by M. L. Briers
Then she bit the bullet and spun on her heels back towards him. He was grinning like a smug idiot over his shoulder and she felt the urge to zap him, but she’d already been called out for using her magic once and she knew just how some shifters felt about magic on pack land.
Meredith lifted her chin higher as she started towards him. Her eyes were fixed ahead of her and she heard him give a small sniff just as she drew level with him. She snapped her head around to see one hell of a wolfish grin on his lips, and she almost face planted the ground as she tripped over her own feet, but Wade reached out and caught her – scooping her back towards him…
“This is just not…” she grumbled as she tried to shake free of him.
“You smell real good…” Wade teased as he lifted his face from where he’d buried it against her hair at her neck…
“Butthead.” Meredith grumbled.
The sound of his deep laughter rang in her ears and tapped on her brain as she rolled her eyes to the sky and tried to count to ten to still her heartbeat as it pounded against her ribs.
Blindsided!
Sucker punched … no, wait, that was me.
He still sniffed, damn it.
CHAPTER TWELVE
~
“What does a woman have to do to get a cup of tea around here?” Caroline eyed Jared with a withering stare that tended to have her family running for the kettle.
“Kitchen’s through there…” He nodded with his head towards one of the doors and waited to see what the woman would do.
“I’ll make it then.” Caroline finally muttered after they’d had a minute long standoff.
“I like a woman with a can do attitude,” Jared levied back at her and saw the twinkle of amusement in her eyes.
It was becoming pretty obvious to the matriarch that she wasn’t going to be able to wind this man around her little finger like she could Meredith. She’d need to deploy other tactics, some of which she’d become quite rusty at over the years, when dealing with a man.
Usually, she could play the age card, but he was about her age, and quite spritely with it – so that wasn’t going to work either.
“Jasmine … let’s go…” Caroline said as she set off for what she hoped was the kitchen behind the door that he’d indicated and not some drop off from the mountain into the bowels of hell.
“I’m going to use the bathroom…” Jasmine wanted five minutes to herself. Five minutes of peace and quiet without her grandmother scowling at someone… although, she had to admit that it was something of a bonus that the woman seemed to be doing most of her scowling at her mate.
“Back near the front door…” Jared lifted his hand and motioned as he set off after his mate, and Jasmine was more than grateful to take off in the other direction.
She eyed the front door and thoughts of escaping off on her own just as her mother had filled her mind. She wasn’t even sure why she let her grandmother rope her into a damn trip, and now she was stuck in some sort of elder nightmare with her Gran finding a mate and all that implied…
She wasn’t entirely sure how she felt about that either. In truth, she should have been glad for her Gran finding love at her age … should have been happy that her mother might finally get to have a life that didn’t revolve around the matriarch of the family … and yet, if her grandmother did accept the mating then she’d have to live miles away from them…
That too should have been a good thing. No constant nagging about her life … no interfering in it … no calling her damn boss and getting her time off when she knew nothing about it, oh, she did not want to face the man when she got home. But her Grandmother had always been a part of her everyday life – more like a second mother, and she wasn’t entirely sure how she felt about losing her to the pack.
It’s good for Gran and I should be doing a happy dance … shouldn’t I?
No more withering stares and snarky comments about my choices from clothes, to hair, to men, to spells …
No more taking over – like calling my boss and getting me time off to go on this – nightmare – road trip…
No more … being there when I need her.
Oh, it’s not like there aren’t phones and cars … she’s not moving to the moon … just the mountains …
Look on the bright side … I can come visit and have a free holiday!
Gran will be happy and looked after…
Mum might just find a life for herself…
Why does that thought not fill me with the soft and fluffies?
I’m being selfish!
Jasmine eyed the room behind her and on finding it empty; she carried on to the front door and yanked it open … she stopped dead in her tracks.
Six foot something, and as wide as the damn doorway … the man might just have to turn sideways to get those broad shoulders of his inside the house. She could see the defined muscles of his chest beneath the shirt that clung to him in all of the right places, and then her eyes took a slow walk up towards his face…
Damn, that’s all good too!
He had the bluest eyes that she had ever seen. They were like a clear blue summer sky and were staring right back at her with curiosity, surprise, and what felt as if; he was trying to see into her very soul.
Ruggedly handsome with a thick dark stubble that wrapped around his face and reached up by his ears to meet his hair, and with one of those square jaws that looked like it was carved out of granite…
Yep, very, very, all good.
Sam tipped his head to one side and regarded the unexpected treat at the front door with curiosity. He could feel the magic coming from her in the air all around him – as if it had reached out and wrapped itself around his body – small electrical charges just tingling against his skin…
His wolf growled long and hard at the intruder in its domain, and yet he could also feel the curiosity of his beast and it matched his own. It probably had something to do with the reaction that she’d caused within him…
His stomach had pitched like he was on a rollercoaster at the sight of her, and it wasn’t just the surprise of her being there. His muscles had tensed when he’d sensed her magic, and the moment that he’d looked into her eyes; his length had sprung to life and hardened in his jeans…
“Talk about the wolf at the door!”
Jasmine had tried to make it sound as disrespectful as possible, after all, he’d scared the hell out of her by just appearing like that, and yet – she heard a little breathless appreciation in her own tone and hoped to the Goddess that he hadn’t picked up on it too.
“Careful – this wolf bites…” His tone said growly, moody wolf, but his eyes said playful.
“Well, don’t try to impress me with the size of your … fangs … I’ve probably seen bigger.”
Jasmine lifted her hands and shooed him backwards like he was an unwanted pet. His wolf grumbled within him, and he didn’t appreciate it much either. Although, he kept that growl all to himself.
“I really don’t need to feel the magic in the air to know you’re a witch…” he offered, not moving one step to get out of her way.
“I don’t need to smell the wet fur to know you’re a wolf,” she offered back, and that time; she folded her arms just under her pert breasts and tipped her head slightly to one side as she made a stand.
“Not right now I’m not, but keep up with the attitude…” Sam warned her, but it was somehow half-hearted. He didn’t know what it was that had him captivated by her, but he kind of liked it.
“Oh, I have an attitude?”
“I find it a problem with your kind…”
“I didn’t know one size fit all…”
“Snarky, check. Precious, check. Irrational, check…”
“Yeah, but at least I don’t go around peeing up trees and howling at the moon…” She tossed back at him with a small sneer.
“And there’s that attitude again…” He offered back, looking like he had a sour taste on his tongue.
�
��How about some irrationality?”
Before he could answer; she nodded her head and he felt the hard pain shoot through his thumb as if he’d just hit it with a hammer. He jumped in place, more out of surprise that she could be that dumb as to attack him with her magic, and he bit down on the low growl that rolled through his broad chest…
Her eyes were smiling back at him; even if her lips weren’t.
“I’m not sure if you’ve got balls of steel or you’re as dumb as they come…”
“Both male traits and probably one’s that you have in abundance.” She offered back.
“Weren’t you leaving?” He growled.
“Weren’t you getting out of my way?” She shot back.
Sam felt the urge to give her a piece of his mind, but his beast warned him off. She wasn’t a part of his pack, but she was on pack land which meant that she should have shown some respect to the ways…
‘Wade, is there a good reason why I can’t eat the little witch at your house?’ He growled into the pack’s link…
‘She’s my daughter…’ Wade growled back.
Sam’s eyes widened and he almost swallowed his tongue at that admission. His mind spun like a twister.
Wade had a daughter?
A witch daughter?
When the hell did that happen?
Sam scented the air … he couldn’t find the fur beneath her skin – not even a dormant measure of it behind the scent of Fae – but what he did find shocked the hell out of him…
Mine…
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
~
Caroline was used to getting her way by nefarious tactics that usually always worked with Meredith and others, but as Jared sat on one of the tall kitchen stools and eyed her like a wolf eyeing a bunny, while she pottered around the kitchen looking for the sugar, tea bags, and cups to make the brew – she had to wonder just how much she could actually get away with - with a man like that if she needed to.
It wasn’t as if she played on her age without good reason. Meredith had started to treat her differently once she’d reached sixty, and at first it had annoyed her because she didn’t want to be reminded that she was getting older, but then it had become easier not to fight against it and to allow herself to slow down a little – let Meredith take some of life’s weight from her shoulders … then it had just become the norm.
She didn’t think the man who was eyeing her so thoughtfully now had slowed down much in his advancing years …
Advancing years! She thought.
Senior citizen … old age … I think I got old before my time…
Now look at me … I’ve found myself a man … oh, but not just any man – this one is supposed to be my mate – the love of my life – what life do I have really have left…?
My twilight years – the golden years – ha! Golden my backside.
That’s not fair!
Why didn’t fate send my split apart to me when I didn’t have a dodgy hip and when I had better eyesight with which to appreciate him?
When we were both in our damn prime to enjoy it?
What do I have to look forward too?
It’s not like I’m going to get buck naked and run through the damn heather with him chasing me!
Wouldn’t that be a sight to see? He’d more than likely run the other way or reach for the iron!
Look at him sitting there all manly man – why do women crumble – sliding downhill – and yet men look perfectly fine in comparison?
Silver wolf indeed!
Beady little eyes on me at every turn, and I’m sure he just took a good hard look at my backside … definitely a wolf.
Keep looking – wolfman – I got each and every wrinkle for a damn good reason!
“Want me to help you?”
Jared could see the wheels turning behind her eyes. It wasn’t hard to deduce from the sour expressions that she kept pulling what she was thinking about.
“Now you ask? When I’ve just managed to find everything.” Caroline snorted her contempt for his lame attempt to be helpful.
“I thought females liked to be left alone in a kitchen to get the feel of it…” Jared offered back with a small snort and an even lamer shrug off just one shoulder.
“You’ll get the feel of the bump on the back of your head in a moment if you’re not careful.” She offered back, cutting him a withering look, and noting the way his eyes narrowed on her.
“I think you mean that…”
“Nice to know that you’re not totally vacant in the space between your ears.” Caroline muttered back.
“I have almost perfect hearing by human standards.” He grumbled back with a small scowl at her.
“But lacking in other areas.” She didn’t change the level of her voice, nor the tone, and she heard him grunt in reply.
“I can assure you that there is something that works perfectly well…” There was a glint of amusement within his eyes when her head circled around on her neck to eye him with wide eyes…
“Ouch…” she grumbled at the sudden pain in her neck.
“You on the other hand seem to be falling apart,” he grumbled back.
“Nothing wrong with my hearing either.” She offered him back a well perfected death glare as she walked the cups towards him and made sure that she slammed his down in front of him a little harder than was necessary.
“Why don’t we call a truce?” He offered, and she eyed him with suspicion. “After all, you’re my mate…”
“Don’t rub it in, the wound is still festering.” She snapped back.
“What’s so wrong with finding your mate?” He scowled again.
“It would depend on the mate, I suppose…” she offered back with total and complete innocence in her tone. He didn’t buy it. Her eyes told a different story.
“I suppose your right…” he eyed her back.
“You can’t make a silk purse out of a sow’s ear…” she offered before lifting the cup to her lips and gently blowing the steam…
“Don’t be so harsh on yourself. I’m sure you have a few good qualities.”
Caroline stopped mid blow and full pucker. She eyed him over the top of the tea cup for a very long moment. Then she twitched her nose and his tea cup jumped up from the side and spilled the hot liquid in his direction…
He certainly moved off the stool faster than she would have given a man of his age credit for … and yet, the hot liquid had still managed to splatter his lap right across his erection… In a heartbeat; he had those jeans down around his ankles – happy that he’d acted fast enough for the tea not to touch his skin in any meaningful way.
“Oooo, you should watch that clumsiness,” she warned, averting her eyes from his lower body, “that could have been very nasty…”
Jared’s head snapped up and his eyes took her in.
Oh, she might have looked the epitome of concerned, but those laughing eyes of hers told another story … and one he didn’t much care for.
Damn witch almost got my jewels!
“Jared!” Sam exclaimed as he stalked into the kitchen behind his mate.
“Oh … my … God!” Jasmine announced, trying to look anywhere but at the half naked elder with his jeans around his ankles.
“He had a little accident…” Caroline announced with a certain amount of glee in her voice.
“I did not have an accident it was all you…!” Jared shot back, but she pretended not to hear him.
“I think he wet himself…” Caroline whispered that one word…
Jasmine slapped her hand over her mouth and chuckled against her palm. She knew that look on her grandmother’s face. The woman had definitely been up to her tricks again…
“Jared … dude … sorry, man…” Sam looked uncomfortable at the thought and tried to appear sympathetic at the same time.
Jared’s eyes darkened as he stared back at his mate. He was contemplating the best way to end her. Kill her dead, and to enjoy it while it lasted…
&nbs
p; When the beta’s words sunk in; he snapped his head around on his neck and eyed the man with contempt.
“I did not piss my pants!” He growled.
“You say tomato…” Caroline innocently rolled her eyes towards the ceiling.
“I say you’re a witch by name and a witch by nature!” Jared growled back.
His eyes snapped towards Jasmine as she tried to curb the laughter – her eyes were widening the longer that she tried to keep it inside – she spat out a chuckle and slapped her hand tightly over her lips … snorting like a pig… little teardrops gathered in the corner of her eyes…
“How can you be so heartless when the old man’s had an accident?” Sam’s lips were quirking too as he stared down at his mate and she turned her eyes up towards him…
“I did not have an accident!” Jared growled.
“You did it on purpose?” Caroline offered with mock surprise. Then she looked at the beta and shrugged.
“You did this to me…!” Jared growled out in frustration…
“So you’re saying that you wet yourself with excitement?” She asked as her eyebrows reached up for her hairline.
“He’s certainly excited about something,” Sam said, taking in the man’s hard length.
“Oh my God you made me look,” Jasmine said as she turned away. “I need mind bleach.”
“There’s nothing wrong with a naked body…” Jared growled at Jasmine…
“Depends if it needs ironing or not…” Caroline offered as she went to blow her tea again. She was back to looking innocent once more.
Sam and Jasmine both spat out a chuckle …
“Or in your case a steam press….” Jared offered back and she sneered at him.
“At least I don’t wet myself,” she tossed back.
“Yet!” Jared growled. “And neither did I.” He grumbled.
“I really need not to be seeing this…” Jasmine said as started for the back door.
“Wait!” Sam growled out, starting off after her…
“Why? You people are nuts…” Jasmine shook her head and she reached for the handle of the back door and found his body in front of it before she could make that connection…