by M. L. Briers
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Natalie was as good as her word. The moment that the alpha and beta were otherwise occupied with a whole bunch of angry she-wolves, she’d slipped off into the downstairs bathroom and cracked the window open just a little.
She hadn’t expected there to be a small army of invaders waiting outside. But as one faerie after another shot in through the small opening like darts aimed at a board, she lost count of just how many there were.
Natalie felt a small flash of guilt go through her, and then one of the pesky little wee people decided to zap her and all she could think about was hitting someone where it hurt.
Right then, she needed the faeries as a distraction, but the pack was a different matter. Throwing them in at the deep end with the faeries would be just what the witch-doctor ordered.
“Hey! Behave. I’m on your side, remember?” Natalie hissed in annoyance.
She had a good mind to use her magic to sweep the lot of them back outside, but needs must, and she needed to curb her temper.
‘Side? No side – just fun.’
“Well, in that case. I might just have a little fun myself,” She felt the brush of something against her hair and swatted it away. “I might just leave you all in here. No lights – no baubles – no glitter, just four boring beige walls.”
There was a low buzz of chatter among them, like Chinese whispers that Natalie couldn’t make out, but, if they were discussing it, they must have been worried. That was good for her.
‘Sides are good.’
“Thought you’d see it my way. Now, here’s what I need you to do.”
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
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“Where’s Natalie?” The alpha demanded as he stalked up to Saffy and eyed her with a whole dollop of suspicion.
The witch had seen him coming and had shuffled nervously on her feet as if she was up to something. Now, she had a faux look of innocence of her face, but he knew better.
“Why? Do you think that she’s your mate?” Saffy asked and saw the confusion hit his face like a wakeup call.
“What? I – don’t know.” Doug was caught short by the witch’s question. Sure, he’d wondered about the six million dollar question, but he hadn’t had time to do much more than that.
“But, you think she might be, right?” Saffy tossed back.
“It’s a fifty-fifty possibility,” he offered, hedging his bets and stating the obvious. He needed to figure out what the witch was getting at. Was she… jealous?
“But it’s what you’re hoping for, right?”
Saffy needed to keep the man occupied for as long as possible while Natalie enacted her dastardly plan – that same plan that Saffy still wasn’t sure was a good idea. But what else did they have? Little to no real choices with the alpha watching them like a … wolf.
“I’m not – swayed in either direction, yet,” Doug chose his words carefully.
He’d already received one kick in the balls from her, and he wasn’t aiming to repeat the process. But, if she was jealous, did that then mean that she was his mate?
“Oh, come on, it’s Natalie. Everyone wants to date Natalie,” Saffy tossed her hands up on a shrug of her shoulders and an internal grimace and watched as the alpha frowned.
“When you say – everyone?” Jonathon growled from just behind the alpha’s right shoulder.
“Yes, everyone?” Doug added.
“Well…” Saffy started, trying to think fast. Obviously both men had a jealous and possessive streak, after all, they were wolves, and mates.
She almost sighed out loud with relief when Natalie appeared behind them.
“None of your business!” Natalie announced, and the shifters, who had been eagerly waiting on Saffy’s every word, whirled around to face the witch. “And a lady never tells.”
“That’s okay then, spill the beans…” Jonathon was cut short when the alpha’s elbow landed in his ribs.
“Watch it!” Natalie hissed at the beta.
The man was cruising for a zapping of epic proportion, and Natalie was more than prepared to give it to him. But at the sound of the first squeal that came from one of the she-wolves, and blasted out from somewhere behind the alpha’s broad shoulders, it squashed that reaction within her and caused a streak of guilt to flash through Natalie for what was sure to come next.
Her eyes locked onto Saffy, and the witches froze in place.
That first squeal was followed by grunts, squeals, growls, and general mayhem. The alpha turned on his heels to witness what looked like insanity as his pack started to wave their arms and swat at the air around them.
“What the…?” Doug ended that question with a long, deep groan.
“Damn fairies,” Jonathan growled, and while their backs were turned and they were otherwise occupied, Natalie and Saffy made haste toward the back door.
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“You’re going to freeze to death,” Saffy said, “I’m going to freeze to death.”
She could already feel the ice in her bones, and her teeth chatted like a cartoon character having at a cob of corn, and she could do nothing to stop them from chinking together.
“Think warm thoughts!” Natalie tossed back over her shoulder, and she wanted to groan at the futility of her own words. Had she suddenly become her mother?
“Sure, that’s going to work,” Saffy offered back through gritted teeth as she tried to stop them chattering once more and failed miserably.
“Here’s what we do,” Natalie offered back as she jogged along the uneven track that was now deeply covered with snow and hiding all manner of potholes. She was trying hard not to lose her footing on the slippery surface and the uneven, and annoying, rise and fall of the land.
“Can you not make another plan?” It might have sounded like a question, but it really wasn’t. “Because your plans suck.”
“We got out the alpha’s house, didn’t we?” Natalie grumbled.
She was having a hard time fighting against the burning feeling that gripped the muscles in her legs. It was a strange, alien feeling to her because it came from too much exercise.
She hated doing anything that involved moving from her comfort zone, and most of the time that comfort zone had her parked up in front of the TV set with her laptop on her legs and a nice array of unhealthy snacks to keep her company.
“Yes, this is so much better, thank you,” Saffy’s voice dripped with sarcasm in between gasping breaths of air into her burning lungs.
She didn’t so much want to drop and give the Sergeant Major twenty good push-ups, as drop face first into the snow and die a quiet and peaceful death. Anything to make it stop.
“Did you want to be a mate?” Natalie demanded.
She was more than a little annoyed that Saffy didn’t appreciate her efforts.
“Hmm, let me see — be warm and snug in front of a pretty Christmas tree — or die out here in the middle of nowhere? Yeah, I can see how this is so much better,” Saffy grumbled.
“Well, you come up with the next plan — that’s if they catch us,” Natalie grumbled.
“Oh, they’re going to catch us. Let’s see, two frozen witches running around in circles in a snow storm — versus — a pack of wolves, with big ears, big noses, and four paws. And least we forget that they know the lay of the land and where they’re bloody well going...”
“With an alpha that can’t shift into his wolf, can’t scent us, and is dealing with a marauding bunch of fairies, who are hell-bent on being their mysterious, devious, annoying little selves.” Natalie offered back with a self-satisfied grin, even though the guilt was still clawing within her for unleashing the little beasties on the pack.
“Yeah, somehow I don’t think that’s going to stop them,” Saffy grumbled as she swiped at the snowflakes attacking her nose. Snow was all well and good when you weren’t out in it.
“You’re such a — pessimist. You’d give Eeyore a run for his money,” Natalie hissed back.
>
“Well, we can’t all view life through a haze of rose colored glasses, a dose of hope for the best, and a blast of what the hell, now can we? Some of us have to be sensible so that others can be stupid.”
“Hey, don’t knock the stupid people — without us life would be eternally boring and void of a lot of humor.”
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“I seem to have a problem,” the alpha growled as he shook his head in disbelief.
When they’d noticed that the witches had gone, it was a no-brainer that they would have to hunt them down and bring them back. Funnily enough, his beast hadn’t taken that much subduing to keep him at bay.
Now the alpha knew why.
“Another one?” Rex growled.
The beta’s beast was on full alert, ready to tackle whichever brother’s beast decided to step out of line with the witches were concerned. He couldn’t believe that the fae had been stupid enough to run.
They weren’t just running from their mates — which was stupid enough to start off with — but they were running into a snowstorm, which was just damn insanity. So much for a quiet, all you can eat, Christmas Eve feast.
Stupid witches and marauding faeries. Not a good start to Christmas in anyone’s book.
Rex turned to look at the alpha, and the man looked downright embarrassed. He didn’t know what the witches had done to him now, but he got the feeling that the alpha really didn’t want to say.
“Let’s go!” Jonathan was eager to shift into his beast and be off on the chase.
“He has a problem,” Rex announced and heard the alpha groan. That was never a good sign.
“Well, why don’t you just tell everyone,” Doug grumbled.
“I didn’t know it was a secret,” Rex chuckled.
“It’s not a damn secret — but it is damned embarrassing,” Doug grumbled.
“Well, let’s shift, and you can tell us on the hunt,” Jonathan offered back, eager to get going.
He didn’t know which mate was his, and that was probably a good thing right about then, considering that they’d run like idiots, and his beast couldn’t exactly hunt them in the traditional sense, but he still couldn’t let either witch get away.
“That’s the problem,” Doug looked everywhere but at his brothers. He grumbled another growl.
“What’s the problem?” Rex frowned in confusion.
“It’s his nose — he can’t sniff — if he can’t scent the witches then he can’t lead the chase,” Jonathan reasoned. It wasn’t a good position for the alpha to be in, but his nose wasn’t any better.
“Nope, that’s a problem, but it’s not the problem,” Doug grumbled another growl.
How he hated witches.
“Well, what the hell is the problem?” Jonathan demanded.
“I can’t shift,” Doug grumbled almost to himself.
“I’m sorry, I thought you said…?” Rex started, but the alpha cut him off with an angry growl.
“I said it — okay? I can’t shift,” Doug growled.
“Like — at all?” Jonathan looked even more confused.
“What are you hoping for? Ears and a tail?” Rex offered his brother a damning look, and the beta considered his words for a long moment as the alpha growled in annoyance.
“Okay, stupid question — move on. The witches are getting away,” Jonathan growled.
“The witches aren’t getting away.”
“Well, they’re not here — ergo — they’re away,” Jonathan motioned out into the big wide world.
“I know you’re upset,” Rex said. “That’s why I’m not going to punch you in the head right now.” He turned his attention back to the alpha.
“Don’t even mess with me,” Doug growled, heading his brother off at the pass from any form of sarcasm. He wasn’t in the mood for it.
“What do you want to do?” Rex asked in as flat a tone as he could possibly manage. But he couldn’t keep the light of amusement out of his eyes or the small smirk on his lips.
“I’ll have to go like this.” Doug motioned to his naked body and growled again.
“You’re going to slow us down,” Jonathan growled.
“Well, do you have a better idea?” Doug growled back.
“Are you kidding? That’s Jonathan you’re asking,” Rex offered with a whole lot of sarcasm.
“You really are asking for…” Jonathan started another warning of harmful intent, but the alpha cut him short.
“Wasting time…” Doug growled.
“That’s what I’ve been saying,” Jonathan growled back in disbelief.
“Well, stop flapping your lips and get moving,” Doug growled.
“Fine, I’m going to shift,” Jonathan grumbled.
“Maybe neither of you should shift — maybe it’s better this way,” Rex said. “After all, if you keep your beasts at bay it’s less work for me and safer for the mates.”
“Sounds good,” Doug agreed.
“Only because you can’t shift,” Jonathan grumbled.
“Do you want me to knock you out?” Doug growled.
“I want to track the stupid damn mates,” Jonathan growled back.
“Then stop talking and start moving,” Doug growled back. “You stupid head.”
“Stupid head?” Jonathan twisted his head on his neck toward his brother and looked at the alpha as if he’d never met him before.
“Oh, shut up and get moving,” Doug growled out.
“Geez, Doug. Your beast really is bloody well subdued, isn’t it?” Rex chuckled.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
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“Look!” Natalie ground to a sudden halt and Saffy ran straight into her back, taking her down to the snow, and practically burying her friend’s face in a snow drift.
“Ah, what did you do that for?” Saffy grumbled as she dragged her body up onto her knees and took the opportunity to pant in the frosty air. Not moving felt good.
“I guess I wanted some idiot to steamroller me,” Natalie bit out as she pushed up to her knees and pointed ahead of her. “A wall.”
“Well, color me excited — I think I might have just peed my pants a little,” Saffy huffed back, wiping her wet hands down her equally wet jeans in a futile act.
“Beware the yellow snow,” Natalie chuckled back.
“Nice,” Saffy shot her a glare.
“Where there’s a wall…” Natalie shrugged her shoulders.
“You probably ran us in circles – it’s probably a shifter house,” Saffy grumbled.
“Geez, Eeyore. Have a little faith.”
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“Yes!” Saffy grinned from ear to ear at the sight of the foreboding mansion.
“Wonderful,” Natalie grumbled.
“Oh, now who sounds like Eeyore?” Saffy chuckled.
“Hey, he’s your friend — go.” Natalie lifted her hands and motioned towards the large double front doors.
“I think I will.”
Saffy took her first step, and the front door was wrenched back on its creaky hinges, and there he stood, looking extremely unimpressed. His eyes narrowed at the witches.
“Oh, don’t tell me that you broke down,” Jake said. His top lip twitched with annoyance.
“In a way,” Saffy offered back. She wasn’t about to tell him the truth, just yet.
“Well, you can’t come in,” Jake said.
He folded his arms across his chest and gave them an expectant look. Of course, he knew there would be whining. Witches were good at that.
“It’s snowing! We don’t have a car — were coming in,” Saffy told him in no uncertain terms.
“I think she means; one way or another,” Natalie tried to look empowered and a force to be reckoned with — but she couldn’t stop her body from shaking and her teeth from chattering. It wasn’t the look that she was going for.
“Oh, for the love of…” Jake finished off on a deep, long, groan of annoyance. �
��Fine. You can stand in the hallway, and I’m only offering you a phone.” He grumbled.
“Please tell me you have heating,” Saffy muttered out as she started toward him.
“Why would a vampire have heating?” Natalie asked.
“I have no idea.” Saffy shook her head. She didn’t care — anything was better than being out in the snow storm.
Jake closed the door behind the witches and turned to see Natalie heading towards the drawing-room.
“Hey, not in there!” Jake rushed out. “That’s the trouble with everyone not being a vampire — you can’t keep them out of your damn house.”
“I can feel the warmth, and it crackles like an open fire,” Natalie said as she headed for the open doorway. She came to a grinding halt and gasped in surprise. “Oh — my — goddess!”
Jake grimaced and rolled his eyes towards the ceiling. He grumbled a string of curse words inwardly and groaned out loud.
“What is it?” Saffy asked as she rushed toward her friend. She too came to a grinding halt as she looked over Natalie’s shoulder. “What the…? Whoa…ho!”
“Yes — yes, so shoot me,” Jake grumbled as the witches uncovered his rather embarrassing secret.
“It looks like Santa threw up in there,” Natalie chuckled.
“Maybe he had help from the fairies,” Saffy chuckled back.
“Don’t even get me started on the damn fairies,” Jake grumbled. “As you can see, all my drapes are drawn to keep those evil, pesky little do-bad-ers at bay.”
“Wow, look who’s got a dirty little secret,” Saffy chuckled as she tossed a teasing look back over her shoulder and the vampire groaned as he rolled his eyes.
“That secret is never going to come out because I’m going to kill you,” Jake lied.
“Oh, who are we going to tell?” Saffy chuckled.
“Everybody we can,” Natalie spluttered laughter.
“I hate witches.” Jake folded his arms across his chest and grumbled a list of curse words.
“But you love Christmas!” Saffy chuckled.
“Bite me,” Jake grumbled.
