A Winter Mating Read online

  Brady hadn’t expected the asshole to show so soon.

  After breakfast, they drove to the local fairgrounds where the festival was being held. As soon as they were parked, the girls started to go off by themselves. Brady put a stop to that. Normally, he wouldn’t mind giving Bree some independence, but not that day. Not while their bastard of a father was on the loose. “Wait for us. We might like the same things you do.”

  Bree glanced at Sophia, who shrugged and said. “Sure. My mom is manning one of the booths and we were going to swing by and say hi.”

  Everly smiled. “Great. I haven’t talked to Claire in a while. Lead the way.” When the girls skipped ahead of them a few feet, Everly asked him, “They won’t get suspicious of us tagging along the whole time?”

  “I don’t care.” His wolf was going crazy because the festival was a lot more crowded than he expected. “It’s crowded and I need to be with her.”

  “We’ll keep an eye on her.”

  Just then Ashton stepped up beside him. “Hey man. Heard you’re having Daddy issues.”

  Brady glanced at the other male and shook his head. “More like bastard rogue sperm donor.”

  “We have enforcers throughout the place and the police department was notified and they sent some officers out.” Ash handed Brady an ear piece. “This is for your peace of mind so you can listen in. Let’s hope it’s all boring bullshit and dead air.” He glanced to Everly. “Sup?”

  Everly smiled. “We’re going to stop by and see Claire, why don’t you join us?”

  “I’m out. If you need me, just press the center of the earpiece.” Then Ash jogged ahead and entered a side gate into the fairgrounds.

  Brady glanced at Everly. “What was that about?”

  “Vivian and I believe Ash and Claire are mates and both of them are denying it. It’s fun to tease them.” She laughed and linked her fingers with his.

  Brady tugged her closer so he could put his arm around her as they walked. He loved the way she automatically leaned into him. “Do you regret bonding with me?”

  She lifted her head and stared at him with a frown. “No. I’m just nervous about Joel.”

  “Me too.” He kissed the top of her head. For a moment he lost sight of the girls, then found them in front of the booth Claire was working. He smiled. “Of course, Claire would work the bakery booth.”

  There were at least twenty different cupcakes, cookies, and several pies for sale. The girls each took a cupcake and Bree pointed to him. Rolling his eyes, he pulled out his wallet. “Are teen girls always so needy?”

  Claire laughed. “Yep. It gets worse as they get older.” She glanced from him to Everly, then a wide smile formed. “Congrats on the mating.”

  Everly stared at her in surprise. “You can tell?”

  “Of course. Your scents have merged together, creating a different one altogether.”

  “I didn’t know that.” Everly glanced at him and crinkled her nose. It was cute and playful and made him want to drag her off so he could claim her all over again.

  Bree made a noise and said, “I’m just glad their room is on the other side of the house from mine.”

  Brady reached over to ruffle her hair but stopped when she stiffened and began to shake. She paled and met his gaze. “He’s…he’s here.”

  Her breathing came in and out in gasps as her panic took over. Her eyes turned completely wolf.

  Releasing Everly, he framed Bree’s face. “Focus on me. Slow your breathing. There are enforcers and police all over the fairgrounds.”

  Her eyes widened. “You know! Why?”

  “I didn’t know he was in town yet. I just got the call this morning that he escaped.” Brady paused when Ash’s voice come over the earpiece. “Bastard Hudson spotted. Police is talking to him.”

  “We need to leave.” Bree scanned the area. “Lure him away from all these people.”

  All her initial fear turned into a calculating calm that he hadn’t expected from her. She met his gaze. “He won’t stop until he’s dead.”

  Brady knew that and plan to end the bastard terror on his own daughter. Although he wasn’t going to tell Bree that. “I know.”

  “He’ll hurt everyone in his way to get what he wants.” Bree took a deep breath and let it out. “Is this what you’ve been training me for?”

  He locked gazes with her. “No. I trained you to fight so he can’t push you around and so you can escape if that day ever came. Joel is mine to deal with.”

  Pointing to Everly, he added, “Go with Eve and Claire.”

  Bree shook her head. “What are you going to do?”

  He worked his jaw. “Something I should have three years ago.” He pulled out his keys and handed them to Eve. “Take her somewhere out of town. I’ll be able to track you through our bond when it’s safe.”

  Everly’s bottom lip trembled. “I’m not leaving you.”

  He closed his eyes, then cupped her nape. “Please. Take her away. We have a good chance of trapping him here. The police have him cornered. I need both of you far away from here before Joel realizes you are gone.”

  Claire gathered the girls and pulled on Everly’s arm. “I have a place outside of town.”

  Everly frowned, then kissed him, letting it linger for a little while. “Come back to me.”

  “Always.” He let her go and it took all his control to contain his wolf until they left. Then he pressed the button on his earpiece. “Where is the fucker now?”

  “Still talking to the police.” Ashton’s voice cut out, then he cursed. “He attacked them and is on the move, heading your way.”

  “Good. Let the fucker come to me.”

  Chapter Seven

  Everly’s heart beat so hard she thought the thing would jump out of her chest. At the same time it felt heavy. She ushered Bree into the back seat of Claire’s SUV, then climbed in the front seat.

  Once Claire got behind the wheel, she took off, pealing out of the large parking lot. Just as they reached the exit, a huge creature landed in front of them, making Claire slam on the breaks. The beast…thing…breathed heavily, his chest rising and falling as he stared at them.

  “What the hell is that?” Everly stared at it in disbelief.

  The creature was at least ten feet tall with shoulders almost as wide as the SUV. His body was covered in fur like a wolf and his face was a cross between a wolf and a bear.

  Claire threw the SUV in reverse. “A demon.”

  “What?” Everly glanced at her friend, wondering how many demons she had seen to be sure that the creature was one.

  Bree sat frozen in the back seat and whispered. “Joel controls it somehow. A few nights before I found Brady’s number and called him, I heard Joel talking to someone. He never had people over at the house, so I was curious and picked the lock to my room. I saw that thing standing in the living room with Joel. I freaked and rushed back to my room.”

  Fuck, that couldn’t be good. Everly turned in her seat to meet Bree’s gaze. “What do you mean he controls it?”

  “Joel has some kind of artifact or something that gives him control over the demon. I’m not sure why he would need the demon. But I heard the demon demand a payment, something that would be precious to him.” Bree flicked her gaze to the beast and shuddered. “None of it made any sense.”

  Claire growled. “Joel may be the one being controlled. Even though Joel summoned the beast for a specific reason, demons have a way of twisting things so they control the summoner. Maybe the demon promised something Joel wanted.”

  “Death.” Bree’s tone was flat. “He craved death. Even tried to kill me so he didn’t have a child depending on him. He told me many times I was keeping him from dying.”

  Everly reached out and took Bree’s hand. “You are not the reason for his madness.” She glanced to Claire. “Any idea how to kill that thing?”

  “Nope.” Claire placed her arm on the back of the Everly’s seat and looked out the back window as she drove i
n reverse. “That’s what the enforcers are for.”

  Everly wasn’t sure the enforcers could stop that thing. Nor was she confident that they’d be able to outrun it either. “Can mates connect through their bond?”

  “Yes.”

  Good. Everly focused on the bond she had with Brady and called to him, pouring her emotions into the link.

  Just as something ran into the side of the SUV and they went spinning until it crashed into a row of parked cars. The force of the crash sent Everly into side window. Pain exploded in her head as it made contact with the glass. Her vision blurred and she tried to reach out to Bree.

  The roof of the SUV was ripped off. Bright light streamed into the vehicle, increasing the searing pain in her head and making it hard to see. Bree screamed while Claire shifted into her wolf and attacked the demon.

  Come on, Eve. Move. Her body wasn’t getting the message. Or maybe it was her brain that wasn’t delivering it. Was she paralyzed? A whole new fear entered her mind as she stared into the crimson eyes of the demon. Mind control.

  That was how he turned Joel into the crazy-ass rogue. “What do you want?”

  The demon tilted his head at Everly. “My niece.” Then he grabbed Bree and disappeared.

  “No!” As soon as the demon vanished, she regained the ability to move. “Claire? Sophia?”

  “I’m here,” Sophia said with tears in her eyes. “What will he do to Bree?”

  “I don’t know.”

  Claire stuck her head into the SUV and snapped her fingers at Sophia. “Bag.”

  The single word snapped Everly’s attention to Claire. She was naked from the shift. “He called Bree his niece.”

  Claire took the bag from Sophia and dressed. “That’s interesting.” Then she moved her gaze to look at someone behind Everly. “You need to talk to Joel about who Bree’s mother was.”

  Everly’s door was ripped open and she was pulled into a tight hug. Brady’s scent filled her senses and she sighed, then started crying. “He took her.”

  Brady pulled back and cupped her head in his hands. “We’ll get her back.”

  “What do we do with him?” Ashton said, indicating to Joel who was cuffed and on his knees beside the SUV.

  Brady released Everly and gripped Joel by his throat. “What does the demon want with Bree?”

  Joel shook his head and Brady tightened his hold. “Speak old man.”

  “The bone. Pants pocket.” Joel’s words were strained.

  Ash stepped forward and dug through Joel’s pockets until he pulled out a chunk of white bone. Smelling it, Ash growled. “Demon bone? Is this how you summoned the demon?”

  Joel nodded, then tried to speak. Brady released his father. Joel fell to the ground. “The beast is named Orak. He is the brother of Bree’s mother, Tasha. When Tash died…she told me not to contact her brother. But he knew. He got into my mind and haunted my dreams. I thought the voices was a result of losing a second mate. That I was finally snapping and going rogue. I locked Bree up in her room to protect her, then forgotten her...” Joel frowned and his eyes watered. “What have I done?”

  Brady cursed and started to pace. After a few minutes he stopped and asked, “How do we get her back?”

  Joel glanced to Everly then to Brady. “Orak can’t go back to the demon realm. Not as long as I have that bone.”

  “Where would he take her?”

  “I don’t know, but I know how to find him.” Joel nodded to the bone. “The bone holds dark power and can open a portal to where he is.”

  Brady took the bone from Ash. “Will you make sure Everly gets to the hospital?”

  Everly shook her head, which made it hurt. “I’m going with you.”

  “No.” He moved closer to her and drew her into a hug. “You hit your head hard. I felt your pain. Go see a doctor. Please.”

  The last word was a plea that had his voice cracking with emotion. That same emotion flooded the mating link, telling her he had every intention of coming back and that he needed her to be safe.

  She kissed him, hard, then said, “You better come back to me.”

  He chuckled. “I plan on it. I’ll have Bree with me.”

  She noticed he didn’t mention Joel. Hugging him, she whispered, “He wasn’t rogue. The demon has mind control powers. I’m positive whatever Joel did was under the influence of the demon.”

  Brady nuzzled her neck and inhaled. “I know that now.”

  When he stepped away from her, she shivered from the loss of his warmth. She watched as he removed the cuffs from Joel and walked a few feet away. They spoke softly then a portal opened up. And Brady disappeared through it.

  Ash held out a hand to her. “Come on. Brady will be okay.”

  Everly let the enforcer help her out of the SUV. when she stumbled a few feet. He scooped her up and nodded to Claire. “You need a ride?”

  Claire glared at him. “Not from you.”

  Ash chuckled and carried Everly to his car a few rows up from where they were.

  “You know you two are perfect for each other.”

  “You hit your head too hard, because you are talking nonsense now.” He put in the passenger seat and pulled her seatbelt over, but she took it from him and click it in place.

  She let out a sigh and scanned the wreckage as they drove out of the parking area of the fairgrounds.

  Please, Brady, come back to me.

  * * *

  Brady walked a few feet from the others and stared at his father. “Is it true you weren’t in control of your actions?”

  Joel hung his head. “I thought I was going crazy. I started drinking to block the voices out. It didn’t help. When I figured out it was Orak, I did everything I could to keep Bree safe, but my judgement was clouded by the voices and whatever the hell the demon was doing to me. I’m sorry. I never meant to hurt her.”

  Holding up the bone, Brady asked, “How does this work? And what do we do when we get there?”

  “We destroy the bone. Orak will then return to the demon realm.”

  Annoyance boiled in Brady’s veins. “Why the hell haven’t you done it already?”

  Joel’s gaze darkened. “I can’t. Only Aubree can.”

  “Why Bree?”

  Joel frowned and shook his head. “I don’t like it any better and don’t look at me like I’m about to sacrifice my own daughter’s life. She is a blood relative. Only a demon can kill a demon. In this case send one back to his own world.”

  “I knew it couldn’t be as easy as just destroying the bone.” Brady held out the bone. “Open the portal.”

  Joel covered the bone with one hand and grabbed Brady’s arm with the other. “Take us to Orak.”

  A portal opened up and Joel walked through it, pulling Brady with him. The odd magical sensation as they passed through was brief. Like walking through a waterfall and coming out dry on the other side.

  And on the other side was Bree, pacing and yelling. “Take me back to my brother, you ugly piece of shit! My mom would never approve of you coming in and taking me. Do you hear me? Take me home!”

  She whirled around and her eyes went wide, then she rushed at Brady, hugged him tight around the waist. “That demon says I’m his niece and I’m half demon.”

  Brady wrapped his arms around her and kissed the top of her head. Then he lifted her chin so she looked into his eyes. “It’s true.”

  She shook her head and glared at their father and pointed. “You. It’s all your fault. You locked me in a room with little to no food so you can go get drunk and whatever else you did.”

  Joel reached for her and she pulled away from him. “Aubree, please listen. I wasn’t myself. The demon had a hold of my mind. I thought by hiding you and not thinking about you, he wouldn’t take you.”

  “Why? The demon won’t tell me why.”

  Joel stepped forward but when Bree stepped back Joel stopped. “He blames me for your mother’s death. He said I stole her from her family, corrupted her, and ma
de her forget who she was. He says that is what killed her. I loved your mother and I love you. I just wanted to protect you.”

  Bree moved to stand on Brady’s other side, away from Joel. She met Brady’s stare. “We’re going home, right?”

  Holding out the bone, Brady explained to her what she has to do. “Because you are half demon, you are the only one to send him back and release the hold his still has on Joel’s mind.”

  Frowning, she glanced at their father then at the bone before picking it up. “How do we destroy it?”

  Brady shrugged. “Bones can be crushed, unless this one is magical, which I assume it is.”

  Bree glanced round the room, then crossed to a desk against the far wall. She set the bone on the desk and grabbed one of the thick books. She studied it for a moment, then set it back down. Turning, she scanned the room again. “I need something like a hammer, heavy.”

  Spotting a lamp on an end table, Joel picked it up and tested the weight. “This should be heavy enough.”

  Bree took it and turned back to the desk. “Wait. Does the demon need to in the same room before we smash it?”

  “Not sure,” Joel said.

  “Demon!” Bree waited a few beats. “He left me in this room when I started yelling at him.”

  Brady went to the door and opened it. The other side was a bedroom and a human-like male sat on the bed with his head in his hands. Glancing over his shoulder, he caught Bree’s attention and waved her over. When she reached him and looked inside the room she sighed. “I’ve never seen a sad demon before. I’ve never seen one at all.”

  “Orak.” Bree advanced to him slowly.

  Dread and fear had Brady grabbing her hand to stop her. That was when Orak looked up. His eyes were clear blue-color. “Aubree…Tasha said that if she ever had a child, she’d name her Aubree. I thought it was an odd name. Yet, my sister was obsessed with the human world and humans themselves. She was all I had before he,” Orak pointed at Joel with a snarl, “took her from me.”