by M. L. Briers
“Just …” Abi floundered a little as she considered his question. She wasn’t entirely sure herself.
“If you’re looking to build walls and barriers between us, Abi. I have to tell you that I’m determined to break them down.”
That sounded good to her.
She didn’t know why she was looking for the man’s Achilles heel in their burgeoning relationship, but she found that she kind of liked the idea of being pursued, chased, and caught by him.
“I’m not, not really. I guess I’m just waiting for the other shoe to drop, and the reality to claw its way in.”
“Not gonna happen,” Luke said as he pushed up to his full height.
Now Abi’s butterflies were flapping their wings so fast and so furiously that every inch of her tingled with nervous anticipation of what he was going to do next.
He took a few long strides and covered the distance across the room to where she sat. Then he reached over and took the glass from her hand and placed it on the table beside her.
Abi certainly felt like a schoolgirl now. She was bubbling over with nervous excitement, and when Luke held out one large hand towards her; she felt giddy and silly all in one go.
She had the urge to throw herself over the back of the chair, and to run for the hills, to escape the madness that was going on inside of her. But there was another part of her, a bigger part that wanted to believe in fairytales, in happily ever after, and most importantly … in him.
Abi lifted her hand and placed her palm against his. She wasn’t sure what she was expecting – maybe everything to come crashing down – maybe for the world to stop turning – maybe even to wake up and realise that this was all a dream and she still hadn’t found what she’d been hoping for, something for herself.
For her life to start… a life after the girls had flown the coop.
Then he closed his hand around hers, and drew her up to her feet in front of him. She knew then that he was real, that this thing between them was real, and that he wasn’t going away.
“No bridges, no walls, no barriers, Abi. Just you and me, just us, and it will be us. I have no intention to let you go, to let you run from me, hide from me. You are mine, and I’ll be damned if I’m gonna let anything get in the way of us.”
His deep tone and heartfelt words knocked her for six. He’d said all the right things … things that had made her heart pound and an ache start to grow with her…
“Wow, Luke… that was quite a … Speech.”
“Not a speech, woman,” he gave a cheeky grin, “that’s my pledge, my promise, and I’ll even chisel it in stone if you like.”
Abi’s heart was thumping so fast that she had to wonder if fate had a kick in the pants for her. Maybe before she got her happily ever after, she might just die right then and there at his feet … still swooning.
At least she would have died happy.
It was fair to say that she didn’t know Luke all that well, but in that moment she had the distinct impression that he would have moved heaven and earth to not let that happen, and to not let her off so easily.
Her hand was still in his, and his other hand came up to palm her cheek. She felt that contact, the connection, and it burned deep within her very soul.
“I’m just gonna give you a little heads up,” Luke growled gently. “Because I can hear your heart racing like a freight train on the tracks. I’m going to kiss you now.”
“Now? Like right now? Because I wouldn’t want there to be any mistake…” Abi was teasing because she didn’t really have a clue what to say to his declaration.
Luke brought his lips down on hers, and her butterflies took to flight. She felt as if she was on a rollercoaster ride. Her knees went weak, but Luke’s strong arm was already wrapping around her body, pulling her close, possessively keeping her there, and his gentle kiss turned demanding as her body responded.
Then something akin to a sledgehammer meeting a church bell went off inside Abi’s head as a loud, deep, window rattling mating howl reverberated through the house, and Abi tore herself away from Luke and stared back at him in shocked horror.
CHAPTER TWENTY ONE
~
“Well … it wasn’t me!” Luke growled out, just as shocked as she was by the sound.
“Yeah! I think I got that!” Abi offered back breathlessly as if he’d lost his mind.
Abi turned on her heels and set off at the door, wanting, needing to know what the hell had happened … just as Sarah came rushing into the room, panting and gasping for breath, eyes wide as she searched, and then looking somewhat shocked to see Abi and Luke as she ground to a halt.
“Mum! It wasn’t you?” Sarah panted.
“Why would you think it was …? Never mind,” Abi shook her head and waved an absent hand as she batted that one away.
“It wasn’t you and Luke … it certainly wasn’t me … Who the heck just took the plunge?” Sarah demanded.
“I have…” Abi started on a shake of her head, but was cut off when Jessica came rushing into the room with Scott behind her.
“Three down two to go,” Sarah said, stating the obvious to her mother.
“Two what?” Jessica asked, feeling the need to catch up, and still reeling from the fact that someone had mated.
“Mates … Two mates left.” Sarah explained.
“Oh God, please tell me you don’t think it was grandma!” Jessica exclaimed looking from her sister to her mother and back again, in mock horror.
“That’s just wrong. Even the thought of grandma…” Sarah gave a dramatic shiver. “That’s an image I never want to have again … oh, I can’t seem to shake it … somebody kill me now!”
“Well you thought it was me!” Abi said, and Sarah gave a small shrug off the shoulders.
“But that’s different, you’re not that old, and Luke is kind of hot…” Sarah said, by way of explanation.
“Thanks!” Abi sneered back, “Glad to know I’m not that old.” The sound of Luke’s gentle chuckle behind her made her toss a look back over her shoulder at him, and he raised his eyebrows expectantly. “Oh, you can shut up … just because you’re hot!”
“Thank you kindly,” Luke gave her a wicked grin, and she dismissed him with a wave of a hand.
“Those weren’t my words…”
“What in the name of the goddess just happened?” Celine demanded as she stalked into the room, placed her hands on her hips, and tipped her head to one side and craned it forward on her neck towards Abi with an accusation in those steely eyes.
“I guess that lets grandma of the hook then,” Jessica chuckled.
“Please,” Sarah begged. “Not that image again, my poor, innocent brain can’t handle it… Must delete…”
“Oh my,” Jessica gasped, “that means…”
“Rory!” Sarah beat her to it.
“And Dane…?” Jessica chuckled.
“I didn’t think she liked Dane, she kicked him in the…?” Sarah looked somewhat confused.
“So Rory went and did it,” Celine said as she shook her head in dismay.
“How is this a surprise to you, mum,” Abi asked.
“Speedy little sucker, wasn’t she?” Sarah chuckled.
“I can’t believe she did that!” Jessica said. With a shake of her head, she walked over to the nearest chair and flopped down into it.
“One down four to go,” Paul announced as he folded his arms and propped up the wall with his shoulder. He had a smirk on his lips that died a horrible and swift death when Celine tossed him a frosty stare.
“I didn’t think Rory would be the first to go,” Sarah said. “I thought it would be mum.”
“Will you stop saying that?” Abi grumbled. “It makes me sound…”
“Easy…” Celine offered, and Abi snapped her head back on her neck and shot her a fiery glare.
“Personally, I thought it would have been your grandmother,” Abi rallied back, and Celine emulated her daughter as she pulled her head back
on her neck and practically hissed at her words.
“Can we please stop talking about grandma doing it?” Sarah begged. “I’ll be having nightmares next.”
“Really, Sarah, it’s quite acceptable in this day for a woman of my age to have a perfectly active sex life,” Celine said, sounding flabbergasted and lofty at the same time.
“Ahh, Gran!” Sarah groaned.
“I think Sarah is going green,” Jessica chuckled, enjoying her sister’s less than enthusiastic response to the thought of their grandmother mating with Richard.
“I think I just might have been sick a little” Sarah groaned as she rolled her eyes and looked anywhere but at grandma.
“Well with that little revelation, I think it’s time for bed…” Luke said, and Abi missed the sound of a gentle growl that rolled through his chest.
“I beg your pardon?” Celine offered as she tipped her nose up in the air and regarded him with a frosty stare.
“I meant to sleep,” Luke offered back.
“I’m sure…” Celine sneered back.
“Well I think it’s a great idea,” Abi said, planting her hands on her hips and challenging her mother’s stare with just a look.
“Oh my God, too many images…” Sarah groaned.
“I think that’s just how your mind works,” Jessica offered with a chuckle, and Sarah offered back a little zap of magic in annoyance.
“Don’t be a bitch!” Sarah hissed.
“Don’t be a witch! If you zap me, I will zap you back.” Jessica scowled back at her sister.
“Can we not do this again?” Abi said.
“She started it!” They both said together.
“Well, I’m stopping it,” Abi said putting her foot down, and having flashbacks to when they were small children. “Rory has already mated, and one of you is probably next…” she declared to the sounds of silence.
Both Jessica and Sarah opened their mouths to protest at their mother’s words, but the sound of hearty growls in the background stopped them in their tracks, as they both turned towards their prospective mates, and each witch offered the evil eye.
“Don’t get any ideas!” Sarah ground out for Paul’s benefit.
“Not in a million!” Jessica offered to the Alpha.
Scott’s chuckles were deep and hearty, and his eyes were alive with amusement, as one side of his mouth lifted in a cocky grin.
“I don’t know,” Scott was back to being playful, his voice was teasing, and that rubbed his mate up the wrong way. “What are the odds?”
“Never bet against a witch!” Jessica hissed back.
~
~
~
“Come on, you’re coming home with me… Spirits help me,” Richard grumbled on an afterthought of actually sharing his cabin for the night with the she-Demon.
“Oh no I’m not!” Celine’s eyes went wide at the thought of it.
It was bad enough that she was still on pack land.
It was worse that her granddaughter Rory had already mated.
But the thought of having to endure – Goddess only knew what the state of that man’s house might look like – was an atrocity too far.
“Well, Abi has already gone to Luke’s cabin, your granddaughters will be staying in their mates rooms tonight, and where do you suppose that leaves you?” Richard scowled as he stared back at his mate.
The woman was a little too uppity for his liking. She could turn her nose up at his cabin all she liked, but the fact remained, beggars can’t be choosers.
“We have a car, I’ll sleep in that!” Celine folded her arms across her chest, raised her chin in defiance, and put her foot down.
She didn’t know this man from Adam. It was all well and good fate giving her a mate, but what did she really know about him?
He was a cantankerous old buzzard. He obviously didn’t want her in his cabin, and was only offering out of some sense of obligation.
Well in her mind, he could take his obligation and shove it where the sun didn’t shine.
“You damn well will not!” Richard growled. “You may be an old battleaxe, but you’re my mate, and I’ll have no mate of mine sleeping in a damn car.” He rattled off another growl. “And at your age as well.”
Celine scowled back at the man. He done well up to a point, and that point was mentioning her age.
Now she just wanted to hit him over the head with something nice and hard – like a baseball bat, maybe a sledgehammer, but she’d settle for a frying pan if none of the others were handy … She just needed to get to the kitchen, maybe they had a skillet.
“You’re not exactly a spring chick yourself,” Celine snorted back.
“Kind of lucky in a way, don’t you think? Otherwise I’d say fate had something to answer for,” Richard raised just one eyebrow at her, and she couldn’t help but chuckle in return.
She might not have wanted a mate.
She might not have wanted a man.
And the old buzzard might have been grumbly and growly, but at least he could give as good as he got, and had something resembling a sense of humour.
“Careful there, Missy, you cracked a smile … You might injure yourself finding that funny bone that you didn’t know you had.” Richard huffed a chuckle.
“Oh shut up, Satan-claws,” Celine grumbled back.
“Just put one foot in front of the other, and shuffle this way,” Richard teased her and was rewarded with another smile.
Perhaps the old battleaxe isn’t as bad as she seems…
I managed to make her crack a smile…
Richard turned to walk away, he had no other real choice than to just wait and see if she would follow him … With his back, it wasn’t as if he could just pick her up and throw her over his shoulder to carry her off.
The hard sting of her magic hit his backside, and as unexpected as it was - it made him jump in place. He took to muttering to himself under his breath as he heard her snigger.
Forget I said anything… She’s as evil as they come.
“Tell me, are we going through the kitchen at any point?” Celine cracked another smile.
CHAPTER TWENTY TWO
~
Sarah took a moment to eye the room. Standing in the open doorway, she was more than aware of Paul behind her. It was as if he was trying to will her to go inside.
Tough! She wasn’t about to be rushed.
It was a large, clean, very male room, dominated by the largest bed that she had ever seen. She liked the large wooden sleigh styling, and the sheets did look clean, she had to give him bonus points for that, and yet, that bed was still foreboding.
It wasn’t as if she hadn’t slept in a strange bed before. In fact, if she hadn’t of been on this little magical mystery tour then she was supposed to be doing that very same thing for the whole week in the rental house that her grandmother had booked for them.
She kind of wished that life was still that boringly simple.
The difference as she saw it was, this was his room, and if all expectations were met, this was supposed to be their room – which made that their bed.
That thought was what kind of terrified her as much as it excited her.
She was the youngest of all of them. Ergo, she hadn’t had the chance to spread her wings and fly as much as the others had. It sort of felt as if she had been missing out on something … denied an opportunity of sorts.
Or was the reality actually that she had found something at an earlier age than her sisters?
Sarah wasn’t into nightclubs and going out and getting falling down drunk, unlike her siblings. She wasn’t much into parties, didn’t have many friends, and liked to keep herself busy with witchy things.
So what was she really missing out on by finding her mate at such a young age? Not that being twenty was too young to find true love … and if they lived back in seventeen hundred and frozen to death then she would probably have already have been married off …
“You know, th
e bed is inside the room. That means to be able to sleep in the bed you also need to be inside the room,” Paul said with a playful grin that she noted as she shot a look at him over her shoulder.
“You don’t say?”
“Oh, I do,” Paul’s grin got wider, his eyes got brighter, and he even offered her a small chuckle. “Trust me, I’ve tried it all ways, and the only way to achieve sleeping in that bed is by stepping in the room.”
“Smarty-pants, I suppose you think you’re charming?”
“The question is … Do you?”
“Think you’re charming?” She asked and he nodded. “Not much no.”
“So maybe I’m just going to have to change your mind about that.” Paul’s wolf rose up inside of him, both man and beast saw that as a challenge, and it was one that he was glad to accept.
He never thought that he would be wooing his mate at such an early age, twenty one felt like he still had some wild oats to sow and some unfinished business to take care of out in the big wide world, but it wasn’t as if he could turn his back on fate, destiny, and her.
Sarah was his future. She was his family. His forever.
No man, no Wolf, could ever walk away from their mate, and there was no way in hell that he would try to be the first.
Woo her … I’m guessing that’s easier said than done.
She’s a witch, and they could be kind of flaky.
But if Dane can do it … I can do it.
I have to do it.
“I hear the first step is the hardest,” he teased, “go on, give it a try, just one little step…”
There were two urges inside of her. The first one was to hit him really hard. The second was to chuckle at the antics of the crazy wolfman.
Crazy … Check.
Sexy … No arguments there.
Annoyingly cute … Heaven help me but he is.
So why am I still standing outside the bedroom door?
The heck if I know.
He’s right, it’s just one step … Take the step!
Wait! Is that a metaphorical step or a step-step?
Am I trying to drive myself insane? Take the damn step!