by M. L. Briers
“Not that scent – the feminine essence of your body.” Landon offered again and Connor turned to stare at him in disbelief.
“Excuse me?” Gemma’s eyes went wide, and he thought he saw her squeeze her inner thighs together… it was subtle, but it happened.
“Not that essence…” He growled again and watched as she lifted just her left eyebrow in a nice arch that he’d like to follow with his fingertip as she laid beside him in the bed after they’d been mating for a few hours…
“Is there something wrong with his brain?” She inclined her head towards the alpha as she eyed the vampire.
“Quite possibly.” Connor bit out dryly as he rolled his eyes and sent an elbow skidding off of the alpha’s ribs.
“Watch it, Vampire. I don’t think my fist agrees with your jaw, but I’m willing to find out.” Landon bit out.
“As dumb as a can of beans and violent to boot, oh joy.” Gemma folded her arms across her chest and eyed the shifter with disdain.
“And your mate.” Landon reminded her, and he watched that one arched brow as it drew right down over her eyes along with the other one…
Nope, she didn’t look at all happy.
“Stop saying that. I’m still hopeful that you’re delusional.” Gemma bit out.
“I’m not.” Landon assured her gruffly.
“Had many mates?” She asked.
“No-” He bit back.
“Then how do you know?”
“I know.” His tone got deeper, gruffer, and Connor went to elbow him a warning again, but he snapped his head around and growled a warning of his own at the vampire…
“I was just saying…” Connor offered with a shrug.
“Don’t.” Landon barked back.
“Got it.” Connor shrugged again.
“So, you have no history with other mates to be certain…” Gemma offered – trying to buy some time until her brain came out of shock and she could think her way clearly to being rid of this situation without having to kill the man…
“No.” Landon scowled.
His patience was already at an all time low. First his beast and then the vampire had annoyed him, and now he was faced with wooing his mate – or trying to – and in front of a sarcastic damn vampire… “Yes.” He added.
“Which is it?” She asked innocently.
“Now, you know, being a witch, that a bear only ever has one true mate, and yes, I’m certain that mate is you.”
He felt the irrational need to shift. To run, and to swipe at every tree trunk with his razor sharp claws. To wrestle down whatever happened to get in his way and sink his fangs into its flesh… and he was kind of rooting that what got in his way would be the vampire…
“And what do you want?” Gemma shot her attention towards the vampire… his eyes narrowed slightly as he looked back at her…
“Toooo…” He paused and considered his words. “Make sure that he doesn’t snack on you.”
He thought that honesty was probably the best policy, otherwise she might just dismiss him, expect him to leave, and he couldn’t do that. It was also a warning for her to behave around her mate…
Not to poke the damn bear.
Gemma considered his words. She wasn’t much of an alarmist – more a pragmatist – and the vampire could be useful in so many ways… not that she’d figured that out yet, but she was sure that she would, and soon, as soon as her brain got going once more.
“Is that likely?” She asked.
Gemma eyed the alpha and the man changed his stance under her scrutiny. She could see that he was trying to uncurl his fists as they hung at his sides, trying to soften the shape of his shoulders… it wasn’t working, the man was still as wound up as tightly as a spinning top.
“I reserve judgement on the matter until such a time as-”
“Spit it out, vampire.” Gemma tossed him a glare.
“Connor, and possibly.” He offered back.
Getting away from one of them was a possibility, distraction tactics nearly always worked. Get the man to look there, usually her breasts, while she zapped him out of nowhere, but having the pair of them tag teaming her would be something else entirely.
She was getting older. She had years of experience with her magic, and yet… something niggled within her at the thought of using it on the shifter now that she knew who he was – that wasn’t to say that she wouldn’t use it.
Old habits die hard and mature witches liked to take their enemies with them when they went. But… could she consider him her enemy?
This could be her one and only chance of happiness… didn’t she deserve to at least consider it?
“Don’t run.” Landon said, eyeing her.
“Who said I was going to run?” Gemma sneered back.
“Your stance.”
“Well, there’s one I haven’t heard before. I’m sorry if the way I plant my feet unnerves you and your bear.”
“That’s not what I’m saying-” Landon assured her.
“You’re not saying much of anything.” She offered back, and he thought on that.
Of course, she was right. He was fighting a battle within him to hold back the beast.
The bear wanted to burst out and know her, and at the very least; it wanted to push forward and mark her as his, and he really didn’t think that would go down well with her.
Nope, none of that was a good idea.
He felt stiff. Not just the way that he was subconsciously tensing every muscle, but even his mind. As if he’d tensed that too and couldn’t allow it free reign.
While on the other hand – his soul was crying out for her. His bear too…
“You’ll have to forgive my friend, he’s a little tongue tied at the moment.” Connor offered and got a warning growl from the alpha for his trouble.
“I don’t need you speaking up for me.” Landon growled.
“Then maybe you should try it yourself.” Connor offered from the side of his mouth.
“Look, while your… bro-mance is interesting, slightly entertaining, and maybe a little… weird – I just want to find my damn cabin.” Gemma offered a scowl for both men.
She needed to think. To retreat and regroup.
The fact that she was lost in the woods with a bear shifter and a vampire didn’t exactly put her at ease. Not when one was eyeing her like she was the funniest thing since the conception of the clown, and the other was eyeing her like she had the plague and he wasn’t entirely sure how contagious she might be…
A little alone time was certainly on the menu, but she didn’t think it would be that easy. In fact, she might just need to get a little bit mischievous or just downright kickass on the two of them.
“You’re coming home with me.” Landon growled out.
Connor took one look at her face and groaned. That statement couldn’t have gone over any worse with his mate if the alpha had just thrown up on her precious boots.
CHAPTER FIVE
~
“Am I now?” Gemma’s lips quirked upwards at the corners and there was a flash of annoyance that met mischief within her green eyes. Connor wasn’t sure if the alpha had spotted it, but he certainly had, and he stilled himself for another round of a female with her claws out.
He knew the signs well, and so should the alpha, but he guessed that the man couldn’t see his own shortcomings with his mate in the same way that he’d seen those of his clan. Things always seemed to be sparklingly clear when you were looking in from the outside.
Gemma shifted her weight on her feet and her hands went to her hips – like a challenge to his bear. That right there told the vampire all that he needed to know, but Landon… well, the man was oblivious.
It was obvious that the man was thinking with his little head rather than his big one – if he was even thinking at all, which Connor had to doubt at that point.
“Yep.” He growled. Not even smart enough to list the whys and wherefores of his reasoning.
Connor groaned
again.
Yes, the man wasn’t thinking at all. Just flying by the seat of his pants and going on instinct.
That didn’t bode well. Not if he wanted to woo his mate.
“You think I’m just going to go home with you?” Gemma tilted her head to one side and regarded him in exactly the same way that she would if an alien had just landed right there in front of her.
“Yep.” Landon nodded just once.
“Because?” She demanded.
“You’re my mate.” Landon said as if that was all the reason that she should need to comply with his wishes.
Gemma’s eyebrows were reaching for her hairline, and Connor didn’t think it was a good sign, but he also didn’t believe that the alpha had gone too far…
“And I say so.” Landon added on a growl.
Connor groaned for the third time. The alpha hadn’t gone too far… until then.
He watched as Gemma’s mouth dropped open for just a few moments before she almost choke on her own tongue. Then she spat out the kind of laughter that was full of disbelief and sounded awfully close to insane in his book, but who was he to judge…?
“I’d bend over and kiss your furry little backside goodbye.” Connor said, taking one large step sideways away from the man.
Whatever she was about to do to the alpha, he certainly didn’t want to get caught in the line of crossfire.
“She’s old enough to understand what I’m telling her.” Landon bit out as he shot a look at the vampire and had to do a double take at the distance that the man had put between them.
Then he saw the pure look of disbelief in Connor’s eyes that morphed into absolute dread, right before the vampire planted his face in his hands and shook his head.
“No, no, no, no, no, no, no…” the vampire was stuck on repeat… “I don’t want to see how badly this ends…” Connor peaked out from between his fingers. “Although, it’s like watching a car crash in slow motion. I can’t help but look.”
“What the hell are you going on about now?” Landon growled at him.
Connor didn’t move his hands from his face, he just sort of moved one finger and pointed towards the witch… Landon’s eye followed, and he had to swallow down hard at the look on his mate’s face…
Gorgon.
That couldn’t be good.
There was sort of an inhuman death glare that wasn’t exactly radiating from her eyes, more coming at him like an axe to the head. Her lips were pouty, like she’d just chewed on a rather venomous wasp, and he half expected her to spit it out, like a gunslinger with chewing tobacco…
But it was the way that her chin was slowly moving downwards towards her chest… as if she was winding herself up for a toss of the ball… a really big toss that was going to be aimed right at his head and take it clean off of his shoulder that worried him the most…
Landon tried to think of what he’d said wrong that could get that kind of a reaction from her… he didn’t want to repeat it, but there was no time. Her eyes flashed daggers as her chin snapped up and her hand shot out in front of her…
And Landon mentally did what the vampire had told him to do, and kissed his backside goodbye.
~
~
~
“Okay – now hold on a minute there…” Landon’s hands came up to his chest, palms outwards, like he was surrendering… the only problem with that was that it was already too late…
“I’m certainly old enough to do this…” She muttered. Her eyes had turned to narrow slits, and yet, she still somehow managed to glare at him as she tossed a low hanging branch at his head.
Both men dipped at the knees and managed to avoid the swing as it travelled over their heads. Connor tracked it. Landon had other things on his mind, namely her, and how she scented of anger mixed with that delicious feminine scent of hers…
“You might…” Connor started, but Landon growled another warning at the vampire.
He was done listening to the man, and fed up with him butting into something that wasn’t his concern…
The backwards swing of the branch cracked the alpha on the back of the head and sent him tripping forwards. He put his hands out to save his face from planting into the dead leaves and grass, as a low, deep, angry growl rumbled through his chest…
“Did try to tell you, buddy.” Connor sniggered, but when Landon’s head snapped around and up, and his jet black eyes glared at him, the vampire raised his hand, cleared his throat, and killed the laugh.
Landon pushed upwards, locking his arms before he jumped to his feet in a crouch, and then, as he eyed her, he slowly pushed upwards to his full height. A growl on his lips the whole way.
“Don’t you dare growl at me!” Both of her hands were back on her curvy hips now, and she was back to wide eyed death glaring at him.
“You wanna tell me what the hell that was for?” Landon growled out.
The woman was a spitfire. It might have suited her – with the red hair and the green eyes and all, but it still pissed him off.
She’d tossed a damn tree at him, and for what? He wasn’t sure.
He kind of had a sneaking suspicion that the vampire knew what he’d done to piss her off, and yet he’d told the man to shut the hell up. He couldn’t exactly turn and ask him for his help with his temperamental mate now, could he?
“If you don’t know then how the hell are you going to woo the witch?” Connor bit out on a small chuckle.
Landon was kind of grateful that the vampire couldn’t seem to keep his mouth shut or stop meddling, because now he had an in to be able to gain some vital clue as to what was stoking her damn fire.
“And you do?” Landon challenged the man. “Come on then, oh wise one, spit it out if you’re that damn smart about females.”
“Females… geez.” Gemma muttered with a roll of her eyes and a wave of her hand. “What damn century is this again?”
“Oh course I know, bear.” Connor said and brought the man’s eyes back towards him. Although, he noted the way that Landon had to literally drag his eyes away from his mate.
“It speaks volumes that you don’t.” Gemma said, her tone was so accusing that he actually winced and felt like kicking at the tuffs of uneven grass at his feet in annoyance.
She was right. He should know. She was his mate damn it, and he should know why she scented of anger and why she gave him the death glare.
He’d never been this dense around woman before, not really. Even the witch mates of the pack and clan…
What the hell was wrong with him?
Landon felt as if he was watching a tennis match. His head was snapping back and forth on his neck between the two of them.
“Well, would someone like to fill me the hell in? Preferably before my damn head explodes.”
CHAPTER SIX
~
“You mentioned her age, and not in a good way.” Connor grinned from ear to ear and Landon had to resist the urge to plant his big fist right in the vampire’s face.
“No, I did not.” He growled back.
“Yes you did.” Connor chuckled harder.
“I did not mention-” He started again, but Gemma had more than enough of this.
“Yes, you did.” She bit out, silencing him with three little words.
Landon turned his head back towards her. Now it was his turn to eye her through small slits. A slow shake of his head and the slight lift of his hands upwards at his sides, as if he was about to pray…
“What’s the damn problem? It’s not like we’re spring chickens, are we…?”
The slight intake of a gasp that held just the promise of a much louder shriek silenced him, and he stared at her across the way. It was as if she was now slowly sucking in every last bit of oxygen in the area – it felt like he could actually feel the air thinning… and he knew exactly what was coming.
“You are the most insufferable, archaic, male chauvinistic, asshole that I have ever had the misfortune to meet, and I’ve met plenty
!” She growled out, and he could almost have believed that she had a she-bear inside of her busting a gut to get out…
“In all of your many years?” Connor offered, unhelpfully, but she’d already turned her head on a nod towards him.
“Ye…” she started and then stopped, narrowing her eyes once more, only this time on the vampire.
“Don’t throw a branch at the messenger.” He said holding up his hands at his chest in surrender, before pointing his finger at Landon. “He started this.”
She turned her glare back to the alpha, and Landon grumbled something about the vampire’s lack of parentage as he shuffled his weight from one foot to the other.
“Look-” Landon started again.
His bear was getting antsy at her attitude and the scent of her anger. He needed to find a way to placate her before his bear got pissed off enough to burst from within him.
“Don’t you look me.” She snapped back.
“Where would you like me to look?” Landon said, a little more frustrated with every moment.
Connor had to cover his mouth with his hand as he chuckled. The look of disbelief on her face was priceless.
“My Goddess,” She breathed out. “You really are a ton of moron all wrapped up in stupid, aren’t you?”
“What’d I’d do now?” He growled out, tossing up his hands in frustration, and shooting a look at the vampire.
Connor had to shake his head. He was sniggering too hard to be able to catch his breath and form any word. Not one…
“You didn’t just take the biscuit, you stole the whole damn pack of cookies.” She grumbled and Connor bit out a cry of laughter, spinning away from them as he fought back tears… happy tears… but tears nonetheless.
“What damn cookies? I didn’t take anything from you.” Landon grumbled and growled. He really had no damn idea what the witch was talking about now. “Are you on your feminine cycle, because I know that can make a woman a little nuts…?”
Connor almost doubled over. He wheezed out laughter, and folded over on himself… It was the blind leading the stupid, and he couldn’t tell which one was which.