by M. L. Briers
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“Rory,” Dane called from the other end of the corridor as she walked towards the bathroom, and for a long moment she considered not acknowledging him… It would have been so easy to pretend that she hadn’t heard him, but that guilty feeling tapped her on the shoulder and made her turn around.
“Is this how it’s going to be? Are you going to follow me around like a lost puppy?” Rory sighed.
“Can we call a truce?” Dane wanted that.
It felt to him as if she was fighting a war against him, and he knew that she still had to be pretty shocked about finding out that she was a mate, but she needed to understand that he was pretty damn shocked too.
“I don’t know, can we?” Rory placed her hands on hips and watched the beta as he started a slow walk down the corridor towards her.
The closer that he got; the smaller the area felt.
“You tell me, you’re the one lobbing grenades at me,” Dane said as he closed in.
The closer that he got to her the more his wolf itched and clawed to be set free. He learned a long time ago to control his beast, but somehow being around her made it feel like an uphill struggle again.
“That’s not…” Rory frowned at his words.
She didn’t consider herself a total bitch. Sure, she could give as good as she got, but she hadn’t started out with the intention of being a total mean girl towards him.
Guilt tapped her on the shoulder once more. Boy, did she wish guilt would go take a running jump.
“I don’t think the rest of your family will appreciate you fluttering your eyelashes at their mates,” Dane growled, and the look of shock quickly turned to something akin to horror on her face, closely followed by disbelief.
“Excuse me?” Rory hissed. “I’m guessing you’re the village idiot.”
“Don’t play innocent now. Why bother when there is no one else around but me?” Dane wasn’t into playing games. “It’s not like I haven’t seen you in action.”
“There… Are… No… Words,” Rory hissed back, biting down on each word in turn.
Except ones that a lady would never say…
Not that I’m a lady…
But… Oh boy! Do I want to hit him where it hurts!
“That’s funny, you haven’t been short of them this far,” Dane looked a little pained.
A heartbeat later and that pain was etched onto his face for real as she lifted her right knee and brought it up into his groin.
Rory’s face was bright red and she was fuming with anger.
Who needs words when you have a knee?
I think I delivered my message accurately…
Dane’s hands clutched his groin and he dropped down to his knees like a ton of bricks. His head was craned back on his neck and his eyes were locked on to hers – the look was that of a man questioning why she would do such a heinous thing.
“Well, busy – busy must fly,” Rory said as she spun on her heels and continued on her way down the corridor.
All Dane could do was watch her go. He couldn’t move, he couldn’t breathe, and he couldn’t let go of his family jewels.
Evil … The woman is pure, total, evil.
I don’t believe she did that!
Who does that?
Damn, my balls are on fire.
Even my damn brothers would never do that!
That’s not fighting fair.
The woman is a she-Demon.
I have a she-Demon for a mate!
Grandma is the devil incarnate…
Dane watched her go into the room through teary eyes, and when she turned their eyes met once more. He wanted to say so much, but he could barely drag in a breath let alone form a word, and as she lifted her hand and flicked it on her wrist; the door slammed closed by magic, and he only managed to grumble out a growl.
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Celine sat in a comfy chair on one side of the room, while Richard sat in a rocking chair on the other by the patio doors. You could have heard a pin drop as they eyed each other with distaste, mistrust, and contempt.
Abi stood in the doorway with her arms crossed and her shoulder propping up the door frame, watching with amusement as the two elders faced off against each other. Who needed words when you had death glares?
She felt Luke’s presence even before he came up behind her. Her shields pinged at the touch of the supernatural, and her body tingled as it recognised her mate.
The heat of his body wrapped around her before he was even that close. By the time he was merely inches away it felt like a warm embrace.
“I’d say Richard has a mountain to climb with your mother,” Luke said. The deep, warm, gravelly goodness of his voice sounded sinful, and it felt strange to Abi because she’d thought that part of her life was over and done with.
Women of a certain age never really expected to find true love, most had even given up looking, hoping, and were resigned to the fact that it had sailed on by, much like the years.
Now that it was there in front of her, now that he was there, she didn’t know whether to be grateful or terrified.
She wasn’t in her twenties, or even her thirties, and her body wasn’t pert and firm. She’d gone through three pregnancies, and had given birth to three beautiful, talented daughters, and she was proud of that.
That didn’t mean that she didn’t wish that her backside wasn’t trying to slip down to the back of her knees.
She’d like to bet that Luke, being a man, still had everything where it should be. It had never bothered her until now, but now she was faced with showing off her curves to him.
It was irrational and stupid, but it was niggling in the back of her mind. That and the fact that; even though sex was supposed to be like riding a bike, which she hadn’t done either in a number of years, she still wasn’t an Olympic champion at either.
“Mother’s mother, what can I say? She’ll always bite the hand that feeds her,” Abi gave a small shrug off her shoulders.
“Is that like a mutt joke?” Luke grinned, and she turned her head to look up at him – and mentally kicked herself, not only for her fubar, but also because even those weathered lines at the corners of his eyes were damn attractive on him, and that just wasn’t fair.
“No but…”
Both of them turned at the sound of Dane coming down the corridor. His heavy footed gait, one hand still clutching at his groin, and the pained look upon his face made it more than clear that he’d had a run-in with Rory. Luke’s deep chuckle at the man’s expense warmed her.
“That woman,” Dane growled. Then flinched, “is mean.”
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
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“Yeah, Rory has a tendency to strike first and ask questions later,” Abi said, pitying the man for where Rory had obviously made her point.
“A little warning, just a heads up, would have been appreciated,” Dane growled back.
“I guess it’s called a learning curve,” Luke chuckled. “She got you a good one?”
“She got me right in the …” Dane growled, biting down on his annoyance.
Dane shot a death glare at the enforcer as he carried on by them, still grumbling and growling, and now muttering something under his breath as he went.
“My daughter … the man slayer, she certainly knows how to bring a man to his knees,” Abi shook her head on a little chuckle.
“Let’s hope her mother uses a different tactic,” Luke said with a glint of amusement in his eyes.
“Oh, I have a lot of weapons in my arsenal,” Abi gave him a mischievous grin, and Luke wasn’t entirely sure if he should be worried or not. He made a mental note not to miff her off all the same.
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Jessica stood at the door inside the large conservatory and watched the winds blowing the naked branches of the trees outside. She hadn’t noticed Scott’s presence until the man made his first move to come
towards her.
Then, like a little protective reflex with her, she folded her arms and swivelled around a little towards him. Nervousness quivered inside of her at the sight of the alpha as he moved closer.
“I see you haven’t left yet,” Scott said.
“Well, there’s where it gets a little tricky,” she replied, eyeing the man up and down for no reason other than because she had to. It felt as if it was hardwired into her brain to look.
She put it down to the mating pull.
She had to admit, even if only to herself, because she would never in a million years and even under torture, admit it to him, that the man was as sexy as hell.
She couldn’t put that one down to the mating pull, that was all him.
His dark shiny hair was sticking out in all directions like he’d just rolled out of bed, and it made her fingers itch to touch, to run through the strands, and to know for herself if it was a soft and satiny as it looked.
That day’s worth of dark stubble that clung to his square jaw and reached up towards his hairline by his ears made him look darker, sexier, and also invited her touch.
Those broad shoulders that stretched out wide made him feel imposing. Even inside the large room, he seemed to have no trouble at all in filling the space.
His broad, muscled, chest that his T-shirt conveniently clung to in all the right places, highlighted his strength and power, and she couldn’t help but wonder what he’d look like underneath his clothing.
A naked alpha… Hmm…?
She mentally kicked herself for doing it, but still, she just couldn’t seem to stop.
“Tricky how?” Scott said, as he came to stand in front of her.
He noted the way that her arms were folded under the curves of her breasts in a defensive stance, and even though his hands itched to reach out for her, touch her, bring her inside his arms again … he made a concerted effort to push his hands firmly down into the front pockets of his jeans. Showing her that he wasn’t a threat might just ease some of the tension that he could see resided in her shoulders.
“One car,” she gave a little shrug, “what’s a girl to do? I can’t exactly take the car and leave the family stranded now, can I?”
He could see her point, and he was eternally grateful in that moment that the rest of her family were all there. That was something that he never thought he’d be happy about … to have five witches on pack land.
“Is the thought of being my mate so bad?” Scott was hesitant to ask, but he also needed an answer to that question. If he was to better understand her thinking, to be able to woo her then he needed to know the walls, barriers, and objections that she had in place.
“Do you really need an answer to that?” Her tone was dry and rubbed against his nerves like sandpaper.
“I wouldn’t have asked if I didn’t need to know,” Scott replied.
“Yes… And no… And yes…”
“I’m guessing you have a decision making disorder,” Scott started to smile, it was one of those slow to boil smiles that lit up his eyes, and kept her transfixed as she watched it grow.
Now why did he have to go and do that?
Sexy is as sexy does… And boy is he sexy.
Did someone turn up the heat in here, because I’m feeling decidedly hot. Not as hot as him… He’s really, really, really… Hot.
It’s not fair - it’s not right - no man should be sexier than their mate.
His hips look smaller than mine too… I think I might just kill myself.
“A decision making disorder? Yeah … maybe,” she returned fire, and was rewarded with a deep, soft, chuckle that kept her ears spellbound.
“Touché.”
Okay, maybe he’s not so bad.
Would the big bad Wolf have a sense of humour?
Would the big bad Wolf have sexy eyes, a sexy smile, and a sexy as hell chuckle?
I think not.
Whoa, slow down … Still doesn’t mean that I’m all in. Not even half in.
Maybe I have my little toe dipped into the water, but that’s about it.
He does have one hell of a sexy smile though.
“I like to fence,” she said.
“Good to know. I’ll remember that for future reference,” Scott assured her.
“That would imply that there’s going to be a future for us. Did nobody ever tell you not to count your chickens before they hatch?”
“I’m a glass half full type of a guy,” Scott said. “Take us here for instance - I’m sure you see this as a little friendly banter, when in fact this, right here, right now, is the building blocks of our future.”
“Wow, there’s glass half full, and then there’s daydream believer.”
“Your mum too?”
“Huh?” Jessica had absolutely no idea what he was talking about.
“Davy Jones, The Monkees…”
“Oh, for sure… Heartthrob central” she chuckled.
Scott took the opportunity to take one step closer to his mate, and either she didn’t notice or she just didn’t protest.
“See, we have more in common than you thought,” Scott said and watched as she took a moment to think that one through.
“I’m sure basing a relationship on our mothers love for all things cheesy would guarantee a lifetime of happy-happy joy-joy. You are definitely a daydream believer,” she chuckled.
“Ah, if you’re worried about forever, fate has already taken care of that.”
“Hmm, perhaps I prefer to leave things to chance,” she said taking a small step back away from him, and finding the door at her back, and her options limited.
“Chances are you’re attracted to me…” Scott growled a little as he took another small step forward, and came toe to toe with her. “And chances are that if I kissed you right now… you’d melt in my arms.”
“Let’s not find out,” she said as a frown took her forehead and he knew that should have warned him off…
“Tell me, does that make you afraid to take a chance, or afraid of fate?”
Scott’s beast was clawing inside of him, urging him on, and the wolf was stuck in repeat mode as it stated its claim on their mate over and over again.
Mine…
Scott wanted her more than he wanted his heart to keep beating within his chest. Without her his heart would have been useless anyway.
“Maybe…” She drew that moment out, considering his words, before she turned her eyes up towards him with a small mischievous grin on her lips, “I’m afraid of your garlic breath. Tell me, is that so you can ward off the vampire?”
“I’m not falling for that one,” he informed her. “I think you’re just a scaredy cat.”
“And I’m not falling for that one. Witches don’t have that incessant need to rise to a challenge like you guys do.”
“Well okay then, how about we just do this the old-fashioned way?” Scott wasn’t about to give her time to answer, debate it, or in any way, shape or form put a stop to what happened next.
He didn’t need to take a step because he was already there. All he needed to do was to reach out an arm and wrap it around her waist, pull her soft body up against his hard one, and bring his lips down on hers.
That didn’t give her enough time to protest, and when their lips touched, he’d been right, she melted against him.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
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“Don’t look at me with those eyes,” Celine berated him.
The man was nothing if not annoying. He’d been sitting there in that rocking chair eyeing her like she was a deadly Viper ready to strike.
“Oh, I seem to have lost my other pair of eyes,” Richard grumbled back.
The woman was getting on his nerves, maybe even jumping up and down on his very last one. All she’d been doing was giving him the evil eye while he was trying to have a peaceful rock out.
“My, you really are such a catch.” Celine sneered back. “Little wonder then that you weren’t snatched up years ago
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“Oh look! We seem to be back to pot … Kettle … Black…”
“Oh, shut up!” Celine hissed.
“You can dish it out, but you sure can’t take it!” Richard chuckled.
“Old buzzard!” Celine muttered.
“Old bat!” Richard tossed back.
“Oh, go fry your head.”
“Charming. And what do you do for an encore. Tell me, does your head spin around on your neck while you speak in tongues?” Richard chuckled at his own funny.
“Well, I’m sure of one thing … When they were writing Prince Charming they certainly didn’t look to you for inspiration.”
“You really are a sour old boot,” Richard gave a small shake of his head in dismay. “You’re not exactly Snow White yourself. I’m sure that when nature sees you coming it ducks for cover.”
“Says the wolf.”
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“Is it just me or is that painful to behold?” Luke whispered against Abi’s ear as they spied on the elders from the hallway.
The feel of his hot breath against her skin was like a caress, that and the gentle growl that rolled over her caused her to shiver long and hard as her body responded and her brain took a detour into X-rated mode.
“Not just you,” she said, and hoped that he hadn’t noticed the way that she’d reacted to him.
The low, deep growl that rumbled through his chest squashed that hope, and she rolled her eyes to the ceiling and wondered if he was going to be a gentleman about it.
“You like the growl,” Luke chuckled.
“Well gee whiz, why don’t you just call me out on something I have no control over?” She tossed a look of disbelief over her shoulder.
“No control? Thanks for the ego boost,” he chuckled.
“Happy to be of service,” she shot back with a mischievous grin, and a wicked glint of amusement within her eyes.
“Now Abi, of all the leading things not to say to your mate that would be one of them,” Luke growled as he gave a suggestive wiggle of his eyebrows and one heck of a sexy grin back.