by M. L. Briers
“Kind of hard not to notice the big shifter guys with no damn clothes on standing in the hallway like it’s a nudest colony,” she bit back.
“It is, you’ve got some catching up to do,” he chuckled back, and that deep tone was filled with his beast.
“Luke, take Sage to your old bedroom to clean up and rest,” Josh said and the beta nodded. “It’s best that you don’t stay at your cabin tonight, until we deal with Dram and Clancy.”
When Sage had screamed they’d left Clancy behind. The vampire had offered to go back and look for him as they started back, but he’d only found a little of the man’s blood.
“Me too,” J.C said, folding his arms across his chest and planting his feet on the floor ready for rush of objections from the three men.
“Good idea, thanks,” Josh replied and Chance frowned as Luke’s head twisted on his neck and he scowled…
“It … is?” J.C was waiting for the punchline.
“We have mates to protect. That’s a pack thing…” Josh offered back.
“He’s pack now?” Chance almost choked on his own tongue.
“Until he wants to leave of his own accord.” Josh nodded.
J.C raised just one eyebrow as he turned to look at Marley. She just shrugged back.
“I’m …” J.C was still unsure if the alpha was pulling his leg, “honoured.”
“Good. There’s a guest bedroom down the end of that hallway,” Josh pointed, but the vampire shook his head.
“I think I’ll take the air.” J.C said as he started back for the door. “Wouldn’t want to be in the way of all that wooing.” He lied.
He didn’t care one iota about wooing – he wanted to be outside so that he could patrol the perimeter of the damn house and make sure that nothing got by him.
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“Are you okay?” Luke had caught sight of Sage standing at the bathroom mirror just staring back at her reflection.
“It came out of nowhere,” Sage said.
Her voice was a lot quieter than normal. He wouldn’t say weak exactly, more muted.
Her eyes flicked down to the blood that covered her clothes. So much blood.
Her face had healed to where the wounds just looked like scratches, but seeing that much blood had shaken her to the core. She’d been stupid … again … it was becoming something of a habit for her now.
Luke slipped into the room and her eyes darted up to him in the mirror…
“You guys are stealthy and fast, so fast…” A frown lodged itself on her forehead and he reached for her, turning her towards him without a word of protest.
“I’ve got you now, sweetheart…” Luke eased her against him, wrapping her in the solid, safe embrace of his arms, and felt her hands climb the naked skin of his back.
Her body started to go soften. He could literally feel her muscles relaxing and some of the tension seeping out of her.
“Sage, you know I’d never hurt you, never attack … that my wolf…”
“I know. You’d have to be rogue for that, and I’m not going to let you go rogue…”
Sage’s words made his beast roar within him.
Luke liked the sound of her words, the meaning behind them, but she was still in shock and he wasn’t going to count his chickens just yet. She could have just been looking for anything solid, stable, and safe.
“Well, it’s about time you came around to my way of thinking, sweetheart,” he teased.
“Not on everything,” she warned him and he couldn’t help but grin. There was her feisty side rearing its head once more, and he was grateful for it.
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‘We’ve got Clancy…’ Toby’s voice came through the pack link and Josh’s blood heated with anger.
‘One my way,’ he growled back.
He took a lingering look at the closed bedroom door with his mate safely tucked up in his bed behind it. He was confident that his brothers would guard his mate with their lives, and had little qualms about leaving her in their care while he took care of some pressing pack business.
He’d rather have stayed right outside that bedroom door all night, but he was alpha, and what had happened on pack land tonight couldn’t go unanswered. He forced his body to walk away from her, promising his wolf that she would be safe.
By the time that he’d reached the outside world his beast was anxious to get the job done and get back to their mate. Normally at that time of night his beast was clawing to be set free so it could run the land … not tonight, it wanted nothing more than to be home.
“Going somewhere special?” J.C offered as he stepped out of the shadows and into the moonlight.
The alpha had already caught the vampire’s scent and knew he was there. He also knew that was by design. If the vampire didn’t want to give up his scent and his location then he would have stayed downwind of him.
“We are.” Josh tossed back over his shoulder, not breaking his long stride for a moment as he heard the vampire start to follow on.
“Do tell…?”
“The pack has captured one of the wolves that attacked you,” Josh offered back and heard the vampire mull that one over with a small hum.
“I’m guessing not the same one that attacked Sage or Luke would be here.”
“You guessed right.”
“And what do you plan to do with this one, give him a medal?”
“You were here under my protection. Normally that would mean banishment or death … I’ll leave that choice to you.” Josh bit out.
“What will you do to the one that attacked Sage?” He liked to have all of the information to hand before he came to a decision.
“Death.” Josh didn’t hesitate. “She’s a mate and a female.”
“Will this one seek retribution when his friend dies?” J.C had to wait a little longer for the answer to that one as the alpha considered it.
“I don’t believe so.”
“Good to know.” J.C offered back. “Does he have a mate?”
“No family but the pack.”
Now he had a choice to make and he’d get the measure of the man inside that wolf that had attacked him before he offered an opinion.
CHAPTER TWENTY FOUR
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“Oh no, you stay right there, Mister!” Geri frowned at Chance as he took a slow walk towards her.
“But you said…”
“I didn’t say come get me I’m yours…” Geri backed up as far as the wall, and she would have gone right through it too if her magic would have allowed her to do it.
The man was still naked from the waist up and it was disconcerting. All of those muscles on display … he should be ashamed of himself for making her look.
It wasn’t her fault that her eyes were curious and her brain was delivering X-rated images on a damn loop. Nor was it her fault that her hands itched to touch him, so much so that she’d had to ball them at her sides and force her arms down like she’d just remembered that she wasn’t wearing deodorant on a summer’s day…
“You just did,” Chance’s beast was all up in his voice and that sound rumbled towards her like an invitation.
His eyes were dark and hungry looking, and she was trying really hard not to stare right up into them as he closed the last of the distance between them and leaned in with his elbow on the wall and the kind of casual attitude that screamed of self-confidence.
“I did not,” Geri bit out on a small sneer of disbelief.
The man was able to twist anything for his own ends. Even that teasing smile of his was like a cold beer on a hot day…
“”Did too…” His grin turned wolfish by design and he watched her flick her eyes down to his lips and back up again in a heartbeat…
“Back off or I’ll back you off…” Geri warned, but she didn’t much feel like zapping him then – she felt like doing other things, but she really didn’t want to entertain those thoughts, because once she dip
ped her toe in that pond, she knew she’d have to jump in.
“You don’t sound too sure of that.” He was so damn playful that she just couldn’t stay mad at him. She wanted too. She wished that she could growl, but sadly it was zap or nothing…
“I’m certain!” She lied. Right then and there she wasn’t even certain of her name.
So many wicked thoughts were pinging through her mind that it felt like plucking a blade of grass from inside of a twister to get one rational thought to emerge. That didn’t stop her from trying…
And failing.
She wanted to reach out and touch him.
She wanted to know if those muscles were as solid as they looked.
She wanted to dip her toe into that pond. Boy, did she ever!
What’s stopping you?
Man up woman!
He’s your mate … there’s no gazumping him.
You just have to say the word…
One little word … yes … go ahead, take the plunge…
But you can’t, can you? Because you’re a chicken.
Scared of your own life mate!
Now you have someone right in front of you that wants you, you’re all indecisive … well, get a grip … on him preferably!
Go on … just dip a toe and the rest will take care of itself…
Noooo…
“I’ll give you a penny for them…” Chance whispered, and that made her ears prick up to listen to him, and drew her even further in.
“I’ll give you ten seconds to back off…” she lied, and she hated lying because she had no intention of zapping the man. Not with those damn puppy dog eyes staring back at her like that.
“Nine … eight … seven …” He teased and she blinked, and blinked, and blinked.
Damn! Calling my bloody bluff is not cool!
I hate people who do that … I hate him … okay, not hate … still not cool!
“Four … three … two…”
“Oh, for the love of God, will you stop!” She hissed back.
“Definitely one …” he shrugged, tipping his chin down and looking at her from under his wiggling eyebrows.
“Fine!” She zapped him…
It was a very half-hearted kind of a zap that only made his muscles tense just a little, just so much that her eyes spotted it and locked on like a heat seeking missile as those glorious muscles moved under the skin and made him look even more yummy … even more sexy … even more irresistible…
“That’s not fair!” She bit out as her eyes snapped back to his and he suddenly had a curious look upon his face…
“Okay, that one I’m not following…” Chance admitted and she squirmed uncomfortably inside of her own skin.
“Thinking out loud,” she muttered back lamely.
“About how you like seeing me half naked…?” he wiggled those damn stupid eyebrows again and her womb lurched.
“About as much as I like watching Sage ravenously devour a chocolate cake.” She hissed back another lie.
“Those two words ravenously and devour … very telling…”
“They’re just words…”
“Used to describe what I want to do to your body…” he offered back and watched her neck elongate as her shoulders pulled back and her cheeks coloured to a nice dark red…
“T-t-hat’s…” she bit down on the squeak in her voice, cleared her throat, frowned back at him, and started again in the hopes that her voice would hold out this time. In truth, she was more worried about her willpower holding out… “That’s not …”
He leaned in a little closer and she snapped her lips closed and pressed them together in determination…
“Not…?” He teased, and she had the urge to kick him right in the balls just so that she didn’t have to worry about such things as willpower…
I could just lift my knee and all my problems would be solved for … a little while until his body healed him…
One knee … I’d apologise afterwards…
“Last Chance to back off … Chance …” she frowned at the words because they didn’t sound right, but her mind snapped right back to the matter at hand – his sexy self – as a deep, reverberating chuckle rolled from his lips over her hyped up body…
So not fair…
“Noted,” he offered on a whisper, and then his lips came down on hers, and her brain sort of shut down with the whole overload thing to her body.
Her heart slammed her ribs and then raced to get out of her chest. A rush of white hot heat raced through her like she was menopausal.
Her stomach flip-flopped and her womb did a happy dance, reminding her – like she needed it – that it was more than willing to participate in anything that he was offering, and those fisted little balls of her hands were now palmed against his naked chest, and boy did she like the feel of those muscles…
She didn’t know how long it took her to give in to the rampant urge to open to him, if she’d had a mind to think it then she’d have said a few seconds, but she had other matters on her mind as he moved against her … like the feel of his hard length pressing against her womb from the outside, and her womb jumping with joy!
Oh Lord, but his lips are sinful … just like the rest of him!
I want … I want … I need … I definitely have to get me some more…
CHAPTER TWENTY FIVE
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“Where the hell are you going?” Josh growled at the sight of the vampire walking away from the group.
“I just wanted to look the man that was stupid enough to attack me in the eye, so that if I ever see him again I know the measure of the man who I’m killing.”
Josh rolled his eyes back in his head and grumbled something that even J.C couldn’t pick up on.
“That’s your decision…?” Josh had handed over the decision to the vampire.
“It is, but hey, you’re the alpha, you come to another conclusion, go right ahead.” J.C called out with a backwards wave of his hand.
Josh turned his attention back towards Clancy. He sure hoped that he was doing the right thing and that it wouldn’t come back to haunt him somewhere down the road.
“You have two hours to pack your things and leave. Stay with him,” he ordered the two men guarding the shifter. “If he’s not gone in two hours, kill him. If you see him anywhere near pack land in future, you have my permission to kill him…” He gave his full attention towards the man.
“I’d stay away from Dram if I were you, because that man is not going to be so damn lucky.” He growled the warning and Clancy nodded his understanding.
The alpha turned on his heels and stalked after J.C. The vampire wasn’t exactly making it a chore to try to catch up to him.
“Why’d you let him go?” Josh demanded.
“Why’d you let him go?” J.C shot right back at him.
“Because it was your kill if you wanted it.”
“Thanks for thinking of me…” J.C grinned. “But I gave the kill back to you if you wanted it.”
“Is everything going to be like pulling teeth with you?” Josh growled and the vampire ground to a halt, making the alpha pull up too. He looked up to the sky and considered it for a long moment.
“Yes.” Then he started off for the main house once more.
“Can’t you just answer the question?” Josh growled, rushing to catch up to the man.
“No.”
“Why the hell not?” Josh growled out.
“Maybe I like to be a man of mystery.” J.C’s grin was wide and his eyes were alive with amusement.
“I’m regretting letting you stay already,” Josh grumbled.
“I highly doubt that … but you probably will.”
“What the hell is that supposed to mean?”
“Let’s just say I’m an acquired taste, a bit like blood,” his grin widened.
“If you feed from…”
“Relax, Sheriff. I’m not that kind of vampire.”
“Oh, Spirits, you’re not one o
f those bunny munchers are you?” Josh grumbled back, pulling a face…
“Says the rabbit slayer… and no…” J.C pulled a face. “I think you might want to rephrase that.”
“I don’t,” Josh chuckled. “So, what’d you eat?”
“Technically food, I drink blood, however…”
“Whose?” Josh growled.
“Witches, or a witch to be more precise…” He stopped at the sound of a long, deep, hungry growl. “Not one of ours!”
“You just find them lying around on the grass like nymphs…?”
“Two towns over. There’s a witch friend of Marley’s that…”
“That’s all I needed to hear.” He grumbled.
“Are you sure, because I could go into detail…?” he grinned, showing a little fang just to see if the alpha would go bat-crazy.
“As long as you don’t crap where you eat…” Josh growled back.
“I’m not a bear… I’m a V-a-m-p-i-r-e…” J.C said as if he was five, and the alpha ground to a halt as he rolled his eyes and groaned out loud.
He knew he was going to regret letting that man stay. He’d probably end up killing him himself. One sarcastic comment too far and dead-man-dead … again.
The sound of a bonding howl went up in the distance and Josh’s head snapped up on his neck as he glared at nothing at all…
“Sounds like someone beat you too it!” J.C called back over his shoulder and heard the alpha spitting out curse words ten to the dozen. “Sore loser!”
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Sage shot up in the bed as the walls, windows, and furniture rattled around her. She’d just started to doze off to sleep, lying against Luke’s chest, when that howl had hit her like another attack.
“I’ve got you, Sage…” Luke growled out gently in the semi darkness of the room in the hopes of calming her fears.
He could hear her heart pounding and scent the fear that was coming from her and neither he nor his beast was happy about that.
“I thought…” Sage wrapped her arms around her knees as she drew her legs up in front of her.