by M. L. Briers
“You simple?” Harley didn’t like the way that he was staring at her. There was something very off with this man, and she didn’t much care to find out what it was- why was there never a vampire lurking about when you needed one? She wondered.
“Not that I’m aware of,” he answered with a little more acid to his voice than was probably necessary.
“You… hungry?” Harley felt her fingers twitch, a sure sign that her magic was eager to be unleashed at the slightest provocation…
Colin heard her words, but it took him a moment or two to fully comprehend them. His head snapped back as if she’d slapped him, and a low growl of annoyance rumbled in his chest at the insult to his character.
“Not for witch,” he snapped back.
“Then jog on, shifty,” Harley lifted her hand and was about to motion towards the open road- when he moved fast.
She didn’t wait to see what was about to happen next- not with the speed that Lycans could move- and she aimed the full force of her magic towards him, and let it go without a thought or even a twinge of guilt…
CHAPTER TWO
~
Luckily for Colin; the tree on top of the car took most of the blast from the witch’s magic. A jolt to his right shoulder made his body twist around on his legs, but counting his blessings had been premature.
His eyes took in the sight of the large branch that had been blasted from the tree as it hurtled towards him, and his brain took a second to catch up with what was about to happen…
The full force of the branch caught him across his stomach. His legs went out from beneath him, and he had the irrational response of hugging the branch as he was hurled backwards across the clearing… He yelped at the pain and the thought of what was coming next… a crash landing that was sure to hurt his pride.
What felt like an eternity in slow motion later and he was slammed against the hard ground, the wind knocked out of his lungs, and his pride was on fire with the pain that shot through his body…
Still hugging the branch to his chest. He lay on his back and looked up at the spring sky, dotted with fluffy white clouds, and framed by the overhanging canopy of the woods on either side… he groaned inwardly as he sucked a breath back into his protesting lungs, before letting it out on a groan of pain and disbelief.
Then he closed his eyes and took a moment to wonder why life was never easy as the heady scent in the air buried itself deep within his soul. His beast growled in the sudden realisation of who she was and what that meant, and Colin groaned once more…
Mine…
Had to damn well be! He told himself, with a mental shake of his head that his battered body couldn’t quite manage.
With a curse for Meredith, he tossed the branch away from him and rolled over onto his side. His backside protested in no uncertain terms. His ribs creaked as his Lycan blood worked to mend them, and his back wanted nothing more than another five minutes of rest to ease its burden.
Colin’s eyes scanned the area, searching for her, and then the sudden panic rushed through him as he realised that she was gone…
His beast roared within him. Fear took a sudden hold on his mind as it raced to justify to his wolf why she had left- she had no idea that she was his mate- and yet the wolf paid him no mind, eager to push forward and start the hunt…
~
~
~
“What kind of a welcome do you people offer around here?” Barker said with an eye on Tandy and a head full of amusement for her predicament. She’d found a mate- how funny was that?
“The kind that’s not open to vampires,” Benjamin growled back.
“What part of play nice did you two not understand?” Tandy sighed inwardly. Two alpha personalities- she had the decided impression that this might not end well…
‘Benjamin, I’m in big trouble,’ Colin growled and the alpha’s body tensed…
‘Where are you?’
‘The wreckage of Tandy’s car, but as soon as my body heals I’m going to be hunting down my runaway mate…’ he admitted, much to his shame.
‘Your…? Crap! We’re on our way…’
Tandy had learned when Benjamin was in the moment and when he was distracted by the pack’s link. She also knew from the way that he held his body in check, tensing every muscle, that something was very wrong- she didn’t need the sound of Ross’s feet thudding against the hard wooden floor in her direction to confirm it for her.
“What’s happened?” she asked.
“Merry’s damn meddling,” Ross bit out from behind her.
“Colin’s mate is running,” Benjamin informed her. Stepping outside the house as he yanked his shirt from his back…
“Running!?” Tandy echoed…
“We need to stop him before his beast hunts her down,” Ross growled as he stepped around her and followed his brother outside.
“Where is he?” she asked.
“Near the wreckage of your car,” Benjamin said and noted that the vampire took a step towards them…
“Near my cabin…” Barker bit out. His eyes snapped towards Tandy. “Harley,” he informed her and Tandy almost swallowed her tongue in surprise…
“You brought Harley with you?” she shrieked…
“Don’t tell me she’s a damn witch…” Ross growled, “and she’s running!” he shook his head in disbelief, witches knew better than to run from a wolf mate…
“I’ll…” Barker took a long step back, his eyes narrowing in thought for an instant, just before he raised his index finger, “be right back.”
Tandy didn’t get to answer him. The vampire took off on fast feet like a streak of lightening across the landscape…
‘Colin, you have a vampire enroute to you, he’s friendly, apparently,’ Benjamin didn’t think that Colin’s beast would think him so friendly if he intervened in the hunt. ‘Try not to kill him until I know just how fond Tandy is of him.’
‘No damn guarantees,’ Colin growled, the beast already in his voice.
“We need to go,” Benjamin informed Tandy as she took a long step forward, wanting to go with them, and yet knowing that there was no way for her to keep up with the men when they shifted into their beasts.
“Be careful,” Tandy called as both men released their wolves and took off on fast paws towards the woods. “She’s a mean one when she wants to be.”
~
~
~
“Damn it to hell fire,” Colin cursed out. It was bad enough that his beast was up and raring to go within him, but the fact that his body felt like he’d hit a brick wall at high speed didn’t fill him with joy.
She’d run. He didn’t suppose he could blame her- he very much doubted that she knew who he was- he hadn’t got that close to her for her to recognise the signs. But trying to still his beast and calm the need for the chase within him was something of an uphill struggle…
He guessed her throwing a damn tree at him had been in a good thing- not that he was going to thank her for it, right then, he just wanted to wring her damn neck, but it had; at least, given him some time to try to calm the wolf within as he healed.
His brother’s warning of a vampire coming his way took the edge off a little. He still had to wonder who the damn guy was and what business this was of his to get involved…
He’d much rather see his brothers coming down the incline than a bloodsucker- he knew his beast wasn’t going to love that…
Too bad, within another couple of breaths that he dragged in against his sore ribs that protested in no uncertain terms, the bloodsucker appeared in front of him, completely taking him by surprise…
“Which way did the witch go?” Barker asked- as if that was an every damn day occurrence and there was nothing untoward about the way his beast was reacting within him, clawing to get out, practically frothing at the mouth…
“Who the hell-?” Colin growled.
“A friend,” Barker announced, “of hers not yours, obviously.”
“Wonderful
, my mate has a smart-arsed vampire friend,” he growled in annoyance.
“That’s here to save her bacon from the big…” he motioned towards Colin, “well, you.” He offered on a smug grin.
“Oh, you can just…” Colin started to push up to his feet, but the sound of fast paws coming towards him made him hold in place, backside off ground, just hovering there…
Colin’s eyes locked on Ross’s wolf and the damned thing didn’t seem to be slowing down, and just before the wolf leapt at him, he saw the vampire take off.
Colin’s eyes went wide, knowing what came next, and he gave a Scooby yelp; just before he got a mouthful of fur, and ended up lying on his back with Ross’s wolf on top of him…
“What the hell are you doing?” Colin growled out, locking both arms around the beast and trying to wrestle him off…
“Trying to save you from doing something stupid,” Benjamin growled out. He stalked towards them, butt naked, and growling like he still had his beast on.
“I wanted to kill the vampire…” Colin ground out between clenched teeth as he wrestled with Ross’s beast…
“That’s stupid,” Benjamin growled back. “Now just stay the hell down and let the vampire find your mate.”
With a roar of indignation at the thought of the vampire being anywhere near his mate; Colin managed to shuck the wolf off of him, and he rolled onto all fours, ready to push back up.
Ross’s wolf was too fast for him- with a roll onto all four paws, the beast was coming back at him again, running at him for a head on collision.
Colin reached out and wrapped his arms around the wolf’s body, slamming him down against the ground, before Ross used his weight to knock him off.
Colin face planted the grass…
“I’m really getting pissed now, Ross…” he growled out, but Ross’s beast plonked its backside down on his back and made him eat grass again.
Colin was almost certain that he heard Ross’s wolf snigger like a damn hyena.
“Just stay down until your beast calms within you or until we find your mate- whichever is sooner.” Benjamin growled out.
“Let the damn vampire find my mate?” Colin growled out, trying to push up on the palms of his hands.
“Yes.”
“No!” Colin roared out in anger, pushing up hard and shooting the wolf off.
Colin wasn’t about to wait for Ross to come back at him one more time. He sprung up onto his feet and took off after the vampire.
Benjamin tackled him in mid stride, bringing him down from behind like a wounded Gazelle, and Colin ended up with another mouthful of grass…
“I’m not a damn cow, I don’t chew grass…” he roared, elbowing the alpha in the ribs with all of his might, and being rewarded with the sound of the thud as Benjamin was knocked free…
Back up and running again, Colin almost made it to the tree line; when he felt the hard bite of fangs sink into his backside- he let out one hell of a roar at both the indignity of being bitten in the ass, and the pain of fangs meeting flesh, as it shot through him- and he jumped in place with the wolf’s teeth still firmly attached to his jeans…
“Get off my ass!” He roared out into the virtual silence of the woods…
CHAPTER THREE
~
Harley heard the roar of pain that was closely followed by the words- get off my ass- and managed to trip over a branch that some damn tree had carelessly shed for her to find. She felt herself falling and thrust out her hands to lessen the impact, but never made it that far. Two hands grasped her and wrenched her back onto her feet…
Somewhat relieved but thoroughly startled; her head snapped around and her eyes locked onto Barker’s grinning face…
“Going somewhere?” he teased her with his melodic tones and his laughing eyes.
“Where have you been?” Harley bit out, panting like a wildling. “I was attacked by a damn Lycan.”
“When you say attacked?” Barker challenged her. Narrowing his eyes and giving her a knowing look…
“Not so much attacked- as I can take care of myself,” she started to rethink; as she brushed his hands off of her body with a quick slap, and straightened her clothes, “but the thing did come at me.”
He thought that sounded more plausible than a Lycan male attacking his mate- without being rogue. He took a moment to show her that he was thinking about that…
“I swear, it’s true…” Harley knew that she could play fast and loose with the truth when she deemed it necessary, but this was no word of a lie. The man meant to do her harm, of that she was sure.
“As you see it,” Barker offered back.
Harley took a quick step away, turning her body around towards him, and giving him her full and undivided attention. Then she placed her hands on her hips and raised just one eyebrow, questioning him.
“And how the hell else would you see a Neanderthal coming at you with wild eyes and a strange look on his face?” She demanded.
“Perhaps he had good reason?” Barker asked, questioning her with his eyes once more.
“He’s a mental mutt,” she waved a hand in the air and shot him a look of disbelief, unsure what he’d been drinking, but after the day that she’d had; she thought she might like some.
“Unlucky for you then,” Barker chuckled like a man who had a secret to tell, and she didn’t like it.
“If that’s your idea of consoling a woman who gets attacked in the woods… well,” she waved that hand again, this time with more indignity than was entirely necessary.
She’d dealt with the wolfman, easily so, but another, more unsuspecting woman who didn’t have magic to help her out wouldn’t be so lucky…
“I’m sure you handled yourself with…” Barker looked towards the clouds for the right word.
“Kickass witchiness of the very painful kind,” she smirked.
“Over the top reaction that was disproportionate to the situation at hand.” He offered back and she scowled at him.
“I was attacked!” Her hands went back to her hips again. “And by a wolf!”
“He was in wolf form?” Barker asked and she scowled harder.
“Well… no,” she gave him that one.
“Then you weren’t attacked by a wolf,” he offered with a smug smile.
“As bloody well good as!” She snapped out. “Has everyone lost their damn minds today? You’re arguing semantics with me- when the important thing is that I was attacked…” she tossed her hands up in the air and let them drop to her sides.
“I thought you said you weren’t attacked?”
“I… he came at me, and I threw a tree at him-”
“Harsh,” Barker chuckled.
“Harsh?” Harley shrieked, “bloody harsh?” She demanded an answer with her eyes as they bore holes into the man’s head. “Have you been inhaling again?”
“Drugs are evil and bad and I left all of that behind me in the seventies…” he raised his index finger and wagged it at her.
“The eighteen seventies,” she hissed back. “I thought you said that the pack kept themselves to themselves.”
“They do tend-”
“Oh, tend, is it now?” Her hands were back on those shapely hips again, and with an unimpressed look on her face to boot. The fact that there was the look of murder in her eyes had Barker thinking that it might be time to come clean. “Well, it wouldn’t appear so in this case, now would it?”
“And I can assure you that there’s a very good reason for that-”
“Yeah,” she choked out on a cackle of disbelief. One arm came out and she pointed back the way that she’d come, “that mutt is nuts!”
“Then the two of you should be very happy together,” Barker offered just as she was going to launch into another tirade.
Her mouth opened, her brow furrowed, and if he wasn’t dead already he might have been very worried buy the look in her eyes.
“Are you saying I’m in anyway insane?” She demanded.
&nb
sp; “I am!” Colin growled out as he stumbled into the clearing… Ross’s wolf still attached to his backside, and Benjamin following on behind him rolling his eyes and muttering curses all the way.
Harley gasped in recognition and thrust her hand out towards him again. This time she didn’t fire a shot of her magic at him, but instead she pointed an accusing finger.
“That’s him,” she exclaimed to Barker.
“You don’t say,” he offered back, folding his arms across his chest, and looking a lot more relaxed than she’d like him to be.
“Get him!” she sounded if as she was trying to sic her dog on him, and when Barker raised just one eyebrow and regarded her with a look that said he was less than impressed, she scowled back at him.
“Do I have to do everything myself?” she hissed.
“I’d say yes, as this really isn’t something I want to get in the middle of,” Barker shrugged his broad shoulders.
“I thought you were going to protect me?” she demanded. Her hands going to her hips once more.
“Not from him, I’m afraid.” Barker shrugged again.
“And why the hell not?” She hissed in disbelief.
“I don’t get between mates.” Barker knew it would come as something of a shock to her, and he was right. Her body went rigid, her mouth fell open, and she let out a long hissing breath as if someone had deflated her balloon.
“Don’t you run from me again,” Colin saw the look on her face. First shock, then realisation, and then a wide eyed startled doe look that said she was a runner.
Colin tried to shake his brother off of him, but Ross’s wolf held on with his vice like jaws.
“She’s a runner,” he growled.
“Am not,” Harley screwed up her face in disbelief.
“She’s a fighter,” Barker muttered. He knew Harley, and the women could probably be drawing her last breath and still zap the hell out of you.
“Who’s she, the cat’s mother?” Harley sneered at Barker and the vampire’s lips bowed upwards in a smug smile.