by M. L. Briers
HIS MATE
BROTHERS
JOE
BY
M L BRIERS
Copyright © 2016, M L Briers
All Rights Are Reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced whatsoever without written permission of the author, except for brief exerts in reviews. Any unauthorised reproduction or distribution of the material herein is illegal and may result in criminal proceedings. No part of this book may be scanned, uploaded to the internet or distributed via electronic or print without prior consent.
Note from the Author;
All names, places, and incidents contained herein are purely fictional and have no basis in actual events or linked to actual Humans, Witches, Vampires, Werewolves, Lycans, Werebears or persons living, dead or undead.
Copyright © 2016, Cover Design by Clarissa at Yocla Designs
Table of Contents
HIS MATE
BROTHERS
JOE
CHAPTER ONE
CHAPTER TWO
CHAPTER THREE
CHAPTER FOUR
CHAPTER FIVE
CHAPTER SIX
CHAPTER SEVEN
CHAPTER EIGHT
CHAPTER NINE
CHAPTER TEN
CHAPTER ELEVEN
CHAPTER TWELVE
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
A note from the Author;
Books you might enjoy by ML Briers:
Other books you might enjoy in the A B Lee and M L Briers series are:
CHAPTER ONE
~
“Look, I’m just not going to put up with the same kind of crap that you guys went through.” Joe gave a small shrug off his broad shoulders as he stood at the kitchen counter with a mug of coffee in one hand and his other hand thrust deep inside the pocket of his jeans.
“Crap?” Selena considered it for a moment. “I thought our mating was pretty uneventful, considering…”
“That’s cute.” Joe offered, dismissing her antics. “But I’m telling you, it’s not going to happen.”
“How so?” Eleanor, the other half of the double act piped up.
“Because my mate’s not going to be a damn…” He bit his tongue. He hated it when they zapped him, and these witches liked to play rough. “A witch for a start. Lycan, she’s gonna be a Lycan.”
“Wow, I can make a fortune with a psychic…” Eleanor teased him.
“No, I’m serious.” Joe dismissed her.
“Seriously testing karma and fate. You know that right? Karma’s just gonna turn around and bite you in the ass.” Selena offered her words of wisdom, but he was still smiling.
“Along with your mate if she’s Lycan.” Eleanor cautioned.
“That’s funny…” Joe wasn’t about to be scared off by a couple of witches. When his time came his mating would go easy. He’d make certain of it.
“No, what’s funny is your attitude. You’re gonna get it big time, and you’re not even gonna see it coming.” Selena said with a small shrug.
“Blindsided.” Eleanor agreed.
“Hit in the balls when you least expect it.” Selena added.
“Please, it’ll be like taking candy from a baby…”
“Baby velociraptor…” Selena muttered.
“Good luck little brother.” Leo offered with a smug smile on his lips. “Just don’t expect any sympathy from us when it all goes horribly wrong.”
“Won’t need either. Luck or sympathy. Trust me.” Joe placed his mug in the sink and strolled towards the back door, yanking his jacket from the hook as he pulled the door open and stepped out into the frosty night air, smiling to himself.
“Not as far as I could throw you…” Eleanor called after him.
“Not as far as your mate will throw you.” Selena added to the sound of his chuckle.
“Not going to happen…” He shot back over his shoulder as he slammed the door closed behind him.
“He’s so toast…” Eleanor chuckled.
“Extra crispy bacon balls.” Selena grinned.
~
~
~
Joe left his truck and stomped across the car park. He couldn’t be bothered to walk around the wall that stood waist high; instead he palmed the top and tossed his lower body over the edge, dropping to his feet gracefully on the other side. Even in the snow; he had perfect balance.
He brushed the snow from his hands and raised his head at the sound of a hiss that greeted him…
His dark eyes met bright blues ones. Contrasted against the black of her hair and the paleness of her skin; they were mesmerising. He felt the first stirring of his length inside of his jeans, and a sudden urge to growl. His beast had certainly raised its head and was paying attention…
Kathy felt that familiar buzz against her shields that was a warning to her senses that this man was of the supernatural kind. She pushed her magic forward and reinforced those shields, pulling them tightly around her body like a favourite blanket.
He certainly wasn’t a vampire, which gave her small comfort, because he was still dangerous by nature.
“Another damn witch…” Joe had enough of the Fae at the moment to last him a lifetime, and yet here he was- face to face with another one. “What are the odds…?” He muttered.
“Better than you think. Wicca is the fastest growing spiritual…” She watched him lift one large hand and wave it about in front of him.
“Yadda, yadda, yadda…” Joe shook his head. “Road out of town is that way…” He thumbed over his left shoulder. “Be on it.” He growled.
The moment that her little fists ended up on her curvy hips he knew that this wasn’t going to be that easy, but then when was anything ever easy when there was a witch involved? She inclined her head and raised her eyebrows, but he cut her off at the pass.
“I really don’t want to hear it. I really don’t care. Just leave and never come back.” Joe waved her away, shooing her off, but her feet were planted and she just glared back at him with that witchy look that told him she’d have her say no matter what.
“For your information…”
“For your information. I’m in no mood to put up with your crap. Go zap someone who isn’t likely to eat you.” Joe growled again. His mind was on the bar, drink and be merry, well he planned the drinking part.
“You’re an asshole of epic proportions.” She turned on her heels and stalked away from him. Joe sighed.
“Apparently so.” He muttered as he started forward towards the bar. Then he caught her scent on the wind and ground to a sudden halt. He half closed his eyes and took a long, deep whiff…
His beast rallied within him, and he cursed his very heritage.
“Goddamn it to hell and bloody back.” He growled out.
‘Mine.’
Karma! Oh no…
He didn’t need to force his feet to move in her direction- his body was already primed to follow her. His beast insisted on it. Every inch of him clenched hard at his discovery. That didn’t stop his from shaking his head and growling out curses as he went.
Kathy heard his big feet crunching the snow behind her and she shot a look back over her shoulder. Her heart jumped within her chest as her pulse raced at the sight of him coming her way. She whirled around and faced him…
“I heard you the first time. I know where the damn road is, but I need to get my car. You don’t have to follow me to make sure I leave, wolf.” She hissed every word.
If her kind weren’t welcome here then she had no problem with moving on. Sure, she was tired and would have welcomed stay
ing overnight, but not with the likes of him around.
“Oh, that’s so not it, witch.” He growled out as he shook his head and regretted venturing out in the first place. Ignorance truly was bliss. Now he had found his mate it was something that he couldn’t ignore.
The fact that she was a witch and that his kin at home would have endless amounts of opportunities to say I told you so aside, he really didn’t want to be there, not now, not ever.
He kept walking towards her. His chin was down near his chest and his eyes had darkened to jet black as he glared at her from under those dark eyebrows…
She didn’t like it, not one little bit…
“I said I’m going…” Kathy started to back up.
“Too late…” Joe bit out.
He truly wasn’t happy about this turn of events and when he got home he was certainly going to have a few choice words for his brother’s mates, but right now; he was more concerned with securing his own mate.
“I didn’t do anything…” Kathy backed right up into a stupid wall that someone had built, and she cursed inwardly as she tried to peel her eyes from the Lycan stalking towards her, and yet she couldn’t seem to do it.
She raised her hands in front of her and pulled on her magic… when two strong hands came out of nowhere and plucked her from the very ground that she’d been about to defend, she squealed out into the night.
She shrieked hard as the ground was left below her. Her feet kicked out in mid-air and she struggled to get free, but the vice grip that he had on her wasn’t something that she could break without magic.
Her shields were under attack from the alarm system that warned her she was in the presence of the supernatural, as if she wasn’t already more than aware, and her eyes took in the shocked face of the Lycan that she’d left below as she disappeared into the treetops.
“You’re welcome…” Came that familiar melodic voice beside her ear, and she went to open her mouth to answer him when he took off from one branch to the next on- faster than she’d like- feet.
Now she couldn’t struggle. Now she didn’t want to break free. The drop from the treeline wouldn’t be a good way to end her day, but being rescued by a damn vampire wasn’t exactly a highlight either.
“Persistent little mutt, isn’t he?” That made her look down again at the sight of the Lycan running in hot pursuit beneath them. The world sort of spun for the moment, and she snapped her gaze back to where they were going, not where she hoped she didn’t end up.
“I told you that I’m not helping you, Gideon.” She knew that she risked his wrath, and may very well be dropped from the damn tree if he felt the need, but she had also driven over a hundred miles to get away from the man and find some peace for the next few days.
It annoyed her that he’d found her so easily, especially as she didn’t have a clue where she was at the moment herself. One wrong turn and she’d ended up in a whole heap of trouble instead of the road to her friend’s house in the middle of nowhere.
“Would you rather I leave you here? Perhaps the mutt can find a ladder to get you down.”
“Nooo… but that’s so not…”
“Well then. One good turn deserves another.” He was running out of trees and the Lycan beneath them was showing no signs of pulling off the chase.
Either she’d done something to anger the wolf or he really didn’t like vampires. Either way, Gideon wasn’t stopping long enough to find out.
“I’m guessing now wouldn’t be a good time to tell you that I don’t like heights.” Kathy bit out.
Her stomach was churning as she kept a nervous watch on the wolfman below, but it was the lesser of the two evils at the moment, and better the devil you know… or vampire in this case. Not that they weren’t synonymous with each other.
“Not really, but if you must.”
“I’d find a way to get me to floor level before I vomit on your jacket.” She offered and heard the man sigh, or maybe he huffed, either way, he didn’t seem pleased with his lot.
“Can’t you just vomit on the wolfman, it might slow him down.” Gideon took the leap of faith into the darkness as the trees became sparser. He knew where he wanted to be and how he needed to get there, but it was the added weight and volume of the witch that told him he might not make it.
Her scream was deafening, and he could easily have dropped her so that he could cover his ears with his hands, if he wasn’t mindful that witches weren’t like their familiars and didn’t tend to land unharmed on their feet.
“Could you please not imitate a banshee…?” Gideon groaned out as he made it safely onto the thick bough of the next tree.
“If you stop imitating bloody Spiderman I’ll have no need to scream.” She hissed back with a death grip on him that had her way closer to the man than she ever wanted to be.
“I so want to drop your ass right now…” Gideon groaned out. His ears were still ringing from her assault on them.
“Go ahead and see how far that gets you.” Kathy hissed back.
“Then I could simply pry that ring off your cold dead body…” The look in his eye said he might enjoy that.
CHAPTER TWO
~
“Oh please, do you really want to talk about cold dead bodies when I’m pressed against one?” Kathy snapped back. It was only the roar of anger from down below that silenced them both.
Gideon had enough of running through the trees carrying the banshee wannabe. He turned her back to the trunk and pressed her against it. Caging her in with his arms so that she didn’t do anything stupid, like fall to her death, he eyed her with suspicion.
“So what did you do to that poor chump anyway?” He asked as he eyed the area around him looking for a way out.
“I did nothing…” Kathy protested.
“Sure you didn’t.” The accusation was there in his tone and she took offence to it. There was more growling from down below.
“How did you find me?” Kathy asked.
“Sure, why don’t I tell you- so the next time you get away from me you can do things differently…?” He gave her a knowing smirk and a small shrug off just one of his broad shoulders.
“Bring the witch down and I’ll let you walk away.” Joe growled from down below.
“Gee, good offer. Let me think on it.” Gideon shot back as he rolled his eyes and scanned the pattern of the trees.
“Do not give me to that mutt.” Kathy hissed.
“Hmm, make me a better offer.” Gideon wiggled his dark eyebrows at her and she pouted. She would have folded her arms across her chest in a show of defiance, but she was too busy clinging onto the tree trunk behind her by her damn fingernails.
“I’m warning you.” Joe growled as his beast rallied within him for the kill. How he’d love to relieve the vampire’s body of its head.
“Give me that ring and I’ll get you away from here.” Gideon offered her salvation as he leaned in closer.
“Breath mints aren’t made of acid, try one sometime.” She personally didn’t like to do a deal with the devil, especially when the devil was him, but needs must and she was in need. “Get me away from him and I’ll consider loaning you the ring.”
“Loaning me?” Gideon narrowed his eyes on her.
“It’s a family heirloom and I’d hate to never see it again.” She offered.
“More like it’s worth its weight in gold and you don’t want to lose money.” He offered back to her and watched as she frowned.
“Well, if you’re going to offer me a fair price for it…” Kathy shrugged.
“You stole it, you little mercenary, and now you want me to pay you for it?” He chuckled and that sounded like a melody all of its own.
“I did not steal it.” She hissed back.
“No, it was just lying around and it jumped in your pocket when you walked by.” Gideon berated her.
“Bring the witch down.” Joe growled again. He’d climb the damn tree to get her, but he knew that by the time he got up th
ere she’d already be long gone.
“Still thinking!” Gideon tossed down to him.
“The ring is mine, and if you want it, you’re going to have to get me out of here.” Kathy assured him to the hearty sound of a growl from below and a groan from the vampire.
“Fine. Miss- I don’t like heights, but we’re going up…” He warned her and she groaned.
“Can’t you just rescue me downwards?” There was another deep warning growl from below.
“Not unless you want to witness the death of the mutt…” Gideon scowled at her. “Do you want to witness the death of the mutt?”
“Well?” She considered it for one long moment.
“Mercenary.” Gideon berated her.
“You didn’t wait for my answer, and the answer is no…” She shook her head and berated him with her eyes. True, she might have considered it, but she really didn’t like heights, and she didn’t know what that Lycan wanted with her either. It wasn’t her fault.
“Then hold on to you panties, because we’re going up…”
“I’m not wearing any panties…” She offered back without even thinking about it. Gideon’s head tipped to one side and she scowled at him. “Make out you didn’t hear that.”
“I have perfect hearing.” Gideon teased.
“You bloody would.” She snapped back. His arm tightened around her waist again and he yanked her body against his. “Now, about those panties…”
“Good to know.” He gave her a sexy grin.
“Not even with my cold dead body.” She assured him; a heartbeat before they started upwards.
Gideon knew of only one way out of the mess that he’d landed himself in and that was to backtrack through the trees to the parking lot where he’d stashed his car. He didn’t know what the wolf’s problem was but he wasn’t going to stick around long enough to find out either.
This little witch seemed to make trouble wherever she went, but pack trouble was something that he didn’t need, and if he could leave the wolf alive that was half of the battle. He sometimes wished that he still had the cold, calculating desire within him to not give a crap about human life and to just take what he wanted… the old days, before he’d aged enough to gain a semblance of his soul back…