by M. L. Briers
He’d heard the new guy’s truck eating up the track road behind him and hadn’t bothered to turn around. Dexter’s pack seemed to be slowly shaping into a bunch of misfit alpha types, and Jacob was no exception.
The man had alpha stamped all over his personality – he also had rogue, or as close to it as Connor wanted to see.
Yet another reason to stick to Vicky like glue.
‘Dexter – you need to get the vampire the hell away from there…’ Jacob growled into the pack’s link, and he saw the alpha’s head snatch a look in his direction…
‘Wanna tell me why?’
Dexter’s request shook Jacob to his core. He hadn’t ever expected to say the words – he certainly hadn’t expected to say them in that situation for the first time.
‘I found my …’ he swallowed hard at the thought of it.
The enormity was a little overwhelming…
‘Mate?’ Dexter’s tone sounded hesitate, as if the man didn’t really want to hear those words just as much as Jacob didn’t want to say them.
‘Yeah …’ He said, almost breathing a sigh of relief that he’d never really had to form the word with his own voice…
‘Witch?’
‘Yeah…’
There was a long pause – at least it felt like forever to Jacob as he waited for the alpha’s response.
‘Problem?’
‘She’s been injured. Deep bear claw gouges on her body…’
‘Then it seems to me, Jacob, you’re gonna need the vampire.’
“Oh, don’t tell me …” Connor groaned and snatched Dexter’s attention away. “I’m guessing that constipated look on your face means that our newest member of the community has a witch problem…”
Dexter eyed the vampire for a long moment… The man had an uncanny knack of knowing things … either that or he was reading minds again…
“Witch?” Vicky’s interest piqued…
“Behave yourself…” Connor offered back.
“I did nothing…” Vicky scowled at her mate.
“Yet…” Connor offered back, raising his hand and pinching his thumb and forefinger together… “The word is … yet.”
“Ok, well, yet … there … happy?” She planted her feet and placed her hands on her hips, and Connor groaned inwardly as he muttered to himself… “What’d he say?” She scowled at Dexter and the big man held his hands up to his chest.
“Not a damn chance that am I getting in between you two psycho’s…” The alpha grumbled. “Jacob’s mate is injured – I’ll put him down and you fix her…”
“Not even a please…” Connor gave a sour look to his mate. “Did you hear? Just the expectation that I’m a walking blood bank…”
“A cure all…” His mate teased as her eyes flashed with amusement.
“Medicine man…” He grumbled, folding his arms across his chest and turning towards the truck as it skidded to a halt.
“Please …” Dexter started for the truck… “Get your damn backside over here and help my pack.” Dexter growled.
“When you ask that nicely…” Connor grumbled.
The moment that Jacob stepped out of the truck – he was swept up in the air and let out one hell of a roar of anger. But flying through the air backwards across the field didn’t leave him much scope for anything else…
“Clocks ticking…” Vicky announced as she took to inspecting her nails.
CHAPTER THREE
~
Dexter grumbled down a growl as he shook his head. His own mate, Isobel was chuckling to herself at the witch’s meddling, but Connor was already inside the truck – biting down on his hand as he opened the woman’s mouth and fed her his blood…
A heartbeat later and the vampire was sailing through the air, backwards, and with such a surprised look on his face that his mate roared with laughter…
He hit the ground with a hard thud and a grunt of annoyance – immediately springing back up to his feet and turning with a look of pure disbelief towards his mate…
“This is funny to you?” He asked.
“I’d say it’s Karma … I zap her mate and she zaps you…” Vicky shrugged just one shoulder… “Speaking of her mate…”
Jacob was running hard and fast back towards his truck. The rumble of a deep warning, miffed off growl that got louder the nearer that he got to the truck, and warned them all to be on their guard.
The man wasn’t just miffed off – they knew that the beast would be all claws and fangs ready – and he was, both were out and looking to kill someone.
Connor was in front of his mate in a heartbeat, and Dexter had already put Isobel behind him…
“Do you ever get the feeling that you miss most of the good bits…?” Isobel sighed as she turned to look at Vicky…
“That’s why I do this…” She zapped Connor’s backside and the man jumped in place, but she didn’t care because she was already sidestepping him to get a better look at Jacob as the man made a beeline for the open door on the back of the truck…
A heartbeat later and the shifter was flying backwards through the air once more; as the cautious witch on the backseat zapped first and asked questions later.
“Okay, sister …” Vicky called, pushing out with her magic until she found that of the newcomers. “You’re not in the hostile zone now.”
“Says you…” Connor offered down to his mate…
“I haven’t forgotten that you muttered something about me and I will find out what it was.” Vicky assured him with a smug grin.
“I look forward to you trying…” Connor offered back with something of a smirk on his lips…
“You can come out of the truck. Nobody here is going to hurt you,” Isobel said; craning her head on her neck around her mate’s broad shoulders to get a better look at what was going on. Dexter moved accordingly to block her view again. “Seriously?” She hissed at his back.
“You’re my mate…” Dexter growled back over his shoulder…
“That’s not my fault,” Isobel said and he did a double take over his left shoulder at the smirk that she offered him. “And while I am appreciative of the nice, taut backside of yours, I suggest you move it or lose it.”
“Vicky…” Connor sighed. “Stop teaching the native your ways…”
“She’s a quick study, and it makes life so much more interesting, don’t you think?” Vicky grinned.
“No,” both men offered together.
“Spoil sports…” Vicky shrugged, turning her head at the sight of Jacob stalking back towards his truck.
She was ready for round two.
His chin was down near his chest and there was still that deep grumble of a growl rolling through him.
Lily’s head popped up over the front seats. She noted the shifter who was stalking back towards her, fangs down, claws out, and she eyed him with a whole heap of mistrust.
“I’m not going to hurt you…” Jacob growled…
“You might want to try that without your fangs,” Vicky called.
Jacob stopped mid stride. His beast was reacting to a lot of different factors, but the damn vampire being around his mate was the first one on his list that he’d like gone.
“Get him the hell out of here then…” Jacob flicked a look back over his shoulder at the vampire.
“That’s gratitude for you,” Connor shrugged.
“You don’t do it for the grateful thanks, you do it because it’s right,” Vicky leaned in and teased him.
“A little thanks would be nice…” Connor shrugged a shoulder.
“Well, boo-hoo, and suck it up,” she whispered back and got a devilish grin from him for her troubles.
She liked that look a lot.
“Why don’t you all go away?” Lily bit out. “Except him.” She pointed a finger at the vampire and watched the man frown long and hard.
“She either has a thing for vampires or she knows you,” Vicky offered to the deep sound of a warning growl from Jacob.
/>
“This might not end so well …” Dexter offered his words to Connor as he kept a close eye on Jacob, “for you.”
Lily had raised her head because she’d felt the magic that came from one of those woman and she’d heard the female voices. She’d hoped to see Chelsea standing there.
If she hastened a guess then she’d have to say that the vampire was Connor – but, she couldn’t be sure. The fact that she wasn’t in town anymore – had been tossed into the back seat of some wolfman’s truck and taken to the middle of nowhere didn’t bode well – unless that was Chelsea’s friend…
“Have we met?” Connor asked.
He’d been living back on the mountain for so long that he thought it highly unlikely, but he had to ask.
“Better not have…” Jacob growled.
He was fisting his hands at his sides, and trying to push his beast back in its cage, but it seemed to be getting harder to do the more the wolf poked its head above the surface.
He resented the intervention of the vampire in healing his mate. It was irrational, because her rapid recovery was assured, but the fact that she now seemed to favour the man above him only worsened the problem.
“You’re Connor…?” Lily asked.
“Oh, look. Your reputation proceeds you,” Vicky shot him a barbed look and the man shrugged his shoulders.
“Well, I am … me,” he offered back with a small helpless shrug off his shoulders and a whole lot of smugness about him.
“I came to find Chelsea…” Lily said, and the recognition hit all of their faces, except Jacob’s.
“If you get out of the truck I’ll give her a call,” Connor offered back.
“Strategic positioning,” Lily offered back.
She wasn’t about to give up the relative safe nook that she’d found herself in without a damn good reason. It wasn’t confirmed that the vampire was Connor yet, and she didn’t like the way that the shifter was looking at her – fangs and claws down – and he had a look about him that said he wasn’t sure if she was a tasty snack to be had or not.
“No one wants to hurt you…” Jacob started forward once more…
“You’re going the right way to get bounced again,” Lily warned him and he stopped in place once more.
“Tell her…” Isobel urged.
“Tell me what?” Lily asked, looking for answers from the shifter to Isobel and back again…
“Now’s not a good time…” Jacob bit out.
“Trust me, it’s never a good time,” Vicky offered with a small chuckle of disbelief.
“Tell me what?” Lily pressed again, this time towards Vicky.
“Oh, it’s not my news to deliver…” Vicky shot a look at Jacob and the man’s top lip twitched with annoyance.
“When do witches stop meddling?” Jacob growled.
“When wolves step up and own it,” Vicky shot back.
It didn’t feel right. It sat heavily inside of his chest and stomach, and his tongue felt like sandpaper.
Mine… His beast didn’t seem to have a problem saying the word.
“I’d much rather you told me the name of the bear that hurt you so I can rip his head off…” Jacob growled long and hard at the thought of having that bear on the end of his fangs and claws…
“Well, that’s deflecting…” Connor muttered to the sound of his mate chuckling.
There were a few things that Lily really hated in life and being kept in suspense was one of them – it was almost as bad as being the last to hear the news that everyone else already seemed to know about, and a decided hatred of clowns, but she didn’t think the shifter was about to pull out a pair of baggy trousers, big floppy feet and a bright red nose...
Just say it…
Whatever the heck it is spit it out…
It can’t be worse than…
“Oh – my – Goddess.” Lily’s eyes went as wide as saucers and she lifted a hand and pointed an accusing finger at Jacob… “You’re my … mate!”
CHAPTER FOUR
~
Silence hung heavily in the air around them; as three witches held their collective breath for his response, and the other two males waited in amusement for the man – who looked like his world had just fallen down around his ears – to say something.
Jacob managed to grumble, growl, and try his best to formulate a response…
“No, I’m not!” Jacob finally rushed out on a hard breath and with a shake of his head that was reminiscent of his bear…
Lily dropped her hand and snatched her head back on her neck in embarrassed surprise…
“You’re not?” She looked a little shell-shocked by that. “Then why would you care who did…?”
“You sure you’re not – sparky?” Dexter put in…
“Fifty – fifty – call a friend?” Connor added as their mates sniggered behind their hands.
“Well, no I’m …” He looked from the group to his mate… “You’re my mate…” He offered on a scowl and with a depth to his tone that sounded like Barry White on steroids – lots of steroids.
“There’s a difference?” Isobel chuckled.
Lily opened her mouth to speak, but she bit that thought off on a huff as she twisted her head and regarded him with a curious look.
“I’m the male…” Jacob frowned. “I’m supposed to do the claiming…” he said, puffing out his chest and making it look so much wider.
“I wasn’t claiming,” Lily shot back without even having to think about her response.
“Well … good,” Jacob looked a little more than confused. He looked like he wanted to shift and run for his life…
“Not good … it still means that you’re my mate…” Lily bit back with a look in her eyes that said he might just have sprouted another head, maybe some clown feet and a bright red nose.
“You’re my mate…” Jacob offered back and Lily huffed again.
“There’s no difference!”
“No!” Jacob growled in a sort of agreement that left her more than frustrated…
“Then where’s the damn problem?” Lily shot back.
“It’s a male pride thing…” Connor assured her.
“I don’t need your advice…” Jacob growled at the vampire.
“That wasn’t advice – it was an observation, but you did need my blood…” Connor said and Lily made a sound like she was going to be sick…
“Don’t remind me…” She grumbled.
“That wasn’t my fault,” Jacob offered her his sympathy. “I came to get the witches help…”
“Hmm … let’s see, vampire blood or chanting … chanting or vampire blood…” Connor held up his hands and weighed the options – then he tossed an imaginary option over his shoulder… “Vampire blood wins every damn time.”
“Not in my book,” Jacob growled.
“Mine either,” Lily scowled.
“Oh look, you agreed on something … congratulations,” Connor teased. “There’s the basis for a good mating…”
“Mating…” Lily scowled at the thought of it…
“I don’t think vampire blood is something I want to use to woo my mate … it’s not exactly a mood maker…” Jacob growled.
“Mood maker?” Lily bit out, blinking twice.
“You’d be surprised…” Vicky offered with a smirk towards her mate that Connor more than responded too.
“Well, is it that time already?” The vampire was in front of his mate, snatching her up into his arms in a heartbeat…
“Aren’t you doing your father of the mountain, guard the virgin until mated type thing?” Vicky teased…
“Virgin!” Lily exclaimed…
“I hardly think she’s a virgin…” Jacob growled…
“What the hell is that supposed to mean?” Lily’s voice was shrill enough to make all three men wince…
“Nothing…” Jacob looked like he needed to retreat and take his paw out of his mouth.
“Well, obviously it meant something
,” Lily shot back.
“It’s just …” he swallowed hard. “You’re a little old to be a virgin.” He muttered the last part and was gracious enough to offer a grimace to go with it.
“How old do you think I am?” Lily demanded.
“Please don’t ask me that…” Jacob grumbled.
He was already in trouble with his mate – he wasn’t about to make it worse by wrongly guessing her age – that wasn’t a trap that he wanted to walk into; given the circumstances.
“Coward…” Lily muttered.
“Twenty five!” Jacob snapped back, rallying to the challenge from his mate, and when Lily gasped, “twenty four…” he rushed out.
“I…” she shook her head…
“Twenty three…”
“Let’s have a round of applause for the wolf who can count backwards…” Connor announced to another warning growl from the man, and a very dark glare…
“Twenty…” Jacob nodded, hoping that she’d be happier that time, although, he did think that was an underestimation, but he’d be damned if he was going to say it.
“Twenty two…” Lily offered him a look that said she was debating whether to skin him alive or not.
“I was close…” He offered, tossing up a shoulder, and looking a little sheepishly at her from underneath his eyebrows.
“To getting zapped…” She grumbled back.
Jacob straightened to his full height. He’d taken the bait and put his other paw in his mouth, and he only had another two to go.
“Tell me about the bear…” he growled.
He wanted to hit something and he’d willingly swing for anyone in that moment, but he’d much rather take his aggression out on the bear that had hurt her.
“It had fur…” Lily answered dryly.
“Why are you protecting him?” Jacob demanded.
“Who says I’m protecting him?” She challenged the tone of voice that her mate had offered her.
“Look…” He started to rally, but then he realised that he didn’t even know her name… “What’s your name?”