Page 85 of Brandon’s Mate

She crawled over and grabbed the release knob.

It came off in her hand.

Of course it did. Fuck Caleb all to hell.

The compressor shut off at that moment, and Kitty heard a muffled roar in the distance. Through the hole for the ruined latch, she caught a faint whiff of smoke.

All that gasoline, she realized. Caleb had set the damn bar on fire.

Then Monster Wolf went insane.

Brandon drove along the dark, winding roads like a lunatic. Only his panther reflexes kept him from wrapping the truck around half a dozen different trees.

He had to save Kitty. He’d let so many people down—he had to be there for her. She was his mate—and he’d taken too damn long to realize it.

His true mate, with a bond that went all the way back to the day she was born.

He remembered like it was yesterday, even though he’d been only six at the time. The other cubs were even younger—three or under—and Lissa had corralled them all in her cabin so they’d be out of the way.

Brandon sneaked off, because he knew something super-important and interesting was happening at Jasmin and Brody’s cabin. The baby in Jasmin’s belly was coming out, and he didn’t understand how that could happen.

But he wanted to see.

He went panther and climbed up the tree outside the window, where he could see in. It was open and he could hear through the screen.

Something was wrong with the baby. Brody was worried—Brandon could smell it. Kira and Trish were worried too. Why were they worried? Kira was a dragon, and she was magic. Plus Trish was a healer and she could do operations on people.

Besides, he knew the baby would be okay—she was going to be his friend. He’d known that ever since he first put his hand on Jasmin’s belly after they knew the baby was inside.

“We have to get her turned so Jasmin can push,” Kira was saying. “Or we’ll lose them both.”

“The baby doesn’t want to turn,” Brody said savagely. “She’s scared.”

Brandon could see Jasmin’s big pregnant stomach. It was heaving like there was an alien inside trying to claw its way out.

“Shit,” Kira said, feeling Jasmin’s belly. “She’s trying to Change, but she can’t hold her form.”

“How the hell can she Change?” Flynn demanded. The alpha was in the corner out of Brandon’s sight. “Unborn cubs can’t do that!”

“I don’t know,” Kira snapped. “But she’s doing it.”

“Whatever she’s doing, get her out of there!” Jasmin snarled. “Or I’m going to be the one Changing.”

“Don’t do that!” Trish’s eyes went wide.

Jasmin just growled. “Brody, you’re a fucking dead man. And you’re not getting laid ever again. Seriously. Not ever.” She bit back a groan. “If I ever agree to have another baby, someone slap me until I come to my senses.”

Brody laid his hand gently against Jasmin’s cheek and turned to Trish. “Can you do a C-section?”

“Not if the freaking baby is changing forms. Too much chance of fatally cutting her. We’ve got to get her calmed down.”

Brody put his hands on Jasmin’s belly. He started murmuring softly to the baby, trying to make her not so scared.

But she was scared. Brandon could feel it. She was being squeezed all around her and she didn’t understand.

It’s okay, he told the baby in his mind. Just Change. If you Change all the way, you can come out.

She heard him. He could tell. But she was scared and confused, and she didn’t know what he was talking about. In his mind he tried to show her how to be a cat, like him, only with spots like Jasmin. A jaguar.