by M. L. Briers
“If you turn to God…” she looked a little more desperate now.
“Where is he?” Josh eyed the area and the woman pulled her head back on her neck and frowned.
“All around us…”
“Have you been drinking?” Josh asked and her frown turned into a scowl.
“N…no,” she said.
“Well, maybe you should start.” Josh said before he nodded curtly. “Have a nice day.” He closed the door just as she was about to open her mouth again. Then he turned back towards Marley and sighed. “And you want to live in this neighbourhood … with them?”
“Is it wrong that I want to flash my fangs at the God squad every single time they show up?” J.C asked with an evil grin.
“Yes,” Marley scolded the vampire. “They’re harmless.” She added, waving a dismissive hand at the back door and her mate.
“That’s what your ancestors thought and then there was the little thing called the witch trials,” J.C gave a thoughtful nod to back that statement up.
“Nobody is burning anybody at the stake…” Marley sighed.
“Except maybe him,” Luke growled at the vampire.
“Be nice or I’ll get Sage to make you cluck like a chicken next time,” J.C shot back and Sage raised her head and nodded…
“I like that idea!” She gave her mate a wicked grin, and he didn’t like the evil glint in her eye or the air of mischief about her.
“Drink your tar,” Geri frowned as she placed the cup down in front of Sage and the witch grimaced.
“Shouldn’t coffee be a liquid?”
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
~
Sage snatched her keys up from the pot that Marley had stashed them in and she was already heading for the back door by the time anyone noticed what she was doing…
“Sage,” Luke growled.
“I need some air!” She lied, but in her drunken state Luke couldn’t pick up on that deceit.
He followed her out of the back door, and the next moment she’d kicked off her heels and was making a run for her car…
“Oh …” Luke groaned at the sight of his mate as she ran in a zig-zag towards her car.
Not only was he never going to allow it to happen, but her car had been blocked in by three other vehicles.
Luke caught up to her before she’d even reached the driver’s door. He wrapped his arms around her waist and lifted her from the ground, swinging her around in the air and making her whoop with delight as the world spun around her.
“Will you behave?” Luke groaned out.
“Never!” Sage chuckled. “Live free or die!” She shouted, punching the air, and making the beta groan again. When he looked towards the sound of group chuckles, he found everyone outside the door watching.
“Is she always like this?” Luke groaned and Marley chuckled.
“Drunk and sober,” she offered something of a sympathetic shrug off her shoulders back to the man. He certainly had his hands full with that little witch, and not just right at that moment.
Luke plonked her down on her feet and spun her around towards him. This time the world turned a little too fast for her, and she wobbled on her legs…
“Head rush!” She grinned.
“That’s it!” Luke grumbled, bending at the waist; he tossed her up and over his shoulder, and the sight of Sage hanging down his back as he turned and started towards his truck brought the group to laughter once more.
“Nice butt!” Sage chuckled, and then she zapped him for the hell of it.
Luke jumped in stride at the quick sting of pain, but he didn’t slow down, not one little bit.
“Behave yourself, woman…” He growled back over his shoulder as he reached for the passenger door and yanked it open.
“Me big shifter wolfman … you … w-o-m-a-n,” Sage said as she tried to mimic the depth of his voice.
Then he tossed her up in the air, caught her at the waist, and slowly lowered her down the length of his body. When Sage’s feet found the ground, she craned her head back on her neck and stared up at him … a dopey grin took her lips wide.
“I remember you…” she giggled. “Your penis is like this…” her hands expanded and her eyes went wide…
“In the truck!” he growled out.
“Oh, no, don’t stop her in mid flow!” Marley chuckled as Josh eyed her on a frown, and she did a double take of the man to eye him right back.
“You want to know the size of my brother’s penis?” He asked, frowning harder at the thought.
“Only if it’s abnormally large,” she shrugged.
“Hey!” Sage ground out as Luke folded her body into the passenger seat, and she slapped out at his hands and growled at him…
“Stop growling,” Luke bit out. His beast was clawing and scratching within him to be set free, and that was never a good sign.
“Why…?” Sage wiggled her eyebrows at him. “Is it a turn on?” She sniggered.
“Yes,” he growled back and she scowled.
“Oh.”
“I think you might just push crazy to a new level,” Luke grumbled, before he slammed the door shut and started around the car to the other side.
Sage twisted around in her seat to watch him. There was a wide, wicked smile on her lips and her eyes were glinting with mischief.
Then she snapped her fingers and clicked on the locks as she tossed her head back on her neck and chuckled.
“Very clever,” Luke sneered. He lifted the key in his hands and pressed the locks back off.
When he reached for the door handle the locks clicked back on again, and his eyes snapped up to see her sitting there inspecting her fingernails…
“I’m warning you,” Luke growled.
Sage put her hands to her chest and gave him a surprised and innocent look or what she could muster in her drunken state.
“Me?” She asked, as if butter wouldn’t melt in her mouth.
The beta grunted in reply and snapped the locks back off, only for them to snap right back on a heartbeat later.
“Woman,” he grumbled.
“I am …” she nodded her head, still with the innocent look. “You know, I like this truck…” she snapped her fingers and the alarm sounded.
Luke grimaced as the sound echoed through his ears and rattled his brain. He clicked the locks open and silenced the alarm…
“One more time…” he growled…
“Okay,” Sage nodded happily, snapping on the locks and setting the alarm off again…
“Sage…!” he growled out.
“You said one more time…” she said innocently as he snapped off the alarm again and the door locks popped opened. She clicked them on again. “Didn’t he say one more time?” She shouted to the group.
“I heard him,” J.C said as he raised his hand like he was in school, and Luke grumbled something under his breath as he held up the key and made a point of pressing that button hard…
The locks clicked off and right back on again…
“For the love of…” Luke growled out with his hand on the door handle, and the moment that he clicked the locks off; he wrenched open the door … Sage scowled back at him.
“Spoil spoilt!” She sneered, before she zapped him with her magic and sent him backwards onto his backside on the grass.
“Oh, this could take some time,” Marley chuckled.
Luke’s head snapped up and his black eyes took in his mate. They eyed each other for a long moment, and then the beta pushed up fast and made a run for the door.
Sage used her magic to slam it shut, and the man bounced right off the side of the door, right back on his backside on the grass again, growling and spitting out curses as he eyed the dent in his paintwork…
“Is it wrong that I have the urge to kill my mate?” He growled out to nobody in particular.
Sage’s palms slapped against the driver’s door window and her face appeared as he stared up at her. She pressed her forehead to the glass and scowled down
at him…
“I heard that!” She hissed like a viper ready to strike.
“Then you know that you’re walking on shaky ground with me,” Luke growled back.
“Oooo, shaky ground is bad…” she pulled a face at him and then stuck out her tongue.
“I really have no damn words…” Luke dropped his back against the grass and stared up at the sky, grumbling and growling for all that he was worth.
“This is so much better than watching sports!” J.C announced and Josh tossed a glare at him.
“Shut up!” The alpha growled and the vampire gave a quick shrug off his shoulders.
“Just saying,” J.C muttered.
“Oh look!” Sage announced and Luke’s body shot upright… “Indicators…” Sage said snapping the stick up and down and sending the lights flashing until there was a snap… “Oops.” She turned her head towards her mate and grimaced.
“My truck…” Luke was on his feet in a heartbeat… “That’s it … I’m going to…” Josh was in front of him before he got to the driver’s door.
“Your truck … your mate…” he reminded him and Luke scowled back hard.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
~
“Yeah, but she…” The beta lifted a hand and motioned towards her… biting down on his next words…
“Still … your mate.” Josh warned him.
“Yeah, killing your mate is considered bad form…” J.C offered and Marley jabbed him in the ribs with her elbow. “Again … just saying.” He bit out.
“Marley, can you get her out of the truck?” Josh asked as he turned to look at his mate.
“A drunken Sage is a joy to behold and a law unto herself,” Marley offered back. Luke sighed and Josh bit down on a groan.
“Fine…” Josh said; starting back towards his mate, and she snapped her body backwards as he drew closer…
“What are you doing?” She rushed out, but a moment later she’d been flung up and over her mate’s shoulder just the same way that Sage had with Luke.
“Let’s go…” Josh growled out.
He liked the feel of her there, it was symbolic.
“That’s…” Geri shot a quick look at Chance as he moved fast, and the next moment she was dangling down his back and squealing for all that she was worth.
“And three little piggie’s were led to the slaughter,” J.C chuckled as he folded his arms across his chest and watched his friends being carted off.
“Hey!” Marley snapped out, as she tried to push up, but only managed to lift her head and shoulders a little…
“Don’t get any ideas,” Josh warned her as he stalked towards his truck.
“What do you think you’re doing?” She hissed out on a scowl.
“If we take you two off then maybe Sage will follow…” he growled out with the beast in his voice.
His wolf liked this … liked it a lot.
“This is Sage we’re talking about, the woman is…”
“Damned annoying,” Luke bit out as he pushed up to his feet and snapped the locks off the truck …
Sage was busy looking out of the back window at her friends, and by the time that she’d turned her head; Luke was already climbing into the driver’s seat…
“Oh no you don’t!” She hissed, as she turned in her seat and tried for the door…
Luke reached out around her for the seatbelt and he yanked it across her body, snapping it into place, and yanking it tightly around her…
“Don’t even think about it,” he growled out the warning and her nose twitched in annoyance. “Your friends are leaving and you’re going too.”
“I…” She bit down on her annoyance, narrowed her eyes, and zapped him again…
“Do not do that when I’m driving,” he growled.
“You’re not driving now…” she said and zapped him again, just as he shoved the keys in the ignition and started the engine.
The beta bit down on the pain and the very last nerve that she was stomping all over.
~
~
~
“Are we there yet?” Sage asked and Luke truly had the inclination to head-butt something just to make it stop.
She’d said it for the first time just as they were pulling out of Marley’s driveway, and she’d been on repeat every minute or so since.
“Yes,” Luke growled out. He’d never been so glad to see pack land in his life.
“Oh, I don’t like it…” she wrinkled her nose up at the outside world. Luke grumbled.
“Sage…” he warned.
“Can we go home now?” She asked, looking all bright eyed and bushy tailed as she gave him an expectant look.
“No…”
“Can we go home now?” She said again after taking only one breath.
“This is your home…” Luke growled.
“I don’t like it.” She shook her head. “Can we go home…?”
“Sage, please…” Luke begged, as he turned off the ignition and popped open his door.
He practically took the cold winter blast in the face and gulped in the air, glad to be out of the small confines of the truck’s cab before his beast had a meltdown.
Their mate was truly something when she was drunk.
His eyes took in Josh’s truck coming down that track and for only one moment, he dropped his head forward on his neck and prayed that he didn’t kill his mate before she sobered up … or after…
The sound of the driver’s door slamming shut was proceeded by the engine revving to life and his truck practically wheel spinning in a U-turn back the way that they had come…
“Ah, crap!” Luke bit out as he started after the truck on fast feet…
~
~
~
“What is he doing…?” Josh growled out at the sight of Luke’s truck heading towards them down the track.
Josh was the lead truck and he could see Dram’s truck coming up behind him at fast speed. His hand hit the horn to warn Dram that Luke’s truck was hogging the single track road, and he yanked the steering wheel to the right, leaving the track and going over the untamed grassland, and creating a bumpy ride for all of those inside.
Geri squealed out in surprise from the backseat, but a quick look in the rear view mirror and he was surprised to see that Marley was just taking it in her stride…
“Sage…” Marley bit out with a shake of her head as she watched the truck sail by with Luke running after it.
A heartbeat later and there was an almighty boom as metal hit metal and all heads spun in the direction of the crash. Josh hit the brakes and pulled up fast, and all four of them were out of the car and running towards the scene of the accident without another word.
~
~
~
Sage’s head was pounding and she grunted a groan as she raised her head from the steering wheel and looked out of the windscreen at the sideways truck in front of her…
She’d clipped the bumper and the truck that she’d been driving had spun around. She didn’t know how many times, but she’d seen a lot of pack land in the process.
Now she was somehow facing the side of the miffed off shifter’s truck as he glared out of the window at her…
“Ouch!” She grimaced as she pushed backwards from the steering wheel at the same time as the driver’s door was yanked open.
“Are you hurt?” Luke’s voice was demanding. He scented the air and found the scent of her blood.
His beast roared within him. His heart lurched up into his throat as she turned her head to look at him on a grimace.
There was a small cut just below her hairline on the right side of her face, and he wanted to tear Dram a new one even though the accident hadn’t been the man’s fault…
“What the hell kind of stupid ass driving was that?” Dram growled out as he kicked open his door and dropped down to his boots on the track.
“Whoops!” Sage offered meekly as Luke reached in to bring her out of the
truck just as Dram stalked around to the driver’s side.
“That woman is…” he lifted his large hand a pointed a stocky finger at her. He scented the air and scowled in disbelief… “Witch!” He ground out.
“You don’t say,” Sage bit back as she tried to ignore that little man with a really big sledgehammer going at it in her head.
“What the hell?” Dram growled, and Luke growled back, harder, and with the kind of warning in his tone that let Dram know that the beta wasn’t kidding…
“A mate!” Dram looked horrified. “A damn witch mate…” he muttered to himself.
“I’d watch your mouth, Dram,” Luke growled back.
“Is she okay?” Geri called out as the four of them raced towards Sage…
“Hey guys, meet the neighbours…” Sage waved an absent hand at Dram, and the man scented the air once more…
“Witches…” he growled, eyeing the three of them in turn as if each of them was a rattlesnake about to strike. “Reckless, alpha, very reckless to bring them here…” he warned.
“They’re mates…” Chance growled back.
“All of them?” Dram demanded in disgust at the thought of sullying the pack with the witches bloodline.
“You betcha,” Sage offered back, trying to sound upbeat even through the pounding in her head and the fact that she was feeling a little more fuzzy than normal.
“That’s not right…” Dram looked to the alpha for confirmation and Josh nodded.
“Do you have a problem with that, Dram?” Josh demanded, and watched as the man took a long moment to think about it.
“I think bringing witches into the pack is wrong on so many levels that I can’t begin to ever try to explain it to you, alpha,” Dram bit back, and he meant every word of it too.
“Ah, go on, give it a shot … you never know til you try,” Sage offered back with a forced grin.
“Sage…” Marley shook her head in caution, but Sage was unrelenting.
“Come on, you big jerk, besmirch my species some more and see what you get,” Sage challenged him and the man had to bite down on his need to see that challenge through. His top lip quivered as he fought to hold back his beast.