by M L Briers
“Because you looked worried and we both know that you have no need to worry about me.” He dipped his head and ran his lips down the curve of her neck.
“Hungry?” She changed the subject and felt his breath against her skin as he chuckled.
“Always for you.” He teased as his fingers moved lower towards her sex. She slapped his hand and it ceased in its downward path. There was some regret there on her part.
“Then I’ll make you a sandwich and a nice cup of tea.” She grinned as he groaned.
“Oh goody, more tea.” He announced with clipped tones and an arched brow in her direction.
“Or we could get naked and you could bite into my vein and…” She didn’t get any further.
Caleb spun her within his arms and his lips came down on hers. He devoured her with a passion that she’d ignited inside him, not that it needed much help where she was concerned. He could quite easily have spent days with her wrapped around his body.
His hands palmed her backside; he lifted, turned, and pushed her back up against the wall. His hands left her backside and he ran them down over her thighs, lifting her skirt and bringing the material back up her legs as he trapped it with one hip against hers. His fingers traced over the soft skin of her inner thighs and over the silky material of her panties, already wet for him as he pushed against her sex.
“I’m going to take you up to bed and do nasty things…” He teased against her lips.
“Do those nasty things here, now…” She bit his bottom lip and heard the deep groan rumble through him.
Her hands found the zip to his jeans and it took her no time at all to free his hard length from its cloth cage. His fingers ripped the flimsy material away from her sex and he thrust two thick fingers inside those wet silken walls. He was more than desperate to enact her wishes and wants.
“Yes…” She stroked down his length, thumbing the wetness that had gathered against the slit and rolled it around the head…
“You make me insane for you…” He palmed her backside again and wrapped her legs around his hips. A heartbeat later and he was pushing inside her, not a thrust, but not taking no for an answer where her inner muscles were concerned either. Her lips parted as he pushed to the hilt, and there was smile on her lips that said he’d hit home…
“Remember, you promised me nasty…” She gave him a very wicked look and he thought his blood just might boil within his veins.
“I am a man of my word.” He smirked before taking her lips once more.
Eloise didn’t have the mind to have the kind of full breakfast that some of the others seemed to enjoy. It wasn’t that she didn’t like her food, she did. She didn’t have those kinds of curves that knocked her mate onto his knees when he saw her naked for nothing, and she was never going to be supermodel, stick insect thin and breakable like some… But her food of choice for breakfast was pancakes, dripping with syrup, and on occasion she might even toss a banana at them…
That was why eyebrows were more than raised around the kitchen table by the others present when she started to devour not just pancakes but every other breakfast food in sight. Annabeth couldn’t be sure, but she had thought she’d even heard a growl come from the witch when they both reached for the tongs on top of a plate full of bacon at the same time. Annabeth hesitated and Eloise grabbed them and started to pile the tasty meat onto her plate.
“You feeling alright?” Annabeth noted the way Eloise snapped up to hers. It was as if for one long moment the witch wanted to arm wrestle her for the damn bacon. Then she seemed to settle…
“I’m hungry.” Eloise realised what she’d done.
“I noticed.” Annabeth’s eyes dropped down to Eloise plate, piled high with enough food to feed her mate, and Eloise did the same. She relinquished the tongs and slowly eased herself back from the table with a frown.
“It was a long night…” Alex grinned as he shoved out his chest on a small deep chuckle of satisfaction. Annabeth’s eyes snapped in his direction and she raised just one eyebrow with scorn.
“As long as you enjoyed it.” Annabeth offered with a lot of sarcasm and waited for the penny to drop, which it did on a growl and a shake of his head with the denial that rushed through him.
“Oh, I can assure you that Eloise…” He started, but the quick movement of his mate as she pushed to her feet and sent the chair flying backwards with her knees halted his words as all eyes centred on her. She slapped her hand over her mouth as her eyes went wide and she took off for the kitchen door.
“Thought so.” Annabeth gave a tiny shake of her head and glared expectantly at her mate. Alex sat there with a deep frown starring after her. Annabeth waited as long as two seconds before clearing her throat and brining his attention back towards her…
“Where is she going…?” He asked and Annabeth groaned.
“Young, slim and so very dim. To the bathroom, idiot.” The witch hissed back at him.
“Is she sick?” He half mumbled to himself as he pushed up from his seat and started around the table. The concern on his face was a picture to behold. How dumb were men? Annabeth thought.
“That’s one way to look at it.” Annabeth groaned again. Alex shot her a look over his shoulder as he walked towards the door. Annabeth’s look was expectant, and it took a moment for the thought to register in his mind… Then he walked smack bang into the doorframe and bounced backwards…
“Don’t hurt yourself…” Deborah chuckled with a double meaning.
“Ah, bless, I think he’s finally got it.” Tilly teased.
“Don’t count on it.” Jethro offered.
“He can be rather… s-l-o-w.” Dale chuckled.
“A pup!” Alex growled at the thought. The goofiest smile imaginable spread across his lips for an instant before he heard his mate’s distress, and then he was off on fast heels out of the room to care for her.
“The first of many, hopefully.” Dale offered as his eyes locked with his mate’s and he saw the flash of amusement in her eyes.
“Spoken like a man.” Annabeth offered as she sat back in her seat and eyed him.
“And what’s that supposed to mean?” He growled back.
“It means you’re not the one in Eloise shoes right now, speaking to the porcelain god, and getting all hormonal to boot.” Annabeth offered back and Dale considered that for a long moment.
“I’d hold your hair back for you…” He gave her a cheeky grin.
“Gee, thanks. I have hair ties that can do that.” Annabeth sat forward in her hair and rested her elbows on the table as she leaned in across the divide towards him. “Are you ok with the things that really matter?” She asked the loaded question and Dale hesitated, he was getting to know his mate and he wasn’t about to agree to anything without it being spelled out.
“Like?”
“When I’m all hormonal and in need of hitting you around the head with a frying pan…” She teased. Dale’s grin spread wide across his face, lighting his eyes, and causing her to grin back, but her grin had a wicked element to it.
“Honey, you do that kind of thing anyway.” Dale teased back.
“Well, they do say you have to be cruel to be kind, and I like making up after.” She flashed those eyes at him with wicked intent and he didn’t even notice that anyone else was in the room with them as a long, slow boiling growl of desire went rumbling through him.
Deborah elbowed Annabeth and her elbow shot off the table. She hissed in annoyance as she turned her attention towards the other witch. Deborah shook her head at Annabeth’s ways, but there was still a snigger on her lips.
“Behave yourself, witch.” Deborah teased.
“Where’s the fun in that?” Annabeth asked just before she caught the tip of her tongue between her front teeth and gave her man a wicked grin that promised so much more. Dale growled again as the others chuckled.
It was no secret that Jethro hadn’t wanted witches in his town. Obviously he’d changed his mind as one by one t
hey had turned up and been mates to his pack. Now he couldn’t really remember what it was like not to have a table full of witches for one meal or another, and he was getting used to their individual personalities, even if sometimes it was a struggle.
Annabeth tended to be the ringleader when trouble erupted. But she was also a strong willed woman and he respected her stance on things, even if he didn’t agree with it and would liked to have head butted a wall or two when she really got going. But she was good for Dale and that was what counted.
It had been touch and go with his pack for a while there as to whether they were going to accept the witches into their lives. Some had resented the trouble that was brought to the packs door, but after the last incident with the werewolves, things had calmed down considerably, and the mumblings were less. He just hoped things could settled for a while to integrate them fully into pack life…
Verity went through the gear stick like it was a battering ram to get the engine to purr to her will. She had no time to keep to the speed limit, every second counted. The old witch had pointed her in this direction and told her who and what to look out for… In a cryptic way, of course, but still she was headed for the little town with a whole lot of trouble in her rear-view mirror and a surprise for her old friend. Maybe not a welcome or happy one.
The little town sped past in almost the blink of an eye. In fact, if she hadn’t of been paying as much attention as she was to her surroundings she could well have missed it. She had to wonder why he was in a piss ant little backwater town of all places, but the way she felt at that moment, she couldn’t get far enough away from the city and all it represented to her.
Verity followed the one road out of town and looked for the signs. Not physical signs that stood on the side of the road and pointed the way to the next town, but the signs that the witch had told her about. She didn’t have to worry about missing it… it jumped right out in the road in front of her.
Verity’s reflexes were still at the top of their game. She didn’t just use her feet to cause the car to break, she had those few moments that she needed to use the gear stick and finally the handbrake to stop her in a screech of tyres that she was sure the whole village behind her would have heard. She came to a skidding halt, sideways across the road, and facing the winding driveway that she’d been looking for.
Verity pressed the down button on her passenger window and her eyes took it in. The reason she had stopped, ground to a halt… One damn cat.
“Thanks.” Verity watched as the cat got to all four paws and sauntered off across the road, showing her a lot of backside the way cats liked to, before it disappeared into the gardens of the winding road. “Witch’s cat. Figures.”
Verity closed the window and hit the accelerator. She had business at the witch’s house and the sooner that she got there the better. It wasn’t as if she wasn’t used to doing everything at warp speed, that was the story of her life to date, and she couldn’t see herself changing her ways anytime soon.
“Company’s coming.” Wendy offered to nobody in particular as Caleb wasn’t around. It was just a feeling that streaked down her spine and across her skin that told her something or someone was on their way.
The sound of the screech of car tyres told her they were actually already there, and she dried her hands off and moved through the house and towards the front door in preparedness. Caleb appeared right by her side. He had a habit of doing that over the last few months, mated and not, and she’d gotten used to it in a way, and yet it still felt comforting.
“Sounds like trouble.” Caleb offered down to her and she snorted a chuckle of amusement.
“When isn’t it lately?” Wendy asked. She stopped on a frown as a shiver wracked down her spine.
“Something wrong?” Caleb had noticed. Caleb always noticed everything.
“Don’t know yet.” Wendy offered truthfully. This arrival was as unexpected to her as it was to Caleb. She hadn’t believed another witch was on route to join them…
Caleb took a lengthy stride to put himself in front of her. It wasn’t just because he was doing that gentlemanly thing of opening every door for her that she was used to. No, this was putting himself in front of her for her protection, and she was getting more than used to that too.
“Trouble’s here.” He gave her one of those sexy, teasing grins a moment before he yanked open the front door and his eyes took in the woman that was sauntering towards them.
Caleb swallowed down hard at the sight of her. With her mane of jet black hair stretching down her back. Jade green eyes that absolutely lit up when she saw him. And those full, wicked, blood red lips that he knew so well, he winced at having to explain her away to his mate…
“Friend of yours?” Wendy asked. It appeared that she didn’t miss anything either.
“Yes, introduce us, Caleb…” Variety looked like a damn Grecian Goddess coming towards them in her empress dress that highlighted her large, firm breasts and flowed out around her as she walked with all the grace of a…
“Vampire.” Wendy bit out.
“A hungry one.” Verity offered showing a little more fang than she’d meant too.
Caleb was in front of her in a heartbeat. His hand wrapped around her throat and he had her back against the side of her car a moment later. Wendy was still safely back at the front door of their house, but Caleb still felt the need to rip Verity’s head from her shoulders…
CHAPTER TWO
“I’m guessing mate.” Verity offered as she bit down on the need to rip his arm off and beat him over the head with it.
Caleb’s fangs were down and his eyes were jet black as he leaned in towards her. His top lips curled in disdain for what she had dared to do. Nobody, it didn’t matter how old a friend showed their fangs to his mate.
“Good guess.” Caleb snapped back.
He was damned tempted to snap her neck, but the press of something hard against his cock gave him pause for thought. He took a small step back and eyed the ten inch blade that rested against something he’d rather not lose. Caleb considered his options…
“I can see you considering how much time you would have, old friend. Let me assure you that it’s not enough.” Verity offered with her usual flash of a smile at times like these, and apart from the mate thing, there had been many times like these over the years.
“Why are you here, Verity?” Caleb groaned out. She’d matched him again. The damn vampire was formidable and he’d sometimes wondered why he’s tangled with her off and on over the years.
“Not pleased to see me, Caleb?” She offered him a wicked smile and he noted the absence of her fangs this time. He relaxed slightly, even if the blade was still threatening his happily ever after with his mate.
“No.” He offered blandly. He didn’t want to play this game with her any longer. He was mated now, everything else was unthinkable to him.
“Fair enough.” She offered back quietly, understanding the meaning in that one word and that droll tone.
“I didn’t hear that?” Wendy offered from the front door. Caleb winced and Verity gave a very wicked chuckle.
“I said fair enough.” Verity offered louder so that his mate could hear it. Her eyes never left Caleb’s and his hand never left her throat.
A heartbeat later and she made a show of spinning the knife in her hand and rested the blunt edge of the blade against her wrist. Crisis over? Caleb wondered, but he slowly let go of her throat anyway.
“So this little visit is over.” Caleb informed her.
“Ouch. Harsh.” Verity offered back to him. Caleb raised just one eyebrow and motioned his head towards her car. “But I do need your help.” Verity informed him and Caleb sighed.
“Not possible.” He offered back.
“No, Caleb. I know what not possible is…” Verity informed him as she stroked her hand over the swell of her belly and his eyes dropped downwards. Caleb’s bottom lip couldn’t seem to stay against his top one as his eyes took in the sure fir
e sign of her pregnancy.
“That’s…” He took another step back and raised his hand to point at the bulge. Then without another word he lifted that index finger to his lips and pondered the question that was so damn obvious to ask… “Did you swallow a bowling ball?”
Verity couldn’t help but chuckle. It felt good to laugh, it had been a while. Verity gave a small shake of her head and grinned for all that she was worth.
“Thanks. I needed that.” She informed him. “Only you could come up with something so damn stupid…”
“Stupid?” He shook his head as he considered her belly. In fact he couldn’t take his damn eyes from it. “Asking you if you’re knocked up would be stupid. Asking who the father of the mythical baby is, would be stupid. Under the circumstances, Verity. My question wasn’t entirely without merit.”
“She’s pregnant?” Wendy hissed out from behind him. He could hear his mate’s feet stalking towards him and he dropped his arms and assumed the posturing position that made Verity smile.
“Relax, moron. I can control myself. I’m pregnant not psycho.” Verity scowled at him.
Caleb grunted a response to her and turned his attention towards his mate as she gained ground. A moment later and he’d spun around, captured Wendy around the waist and hauled her against his hip. Far enough away from the female vampire to be able to protect her shoulder the need arose.
“Very, pregnant, and very… vampire.” Caleb offered his mate as his eyes flicked back down to the baby bump.
“And you left her standing out here?” Wendy berated him. Both sets of eyebrows went up on both vampire’s foreheads. “Shame on you. Where are your manners?” Wendy berated him some more.
“I don’t know…” Caleb offered, somewhat perplexed by his mate’s attitude, but not as perplexed as Verity.
“Verity.” She introduced herself as she held out her hand towards Wendy.
