by M L Briers
“Huh?” He swallowed at the thought. His length had been hard from the moment he’d scented his mate, he couldn’t have imagined how a damn eunuch felt if he tried his hardest.
“Being around so many strong women.” Eloise offered with a mischievous grin that made him growl in annoyance.
“We’re getting off topic.” He offered to more sniggers, but when he turned to look back at his mate he was more than pleased to see her practically glowing with amusement. She looked a lot more settled and less likely to be heading for the exit any time soon.
He was more than aware that her newfound enjoyment in his suffering didn’t mean that she wouldn’t deny him, she still might. He wasn’t used to being around human females, at least not in an emotional kind of way. The women that he hung around inside the bars and clubs of the towns away from where he lived weren’t exactly looking for a long term thing and he’d never offered it.
He would have to tread lightly with her, especially considering that she was able to toss him through the air with ease should he say the wrong thing and that wasn’t good for his beast, the animal had a mind to dominate anyone weaker than he was. While he hadn’t heard of any of the pack being maimed by their witch mates so far, he was just unlucky enough to be the first and he was sure he would never live that down. He was just grateful that none of the pack had witnessed his mate’s attack.
“I heard he was bounced off a tree…” Alex, Eloise mate, offered.
“I heard he was tossed onto his thick head.” Dale, Annabeth’s mate, chuckled with amusement.
“That wouldn’t have caused any damage.” Luke looked up from his book long enough to take in the sight of Dexter’s face. He was blood red and fuming with annoyance at being dumped in it by the witch mates and their loose tongues. He’d bet that they couldn’t wait to tell tales to their prospective mates and that these men would be only too glad to listen and lap it up. The one thing you could guarantee on within a pack was the amount of leg-pulling that occurred when someone found their mate.
“But it would have made a nice hollow sound…” Dale shot back over the background noise of Dexter’s growl of annoyance.
“Perhaps we’ll get to see a replay when he does something else boneheaded and annoys his mate, she sounds like a fighter.” Dale wished he had been there, from what his mate had told him it sounded like a laugh a minute.
“Now listen…” Dexter was halfway from pulling himself up from the chair to his feet when the alpha strolled into the room and he hovered in mid air for a long moment as he narrowed his eyes on Jethro and the alpha snorted in amusement.
“Sorry I missed it, Brother.” Jethro offered to another growl of annoyance as Dexter dropped his backside back down into the chair and groaned slightly at the sudden pain from the rapidly healing bruise that covered his pride.
“I thought you’d be all swivel eyed and frothing at the mouth at the thought of having another witch in the pack.” Dexter grumbled at his alpha’s good humour. Before finding Deborah as his mate the man was dead set against more than one witch in his town. This latest incursion didn’t seem to be bothering him one little bit.
“Thanks for the flattering description and sorry to disappoint you…” Jethro tossed back as he walked to the head of the kitchen table and took his place. “But I think we all know that we can’t seem to do much about them arriving. Besides, I’d be something of a hypocrite as I have a Fae mate.” He stretched back in his chair. “So, we have a rogue coming our way.” Jethro announced to the group and not one of them could keep still in their chairs.
“Not only is that not good for the pack but for the human community at large too.” Luke didn’t much like that these witches seemed to be bringing a multitude of dangers with them. He wasn’t against the Fae, just the troubles that followed them into town.
“But at least if the rogue shows up we can end him and wipe out the threat. Otherwise that wolf is out there taking lives and causing mayhem and his pack have turned a blind eye to it.” Dale wasn’t best pleased that they would have to clear up after someone else’s mistake, but he liked the thought of the rogue being out there and killing innocents even less.
“And your mate is sure that the rogue is still hunting her?” Jethro turned his attention towards Dexter.
“She can’t be certain, but he’s trailed her across the county so far…” There was an underlying growl to Dexter’s voice. The thought of his mate being in danger had his beast prowling within him; ready for action at the drop of a hat, and when he came across that rouge…
“So, it’s a safe bet that the mutt will turn up.” Jethro discounted nothing. He wanted his pack on a high state of alert and ready to encounter the rogue at every turn. Nothing would be left to chance where the women and pups were concerned. “We’ve been here before and we all know what we have to do.” Jethro looked to each in turn and each man nodded his understanding back to the alpha.
“Although we might have a small problem…” Dale offered with a slight grin on his lips. “Dexter’s going to be drooling and scratching the itch that’s not behind his ears for a while…” He offered to chuckles from the others. Dexter couldn’t see the funny side and his warning growl proved it.
“Well let’s just hope his mate doesn’t embed his head into anymore trees.” Jethro chuckled as he pushed up from his chair to a groan from his enforcer.
“That’s not what happened…” He growled out as he wondered how long it would take to live this down.
“Sure it wasn’t.” Alex grinned with amusement at his friend’s misfortune. Luckily nobody from the pack had witnessed his own torment at the hands of his mate. Dexter grunted as he pushed up and made his way to the door.
“I’ve got a mate to woo.” He growled over his shoulder to more chuckles from the pack. “You lot are worse than the females for gossiping.” He muttered as he stalked away from the room, not exactly leaving his troubles behind him, just walking head first into new ones.
Dexter sniffed the air and followed his mate’s scent into the living room. Four pairs of female eyes turned towards him expectantly as he entered their lair and his eyes narrowed from the immediate silence within the room. He was waiting for the other shoe to drop or maybe fly at his head, either way he was more than ready for it. His eyes took in his mate and his muscles tensed in response; it felt as if he’d been hard for days.
“Let’s go home.” He offered with a growl and followed it up with a grunt.
“Gee, such a romantic.” Annabeth shook her head with disapproval and Dexter scowled at her.
“Don’t you have womanly things to do?” He growled in her direction but the unanimous hiss from the other witches set him on alert.
“And what womanly things would that be?” His mate drew herself up to her feet and placed her hands on her hips and that stance made Dexter swallowed down his tongue. He knew he was in trouble and he needed to sidestep these kinds of problems.
“The ones that don’t involve gossiping and drinking tea.” He offered slowly, somewhat backpedalling in his attitude and saw just one of her eyebrows arch up to try to reach her hairline; he supposed it could have been worse. His eyes couldn’t help but drop to her ample breasts as they rose with the deep, slow breath that she took in…
“I’d advise you to shove your head up your backside to smell what it is that you’re talking…” She announced to the grating sound of sniggers that were going around the room like Chinese whispers and it made him take a long, calming breath of his own. The witch seemed a lot feistier now that she was with her own kind and he’d have to watch out for that.
“Not just you hold on there a minute…” He growled back at her.
“Don’t you growl at me, you overstuffed bag of bones…” She tossed back with a spark of fire in her eyes that he should have heeded.
“Overstuffed…” He took a long step forward and she matched him, even if she did have to tip her head back on her neck to be able to see more of him than jus
t his expansive chest. Her eyes locked with his in a challenge that rattled his beast to the point where he was clawing to be released.
“Overstuffed, overinflated, over-testosteroned, and if you could find a woman stupid enough to have anything to do with you, probably oversexed. Eat, sleep, fight and fuc…” His long deep growl cut off her words but everyone was more than aware of where she was heading with that one. More sniggers went up around the room and Dexter felt the need to assert his authority, his mate was feisty and it fired his desire for her, and yet he was more than aware that she was making him look like a fool.
He reached for her with both hands and before she could even think to react; he’d tossed her up and over one of his large shoulders. She was hanging unceremoniously down his back with a great view of his tight backside by the time she thought to protest. She opened her mouth, but the sudden movement that came from when he spun them towards the door kept her silent.
CHAPTER FOUR
“I found a woman that’ll have me alright, and if she keeps flapping her lips they’ll be consequences.” Dexter growled out as much to the room as to his mate. Open chuckles now greeted his ears as he strolled towards the door…
“See you tomorrow, Samantha.” Eloise gave her a small wave of glee when her head came up to scowl at the three witches.
“Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.” Annabeth added and Deborah snorted a laugh.
“That doesn’t leave…” She rolled her eyes to the ceiling and contemplated it for a moment. “Anything.” She added.
“Put me down you damn puffball.” Not having gained any help from her newfound friends; Samantha started to kick her legs and thump against his back. One strong arm went across the backs of her knees and held her legs down and he knew he couldn’t do anything much about the pounding on his back, but it didn’t have any real force behind it.
“I’ll put you down when we get to where we’re going and you have a civil tongue in your head.” He growled back at her. His mate the she-demon. He supposed it was only fitting that she had a volatile temperament to match his own, making up would be all the sweeter.
“Like that’s going to happen.” She hissed out, trying to raise her head again but finding little purchase when she did. Two pairs of feet came into view from where she hung.
“Looks like our newest little witch is in trouble.” Dale teased and Dexter growled a warning to them. He could quite easily stand his mate on her feet and plant his fist in his brother’s face just for the sheer relief of tension that would bring. But he didn’t stop as he headed for the front door.
“That’s it, Dex, assert your dominance.” Alex chuckled as his voice followed him down the hallway. He snatched open the front door and strolled through it, not even bothering to close it after him as he carried her out into the night with a smirk on his lips.
It didn’t take long to get where they were going but every step of the way she hissed out another curse or assurance of what she was going to do to him if he didn’t put her down that instant. He’d never even thought about complying until the door to his cabin was closed and he was standing in the middle of the living room. Then he tossed her body up in the air and caught her under the arms on the way down to place her on her feet as a small shriek left her lips.
Samantha swayed slightly as the blood rushed to leave her head. The room spun and she could feel his large hands holding her in place and she so desperately wanted to knock them away but didn’t for fear that she would end up on her backside on the floor. She wasn’t about to come off second best… again.
“Y-o-u!” She hissed with all of the venom of a rattlesnake in her tone and Dexter twisted his head on his neck and growled back at her.
“M-e.” His eyes were wide and hers were narrowed as they stood toe to toe and he finally dropped his hands to his sides.
“I should…” She started as she fisted her hands at her sides and considered hitting him in the backside with a thunderbolt that would make his hair stand up on end.
“That wouldn’t work out well for you.” He warned her without even hearing her plan for him. He’d heard enough of them on the walk to his cabin; all the things she would like to do to him and how she’d do them. A moment later and her small fist was coming at his head; he almost laughed at the sight of it as his hand shot out to catch it, and he was more than mindful about how much pressure he used against her dainty frame as he reached out with his other hand and yanked her body against the length of his.
Her flesh was soft and yielding against the hard muscles of his body. She seemed to fit against him perfectly considering how short she was, and when she tossed her head right back on her neck and scowled up at him with a gasp, he claimed her lips with a fire that was meant to dampen the ice maiden within her. With one arm trapped at her side and the other eased behind her back; he had her all but defenceless, save for her magic, and she couldn’t believe that feeling excited her so much.
‘Mine.’ Dexter could have groaned at the stupidity of his beast. Of course the woman was their mate, there could be no doubt just by the way that she excited his body and mind and filled him with the urgent need to mate her.
She struggled against him for all of a few seconds, but by the time he’d pushed his tongue into her mouth and tasted her, she was all but done. He could feel her body melting into his, each soft curve finding a home against his muscles and he growled with the feeling of just how good that was. Every inch of him came alive with desire and he rubbed his hips against her just to feel the brush of his length against her stomach.
Samantha was lost somewhere between ‘take me I’m yours’ and ‘what the hell am I doing?’ She couldn’t deny that the mating pull was strong and getting stronger with every swoop, brush, and flick of his tongue against hers. Her mind betrayed her as thoughts of him doing that over her naked body filled her mind, and she gave a soft whimper of need as those images sent jolts of sensation straight to her sex. His answering growl was potent.
Whoa, slow down… Mate or not he’s rushing to the finish line and I’ve only just heard the starter’s pistol… She dragged her lips from his and regretted it in a heartbeat, but that didn’t stop her from trying to lift her knee and give him pause for thought.
Dexter was expecting her to retaliate and he trapped her knee between his. A moment later she’d been spun around in his arms with her back to his chest and her arms locked down at her sides as one large arm wrapped around her waist and kept her in place. His other hand fisted her hair and dragged her head to one side as he exposed her neck and shoulder to his tongue. The feel of his hot, wet tongue running up her neck towards her ear was enthralling and every inch of her sex throbbed as her inner muscles clenched around thin air.
“You have a fire inside you that appeals to me…” He growled out against her ear and her eyes rolled in her head at the feel of his hot breath against her body. She tried to dampen the need that feeling created with little success.
“Let go of me and we’ll see how appealing my knee can be.” She offered back to him, sounding too breathless for her liking as his tongue ran back down her neck and over her shoulder as he pulled her top and bra strap away.
He closed his lips against her skin and sucked hard. Her eyes rolled closed at the feel of it. She squeezed her inner thighs together as her sex throbbed harder and she felt the wetness of her channel threatening to seep out against her panties. His tongue roamed back up her neck towards her ear and she steadied herself for the feel of his hot breath again.
“I can scent how turned on you are…” The growl that rolled through his chest only heightened her arousal and she squeaked in annoyance at how her body was betraying her.
“Your nose must be faulty…” She wasn’t going to admit to anything. If he needed an ego boost he could go and find it somewhere else.
“You smell so damn good…” He growled in desire.
“Stop smelling me.” She protested as she tried to buffer some room between them and yet
only managed to rub her backside over his hard length. That growl was even more potent.
“You know that you’re my mate…” He teased her with his words before his lips closed over the soft skin at her neck and he sucked hard.
“Stop reminding me, it’s depressing.” She lied. Right then in that moment she couldn’t have found a depressive gene within her body if she’d tried; every damn molecule seemed to be singing a happy tune at his touch.
“I need to mark you.” That came out of nowhere in her mind and she balked at the idea. Now her mind and body were one and she squirmed in his arms…
“The hell you do…” She protested and he tightened his grip around her body, holding her in place against him, even if he did like the way that she was teasing his length.
“What with the rogue on the loose…” He reasoned and she practically growled in frustration.
“The hell with him…” She snapped back.
“It’s just a small prick…”
“It probably is, and if it’s not, you are.” She stomped down as hard as she could upon his toes. The heel of her shoe felt like a sledgehammer against his digits and he jumped back and howled with the pain that tore through him.
Samantha couldn’t believe that he’d set her free. She’d been loathed to use her magic against him and yet physically harm was still acceptable in her mind. He was holding her prisoner in a strange kind of a way and when she spun around to face him head on, she wished she hadn’t.
Black eyes greeted her with a look of malice that told her she was in for it now. His chin was angled down onto his chest and he scowled like a man that was contemplating murder. Then there was the growl; this one didn’t make her feel all warm and fuzzy, this one said put your head between your legs and kiss your arse goodbye.
