Pack Mates (Were Chronicles) by Crissy Smith Read Free Book Online Page B

blocked his path. “No, we finish this now. If you have a problem with my family you come through me,” Dylan told Brandon.
    “Is this going to be how you run the Pack?” Brandon spat at him. “You have a problem and you send in one of your brothers to seduce an innocent?” Brandon accused.
    “No!” Nikki gasped.
    Dylan obviously was caught off guard because he took a step back and faced him. “RJ?”
    RJ shook his head. “It’s not like that. Come on, Dy, you know me.” Dylan stared at him as he searched RJ’s face for something. Finally, he nodded.
    Dylan turned back to Brandon. “I do know my brother. And whatever you think, you have it wrong. But this isn’t about them, it’s about us. Do you want to challenge me? You want to do this now?”
    Brandon still fumed. “Fuck you. This is about all of us. If I didn’t want to challenge you before, you crossed a line tonight. She”—he pointed at his sister—“has nothing to do with this.”
    “Brandon—” Nikki started.
    “No, I don’t want to be the damn Alpha. I never did. But I won’t let this Pack belong to someone with such little consideration and respect. This is just too much. Do you know what is going to happen in three months when we go public? No, none of us do. We have to trust our leader.”
    Brandon grabbed Nikki’s arm and pulled her towards the door.
    “Wait!” Nikki dug her heels in. “Just listen to me.”
    “We’ll talk about this in the car or at home. We’re leaving now.” He tugged her again.
    “We’ll talk about this now,” Nikki argued and yanked her arm from his hold. “RJ didn’t seduce me or whatever you think.”
    “Nik, this isn’t the time or place.”
    She shook her head and sidestepped his reach to stand by RJ. She didn’t look at him as she addressed the room.
    “RJ didn’t do anything wrong. Dylan and Ben didn’t even know we were coming up with this. Can we please just sit down and try this again?”
    “Brandon…” Justin moved from the doorway to his brother. “We need to hear Nikki out.
    Brandon looked torn but eventually he nodded. Ben gripped Dylan’s shoulder and led him back to the chair.
    Once Brandon and Dylan were settled back in chairs and Ben and Justin on the couch, Nikki bit at her lip. RJ wanted to reassure her, pull her into his arms, do something to help. But he stood silent while she worked out what she wanted to say.
    He was so proud that the woman he would mate had stood up for what she believed in.
    “First, let me clear up one thing. I went to RJ,” Nikki told them. “I’m sorry, Brandon, but I couldn’t let the Pack pressure you into doing something you didn’t want. I understand you have to look out for the Pack. But you’re my brother and I have to look out for you.”
    Brandon opened his mouth but promptly snapped it shut. Instead of speaking, he just nodded.
    “I knew you didn’t actually want to be Alpha. I also know that Dylan doesn’t want to meet you in a challenge. A challenge would leave one of us”—she gestured between her and RJ—“without one of the people we love the most.”
    RJ held out his hand. He’d let her talk, but he needed her to know that he was behind her.
    She clasped his hand in hers. “Yes, I didn’t expect the complication of my feelings getting involved when I went to talk to him. But they did.” She smiled up at him. “We have to work this out. It’s about more than just the Pack. It’s about our families coming together.”
    “Our families, Nik?” Brandon shook his head. “You’ve been here two days. You can’t just come in and fix things.”
    “Why not? No one else was doing anything. You talk about what happens when we go public. You’re expecting the worst. You always do,” she accused.
    “I’ve kept you safe, haven’t I?” Brandon snapped back.
    “Yes.” Her voice softened as she let go of RJ’s hand and knelt in front of him. “You have. But you also taught me to stand up for what I believe