by M. L. Briers
“Connor, there’s more I need to tell you…” she bit out, leveraging her body up using a chair beside the door and palming the thick wooden planks held together by metal bondings…
This was a damn dungeon. In all but name. In one last futile attempt to break free she twisted the large ring handle and yanked as she cursed and thumped at the wood…
“Damn it to hell.” She ground out, finally giving up and sliding down the door to sit on the coldness of the stone floor…
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Vane had thought he’d had her. He’d tracked that bitch across country and could practically taste the kill on his fangs, when her scent had all but disappeared into the night like the stupid thief that she was.
Now he was walking around a damn mud pile filled woods in the heart of wolf and bear shifter country, looking for a ghost, and that was exactly what he intended to make her.
He’d given that bitch everything that she could ever have wanted and more, and all he’d asked in return was loyalty. He could have taken her body, mind, and soul, and used her up before spitting her out again, but he hadn’t.
He’d treated her right, and what did he get for his troubles in return?
She’d stolen from him. That would have been bad enough, but he could maybe have reconciled that with a punishment to show his people that you didn’t cross the line… but she’d gone too far – it wasn’t something that he could let slide.
Vane stopped dead in his tracks the moment that he felt another. With a tilt of his head; he listened to the sounds all around him, spinning the instant that he felt the air change behind him…
“I’m hoping there’s a damn good reason for you to be on my hunting grounds.” Connor watched the man’s eyes narrow, taking him in, making an assessment of the situation at hand, and moving three steps ahead with what he needed to do about it.
“There is.” Vane offered back. His hands twitched at sides with the anticipation of getting his claws down before Connor had a chance to strike…
“Good. Now you can leave.” Connor tossed back, feeling that pent up aggression inside of him that was coursing through Vane’s blood too.
“Not quite yet.” Vane offered back.
“And how do you expect me to respond to that?” Connor asked, keeping his voice as level as he could. A blank expression to match his nemesis. “If I were to walk into your territory…?” he left that open.
“It wouldn’t end well.” Vane responded. His voice was like gravel over sandpaper. His eyes were already black from the hunt, and the man certainly had twitchy fingers.
“Exactly.” Connor responded.
“There’s a witch I’m hunting.” Vane offered, deliberating looking off into the distance in a show that said he was unbothered by Connor’s presence, but he was far from it.
“I’m aware.” Connor felt the rush of the moment as Vane’s eyes snapped back to him. He slowly nodded in understanding.
“You helped her escape me.” Now Vane understood how she had vanished. He didn’t like people meddling in his business. He didn’t like people full stop.
“Guilty as charged.” Connor offered back lightly.
“That pisses me off.” Vane informed him with the slightest curl to his lip.
“My heart bleeds-”
“It may yet,” Vane shot back and Connor’s lips bowed in a small smile.
“Really? Over a witch?”
“Two witches, and I want her returned.” Vane informed him.
“I have one, go find the other yourself.”
“She’s already dead.” Vane informed him and Connor felt the tug of anger deep inside him. Senseless killing pissed him off. And the thought that Vicky would have been next made his blood boil.
“She ran from me. As did Victoria…” Vane informed him and Connor shrugged.
“Ever think it might be your charming personality?” Connor offered and Vane grunted.
“I want the witch.” Vane wasn’t up for playing games.
“Me too. And here’s the thing,” Connor offered. “This is my land, my pack, my hunting grounds…” he took one step closer and saw every muscle in Vane tense hard. “And she’s my woman.”
Vane’s eyes narrowed for a long moment. He was unsure. Caught off guard by that remark.
“Your woman?” Vane asked.
“I’ll compensate you for the loss of your money. You’ve had your vengeance on one witch, nothing to say you couldn’t tell your friends it was two.” Connor made the offer and watched as Vane considered it.
“It’s my honour.”
“Mine too.” Connor assured him. “Walk away.”
Vane bit down on his anger. This hadn’t been how he’d envisioned the night going. He’d been so damn close to having her…
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CHAPTER FOUR
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Vane raised his palms and took a step back. Connor nodded and waited. This might not yet be over…
“One hundred thousand,” Vane bit out.
“Done.” Connor nodded.
“Keep her out of my town.” Vane bit back.
“You have my assurances.” Connor offered back. Vane nodded, and in the blink of an eye, he was gone.
Connor bit down on that feeling within him that told him that he’d made a mistake. He should have ended Vane, or died trying.
Something told him from the look in the man’s eyes that this wasn’t over. It had been too easy.
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Vicky had paced until her legs were tired and her mind wanted relief. Back and forth over the stone floor and the damned ugly rug until she’d considered every possible outcome.
Vane dead. Connor dead. Her being locked in the damned ivory tower alone for the rest of her very short life…
By the time the sound of the door being unlocked snapped her out of her musings, she wasn’t sure if she wanted him dead or not. The only thing that she knew was that she didn’t want it to happen by Vane’s hand.
“I thought you might have taken the opportunity to have a nap,” Connor grinned and she seethed.
While he didn’t look any worse for wear and appeared to be wearing the same, unbloodied clothes that he’d had on earlier, that didn’t put her mind at total ease.
“Where the hell…?” she bit out, starting towards him, an outstretched index finger leading her charge.
“Let’s remember the ouch of using your magic thing,” Connor offered with a smirk, and a moment later he was feeling the sting of the palm of her hand against his cheek.
“Motherfeck-” she shook her hand out; trying to ease the sting to her own skin.
“Well, even I could have told you that was rather a stupid thing to do.”
“Bitch slap you…” she hissed. “It was worth it.”
“Well, here I have two cheeks, knock yourself out.” He turned his head to the side and didn’t expect her to do it again, but she did, harder this time, as hard as she could get.
She cursed again and shook that hand out too before rubbing her palm over the rough material at her thigh, trying to take away the sting…
“Before you say anything you smug little toad, that one was worth it too.” She snapped out.
“I shalt offer you my balls…” he grinned.
“Because I’d want them on a platter,” she hissed back.
“Silver?” He asked as if she hadn’t just slapped him twice, or was standing there in front of him as if she was dancing on hot coals. “I have one somewhere…” he mused and she grunted in annoyance.
“You locked me in this hellhole-”
“My b-e-d-r-o-o-m?” He feigned surprise and made a point of looking around him. “I know there isn’t an internet connection up here, but-”
“Taking away a witch’s magic is sinful…” she bit out.
“No, what happens in that bed is sinful,” he lifted a finger and pointed and without thinking she turned her head to look at it.
A flush of heat went to her cheeks as her mind diverted to thoughts of being naked in those sheets with him. She mentally slapped herself silly, and dragged her eyes back towards him. He was smirking again…
“You can just picture that in your mind, can’t you?” He teased and she hissed like a rattlesnake.
“Are you insane?” She held up her hand right in front of his face when he opened his mouth to answer her. “Don’t bother, the answer is yes.”
Vicky dropped her hand and tried to sidestep him, but he blocked her way with ease. She planted her feet and eyeballed him with a death glare that would have worried him if she’d still had her magic.
“Move,” she all but growled.
“Make me,” he offered lightly and then looked surprised. “Oh, that’s right, you don’t have your magic.” He chuckled and she blew air down her nose like a dragon.
“I’m warning you, vampire…” she bit down on the need to zap him until he was impersonating a jumping bean.
“Ooo, vampire? Someone’s touchy…” he used his sing-song voice to goad her, and it worked. Her eyes flashed with sparks of anger that looked damned good on her.
“When I get my magic back…” she ground out, and Connor held up his index finger right in front of her.
“Which is why it’s probably best for you to stay in here…” he offered, and before he could say another word she was already squeaking out her words.
“What? No, no, no…” she shook her head fast on her neck.
“Yes, yes, yes,” he teased and she scowled up at him.
“N-o – n-o – n-o,” she offered slowly and with more force this time.
“Sorry, done deal, mind already made up,” Connor took a step back towards the doorway and she went with him. He stopped and held up his hand again, wagging an index finger right in front of her face that she would have taken great pleasure in snapping off and handing back to him, if only she could have done it.
“You can not-”
“I think you’ll find I can,” he offered with a smug grin that she wanted to hit right off of his face. “Be a good girl and I’ll bring you some gruel.”
With that he was out of the door and that damn door was slamming closed with a clunk once more as she rushed towards it. The sides of her fists hit the wood and she let out the kind of squeal of annoyance that made him cringe, even though the thickness of the wood.
“Yoooouuuu…” She kicked at the wood with her booted toes and pressed her forehead to the door as her fists rested against the wood on either side of her head and she closed her eyes. “I bloody well hate vampires.”
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“We have a minor problem.” Connor cleared his throat at the half-truth and grimaced at the growl from the other end of the line.
“How minor?” Justice growled.
“Just a heads up to stay that there’s a vampire stalking your land and it’s not me.” Connor tried to sounds reassuring, and yet, he couldn’t.
The line went silent for a long moment and Connor knew that Justice was delivering the newsflash via the packs link.
“What the hell’s going on, Connor?” Justice growled back into his ear and the vampire held the phone away for a moment.
“It’s a witch, not one of yours, well, not-”
“Will you spit it the hell out, some of us age.”
“Well aren’t we Mr – Snarly – Pants?” Connor winced as a stream of curses and abuse flowed down the line. “Yes I am, and if you stop growling and start listening-”
“I’m warning you, Connor-”
“You know, I would have thought a mate would mellow you a little, but in truth…” Connor took a breath for another long stream of abuse.
“Now spill it or I’ll come over there and beat it out of you.” Justice growled long and hard.
“Fine. I met a witch, a friend of Morgan’s, she was being chase by a very old, very dangerous, and not good humoured in any sense of the word…” another long growl. “Vampire. I locked the witch away where she can do little harm, met said vampy, and offered to buy him off. He’s allegedly gone for now, not that I believe a word of it, so heads up, watch your furry little butt.”
There was a moments silence on the line before the abuse started once more.
“Temper – temper, you’re in danger of combusting, exploding-” Connor teased and Justice growled with a vengeance.
“This witch-?”
“My mate,” Connor said to a sucked in gasp and dead silence on the line. Connor’s eyes rolled to the ceiling and he tapped a foot as he waited for the alpha to pull his panties back up.
“Y-o-u-r…” Justice growled long and hard.
“Shocker, right? Imagine how I feel after six hundred years of boredom and bloodlust.” Connor bit out.
“Six hundred…?”
“Forget I mentioned it.” Connor snapped back and Justice chuckled. It had taken many years, but he’d finally got a rough age on the man. “All very funny, I’m sure. Move on.”
“That’s-”
“Old, yes. Move on.”
“Well, it’s positively-”
“If you say ancient I swear to God, if there is one, which I doubt, because let’s face it, why give vampires of all people immortality if you have it in your omnipotent power to stop it,” Connor sucked in a breath and tried to focus on where he was going with that. “I’ll beat you to death with your wolf’s own paw, and I’ll enjoy it. T-o-t-a-l-l-y. T-h-o-r-o-u-g-h-l-y.”
“Got it, oh wise one.” Justice sniggered and Connor groaned.
“Can we get back to the fact that there’s a crazy vampire on the loose?”
“You’ve been that way for years, but the other guy…?” Justice grinned and Connor didn’t need to be standing in front of the man to see it. He could feel it in his very bones.
“Vane.”
“Is he?” Justice asked and Connor was lost.
“What?”
“Vain?”
“What about him?”
“Is Vane, vain?” Justice chuckled and Connor caught up on a groan.
“Yes, probably, he’s got that whole long haired, biker look about him, and a deep gravelly voice thing going on – that sounds more like a grizzly shifter, so, you know? I’m sure it’s fake – or he drinks a lot of testosterone laced blood…”
“Whoa, Connor, jealousy is a-”
“Jealous, me? Of him? Not happening.” Connor shot back. He had to wonder about the time his mate spent with that man.
Had he touched her?
Had they been lovers?
Had he fed from her?
“Relax, your mate is pre-programmed to choose you.” Justice sounded like he was enjoying himself and Connor rolled he’s eyes, he guessed he deserved a little payback.
“You’re spending too long with the witch, she’s rubbing off.” Connor snapped back.
“Hey, you said I should lighten up-”
“I didn’t mean become a frigging air balloon.” Connor snarked back and Justice’s chuckle grated on his nerves.
“So, where’s your mate now?”
“My bedroom.”
“I’m not asking,” Justice chuckled again.
“And I’m not telling, but it’s the room that I had spelled so nobody, namely – snarky, evil mean witches, could use their magic on me.”
“Kind of like a safe room?” Justice chuckled again.
“S-u-r-e,” Connor huffed. “I keep my comfy blanket in there too.”
“Ok, enough. What do we do about Vane?” Justice asked, biting down on the humour that rippled through him.
“For now, watch and wait. If he comes back… leave him to me.” Connor said.
“I hate to point out the obvious, but if he’s your age-”
“I have no advantage… yes, I know, but I have the feeling that he’ll eat the wolves alive, literally.”
Justice grunted. He didn’t like it. Connor going up against one of
his own with no backup wasn’t going to happen in his book.
“Got it.” Justice lied.
“Good. Let me know if anyone spots him.”
“Will do, and I’ll warn the clan just in case he feels like bear for supper.”
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The sound of the lock on the door sent Vicky up to her feet. She wouldn’t be caught dead sitting on his damn bed. It just wasn’t happening.
She wanted out, and she’d looked for one. Even looking for something to pick the lock – but there was nothing that she could find to pick it with, let alone have the skills to carry it off.
She’d never needed any sort of skills before – she’d always had her magic, and with one flick of her wrist she’d been able to get through any locked door… Now, thanks to the meddling vampire, she was a prisoner with no magic, and that was daunting.
Vicky didn’t fear this vampire. Morgan had amused her with stories about him, and in some ways she could almost picture him in her mind.
The man himself was more impressive than she’d thought he’d be, although, she wasn’t impressed about being locked behind closed doors.
Nobody should be fighting her battles for her, and she wasn’t entirely sure why this man would even try. She wasn’t pack and he was nothing to her. Maybe some misplaced loyalty towards Morgan?
Morgan, I need to get a message to Morgan… maybe she can talk some sense into this…
Connor swept the door open wide and stood there filling up the entrance, a tray balancing on the palm of one hand. A spark of excitement ignited deep within her as his eyes took her in, sweeping from head to toe and back up again to her eyes, where he took a long moment to hold onto her gaze.
“Asshole,” she bit out, and it wasn’t the greeting that he’d hoped for, but he could understand it.
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CHAPTER FIVE
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“Guilty as charged.” Connor moved forward, more than ready to stop her from leaving if she tried. One foot over that damn threshold and she’d have her magic back, and he didn’t think she would be shy about using it on him.