Puma Pride, page 25
“She can’t shift and she’s good with the kids,” Brady reminded him. “When will you announce?”
“Mia wants to wait a little longer,” Bryan grinned. “She’s ecstatic and nervous.”
“Understandable,” Brady agreed. “We need to figure out how to legally get Brent Ladika out of the picture. He’s the one behind all these attacks and attempts.”
“We’ve got a late comer,” Bryan pointed to the screen as it flashed the lights again. “He can’t be more than fifteen.”
“Is he like Keyne?”
“Doesn’t look like a shifter.”
“Some of those with Keyne didn’t either,” Brady reminded him. “Shit. He’s armed.”
“Is that weapon legal?”
“No. I’m having our people fall back,” Brady whispered instructions over the com.
“It will give him access to more of the house,” Bryan
“Doors are locked and secured,” Brady reminded him. “I’m hoping Captain Okwaho will get here first.”
“If not, what’s your plan,” Bryan asked.
“Same as always, protect the Pride,” Brady said. “There’s the police.”
“Opening the gate for them.”
“Warn them about the automatic weapon,” Brady reminded him.
Bryan dialed Captain Okwaho and let her know where the kid with the automatic weapon was. Immediately, she sent the majority of her men in that direction.
“I’ve got seven intruders in custody,” Brady said. “Chet’s doing a fantastic job.”
“Wouldn’t you surrender if you saw a giant tiger coming at you?”
“I’d think twice about what I was doing,” Brady admitted.
“Starry and Cordele have all seven in restraints,” Bryan said. “Let’s mop up the rest while Captain Okwaho takes care of the other guy.”
“We have to press her to go after the group behind the attacks,” Brady suggested again.
“It would be nice to return to a more normal living situation,” Bryan said.
“Those two are getting close to our prime spot,” Brady pointed out. He whispered in the coms to move his team in on those closing in on the children’s location.
Keyne crouched as he heard movement and whispered words. “It’s a fucking closet,” a man grumbled.
“Fresh scent,” another deeper voice said.
“Stupid animal,” the first guy grumbled. Tapping sounded through the wall. Mia ushered the women and children out the other exit. Jolyn stood between the door and whoever came through the secret door. She motioned for Keyne to come with them but the door slid open. Jolyn closed the other door and looked for a weapon.
Keyne leapt from his higher advantage and took the first guy down. The second guy came through with a gun. He lifted it to point at Keyne. Jolyn grabbed the small end table and threw it across the room at the man. It hit him in the chest. The first man through the door lay bleeding on the floor while the second man threw up his arms to ward off the furniture coming at him. He pulled the trigger on his gun and a bullet sped out of the gun.
Keyne jumped at the guy with the gun. He clamped his teeth around the man’s arm forcing him to drop the gun. Jolyn hurried towards them and kicked the gun further away.
“Shot fired,” Jolyn gasped in the com. “Two men down. Not Pride people. Both injured.”
“On our way,” Brady growled.
“Are you hurt,” Jolyn asked Keyne. He shook his head. The sound of running feet, made her turn and look for another weapon.
“We’re coming,” Brady growled in her ear. Bryan and Brady raced around the corner and to the closet.
“Are either of you hurt,” Bryan asked.
“No and the children and women took the other exit,” Jolyn said.
“Why didn’t you,” Brady checked both men. “Still alive. We should provide some sort of first aid and secure them in place.”
“There’s scarves in the closet,” Jolyn pointed to them.
“Keyne, go find Mia,” Bryan ordered. “Stick with her and the children.”
He licked the blood off his paw and chuffed at the two men on the floor before heading out to where he knew the children had relocated to.
“Back to the security office,” Bryan ordered Brady and Jolyn. “Keep her out of trouble.”
It took an hour for all the invaders to be captured and hauled away by the police. In the office, Captain Okwaho stood with Bryan, Brady, Mia, and Jolyn. “Do you have a hidden treasure here?”
“Only us,” Bryan said. “We need to get to the people behind this.”
“Agreed,” Captain Okwaho nodded. “The problem is, we don’t have evidence which leads back to those people or organizations.”
“But you have a suspicion,” Brady watched Jolyn move around the room as she brought Mia a glass of juice and a plate of food.
“There’s one group very active in anti-shifter protests,” Geneva took a mug of coffee from Jolyn. “Thank you.”
“But nothing pointing to the home invasions,” Bryan sat next to Mia and pulled her into his arms. “All right?”
“Mad, hungry, and frustrated,” Mia admitted.
“Your home was invaded and your children threatened. Do you know there’s more incidences with your house than anywhere else in our district?” Geneva Okwaho sat across from Mia and reached for a cookie on the platter.
“What was the kid’s story,” Bryan asked.
“He got the weapon from his dad,” Geneva said. “Which we’ll check. He says he had a girl and a shifter sweet talked her away and now she’s ruined.”
“Any likelihood of that being true,” Bryan asked.
“Possible,” Geneva said. “We’ll check it out but more likely he was put up to it. He’s sixteen so old enough to be tried as an adult and will most likely be tried as an adult. At a guess, whoever put him up to it didn’t tell him that.”
“His life will be wasted,” Brady shook his head.
“We’ve taken this lot in and will process them,” Geneva said. “No one is representing them so it’s putting a burden on the court system and the Public Defender’s office.”
“Which are run by the shifters in power,” Jolyn said. “If there’s a backlog, these naysayers can point to it and say see they aren’t able to manage the workload.”
“It does,” Geneva said. “I better get back to the station. I have a lot of work to manage.” She stood to leave and Brady walked her out.
“The new systems worked well,” Mia said. “No matter how odd they felt.”
“It will take time to get used to,” Bryan assured her. His hand rested on her stomach.
Mia put her hand on top of his. “Not yet,” she murmured.
“But all okay?”
“Verity checked me out,” Mia leaned against him. “We’re all right.”
“Good,” Bryan watched Brady stalk back in and glare at Jolyn.
“Our people are on patrol,” Brady reminded them. “I’ll stay up a little longer to make sure there isn’t a second wave.”
“Are you dismissing your alphas,” Bryan asked as he stood.
“Only informing them of the status quo,” Brady raised an eyebrow.
“Be nice,” Mia pointed a finger at Brady before turning to hug Jolyn.
“Good night,” Jolyn said quietly.
Brady waited for them to be out of the room. “I’ll take you back to our room before I go to security.”
“I’ll clean up. You go ahead,” she started gathering plates and mugs.
“No,” he growled and moved closer.
“Don’t,” she swung around. “Do you think I’m not aware you’re angry with me?”
“You were supposed to…”
“What let a clouded leopard get shot and killed,” Jolyn stacked up dishes as she moved around the room clearing the debris from the meeting.
“Everyone had a role. We clearly outlined everyone’s role,” Brady’s voice deepened and rumbled deep in his chest.
“Yes, and my role was to ensure the pregnant women and children were safe,” Jolyn said. “I did that.”
“You were supposed to stay with them,” Brady argued.
“No. You never said that. Nor did Bryan. Shutting that door meant we put one more obstacle between the kids and those men. Shutting the door meant I helped protect both the kids and Keyne. Did you want him shot?”
“Of course not.”
“You can’t have it both ways.”
“What do you mean?”
“I may be human but I have my uses. You think I’m too weak to protect myself but I’m not,” Jolyn put her hands on her hips and stood up to him. “You think if you aren’t right next to me, I’ll end up hurt. I won’t and if I do, it will be because I won’t allow anyone to hurt a member of this Pride or any children.”
“You’re supposed to…”
“No. You decided. You didn’t ask me what I wanted. You asked everyone in the Pride but me. You decided because I got hurt it must be your fault. It’s not. I got hurt because I fought back. I made choices. I made decisions.”
“Which led to you being hurt,” he argued.
“Yes, but it also led, particularly in this case, to me helping to protect the Pride,” Jolyn said. “You can’t control me. I won’t allow it.”
“If I forbid you from…”
“From protecting the Pride,” Jolyn said. “If you need that amount of control over me, I don’t want to be here. If you don’t want me to protect the Pride, then I don’t need to be here. You protect the Pride. Mia, Amanda, Cordele, Chet… they all protect the Pride, why shouldn’t I?”
“Because you’re my mate,” Brady growled grabbing her by the arms.
“Still not your possession,” Jolyn let him grab her, pull her close. “Not a thing to be hidden away from everyone in case they want to harm me. A person who is thinking and capable of taking care of herself in case you hadn’t noticed.”
“I’m the protector of this Pride,” Brady interrupted her. When she would have interrupted him, he put a gentle finger over her mouth. “You want me to accept who you are. I do. I’m also aware of how frail the human body is. I cannot change my protective instincts.”
“I’m not asking you to change your protective instincts,” she pulled out of his arms. “I’m asking you to accept I have my own protective instincts. The experiences I’ve had have engraved them into me and I can’t change them. If you’re angry every time I do what my instincts tell me to do, you will be angry a lot.”
“You’re who you are and I’m who I am.” He ground out the words, “How do we make this work?”
“Balls in your court,” she took a deep breath. “I accept your protectiveness. I refuse to apologize for mine.”
“You’re the female,” Brady growled.
“So I should give way,” Jolyn asked. “Welcome to the twenty-first century.” She picked up all the dishes and walked to the door. “Your primitive instincts are putting a wall between us. Is that what you want?”
She walked out. Brady stood in the room floored by her arguments. “Damn human,” he grumbled as he followed her silently. He heard her in the kitchen putting the cookies away and loading the dishwasher. He knew she stalled when she wiped down the counters. He also heard her sniffles.
He stepped back into the shadows and watched as she exited the kitchen with a swipe to her eyes and headed towards their rooms. He made her cry. Stunned by the revelation, he lagged behind her as he followed.
He waited outside their rooms until he heard the shower start. He shook his head. She was wrong. He stalked off to the security room. Chet sat at the desk watching the screens.
“All’s quiet,” Chet noted without looking at Brady. “I’ll watch if you want to turn in.”
“I’m fine,” Brady grumbled as he sat down. Silence settled between them for long minutes as Brady reviewed the recordings and made notes to discuss during training. He deliberately skipped over the video with the children.
“Are you going to continue to grumble,” Chet asked.
“What are you talking about,” Brady snapped.
“Every few moments, you grumble and I can almost hear your cat hissing.”
“He’s unsettled,” Brady refused to admit his cat was unhappy with him.
“Did you watch the video of what she did,” Chet asked. “She’s got good instincts.”
“Don’t talk to me about instincts,” Brady pushed his chair back so hard it hit the wall behind him. “She didn’t follow orders.”
“Watch the video,” Chet held his ground and ignored the anger Brady displayed.
Stubbornly, Brady refused to watch the one video which showed what happened with Jolyn. He made notes and wrote up a report to email to Bryan. He checked in with Geneva multiple times and got updates which he wrote up a report on.
As the sun started to rise, he trudged his way back to his rooms. He stepped into their shared rooms to an empty bed and empty rooms. He was furious until he remembered she volunteered to help Starry twice a week and this was one of her days. The bed was made. Had she slept? Her scent lingered in the bathroom and closet but not the bed.
He fell in the bed to sleep for a couple hours. He woke with a start to find his bed and room empty except her scent lingered. He caught the time, nearly eleven in the morning. She would be with Amanda and the kids until almost noon. They were supposed to go to lunch together.
He rolled over to find a tray of food on the bedside table. The smell of lilacs hovered around the tray. He lifted the lid and found some of his favorite food. Was this her way of apologizing? He snorted. He doubted it. She was stubborn.
He inhaled the food, took a shower, and went to his office to check his email and catch up on any progress reports.
“You’re late getting up,” Bryan walked in and put his feet on Brady’s desk.
“I worked most of the night,” Brady didn’t look up from the plan he worked on for taking her to pick up her things.
“Still mad at Jolyn,” Bryan asked.
“She broke protocol,” Brady stated firmly.
“Is that what you’re going with,” Bryan asked.
“She was supposed to stay with the children,” Brady met his brother’s eyes.
“You better figure out what’s really pissing you off,” Bryan said. “It never works well when we don’t get along with our mates.”
“She needs to learn her duties to the Pride,” Brady grumbled.
“Did you tell her that,” Bryan asked.
Brady glared at Bryan for long moments until Bryan held up his hands and shook his head. “You’ll have to learn the hard way.”
“What are you talking about,” Brady asked.
“You think you’re right. You’re taking a hard line on it but when was the last time you had your arms around your mate,” Bryan stood up. “If she’s upset with you, the Pride will know. You need to work out your issues to keep the Pride balanced. If she submits to your demands, will you like how she is? Will she be happy?”
“I’m trying to protect my mate,” Brady growled. “She needs to learn her duty.”
“Man, you are so fucked,” Bryan said. “We’ve got an alpha meeting after lunch. Will you be good with her there or do I need to ban one of you?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Brady pushed Bryan’s feet off his desk. “Go do your alpha duties.”
“How you’re feeling will only get worse while you disagree with her,” Brady left his office.
Brady walked in late to the alphas’ council meeting. Jolyn sat quietly talking with Portia. She didn’t look at him when he walked in. He realized he hadn’t seen in her in more than twelve hours and his gut twisted when he saw the dark circles under her eyes and the tightness around her mouth.
He watched her throughout the meeting but she never met his eyes. She withdrew from the end of the meeting and before he knew it, she was gone from the room.
“What did you do,” Willie demanded.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Brady grumbled not wanting this conversation.
“She’s rarely this upset,” Willie crossed his arms to stop himself from smacking the stubborn man in front of him.
“She needs to learn to follow the rules and the protocols,” Brady growled.
Willie snorted, “I’ve known her for nearly her entire life. I’ve seen her approach sick shifters to help them. I’ve seen her get between two fighting bears. If you want her to stop taking risks, you will have an unhappy mate.”
“I want her to listen when I tell her what to do,” Brady knew he was digging a hole.
“You’re an idiot,” Willie shook his head. “You want her to stop being her but if she does, she’s not the woman you love.”
“I am not asking her to change,” Brady ground out.
“No? Then I’m wrong and everything will be better in no time,” Willie snorted and walked away.
Brady stepped into their rooms. They were supposed to go to supper together but they hadn’t spoken all day. Was she still angry with him? He stepped into empty rooms. A note lay on the bench at the end of the bed. He picked it up:
Holly having issues.
It only told him where she was. He sat on the bench with her note in his hands. He wanted to see her. He needed to have her in his arms. Was he wrong about last night? He thought about how close she came to being shot. He shook his head. He wasn’t wrong.
He washed up and made his way to the dining room. He’d talk to her again. He was certain he could make her understand how her actions didn’t help but hurt their safety. He didn’t see her. He saw Cordele and Garriety with Holly but no Jolyn. Dammit where was she?
“Are you going in or not,” Joel asked.
“In,” Brady stepped over the threshold. He watched as Joel escorted Amanda to their usual table. He bent and listened to her, his attention focused on his mate. Where was Jolyn? He yanked out a chair to sit next to Bryan.
“She’s in the kitchen,” Mia snapped out when Brady snarled as he sat. “One of the kitchen helpers is down sick and Starry asked for some help.”
“Mia wants to wait a little longer,” Bryan grinned. “She’s ecstatic and nervous.”
“Understandable,” Brady agreed. “We need to figure out how to legally get Brent Ladika out of the picture. He’s the one behind all these attacks and attempts.”
“We’ve got a late comer,” Bryan pointed to the screen as it flashed the lights again. “He can’t be more than fifteen.”
“Is he like Keyne?”
“Doesn’t look like a shifter.”
“Some of those with Keyne didn’t either,” Brady reminded him. “Shit. He’s armed.”
“Is that weapon legal?”
“No. I’m having our people fall back,” Brady whispered instructions over the com.
“It will give him access to more of the house,” Bryan
“Doors are locked and secured,” Brady reminded him. “I’m hoping Captain Okwaho will get here first.”
“If not, what’s your plan,” Bryan asked.
“Same as always, protect the Pride,” Brady said. “There’s the police.”
“Opening the gate for them.”
“Warn them about the automatic weapon,” Brady reminded him.
Bryan dialed Captain Okwaho and let her know where the kid with the automatic weapon was. Immediately, she sent the majority of her men in that direction.
“I’ve got seven intruders in custody,” Brady said. “Chet’s doing a fantastic job.”
“Wouldn’t you surrender if you saw a giant tiger coming at you?”
“I’d think twice about what I was doing,” Brady admitted.
“Starry and Cordele have all seven in restraints,” Bryan said. “Let’s mop up the rest while Captain Okwaho takes care of the other guy.”
“We have to press her to go after the group behind the attacks,” Brady suggested again.
“It would be nice to return to a more normal living situation,” Bryan said.
“Those two are getting close to our prime spot,” Brady pointed out. He whispered in the coms to move his team in on those closing in on the children’s location.
Keyne crouched as he heard movement and whispered words. “It’s a fucking closet,” a man grumbled.
“Fresh scent,” another deeper voice said.
“Stupid animal,” the first guy grumbled. Tapping sounded through the wall. Mia ushered the women and children out the other exit. Jolyn stood between the door and whoever came through the secret door. She motioned for Keyne to come with them but the door slid open. Jolyn closed the other door and looked for a weapon.
Keyne leapt from his higher advantage and took the first guy down. The second guy came through with a gun. He lifted it to point at Keyne. Jolyn grabbed the small end table and threw it across the room at the man. It hit him in the chest. The first man through the door lay bleeding on the floor while the second man threw up his arms to ward off the furniture coming at him. He pulled the trigger on his gun and a bullet sped out of the gun.
Keyne jumped at the guy with the gun. He clamped his teeth around the man’s arm forcing him to drop the gun. Jolyn hurried towards them and kicked the gun further away.
“Shot fired,” Jolyn gasped in the com. “Two men down. Not Pride people. Both injured.”
“On our way,” Brady growled.
“Are you hurt,” Jolyn asked Keyne. He shook his head. The sound of running feet, made her turn and look for another weapon.
“We’re coming,” Brady growled in her ear. Bryan and Brady raced around the corner and to the closet.
“Are either of you hurt,” Bryan asked.
“No and the children and women took the other exit,” Jolyn said.
“Why didn’t you,” Brady checked both men. “Still alive. We should provide some sort of first aid and secure them in place.”
“There’s scarves in the closet,” Jolyn pointed to them.
“Keyne, go find Mia,” Bryan ordered. “Stick with her and the children.”
He licked the blood off his paw and chuffed at the two men on the floor before heading out to where he knew the children had relocated to.
“Back to the security office,” Bryan ordered Brady and Jolyn. “Keep her out of trouble.”
It took an hour for all the invaders to be captured and hauled away by the police. In the office, Captain Okwaho stood with Bryan, Brady, Mia, and Jolyn. “Do you have a hidden treasure here?”
“Only us,” Bryan said. “We need to get to the people behind this.”
“Agreed,” Captain Okwaho nodded. “The problem is, we don’t have evidence which leads back to those people or organizations.”
“But you have a suspicion,” Brady watched Jolyn move around the room as she brought Mia a glass of juice and a plate of food.
“There’s one group very active in anti-shifter protests,” Geneva took a mug of coffee from Jolyn. “Thank you.”
“But nothing pointing to the home invasions,” Bryan sat next to Mia and pulled her into his arms. “All right?”
“Mad, hungry, and frustrated,” Mia admitted.
“Your home was invaded and your children threatened. Do you know there’s more incidences with your house than anywhere else in our district?” Geneva Okwaho sat across from Mia and reached for a cookie on the platter.
“What was the kid’s story,” Bryan asked.
“He got the weapon from his dad,” Geneva said. “Which we’ll check. He says he had a girl and a shifter sweet talked her away and now she’s ruined.”
“Any likelihood of that being true,” Bryan asked.
“Possible,” Geneva said. “We’ll check it out but more likely he was put up to it. He’s sixteen so old enough to be tried as an adult and will most likely be tried as an adult. At a guess, whoever put him up to it didn’t tell him that.”
“His life will be wasted,” Brady shook his head.
“We’ve taken this lot in and will process them,” Geneva said. “No one is representing them so it’s putting a burden on the court system and the Public Defender’s office.”
“Which are run by the shifters in power,” Jolyn said. “If there’s a backlog, these naysayers can point to it and say see they aren’t able to manage the workload.”
“It does,” Geneva said. “I better get back to the station. I have a lot of work to manage.” She stood to leave and Brady walked her out.
“The new systems worked well,” Mia said. “No matter how odd they felt.”
“It will take time to get used to,” Bryan assured her. His hand rested on her stomach.
Mia put her hand on top of his. “Not yet,” she murmured.
“But all okay?”
“Verity checked me out,” Mia leaned against him. “We’re all right.”
“Good,” Bryan watched Brady stalk back in and glare at Jolyn.
“Our people are on patrol,” Brady reminded them. “I’ll stay up a little longer to make sure there isn’t a second wave.”
“Are you dismissing your alphas,” Bryan asked as he stood.
“Only informing them of the status quo,” Brady raised an eyebrow.
“Be nice,” Mia pointed a finger at Brady before turning to hug Jolyn.
“Good night,” Jolyn said quietly.
Brady waited for them to be out of the room. “I’ll take you back to our room before I go to security.”
“I’ll clean up. You go ahead,” she started gathering plates and mugs.
“No,” he growled and moved closer.
“Don’t,” she swung around. “Do you think I’m not aware you’re angry with me?”
“You were supposed to…”
“What let a clouded leopard get shot and killed,” Jolyn stacked up dishes as she moved around the room clearing the debris from the meeting.
“Everyone had a role. We clearly outlined everyone’s role,” Brady’s voice deepened and rumbled deep in his chest.
“Yes, and my role was to ensure the pregnant women and children were safe,” Jolyn said. “I did that.”
“You were supposed to stay with them,” Brady argued.
“No. You never said that. Nor did Bryan. Shutting that door meant we put one more obstacle between the kids and those men. Shutting the door meant I helped protect both the kids and Keyne. Did you want him shot?”
“Of course not.”
“You can’t have it both ways.”
“What do you mean?”
“I may be human but I have my uses. You think I’m too weak to protect myself but I’m not,” Jolyn put her hands on her hips and stood up to him. “You think if you aren’t right next to me, I’ll end up hurt. I won’t and if I do, it will be because I won’t allow anyone to hurt a member of this Pride or any children.”
“You’re supposed to…”
“No. You decided. You didn’t ask me what I wanted. You asked everyone in the Pride but me. You decided because I got hurt it must be your fault. It’s not. I got hurt because I fought back. I made choices. I made decisions.”
“Which led to you being hurt,” he argued.
“Yes, but it also led, particularly in this case, to me helping to protect the Pride,” Jolyn said. “You can’t control me. I won’t allow it.”
“If I forbid you from…”
“From protecting the Pride,” Jolyn said. “If you need that amount of control over me, I don’t want to be here. If you don’t want me to protect the Pride, then I don’t need to be here. You protect the Pride. Mia, Amanda, Cordele, Chet… they all protect the Pride, why shouldn’t I?”
“Because you’re my mate,” Brady growled grabbing her by the arms.
“Still not your possession,” Jolyn let him grab her, pull her close. “Not a thing to be hidden away from everyone in case they want to harm me. A person who is thinking and capable of taking care of herself in case you hadn’t noticed.”
“I’m the protector of this Pride,” Brady interrupted her. When she would have interrupted him, he put a gentle finger over her mouth. “You want me to accept who you are. I do. I’m also aware of how frail the human body is. I cannot change my protective instincts.”
“I’m not asking you to change your protective instincts,” she pulled out of his arms. “I’m asking you to accept I have my own protective instincts. The experiences I’ve had have engraved them into me and I can’t change them. If you’re angry every time I do what my instincts tell me to do, you will be angry a lot.”
“You’re who you are and I’m who I am.” He ground out the words, “How do we make this work?”
“Balls in your court,” she took a deep breath. “I accept your protectiveness. I refuse to apologize for mine.”
“You’re the female,” Brady growled.
“So I should give way,” Jolyn asked. “Welcome to the twenty-first century.” She picked up all the dishes and walked to the door. “Your primitive instincts are putting a wall between us. Is that what you want?”
She walked out. Brady stood in the room floored by her arguments. “Damn human,” he grumbled as he followed her silently. He heard her in the kitchen putting the cookies away and loading the dishwasher. He knew she stalled when she wiped down the counters. He also heard her sniffles.
He stepped back into the shadows and watched as she exited the kitchen with a swipe to her eyes and headed towards their rooms. He made her cry. Stunned by the revelation, he lagged behind her as he followed.
He waited outside their rooms until he heard the shower start. He shook his head. She was wrong. He stalked off to the security room. Chet sat at the desk watching the screens.
“All’s quiet,” Chet noted without looking at Brady. “I’ll watch if you want to turn in.”
“I’m fine,” Brady grumbled as he sat down. Silence settled between them for long minutes as Brady reviewed the recordings and made notes to discuss during training. He deliberately skipped over the video with the children.
“Are you going to continue to grumble,” Chet asked.
“What are you talking about,” Brady snapped.
“Every few moments, you grumble and I can almost hear your cat hissing.”
“He’s unsettled,” Brady refused to admit his cat was unhappy with him.
“Did you watch the video of what she did,” Chet asked. “She’s got good instincts.”
“Don’t talk to me about instincts,” Brady pushed his chair back so hard it hit the wall behind him. “She didn’t follow orders.”
“Watch the video,” Chet held his ground and ignored the anger Brady displayed.
Stubbornly, Brady refused to watch the one video which showed what happened with Jolyn. He made notes and wrote up a report to email to Bryan. He checked in with Geneva multiple times and got updates which he wrote up a report on.
As the sun started to rise, he trudged his way back to his rooms. He stepped into their shared rooms to an empty bed and empty rooms. He was furious until he remembered she volunteered to help Starry twice a week and this was one of her days. The bed was made. Had she slept? Her scent lingered in the bathroom and closet but not the bed.
He fell in the bed to sleep for a couple hours. He woke with a start to find his bed and room empty except her scent lingered. He caught the time, nearly eleven in the morning. She would be with Amanda and the kids until almost noon. They were supposed to go to lunch together.
He rolled over to find a tray of food on the bedside table. The smell of lilacs hovered around the tray. He lifted the lid and found some of his favorite food. Was this her way of apologizing? He snorted. He doubted it. She was stubborn.
He inhaled the food, took a shower, and went to his office to check his email and catch up on any progress reports.
“You’re late getting up,” Bryan walked in and put his feet on Brady’s desk.
“I worked most of the night,” Brady didn’t look up from the plan he worked on for taking her to pick up her things.
“Still mad at Jolyn,” Bryan asked.
“She broke protocol,” Brady stated firmly.
“Is that what you’re going with,” Bryan asked.
“She was supposed to stay with the children,” Brady met his brother’s eyes.
“You better figure out what’s really pissing you off,” Bryan said. “It never works well when we don’t get along with our mates.”
“She needs to learn her duties to the Pride,” Brady grumbled.
“Did you tell her that,” Bryan asked.
Brady glared at Bryan for long moments until Bryan held up his hands and shook his head. “You’ll have to learn the hard way.”
“What are you talking about,” Brady asked.
“You think you’re right. You’re taking a hard line on it but when was the last time you had your arms around your mate,” Bryan stood up. “If she’s upset with you, the Pride will know. You need to work out your issues to keep the Pride balanced. If she submits to your demands, will you like how she is? Will she be happy?”
“I’m trying to protect my mate,” Brady growled. “She needs to learn her duty.”
“Man, you are so fucked,” Bryan said. “We’ve got an alpha meeting after lunch. Will you be good with her there or do I need to ban one of you?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Brady pushed Bryan’s feet off his desk. “Go do your alpha duties.”
“How you’re feeling will only get worse while you disagree with her,” Brady left his office.
Brady walked in late to the alphas’ council meeting. Jolyn sat quietly talking with Portia. She didn’t look at him when he walked in. He realized he hadn’t seen in her in more than twelve hours and his gut twisted when he saw the dark circles under her eyes and the tightness around her mouth.
He watched her throughout the meeting but she never met his eyes. She withdrew from the end of the meeting and before he knew it, she was gone from the room.
“What did you do,” Willie demanded.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Brady grumbled not wanting this conversation.
“She’s rarely this upset,” Willie crossed his arms to stop himself from smacking the stubborn man in front of him.
“She needs to learn to follow the rules and the protocols,” Brady growled.
Willie snorted, “I’ve known her for nearly her entire life. I’ve seen her approach sick shifters to help them. I’ve seen her get between two fighting bears. If you want her to stop taking risks, you will have an unhappy mate.”
“I want her to listen when I tell her what to do,” Brady knew he was digging a hole.
“You’re an idiot,” Willie shook his head. “You want her to stop being her but if she does, she’s not the woman you love.”
“I am not asking her to change,” Brady ground out.
“No? Then I’m wrong and everything will be better in no time,” Willie snorted and walked away.
Brady stepped into their rooms. They were supposed to go to supper together but they hadn’t spoken all day. Was she still angry with him? He stepped into empty rooms. A note lay on the bench at the end of the bed. He picked it up:
Holly having issues.
It only told him where she was. He sat on the bench with her note in his hands. He wanted to see her. He needed to have her in his arms. Was he wrong about last night? He thought about how close she came to being shot. He shook his head. He wasn’t wrong.
He washed up and made his way to the dining room. He’d talk to her again. He was certain he could make her understand how her actions didn’t help but hurt their safety. He didn’t see her. He saw Cordele and Garriety with Holly but no Jolyn. Dammit where was she?
“Are you going in or not,” Joel asked.
“In,” Brady stepped over the threshold. He watched as Joel escorted Amanda to their usual table. He bent and listened to her, his attention focused on his mate. Where was Jolyn? He yanked out a chair to sit next to Bryan.
“She’s in the kitchen,” Mia snapped out when Brady snarled as he sat. “One of the kitchen helpers is down sick and Starry asked for some help.”
