by M. L. Briers
His beast reared up and took Reaver’s down to the snow under his weight, jaws snapping as he snarled in his rage… and then the black wolf made a fatal mistake – shifting his weight in an attempt to get out from under Justice’s beast, he exposed his throat to the alpha, and Justice wasn’t about to show him any mercy.
Justice’s jaws clamped down around the beast’s neck and he snapped them shut. The taste of the wolf’s blood hit his tongue and his beast revelled in his bloodlust… he didn’t make it quick, or painless. Holding the beast down beneath him as the life drained out of the wolf and the man…
Justice finally released the black wolf from his jaws. Taking a step back, he grunted in contempt for what that beast represented, the worst of them. Then he tossed his head back on his neck and howled in victory.
Connor heard the gasp from Sophia’s lips as the realisation set in that her mate had won. He heard her mutter but couldn’t make out the words… but a heartbeat later the black wolf burst into flames… lighting the area with a fierce orange glow that seemed to silence the storm around them…
“Well that’s err… justice,” Connor grinned at his own pun as Chelsea groaned. “I could have made a joke about barbecue.” He offered and she snorted her contempt for him.
“Vampire humour.” She folded her arms across her chest and tried to look unimpressed, but her eyes were drawn to the sight of Justice’s wolf padding slowly towards them.
When he pulled back his lips and snarled towards Connor – the blood still coating his fur from the fight, Connor cleared his throat and rapidly moved aside.
“That’s my cue that you’re on your own.” He offered towards Sophia, and the witch narrowed her eyes upon the white wolf and held in place.
A moment’s fear travelled through Sophia’s body on fast wings that disappeared as quickly as it had come. Justice’s black eyes were locked onto hers and yet it only seemed to calm her anxiety.
He padded towards her, a slight limp to his back leg that was already healing thanks to Connor’s blood still being in his veins, and his beast craned his neck towards her hand, nuzzling his bloodied nose against her skin and allowing her touch to sooth the last of his anger.
“It’s always good to have a pet,” Connor mused, but Justice didn’t care about the slight. His beast was too enamoured with their mate.
Tyler shifted back into his human form and stalked towards Chelsea. His mate was a fighter, it was what she did, how she’d lived, and what she craved in her life. He decided there and then that he would give her what she needed and not stand in her way if she wanted to take on the vampire and his bear when her heart desired it.
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Justice inspected the damage to the cabin. It was plain that none of them could stay there to wait out the storm.
They set about gathering clothes from inside and bundled the witches into layers. Sophia was already shaking and Justice wasn’t sure if it was against the weather or for what she had seen, but he wasn’t taking any chances as he gathered her into his arms, even with her protests, and started the journey back across pack lands.
Tyler had followed the alpha’s lead. With Chelsea threatening to make sure that he never had cubs of his own, he’d offered her the choice of being carried in his arms or over his shoulder, which had silenced her protests.
Now, with Connor in tow, the unusual convoy made their way through the storm that was lessening, and towards Tyler’s cabin which was the closest. When they reached the safety and promised warmth, Justice as torn between pressing onto his own cabin where he could be alone with his mate, and taking her inside and waiting for a lapse in the weather.
He chose his head over his heart. Sitting her down in front of the roaring fire in the hearth and helping her out of the layered protection of bundled clothing, he was determined to care for her the way a mate should.
“You’ll warm right up here,” He spoke quietly as his hands joined hers in removing the extra layers. As she pulled the last layer down from her shoulders, forgetting that her own clothes had been torn with her fight with Justice earlier, she exposed the scars on her back to Chelsea’s watchful gaze…
The sound of a curse from Chelsea’s lips and the look of disgust for what Sophia must have endured drew Connor and Tyler’s eyes towards the woman as Justice pulled the material back up to cover her back to prying eyes.
“Don’t suppose you have a spell to bring that bastard back to life so we can kill him again?” Connor’s words were quiet and full of the acidity that he held for such a man. The only person that didn’t hear what he’d said to Chelsea was Sophia herself.
“I wish,” Chelsea’s tone was equally barbed, and the deep angry growl that rolled through Tyler made his feelings on the subject known.
“I’ll warm some food,” Chelsea took one last look at the new mates before she turned towards the kitchen.
“You… cook?” Connor’s eyebrows shot upwards and Chelsea tossed a sneer in his direction.
“I can make toast,” she tossed back at him and the vampire grinned.
“Toast for everyone then.” He gave a small chuckle and she shot him a glare.
“Tyler made a batch of stew earlier,” she sneered at him, and that caught Sophia’s attention.
“Oh… good.” Connor offered back.
“It can’t be any worse than Justice’s stew.” She offered a small smile towards her mate, and his eyes sparkled with amusement.
“I was limited in my effort by-” Justice started but Connor cut him off.
“Culinary skill.” The vampire chuckled.
“A lack of ingredients.” Justice gave the man a dark glare.
“Well, Tyler is a good cook.” Chelsea announced, causing her mate’s chest to swell with pride.
“He’d have to be with you as his mate, otherwise you’d starve.” Connor shot back, and was zapped for his trouble. “Be nice.”
“Be dead,” Chelsea shot back.
“That goes without saying,” Connor grinned and she snorted, as Sophia watched them.
“Are you alright?” Justice asked, bringing her attention back to him, and those soulful eyes that felt as if they stared right into her very soul warmed her. She dropped her gaze and nodded. “I’m right here, Sophia.”
“I know, I… know.” She didn’t bring her eyes back up to his.
Justice moved around behind her so that she could garner the warmth from the fire, and he sat down. One of his thighs was touching hers and he noted that’s she snatched it away, denied his touch. He bit down on that small loss of contact, but he didn’t say anything… then slowly, her leg eased back against his as if she missed that touch, as if she was starting to accept him.
He could live with that. He’d give her all of the time that she needed.
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Justice had curled his body around Sophia’s as he dozed off and on in front of the fireplace with her. They’d eaten their fill of Tyler’s stew and bread to mop up the thick sauce, and Justice had been heartened to see her eat as they all sat on the floor together and the conversation had been lively.
Sophia had contributed some to the easy back and forth banter, but it had been Connor and Chelsea’s constant sniping at each other that had seemed to bring her out of her shell a little more within the group.
Justice had half preyed that the storm would subside so that he could take her home to his cabin for some alone time together, but he’d also felt that this situation was probably for the best at making her feel more comfortable with him.
She’d seemed to open up to Chelsea a little more as the two sat together in front of the fire after the meal and the men had made themselves scarce.
His beast had clawed inside of him, pining to be alone with her, and yet Justice held those selfish thoughts at bay. Now, as she slept next to him once more, that need was back and it kept him from sleep.
When she’d turned over, he’d
been quick to pull back slightly, not wanting to wake her by touching, but that didn’t stop him from drinking the sight of her in. Even in the dim glow of the room, lit only by the fire, his eyes were able to make out every inch of her face.
He had the urge to reach out to stroke his fingertips down over the smooth skin, and yet he squashed that need within him. She needed time to settle, and he’d give her that – if he wanted to woo her, to keep her by his side, he had little choice.
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There was no winter sun the next day, but the storm had weakened to the point where Justice felt that he wasn’t going to put Sophia in any danger by taking her home with him. She hadn’t seemed reluctant to go when he’d put the idea to her, and trudging through the snow had turned out to be something of an icebreaker between them, especially when she’d planted her foot into a hole and needed his help to pull her back up.
Justice hadn’t offered his hand as she’d expected. Instead he’d wrapped his arms around her body, sending a wave of unexpected heat inside of her, as he gently lifted her out and placed her back on solid ground.
There was the sound of a gentle growl that rumbled through him, and she could feel it against her palms from where they rested on the solid muscle of his chest. She had to admit, even if only to herself, that she kind of liked it.
“Any deeper and we might have lost the whole of you.” He teased, his deep voice still rumbling with that growl.
“I’m not that short.” She snorted her contempt, but her eyes showed a spark of amusement as she brought them up to his.
“Not far off being an elf.” Justice teased her some more and watched her frown, but that light hadn’t died in her eyes.
“I’d prefer Pixie.”
“I could have said hobgoblin.” Justice chuckled.
“I could have zapped you for elf,” she replied without thinking, and then her frown deepened as if she was questioning her own words.
“I’ve survived your wrath once. I’m sure anything you do to me from hereon in will be mild by comparison.” He chuckled again and her frown lifted a little.
“Don’t count on it.” She bit out, and frowned once more.
He won’t hurt me…
Relax, loosen up. He’s teasing. Playing, a playful wolf…
Still a wolf deep within.
He’s not Reaver.
Reaver’s dead and gone. He killed him for me. Reaver’s bones are ash, I saw to that.
Still…
Stop it! Justice is not Reaver.
Justice is my mate.
He won’t hurt me.
He can’t hurt me.
Nobody can hurt me now when he’s by my side…
I can’t…
I shouldn’t get attached to him.
I can’t stay, and yet if I leave…
Just be still. Just live a little. Accept.
“Bring it on my little elf.” Justice’s eyes practically glowed with amusement. He released her from his hold, and yet he kept an arm wrapped around her waist as he moved to her side and fitted her against him like she’d always been there.
“I can walk-”
“Wouldn’t want to lose you down a rabbit hole.” He teased again and she spluttered a chuckle.
“Again, not that short.”
“If it makes you feel better, we have some pretty big rabbits around here.” He grinned down at her.
“Jerk,” she bit out, looking away from his gaze, a gaze that fired her blood and made her stomach flutter.
“Truth hurts.” He chuckled. “But we both know that it’s my job to protect you, even from yourself.”
Why does that sound so damn good? She’d always had the hope of some white knight riding in to save her from her life, and yet he was far from that.
Justice was as powerful and deadly as Reaver had been, and yet seeing him with some of his pack, she couldn’t rally the notion within her that this alpha would ever use that power as a weapon against his own people.
She had wanted to believe that there could be a place for her in the wide world, where Reaver and his ilk couldn’t get to her, couldn’t harm her, until it had clawed at her very being to escape his clutches.
Now she was free… could she put her trust in fate that this was that place? That Justice was her white knight?
He’d killed for her. He’d protected her from the alpha’s wrath, and had shielded her from the storm. Kept her safe. Kept her warm, and he’d even watched over her as she’d slept… she’d felt him there beside her.
She’s never felt as safe as she had in the last few hours. Not since the spell had worn off of him and she’d felt the full force of fate’s hand in her future.
But would that be enough?
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CHAPTER ELEVEN
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“We both know that I’m quite capable of protecting myself when magic doesn’t prevent it.” Sophia offered back. Her voice quieter now as her mind turned to thoughts of Reaver.
“And if you get the need to practice we always have Connor,” Justice held up a finger to keep her from saying anything…
“I heard that.” Connor’s voice came from somewhere behind them and she snorted a chuckle.
“I thought vampires were supposed to be stealthy?” Justice called back. “I’ve heard your big feet behind us since we left the cabin.”
“We happen to be going in the same direction,” Connor called.
“Liar, your house is due west of my cabin.”
“Yes, but that’s not the point. Right now, we happen to be going in the same direction.” Connor didn’t elaborate, but Justice sighed.
“Stop spying. I can take my own mate home,” Justice tossed back and felt her body tense for one long moment before it eased again.
“What are the odds that she doesn’t deposit your backside in a tree and take off?” Connor shot back and Sophia chuckled once more.
“Go away, Connor.” Justice growled. “The man is like superglue, once he sticks to you there’s no shaking him off.” He whispered as he leaned down and his hot breath spanned against her ear and her cheek. She felt that heat deep within her.
“He’s your mate just without the sex…” she grinned up at him and saw the deep frown lines cut into his forehead. “Unless you two…?”
“Hell no!” Justice growled at the thought of it and that made her chuckle harder.
“Don’t protest too much, I might think you have something to hide.” She teased him a little more and watched his eyebrows dance above his eyes.
“I think I might have vomited in my throat a little,” Connor called out and she couldn’t help the laughter that rolled through her. It felt good…
“Serves you right for eavesdropping,” Justice growled back.
“I need mind bleach – those thoughts can’t been un-thought.” Connor called and she laughed harder.
“Try acid in a bathtub, just jump right on in, it’ll work a treat.” Justice growled back, playing for her laughter now as the sound of it brightened his heart.
“Well if that’s how you feel I’ll be off,” Connor called back.
“Don’t trip over your big feet and knock yourself unconscious on a tree trunk.”
“You two are like an old married couple.” Sophia shook her head as laughter still rolled within her.
“He wishes he was that lucky,” Justice teased her again, and again her laughter rolled through the air, lightened the ache deep within him. The fear that she wouldn’t be able to separate one alpha from another, even if that other alpha was her mate, had gripped him all night, but hearing her laughter felt like a blessing.
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Justice stood in the wardrobe doorway with an armful of clothes. He’d spent the last few minutes tossing things over his shoulder, this way and that, until he’d finally come up for air as she stood in the bedroom doorway, arms folded, curiously watching him.
“I have this�
��” he held out a rather enormous hooded top that would drowned her… “or this…” another one. “Then there’s this…” it was a Christmas jumper with a rather strange looking moose on the front. “And this…” a thick long sleeve tee. “Thi…”
“Justice.” She finally spoke through her amusement and brought his eyes to hers, a serious expression on his face. “It’s not a fashion show. I just need something warm, dry, and comfy.”
Justice opened his mouth, twisted his head to one side, and then reached for the next item…
“This, or this-” More clothes…
Sophia chuckled again and brought those soulful eyes back to hers. He looked a little perplexed and she guessed he’d never had to choose clothes for anyone else before. He looked a little lost in her laughter.
“Anything will do,” she assured him and he nodded, snatching up the next hooded sweatshirt.
“This, or…” he just couldn’t seem to make up his mind. She stalked forward, her arms unfolding as she reached for the first thing she could get.
“This is fine.” She assured him.
“I like that one too… but this one is-”
“It’s fine.” She chuckled again and he grunted, then nodded.
“Pants!” He exclaimed and tossed everything within his arms into the bottom of the wardrobe.
“If your jeans fit me I’m going to kill myself.” She saw the way that his eyes slowly came to hers, the look of disbelief on his face… “My thighs have a little weight on them, but-”
“I like your curves,” he said, a low, deep, gentle growl rolling through his chest. His eyes flicked down her body and then back up again, but the way that he’d made her feel, she could have been standing there naked with his eyes devouring her for an age.
“I… that’s…” she cleared her throat.
“Shower, now.” Justice growled at the thought, it sounded hungry. For a long moment her lower jaw just hung open as a million indecent images rolled through her mind like a tsunami, and then she snapped out of it.