by M L Briers
“The mating, my magic… I’m not hurt, in fact…” She wriggled in his lap and his head shot up as his eyes took her in. He twisted his head on his neck and stared at her in amazed confusion.
“Seriously?” He growled and she chuckled.
“A girl wants what a girl wants…” She shrugged her shoulders helplessly and saw the light of amusement in his dark eyes. Then the wolfish grin broke out across his face and he gave a deep chuckle.
“Unbelievable…” He growled, part amazement, and part berating her for scaring the hell out of him.
“Thank you.” She teased and watched him narrow his eyes on her. “I was made just for you.” She reminded him with a playful wink, and his growl became more forceful.
“Just to torment me and send me to an early grave?” He growled back and she chuckled.
“Well, you can’t have it all ways now, can you?” She splattered a chuckle as his jaw dropped open. Then he tossed his head back on his neck as the deep laughter exploded from within him.
Caleb stood with his back to the house and waited for the alpha to come outside. The man might have bonded with his mate already, but the appearance of a vampire, even a trusted one, so soon after the event might have set his beast into a frenzy if he’d ventured inside, and Caleb wasn’t enthusiastic about taking that chance. Jethro growled in annoyance the moment he scented him.
“This had better be…” He started to warn his friend but Caleb was in no mood to deal with his friends warnings after a night of no rest.
“Your mate’s past is in town…” He offered. There was no way to sugar coat it and he’d rather not have his head ripped from his shoulders while he dithered about a way to try. Jethro’s eyes narrowed on the vampire as he considered his words.
“Who is he?” The urge to shift into his beast and rampage through town eating all newcomers was potent and he had to still the beast within.
“A Warlock…” The warning growl rolled towards him. “The receptionist at the bed and breakfast tells me his name is Devlin…” Another deeper growl of anger and Caleb felt the urge to chuckle. “Seems possessive.” He offered diplomatically.
“Possessive…” Jethro rolled the word across his tongue as his eyes glared at Caleb.
“He attacked Wendy…” Caleb offered and Jethro balked.
“What the hell was the witch doing…?” He growled out and Caleb held up his hands.
“Your guess is as good as mine, but warning him off would be top of my list…”
“Is she hurt?” Jethro demanded as he shifted his stance to one of readiness to defend his own, and no matter what he thought of the witch she was under his protection just as the rest of the townsfolk were. Caleb shook his head.
“The bastard would already be toes up…” He assured him and Jethro growled again, this time in understanding. “I figured you’d want to speak with your mate about…”
“And then some.” Jethro growled back. He didn’t wait for anything more. Turning on his heels he headed back into the house and slammed the door behind him.
“I asked you about your past with relevance to this pack…” Jethro growled long and hard at his mate’s duplicity. She squirmed on the bed for a long moment under the glare of his eyes and then tossed up a hand.
“Well I didn’t think he’d follow me here…” She admitted on a frustrated sigh. “I thought the spirits had sent me here to be free of him…”
“That’s no excuse. You’ve put yourself and the pack in danger…” Jethro berated her and watched the fire of indignation spark in her eyes. She pulled herself to her knees as she held the sheet around her naked body.
“Now you hold on one minute there…” She started as she lifted her hand and wagged her index finger towards him. Jethro growled again, this time in warning.
“Tell me everything about him.” He demanded and saw her jaw snap shut as she bit down on a curse. He wasn’t about to let her go off on a rant when there were more important issues to deal with.
“He’s a manipulative, controlling, arsehole; you two should have a lot to talk about.” She snapped out and then regretted it as his growl grew deeper and longer. Anger fired in his eyes, a deep anger that transcended their situation.
“Do not compare me to…” His hands slammed down on the mattress as he leaned in towards her.
“Really? Because you’re acting no better than him.” She snapped back. That remark she wasn’t sorry about, even when she saw him flinch at her words. “What next? A slap to remind me of my place?” She hadn’t meant to go that far but for one long moment he reminded her of Devlin and it felt like a knife inside her.
“I would never…” He drew back in shock. She could have reached out and thrust a knife into his heart and it wouldn’t have been any less painful. He was her mate, her protector, and he’d give his life to keep her safe. The thought that she could think him capable of harming her was appalling to him, but not as appalling as the look of accusation mixed with wariness that resided in her eyes.
“Your actions speak for you, Alpha.” She was off the bed in a heartbeat as he dragged his body to his full height. The length of fabric from the sheet that she took with her getting caught up under her feet as she started for the bathroom, and she tripped and fell to the floor with a curse and a small cry of frustration. Jethro was on his knees at her side in an instant.
“Are you hurt…?” He reached for her upper arm and she yanked it away.
“Don’t touch me.” She bit out as she jerked her body back away from him and tried to collect the material from about her legs.
Jethro pulled back as if she’d slapped him. The deep frown that etched into his forehead told of his worry and fear that she was rejecting him, that she worried about her safety with him, and it twisted his stomach. For a long moment he kept his distance and then he saw just one teardrop run down over her cheek and he growled at his own stupidity.
He slowly reached out his hand towards her face and saw her draw back slightly from him, but he didn’t stop. Gently cupping her chin and cheek with the palm of his hand he eased her face around to look at her. Her eyes were firmly locked on the white fabric at her lap.
“I would never hurt you; never lay a hand on you in anger. If you are ever to believe anything I say, Deborah, please believe that.” She didn’t lift her eyes towards him and that worried him. She’d been so full of fire since the moment that he’d met her, but now she was subdued, almost fearful, and definitely waiting for the other shoe to drop. “What did he do to you?” Jethro had to ask, even if every fibre of his being knew it would end badly, he needed to know.
“Let’s change the subject…” She went to pull away from his touch again. Jethro didn’t give her the option; he dropped his hand and reached for her, scooping her from the floor into his arms and stretched up to his full height. He carried her to their bed and instead of placing her down on the covers; he turned and sat with her in his lap. She fidgeted nervously.
“Fine. Change of subject.” He reached for her face again and turned her towards him. Still her eyes remained down and there was a frown on her forehead that worried him. “I will never hurt you.”
“Don’t make promises you can’t keep…” There was a spark of fire within her and it mixed with a large dollop of cynicism.
“Look at me.” He urged, but didn’t demand. Now wasn’t the time to be forceful with her. There was a raw edge to her surface and he couldn’t stoke that fire, the fear within. He waited for her to lift her eyes to his and saw the worry there. “I’d die before I lifted a hand against you and there is a whole pack, plus one very annoying but chivalrous vampire, that would see to it.”
He watched the light turn back on in her eyes and was grateful for it. A small smile touched the corners of her lips and he found it mirrored on his own. He couldn’t help but smile when she did.
“The thought of my demise heartens you.” He teased and she blew out a chuckle.
“No.” She admitted with a
small shake of her head. He dipped his head and nuzzled between her shoulder and her neck, brushing his lips against the mark of their bonding. Her body responded to his touch without reservation.
“Are you sure?” He whispered against her ear and felt her fidget again, but this time it was different, this time it was sexual.
“Yes.” She reached out and stroked a hand down over the hard muscles of his chest. There was a low growl that rumbled through his chest that he couldn’t have held back if his life depended on it. “I want you inside me.” She breathed through the madness of the desire that swept through her for his touch. Her hand travelled down to the button of his jeans and she flicked it open. Another growl, this time louder, more demanding filled the air between them as she pulled down the zip and reached inside to free his length.
With one tug he’d freed her naked body from the sheet that covered her. His large hands lifted and turned her in the air and he brought her back down on his lap, but this time she straddled him.
She placed her hands on his shoulders and pushed up as her eyes met his. Reaching down between them she fisted his length and heard that not so subtle growl of need that rumbled through him, it excited the hell out of her, but not as much as the feel of his hardness against her sex, running over her wet folds until she held him at the entrance to her channel and started to push down. Her lips parted on a moan of appreciation as she took him deep inside.
“Sweetheart, you humble me…” He placed his forehead against hers as he wrapped his arms around her body and brought her in closer to him. “Do you forgive my anger?”
“There’s nothing to forgive…”
“I frightened you…” The feel of her hands cupped his face made him pull back slightly so that he could see her properly. Her eyes were shinning again as she smiled at him.
“I forgot myself for a moment. I forgot I was with my mate…” His hands found her hips and he lifted her up his length and slowly lowered her down again.
“Let me remind you…” He grinned wolfishly. Lifting her up and taking her back to the hilt over and over in a slow push that made her toes curl. Her hands were on his shoulders and her head dropped back as she savoured each gentle stroke inside her body.
It felt like forever until he lifted her and turned them on the bed. Pushing his jeans down as he continued to stroke inside her. He was in no rush to reach the finish line. This wasn’t about sex, lust or gratification, it was about showing her how gentle he could be, how much love he had for her in his heart, and that she was revered, cherished, and would be loved to the end of days by him.
Word had been spread through the pack of the Warlock’s presence within their community. Eloise and Annabeth had made the short journey to Wendy’s house to make sure that she was unharmed and there was no lasting residue of magic after her encounter with the dark magic that was in their midst. Neither Witch was particularly perky at the prospect of going up against dark magic, but needs must, and the pack and Coven came before their personal displeasure.
“You know there’s a vampire hanging around outside, right?” Annabeth had spotted him on the way in. Not that he appeared to be hiding, but it just seemed strange. Wendy nodded.
“I guessed as much. Jethro might have sent him in case the Warlock came back for another try.” Wendy lied. She knew why Caleb was there, but that wasn’t something that she wished to discuss with the others.
“He still gives me the creeps.” Eloise felt the shiver run down her spine right on cue. She felt a little guilty about it. Caleb had never made threatening overtones towards her and he’d never asked anything of her magic wise, and yet she couldn’t seem to get past the nature of the man.
“He’s way too old and set in his ways to start rampaging through the town and slaughtering people, Eloise.” Wendy assured her. She understood why the young Witch had a dislike of vampires. Her own personal prejudices gave her much the same views. Although she managed to hide it better than Eloise; she still had a sense of unease about her when dealing with Caleb, even though the man had never given her a reason to doubt his sincerity.
“Still…” Eloise shrugged a shoulder dismissively and Wendy gave her that serene smile that she wore like a mask.
“Perhaps he’ll grow on you.” Wendy offered and Eloise snorted her contempt.
“Like a fungus.” Annabeth offered with a grin.
“Like a rash…” Eloise turned her nose up at the thought.
“Like a friend.” Wendy berated both young women. Eloise chewed that thought over in her mind.
“So what do we do about the Warlock?” Annabeth offered towards Wendy and the older woman took a deep breath and let it out slowly.
“That all depends on the Warlock.” She cautioned. “We’re not pack; we don’t need to go running off looking for trouble…”
“No we’re Witches, it tends to find us soon enough.” Eloise grumbled and Annabeth gave a small sort of laughter.
“You got that right.” She turned her attention back towards Wendy. “But you’re ok?”
“Thanks to Caleb…” Wendy nodded. She might as well boost the guy up in their estimation, after all he wasn’t going anywhere anytime soon and they needed to trust him and his judgement, they may very well depend on it someday.
Devlin’s guard was up. The town where his woman had run to was not only plagued by other witches whose powers felt quite potent, but by a vampire that was in league with them. He’d spent the night working with the tools that he had to build a cloak around himself, one that the vampire shouldn’t be able to sense him through should the matter arise again, along with drawing on more power from the dark side of his magic that he would need if he were to go up against the vampire in his search for Deborah.
Cutting his loses and leaving town wasn’t a consideration that he took into account. In his mind he had a goal to achieve and nothing or no one would be able to stand in his way. The Witch was his and justice would prevail one way or the other. If he couldn’t secure her return with him then he wouldn’t allow her to live.
He hadn’t worked his charms on her all this time to see it end like this. She should not have walked away from him, it wasn’t right. He’d invested his time and energy into making her his. Slowly building her trust and cutting off everyone around her so that they could be together as it should have been with no outside interference to cloud her thinking.
He wouldn’t stand for anyone coming between them and he’d do what needed to be done to secure her return or end her for good. She had betrayed him, but he could overlook that betrayal if she pledged herself to him and begged for his forgiveness. But if she ever strayed again…
CHAPTER SEVEN
Caleb hadn’t always been a patient man; it was something that he’d learned over the hundreds of years of existence as a vampire. Even now his body itched for the fight and his mind wandered into savouring the thought of the kill. Still he waited.
It wasn’t his job to go chasing off after the Warlock; the pack was more than capable of keeping track of his comings and goings. It was his job to look after Wendy and now that her Coven was at her house, them too. He’d stayed as close to the house as he could whilst keeping up a tight perimeter around the area. He couldn’t afford to let the man slip through.
It took him by surprise when the first blast of magic hit him square in the chest. He should have sensed the Warlock coming from a mile away, and yet there he was, summoning another thunderbolt to aim at the vampire. Caleb knew he needed to move if he was to stand any chance of survival.
His chest screamed out pain into every nerve in his body. He could scent his own blood in the air and that didn’t bode well. He dragged himself to his feet from where he’d been blasted across the back yard and his eyes found and held on the Warlock… A moment before the man let go of another orb of pain; Caleb took off as fast as his legs could carry him.
He was a firm believer in getting the hell out of there when things weren’t going his way, and yet he had
witches to protect. He cut a path through the trees and came back around to the empty clearing where the Warlock had been. He listened intently for the closeness of a heartbeat but found nothing… Not even a scent in the air for him to consign to memory.
“What the hell…?” Caleb muttered to himself as his eyes scanned the area for signs of disturbances. “What are you a damn ghost?”
The sound of activity at the house drew his attention. His anger level grew to the point where his blood boiled inside him for want of something to kill. This Warlock was going down; it was just a matter of when…
Dale and Alex hadn’t been that far away from the Witch’s house when they sensed the magic in the air and heard the commotion. Leaving their mates unaccompanied hadn’t been in their game plan even if they told them that it was. After shifting into their beasts they had started to patrol the area around Wendy’s house, comforted by the scent of the vampire that was close by. At least if there was an injury Caleb would be on hand to heal the women.
From the sound of the loud thud that rumbled through the ground it was a good bet that the Warlock’s magic was aimed at Caleb. Both wolves started off on fast paws in the direction that the fight was coming from. Exiting into the clearing; they spotted Caleb, battered and bloodied on the other side.
‘Well that doesn’t bode well…’ Dale offered his take on the sight before him.
‘When a vampire gets his arse kicked you know you’ve got problems.” Alex agreed with his pack brother.
“Don’t just stand there looking all Scooby Doo without a damn clue…” Caleb grunted through his pain at the two wolves. “Go hunt him down.” He gritted his teeth as the fire from his chest travelled through his nerves, knowing he should have been well on his way to healing at that point.
