manor house knowing he didn’t have much time left before he and his fellow warriors were to leave for a night of hunting. The others had yet to gather in the foyer, which they did before leaving. That was when Raed, their leader, gave them any last-minute instructions. As a mortal Raed had been known as Raedwald, the king of East Anglia. They all still considered him their king, even though Raed no longer thought of himself as such.

He looked toward the stairs to the upper level at the sound of light footsteps going down them. Maggie smiled as she met his gaze with her own. In the months since she’d come to live here with her mate, Dolf, she’d settled right into their “family.” Gone was the woman who’d been terrified of them after being abducted by the former pack leader of Fenris’s get, Stephen. For a while there they’d all been worried she’d never get over her fear of Dolf. Brand had taken Maggie in hand, though, and had shown her she had nothing to fear from any of them, even though they were werewolves as well.

“Hi, Brand,” Maggie said when she reached the foyer and walked over to him. “Did you just get back in?”

He nodded. “Yeah.” He returned the smile she gave him.

“All ready to go out for a night of hunting?”

“Yes.” Maggie seemed to peer at him closely, studying him almost. “What?” he asked.

“You look … happy. Not that I think you’re always in a bad mood, but you tend to look, well, not in a good one. Plus, today you stayed out longer than you normally do.”

Figuring he’d have to tell everyone about Elsa now that he was on his way to making them true mates, he said, “I was with my mate.”

A huge smile spread across Maggie’s lips before she threw her arms around him and hugged him. “I’m so happy for you, Brand. I thought she was lost to you.”

He returned her embrace. “So did I.”

“Oi, stop manhandling my mate,” Dolf said as he came down the stairs.

Maggie pulled away and turned to face Dolf as he joined them. “Brand was hardly manhandling me, and for your information, I started it.”

Dolf tugged Maggie over to his side and draped his arm around her shoulders. “In that case, you’re only supposed to manhandle me like that.” He leaned toward Brand and sniffed. “Well, fuck me. You’ve been with a woman, and you even had sex.” Dolf grunted when Maggie smacked him on the stomach.

“Dolf, you shouldn’t make comments like that.”

“But it’s true, and it’s kind of hard for me not to pick it up, having a sensitive werewolf sense of smell. You don’t understand how big a deal this is. Brand hasn’t had sex in seven years. We all know that.”

Maggie’s gaze shot to Brand. “Seven years? Is that when you first met your mate?”

He nodded.

“Whoa, back up a bit,” Dolf said. “You have a mate, Brand? And what does Maggie mean you met your mate seven years ago? You never said anything about it to any of us. Ever.”

“Wait until the others come, and then I’ll explain,” Brand said.

“Everyone get down here,” Dolf bellowed, which earned him another smack from Maggie.

“What’s going on?” Raed asked as he, his mate, Lexi, and the rest of the occupants of the house arrived in the foyer.

“Apparently, Brand has been holding out on us,” Dolf said. “He found his mate. Seven years ago.”

“Is that true, Brand?” Algar asked.

“Yes.”

“Why have you kept her hidden?”

He sighed. “I didn’t. I first found Elsa when she was sixteen, too young for me to claim as my mate. So I’ve watched over her from afar for the last seven years, waiting for the time when she’d be ready. I waited too long, and she became engaged to marry another. But today I found out that didn’t work out. I’ve rectified my mistake.”

“Why the hell would you allow her to marry someone else if you already knew she was your mate?” Wulfric asked.

“Because I wanted her to be happy, even if that meant not claiming her.”

“I didn’t take you for a bloody martyr.”

Brand scowled. “I’m not. Elsa is my mate. Are you saying you don’t feel the need to ensure Cydney’s happiness? You wouldn’t sacrifice anything for it?”

Wulfric gave him an apologetic look. “Sorry. I see your point. I would do anything to make sure she stays happy.”

“Aw, thanks, babe,” Cydney said as she put her arm around her mate’s waist and squeezed him.

Brand looked at Nika when he heard her sniffle. “Ah hell, you made me cry,” she said. “My damn hormones are still out of whack from being pregnant.”

Garrick pulled his mate close and kissed the top of Nika’s head. “It’s all right.”

“That’s where you go day after day,” Lexi said. “You go to your mate. So when do we get to meet Elsa?”

“Soon,” Brand replied. “Even though I’ve known about Elsa for years, she doesn’t remember me and thinks we just met for the first time today.”

“How did you meet her, Brand?” Kamryn asked. She stood at Algar’s side.

He smiled at the memory. “She’d been at a friend’s place, drinking. Very drunk, Elsa attempted to walk home by herself. I just happened to have that particular part of the city to hunt that night. When I saw her weaving all over the pavement, I figured I couldn’t let her go by herself, especially if werewolves happened to be around. It was a bit of a shock when my wolf reacted to her, just a teenage girl. I ended up walking her home, where she just about puked on me. After that night, it didn’t take me long to figure out what she meant to me. I was drawn to her and couldn’t stay away, even though I knew she was too young.”

“Wow,” Cydney said. “I don’t think I’ve ever heard you say this much, Brand.”

He shook his head. “I’m only telling this story once.”

“Well, I guess that’s going to leave me now as the unmated one,” Chris said.

Chris had recently joined them. He was technically one of Fenris’s get, but he was nothing like the others of his kind. When shifted in his werewolf form, he retained his ability of speech. He also was able to think like a man, just as Brand and the other warriors could. Chris had also managed to turn the tables in their favor when it came to the beasts they hunted. After taking out the former pack leader, Chris had taken Stephen’s position. Now the werewolves came looking for Chris because of what he was. They also were compelled to obey everything he said. The new pack leader could also sense where others of his kind were before even picking up their scent. It made the warriors’ job a lot easier when werewolves arrived at the manor’s property line and basically served themselves up on a platter.

Maggie went and gave Chris a hug. She and the other man had grown up together and were long-time friends. “Don’t worry, Chris,” she said. “I’m sure you’ll find yours.”

“That’s if he can find a woman crazy enough to take him,” Garrick said with a laugh.

Nika scowled at her mate. “You can be such a smartass at times.”

Garrick kissed her. “But you still love me.”

She smiled. “True.” Nika looked at Brand. “Good luck with your mate, Brand. On that note, I’m going to say my good-bye now. Luke is sleeping, and I’m going to get in my pajamas and enjoy the break before he wakes up again wanting to be fed.”

“Don’t worry, Nika,” Lexi said. “It does get easier. Now that Petra is a year old, it’s nice not having to do late-night feedings.”

Brand watched the mated couples say good-bye to each other. That would be him soon. Elsa would kiss him before he went out on a night of hunting, and she’d be in his bed waiting for him when he returned. At long last he’d finally have the one thing he’d longed for—his mate at his side, sharing his life.

* * *

Brand waited for Chris to get out of the car before he headed down the pavement. Given what Chris was and what he was capable of, the other man took turns pairing up with each of the warriors. Tonight was Brand’s turn to partner him.

Once Chris joined him, Brand asked, “Sense any?”

“Nothing yet. Let’s get moving and see if that changes.”

Brand started them walking in the direction of a park that was a few blocks away. Parks were a werewolf’s favorite place to lurk, hoping to catch mortals off guard. They were bloodthirsty creatures.

After a minute of silence, Chris said, “I don’t know how you did it.”

Brand gave him a questioning look. “Did what?”

“Waited for so many years for your mate to grow up and then just step aside for another man to take your rightful place in her life. I get what you meant about ensuring her happiness, but I still couldn’t do it. Maybe that makes me a selfish bastard, but I’d fight for the woman who was meant to be mine.”

“You’re still young. Once you’ve lived as many years as I have, you’ll come to look beyond just what your wants are.”

“Maybe so, but I would have tried something, especially now that I’ve seen what the other mated couples have.”

Brand could admit to himself that watching his fellow warriors find their mates and start a new life with them had him questioning whether he was being stupid for doing nothing to make Elsa his. It’d been especially bad near the end when the babies were born. He wanted a child of his own, but with Elsa seemingly out of the picture, he’d figured it wasn’t something he’d ever experience. Now all that had changed.

“It’s no longer like that, so it doesn’t matter now,” Brand said.

Chris’s steps slowed, and he came to a stop. “Hold up. I’m sensing a werewolf.”

“Where? Do you think he’s at the park?”

“Or the empty lot that’s not too far from it. I’m sensing he’s in that direction, anyway.”

“Let’s go then.”

Brand walked at a faster clip, Chris easily keeping up with him. The other man had bulked up a bit muscle-wise since Dolf had started to train Chris to become a warrior. And Chris now handled a sword with competence. He even fought in his werewolf form three times better than when Dolf had first run across Chris cowering in the bushes one night, trying to hide from others of his kind.

Just as they reached the empty lot, Chris slowed again and then said quietly, “He’s in here.”

Brand nodded. “We’ll draw him to the park,” he said softly. “The lot is too close to houses. Someone might see us there.”

Breaking into a run, Chris and he headed for the park. Once they were in far enough not to be spotted, Brand came to a halt and turned to the other man. “Time to do your thing.”

Chris stepped away from Brand. Chris’s body blurred as he shifted into his half-human and half-wolf werewolf form. Once the change was complete, Chris threw back his lupine head and let out a long howl, the call of a werewolf pack leader. It would draw any werewolf within hearing distance. The creatures wouldn’t be able to help themselves. They’d be unable to ignore their leader’s call.

Sure enough, almost a minute later, one of Fenris’s get approached Chris. The creature had shifted to his werewolf form. Brand willed his sword into his hand. The silver mixed in the hard steel of the blade was deadly to werewolves sired by Fenris, all except for Chris. One thrust of the sword through the heart was all it took to kill the creatures he and his fellow warriors hunted.

As Brand went to move in to take out the werewolf, he noticed a second stepping out of the shadows closer to him. He turned to intercept it. The beast growled when he saw Brand and went on the attack. Brand blocked the swipe of sharp claws swinging his way with the flat of his sword. He pushed the werewolf back and moved in to make the kill. The creature spun away at the last moment, obviously not one of the newly turned. Brand kept on him until the beast bled from a few cuts Brand had managed to inflict on the werewolf’s chest and stomach. The creature’s skin sizzled when the blade made contact. Once the opening came, Brand sank his sword through to his prey’s heart. The beast let out one last howl and then fell to the ground, dead.

That one taken care of, Brand turned to Chris. His new fellow warrior had the other werewolf by the throat, holding him in place. “You okay over there?” Brand asked.

“Yes,” Chris said in a voice much deeper and more gravelly than his normal one. “When you went to take out the other werewolf, this one tried to go help. I caught him and commanded him to stay where he was. He’s all yours now.”

Brand closed the distance between them and, as Chris stepped aside, stabbed the werewolf through his heart. It dropped to the ground just as the first had.

Willing his sword away, Brand called out, “Tiw, I call upon you. I have need of your fire.” The two werewolf corpses were engulfed in blue god-fire. The flames burned hotter, burning away the bodies in a few seconds. An unnatural wind blew the ashes away, not even leaving a scorched patch to mar the green grass to mark their passing.

Chris shifted back to his human form. “Well, that’s two more down. Do you think we’ll ever get rid of them all?”

“Eventually. It’ll just take some time. Their numbers are definitely decreasing. We don’t have as many new turns during a full moon.”

“True.” Chris chuckled. “Much to Wulfric and Dolf’s disappointment. They complained that there weren’t enough around for them to have their monthly competition of who can take out the most.”

Brand grunted. “They’ll find something else to compete against each other about. They aren’t happy unless they aren’t competing.”

“Very true. They can’t even like the same football team.”

Brand liked to watch football on the telly, but he wasn’t an avid, or rabid, fan of the sport as Dolf and Wulfric were. Though best friends, they sometimes came to blows over a game. The two would get it out of their systems and then forget about it and act as if it never happened.

“Are we all clear here?” he asked.

Chris nodded. “Yeah. I can’t sense any more werewolves around.”

“Then it’s time to move on.”

* * *

At the end of the night when Brand returned to the manor, he threw a change of clothes into an athletic bag and then tossed it onto the passenger seat of his car. It was about an hour or so before dawn. Since Elsa had given him a set of keys to her flat, he intended to make use of them and go over to her place now. He wanted to go to sleep with her in his arms and awaken with her still there.

He’d also decided he’d give her another couple of days before he brought her fully into his world. He’d introduce her to his “family” first though. And if he could, he’d try to see if she’d be willing to sleep over. Tiw protected the manor. None of Fenris’s get could get onto the property. She’d be safer there.

Arriving at Elsa’s flat, Brand drove around to the back and parked in the visitor parking. He grabbed his bag and then headed over to the building’s entrance. Using one of the keys Elsa had given him, he let himself inside. He took the stairs two at a time, moving at werewolf speed to the second floor since no one was around. Quietly, so as not to wake Elsa up, he unlocked her flat’s door and slipped inside. The place was dark, but that was no problem for him. He could see as if it were daytime.

Brand walked silently over to Elsa’s bedroom. The door stood wide open. He walked inside and put his bag on the floor. Elsa didn’t stir as he headed for the bed. She slept on her stomach with her head turned away from him. The covers were pulled down to her waist, giving him a good view of the thin-strapped tank top she wore.

As he neared, his gaze snagged on a patch of skin high up on her back, close to her right shoulder. There was a mark there. At first glance it looked like a bruise, but Brand knew that wasn’t what it was. Since Elsa was his mate, Tiw’s mark—the same one that was on the cap of his left shoulder, but slightly smaller—would eventually appear on her back, marking her as a mate. It wouldn’t fully appear until she’d come to accept him as hers. Brand wanted to howl. The sight of the mark starting to form made him feel even more possessive of Elsa.

Silently, he walked to the other side of the bed before he stripped out of his clothes. He lifted the covers and climbed in next to Elsa. She sleepily mumbled something and then rolled toward him, laying her head on his chest. Her arm came to rest across his stomach. Brand put his around her and held her tight. For the first time in a long time, he thought he’d be able to easily find his rest. He had the love of his life in his embrace, making him finally feel complete. He kissed the top of Elsa’s head and then closed his eyes. Sleep claimed him in a matter of seconds.

Chapter Four

Elsa slowly came awake and became aware of the warm body she snuggled against. Her mind still a little sleep befuddled, she at first thought it was Teddy who held her. Then she remembered he was no longer her fiancé and that the male body she was draped over was much larger than her ex’s.

She blinked open her eyes and turned her head to look up. She smiled when she saw Brand still slept. He must have slipped into bed with her sometime during the night. Elsa wasn’t surprised she hadn’t awakened. She was a pretty deep sleeper, especially on the weekends when she knew she didn’t have to wake up to her alarm clock going off in the morning.

Lifting her head slightly, she saw it was almost eleven. Just the right time to make both of them brunch, but first she wanted Brand. After he’d left her the evening before, Elsa had thought a lot about him. She’d actually missed him and had hoped he’d use the keys she’d given him to come back this morning. And he had. To her, it was a good sign that maybe he wanted a closer connection with her rather than just as someone to have a good time with. It might seem as if she were rebounding too quickly, wanting to start a new relationship with Brand, but Elsa didn’t think so. She already felt close to him, and it had happened quicker than it had with Teddy, the man she’d thought she’d wanted to spend the rest of her life with.

Elsa lifted the covers and saw Brand didn’t have a stitch of clothes on. An ache built deep inside her pussy. She didn’t think she could look at him and not want him. Remembering what it had been like to have him make love to her the day before, she felt wetness pool between her legs.

Shifting, she climbed on top of Brand and brushed her lips across his. “Wake up, sleepy.” She kissed him again, and this time he returned it.

“Hmm,” he said. “I think I like getting woken up this way.”

She lifted her head and stared into Brand’s now open eyes. “I know I liked waking up to you being in the bed next to me. What time was it when you came back here?”

He reached up and tucked some of her hair behind her ear. “Close to dawn.”

“Do you want to sleep a little bit longer?”

Brand shook his head. “Do I feel as if I want to?” He put his hands on her bottom and pressed tighter against her.

Elsa moaned. Brand was hard. “No, you don’t. I think sleeping is the furthest thing from your mind.”

“You thought right.”

She sat up, straddling his hips. She tugged the tank top she over her head and then tossed it aside. Elsa placed her hands on either side of him and dipped her head, kissing him with the pent-up arousal that had built inside her. He reached up and palmed one of her breasts, a thumb brushing back and forth along her taut nipple. She ground her pussy against his hard cock, making herself wetter.

Brand released her breast and skimmed his hands down her front until he came to the top of her pajama bottoms. He pushed them off as Elsa helped him remove her last article of clothing. Now naked as he, she straddled him once more.

She broke contact with his mouth and stared down at him. Brand had his eyes closed, his hands fisted at his sides. Elsa rubbed her wet pussy along his erection, soaking him with her juices. He moaned, breathing at a fast rate. The sight of how she affected him turned her on even more. She continued to rock on him, driving her desire higher and higher. When Brand made a noise that sounded almost like an animalistic growl, she knew she’d pushed him to his limits.

More than ready to have him inside her, Elsa reached between them and positioned his cock at the slick entrance to her body. She pushed down on him until she’d sheathed every inch of him. She lifted off him until he was almost all the way out and then sank on him again. Up and down she rode Brand. He filled her so full, stretching her to her limits, and she loved it.

“God, you feel so good,” Brand said in a husky voice. “Take me harder.”

Elsa increased her pace, squeezing his thick length with her inner walls. Their moans of pleasure filled the room. She angled her hips so his shaft rubbed against her in just the right spot, causing her body to tighten. His cock grew even harder.

“So close,” she said, panting.

Brand surged up into a sitting position and put his hands on her hips. She felt a sharp prick of nails along her skin but didn’t pay too much attention to it as he lifted her on and off him, his hips lifting to meet each of her strokes. He bent his head and sucked a nipple into his mouth. Each pull on it sent a corresponding sensation deep inside her pussy.

As her climax rushed up to meet her, Elsa felt Brand’s cock swell so large it could no longer move inside her. Her inner walls clutched at it as an intense orgasm tore through her. Brand groaned, pushing her down on him, his shaft pulsing as he too found his release.

Once Brand let her nipple go, Elsa wrapped her arms around him and rested her head on his shoulder. She’d let out a low moan when she felt another splash of cum hit her cervix. She didn’t even bother trying to move off him, knowing full well his cock was too swollen to allow it.

Another splash had her lifting her head to look at Brand. He had his eyes closed. Elsa softly kissed him. “It just keeps getting better and better. If you’re not careful, I might try to tie you to my bed so I can have you whenever I want.”

Brand opened his eyes and smiled. “You don’t have to tie me up to have that.”

“So you’d be fine being my personal sex slave?” she asked with a grin.

“Of course. It would be a win-win situation. I’d get to make love to you and have you whenever I want you as well.”

She chuckled. “How about I make us some brunch? I’m starved.”

“So am I.”

“All right. Why don’t you go take a shower while I cook us up something to eat?”

“Or we could take a shower together, and then you can make us some food.”

“No. If we do that, we won’t be eating for a long time. And if you want me to keep my energy up, I need food in my belly.”

Brand slid her off his lap now that his cock had gone soft. “Fine. I’ll take a shower while you cook.”

Elsa got off the bed and went to her closet. She pulled out her bathrobe before she put it on. “There’s shampoo and conditioner already in the shower. You can find clean towels on a rack above the toilet.”

He gave her a hard kiss before he left the room. Elsa heard the loo door shut a few seconds later and then the water in the shower turned on. She walked out of the bedroom and headed for the kitchen. She figured she’d make them an omelet, but first she needed some coffee. It didn’t take her very long to set the coffeemaker up to brew a pot.

Coffee had just started to fill the carafe when Elsa heard her sister’s voice calling her name from the flat’s entranceway. Elsa left the kitchen and met up with Renea as the other woman shut the door behind her. Elsa had given her sister a set of keys shortly after moving into the flat, just in case she forgot her keys and locked herself out. Renea had taken it to mean she could come in whenever she wanted, not that Elsa usually minded, but today was different. Brand was still in the shower.

Elsa pulled her robe around her closer when she confronted her sister. “What are you doing here?”

Renea gave her a funny look. “Don’t tell me you forgot.”

“Forgot what?”

Her sister rolled her eyes. “You did. Today we’re supposed to go to Mum and Dad’s for lunch to celebrate Dad’s birthday. I told you I’d pick you up so we both didn’t have to drive.”

“Oh shit,” Elsa said. “That’s today? Um … I don’t think—”

“Don’t even say it. Mum will kill you if you back out. You know how she is with family get-togethers. You promise to show up, you bloody well better, or she’ll be pissed.”

Elsa heard the shower shut off. She hoped Brand would stay in the loo until she’d had enough time to get rid of her sister. She racked her brain to think of an excuse. “With Teddy showing up yesterday, it sort of threw me off. I slept in, and I haven’t even had a shower yet. Why don’t you go ahead, and I’ll head to Mum and Dad’s after I’m ready?”

Renea shook her head. “I can wait for—” Her sister suddenly stopped talking and made a choking sound. Her gaze was directed on something behind Elsa. Renea cleared her throat. “Now I can see why you’re trying to back out of going. And it wasn’t Teddy who threw you off. It was the piece of beefcake coming toward us. This has to be Brand, correct?”

Elsa sighed and turned to see Brand was indeed walking toward them, wearing only a towel around his hips. His long hair was still damp and pushed back away from his face. He looked sexy as all hell, and if her sister hadn’t been there, Elsa probably would have stripped the towel off Brand and had her way with him again.

Once he reached them, Brand put his arm around Elsa’s shoulders and pulled her tight against his side. “Are you going to introduce me?” he asked.

“Brand, this is my sister, Renea. Renea, this is Brand.”

Renea blatantly ran her gaze up and down Brand before she looked him in the face. “Nice to meet you, Brand. Now I can see why my sister isn’t ready to leave.”

Brand looked at Elsa. “Leave?”

Elsa gave him a sheepish smile. “Yeah, I forgot today I have to go to my parents’ place for lunch. It’s my dad’s birthday. I know we planned to spend the day together, but I really can’t get out of this.”

“I’ll come with you,” he said. “If you think your parents won’t mind.”

Before Elsa could answer, Renea said, “They won’t mind at all. Actually, I think our mother will be overjoyed to see Elsa has found another guy.” She chuckled. “It will take some of the pressure off me in regards to my recent state of singleness.”

Elsa met Brand’s gaze with her own. “Are you sure you want to do this? You have no idea what my mum is like. I think she was more devastated than I when Teddy ended our engagement, mostly because she was losing the prospect of having grandchildren. She’s going to take you coming to meet them as a declaration of you wanting a serious relationship with me.”

Brand cupped the side of her face and dropped his head to kiss her long and hard. He smiled once he pulled away. “Who says I don’t want that?” He let her go. “I’ll get dressed.”

Elsa found herself speechless as she watched him walk toward the bedroom. Once he disappeared from view, she turned back to Renea. Her sister had followed Brand with her gaze as well.

“You lucky bitch,” Renea said. “You’ve just snagged yourself a hunk that any woman would jump at the chance to have for herself. Me included. The man works fast, considering you just met him yesterday.” Her sister looked at Elsa. “How do you feel about Brand wanting a serious relationship with you?”

“I think I’m a lucky bitch, as you said.” There was no denying the warm feeling that rushed through her at the thought of what Brand had implied.

Renea chuckled. “You go take a shower, Elsa. I’ll call Mum and tell her we’ll be a little late and to expect another guest to join us. I’m sure she’ll be thrilled.”

Elsa nodded and then headed to the bathroom to do as her sister said. She just hoped her mum wouldn’t put Brand on the spot too much. Elsa didn’t need her mother’s quest for a grandchild to scare him off. She usually didn’t do the whole “meet the parents” thing until she’d known a guy for at least a couple of months just because of what her mother could be like. Her mum could be rather straight to the point about Elsa and Renea seeing to the next generation. Brand had asked for it when he suggested he join them. Hopefully he could take what her mother would invariably dish out.

* * *

After getting dressed in the clean clothes he’d brought with him, Brand went out to sit in the living room with Renea while Elsa took her shower. Even with the bedroom door shut, he’d been able to perfectly hear the sisters’ conversation. He had to admit he liked Rene’s straightforward manner. And it seemed she had a worse potty mouth than his Elsa. The sisters were similar in looks, but he was drawn more to Elsa, and always would be.

Brand sat in the armchair that was kitty-corner to the couch where Renea had taken a seat. She’d just finished talking on her mobile phone. She put it in her purse and then turned to face him.

“I just told my mum about you coming along with Elsa and me. She can’t wait to meet you.”

“Good.”

“I have to say it. You look a hell of a lot hotter than Teddy ever did. I could never see what Elsa saw in the fuckwad.”

Brand grinned. “Elsa told me that was the name you have for him.”

“Well, he is one. He basically ‘settled’ for my sister when he couldn’t get the woman he truly wanted. If it had been me, I would have done worse than throw his clothes onto the pavement at him. And I wouldn’t have given him his damn ring back either. I would have sold it, made some money off it. Elsa can be too nice at times.”

He chuckled. “I’m sure you’re there to make sure no one takes advantage of her.”

“Damn right. And to give you fair warning, you hurt my sister, I’ll be gunning for you.”

“You don’t have to worry about that with me.”

“Glad to hear it.”

They fell silent. The shower turned off, and a short while later, Elsa stepped out of the loo in her bathrobe. She looked in their direction. “Just give me a few more minutes then I’ll be ready to go.”

“It’s okay,” Renea replied. “Mum said we still have some time before the food will be ready.”

“Still, I won’t be long.” Elsa hurried into the bedroom and shut the door behind her.

Silence reigned again.

Renea broke it. “So, Brand, you don’t seem much of a talker.”

He shrugged. “I’m not.”

She gave him a playful look. “Nothing wrong with that. I can think of a lot of other things I’d rather have a man use his mouth for.”

“You better not let Elsa hear you talk like that to me. She might not like it,” he said with a crooked smile.

Renea laughed. “Elsa is used to me saying shit like that. She knows when to take me with a grain of salt.”

“I know what?” Elsa asked as she joined them in the living room.

“You know when to take me seriously and when not,” her sister answered.

“So you’ve already started then?” Elsa came to stand in front of Brand. “Did Renea say something shocking?”

He shook his head. “Not really.”

“Believe me, she will. She gets her outspokenness from our mother.”

Renea chuckled. “Except I can take it to the extreme when in the mood.”

“If we’re all ready, we might as well head out,” Elsa said.

“Am I still driving?” Renea asked.

“Elsa and I will go in my car,” Brand answered. “That will save you from having to bring us back here.”

Renea smiled. “And give you the opportunity to leave when you want.”

“Let me go turn off the coffee,” Elsa said as she headed for the kitchen.

Once that task was taken care of, all three of them headed out of the flat and down to the parking at the back of the building.

Renea let out a low whistle when she saw Brand’s car. “Now that is one fancy and expensive automobile. The boy has money.”

Elsa rolled her eyes. “Get in your car already. Brand and I will meet you there.”

With a wave, Renea walked over to an older compact car and got in. She backed out of the space and then drove onto the street. Brand followed her.

He took a quick look over at Elsa before he focused his attention back on the road. “I like your sister.”

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Elsa turn her head in his direction and smile. “I’m glad. Teddy couldn’t stand her. Mostly because he didn’t understand her.”

“My friend, Garrick, has a similar personality as Renea’s. He can be a smartass.”

Elsa laughed. “That about sums up Renea at times. I think that must be the reason why she doesn’t keep boyfriends for very long. Is your friend single?”

“No. He’s one of the married ones, and he and his wife just recently had a baby.”

“That’s too bad. I would have liked to set Renea up with him. They’d either get along really well or drive each other nuts.”

Brand chuckled and shook his head. “Well, we can still introduce them if you want. Garrick lives with me.”

“Oh yeah. You have that big extended ‘family’ of yours. And speaking of which, when do I get to meet them? Since you’ll have met all of mine today.”

Following behind Renea, Brand turned right onto a quiet-looking street. “How about once we’re done at your parents’ place?” He put a hand on her thigh. “Then you can sleep over in my bed.”

Elsa put hers on top of his. “Since today is Saturday and I don’t have to be back into work until Monday, sure, I’d love to.”

Brand took his hand away and slowed the car as Renea pulled into the short drive of a bungalow. He parked on the street in front of it. The house was familiar to him since he’d watched over it many times when Elsa had still lived at home. Once he turned off the ignition, he got out and joined Elsa on the pavement. He took her hand, lacing their fingers together, and walked them toward the house where Renea waited.

All three of them had just reached the door when a woman who looked in her early fifties opened it. Brand recognized her as Elsa and Renea’s mother. She had the same coloring as her daughters, but both girls favored their father more in looks.

“Come on in,” their mum said. “Lunch is just about ready.” Once they’d stepped through into the house, she turned to him. “You must be Brand, Elsa’s new boyfriend.”

“Yes.”

“I’m her mother, Kate.” She turned her attention on Elsa. “Show Brand to the dining room, Elsa. Your father is already there.”

Elsa tugged on his hand and guided him to a room at the end of the hall. Elsa and Renea’s father turned his head in their direction when they entered. He stood before each girl went to him and gave him a hug and wished him a happy birthday.

“Thanks,” their dad said. He stuck out his hand toward Brand. “I’m Les, Elsa’s father.”

“Brand,” Brand said as he shook hands with the other man.

“Everyone take a seat.”

They all sat around the rectangular dining room table that had been set with plates and cutlery. Brand sat next to Elsa on one side while Renea took the other. Their father sat at the end, leaving the opposite one for Kate.

“So, Brand, how did you meet Elsa?” Les asked.

“When she chucked her ex’s belongings out her flat window at him.”

The other man laughed. “I heard about that.”

“No more talk about Teddy,” Kate said as she came into the room carrying a piping hot pan. She placed it on the rack on the center of the table and then slipped off the oven mitts she wore. “That man is out of Elsa’s life, and she now has Brand.”

“I’ll remember that, dear,” Elsa’s father said with a smile.

“Good.” Kate looked at Brand. “I hope you like shepherd’s pie. It’s Les’s favorite, and since he’s the birthday boy, he got to choose what he wanted me to make.”

“I do,” Brand replied.

“Everyone help yourself.”

When it was Brand’s turn to dish up his food, his stomach growled. The shepherd’s pie smelled really good. He took what he thought was a big enough serving but looked up at Kate when she cleared her throat. She motioned for him to take some more, which he did before passing her the serving spoon.

“What is it you do?” Elsa’s mum asked once everyone had their food.

Elsa groaned. “Here we go.”

“I’m just trying to make conversation and get to know Brand a little bit better,” Kate said to Elsa.

“I don’t mind answering,” he said. “I don’t have what you would call a regular job. I work at night.”

“Doing what?”

“I call myself a hunter.” Seeing the confused looks Elsa and her family wore, he added, “I hunt down undesirables. People who do bad things and then make sure they pay for what they’ve done.”

“So you’re like a private investigator?” Les asked.

“Sort of.” Brand decided to leave it at that.

“That must be an interesting profession,” Kate said.

“It can be. And at times, it can be a hard job.”

“Do you make lots of money doing it?”

“Mum!” Elsa said. “You shouldn’t ask that.”

“Well, I figured he must, considering the car he drives.”

“I’ve done well for myself,” Brand said. “I don’t have to worry about my finances.”

“Do you want children someday?”

Elsa groaned again and then shot Renea a nasty look when her sister laughed. “Please let a hole open up and swallow me now.”

Brand chuckled. “Yes, I’d like to have children.”

Kate smiled at Elsa. “Oh, I really like him.”

As the meal progressed, Brand found he really enjoyed the company of Elsa’s family. They were all very close. The only drawback to that was once he and Elsa became true mates—Tiw gifting her with immortality—she’d stop aging. After awhile her family would eventually notice. Then Elsa would have to make the hard decision of either breaking ties with her mother, father, and sister or telling them the truth. She’d have to feel they were completely trustworthy for that option. Mortals couldn’t know the truth of what really lurked in the dark hunting them. It would cause chaos if they ever did.

Chapter Five

After her mum served up the birthday cake, and Elsa and Renea had given their dad the gift they’d gone together on, Elsa figured it was about time to leave. So far, her mother hadn’t been too bad with the personal questions she’d asked Brand, but the longer they stayed the better the chances were they’d get worse. Especially since Brand seemed to have the right answer for everything. Saying he wanted kids had scored a big one with her mum.

Once Brand finished his cup of tea, Elsa shifted in her chair. “I guess Brand and I are going to head out.”

“Already?” her mum asked.

“Yeah. He wants to introduce me to some close friends of his.”

“Then we won’t hold you up.”

Of course her mother wouldn’t object after hearing that. She’d just think it was another step closer to Elsa marrying Brand. After pushing back her chair, Elsa got up and walked around the table to her father. She bent down and wrapped her arms around him, hugging and kissing his cheek.

“Happy birthday, Dad. I hope you enjoy the rest of your day.”

He reached up and squeezed her shoulder. “Thanks again for the present. You and Renea outdid yourselves. And I’m sure I will.”

After giving her mother a quick kiss as well, Elsa led Brand out of the room once he’d said his good-byes to her parents and sister. She didn’t say anything until they were both inside Brand’s Lexus and pulling away from the curb.

“Well, that wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be,” she said. “My mum didn’t ask too many embarrassing questions.”

“I didn’t mind.”

“You do realize she’s going to expect you to go down on bended knee and ask me to marry you like tomorrow. Then want the wedding next week, and the week after that, you getting me pregnant.”

Brand chuckled. “I think that would be doable.” Stopped at a red light, he turned his head to look at her and winked.

She rolled her eyes. “Do not, I repeat, do not let my mum hear you say that.”

He chuckled again. “I won’t. Shall we go back to your flat now so you can pack some clothes? Then I’ll bring you to my place.”

“Sure. Just as long as I get you alone at some point in the not-too-distant future.”

Brand continued down the street when the light changed to green. “That is most definitely doable.”

At her flat, Elsa didn’t take long to throw a change of clothes and other items she needed for an overnight stay into a bag. Brand collected his, and they were soon on the road again.

The manor house Brand lived in with his friends ended up being as big as Elsa had pictured. After driving up the graveled surface of the long driveway and past the perfectly manicured front lawns, he parked in front of a large detached garage. Once they were out of the car, Brand took their bags out of the boot and, carrying them in one hand, laced their fingers together with his free one. He walked her toward the front door of the grand-looking house.

Her first impression was that someone rich lived there. She looked around the large open-concept foyer. The floor had been done in light blond hardwood. The walls had been painted just a shade darker than the floor. A heavy oak banister wound all the way up the curved flight of stairs to the upper floor. A crystal chandelier hung from the center of the high ceiling. It was beautiful. Elsa would love to call a home like this her own.

The sound of footfalls coming down the hallway that led to the back of the house drew Elsa’s attention. A man with shaggy, light brown hair appeared a few seconds later. He was big and muscular just like Brand. If anything, he was an inch taller than Brand. The man also carried a newborn in his arms.

He stopped when he spotted Elsa and Brand standing in the foyer. He looked at Elsa. “So we finally get to meet you.” He came closer. “I’m Garrick, and this is my son, Luke,” he said as he nodded to the baby.

“I’m Elsa. Your son is adorable.”

“Thanks.”

“He needs a nappy change,” Brand said.

Garrick nodded. “I know. The smell is just about doing me in. I’m looking for his mother.”

Elsa discreetly sniffed the air but couldn’t smell a dirty nappy. Brand and Garrick must have a better sense of smell than she had if they thought it was that bad.

Garrick turned toward the staircase, and yelled, “Nika! Can you come here?”

A woman with light blonde hair came to stand at the railing at the top of the stairs. “What is it, Garrick?” She had an American accent.

“Your son stinks.”

Nika crossed her arms. “So? What do you want me to do about it?”

Garrick held the baby out. “He needs changing.”

“Garrick, Luke is two weeks old, and you have yet to change a dirty diaper. You’re going to do this one.”

“It’ll make me gag.”

“Tough.”

Brand closed the distance between him and Garrick and took the baby to hold in his free arm. “Don’t worry, Nika. I’ll do it.” He turned to Elsa. “Are you going to come up with me?”

“Sure.” Elsa had to admit the sight of seeing Brand holding the newborn did warm, gooey things to her insides. It was a good thing her mother couldn’t see Brand now, or she’d be really pushing for grandchildren, harder than she normally would.

Once she and Brand reached the top of the stairs, with Garrick following behind, Nika met them. “Thanks, Brand,” she said. She looked at Garrick. “My husband is going to have to get over his need to gag every time he sees a dirty diaper.” Garrick gave her a sheepish look. Nika turned her gaze on Elsa. “You have to be Elsa. If you haven’t already figured it out, I’m Nika, Garrick’s wife.”

“Nice to meet you. Obviously, Brand has spoken about me if you and Garrick already know about me.”

“Don’t worry. Brand didn’t say anything terrible about you.”

“I never would,” Brand said. “Let me put these bags in my room and then I’ll take care of Luke’s nappy.”

Elsa followed him. The room he put their bags in was large. The king-size bed was the focal point of the space. The sheets and matching quilt on it were black cotton with a slight sheen. The rest of the furniture was dark wood pieces that were the same design as the headboard. Instead of carpeted, the floor was dark hardwood. The whole room had a masculine feel to it.

With the baby still cradled in one arm, Brand put the bags down on the floor near the bed before he turned and headed back out into the hallway. He walked down it to a room two doors down on the opposite side. Elsa walked behind him as he entered it. It had to be Garrick and Nika’s room because they were both there.

Brand headed straight for the changing table set up against one wall. Without having to be given directions, he gently placed Luke on it and took off the baby’s pants to get to his nappy. He undid it and pulled the front down. Elsa had to bite back a laugh as Garrick made a gagging sound.

“Stop that,” Nika admonished Garrick. “It’s not that bad. Luke spits up on you, and you can handle that.”

Garrick seemed to avoid looking at what Brand was doing. “A little puke doesn’t get to me like poop does. A wet nappy I can manage.”

Elsa turned back to Brand and watched him efficiently wipe the baby’s bottom with wipes before he put a clean nappy on Luke. The newborn’s pants followed with no trouble. Done, Brand picked up Luke and put him up on his shoulder. He kissed the baby’s downy head as he walked over to Nika.

“All done.” He gently handed the newborn over to his mother.

“Thanks again, Brand,” Nika said.

“You’re welcome. Elsa and I will be in my room. I’ll introduce her to the others later.”

“We’ll make sure no one disturbs you while you’re both … occupied,” Garrick said with a chuckle.

Elsa knew exactly what Garrick referred to. He was a bit of a smartass as Brand had said. She still thought it would be interesting to see Renea and him together.

Brand said nothing in return to Garrick’s comment, and she followed him out of the room. Back inside Brand’s bedroom, he closed the door behind them and locked it. He then walked into the en suite bathroom. The sound of the tap running in the sink reached her ears. While Brand washed his hands, she walked over to the set of windows. Looking out, she saw Brand had a view of the back garden. It was large with a stand of trees lining the back of the property.

Gazing out to a section of lawn in the center of the garden, Elsa leaned closer to the glass, her brow furrowing. Was she really seeing what she thought she saw? Two equally large, muscular men stood on the grass swinging what looked like swords at each other. Given their size, they moved agilely and sometimes so fast she almost couldn’t track them.

“What has caught your attention?” Brand asked as he came up behind her.

She turned her head to look at him and then back at the window. “I figure those two out there must be a couple of your friends. You never said anything about them owning swords or using them against one another.”

As she watched, the two men outside lowered their swords and exchanged a few words. In a blink of an eye, the weapons were dropped to the grass and fists were flying. It didn’t last very long, and once it was over, the men laughed and acted as if nothing happened.

Brand put his arms around her waist and pulled her back against his hard body. “That’s Wulfric and Dolf. The one with the long, light brown hair is Wulfric and Dolf is the one with the short, wavy, reddish-brown hair. You might not be able to tell from what just happened, but they are the best of friends.”

“They look it now,” she said with a laugh.

Brand turned with her away from the window before he spun her around in his arms so she faced him. “Enough about my friends. Now that I finally have you alone, I want you again.”

A shiver of desire shot through Elsa at Brand’s husky words. “I want you too.”

He bent his head and kissed her, his tongue sweeping along her lips until she opened for him. Need and arousal heated her blood and made her pussy ache for his cock to fill it. Even though it hadn’t been that long since the last time she’d made love with Brand, Elsa still hungered for him. He touched her, and she went instantly wet.

As he deepened their kiss, she pressed closer. She moaned softly, loving the feel of Brand’s cock, long and hard, against her. The sound of her rapidly beating heart filled her ears. Every time Brand took her into his arms, her feelings for him grew stronger.

His hands went for the bottom of her shirt and lifted. Elsa broke contact with Brand’s lips and helped him strip her out of her clothes. She did the same with his. Once they were both naked, he kissed her hungrily again, running his hands along her heated skin. She reached between them and wrapped her fingers around his straining cock and pumped up and down. She used her thumb to rub a bead of precum into the tip. His hips jerked as she worked him.

Brand lifted his head and then picked her up and carried her over to the bed. After he flipped the covers back, he placed her on the center of the mattress. He climbed up next to her and came down on top of her. He shifted lower on her body and nuzzled the side of her neck.

“I’m going to taste you and then make you come.”

“Yes,” she said, panting.

He continued to work his way down her body until his wide shoulders were wedged between her thighs. She gasped and moaned as Brand dipped his head and licked her pussy. Elsa rocked against his mouth, her arousal steadily increasing with each stroke of his tongue.

He sucked on her clit and licked her slick opening. Elsa’s body coiled tighter. She’d come if only he’d add his fingers to the play. But he didn’t; he just continued to torment her with his tongue until she hovered at the edge of release.

“Brand. Give me more. I’m so close.”

Without a word, he surged up between her legs and sheathed his cock inside her pussy with one thrust. That was enough to send Elsa into an orgasm. She clutched him to her as her inner walls convulsed around his hard length. Brand held still. Once the last wave hit her, she opened her eyes to see he had his closed. A muscle in his jaw jumped as he gritted his teeth, obviously holding himself back until her pleasure ended.

Elsa lifted her hips, taking him deeper. That was all it took to have him moving inside her. He groaned as he pistoned his hips between her legs in hard thrusts. His cock slid in and out of her pussy, causing another climax to slowly build inside her. She held on to his biceps, matching each of his strokes.

Just before she fell over the edge, thrown into another intense orgasm, Elsa felt Brand’s cock swell, locking them together. He pulsed inside her, filling her with his cum. Their cries of passion filled the room. As he collapsed on top of her, she wrapped her arms around him. His much heavier weight pushed her deeper into the mattress, and she found it harder to catch her breath, but Elsa didn’t care. She stifled a gasp as another splash of cum filled her.

Brand lifted some of his weight off her, supporting his upper body on his bent arms. He lightly kissed her. “Move in with me.”

It took a few seconds to get her brain to function enough for her to understand his words. “You mean live with you here in the manor?”

“Yes.”

She looked up at him, seeing by his expression that he was serious. “That’s a big step in a relationship. Are you sure you’re ready to take it?”

Brand kissed the tip of her nose. “Of course I am. I wouldn’t have asked if I wasn’t. I guess I have to ask you the same question. Are you ready?”

Was she? Elsa didn’t want to make another mistake like Teddy, but she felt she could trust Brand. And considering how quickly her feelings for him had grown, she didn’t think it would be long before she was head over heels in love with him. He had all the qualities and good looks of a man she’d pictured sharing her life with. He was the one she’d thought would exist only in her daydreams.

“I think I am,” she said slowly.

“But you really aren’t sure.”

“It’s not that I don’t want to live with you. You have to understand I just got out of a relationship that ended badly. I don’t want you to think I’m only rebounding, using you to take the place of Teddy, without my feelings being invested in you.”

Brand brushed a lock of hair off her forehead. “I know you aren’t using me, Elsa. We’re meant to be together. I know what I want, and I want you. You and I together feels right.”

Elsa had to agree with that. She’d never become so comfortable with a man in such a short period of time as she had with Brand. “It does feel right. But what will your friends think? Won’t they think this is all a little sudden?”

He chuckled. “They won’t think anything of it. When Raed, Algar, Garrick, Wulfric, and Dolf all met their wives, they brought the women into our ‘family’ just as fast. Lexi and Kamryn actually were only here in Norwich on vacation from the States. They never went back home.”

“At least I don’t have to make a move like that. It makes the decision a little easier.”

“So can I take that to mean you will?”

She was oh-so-tempted, but the logical side of her couldn’t give him the answer he wanted. “Can you give me some more time?”

“Of course. I don’t want to push you if you aren’t ready, but that doesn’t mean I won’t show you what you’ll be missing each night that you don’t spend in my bed.”

Brand kissed her hard and long. Since he hadn’t pulled out of her, even after he’d become soft, Elsa felt him harden inside her pussy. Still wet from their previous lovemaking, he easily slid in and out. Her arousal quickly built.

Once he was fully engorged, Brand pulled out of Elsa and moved off her. She whimpered at the loss of his cock filling her. He kissed her and then urged her over onto her stomach before he got her up on her hands and knees. He came around to the back of her and knelt between her spread legs. He put a hand on her hip as he ran the other across the small of her back and up. Near her right shoulder his fingers seemed to linger as if he traced something there. His touch was almost reverent.

Continuing with caressing strokes on her back, he worked his way down until he had both hands on her hips. He held her steady and then surged inside her pussy. His cock filled her completely, stretching her. She was able to take him deeper in this position. In and out he pumped. Elsa pushed back to match the pace he set.

An animalistic growl rumbled out of Brand as he thrust harder and faster into her. Her head dropped forward, and she fisted the sheet in her hands as he took her with powerful strokes. It felt so good to be possessed by him, having his body deep inside hers.

Brand’s cock hardened even more. Elsa could tell he was close to finding his release. His thrusts were faster. He groaned and panted as he worked her from behind. Just as he swelled, locking them together, she climaxed, intense pleasure sweeping her away. She let out a keening moan, lost to the sensations taking her over.

Once it ended, Brand put an arm around her waist and took them both to their sides, his cock still locked inside her pussy. Her eyes closed as she fought to catch her breath. If this was how he was going to persuade her to move in with him, Elsa didn’t think he’d have to work too hard at it to have her saying yes.

Chapter Six

They’d made love twice more before Brand and Elsa fell asleep for a short nap. When they awoke, it was getting dark. Brand slipped out of bed. “I’m going to use the loo. You can have it after me. We should probably get up and go downstairs to see what’s for dinner.”

She sat up and ran her hand through her hair to get out some of the snarls. “Food sounds good right about now. And I’d like to meet the rest of your friends. I should since we’re contemplating living together.”

He climbed back on the bed only long enough to give her a kiss and then went to the en suite. Elsa stretched and smiled. Being with Brand made her happy. She felt almost giddy when she thought about him and that he was hers. She was most definitely falling for him.

She heard the toilet flush; then, a minute later, Brand came out to the bedroom. “All yours,” he said as he bent to pick up his jeans from the floor.

Elsa threw back the sheets and got out of bed. “I won’t be too long,” she said as she walked past Brand in the direction of the loo.

“Take as much time as you need.”

She closed the door behind her before she used the toilet. After washing her hands, Elsa splashed some water on her face. As she turned to reach for the hand towel on the rack hanging on the wall to her left, something caught her eye in the mirror above the sink. She dried her face and hands and then positioned herself to get a better look at her back.

What she saw there, close to her right shoulder, had her jaw dropping. As clear as day, there was what appeared to be a black tattoo on her skin. The design was the exact same one that Brand had on the cap of his left shoulder, right down to the stylized man between two stylized wolves only it was slightly smaller. It being there didn’t make any sense. She hadn’t gotten a tattoo. She sure as hell would have remembered having it done.

Thinking it couldn’t be a tattoo and that maybe Brand had decided to do something “funny” while she’d slept, Elsa grabbed a clean cloth from the towel rack and quickly held it under the running water in the sink once she’d turned on the tap. She squeezed out the excess and then used the cloth to rub at the mark on her back. It didn’t come off. Next, she used soap as well as water. That didn’t work either. She rubbed hard enough that her skin turned red.

More confused than ever, and feeling slightly worried, Elsa asked in a loud and strained voice, “What the fuck is this?”

Brand opened the door and looked around. “What’s the matter?”

Elsa turned so her back faced him and then looked over her shoulder and pointed to the mark near her right shoulder. “Did you do this as some kind of joke? If this is a real tattoo, I don’t know how the hell you managed to do it without me knowing. I’m not missing any time. I tried washing it off, but it didn’t work.”

He walked up behind her and tenderly touched the mark. Elsa then remembered he’d done that exact same thing while they’d made love earlier. Brand had known it was there, and given how he hadn’t reacted to it, it was no surprise to him.

“It’s nothing to be worried about,” Brand said calmly.

She spun around to face him. “Nothing to worry about? You know something about this, don’t you?”

“Come out to the bedroom and get dressed, and then we’ll talk.”

Brand didn’t wait to hear her reply. He turned and walked out into the main room. Elsa stood there, her stomach knotting as a sense of unease washed through her. What was Brand going to tell her? Was she going to find out he was some kind of crazy who liked to do weird things to the women he slept with? He was too perfect. It just figured there was something he kept hidden from her.

Taking a deep breath, ready to face whatever it was Brand wanted to say, Elsa left the loo and went into the bedroom. She didn’t look at him as she collected her clothes and pulled them on. Once she was finished, she sat on the bed and waited for Brand to begin.

He came closer and looked down at her. He didn’t say anything, just stared into her eyes. The knot in Elsa’s stomach grew tighter the longer he remained silent. She just wished he’d hurry and get it over with. But then as his body blurred, she found herself frozen in place. He grew larger, taller, taking on a form that looked half human and half wolf, his body completely covered in fur. He even had a tail. Her heart raced, threatening to beat right out of her chest, and she broke out in a cold sweat as fear raced through her veins.

“I’m a werewolf, and the mark on your back means you’re my mate,” Brand said in a voice a lot gruffer and deeper than his normal one.

That was it. His speaking to her was enough to unfreeze her. Elsa opened her mouth and screamed, loud and long. She threw herself off the bed and raced for the bedroom door. She’d managed to unlock and throw it open before a large furred hand wrapped around her arm and stopped her from escaping into the hallway. Elsa screamed again, struggling to get free.

“Let me go!” she yelled. “Let me the fuck go.”

The commotion had some of Brand’s friends rushing up the stairs or coming out of other rooms on this level. Elsa was only vaguely aware of them congregating close to Brand’s bedroom door. Fear still had her in its grip. She hit, scratched, and punched Brand’s arm, desperate to get free.

“Oh, Brand, don’t tell me you told her what you were by just shifting into your werewolf form,” said a woman who stood close to Elsa.

“Was the best way. She found Tiw’s mark on her back,” Brand replied, not even showing that Elsa had hurt him in any way.

“Brand, let her go,” said a man who stood next to the woman. He spoke the words as an order.

“If I do, she’ll run.”

“You won’t do that, will you, Elsa?” the man asked.

“The fuck I won’t. Look at him. He’s a werewolf.”

“All the men who live here are werewolves as well.”

That statement just made her struggle even harder.

Another woman came to Elsa’s side and pried Brand’s fingers from around Elsa’s arm. The woman then put hers around Elsa. “It’s going to be okay, Elsa. Brand, or any of the other men here, wouldn’t do anything to hurt you. I’m Maggie, Dolf’s mate.”

“Mate?” Elsa asked.

“Yes, just as you are Brand’s. I know this is scary and hard to understand. I know exactly what you’re going through right now. I found out all about werewolves truly existing in the worst possible way. I ended up being terrified of Dolf and thought I’d never get over my fear of him. But I did and have never been happier. Let’s go downstairs and we’ll do our best to explain everything to you.” As Maggie turned Elsa in the direction of the stairs, Maggie said over her shoulder, “Brand, shift back before you come down.”

Elsa allowed Maggie to guide her down to the lower level and into the living room. The others followed. A quick glance at Brand showed he was once more in his human form. Even so, the sight of his handsome face didn’t have Elsa wanting to go to him. Her legs shook, and she was grateful when Maggie had her sit on one of the leather couches. The other woman sat next to her.

“I guess to start off I should introduce you to the others you haven’t met.”

Maggie pointed out Raed and his mate, Lexi, who held their year-old daughter, Petra. Then she introduced Algar, his mate, Kamryn, along with Wulfric and his mate, Cydney. Maggie saved Dolf for last. “There is one other person you’ll meet. His name is Chris, but he’s not here right now.”

They all looked like normal, happy couples. Elsa never would have guessed all the men were werewolves. She still avoided looking at Brand. If she did, she’d lose it again. Being next to Maggie had quelled some of the fear she felt, but it didn’t mean she wouldn’t get the hell away from them all soon. She’d hear their explanations and then make a hasty exit.

“I’m sure you have a lot of questions, Elsa,” Maggie started. “We’ll do our best to help you understand.”

Elsa cleared her throat. “How is it possible that they’re all werewolves?”

“Maybe it’s best if I answer that,” Raed said. “To start at the beginning, I once was known as Raedwald, the king of East Anglia. Algar, Garrick, Wulfric, Dolf, and Brand were my men at that time. The Anglo-Saxon god, Tiw, the sky father, came to me with his offer of immortality in exchange for my help in protecting mortals from the werewolves sired by Fenris the wolf. The others quickly vowed to join me. Along with granting us immortality, Tiw gave us the ability to shift into werewolves to give us equal footing when we fight our prey. Tiw also marked each of us as his when he placed The White Wolf emblem on the cap of our left shoulders.”

Elsa stared at Raed. “That would mean each of you have been alive for over thirteen hundred years. I learned about King Raedwald in school. They figured the Sutton Hoo site is where you were buried.”

“Yes, we’ve been around that long. As for the burial site, that’s what I intended it to be perceived as. I had to end my old life to start the new one I’d taken on.”

Holy shit, all the men in the room were over a thousand years old, including Brand. “What about your mates? Aren’t they mortal?”

“Not any longer. Once we found our mates, Tiw granted them immortality as well. They also carry the same mark as you on their backs.”

“So I’m immortal now because I have an Anglo-Saxon god’s mark on me?”

Brand stepped closer and answered her question. “No, not yet. The mark means you are mine, and that you have accepted me. When you’re ready, I’ll call on Tiw to make us true mates.”

Elsa looked him in the face. “And you’re ready to do that? After only knowing me for two days, you’re ready to tie yourself to me for all eternity?”

He squatted in front of her and took her hands in his. Elsa had to fight her first instinct to pull out of his grasp. “I’ve known you were my mate for a very long time, Elsa. For seven years to be exact.”

“What? How? I never met you before until yesterday.”

“Yes, you did. You just don’t remember. You were sixteen at the time and very drunk. You were walking home from a friend’s place. I helped you. I didn’t realize you were my mate right away. All I knew was that you were the only woman who’d stirred my wolf. Then I found myself drawn to you time and time again, and I figured it out. I watched over you all these years, waiting for you to grow up enough for me to claim you. But then you became engaged to Teddy, and I was prepared to let him have you if it was what you wanted.”

Elsa stiffened. That night when she’d been sixteen came rushing back. It had been the first time she’d ever been drunk. She’d vaguely remembered someone making sure she arrived home all right. Now that she thought back to that time, she remembered it had been Brand. That was part of the reason why she’d thought he looked so familiar yesterday. He hadn’t aged at all in the last seven years. He was exactly the same now as he’d been then. She’d also spotted him a few times out on the street. The thought of him following her around for that many years didn’t sit well with her.

She yanked her hands out of his as she gave him a hard stare. “So basically what you’re saying is that you’ve stalked me for seven years.”

“No, watched over you. Protected you.”

“Bullshit. You’re a stalker. People get arrested for that. You obviously already knew about Teddy. How much more of my life do you know? Christ, you already knew where I lived. You were stalking me yesterday. That’s why you were there when Teddy was being an ass.”

“Yes, I was already there. You are my mate. It’s my right to protect you. I’ve watched over you every day since the night I met you.”

Feeling a bit violated, Elsa lifted her foot and kicked Brand in the chest, shoving him onto his arse. She stood and looked down at him. “No matter what I am to you, you don’t have the right to stalk me.” She walked past him. “I’m getting the hell out of here.”

Before she reached the entrance to the living room, a man who looked around her age came rushing in. He didn’t pay any notice to her as he walked over to the men. The look of anxiousness he wore had Elsa stopping. She had a feeling this was Chris, the last member of the household she had yet to meet.

“Ah, guys,” he said, “we have a slight problem.”

“What happened, Chris?” Raed asked.

“We have werewolves at the front and back edges of the property.”

“That shouldn’t be a problem. You’re their pack leader. They have to obey you without question.”

“Well, these ones are different. They’re from the pack when Stephen was leader. They’ve decided one of them should take my place. He’s challenged me.”

“That’s not going to happen,” Wulfric said. “Chris has to stay leader, no matter what.”

Raed nodded. “I guess that means we’ll all go out to confront them. Algar, Garrick, and I will take the ones at the back. Wulfric, Dolf, and Brand, you’ll stay with Chris. Keep him covered. He’ll have to fight, or we’ll have more of the beasts challenging his leadership.”

Elsa did not like the news Chris had brought. From the sound of things, she was trapped inside the manor, unable to get away from Brand as she wanted.

Chapter Seven

Brand turned his gaze to Elsa. She still stood at the entrance to the room, looking ready to bolt at any minute. He closed the distance between them and couldn’t help noticing how she stiffened or how her eyes slightly widened while fear lurked in their depths.

He sighed. “You’re going to have to stay inside the house until we’ve taken care of the werewolves. It’s not safe outside right now.”

She gave a curt nod. “Fine, but once everything is clear, I’m leaving. So don’t even try to stop me.”

“All right.”

He stared at her, drinking in her beautiful face. He’d fucked up. Badly. Not only was she afraid of what he was, Elsa was also pissed off with him because he’d watched over her for years. She didn’t understand that it went against everything he was to have left her without his protection. Plus, at least being able to see her every day had kept him from going crazy. If he hadn’t, Brand was sure he would have lost it as the need to claim her as his rode him. Watching over her had given him a small connection to her.

Now he was going to have the big job of winning her over. He should have learned from how his fellow warriors’ mates had reacted when they’d found out. But when Elsa had found Tiw’s mark on her back, he’d gone with his gut instinct and shifted. He was not known as a man who could be subtle. He liked to lay all his cards out on the table, no matter how they affected the people around him.

Brand met Elsa’s gaze. “Before I go out, I have to say one thing, even though you won’t want to hear it. I love you. I have for years. I’ve only ever thought about you as mine. I would never hurt you. All I’ve ever wanted is to protect you, to ensure your happiness. You might think I’m a stalker, but I think of it as showing how much you mean to me. You own my heart and always will. There hasn’t been another since I met you seven years ago, and there never will be. No matter how you feel about me.”

He took a step back and shifted into his werewolf form. He stared at Elsa, letting the love he felt for her show in his eyes. She didn’t move, didn’t make a sound. Brand looked over his shoulder at the others. “Wulfric, Dolf, Chris, let’s go put down Fenris’s get so my mate can go home.”

Without looking at Elsa, he left the room and headed for the front door. The werewolves outside were about to get a nasty surprise. Brand was in need of a good fight.

* * *

Elsa silently watched Brand in his werewolf form exit the living room. Dolf, Wulfric, and Chris followed him. She felt as if Brand had just run her down with a lorry. He loved her. Even though he’d said the words, she’d been able to see it in his werewolf eyes before he’d walked away. Then there was the fact that he’d stayed true to her for so long without her even being aware of him. And that if she decided to leave him, he wouldn’t go to another woman. No man had ever loved her that much.

Raed, Algar, and Garrick left the room and then headed to the back of the house. Their mates went with them. The sound of a long, drawn-out howl caused goose bumps to break out all over her skin. She wrapped her arms around her middle and hugged herself. She really didn’t know if she could handle this strange new world that had been thrust on her. Elsa really didn’t understand it, and it scared her. She’d been given too much information too fast. She needed time to assimilate it all.

Another howl could be heard. Elsa jumped when Maggie came up beside her and touched her arm. “Come sit down, Elsa. You’ll be more comfortable.”

Elsa went with the other woman and sat on the couch. She noticed Cydney stood at the large picture window, staring outside. “Things are starting to heat up out there,” Cydney said.

“How is Dolf doing?” Maggie asked as she joined the other woman at the window.

“Our guys are whipping those werewolves’ asses.”

Maggie sucked in a loud breath. “Oh, Brand took a nasty hit.”

Elsa found herself on her feet and crossing to the window before she could think about it. The sight that met her eyes had her biting her bottom lip to hold back a whimpered moan. The scene looked like chaos. There were so many werewolves out there she couldn’t tell the good ones from the bad.”

As if she’d read Elsa’s mind, Cydney said, “Our guys are the ones with the swords.”

That’s when Elsa noticed that some of them did indeed fight with swords. She didn’t know who was who, except for Brand. She soon spotted him. His fur was the same color as his hair—pure black.

Despite the anger and fear she felt toward him, Elsa couldn’t stop herself from watching Brand. A part of her didn’t want to see him get hurt. She’d spent two days making love to him, and they’d become close. It wasn’t something she could totally forget.

Soon darkness closed in, and it was harder to see. The only light was from the almost full moon and the manor’s outside lights. Where the warriors and werewolves fought was at the end of the drive, which was a fair bit of distance away. It made it harder for Elsa to follow everything.

But soon only four werewolves remained standing, all of them holding swords. Elsa stepped even closer to the window when a blue fire engulfed the bodies of the downed creatures. Something else she’d never seen before.

“What is that fire?” she asked.

Maggie answered her. “It’s Tiw’s god-fire. It burns the bodies of Fenris’s get until nothing of them remains. The men’s swords have silver mixed in with the steel, which is deadly to the beasts. They bring them down, and Tiw cleans up after them.”

Elsa watched the men shift to their human forms. Then their swords disappeared into thin air, except for Chris’s. He carried his with him as he walked toward the manor with the others.

The men walked into the living room a short while later. Elsa remained at the window as Maggie and Cydney went to their mates. Brand hung back with Chris and didn’t make an attempt to come to her. Not long after that, the other three warriors and their mates joined them.

“They’ve all been taken care of?” Raed asked.

Brand nodded. “Yes. Chris no longer has to worry about them trying to take his place as pack leader.”

“Same with the ones we fought. If there are others who sided with them, they’ll know what fate they met when they don’t return.”

“Can I go home now?” Elsa asked, drawing everyone’s attention. “Is it safe for me to leave the manor?”

Brand looked at her with no emotion showing on his face. “Yes. I’ll take you back to your flat. Let me just go get your bag from my bedroom.”

She nodded before he walked out of the living room. Elsa found the others looking at her. The women wore sympathetic expressions. She had a hard time meeting their gazes.

Lexi came to stand in front of Elsa. “If it’ll make you feel any better, we, all the women, have been in the exact same position you are now in with Brand. It’s hard to accept, but it is possible. You just have to give Brand a chance. And in his defense, you have to remember the day and age he was born in. He was a warrior then and still thinks like one.”

“I can’t deal with this right now,” Elsa said.

“I understand. Just remember that we’re here for you. That, if you decide to stay with Brand, we can help you transition into our world.”

Spotting Brand waiting just outside the room with her bag, Elsa nodded before she left to join him. Neither one of them said a word as they walked out of the manor and headed to the detached garage. Once inside his car, she buckled her seatbelt and then turned her head to look out the side window. She kept as close to the door as she could get.

At her flat, Brand stopped the car in front of the building. Elsa silently grabbed her bag from the backseat before she opened the door and stepped out onto the pavement. She didn’t look back as she walked to the front entrance and let herself inside.

* * *

Brand gripped the steering wheel so tightly it creaked. He followed Elsa with his gaze, feeling as if he lost more of her with each step she took. He’d give Elsa her space, but he didn’t think he’d be able to stay completely away from her. He’d just have to go back to hiding in the shadows, remaining out of sight, as he watched over her from afar.

For the first time in his life, he was actually afraid. He was afraid he’d lose Elsa forever. That she’d never come to accept him as her mate. This was worse than when she’d become engaged to Teddy. Then, Brand hadn’t tasted her, hadn’t held her in his arms, hadn’t made love to her until they were both satiated and unable to move. If she rejected him, it would hurt so much worse. He’d survive it, but he’d never be the same again. He’d have endless days and nights to spend alone. Even now he ached to have her in his arms.

Brand waited until he saw a light turn on in her second floor flat. At least he knew she was at home safe and sound. He put the car into gear and slowly pulled away from the curb. It was all up to Elsa now. How the rest of his eternal life played out was in her hands. He’d give her a couple of days, and then he’d confront her to see what her decision was.

* * *

Two days. It had been two days of hell for Elsa. She’d probably spent the majority of them either crying or arguing with herself about what she should do about Brand. Every time she looked at Tiw’s mark on her back, she thought about Brand, her mate. Did he hate her for leaving him as she had, or did he still love her and only waited for her to make the first move? As for making a decision, she was no closer to one. It was driving her crazy.

She had to talk to someone other than an individual from Brand’s “family.” She needed someone who could look at things from her perspective and would be able to help her sort out her feelings. The only person she could think of was her big sister, Renea. Growing up, they’d both confided in each other, told each other secrets that neither had broken their promise to never tell. The only thing holding Elsa back from talking to Renea was the fact she didn’t know if her sister would believe her when Elsa told her werewolves existed.

Renea knew there was something bothering Elsa. Only this morning when Renea had called, her sister had mentioned how Elsa seemed out of sorts. How she sounded a bit depressed. Elsa had been so close to telling Renea the whole story about Brand over the phone.

The sound of someone putting a key into her flat’s door had Elsa’s heart beating at a fast rate. Could it be Brand? He still had the set of keys she’d given him. She tensed, not sure how she would react if it was indeed him. Once the door swung open, Elsa breathed a sigh of relief to see it was Renea, not Brand.

Her sister shut the door behind her. “All right, time for a sister-to-sister talk. No more telling me you’re fine when I know you’re not. Something is bothering you, and you’re not going to get over it until you’ve told someone.” Renea crossed the distance between them and then sat on the couch next to Elsa. “So out with it. You know I’m a good sounding board.”

“I doubt you’ll believe what I have to say.”

“Maybe, maybe not. You won’t know until you’ve told me.”

Elsa took a deep breath. “You’re right; something is bothering me. Something that most people would think is a tale of fiction. And it has to do with Brand.”

“I had a feeling it did since you haven’t mentioned him for two days.”

“Here comes the crazy part. I’m just going to come right out with it. Brand is an immortal werewolf warrior who has been alive for over thirteen hundred years. He hunts the bad werewolves.”

Renea didn’t say anything for a few seconds. “Brand is a werewolf?”

“Yes. And apparently I’m his mate.”

“And how do you know that?”

“I’ve been marked as one.” Elsa turned, pulled her right arm out of her shirt’s sleeve, and lifted the material at her back, giving her sister a good look at Tiw’s mark. “This says I am.”

Renea shifted closer and reached out to touch it. “Holy fuck, you have to be telling the truth. I know this can’t be a tattoo. You hate needles. There is no way you’d be able to handle having one done. And besides, I know you wouldn’t ever make up a story like that.”

Elsa fixed her shirt and turned back to Renea. “You have no idea how much better I feel knowing you believe me. I wanted to tell you so many times but couldn’t bring myself to do it. I really need your advice.”

She told Renea everything. About how Brand had first met Elsa when she was sixteen and had realized she was his mate, and then how he’d watched over her for the last seven years. How if she agreed to become his mate, an Anglo-Saxon god would grant her immortality as he’d done for Brand. By the time she’d finished telling Renea everything, her sister, who normally didn’t get emotional, had tears in her eyes.

“Shit, Elsa, you can’t let him go,” Renea said as she wiped the tears away. “Do you have any idea how much I’d love to have something like this happen to me? Brand loves you. Can you picture another man not having sex for seven years just because he feels he’d be cheating on the woman he knows is his mate, even though she doesn’t know it? I can’t. For fuck sake, he was going to step aside for that fuckwad Teddy. Brand is leaving you to decide whether he gets his happily ever after or whether you condemn him to an eternity of loneliness.”

“So you don’t think I should be upset with him for stalking me for the last seven years?”

“Hell no, little sis. He was keeping you safe. He knows what lurks in the night. He comes from another time where men thought it was their duty to protect their women. You’re just not used to it.” Renea paused and then looked her directly in the eyes. “Elsa, you love Brand. It shows in the way you talk about him. Don’t let him go or you’ll regret it for the rest of your life.”

Elsa’s eyes welled. “I do love him. I haven’t been able to stop thinking about him since I left him. I’ll do this, but I’m not letting you go. I don’t know what to do about Mum and Dad.”

“Don’t worry about them right now. You have years before they’ll notice you aren’t exactly aging. And I’m not going anywhere.” Renea leaned in and kissed Elsa’s cheek. “Now wipe those tears and call your man. Don’t make him suffer any more than he already has. I’m sure he’s missing you.”

“You know how much I love you, right?”

Renea chuckled. “Of course. And I love you just as much. Now go start the rest of your eternal life with your mate.”

Her sister stood and then walked out of the flat. Once she was alone, Elsa grabbed up her phone and dialed Brand’s mobile. She hoped he was somewhere close by. He picked up after the second ring.

“Elsa?”

“Yeah, it’s me.” She paused and took a deep breath. “I love you, Brand.”

The sound of him hanging up sounded loud in her ear. She’d just replaced the cordless on its base when her flat’s door opened and Brand stood in the entranceway. He closed it behind him; then, moving faster than a mortal would, he had her in his arms and his mouth was devouring hers. Elsa held on for dear life, and all her anxiety and uncertainty washed away on a tide of intense desire. This was where she was meant to be, in the arms of her mate, forever.

Their clothes seemed to suddenly be gone as Brand undressed them both with werewolf speed. He picked her up and took her to the couch. He sat with her straddling his lap. His hard cock pressed against her pussy, causing wetness to pool to make her ready for him. He continued to kiss her and run his hands caressingly along her body until she ached to have him inside her.

Brand released her mouth and stared into her eyes. His had changed, had become more animal-like with the irises taking up much of the white. He held up his hand to show her the claws that tipped his fingers.

“Only you make me like this. Only you bring my wolf out,” he said in a gruff voice. “Only my mate. I promise to make you happy, to love you forever. I don’t think I could handle losing you again.”

Elsa hungrily took his lips then said against them, “I’m not going anywhere.”

No longer able to wait, she rose on her knees and positioned herself over his cock. She slowly sank down until she’d taken his whole length. Up and down she rode him, knowing she’d never want another man like this ever again. Brand held on to her hips and lifted her on and off him, increasing their pace until he had her crying out in release. His cock swelled and locked them together. Elsa kissed him with all the love she had for him.

As another splash of cum hit her cervix, she moaned. “I guess you’ll talk to Tiw about making us true mates soon?”

“Yes, but that can wait. Right now I want my mate again. I’ll never get enough of you.”

Brand stood with her in his arms, his cock still buried inside her, and took her to her bedroom. Elsa had a feeling they wouldn’t be leaving it for a very long time.

The End

About the Author:

Marisa Chenery was always a lover of books, but after reading her first historical romance novel she found herself hooked. Having inherited a love for the written word, she soon started writing her own novels.

After trying her hand at writing historicals, she now also writes paranormals.

Marisa lives in Ontario, Canada, with her husband and four children. Check out Marisa's website at www.marisachenery.com. She would love to hear from you, so drop her an email while you're there.

Content

Love Everlasting
Wolves of East Anglia - 6
by
Marisa Chenery

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

About the Author: