Ada's Protective Mate

by Jo Palmer

Damn, the mere thought of him, the scorching kiss he’d given her in the backseat of the car, sent shivers through her body and seared her blood. The werewolf prince had attributes! If Remi found out, she’d be teasing Ada for a hundred years—but Remi was missing, and spending time with werewolves and vampires was just plain stupid!

  Especially for brownies and humans. To other creatures, brownies were disregarded or taken advantage of. That’s why her kind received the reputation of being sneaky, thieves and a tad deceitful. No matter the culture or world, there were at times prejudices, unfortunately. For brownies, getting cast aside, put down, or dismissed too many times led to thinking up ways to pay back and teach some lessons. And brownies did it with snide smiles and back stabbing. Brownies were not seen as powerful creatures as they were not as strong, fast and didn’t have much magic. Ada was beginning to see what she hadn’t all those years ago and didn’t like it. There were changes needed.

  She decided long ago to live as though human and have little contact with creatures, excluding a few less annoying family members and Remi. To tangle herself up now caused too many problems, making her consider what Remi said long ago.

  Ada was prejudiced and had a massive chip on her shoulder.

  At the time she of course denied the allegation, but she did think about what her friend said. Eventually Ada agreed to, well, having a tiny, justifiable, chip. It was her nature to work hard; she enjoyed achieving what she set out to do and had a strong drive and determination. Yet there were inbred prejudices and grievances against other creatures that were difficult to move past. She lived and worked among humans, she had limited contact with her own kind and other creatures except for Remi, but she was a brownie and nature was hard to change. And incidents in the past had only added to the prejudice and resentment.

  None of this analyzing creatures and herself helped in finding her friend. Nor did pacing the elegantly decorated library. She needed to get out of here and begin searching. A thought struck her. The werewolf had not offered assistance in finding Remi. And there certainly had not been any type of agreement reached, like what was expected of her, or payment. No, they said they would search for Remi and the warlock; they gave their words, their honor, to find her friend.

  How puzzling, Ada mused and immediately wondered how best to use them. Of course she would use them! They were Galdorcwide royalty, and if she was not mistaken, Galdorcwide sentinels with a lot of power and resources at their disposal.

  Nico appeared out of the dark shadows in a far corner of the room. His turquoise eyes were luminous in the semi light and emphasized by his fair complexion and icy blonde hair. He drifted away from her to the door of the library, making no noise, every movement fluid and graceful. If she allowed herself, she would find the vamp fascinating, but being mesmerized was a big reminder of what the damned creatures could do with their hypnotic ways, and it now kept her more alert.

  Vampires you had to watch. They could turn into the very air around you, become unseen vapor; they levitated, and the nails on their fingers turned to long, deadly weapons. This one, with the silent elegance and graceful movements, rippled with power. He was charming, intelligent, sexy as sin, and deadly. Had it all going for him, she thought cynically.

  Tears filled her eyes. Fates damnation, Remi was always right. Ada was prejudiced, and the chip on her shoulder was possibly a little bigger than she had thought. Taking a deep breath, she forced the tears away. This was not the time for crying. It certainly wouldn’t help find Remi and bring her home.

  If Remi wasn’t found, then Ada would cry all she damn well wanted. She’d never seen crying as a weakness. Tears came from emotions, and there was certainly nothing wrong with that. Ada sighed at her own chaotic thoughts.

  They needed to get working on finding Remi and the warlock, and since Nate and Nico volunteered to search, all the better. Ada looked around for her handbag and the light coat she’d grabbed on the way out of her apartment earlier tonight as the door to the library swung open. Nate looped into the room.

  At that moment she realized something very important. For the past twenty minutes, though still in a mild daze from being mesmerized, she was alone with the vampire prince. And he had not touched her or spoken, but he stayed in the shadows where she didn’t sense his presence or see him.

  Why? To monitor her thoughts? That didn’t seem right, not when he could so very easily penetrate any blocks she may erect in her mind. Not that there would be any blocks while under a vampire thrall. So what had been the point? She disregarded the vamp remaining out of concern for her, dismissing the idea as illogical and fanciful. She meant nothing to any of them. They may keep an eye on her, an outsider on one of their properties, but that would be all.

  Nate raised a hand and rested it on the curve of Prince Nico’s shoulder where it joined his neck, surprising Ada. Affection from a werewolf? The rough creatures rarely displayed affection except for a bit of jovial back-slapping which always, from her recollection, led to rough housing and rugby. She never understood why.

  Hmm, he’d been right. Ada tapped a long nail to her bottom lip, studying the pair. She needed to brush up on her research, for watching their body language and the silent communication that passed between the two big creatures, they were much closer than her research told her.

  She straightened and smoothed her still immaculate hair. They did not have time for this. Remi was out there at the mercy of a warlock. The first thing that needed to be done was to call the witch she sent Remi to for the spell to stop the warlock from stalking her. The witch would have a lot more information on the warlock, Remi practically none as she met him only once for a few moments in a bar.

  “Go feed,” Nate told the vampire.

  “I wait. The brownie has just given us a place to begin the search.”

  Fates and Destiny! Vampires and their hearing of thoughts were more irritating than a guilt trip from her Nana!

  Oh, what did it matter! Aside from being incredibly rude, which she already found them to be, they’d said they would search for Remi, and Ada was going to ensure they kept their words. The sooner they got started, the sooner they would hopefully find her friend. Then she would continue with her plans of tearing the werewolves down in court over their land thievery.

  “Right.” Nate’s dark brows rose. “A guilt trip? I didn’t think that was possible with a brownie—”

  “I do not like my thoughts invaded, vampire.” Ada, locating her bag and coat on a chair, snatched them up and marched toward the door of the library. “The land dispute will have to wait. I sent Remi to a witch a week ago for a spell to ward the warlock off. The witch will know the name of this creature.” Ada looked up at the werewolf. “This does not mean I withdraw from the land dispute or will tolerate any tricks.”

  “I haven’t suggested you withdraw; in fact, we can discuss the case while searching for your imp friend. The witch’s name?”

  The werewolf was cocky, which surprisingly didn’t bother her as much as it should.

  “Sandra Lipton. She is part of the witch coven in New Jersey. I defended her in a case a few months ago, and she owed me a favor.” More than one favor. The witch was forever getting into some trouble or other. “I have the witch’s address at home. I’ll go and phone it through to you. In the meantime, send some of your creatures out to find Remi and the warlock. What’s your number?” She took out her iPhone and held it at the ready. When neither responded, she glanced up inquiringly. “Well?”

  The vamp was smiling in a very amused fashion, if not annoyingly indulgent, while the werewolf took a step to the side. He raised a foot and kicked the library door shut with the heel of his sneaker. Then he crossed big arms over that muscular chest she remembered the feel of him beneath her hands, how heat had risen between them, firing her up with desire and need.

  Sweet destiny, it had been a long time since she’d had sex with anyone. In fact, she barely recalled the event! But she knew no one had, or would, ever set her ali
ght with the passion this werewolf could. It was one of the reasons she wished to avoid him so much. The problem was, she was drawn to him as though seeking heat and warmth, and a repeat of the amazing moment of weakness incident was quite unlike her. At the same time, because of the responses and reaction he stirred, Ada wanted to battle him and win, scoring as many points as she could in the process.

  Bloody hell. Nothing was ever simple when dealing with creatures, and she seemed to be losing her normal cool, detached distance, or she was becoming as contrary as a fairy. Neither was a pleasing thought.

  “Lady, do I look like the type who takes orders?” He growled deeply, glowering at her.

  Ada looked him overly chillingly, annoyed now by thinking about their shared kiss and the way she was still responding. She needed to regain her equilibrium and the best way to do that was with attitude.

  “Though you are dressed better than during this afternoon's meeting, yes, I’m sure you take orders.”

  “My wolf, you do dress badly on occasion.” The vamp cast turquoise eyes over the werewolf. “I try, believe me, cara, but he tends to lose his clothes—”

  “Nico.” The werewolf sighed heavily. “You need to feed. Go. Cousin Colby and your vamps will remain with you.”

  Regardless of the heavy sigh softening his tone, what the werewolf said was a command, and it was the first time she’d seen the vampire bristle. With a hiss and flash of long, thick fangs -deadly, lethal fangs—Nico went to jerk away, but Nate stopped him.

  Impatient to get on track with the search for Remi, she at first missed something pass between the two men.

  All that training to not show surprise was apparently worth shit. Her jaw fell open, and she gaped. But the shock was nothing compared to the sudden, crushing pain in the vicinity of her chest. And that just got her annoyed.

  CHAPTER FOUR

  Unable to think, Ada could only stare at the mark at the base of Nico’s neck. A prominent bite mark, the kind that would never fade.

  A werewolf mark, like when they marked their territory, prey, or a mate.

  It was rare for a werewolf to mark someone, reserving this for a privileged few, such as a mate, or for some other important reason. What did that mean? Were they…. together? The ache in her chest intensified.

  “Nico, you’re hungry. We both know what happens when you are, so go feed. By the time I get back—”

  “You marked a vampire?” Ada exclaimed, still shocked. “You’re gay?”

  The lazy look Nate shot her had Ada on edge and raising her chin. Nico shrugged off the werewolf’s hand, hissed in his ear then strode from the library with his usual arrogant gracefulness. That left her with an insolent, gorgeous creature who may very well be gay. She’d seen the mark on the vampire, witnessed the obvious affection between them. It could only mean they were in a relationship.

  For some reason, the idea of Nate Le Garde being gay irritated her more than the ridiculous land dispute, and she was not even going to acknowledge the pain in her heart.

  He had kissed her, caused a fire deep inside that yearned and ached to be quenched. By him, and only him. She didn’t want it; she didn’t need it. To think he was just toying with her, erupting passions she never knew she had just as a bit of fun, brought back all the old resentments and bitterness she held against his kind and other creatures. This may be an irrational reaction, but it was one she couldn’t stop and didn’t fully understand, and it had Ada directing sudden anger at him.

  “I don’t care about your sexual orientation, but never touch me again—”

  “Brownie—”

  “You gave your word to find Remika, stick to it.” Ada headed for the door, determined to leave and get started on the search for her friend. And forget about Nathaniel Le Garde and this frustrating, out of nowhere, attraction to him.

  He stepped in front of her. “I’m not gay, nor is Nico.” He lowered his head down to her level and snaked an arm around her waist.

  Ada hissed as she was pulled hard against him, then gasped at the feel of sharp teeth scraping through her high-necked jumper at the exact spot Nico had been marked. With her legs turning to jelly and body heating up and flooded with sharp, needful desire, she went limp.

  “Woman, you’re driving me freaking crazy!” He raised his head, eyes hooded. “The vampire is mine, no one touches him—or they deal with me and a lot of other creatures who are more than willing to tear them a new one.”

  Ada was left breathing heavily from the onslaught of desire and heat. She gazed into vibrant, intense green eyes and saw something there that made her shiver more than with the eruption of physical needs exploding inside her.

  Nate wanted her, his eyes and body firing with deep, heavy lust. Holy shit, she was going to have to tread ever so carefully to deal with a heated up werewolf! Especially when he was her best chance of finding Remi and the warlock.

  It was a well-known fact that werewolves had massive appetites for food, ale, fighting, and sex, and not necessarily in that order. Territorial, tough, loyal, rough at times, it was often said they chased down “prey” and took them where they landed, which was usually in the Mist Fields of Galdorcwide. As she didn’t wish to be another piece of prey, she needed to keep her cool and formulate a way to calm him down and get them back on track to finding Remi.

  Only, her body was against her. She found it difficult not to pull him closer and find the nearest flat surface. And knowing he wasn’t toying with her, that the heat between them was real, meant a hell of a lot more than she was currently able to take in. What on earth was she doing? Fates damnation! She was becoming as contrary as a frigging unpredictable, frivolous fairy! What in sweet destiny’s auspicious name was she doing?

  Taking a deep breath, realizing the precarious position she was in, she tried to get her rampaging body under control and thoughts back on track. Remi needed her, and he was going to help find her friend. That was all. She would deal with the attraction, even if it meant getting a spell to cure her.

  For some reason, that reasonable thought gave her a shaft of pain in the vicinity of her heart. She ignored it, one hand relaxing its grip on his thick, muscular bicep. Ada smiled and raised her lashes slowly, her other hand going to his big chest and feeling the muscles bunch beneath her fingertips.

  Careful, she reminded herself, one wrong move or misplaced action will have him bearing you down to the carpet when he’s in this state.

  The werewolf’s breathing heaved, and he sniffed her, drawing her scent deep. He was on the edge, his control almost frayed. The thought turned her on, and she had to distract him, and herself.

  “From what I’ve seen of Prince Nico, he can take care of himself very well.” She murmured softly.

  His body temperature was still rising, he felt like a boiling cauldron beneath her fingers and against her front. She had to get him cooled down.

  “He can.” Long fingers sprawled across her ass and gripped, pulling Ada more firmly against him.

  “That is good to know.” She gave a heartfelt sigh, lashes lowering a little over her eyes. “For Remika’s sake…you said you would search for her, find her. You and Nico.” She softened her voice. “Nate, this was your word.”

  His eyes were on her breasts but rose at the catch she deliberately injected into her voice.

  “Yes, lufu, I gave my word and am bound.” His hand moved up from her bottom and rubbed her back as though soothing a child. “The imp is not powerless—”

  “No, but it appears the warlock managed to overcome her somehow, and that leads me to believe he is far more dangerous than I thought and may harm her.” Ada took the advantage and wriggled out of his arms. “The witch I mentioned, Sandra Lipton, will have his name and address. We have to go quickly—”

  “Hey, cuz.” A younger werewolf stuck his head into the library. “Nico’s thrown a tantrum; said some crap about the wrong blood stock and smashed the fridge.”

  Nate growled, a deep, lethal vibration that shot out t
hrough his clenched fangs. “Then give him what he damn well wants.”

  “Yeah, right.” The younger werewolf rolled his eyes. “I don’t think you’d want me to repeat what he wants in front of the brownie there. By the way, your pop called and demands an immediate explanation. Apparently Aidan mentioned you were willing to negotiate with a brownie during the land dispute meeting. Have fun explaining that.”

  Stalking across to the younger werewolf, Nate growled something in their kind’s language which caused the other creature to laugh. He was still laughing as he shut the door behind him.

  Ada hissed in frustration. “I do not think you are taking this seriously. Has Remi’s apartment even been searched?”

  He shot her an insulted glare. “Yes. Warlock magic was used to break the protection the imp had over her apartment. My wolves were not able to track him. No one felt the death of a creature there, which means the imp was at least alive when taken from the apartment.” Muscles rippled in his arms, chest, and stomach as he ran a hand through dark wavy hair. “Wolves and vamps are out scouring the city as we speak.”

  “Well, that is something at least.” Ada dragged her eyes away from the temptation of him. “I need to get home and find the witch’s number and address. Now.” Immediately she knew issuing an order only made his hackles rise, so she gave a sad smile and changed tactics, appealing once more to that useful protective nature of his. She wasn’t playing games with Nate, she was working out how to actually deal with him. Ada was in fact far too straight forward Remi remarked a few times, but that seemed only to irritate the wolf. So she had to find a different way to communicate, a nicer way.

  “We must find Remi.”

  He gave a nod and gestured her toward him with a wave of his hand. Only taking one step, Ada was surprised when Nate leaped the distance between them in a single stride and pulled her behind him, holding her there forcibly.

  “What are you doing?” She exclaimed, momentarily thinking he changed his mind and was going to keep her here and not help find Remi.