by M. L. Briers
“Stay with your sister’s.”Colt cautioned his mate before making a quick getaway before his mate started in on him. He pitied Blake, Nadia wasn’t even his mate and yet she revelled in giving him a hard time and always had.
Neve saw the amount of blood that covered Nadia’s neck and clothes and rushed to her side. Her hands were pulling and tugging her clothes to get a better look and Nadia was trying to slap at her hands to stop the motherly concern. She remembered it only too well from her childhood.
“I’m healed…”She bit out, slapping at her sister like a demented wild thing.
“Colt force fed her.”Natasha seemed to take great pleasure in reminding her sister of the event. With an opened mouthed silent laugh at her expense. Nadia wasn’t impressed, if only she could slap her one…
Natasha jumped and bit out a dark curse as the force of the unseen slap hit her hard. It stung like a bitch and she turned her glare on Neve. Neve shook her head and raised her brows at her sister.
“That was uncalled for.”Natasha pouted and Neve gave a small shrug of her shoulders.
“Don’t tell me, tell her.”She aimed her index finger at Nadia and both the sisters balked at her words.
“What’s that supposed to mean?”Nadia growled out. She’d had just about enough of everyone today.
“You have most of my magic.”Neve turned towards Nadia and saw the confusion within her sister’s eyes. “And Natasha’s too, I’m betting.”Neve added.
CHAPTER EIGHT
“I’m feeling a little odd, but that’s probably because Colt fed me his blood…” Natasha offered and watched as Neve shook her head.
“Nope. The Warlock was draining our magic into Nadia, and from there he would have weakened her to the point of near death and took the whole damn lot from her.”Neve informed them both. Natasha opened her mouth to speak, but she had no idea what she wanted to ask so she closed it again. Nadia wasn’t so accommodating to Neve’s ears. The Warlock had said as much when he held her captive, but she had no idea that was what he had actually done. Hell, she didn’t feel any different. Shouldn’t she feel different?
“Wait. So I do have your magic?”She pointed towards Neve who nodded. “And hers?”She aimed her finger towards Natasha who tossed her a frown. A small smile appeared on her lips and her eyes twinkled with amusement. “Wow.” She offered, her mind already wandering to all the things she might be able to do.
“Well, you’re damned well not keeping it.”Natasha snapped at her and Nadia gave her an old fashioned look.
“But I have it for now, big sister.”The smug look on her face told Neve all she needed to know. Nadia was enjoying this.
“No using it. You can’t control it.”Neve warned her and Nadia opened her mouth to protest and then sighed. Neve was right. Her sister’s powers were a force to be reckoned with separately, but together and joined with her own; they would be uncontrollable for her. The only one of the three of them that could have stood a chance at being able to keep a handle that kind of magic would be Neve, as she was the most powerful of the three.
“Fine. So how do we get them out of me and back in the?” Nadia shrugged. It was a nice idea, being able to do more than she could. Experiencing just a little taste of what she had always longed for, and yet it really wasn’t worth the risk if things went wrong. Although she had enjoyed giving Natasha a taste of her own medicine with the slap, even if she hadn’t realised she’d done it.
“Spell.”Neve offered.
“Spell.”Natasha nodded emphatically.
“Spell.” Nadia sighed.
Colt back flipped over the top of the attacking Werewolf and landed with a certain amount of grace and perfection on the other side of the clearing. He was eager for this night to be over. He had a mate waiting for him and he damn well wanted to bond with her. He’d had his fill of wolf blood on his tongue for one night. He’d much prefer to taste that of his little Fae.
The Werewolf was almost predictable as it turned on fast paws and came back at him. He could see the bloodlust in the beast’s eyes. All that mattered to the damn animal was the kill. Taking a step into the approaching animal’s path he reached out with deft hands, grabbed the wolf around the neck and twisted to the right. The sound of the beast’s neck snapping didn’t fill him with satisfaction. These were just mindless beasts. Where was the fun in that?
Colt’s eyes flicked round the clearing. One down and with the sound of Blake’s snarling beast taking another throat out, another one bites the dust. He could almost hear the Queen anthem playing in his mind as the animal hit the dirt and gave a last gasp for life. But it wasn’t to be.
Blake twisted his head of his neck and listened to the sounds around them. He knew that the Vampire was doing the same thing, but neither of them was hearing anything around them. The woods were silent apart from the usual suspects of the night’s bugs that were far from the beasties they were hunting here tonight.
“Could be over?” Colt offered as Blake’s wolf stared up at him.
‘Alpha, two more down…’ Blake offered and waited for his orders.
‘From what I’m hearing, Blake, it doesn’t sound as if we have many left. We need to set up patrols to take in the whole of our land. Morning is coming, I want the last of them found and taken down.’ Nero growled back at him. The thought of just one Werewolf getting away disgusted him. If the beast left pack land then he would be a danger to Humans and Lycans alike the next time he changed under a full moon.
‘We’ll start at the outer perimeter and work inwards…’ Blake offered.
‘Sounds good. We also need to take a head count, see if anyone if injured or dead.’ That sat badly within Nero’s mind. The thought that they could have lost any member of the pack here tonight, but they would have died defending their family and that was the highest honour a Lycan could attain.
‘Let me take care of it, you should go and see your mate.’ Blake offered.
‘That can wait.’ His Alpha would see to the pack first, knowing his mate was in no danger. Yet Blake couldn’t help but wish that he had that choice to make. That he would have someone there waiting for him to come home. But that wasn’t to be.
Blake shifted into his human form. Colt didn’t have the ability to tap into the Lycan mind, not directly. Lycans weren’t as easy to manipulate as Humans or Fae and without instruction he wouldn’t know what had been decided by the Alpha. Colt had taken a moment to prop up a tree with his shoulder as he waited for the pack to come to a decision. It irked him that he couldn’t pick up on their chatter as easily as he could everyone else’s, but he was used to it.
“Nero wants the pack to start at the outer perimeters and work their way inwards, mopping up any strays along the way. Are you up for the hunt?” Blake knew Colt would be eager to get back to his mate. The Vampires heart hadn’t really seemed to be in last kill that he had made.
“I suppose it would be quicker with my tracking skills.”Colt didn’t sell himself short. He had skills and he generally liked to use them, but right now he would prefer to be using his other skills, his lady skills, his mate skills. The thought brought a slow smile to his lips and he was distracted for only a moment until he heard Blake chuckle and he brought his eyes to the Beta’s.
“I’d say a penny for them, but I really don’t need to be told what you’re thinking about.”Blake didn’t wait for an answer. He turned and strolled off into the woods, shifting back into his wolf and heading for the edge of pack land.
“I still don’t see why I couldn’t keep just a little from each of you. After all, you guys have enough to go round.” Nadia grumbled. She knew why, and yet it was still a wish that remained unfulfilled. All of her life she had wanted to be on an equal footing with her sisters so that they wouldn’t baby her anymore. It was probably never going to happen. Even now they’d both come to her rescue, what were the odds that they wouldn’t rub it in a little?
“We were all given our gifts for a reason and ours was to get you
out of trouble again.”Natasha threw out over her shoulder as she walked to where Neve was standing, mug in hand and her back to the sink as she watched them with indifference. Her mind was on other things. Mainly mating things.
Nadia got to her feet in a rush of annoyance. Yep, there it was. She was just never good enough, which was why she’d moved to this backwater hovel in the first place. Although, she kind of liked this backwater hovel and now that her sister’s were mates to the local supernatural element, she would have to move on again to find her own place in the world.
“I really wished you hadn’t of bothered.” Nadia strolled towards the back door of the kitchen that would get her to some much needed fresh air. The door opened in front of her and the Alpha stood there, naked from the waist up and looking like he’d just gone ten rounds with a pack of hungry wolves, which he had. But his wounds were already healing. Angry red welts covered his upper body and face and dried blood smeared more skin than was clean. Nadia winced.
“Where are you going?”He growled down at her. More wolf in his voice than human and Nadia felt the urge to scream. Why was her world full of protective people who thought her useless?
“Outside for air.”
“Don’t get kidnapped.”Nero tossed down at her and saw the slight clenching of her jaw as she shuffled on her feet. He half expected a mouthful from her, but it didn’t happen. Instead she strolled towards the door with a purpose and he stood aside to allow her to leave.
“Are they all dead?”Neve asked. Placing her mug down on the counter top, she took a moment to take in each and every one of his injuries that she could see as she made her way towards him.
“We believe so.” Nero reached for her and wrapped her inside his arms. It was something he had been longing to do for most of the night. He felt her soft body press against his as her hands flattened against the naked skin of his back and he dipped his head to nuzzle against the mark he had placed in her shoulder. Taking in her scent was like a drug that made everything better again and he really couldn’t get enough of it.
“You need to heal…”Neve didn’t try to pull back. She felt his tension slipping away, his anxiety for the events of the last few days seeping from his body and she wanted that for him.
“I just need a shower. The healing will take care of itself. I still have some things to oversee.” Neve knew what he was talking about. The pack had lost three of their own fighting off the Werewolves and they would need to be prepared for the honouring from their pack and the sending on to the spirit world.
“Let me help you.”Neve offered as was only right. She was his mate and mates took care of each other, especially now when he was mindful of what he had lost. Neve didn’t wait for his response. She slipped her hand into his and started to move back away from him. Reluctantly he allowed her to break the physical contact between them.
“To shower?”Nero couldn’t help the small smile that touched his lips. The thought of having her naked in front of him was more than enough to bring his tired body and mind back to life.
“Among other things.”Neve offered with a wicked grin that even managed to fill her eyes with mischief as she tugged on his hand once to set his feet moving with hers towards where she wanted him.
“Have you seen a wayward Vampire on your travels?”Natasha asked. She was neither deaf nor blind to exactly what her sister had meant, and the thought of mating with her own mate itched in her mind and body.
“He’s right outside the door.”Nero offered. His ears picking up the familiar sound of the Vampires footsteps as Natasha turned to see Colt strolling in. A smile on his lips as his eyes met hers.
“Was someone looking for me?”He teased and saw the flush to his mate’s cheeks. He had a feeling he knew why she was looking for him in that moment and he hoped he wasn’t wrong, because he had waited too long now that he’d found her to have her in his arms again.
“Just cheeking that nobody had managed to kill you off yet.”Natasha offered from under her long dark lashes as she pouted her lips and considered the state of him. Nero looked bad enough, but then he wasn’t wearing clothes that were ripped to shreds and hanging off his body in places. The man looked like he’d been put through a garden shredder.
“Still very, very whole and very horny.”He was in front of her in a heartbeat. He palmed her backside with his hands and had her legs around his hips a moment later. Pressing the length of his hard shaft against her sex he saw the spark of desire sweep across her face as her eyes widened in delight.
“So much for the small talk.”Natasha beamed at him.
“But honey, you said you were a sure thing.”Colt breathed against her neck as he traced the line of her vein with his tongue and felt her shiver around him.
“A girl still likes to be wooed.”Natasha giggled. But her hands were already fisting in his hair, holding him against her neck and revelling in the delicious feel of what just his tongue was doing to her.
“Oh, there is wooing and then there is wooing, and I like to woo.”Colt set off for the upstairs, hard on the heels of the Alpha and his mate.
Nadia saw the wolf make a slow, detailed appraisal of her as he walked from the woods and towards her across the clearing. The beast looked as if he wasn’t sure if he wanted to eat her or ignore her. He was Lycan, not Were. He was far too beautiful an animal to be anything else.
There was no fear or even apprehension within her. She’d know this wolf anywhere, even if she hadn’t seen him like this before. It was in his eyes. The same eyes she’d been looking back at since she first arrived in town.
“Look at you with your big furry butt on display.”She teased. Knowing that if he shifted back into his human form there would be more than that on display for her viewing pleasure. And if he didn’t shift, well then he couldn’t threaten her with words.
Blake padded towards her on large paws. He thought about shifting the moment he had scented her, but his damn clothes were folded up on the porch and he didn’t need any smartarse remarks from her in the meantime. That hadn’t worked, she’d still managed to raise a small gently growled warning from his beast as he came to a halt in front of her and just took her in. She certainly looked better than the last time he’d seen her, covered in blood and with fire in her eyes that was aimed at him.
“Nothing to say for yourself?”She tipped her head to one side and cocked an eyebrow at him. “Makes a change.”She hadn’t expected an answer. But she had to admit, teasing him like this was well worth the world of misery she was sure to get from him later.
Blake went to take a step towards her but she held up her index finger too ward him off. “Stay and might find you a special Scooby snack.” She offered, trying not to allow the grin to spread totally over her face. He growled low and hard and she chalked that one up to a point for her.
Blake could see how much she was enjoying this encounter. He didn’t begrudge her this. The spirits only knew how he’d had to rag on her over the months to keep her in line at his Alpha’s request. He guessed she deserved to get in a little payback. That didn’t mean he had to like it, and his beast was less than impressed.
“Did you do your business in the woods? Because we wouldn’t want you to drop anything stanky on the floor inside…”She saw him take a couple of steps towards her and she spat out a giggle. Maybe she’d gone a step too far. “Ok, enough chatter. Gotta go.”She turned on her heels to make a speedy exit, but Blake was faster. With gentle teeth he nipped her backside and caused her to jump and rub where he’d nipped as she whirled towards him, eyes blazing as she gave him a look of total disbelief.
“Oh, you didn’t just bite my arse!” She declared. Both of them knowing full well that he had. She was sure she could see amusement in those damn wolf eyes of his and the noise he made sounded more like a chuckle than a growl. Nadia gave a long growl of annoyance of her own and saw his ears flicker and twitch as he registered the sound.
Blake took another long step towards her and she backed off. She w
as still rubbing her backside in an absent motion and frowning down at him like a woman scorned. It had just been a little nip, he thought, he could do much better than that if she wanted to challenge him again.
In a heartbeat he’d shifted into his human form. Nadia’s eyes couldn’t do anything else but take in the length of his hard, toned body from head to toe and somewhere in between. And wow, the in somewhere in between was… getting harder by the second under her gaze.
“Don’t even think about it. I know what you Lycans are like. Fighty, bitey and then horny. Go wag your…” She motioned wildly towards his manhood. Now standing hard and proud and swaying with every step he took towards her.
“It’s a penis, Nadia. And don’t flatter yourself.”He growled down at her as he sidestepped her at the last moment and walked towards his clothes. He only allowed the grin to spread over his face once his back was too her. Reaching down for his clothes he yanked his jeans on and groaned inwardly as he tucked his erection away.
“I know what it’s called you moron. I also know what it’s for, I’m not two. I’m just too ladylike…”
“Ladylike! You?” Blake turned towards her. His dark eyes took her in from head to toe in one long appraisal that she felt too her very toes. Heat swept through her body, and it wasn’t just embarrassment from being under such scrutiny.
“Yeah, me.” She put her hands on her hips and glared back at him. She was challenging him with her stance as she tipped her head to one side and regarded him with disdain. “Or do you think I go around looking at men’s dangly bits all the time?” The Fae had a reputation for being fast and loose where everything sex was concerned. Just because they liked to spell naked under the moon, didn’t mean they were having damn orgies every night of the week, and she resented the implication, especially from him.