Primal Force by D. D. Ayres Page A

watching him eat but saying nothing more. She didn’t know her half brother very well. Growing up, they’d only had contact for a few weeks a year. Their father purposely didn’t want his children to be too close.
    It had nothing to do with their different mothers. Bronson Battise’s philosophy was that if a man couldn’t stand alone, he wasn’t a man. Women were something to protect and enjoy as long as a man was interested, but no more important than that. And just as easily discarded.
    Yardley had suffered through that philosophy, becoming as much like a son as Bronson Battise would allow. It had never really occurred to her until now that Law had suffered, too.
    She’d always thought her brother was a carbon copy of their father. A man’s man whom no woman would ever tie down for long. But maybe, beneath that Battise exterior, beat a different kind of heart. Perhaps Law was like her. He had learned to cover up his softer self the way she had, for protection.
    She leaned forward, elbows on the table, and propped her chin on her fists. “It’s okay to need someone in your life, Law. It’s better than okay. I’m beginning to believe I deserve someone, too.”
    Law regarded her with a wary gaze. “You ever wonder if there are more of us Battises out there?”
    â€œYou mean beside the two of us Dad acknowledged? Yeah. I’m sure of it.”
    Law nodded. “When I was about twelve a woman and her daughter came to the reservation to visit. My mother wasn’t very kind to the mother. The girl, nine years old if I remember right, liked to hang around me. Something about her seemed so familiar. The vibe coming off her said kin.”
    Yardley nodded. “I loved Dad but he was a bastard. We aren’t him.”
    Law slid her a hard glance from beneath his brows. “I met a woman I wanted. I scratched my itch and left. Don’t read anything more into that.”
    â€œIf that’s all you think it was, you wouldn’t have mentioned her to me.”
    Law couldn’t argue with most of that. But he wasn’t about to own it. He scratched his chin whiskers. “Think I’ll shave.”
    Yardley grinned. He was changing the subject. That meant she’d gotten through to him. “Good beginning. If you’re done, let’s go home.”

 
    CHAPTER NINE
    Law hesitated. The manila envelope of paperwork Yardley had received was lying on the kitchen table of her cabin in front of him. Did he have the guts for the truth? Screw that! Scud was dead. He was a cripple. Nothing on paper could hurt more than those two realities. He tore open the envelope.
    He devoured the pages with an intensity that didn’t allow for blinking. Every word seared his retinas, but he couldn’t stop or think or do anything except get to the end. When he did, his jaw was clenched so tightly his back teeth ached.
    Suddenly he shot to his feet, flinging the paperwork across the table.
    â€œThe cowardly bastards!”
    â€œI told you, you wouldn’t like it.”
    Law looked over at Yardley. “My own unit shot my dog.” His voice was harsh, as if a hot wind had blown over his vocal cords, leaving them husk-dry. “The bastards killed Scud.”
    Yardley watched him closely. “I was told Scud was shot because he wouldn’t let them near you. The men were worried that you’d bleed out before another handler could be summoned to help.”
    â€œThat can’t be right. Scud knew every man in my unit.”
    â€œHe was wounded, Law. You read the report. He might have been too traumatized to recognize them. His Alpha was down. He was scared and in protection mode.” She shifted uncomfortably. “Law, you need to let this go. It’s over.”
    Law tried on her suggestion. Nothing he had read changed what he already knew. Only one new thing did register. Scud had died trying to protect him.
    Sensing the heightened