by M. L. Briers
NOT HIS MATE
By
M L BRIERS
Copyright © 2014 by M. L Briers
All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof
may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever
without the express written permission of the publisher
except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
Table of Contents
NOT HIS MATE
CHAPTER ONE
CHAPTER TWO
CHAPTER THREE
CHAPTER FOUR
CHAPTER FIVE
CHAPTER SIX
CHAPTER SEVEN
CHAPTER EIGHT
CHAPTER NINE
CHAPTER TEN
CHAPTER ONE
Nadia was singing her happy tune in her head. It had been a while since she felt the weight lift from her shoulders, but it looked like the rainclouds had finally parted and the goods days were finally back again. What could possibly go wrong…?
Nadia saw Blake appear around the corner and cursed herself for ever thinking it, five little words to tempt Fate- what could possibly go wrong?- Ha! She went to change direction, maybe ducking into one of the back entrances of the shops as if she hadn’t seen him…? There was Alf. Damn it.
Nadia gave an internal sigh, the one you allow yourself when the good day you were having just turned to poop, and she kept walking towards Blake. After all, he was the lesser of the two evils, but only just. Those dark rainclouds were definitely circling above her again. Damn it to hell.
Nadia dropped her chin down almost to her chest. Maybe it was childish, like playing hide-and-seek behind the curtains with your feet sticking out, but if she couldn’t see him then he wasn’t really there. Well, that was the hope, but as she walked towards where she knew him to be, his large trainer clad feet came into view, busted then. She guessed she could put her hands over her eyes and tell him he wasn’t there, but hey, she didn’t think he’d get the sheer irony of it.
“Don’t make this harder than it has to be, Nadia.”The deep growl within his voice told her that it wasn’t a social call. They weren’t just checking in on the local Fae to see how things were going.
“Blake.”She said his name as if it was a statement, nothing more, nothing less. She didn’t want to ask questions at that moment in time. Questions could lead to answers and she wanted just a few more minutes of good feelings within her before her world came crashing down around her ears. Because, let’s face it, when the local wolf pack paid you a visit it wasn’t going to be sunshine and flowers.
“The Alpha wants a word.”Blake informed her. He didn’t bother asking, why would he? He was a Beta and used to getting what he wanted, and she was just a Fae. Lower down on the food chain, especially as her powers weren’t highly sort after like some Fae that she could mention, but didn’t want to think about.
“Busy. There’s a word.”She went to sidestep him. She could see the main street like a tantalising vision of not being where she was, with whom she was with, around his large frame, but he moved to block her path to freedom. Shocker.
“Don’t make this harder…”He repeated and she nodded her head.
“Than it has to be, yeah, I got that, Blake, thanks.”Nadia sniped up at him. Finally looking up into those big green eyes and realising that they were shaded darker today. He was either angry or horny, and she doubted it was the latter, after all she was Fae.
Blake stared down at her with unwavering intent. He didn’t look like he was going to take no for an answer. What his Alpha wanted, his Alpha got. And his Alpha was a damn thorn in her side that sent this Beta around on a regular schedule to harass her at every opportunity. Not that she didn’t always enjoy Blake’s company, she did. There were times when she could wind him up like a spinning top and sent him on his way with his head reeling, but she didn’t think this was going to be one of those times.
“You know you got a little something…”She pointed to the corner of his mouth and he reached up to brush it away just as he saw the glint of amusement in her eyes and stopped his hand half way up.
“Nadia, I’m warning you…”Blake’s eyes flicked towards Alf for just the briefest of seconds, and Nadia felt him there at her back. They certainly meant business. Whatever it was that the Alpha thought she’d done, it looked like it was coming back to haunt her.
“Don’t make this harder than it has to be?”Nadia squinted up at him. If he couldn’t see her eyes, and her shields were up, he couldn’t read her properly, and that she liked.
Blake rolled his eyes and reached his hand out towards her. The sound of a car horn burst out into the street, shattering the silence around them and making all three of them jump with the unexpectedness of it. The sound of tyres screeching over ice and tarmac followed and brought their attention around to the car that was headed straight for them. Well, two of them at least.
Nadia stepped back against the wall and watched the two big Lycans dive for cover, like scared rabbits, they fled away from the flashy, red, sporty number that came to a screeching halt in front of her, and she yanked open the door. She didn’t need to peer inside, there was only one person this could be, only one person drove a snazzy, out of place car like this, and there was only one person that she knew who would deliberately aim for Lycans and risk their wrath. When she jumped into the passenger seat and they roared off at speed, she turned to grin at her sister.
“So what did you do now?”Natasha berated her. She took her eyes off the road for just a moment to turn her gaze on Nadia accusingly. She practically tooled the car through the thin alleyways, as if it was on rails, and back out onto the open road with all the ease of a pro. “Or more importantly, how’d you get caught, so I don’t make the same mistake?”
“I’d say how’d you find me, but I know with your personal GPS system, it wasn’t that hard.” Nadia felt the jealousy gene rise within her. She loved her sister, as much as she could love someone who had everything going for her and always seemed to come out on top. But she just wished she had half of her powers.
“Stop stalling and tell me why the mutts wanted you.”Natasha would dump her sister’s backside out onto the roadside and let her fend for herself if she’d been up to her old tricks again. She had no problem going up against Lycans if there was a good reason, but Nadia wasn’t Snow White…
“I actually have no idea.”Nadia was being honest for once. Natasha could tell, and she relaxed back in her seat and let the car purr along the road. She loved this beast. It practically drove itself when she wasn’t pulling off rescues of needy sisters.
“Neither of those was an alpha…”Natasha checked her rear view mirror and saw the pickup truck roaring up behind her.
“One Beta, one Omega. Sent to bring me to the Alpha…” Nadia saw her sister tense in her seat.
“And boy do they want too…”Natasha waited until they were practically tailgating her before as slow grin spread across her lips. “They seriously want to play chase in that heap?”Natasha ground out. Kicking down the gears and roaring away from them. “Hold on little sister, I need to show the mutts how the big girls play it.”
Natasha heard the engine roar like a beast allowed out of its cage and held on for the ride. Nought to sixty in- see ya. And she watched them become a speck of dust in her rear view mirror. The rush of adrenalin shot through her like wild fire.
“Tell me again what you didn’t do?”Natasha shot her sister a warning look and Nadia shrugged her shoulders.
“If I’m guilty, it wasn’t lately.”Nadia assured her. She’d given up looking out of the window at the landscape that shot past them at a speed that James T Kirk would be proud of. So she watched her sister�
��s easy going reactions instead. Nothing seemed to faze her sister, and that kind of irked her too.
“Fair enough. So where are you living?”Natasha shot out of the corner of her mouth and Nadia motioned over her shoulder.
“Back that way, but they obviously know where I live.”
“No? Really? But they obviously don’t know what will be waiting for them when they turn up looking for you.”
“And that would be?”
“Me.” Natasha assured her. Nadia winced slightly at the thought of it. That wasn’t always a good thing where her sister’s talents were concerned, and Nadia wasn’t sure that she wanted to start world war three with the pack.
“All out war is not an option. I kind of like living here, hell, I kind of like living, period.”Nadia offered with all the sarcasm she could muster.
“Don’t sweat it. I won’t let the mutts anywhere near you.”Natasha assurances only made Nadia more nervous. If her sister had a mind to do it, she could make life very unpleasant for the pack and its alpha.
“She had help.”Blake assured his Alpha and heard the distinct growl of annoyance travel with just as much menace over the mobile as it would have caused had it been delivered in person. That wasn’t good.
“Think she’ll go home?”Nero demanded. His mind was already thinking two steps ahead.
“Possibly. I don’t know.” Blake was more than aware that Nadia knew he knew where she lived. Hell, he was there like a damned yo-yo at his alpha’s request more often than not. Keeping her in line had become a full time job, not that it bothered him any. But still…Would she be stupid enough to go home if she was fleeing the pack?
“I’ll meet you there.”Nero cut the line before Blake could answer him. He wasn’t in the mood for this right now. He wanted answers and he wanted them quickly, and the Fae were the only ones who could give him those answers. He’d have Nadia’s cooperation if he had to get it out of her kicking and damn screaming. Blake tossed his jacket over his shoulders and snatched up his keys as he stalked towards the front door. He certainly wasn’t going to play nice that was for sure.
Nadia slammed the front door to her house and circled the entrance way like a hawk scoping its breakfast. This wasn’t a good thing. Natasha could be highly unpredictable and she didn’t need to make an enemy of the Alpha.
“Maybe I should just get some stuff and lay low for a while.”Nadia started for the bedroom, but Natasha took a long step out and blocked her way.
“You’re going to let an Alpha run you off?”The way Natasha said it, like it was an accusation of treason towards the Fae people themselves, made Nadia stop and curse the fact that her sister had turned up to save her backside at all. Perhaps the Alpha just wanted a friendly chat… Perhaps the earth was flat and birds flew upside down…
“Actually, it’s not the Alpha I’m worried about…”Nadia shook her head on a wince of an apology as she saw her sisters deep brown eyes widen with understanding.
“You’re worried about what I’m going to do to them if they show up here?” Natasha threw her hands up in the air in disbelief. “Have you mellowed so much, sister, that you wouldn’t defend yourself against bullies?”
Nadia slipped her hands up to her hips and regarded her elder sister with a look of indignity. Why did life become so much more challenging when her sister was around?
“You know me better than that, sister. But let me see, poking the bear or lying low…?” She put her finger to her cheek and regarded the ceiling in a sarcastic attempt to get through to Natasha. “Hmm, decisions…”
“If you don’t want my help…”Natasha started, turning on her heels and walking into the living room.
“I don’t want your particular brand of disaster area… I mean help, but thanks for the rescue.”Nadia turned back towards her bedroom intending a speedy getaway, but the sound of a beefy engine caught her attention and drew her eyes to the small window. Blake, damn it, already? He must have put the pedal to the metal to get here so damn fast, because her sister had been going warp speed all the way.
“Sure?”Natasha was already at her side in one of those stealthy moves that she did, and Nadia was sure the damn Witch could float at times.
“Very.”Nadia hissed back. She was trying to calm her heart from racing within her chest just from the sight of Blake’s truck. She didn’t need to contend with the stealth like capabilities of her sister coming out of nowhere like a spectre in the mist.
“As you wish.”Natasha spanned her hands in front of her as if casting her benevolence over the area and Nadia snorted. But the sight of Blake, walking on thick, long limbs towards her house did little to ease her pounding heart rate.
“Come on out, Nadia…”Blake called through the closed door. He didn’t need to knock. He knew she was there, and he knew that she knew he was there, where was the confusion in that?
“Don’t make this harder, yarder, yarder, and yarder. Yawn.”Nadia shot back and watched her sister cock just one perfectly plucked dark eyebrow in her direction.
“Now who’s being confrontational?”Natasha offered with a lofty overture. Nadia glared at her sister.
“My confrontational and your confrontational don’t even come close to meeting in the middle…”Nadia informed her, matching her lofty and raising her the damn truth, as the sound of another engine tooling into her driveway made Nadia turn to the distinctive sound of the big Hog that rolled into view.
Natasha practically elbowed her sister aside to get a better look. “Nice bike.”She gushed and Nadia elbowed her back out of the way.
“Just don’t…”She warned her and Natasha shrugged in innocence.
“What?”
“I seem to remember you depositing a motorbike in a tree…”Nadia shot back, narrowing her eyes in accusation and causing her sister to balk in disbelief.
“Oh that was a little teen high jinx. Besides, nobody in their right mind would put a Hog in a tree…”Natasha swiped a dismissive hand in front of her, and it was time for Nadia to raise her brow.
“Since when have you been in your right mind?”Nadia shot back.
“Are you still mad at me for that little snafu…?”Natasha gave her a complete look of innocence, and that look jumped up and down on Nadia’s last nerve.
“Little snafu? You blew up my damn house.”Nadia exclaimed, tossing her a look of disgust as she watched her sister feign innocence as only she could.
“Well yes, it was a rather dangerous little spell, but I’ve almost perfected it since then…”Natasha shrugged as if it was nothing, normal, and Nadia seethed deep within herself.
“Almost? You’ve tried it again?”She hissed out between clenched teeth.
“A few times, with varying degrees of…”Natasha searched for the right word.
“Calamity?”Nadia hissed back and Natasha snorted.
“Closeness…”
“As in close call?”
“As in, I’m close to perfecting it.”Natasha snapped back.
“Nadia…”Blake’s voice cut through the strained silence between the sisters as they glared at each other.
“Don’t tell me that’s why you’re here, because I’m not helping you to…”
“No. I came to see you. A little birdie told me you were in trouble.”Natasha informed her and Nadia narrowed her eyes, interested.
“Which little birdie?”
“Neve.” Natasha offered with a slight wince. She saw the look in Nadia’s eyes, the recognition that if Neve said her sister was in trouble, then she was in real trouble.
Nadia looked to the closed door and what lay outside it. This wasn’t good, what the hell could she have done to be in that kind of trouble with the pack?
“Ok, Fine. I need your help.”Nadia admitted tossing her hands up in the air and letting them fall back against her sides as Natasha smirked at her.
“Say please.”Natasha teased and saw the twitch of annoyance on Nadia’s lips.
“Seriously?”
“You hurt my feelings.”Natasha pouted dramatically and Nadia shook her head.
“Pretty-bloody-please.”She offered with a long sigh. Natasha didn’t hesitate for one moment. She dropped her chin to her chest and took a long calming breath in. As she slowly lifted her hands and her head, Nadia could hear the wind picking up outside. The whispered incantations falling from her sisters lips made her want to smile in triumph. This should be good, or very, very bad.
Nero could scent the change in the air around him and he didn’t like it. His wolf became uneasy within him as if the beast knew something bad was coming, and it was. But what kind of bad he wasn’t entirely sure.
Nero saw the wind start to pick up through the treetops. The bare branches swayed slowly and then moved faster. What was left of the underbrush around the little cottage moved in time with the branches and the dead leaves started to rise in the air as if summoned to do so. There was a crackle in the air like electricity that ran over Nero’s skin, even where it wasn’t exposed to the elements, and Nero knew without a shadow of a doubt that this was Fae work.
“Get in the truck.” Nero growled out to his men. He’d seen something like this before. He’d been very young at the time, but it wasn’t something he would easily forget no matter how many years had gone by. This might have been Fae work, but this wasn’t Nadia’s doing. The little Fae didn’t have the power for this type of magic, not alone at any rate.
Nero watched Blake and Alf move off towards the relative safety of the truck. Fighting through the wind like a couple of mime artists, battered by the debris in the air around them. While Nero took a long moment to ponder his next move. Too Long. He saw the bucket a moment before it hit him, slamming into his left shoulder with the force of a brick wall.
“Nadia, stop this…”He roared out into the wind. His eyes locked onto Nadia’s through the window and he saw the amusement there. A moment later he was swept of his feet, practically cart-wheeling in mid air. There was nothing to grab a hold of. Nothing he could do as he was caught up in the winds that blew like a twister around his body.
