ROMANCE: Mason (Bad Boy Alpha Male Stepbrother Romance Boxset) (New Adult Contemporary Stepbrother Romance Collection) (36 page)

“What?  No one wants to get my throne chair?” 

“Maybe you won’t need that anymore.”  Gerard threw over his shoulder. 

Blaine shook his head and looked at Troy and Nick.  Both men looked a little sick. 

“Why don’t the two of you make some little babies, huh?”

Nick licked his lips nervously, his slanted eyes darting from Blaine’s face to Gerard’s back.  “We’ve tried.” 

Troy’s baritone voice spoke close to Blaine’s ear.  “Tina and I are trying too.” 

“Well, good!”  Blaine smiled, and smacked each of them on the back.  He let his hands rest on each man’s shoulder as they walked.  “That takes some pressure off of myself and Brooke!” 

Gerard had stopped under a thick canopy of pine trees.  “Yeah, laugh it up, Blaine.”

The other men formed a semi-circle around him.  He looked at each of them in turn.  The younger ones were mimicking Gerard’s anger.  Lucas was barely twenty years old.  What did he care? 

Blaine held his arms out and shrugged.  “What do you want me to say?  I went looking for a mate.  I found Brooke instead.  End of story.” 

Gerard pointed a finger at him.  “You
knew
why it was vital!”

“Yeah, so you horny bastards could end up with mates of your own before your seventieth birthday.  I get it.” 

Gerard dropped his body and put his arms out in front of him in a fighting stance.  Blaine shook his head and took his shirt off.  Hard muscle rippled with every movement.  Troy and Nick broke free from the semi-circle and stood on either side of him, also in a fight stance. 

Blaine shook his head and rolled his head from side to side to loosen his neck.  His voice was deadly when he spoke, his eyes locked on Gerard’s. 

“So, this is what it’s come to?”  When Gerard didn’t answer, Blaine lifted his lips and growled.  “Know what you’re doing old friend.” 

Brooke tried to smile as Lucy placed a cup of hot tea in her hands.  “Thank you.”  All three women jumped when they heard the first faint roar. 

“So, how did you and Blaine meet?”  Tina asked as if nothing was happening outside. 

Brooke’s gaze wandered to the windows again.  “He saved me from being raped in an alley.” 

Tina and Lucy exchanged a startled glance. 

“He did?  That must have been
terrible
!”

“It was.”  Brooke turned her attention back to the women.  They seemed nice enough, and were trying to help, but she didn’t see any help in the situation.  She slid her tea onto the table.  “This was a mistake.  I shouldn’t have come here.” 

Tina shook her head.  “Blaine is an Alpha, but what the single men of this clan are demanding he do isn’t right.  He has every right to choose whomever he wants for a mate.”

Lucy nodded her head in agreement, black hair spilling over her shoulders. 

Brooke shook her head.  “What will happen if they can’t work it out?” 

Tina shrugged, sitting back in her chair.  “They will accept his decision, or the pack will split.” 

“You say it so calmly.” 

Tina leaned forward again and patted Brooke’s knee.  “Blaine is a
true
Alpha.  He was born that way.  Our husbands will stick with him.” 

Lucy nodded her cascading tresses again.  Her crooked smile reminded Brooke of a small child. 

A crash sounded on the outside of the house and all three women ran out of the front door to see what had caused it.  The whole pack was coming out of the woods, some laughing and smiling, some looked serious.  Gerard and Blaine were nowhere to be seen, but snarls and snapping teeth could be heard just below the porch.  Brooke leaned over and saw Blaine in his Werewolf form fighting another Werewolf she assumed was Gerard.  

This is my fault.

Something snapped in Brooke.  She marched down the length of the porch and jumped from the top step to the bottom.  All attention had left the fighting Werewolves, now rolling around on the ground, to Brooke who went straight to Nick and pointed above his head. 

“Break that limb off for me please.”

Nick’s eyes enlarged to an impossible size.  “What?”

Brooke pointed again, her patience wearing thin.  The day had been too stressful.  “I want
that
thick limb” 

Nick nodded quickly and reached up, breaking it off easily.  Brooke took it, realizing it was too long, and stomped on it until it broke in half.  She marched towards the snarling beasts with the now pointed end ahead of her. 

“Hey, I wouldn’t go near them!”  The younger wolf of indeterminate origins warned, grabbing her by the crook of the elbow. 

Brooke jerked her arm free, glaring at him. 

Both Werewolves were bleeding, and from the looks of things running out of steam.  Brooke jabbed the Werewolf that was nearly black, causing him to snap at the stick and snarl.  She jabbed Blaine next, her own lips pulled back in a sneer.  A collective gasp was heard from all the others. 

“What’s wrong with you?  You fight because of
me
?”

The dark Werewolf lunged halfheartedly.  His impossibly human eyes pinned on Brooke.  She shook her head and threw down the heavy stick in disgust. 

“What are you people…a bunch of bigots?”  She turned in a wide circle, her eyes scanning the group of men watching, before looking at the panting Werewolves.  “You all look like the United Nations!  All different skin colors, yet you don’t want me because I’m a
human
?  News flash…you’re human too!  No matter what you can make your flesh do!”  She marched back to the porch and yelled one final sentence over the yard of startled faces.  “At least your women are nice!”  She opened the front door, slamming it behind her with enough force to break one pane of glass.  Tears pooled rapidly and streaked down her cheeks as she mounted the steps with no idea where of where she was going. 

Tina and Lucy looked at each other, slow smiles spreading across their faces.  They crossed their arms simultaneously and looked down at the now naked human forms of Gerard and Blaine.  Tina shook her head, her eyes on Gerard. 

“Now tell me
she
isn’t
the perfect Alpha mate?” 

Brooke found a bedroom that she assumed was a guest room and locked the door, pushing a straight backed chair against the doorknob for good measure.  She fell across the bed sobbing into the handmade quilt, thinking the guest room was perfect since she would leave as soon as she could reach her father.  A knock sounded at the door and she could hear Tina’s muffled voice. 

“Brooke?  Brooke are you ok?” 

“No!” 

There was silence before Tina spoke again.  “Just let us know if we can do anything for you.  We’re staying on the property tonight.” 

Whatever that means
.  Brooke thought glumly. 

Blaine ran up the stairs, darting into his room grabbing the first pair of pants he found.  He emerged and ran headlong into Tina and Lucy.  Lucy narrowed her usually round brown eyes at him. 

“Why did you not call…say she was human?”

Blaine ran a hand over his sweaty head.  “I was hoping for the best.  Where is she?”

Tina motioned down the hall with her head.  “Guest room.” 

Blaine limped down the hall, Tina’s voice calling after him. 

“Get cleaned up first, Blaine!  Your cuts need looking at!” 

“Look at Gerard’s!  I’ll be fine!” 

Tina waved him off.  “Stubborn.”  She muttered.  Lucy once again nodding agreement. 

Blaine tried the door before he began pounding on it.  “Brooke?  Brooke, please let me in!” 

Brooke sat up and stared at the door.  She didn’t answer.  She just wanted him to go away.  She was in love with a fairy tale, an impossibility that would only break her heart. 

“I’m so stupid.”  She whispered. 

“Did you see how she just poked them?”  Lucas asked excitedly. 

“We saw.”  Kenny replied, his golden hair catching the dappled sunlight as he bent his head to spit tobacco juice on the ground.  He dropped the leg that had been resting on the seat of the picnic table as Gerard came out of his cabin.  Lucas, Kenny, and Travis stood at something close to attention.  Gerard’s swollen eyes looked at them. 

“What?  Do you want me to say at ease or something?”

The three younger men looked at one another and relaxed their stances. 

“What are you going to do?”  Travis asked.  He was the oldest of the three that were called the “young wolves”.  At twenty five he was nearly as tall as Gerard, and was the compound’s workhorse.  He was also a thinker, and could keep the youngest two in line fairly easily by reminding them of common sense. 

Gerard felt tired.  He didn’t want to war with Blaine, but he was furious over what he had done!  He flicked his eyes away, his words quiet. 

“I don’t know yet.”

“If you want to leave,” Kenny began, spitting more tobacco juice on the ground, “we’ll come with you.”

Lucas nodded.  “Yeah.” 

Travis said nothing.  Gerard regarded him silently.  He could see the indecision in the young man’s eyes.  He wouldn’t force him into a corner.  Blaine had been good to him.  Blaine had been good to them
all
. 

Blaine sat with his back to the door of the guest room.  He could feel his face and hip joints getting hot.  His body was healing itself.  He wondered how Gerard was feeling, but decided swiftly that he didn’t care.  He stood as he heard movement at the door, holding his breath as the door creaked open.  He tilted his head to the side, his heart breaking when he saw Brooke’s red rimmed eyes and splotchy face. 

“Hey.”  He said gently. 

“I need my bags from the truck.” 

“Well, come on out, we can get them together.” 

Brooke barked a laugh.  “Together?  No, I’m going to call my father, and as soon as he can get up here to get me, I’m going
home
.”

The way she said “home” made Blaine feel like he had been slapped in the face.  He took a step backwards. 

“You are home, Brooke” 

“Uh, no.”  She said and opened the door, jerking away from him as he reached for her.  She whirled on the steps as he followed her.  “Leave me alone!  I just want my bags!” 

Blaine stopped at the bottom of the steps, watching his angry bride march through the yard to the truck.  He knew he should help her, but couldn’t move from his spot.  She was rejecting him and his way of life, and it had taken less than two days of marriage. 

Tina emerged from the kitchen.  “I put the food away.” 

“There was food?”  Blaine asked, his eyes still on Brooke. 

Tina chuckled.  “Yeah, but you and Gerard were too busy trying to kill each other to notice.”  Her gaze followed his, and she saw Brooke in the bed of the truck throwing her suitcase to the ground.  She climbed out and hooked her book bag and purse to one shoulder and picked up the suitcase angrily.  Her stride was purposeful as she came back towards the house. 

“She’s a tough one.”

“She is.”  Blaine agreed. 

Tina touched his arm gently.  “She’s an Alpha’s mate…that much is obvious.” 

“Too bad I’m losing her.  She wants to go home.” 

“She’ll come around.  The thing with the stick was as much about defending
you
as it was about proving a point.” 

The front door opened and slammed shut as Brooke silently walked past them and back up the steps.  Tina and Blaine followed her progress. 

“I’ll see if she needs anything.” 

Blaine nodded.  Maybe the thing to do would be to beat her to the punch.  Maybe He should call Jack himself. 

“How in the hell did you
expect
it to go, Blaine?”

“I don’t know.  She’s your daughter.  What should I do?” 

Jack sighed.  Blaine could hear faint noises from
Papa’s,
and he wished he was there again starting all of this over. 

“Just give her space.  I’ll come if I need to…but you guys have to work this thing out…together.”  The pain was evident in Jack’s voice.  Blaine knew Jack probably wanted to drive up there right then and take his little girl back home. 

“Alright, Jack.  I’ll do my best.” 

Blaine hung up and tapped the phone lightly.  Something had to be done and quick.  She wouldn’t stay willingly for long. 

He stood and stretched.  Night had fallen and the porch held the soft murmurings of at least part of his pack.   He stepped onto the porch to find the married couples enjoying mixed drinks and beer.  Troy held up his glass. 

“There he is!  Our
married
fearless leader.”  He smiled brightly in the darkness. 

“You’re drunk.”  Blaine said dryly, accepting the beer Nick handed him.

“I’m not!”