by M. L. Briers
“Couldn’t – even – give – me – a –damn – lift…” he grumbled and growled as he watched her drive away…
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Vicky was cursing and grumbling for all that she was worth.
Magic wouldn’t help her get the door to the vault open – not when he’d locked the damn thing from the inside and the whole thing doubled as a safe room in case they came under attack…
And whose stupid idea was it to make it a safe room…?
Damn over protective stupid vampire balls – that’s who!
I want in…
She put a hand on either side of the metal door frame and impatiently tapped her fingernails against the wall. She wanted to kill him and know that he was still in one piece at the same time…
Then the door was wrenched open and she took in the sight that befell her…
CHAPTER THREE
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“Snappy, ravenous thing, with huge fangs…” Connor announced with a smirk on his lips and a large book of shadows tucked under his arm.
“I know you are, but what are you doing with Cassandra’s book?” Vicky said.
She knew the book reasonably well. It was a pet project of hers and she liked to scan it in her downtime.
It was part book of shadows and part riddle me this…
“It found me…” Connor offered cryptically.
“You were lost?”
“Funny.”
“I thought so,” Vicky tossed up a shoulder. “Explain.”
“It was this little sucker that was making all that noise,” Connor shrugged and Vicky took a long, deep breath in and slowly let it out.
“The book?”
“Yes.”
“That book under your arm?”
“The very same book,” Connor turned his head to the side and gave her a teasing look…
“Explain – more.”
“It had jumped onto the floor…”
“Jumped?”
“Tossed itself. Tried committing suicide by throwing itself from…”
“Connor!” Vicky bit out.
“I have no clue, my love. It was on the floor, crawling towards…”
“Oh Goddess! Crawling?” Vicky had heard enough.
With a shake of her head she turned on her heels and stalked away from her mate.
Connor rolled his eyes in his head and stepped out into the hallway. He secured the room and followed on after her…
“Sure, get me in trouble with the royal witch-i-ness pain in my…” Connor bit out…
“I can hear you!” Vicky called back over her shoulder.
“Just testing your hearing, my love,” Connor grinned to himself.
His mate was formidable – and he loved it.
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Zana didn’t need help to get where she was going. She didn’t need a map or a photograph of the one that she was looking for – she had her magic and the talisman that the watchers had given her. It hung around her neck and reminded her of its presence in between the swell of her breasts.
Zana tooled the pickup truck along the mountain road and followed her instincts and her magic. The buzz from the talisman was getting stronger, and she knew that she was getting closer to finding him…
She noted the cabins in the distance. Took a sharp turn onto the bumpy, barely there, roadway that had been rudely cut and trampled into the dirt.
She was so damn close that she could almost taste it.
The truck sped along, bumping and jarring from the uneven earth and the suspension that protested in no uncertain terms. She didn’t care about the truck or its owner. It was his penance for killing her bike.
She noted the front door that opened as she drew closer to the first cabin…
Zana dismissed the tall, dark, and handsome shifter that stepped outside into the air and she kept on going … he wasn’t the one…
Her magic pulled her on.
She drove by the next cabin, and the next – and then a damn wolf shot out into her path and she hit the brakes at the same time as she yanked the steering wheel to the left…
Zana cursed hard. She’d somehow managed to miss the wolf by a breath, but she wasn’t best pleased as the truck screeched to a standstill…
“What the hell is it with these shifters…?” she muttered, kicking open the driver’s door and turning in the leather seat to drop down to her booted feet against the earth.
Sword in hand – she eyed the wolf that had stopped in its tracks and turned back towards her…
The talisman between her breasts started to emit a pulsing heat…
“You…” she muttered as she started towards the beast with the red eyes…
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“Witch…” George growled at the scent in the air. His beast was not happy…
The damn witch had almost driven right into him, and the weapon that she was carrying in her right hand said that she wanted more than to just apologise for her mistake…
George’s wolf growled a long, hard warning…
It had the urge to taste the witch upon its fangs, and George couldn’t really argue with that.
After all, his beast was mainly in control now…
CHAPTER FOUR
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“George…” Dexter called out.
The alpha had seen the whole thing unfold before him. He’d seen what he thought was Landon’s truck coming up the road, and he’d seen it sail on by like it had a purpose.
Then he’d seen George’s damn wolf shoot out in front of it and his heart hit his ribs. He still wasn’t sure how the woman had managed to miss the beast…
“My truck…” Landon growled out as he shifted out of his bear and panted in and out as he stalked naked towards the action.
His eyes took in the sight of the witch with the sword, and the wolf…
He just wanted his damn truck back…
“Landon – something you want to tell me?” Dexter said, eyeing the bad mood alpha, and forgoing the usual pomp and ceremony of the man having to ask for his permission to set foot on pack land, considering the circumstances…
“I might kill someone…” Landon growled out. His eyes were fixed on the witch and he was about ready to explode.
No man – shifter or otherwise – wanted to chase their own damn truck up a mountain…
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George growled long and hard at the alpha bear shifter that was stalking towards them with intent in each long stride. His beast was clawing and more than ready to rip the man limb from limb…
“You are the twin – come with me if you want to live…” Zana bit out the warning towards the wolf.
George was confused … momentarily stunned by her words in the middle of a shit storm that was about to happen with Landon…
He eyed the bear shifter, and the closer that he got the more the wolf wanted to rip him apart.
“You!” Landon lifted one large fist and his index finger sprung out and pointed at Zana…
“Back off, bear…” Zana lifted her hand, palm towards the alpha, and she readied her magic.
She didn’t want to kill anymore just yet. That would be messy. She just wanted to get the twin and leave…
“What in hell’s name is…?” Dexter growled out, and George made his move.
The beast rushed forwards on fast, agile paws. Gone was his need to rest – all he wanted now was to kill…
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“I’m not saying that the book grew hands and knees and crawled towards me on the damn floor, but it was dragging itself…” Connor stopped the instant that his mate did.
Vicky took a long moment before she turned towards him, placing her hands on her hips as she went. When she was facing him – she eyed him for a very long moment without speaking…
Connor grew nervous. He knew his mate, an
d he knew when she wasn’t about to suffer fools – or foolishness – lightly.
It was one of those times…
“Dragged?” Vicky repeated.
“Sounds…”
“Implausible…” Vicky raised her eyebrows into a perfect arch that reached upwards for her hairline…
“Fine.”
Connor turned and stalked towards the nearest table where he deposited the book. Then he turned on his heels and stalked back towards her.
“Now what? Is it going to cry?” Vicky asked in a bored tone.
“I have no idea,” Connor shrugged.
Then he grabbed one of her crooked arms, spun her around on her feet, and started away from the book…
One heavy thud later, and both vampire and witch ground to a halt. Vicky turned her head and eyed her mate – the fine hairs on her body stood to attention…
“Do not tell me that…” she stopped talking as her mate shot a look over his shoulder.
“I won’t tell you that the damn book is now on the damn floor…”
“Ghost!” Vicky bit out, turning fast, and eyeing the area around them.
Then she reached for her magic and muttered under her breath as she spelled the area to show any auras that might be present…
“And…?” Connor asked, ready to grab his mate and make a dash for the nearest exit…
“Not a damn thing…” Vicky got no further. The cover of the book flipped back against the stone floor and the pages started to flip … “Ok – that’s happening.”
“Wish it wasn’t…” Connor offered back.
“You and me both…”
“Ghost?”
“Doubtful…”
“Is there any way a book can be haunted?”
“No, but there is a way for the ancestors to be able to manipulate a book of shadows for their own ends…” Vicky hissed like she was in the presence of something much bigger than them.
“I really wished you hadn’t of told me that,” Connor sighed.
“Oh, vamp up,” Vicky hissed.
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George’s wolf snarled a warning at his alpha and Landon; bringing both men to a sudden stop.
“What the hell is wrong with his eyes?” Landon growled towards Dexter and the alpha gave a small shake of his head.
“Not a damn clue…” Dexter admitted.
“He’s an alpha…” Zana announced and both men looked towards her briefly.
“Me too, but my eyes don’t glow red…” Dexter said.
He didn’t like it. He guessed that the witch had done something to the beast, and that wasn’t good in anyone’s book.
“Mine either…” Landon agreed.
“No. He’s a true alpha…” Zana informed them.
“Oh … crap…” Landon eyed the beast as it watched and waited for the man to make a move.
CHAPTER FIVE
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“Myth…” Dexter said.
“You’re looking at that myth…” Zana offered back.
“What did you do to him?” Dexter bit out.
George growled long and hard. He had a need to defend the witch, and he wasn’t entirely sure why.
Something about her called to him. It bypassed the beast’s need to kill, and reached right into the heart of the man…
“It wasn’t me. It happened when he killed his brother and triggered the curse.” Zana said.
She didn’t like wasting time. They should have been gone already.
They needed to get back to the watchers tower before he found them – found the true alpha.
But she thought that getting the wolf’s friends to just let them go might have been an uphill battle, but one that she could mitigate if she explained just enough…
George’s beast was on full alert. He watched for the slightest movement that would indicate that they were going to attack…
He’d kill the both of them if they took just one more step.
Zana moved, one small step at a time towards the wolf. She wore the talisman – in theory – she should be protected.
The wolf was only going to become more and more feral if the watchers didn’t do what they did best and spell the beast. The man had a challenger to meet, a curse to defeat, and he needed to do it soon…
“Why am I not liking the damn sound of this?” Landon asked.
Zana took another step, and another.
It was as if the wolf didn’t care where she was or what she was doing – it was intent on the two alpha shifters…
She reasoned that the true alpha saw them as competition. Maybe, a threat that needed to be neutralised … she could live with that if it got her what she wanted.
Him…
Zana reached out her hand and the instant her fingertips touched the fur of the beast she felt the talisman burn against her flesh…
Zana’s dropped the sword from her hand and reached up to tear the zipper down on her leather jacket. Her flesh was burning white hot and she bit down on the pain with a grunt…
George’s wolf snapped its head around on its neck at the sound of the grunt of pain that came from the witch. His eyes narrowed on her as she reached for what hung on a chain between her breasts, and she ripped it from around her neck…
Zana would normally have flung the item down on the ground – glad for it to be away from her, but she could smell her own flesh had been burnt, and as she held out the talisman, dangling on the chain in mid-air – George’s wolf tossed his head back on his neck and roared…
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“That’s not good…” Connor said, twisting his head on his neck and listening to the sound of the roar from outside the castle.
“No shit, Sherlock …” Vicky tossed up a hand towards the book as it continued to flick the pages – but, that very moment, it stopped…
“Wolf howl…” Connor said.
“I think we’ve got more problems to worry about than that,” Vicky informed him, eyeing the open pages and the depiction that had been drawn there…
Connor turned to look at the book and his eyebrows shot up on his forehead…
“No – damn – way…” Connor bit out.
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George’s beast was mesmerised by the talisman as it swung on the chain in her clenched fist. The wolf grumbled a deep sound within his chest that seemed to get wedged in his throat.
Zana watched as he shifted back into his human form. He was impressive as a wolf, and even more so as a man.
Taller than her by at least a foot. His shoulders spanned wide and were well rounded at the top of his arms with muscles. Biceps that she didn’t think she could span with two hands drew her attention, and a chest that rose and fell with the ridges of pure hard muscle.
His hips were lean, with the V of muscle that pointed downwards to an impressively thick, long, hard length, and she snatched a glance down at the thick muscled thighs, but went right back up again to where his cock was twitching hello…
George’s eyes were focused on that piece of gold that held him spellbound. It was as if he should have known what it was, but he couldn’t for the life of him think as to where he’d seen it before…
“Impressive,” Zana said, and caught George’s attention. He wrenched his eyes away from the talisman and blasted her with the power of a full on feral glare from his jet black eyes. “I only hope it’s enough.”
“Enough for what?” Landon bit out.
He didn’t have a damn clue as to what was going on, but he also wasn’t entirely sure that he wanted to know.
A true alpha?
George?
If it were true then it might not have been good news for the rest of the inhabitants of the mountain…
“He triggered the curse…” Zana shrugged her shoulders.
“You said that already…” Dexter offered back.
“Now he has to fight what’s coming…”
Zana explained, but in the kind of a slow cryptic way that left both alphas frustrated and eager to learn more…
“And what is it exactly that’s coming?” Landon hated to ask.
“Mine…” George bit out on the kind of a growl that sounded more king of the beasts and less wolf, catching all three of them off guard…
He stalked towards her and reached out to snatch the talisman from her hand.
Zana let it go without a fight. She had no use for it anymore, and the man was right – it was his.
“Yes, it is…” she offered back, somewhat certain as she looked at him that she might have known more than he did about his fate.
George looked down at the gold piece in his hand. His eyes glowed red as he stared at the inscription that had been carved into it…
“What is it?” Dexter asked…
“And what the hell is coming?” Landon growled.
“No…” George growled.
His eyes snapped back up to Zana as he gave one emphatic shake of his head. Then he took one large imposing step towards her.
His top lip twitched as he scented the air…
“Mine…” he stated his claim on her.
His jet black eyes locked with hers, and she felt the rush of excitement that was mixed with a whole lot of disbelief go through her body – heating it and ringing some alarm bells within her…
“My mark. My birth right. My mate…” George growled, as he reached out his hand and pointed a thick finger at the mark that had been burned into her skin.
“Oh boy, oh boy, oh boy!” Landon muttered.
The alpha was shaking his head on his neck in disbelief, and he looked every inch his bear.
“You can say that again…” Dexter shot back.
CHAPTER SIX
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“Tell me that I’m having a senior moment and that I’m not seeing what I think I’m seeing, because I really don’t want to be seeing what I think I’m seeing…” Connor rushed out on a grimace, and got an exasperated look from his mate.