by M. L. Briers
“Jake said we should postpone the wedding- but that’s just silly. You’ll get her back Ad.” Faith whispered the last part and he squeezed her tightly.
God I wish that were true.
He told himself as he placated her with soothing words.
CHAPTER EIGHT
Fay rolled onto the bed covers without even bothering to move them- she was warm enough and right now she was so damned tired she didn’t care if she woke in a few hours cooled like a chicken in the chiller.
Her eyes were already closed to the familiar surroundings by the time her head touched the pillow and even though she had clicked all the locks on her door tonight and had checked every window to make damned sure they were locked- she was still a little uneasy.
It wasn’t burglars that she feared anymore- give her a human attacker any day- now she knew there was a whole other world out there in the shadows she didn’t much like the odds of any one of them getting in for any reason- it was a certainty that the vampires and Lycans she had left back at Faith’s wedding weren’t the only one’s out there in the big wide world and she assumed that like human’s, there were good and bad ones and she certainly wasn’t keen on meeting one of those bad ones.
Fay rolled her head against the pillow and waited for sleep to take her just so that her mind would climb down from the spin cycle it had been in for the last seven hours or so of her life. She didn’t have long to wait as sleep took her- but even in sleep and even this far away from him, she couldn’t keep the wolf from her dreams as she found herself by that beautiful waterfall and Adam’s wolf was waiting for her.
She heard the soft whine that left the wolf’s lips as she turned her back and started for the entrance to the alcove- she wanted out of this dream and if she couldn’t get it- she was going to just keep walking away- but the sorrowful sound made her stop in her tracks as though he were calling to her heart.
“Don’t do that.”
She admonished the beast, wrapping her arms around her body as though that would give her heart some kind of protection against him and when he whined again she couldn’t help but stomp her foot.
“Damn it. Stop.”
She dropped her arms to her side but kept her back to him, she wouldn’t turn around, she didn’t want to look at the wolf and see his eyes- Adam’s eyes staring back at her, calling to her.
She felt something wet against her hand and looked down, startled to find that he was at her side, his nose nudging her hand and she pulled her hand away.
“I can’t-“ She whispered in her dream and into the silence of her apartment as she forced herself to walk away from the wolf, the man and towards the entrance to the alcove, not turning to look back and not hearing him follow her as she made her way back out into the expanse of the field- her heart hurting as something twisted within her.
Fay knocked back the beer in her hand and watched the blank television in the corner, she had been staring at the clock on the wall until after the ceremony was over and then she had turned her attention towards the black screen of the set- guilt felt a little easier now that she had two beers under her belt, but it still weighed heavy within her. The buzz of her mobile on the table in front of her made her jump in place and she saw the screen light up- reaching for it.
The little text box at the top of the screen stared back at her like an accusing finger heightening that guilt again as she slide the bar across opening the text- the phone buzzed again in her hand- good to her word Hope had sent her a picture of Faith and Jake and she couldn’t help the smile that touched her lips at just how happy her friend looked in his arms.
Fay enlarged the picture and her eyes flicked to Jakes face- he looked normal for a vampire- like anyone else who was a damned male model- with perfect skin and hair and eyes the colour of amber- but he wasn’t deathly pale and she had seen him walking around in the daytime- so what was up with that? She guessed that the difference between myth and fact was probably quite large.
Myth- vampires and Lycans didn’t exist outside in the real world- they were only in the realms of fantasy. She scoffed to herself holding the proof in her hand.
Fact- vampires and Lycans didn’t look like Christopher Lee and Lon Chaney Jr. At least not the one’s she had met.
The phone buzzed again and she sighed- opening the second picture that Hope had sent she saw the male group shot of Jake and Sebastian- but her eyes flicked onto Adam and even in picture form there was a pull on her heart- on her body for him- a need that rose up within her and she centred on him- expanding the picture as far as she could take it on his face before he grew fuzzy and looked at his eyes- they didn’t seem as bright or as blue as they did in real life- there seemed to be a haunted look and she clicked to the next text as another rumbled into her phone.
Hope and the girls smiled back at her in all their bridesmaids glory- the sharp pang of loss at not being in the photo with her friends- at not being at the ceremony stabbed within her and when the phone buzzed in her hand again she snapped it off- she didn’t want to see anymore right now- it hurt too much.
Abel pulled his truck onto the dirt driveway of Adam’s cabin and noted the other two trucks parked in front of the rustic building. A smile of knowing formed on his lips as he put the truck into park and turned off the engine. Joshua was here- that meant only one thing- his brother would have tied one on last night- because if there’s one thing that Joshua could do it was drink any man- or Lycan under the table.
He walked up to the front door that was sitting ajar and nudged it open with the toe of his boot- the smell of alcohol mixed with his brother’s scent and the distinctive scent of their friend wrapped around him and he grimaced while his eyes took a moment to adjust to the interior light- then he saw them- Adam sprawled over one couch, his large body draped in a pose that would guarantee he was going to feel that in his muscles for the rest of the day, while Joshua was face down on the rug- sprawled with his arms and legs thrust outwards- kinda fitting for a bear shifter- Abel chuckled as he went inside and deliberately kicked a empty bottle of Jack Daniel’s across the hard wood floor- the noise instantly bringing both men’s eyes open.
Adam lifted his head on a groan of regret- while Joshua just lay deathly still his eyes the only clue that he was awake.
“Now why wasn’t I invited to the party?” Abel mused as he walked over to the couch opposite Adam and dropped down- immediately spreading his large frame out into a comfortable position as Adam groaned again, closing his eyes in the hopes that would will his younger brother away.
“Impromptu- you’re brother needed to blow off some steam-“ Joshua literally growled from across the room- still the man had made no attempt to pull his large frame from the floor.
“My brother needs to get his Alpha butt into gear and get assertive-“ Abel grumbled and Adam growled as he threw a thick arm across his eyes.
“Give it a rest Abel-“
“It’s been a week Adam-“
“He’s lost his mate Abel-“ Joshua growled again- this time pulling himself up to his knees and blinking twice until the room lost its fuzzy edge.
“Lost- no. He knows where she is, he just needs to drive down there and bring her back to the pack.” Abel shot Joshua a look as the large man shrugged his shoulders before dragging himself to his full height- six foot six of packed muscles behind a wide frame that twisted in place and stretched out the kinks from lying on the floor all night- he practically filled that whole end of the room with his presence- one thing about bear shifters was that- in either animal or human form they couldn’t exactly blend into the background and be overlooked.
“It’s a dead subject Abel- give it a rest.” Adam growled slamming his arm against the back of the couch as he used it as leverage and dragged himself into a sitting position- wincing hard at the pain in his head, a deep groan escaping his lips.
“A bear with a sore head- we have a matching pair.” Abel tossed a look at Joshua who grinned widely before sauntering over to
the brothers and dropping down on the couch beside Abel causing the couch to actually groan beneath his large frame.
“Tell me Joshua- where do you stand on the subject?” Abel turned to look at their friend who ran a huge hand across his face and through his hair in an attempt to wake himself up as Adam growled under his breath, pulling himself to his feet, he walked through to the open planned kitchen and flicked the kettle on eager for coffee.
“If I were lucky enough to find my mate- I would carry her back to my place and tie her to the bed if she tried to run-“ Abel grinned widely, slapping his friend on the shoulder in approval before he nodded emphatically.
“A man after my own heart-“
“When you two are done sorting out my love life-“
“Or lack of it-“ Abel chimed in, which earned yet another growl of disapproval from Adam as he kept his back firmly to them.
“She’s human Abel-“ Adam snapped out turning his glare on his brother in one move that had him turning and standing by the arch between the kitchen and living room and Abel held up one finger in correction mode.
“She’s Fae-“
“And I’m not going to force her to do anything she-“
“Not force- encourage- showing her the error of her ways is not-“ The sound of the side of Adam’s fist coming down on the counter top felt like a sledgehammer to his own ears- Abel bit off the rest of his words.
“No!- Damn it!”
Adam stomped across the room and disappeared up the stairs with bounding strokes of his long muscled legs, leaving Abel to sigh as he turned his eyes towards Joshua who shrugged his shoulders.
“Stubborn-“ Abel ground out between clenched teeth and Joshua slumped back against the couch- this time running both hands across his face and through his hair as he considered the situation- his friend and his reluctance to go claim his mate.
“I’m a strong believer that Fate has a hand in all of our lives- that things will usually work out for the best-“
“Profound-“ Abel teased and then took a breath and sighed out his inward amusement his eyes sparkling with mischief. “But in the meantime I’ve got a plan B.”
Joshua gave a low rumble in his chest as his eyes shot to Abel beside him, “What have you done now?” He was almost afraid to ask knowing Abel’s history with bad idea’s.
“I’ve invited Hope for a little visit-“ He beamed with outward pride.
“Who’s Hope?”
“That’s right- you haven’t met Hope yet- oh boy- she’s-“ Abel stopped to consider how best to describe the little blonde bombshell of fun and annoyance. “Let’s just say that she has the potential to drive him insane enough to go after Fay.” Abel chuckled to himself. If Hope didn’t set a fire under Adam to act nothing would.
Fay turned over for the millionth time in her bed trying to find a position that would afford her some comfort on the bed that had become her tormentor for the past week. Her eyes flicking open in annoyance and frustration again as she stared at the thick curtain keeping the sun firmly locked out of her room.
Every time she slept she dreamed and every time she dreamed it was of Adam’s wolf- hell, she probably knew his wolf better than she knew him at this point- flopping over onto her back she stared at the crack in the ceiling above her and took a long breath trying to push the frustration away and finding only more in its place.
She had made a decision- a choice and he should be man enough to abide by that- but every night he sent his wolf into her dreams and it was making it harder to put the man himself out of her mind. What the hell did she have to do to keep him away? How was she supposed to not sleep? Didn’t sleep deprivation send people nuts? Maybe that was it- he was tormenting her because she had rejected him. He had warned her not to run away from him again- was this her punishment?
Fay dragged the pillow over her face and screamed her frustration right into those damned feathers- the sound of destruction tore through her room in a heartbeat and she threw the pillow away from her as she dragged her tired body upright in the bed and pulled herself up against the headboard- her eyes taking in the sight around her- smashed and broken furniture lay wherever she looked- like a damned twister had entered her room and annihilated everything in its path. Fay hugged her knees to her chest even tighter.
“Not again- not again.” She mumbled rocking back and forth with the fear inside her- her eyes swam over the remnants of her room. “I did it again-“ Her body started to shake uncontrollably. This wasn’t happening. This was out of her control and she wasn’t sure what the hell to do about it.
Her powers were now coming on with a vengeance that she couldn’t control- she was just too damned tired to try- anger- need- hopelessness- want- futility- desire- fatigue- pulled on her emotions and she was helpless in the wake of the war that raged within her, until finally like a damn it would burst.
If only she could get some peace from his wolf- if only she had never left him- if only he would leave her be- if only she could find the peace within that she had felt just being near him.
Fay reached up and gripped either side of her head willing that action to clear her mind- clarity- peace- she needed to find those things- she needed to be able to control her Fae powers that were overwhelming her- she slammed her hands down onto the mattress beside her with the rush of anger she felt- her fingers curling around the pillow at her side and she lifted it and threw it through the air with another rush of frustration as she screamed silently in her own mind- the loud pop of glass cracking beside her bed as she shimmied on her backside towards the edge of the mattress and looked at the violent crack that ran from the top of the double glazing to the bottom- another rush of anxiety spiking within her.
Adam stepped out of the shower and reached for the towel slung over the linen box- he was regretting tying one on with Joshua last night- of course a damn bear shifter could drink more than him and yet every time he got couple of drinks under his belt the challenge would be throw out there and he would oblige his friends ego.
He cursed under his breath as he wrapped the towel around his waist and tucked the end into the tight band at his hip- reaching for the door handle he stopped in mid flow as the sound hit him hard- he might be one floor up and have a pretty solid door as a barrier- but there was no mistaking that sound and he dropped his forehead against the back of the door and groaned loudly as much to block out the sound, as to curse Abel for what he had done.
“I’m heeeerrreeee!” Hope screeched out as loudly as her lungs would let her as she tossed open the front door to Adam’s cabin and stepped inside on heels that were way too high.
Abel winced and covered his ears as he glowered at her- but Joshua didn’t seem to bat an eyelid, which had Abel wondering if Bear’s were actually deaf.
The large man was just starring open mouthed at Hope as she flung her arms wide on a theatrical note and arched her back as her breasts entered the room a second or two before she did. Joshua swallowed- practically salivating and Abel couldn’t help the chuckle that escaped his lips.
“Dude- no drawling.” He punched Joshua in the arm and the man huffed, snapping his mouth shut and giving her a toe to head look that said ‘I’m going to cover you in honey and then lick it off every inch of your body.’
“Well hello- who’s the big man?” Hope’s eyes took in the sight of him- a man mountain of pure muscle with eyes the colour of chocolate that held the promise of being just as delicious. Her pulse raced and she felt that pull towards him as a fire burned within her.
“Don’t play hard to get Hope-“ Abel chuckled as he got up from the couch to walk the few strides to her side, slinging an arm around her shoulder he grinned back at Joshua who was chaffing at the bit.
“Hope Joshua- Joshua our friend Hope- yes she’s free and easy-“ Hope elbowed him in the ribs and he half closed his eyes as a growl rumbled in his throat with the pain that rushed through him. “I mean single- but right now I need her to torment Adam- so any plans you two might be t
hinking of making you’re gonna have to put them on hold for the sake of our mutual friend.”
Hope shifted her weight onto one foot and pushed a flirty hip out towards Joshua as she gave him a sinful look that was the promise of so much more and Abel frowned as the big bear of a man growled out low and deep in his chest.
“Guy’s seriously-“ Abel protested as Hope’s phone went off in her hand and she reluctantly dropped her eyes from Joshua’s to take in the name on the screen- easily dismissing it and then snapping back out of her mental haze when she realised who was calling her.
“Hold that thought.” She held up a finger at Joshua who grinned back at her, every wicked thought he had ever had going through his head. Damn- if Abel wasn’t in the room he would have already had her stripped naked and on all fours delving into her over and over until she screamed his name.
“Fay- what’s up girl?” Hope said tossing a look at Abel as she tried to keep her eyes from the eye candy across the way that was doing strange things to her Fae senses.
“I can’t control it Hope- it keeps happening- I’m not sleeping because I’m being haunted-“ Fay was at breaking point and she let it all spill out- Faith was on honeymoon and she didn’t know who else she could turn too- she needed to make it stop and Hope was her only chance.
Hope saw Abel take a step towards her- hearing the distress in Fay’s voice down the line.
“Whoa sweetie- slow down you’re not making any sense- what’s happening? Who’s haunt-“ Hope felt her fingers tighten against the metal case- damn she wanted to reach right down the phone line and comfort her friend.
“I destroyed my living room- my bedroom- it just keeps happening- I can’t control it Hope-“ Fay hit the accelerator and took the on ramp oblivious to the cars around her. Horns beeped and cars swerved as she joined the fast moving traffic from one main road to the next.
