by M. L. Briers
CHAPTER SIX
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“I’m shaking in my boots.” Kathy hissed back. The shaking part was right, well, more quivering, and it wasn’t her toes- those were curled up inside of her boots.
When he pulled back she felt as if she could breathe again; as if the oxygen had just rushed back into the room. She couldn’t help but watch the muscles and sinews in his forearms and around his elbows as they moved when he folded his arms across that broad chest of his. How her fingers itched to trace those ridges…
Oh just snap the hell out of it and make a damn plan. Life’s way too short to be snared by those come to bed puppy dog eyes of his and those muscles- Oooo, muscles, he’s got plenty of those of display. Wonder what the rest of him looks like naked…
No, you don’t. Don’t even think about naked. Naked is bad, but bad is good, so…? Damn, that mating pull is evil and bad, bad and evil. I should be digging an escape tunnel at the very least…
Oooo, looky-looky how those muscles are moving- No! Nope! Don’t look. Poke your own damn eyes out with a fork if you have too, just- don’t get attached to him- he’s not a pet, mates are for life, not just for a damn good time to be had by all.
“While I’d really love to sit and watch what comes next…” Eleanor pushed up to her feet. “I have some foraging to take care of.”
Adrian frowned. The thought of magic being done on pack land still didn’t sit right with him, but he was told that the spells they were performing were pretty benign and all to do with some winter ritual involving the moon and wild berries- how bad could it be?
“There’s a vampire out there somewhere so…” Adrian didn’t know if the newest witch’s troubles had followed her home, but from what his brother had quickly told him, they just might be hanging around.
“Leo’s out there, and I’m not going far, there’s a wild berry bush just the other side of the barn…” Adrian saw the light of mischief in her eyes and groaned inwardly. “You got a thing about barns now, don’t you, Alpha?”
“Very funny, Eleanor.” Adrian wondered if he was ever going to live down the wild tale that had circulated among the pack about his exploits in their barn, but he doubted it. His mate had led him a merry dance that day.
“We’ll have to fill Kathy in, just so she’s up to speed.” Eleanor chuckled as she made her way to the back door and snagged her winter coat from the rack. Adrian gave a low growl and his eyes flicked towards his mate. Selena raised her hand to hide the grin that stretched from ear to ear.
“I can still feel the prongs of that pitchfork.” Adrian narrowed his eyes on his mate until she caved.
“How many times can I apologise?” Selena’s words burst out on a chuckle. “And I have rubbed it better.” She added. His eyes softened then. His whole stance softened at the thought of how she’d decided to make amends, whilst teasing the hell out of him about it at the same time.
“How like an Alpha to want someone to kiss his ass.” Eleanor chuckled over her shoulder before she pulled the back door closed and took a moment to let the frosty night air greet her.
She thrust her hands deep into the pockets of her jacket and set off on determined feet. She would find the right spell to banish the faeries, after all, she had summoned them in the first place.
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“Why don’t you show your mate where her bedroom is?” Adrian said and saw a frown start on Kathy’s forehead.
“That’s a good idea.” Selena offered the witch a knowing smile.
“As good idea’s go, it’s not one I’d put at the top of my wish list.” Kathy frowned harder. It was bad enough being in the same room with him with other people, but alone? Pass.
“Scared to be alone with me?” Joe teased her, but she knew that he’d hit the nail right on the head.
“Your breath might overwhelm me.” She muttered.
“Nah, that’s not it.” He brushed that aside. He was done sniffing the air to see if he was odourly offensive in any way. “You just don’t know if you’ll be able to keep your hands off me.”
“True, the thought of wringing your neck is appealing in ways that you will never be able to imagine.” Kathy looked up at him and he leaned over her again. She felt that bolt of electricity right inside her womb once more and hated that he could do that to her with just his sheer presence.
“It must be hard.” Joe saw her eyes flick down to the bulge in his jeans and he felt a growl coming on. Just the thought of her eyes on his body was enough to send his beast into a frenzy of wanting to push forward, to claim her as theirs.
“Hard?” Kathy repeated the word because it was bouncing around inside of her brain like a damn ping-pong ball in a game played by octopi. She swallowed and hoped he hadn’t noticed, but when she dragged her eyes back up to his that damn smirk on his face said he’d seen everything.
“Lying to yourself all the time.” Joe said. She blinked.
“I don’t lie to anyone. Least of all myself.” She blinked twice. Damn it, he was happier than a pig in poop. She had a tell, a big one.
“There’s another lie.” Joe offered and watched her blink again. It was as if the shutters were coming down on her eyes to give her brain a chance to compute. He liked it a lot. “Let me show you to your bedroom…” He tested the waters.
“I don’t want to go to my bedroom with you.” Two blinks. Ha! He was in his happy place. Not only did his mate have a tell, but her tell just told him that somewhere deep down within her- she was only too happy to be alone with him in their room.
This was going to be easier than he thought.
“Would it help to think of it as our bedroom?” Joe teased. She blinked- then frowned- then blinked some more. He wasn’t sure what that meant. So, maybe not so easy.
“You can think of it as our bedroom, while I live in the real world and can tell you that’s never going to happen.” She blinked twice and a slow boiling grin started on his lips and she found herself mesmerised by it.
“You know you have this little thing going on with your face when you lie?” Her hand absently reached for her face and she drew back away from him.
“What thing? There’s no thing?” She screwed her face up and tried to look anywhere but at him. It didn’t work out to well as he blotted out everything around him.
Kathy felt vulnerable. She questioned his words. What if she did have a thing? What if he could tell when she was lying? That didn’t bode well for her little escape plan that she hadn’t yet formulated.
“Well if I told you what it is then I wouldn’t have the upper hand now, would I?” Joe teased and she huffed. He saw her bit down on her annoyance, but he caught the lift and snap of her fingers too late- there was a sting to his backside that made him jump upwards and back, and she felt the need to pull in a breath while she could, while he wasn’t invading her space.
“Damn it, that stung!” Joe said to no one in particular as his brother and Selena chuckled. He rolled his eyes to the ceiling and counter to ten, by five he already knew that it wasn’t working.
“If you mess with a witch, you get the bitch.” Kathy informed him. She might have hoped that she looked the part, in control and loving it, but deep within her there was a little voice that was running around screaming that the sky was falling.
“Don’t I know it.” Joe bit out. His backside was still smarting.
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Eleanor caught the movement just a moment too late to do anything about it. She’d been knelt down on one knee picking berries from the bush when he’d dropped to his feet beside her. She had three choices, do nothing, dive through a berry bush and buy herself some time to gather her magic, or scream at the top of her lungs- she chose the latter.
Gideon drew back and covered his ears with his hands. He didn’t like this witch already.
“Trust me when I say that making me deaf will not help matters for either of us.” Gideon shouted her down. The
moment her lips clamped shut and she scampered to her feet; he allowed his hands to drop away from his ears. “Tell me, are most witches related to damn banshee’s?” He ground out, unimpressed.
“If only, then they’d be scraping up pieces of you from the trees.” Eleanor hissed back at him. She cursed herself for not keeping her magic close at hand. She was becoming too relaxed on pack lands.
“Nice visual image, thanks.” Gideon shook his head to get rid of the ringing in his ears. “I’m here for…”
“Kathy.” Her tone was accusing and he frowned.
“Actually, Miss Smarty pants- no. You can keep the witch. I just want my damn ring back.” Gideon tossed back, but the sound of a rustling in the trees caught his attention and he groaned inwardly at the perceived interruption that was coming his way.
When Greg burst through the bushes and made a beeline for Eleanor- she almost swallowed her tongue at the sight of him. His eyes were jet black and he looked fit to kill. She had the damn urge to get the hell out of the way after their last encounter had gone so badly wrong, but she held her ground. Trapped between a vampire and an angry bear shifter…
CHAPTER SEVEN
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“Get away from her…” Greg growled with the beast within him that wanted to burst out and take the vampire down. The only problem was Eleanor- the last time his beast had pushed forward he’d hurt her- now he had that bear caged within him so tightly that he wasn’t sure he could release it ever again.
“A bear? Really? I didn’t see that one coming.” Gideon grinned. A heartbeat later and he was up in the nearest branch. “Now, what’s that about bears and trees?” He chuckled as the man mountain roared with anger.
Kathy raised her hands and aimed her anger and her magic at that bloodsucker. There was a bright flash of electricity against the branch and the crack of the wood snapping, but Gideon had already jumped to the next branch as the first one fell away- just as Leo came running out of nowhere and had to hit the brakes as the branch crashed at his feet…
“Eleanor, what the…? You…” Leo’s eyes took Greg in and the rage gathered inside of him.
“Not him.” Eleanor snapped as she pointed to the branches above Leo’s head. “Him!”
Leo’s head snapped back on his neck and just as he caught sight of the vampire so he caught his scent on the breeze. It mixed with the bear’s and sent his beast into overdrive. It didn’t help his anger issues when the vampire lifted his hand and gave him a small, teasing wave.
‘Vampire!’ Leo used his connection with the pack to warn them. ‘Bear!’ He added on an afterthought.
‘Do you have a decision making disorder…?’ Joe teased, even though his feet were now carrying him away from the house and out into the night. His wolf clawed to be set free and he welcomed it, allowing it to burst out from within and claim his human body.
‘Both, damn it! Moron. Back of the barn.’ Leo growled at his brother timing. The man never took anything seriously, and where his mate was concerned, everything was serious.
“Leave now and you can go unharmed…” Leo offered up to the vampire. He was already taking step backwards towards his mate, more than aware that the bear was guarding her with his body. That was his job and it ruffled his feathers at the knowledge that the damn bear was daring to do it.
“Love too.” Gideon held up his index finger. “But, problem. I need the ring from the witch and I’m not leaving without it.” Gideon was more than aware that reinforcements were heading in his direction. He wasn’t about to get far here tonight unless he could broker a deal, and from the look on the beta’s face, he didn’t think he was the man to do it with.
“Which witch?” Leo growled.
“Which witch…” Gideon never found that line got old, even with all of the years he had behind him. “Funny stuff. Kathy. The little minx thief. Get her to hand over the ring and I’m gone. A distant memory.”
“How about I just fry your backside?” Eleanor took a step forward and Greg growled at her, moving to keep her firmly behind his back. Leo growled at Greg…
“Oooo, do I sense issues between the two of you?” Gideon smirked.
“Look, bloodsucker…” Leo growled.
Adrian and Joe’s wolves burst onto the scene and took in the sight. Greg was obviously protecting Eleanor and neither wolf was going to mess with that, not when there was a damn vampire up in the tree. But the sight was just… off.
‘Someone doing you mate duties for you, brother?’ Joe teased. He saw Leo’s back straighten and his muscles tense even harder than they already were and he chuckled to himself at the sight.
‘Enough, Joe. Leo, what’s he want?’ Adrian asked as his beast prowled around the open space to come up on the other side of the vampire.
‘A ring from the witch…’ Leo confirmed what Joe already knew.
‘Persistent, isn’t he?’ Joe growled. He didn’t like the fact that it was his mate that had brought the vampire onto pack land.
“That looks like the alpha, right there…” Gideon offered as he took in the sight of Adrian’s black wolf. “I don’t want to slay anything and I’m not hungry, I just want my ring back.” Gideon expanded his hands like a magician showing them that he had nothing up his sleeves.
‘Joe?’ Adrian asked.
‘He claims the ring is his and that she stole it.’ Joe offered what he knew to his brother. Adrian shifted into his human form and stretched his body up to his full height, locking his eyes on the vampire.
“You’re outnumbered.” Adrian started on a hard line.
“Noted.” Gideon offered back, allowing the alpha room to posture. He wasn’t there to wipe out a pack, not if he could help it.
“Go back to town and we will contact you by morning.” Adrian would speak to Kathy personally. A ring didn’t seem like a good reason to start a war in his opinion, but he would listen to the witch’s stance on the matter and weigh it accordingly. He watched the vampire mull it over.
“Good enough. For now.” Gideon could wait another night.
“And don’t eat anybody.” Adrian would much rather the vampire stayed away from the human population, but he had little choice in the matter if he was to get him away from his own pack. He would send three of his men in to watch over the bloodsucker, but he wouldn’t leave his pack vulnerable in the process of protecting the humans.
“I’ll see what I can do.” Gideon tossed him a grin a moment before he took off through the trees. The sound of Leo’s deep growling dragged his attention back down to earth and the sight of his brother turning his attention on Greg.
‘Calm down…’ Adrian warned him, and yet, he felt for the man. He wouldn’t like the thought of the bear guarding his mate, not after what had happened to Eleanor the last time this bear was around her.
“Get away from my mate!” Leo’s top lip curled and his beast was close to clawing its way out from within him. Greg held up his hands, but it was Eleanor that had her say.
“That’s a fine way to talk to someone who was protecting your mate from a vampire!” She hissed and snapped her way in front of the big man as she glared at Leo. Leo snapped his head back on his neck and looked more than surprised by her outburst.
“He…” Leo lifted an accusing finger and pointed it towards Greg.
“Got here before you did.” Eleanor snapped back. Leo’s frown came down so low that it almost obliterated any sight of his eyes.
“I was…” Leo almost choked on his own tongue that his mate was defending the man.
“Slow to get here.” Eleanor berated him.
“That’s not…” Leo growled as he bit down on his words.
“Look, I don’t want to get…” Greg started as he sidestepped away from Eleanor.
“Why are you here?” Leo kept his eyes on his mate and yet he was clearly directing his anger towards the bear.
“Me or…?” Eleanor started.
“Him, damn it, woman!” Leo snapped back. Eleanor’s head snapped
back on her neck and her hands fisted on her hips. He sensed trouble brewing.
“Woman?” Her voice went up a couple of decibels and the males all groaned, all except for Leo who was trying to think fast and keep his anger from boiling over towards Greg.
“Aren’t you?” Leo growled and saw her mouth drop open. He groaned inwardly. Wrong answer, obviously. She lifted one hand and wagged her finger at him. He waited for her wrath to follow.
‘Wow, brother, you so love digging holes to bury yourself in…’ Joe sniggered.
‘Shut it, Joe…’ Leo growled.
‘No, really, it’s like a gift. Teach me sensei… Oh, wait…’
“Let me tell you something…” Eleanor hissed. At that moment Leo kind of wished that he had a hole to bury himself in. “Greg is my friend…”
“He nearly killed you.” Leo growled out in disbelief. Eleanor grimaced.
“A mistake that I’m sure he doesn’t intend to repeat.” She hissed back and her mate tossed his hand up in the air in frustration.
“Oh, well, if he doesn’t intent to damn well repeat it.” He growled out.
“You’re being irrational…” Eleanor offered.
“Sure, I am.” Leo growled out as he stalked towards her. Greg started to step away. He knew his place wasn’t at Eleanor’s side, not now her mate was here to protect her. “I have an irrational need to protect my mate.”
“That’s all Greg was doing…” Eleanor shrugged.
“He’s not your mate.” Leo growled.
“You weren’t here.” She snapped back. Leo growled again.
“Stop damn well reminding me of that fact.” He snapped back.
“Then stop being male.” She hissed. Greg rolled his eyes at that one. Leo caught sight of it. He reached out and wrapped his arm around Eleanor’s body, yanking her towards him and tucking her against his hip in a show of claim on her. Greg held his hands up in front of him.
