by Briers, M L
Zoe had planted herself halfway between where Dex was brooding upstairs and where George was talking with Kate in the garden. Riff sat opposite her at the kitchen counter and hadn’t looked up at her once from the cup of coffee he gazed into. She knew that like her, he was listening to George and Kate outside, and she noted that a couple of times the corners of his mouth raised in a small smile at one of the Lycan mates words. But she also knew that his mind was still full of Dex.
“You shouldn’t have challenged him.” Zoe finally offered and Riff kept his eyes down on his mug.
“He shouldn’t have bonded with Kate the way he did.” Riff offered back simply. There was no judgement in his voice. In fact it was empty of any emotion.
“We’ve all let our beast get away from us Riff, even you.” Zoe offered, wanting to accuse him as much as he was accusing Dex, but she didn’t have the heart too. Riff was torn up enough. He might not look it, but she could feel it inside him.
“Yeah, but Kate’s human…” Riff winced on the inside and the outside. Zoe was right, he shouldn’t have gone after his own Alpha the way he had, bull headed and angry as hell.
“And who knows how you’re going to be when you meet your mate.” Zoe offered with a large grin just from thinking about it.
“Two counties over and running for my life.” Riff bit out before his eyes flicked up to Zoe and they both grinned at each other.
“We shall see, maybe she’ll have you wrapped around her little finger before you even realise what’s hit you…” She teased and he scoffed at her.
“A damn chimney to hold me down while she does it little lady or I’m out of here.” Riff was adamant. He wanted nothing to do with this mating thing. It made idiots out of the best Lycan and his beast.
Kate walked back through the open door from the garden and eyed the pair of them sitting at the counter, as Zoe and Riff suddenly turned all sheepish.
“Coffee?” Zoe blurted out, quickly jumping down from her stool and turning away.
“Not for me, but I’m sure George could use one.” Kate smirked as Zoe turned back towards her. “I like him.” Kate mouthed as she gave Zoe the big thumbs up and watched the girl blush bright red.
Riff rolled his eyes and muttered a curse under his breath as he shook his head in dismay. Kate closed the distance between them and couldn’t help but rest her arms on the counter beside him, and she leaned in sideways towards him.
“Now we just need to find Riff mate…” Kate teased and heard him give a long low growl of annoyance. But it didn’t faze her. After her long talk with George she thought she had come to terms with just about everything that the Lycan world had to offer. That didn’t mean she wasn’t going to go nuts and freak out again, she was sure she probably would, but for right now, she was handling it. George was right. She was going to be just fine.
“Don’t hold your breath.” Riff growled out, his eyes flicking first to Zoe and then to Kate, both women were grinning at him.
“But you wash up so nicely Riff. Just don’t take your shoes off and you’ll be fine.” Kate whispered and he growled at her again.
“Go find your mate and sooth his furrowed brow.” Riff offered, and then thought better of it. “Or maybe…” He started and she laid her hand on his arm and gave him a knowing look.
“It’ll be fine.” She assured him, pulling herself up and turning on her heels to leave the kitchen. “But if he does decide to kill me, I won’t hold it against him.” She shot out over her shoulder as she disappeared from the room.
“When are you going to invite that one inside?” Riff asked, motioning to the back door with his head as he locked eyes on his sister and watched her debate that within her own mind. “Because I always say there’s no time like the present.” Riff dropped his eyes and turned on the stool, leaving her to make of that what she would as he walked towards the back door without looking back.
George looked up just as Riff came out the back door and watched him walk a slow walk towards where he was sitting on the tree stump.
“Is this where you tell me you’ll kill me if I hurt her?” George asked and Riff stopped in front of him, narrowing his eyes and staring back at the vampire as he tossed over the thoughts in his head. In his mind the vampire had proven himself somewhat today.
“This is where I tell you to remember that she is your mate at all times.” Riff bit out and George got to his feet as the two men stood toe to toe and eyeballed each other.
“You have my word.” George offered his hand and Riff looked down at it for a long moment before he reached out and shook it.
“I think you’re mate’s making you a coffee.” Riff motioned towards the house and George nodded his understanding. Strolling away and leaving the mates too it, Riff promised himself that if his time ever came, he’d run for the damn hills.
Kate pushed open Dex’s bedroom door and the first thing that caught her attention was the wall of glass to the balcony was open. The view caught her eye and then Dex’s back, pressed up against the glass as he sat looking out over the woods, a slight incline of his head letting her know that he had heard her, but he didn’t look around and he didn’t move.
I guess I’ll come to you then, pouty.
For the first time in his life Dex didn’t have a clue what to do. He’d overheard some of her conversation with George, staying close so that if things did take a turn for the worst with the vampire he could jump the balcony and be there in a matter of seconds. But he didn’t really believe that George would harm Kate. He’d know the vampire off and on for a number of years and he’d heard stories about him from different packs, never a bad word. He’d just assumed that George had got all of the young buck out of himself over the centuries and now he was less interested in showing his power.
Dex had cursed his beast, berated it and caused a sense of shame within his animal for what they had done to their mate, and now the wolf was quiet within him. But Dex’s mind was anything but quiet. He knew he would still have to live with his shame for the rest of his life, and that was his penance. Not an easy one for an Alpha to carry and yet he felt he deserved that and more.
Kate stopped beside him and looked out over the view. It sure was the most beautiful sight; with the woods stretching out into the distance and the rolling hills beyond that. A lush green landscape that she didn’t think anyone could ever get tired of looking at.
“It must be even more beautiful when it snows.” She offered Dex and waited for his reply. When he said nothing she turned towards him, but he wasn’t looking up at her, his eyes were fixed on the horizon. “So that’s how it’s going to be? After the way you treated me, you’re not even going to talk to me.” She didn’t need to put the annoyance in her voice it was already there, along with a fair share of disbelief.
“It’s not like that, Kate.” Dex finally answered, when she didn’t make a move to leave and he realised that he was eventually going to have to say something.
“Tell me how it is then, I’m all ears…” When he stayed silent she rolled her eyes. “Not as big as your ears so I’m told. But I wouldn’t know. I haven’t had the pleasure to meet your wolf yet.” Kate bit out, getting more riled by the moment at his inaction to do or say something.
“Although from what I understand I owe him a punch on the nose for all the trouble he’s caused.” Kate offered and saw his brow twitch, but still he said nothing. “Oh fine, get on it pouty boy.” She hissed out as she turned on her heels and made a move to walk away.
Dex snagged her wrist, wrapping his fingers around her and yanking her back around towards him. The motion threw Kate off balance and she found herself falling down with a yelp of helplessness, knowing the feeling only too well because she seemed to spend more time on her damn backside than on her feet lately. But Dex didn’t let her hit the hard wood of the balcony. He turned her with his other hand midair and pulled her down onto his lap, and she found her landing was a soft one, although she did grab a handful of his top and a few layers of skin in
her panic.
“Ouch woman.” Dex growled out quietly against her hair as he tucked her against his chest and held her in his arms, tight enough that even if she was going to try to squirm her way away from him, she wouldn’t have been able too.
Kate let go of her hold on him and stayed put. The feel of his body against hers gave her a hum like never before, it ran over her skin and through her veins and she closed her eyes and savoured the feel of his arms about her.
“Well, you deserved it.” She teased trying to suppress the grin that threatened her lips. “You did bite me.” She poked at his sense of guilt and felt his arms tighten around her, his whole body seemed to wrap her within his hold, and she liked the feel of it.
“I can never take it back, Kate. I’m ashamed that I didn’t protect you from my beast…”
“I actually kind of liked the beastly side of you.” Kate tossed it out there. It wasn’t a lie. George had told her that if she lied to her mate he would know it, so the whole chocolate bar ate itself defence wouldn’t wash with him. But she had liked his more aggressive side, so that was the truth.
“I took away your decision to bond…” He started and she frowned.
“Do you really think that I wouldn’t have bonded with you?” She palmed his chest and pushed backwards, until he let her move slightly away from him. Sitting on his lap, she was almost eye to eye with him, and he was searched her face for answers.
“You know in the grand scheme of things. If you had stopped what you were doing at that point…?” She frowned even harder at the memory. “And I hadn’t of killed you because I was so close to… you know…” She rolled her shoulder. “Do you think I would have said no?” She didn’t have an answer to that question herself, because the moment hadn’t happened, but she’d like to think that she wouldn’t have killed him for stopping and asking, and would have said yes. After all, bonding was inevitable.
“I don’t…” He shook the thought away. “It’s not the point. The point is I didn’t protect you from…”
“Yeah, yeah, the beast within…” She dismissed his argument. The truth of the matter as she saw it now was, she was his mate, she was always going to be his mate and she would eventually, probably sooner rather than later, have agreed to bond with him. It was done and neither of them could change that. But now they needed to come to terms with it.
“But Kate…” He objected to her way of thinking, it wasn’t right.
“Oh don’t, but Kate me. We bonded, we were meant to and we did, get over it.” Kate shot back and Dex balked at her words.
“Get over it?”
“Unless you didn’t want to bond with me?” Kate gasped in mock disbelief and he puffed out his chest and huffed at her.
“Of course I…” He started to hotly deny her words and she threw her hands up in the air.
“Says you now, now you can’t take it back.” She declared and watched as he stumbled for words, his cheeks getting redder, his eyes getting wider in disbelief and his mouth doing guppy fish impressions.
“Now wait a bloody minute…” He finally spat out and she gasped.
“Oh my god, you didn’t want to bond with me.” She teased and his jaw just fell open and he stared at her for a long moment. She held onto her chuckle as long as she could at seeing him all red faced and lost for words, but then it snuck out and she couldn’t contain it.
“Oh, bloody ha-ha.” He spat out in disbelief. He’d been too shocked by her whole attitude and what she was accusing him off for him to even try to get a fix on her emotions. She’d tricked him and trapped him without much damn effort, and he growled low and hard in his chest.
“Don’t even growl at me, Dex. You’re not so bloody scary you know.” She teased and he growled again.
“I still shouldn’t have…” Dex went to say but she rolled her eyes.
“Oh do shut up and kiss me while I still have a mind not to punch you on the nose for being so pouty.” Kate felt him lift and turn her in one easy motion. She liked his strength and she could get used to him being so damn manly.
“Pouty?” He gave her a light growl and she tossed a shoulder at him.
“Mr-Pouty…” He cupped her face and kissed her with a vengeance, not just because his body wanted hers, but so he could shut her up and make her speechless, and it worked.
“I thought we could drive into the city and get some Italian or…”
“Burgers.” Zoe cut him off instantly. She’d never seen a car this fancy before, and she kind of liked it. It felt like she was sitting in an armchair at home, and yet it was even more comfortable than that. The seats seemed to envelop her in their softness.
“Maybe a nice French restu…” George started again and Zoe reached for the centre console. The million and one gadgets enthralled her.
“Burgers.” She cut him off again and heard him sigh.
“I’m trying to impress you…” George started and she scoffed.
“You don’t need to impress me, just feed me. I’m hungry and I’m in the mood for burgers.” She told him plainly, without any pretext as she fiddled and pushed knobs that made the display light up and change to goodness knows what.
“So you’re a simple girl…” George started and Zoe’s jaw dropped open on a hiss.
“Excuse me?” She balked and he shot her a look of amusement.
“If you’d let me actually finish a sentence.” He got in before she interrupted him and she huffed and sat back against the seat. Her arms crossed over her chest as she stared back at him expectantly. “Thank you. A simple girl at heart.” He finished and she shrugged her shoulders begrudgingly at him.
“If you mean do I like fancy restaurants and waiters flouncing around while I’m trying to eat, no. If you think I’m a cheap…” George cut her off right there.
“Don’t put words in my mouth Zoe. I’m sure I’ll do enough for you to get mad at me over the years.” Zoe couldn’t help but smile as she turned towards the window and peered out through the darkness.
“I’m sure you will…”
“But just think how good the makeup sex will be.” He teased, not looking at her but knowing that she had a smile on her lips anyway. He could scent her arousal almost from the moment they had entered the confines of the car. She was Lycan, her desire to mate would be coursing through her veins like wildfire with every moment they spent together and it made him harder than hell just thinking about taking her.
“Vampire ego’s…”
“Lycan challenges.” He shot back and she smiled again, as the town started to flash by the window and he slowed down from top end to the speed limit. “So where do we get burgers?”
“Joe’s, you can park this out back. It’s a little pretentious for burgers.” She teased as he swung the car into the darkness behind the row of shops whose fronts were mainly dark at this time of night.
Before she even had time to reach for the door, George had cut the engine, extracted his keys, popped his door, and was holding out his hand for her to take as he swung her door open.
“Impressive.” She teased and watched him roll his eyes under the light of the moon.
“Just old enough to remember a time when men had manners.” He assured her as she slipped her palm over his and he helped her out of the car, pulling her towards him and feeling the length of her body press against his.
“So much for manners.” She teased, rolling her hips and pushing against his erection until he moaned with need.
“I didn’t say I was perfect, sweetheart.”He breathed against her cheek before he spun her around and brought her hip against his, where the press of her body couldn’t tempt him into taking her right here and now and satisfying both of their needs.
“Of course you’re not perfect, you’re a vampire.” She liked to poke the bear just to see how much it would take for the bear to snap its jaws, and as she’d never really known a vampire before, she wasn’t sure what would make this particular monster react.
“I
suppose I could learn to be more Lycan if it suits your needs. Pee up a few trees…” He felt her elbow hit his rib with a force that only a Lycan or Vampire could expend, and he blew out a breath that he didn’t need as his body folded at the waist. “Be nice little she-wolf, or I might just not feed you.”He warned and she snorted a laugh.
“I’m more than capable of getting my own supper, vampire.”
“Venison straight up no bun?” He enquired and she tossed him a frown.
“No, it’s called money, perhaps you’ve heard of it?”
“I suppose as my mate I should tell you that I have more money than you’ll be able to spend…”
“Don’t rush to judgement on that. I like to shop.” Zoe informed him and he rolled his eyes again on a sigh.
“Can we go back to you being a cheap…?” He felt her elbow in his ribs again and heard a subtle crunch, this time he didn’t just breathed out he moaned at the thought of the rib that she just fractured.
“Oops, did you break something?” She grinned at him and he tightened his hold on her, making sure her elbow couldn’t get any momentum going.
“The difference between Lycan and vampire is I’ll be healed in about five minutes…” He smirked down at her and she chuckled.
“I’m sure I could snap something off that won’t grow back.” She hissed on a whisper, her eyes flicking down to the bulge that was evident within his jeans and he raised a brow at her.
“That would be your loss too, Mate.” He tossed back and she frowned, considering it for a long moment as he pushed open the door to Joe’s and she scented the air and breathed out contentedly. It almost took her mind off the press of his hip against hers, the feel of his arm around her waist and the scent of his arousal that was dulled slightly by the other aromas around them.
“Grab it and growl.” He teased and she shot him a look.
“Don’t worry I’m sure we can drop by the nearest blood bank on the way home to accommodate your needs.” Zoe let him lead her towards a table at the back of the place and when he let her go, so she could slip into her seat, he leaned down over her. One hand palmed the table in front of her and one hand against the chair at her back, and his lips brushed against the soft skin of her neck as he breathed in her scent.