Page 41 of Doubly Tied

“Yes,” she answered first, and her sisters followed suit.

“Then, I am very sure. Now, Ani, how do you plan to keep yours?”

***

“Brody, stop grabbing the rail like that. You’re bound to break it,” Mayne chided.

“How are you so fucking calm, Mayne? I swear I will lose my shit if anything happens to her—”

“As will I. But you need to trust our mate.”

“I do,” Brody replied.

He gritted his teeth and turned as a group of Wolves approached. Sam Greeves was at their forefront, and Megan was hanging on his arm like a pet.

“Well, son. Seems your little human is not faring so well now, is she? Megan here has come to offer her a chance to forfeit. She can leave before she is injured by the cattle drive, free to love her life without harm, and you will mate Megan, dissolving your Triad. Or you can walk away from the Pack and allow me to take your place. Where I belong,” he snarled.

“You go too far, old man,” Mayne hissed.

“Back off, Bear,” growled Megan.

“Brody, you and I had something special when we were in school. I know you can feel how right we are together.” The she-Wolf stepped forward, running her hand over Brody’s chest.

“You best back the fuck up off my man, skank,” Ani growled, striding toward them angrily on her bright purple Crocs.

Mayne grinned. Ani looked hot as fuck, full of confidence and anger as she walked up to the group and shoved Megan off of Brody with a growl that made him proud and hard as fuck.

“Mate,” Brody said, claiming her mouth with a kiss that left no room for question.

“Ani,” Mayne said, kissing her next and ignoring the group of Wolves he now considered enemies.

As the Pack Omega, he was able to see into their hearts. These Wolves were a sickness. A Poison. They needed to go. But first, the challenge had to run its course. A fact he fucking hated.

“You ready, mate?”

“Yes,” Ani replied. “Let’s do this.”

***

Brody watched from the same stand as Mayne. The Bear was not normally so high strung but meeting their mate’s father and having to confess the ways they’d fucked this all up was hell on the man’s nerves. His as well. But there was nothing to be done for it now. They just had to wait and see.

“She’ll surprise you, boys, don’t worry about my little Ani,” Mark Freeman said from his perch beside his other daughters and their mates.

“I do believe in her, Mr. Freeman,” Brody answered. “We both do.”

“It is not easy for Shifters to send their mates off without them, sir,” Misha, Ginger’s Alpha mate, and a Kodiak Bear Shifter, explained to the human male. “We have a biological imperative to keep our mates close and safe.”

“I see,” Mr. Freeman said and grinned. “Good. My daughters deserve the best sort of treatment from everyone, especially men claiming to love them.”

A round ofyes sirsfollowed, but Brody was too wrapped up in watching Thomas as he led both females to their mini herds and gave them their instructions.

“What is happening?” Ginger asked.

“Both Ani and Megan are being introduced to their herds. They will both have a horse and are right now getting instructions and a map to their destinations. We will meet them by the watering tank. Whoever brings their complete herd first, wins.”

Once Mayne finished explaining to the Freeman sisters, their father, and their mates, Brody signaled to Thomas. It was time. His Beta would fire the gun, sounding the start of the drive. Then he and the rest of the Guard would keep watch on Megan, Ani, and their herds.

There was something going on here Brody didn’t fully grasp yet. Something not quite right with the way Megan was going about this. His relationship with her had ended before they’d graduated senior year. There was no way the she-Wolf harbored any feelings of love for Brody.

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