by M. L. Briers
“Are you kidding me?” She shrieked, and Connor collapsed in hysterics, dropping down to his knees in the grass… “Are you for freaking real?”
“I can’t win!” Landon tossed up a hand. He glared down at the vampire having an attack of the feminine vapours and rolled his eyes away, grunting in annoyance… “Thanks for the help!” He growled down.
Connor tried to speak, but all that came out was laughter. He stared up at the alpha through glazed eyes as the tears flowed down his cheeks. He motioned towards the witch, and then back towards the alpha, and then he shook his head… helpless to help either of them.
“Screw you.” Landon growled out.
“No, screw you.” Gemma snapped.
“I wasn’t talking to…”
With a click of her fingers that branch swung back at his head and slammed into his forehead before he had a chance to get his arm up to batter it aside…
He flew backwards a good five feet, landing on his backside on the cold earth with a grunt against the double hit of pain. One to his head and the other to his damn pride…
He growled long and hard at the universe as he laid on his back for a long moment and glared at the stars that he could see through the bare branches of the trees that streaked the sky like veins. He was sure there was more of them, some even spinning about his head.
Then, with another grunt, he yanked himself up at the waist…
His eyes expected to find her there. The glare left his eyes and his face dropped when all that he found was emptiness where she had just been standing.
A heartbeat later and he was up on his feet. His bear wanted out – boy, did it?
Connor’s arm came up and his hand shot out, one finger pointing the way. Not that Landon needed the help, he already had her scent on the breeze.
There was one long drawn out growl that rumbled in his chest and rattled in his throat, and then he was off on fast feet.
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Gemma had wanted a distraction that would keep both men occupied long enough for her to slip away, but boy was she still smarting from the one that she’d gotten.
No spring chicken, indeed!
She moved as quickly as she could over the uneven ground, knowing that she really didn’t stand much of a chance of getting away from the man without employing some magical tactics that would even up the playing field between them.
Let’s see how you like this chicken…
She drew on her magic and spread her arms wide, wiggling her fingers in the cold night air as she went, spreading the scent of fresh cooked chicken into the air behind her, masking her scent, and giving her a great deal of satisfaction in the process.
Eat that, sucker.
That would take care of his ability to track her scent – she hoped. But the man had good hearing too… she wasn’t entirely sure how good, but she decided to combat that as she raised her hands above her to the treetops and called with her magic for Mother Nature to provide a little distraction…
A heartbeat later and the sound of flapping filled the night sky. She took a moment to snatch a look upwards and shivered at the sight.
The view had all but been blocked out by thousands of bats. One side of her mouth lifted in a wicked grin…
Get him boys!
She almost chuckled as she let them loose from her magic. Like little homing pigeons they swooped down into the woods behind her…
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“What the hell is…?” Landon caught the first whiff of it on the air and his stomach rumbled at the smell.
Damn, but he didn’t realise just how hungry he actually was until he jogged right into the thick scent of roasted chicken. Even his beast growled out in appreciation…
“Damn chick… where the hell?” He looked about him, wondering if he’d somehow detoured and was closer to the clan’s cabins than he believed himself to be…
“Chicken, hmm, smells good…” Connor noted, a laugh still in his tone as he rushed up from behind the alpha, playing catch up once he’d collected himself enough to get to his feet.
“Makes you wonder where the hell it’s coming from…” Landon growled.
His mate. The witch. Using nefarious tactics to try to throw him off of her scent.
Well, he had her number now. He didn’t need his nose – he had his hearing…
“What… does… that sound like to you?” Landon asked slowly. Narrowing his eyes on the night sky ahead and noting the way that the stars seemed to be being eaten up by a black cloud that was coming towards them.
Connor twisted his head on his neck and frowned hard – listening.
“Umm, I don’t think you want to know…” He offered, taking another step away from the alpha…
Landon snapped his eyes towards the vampire, before his attention was drawn back to the flapping and tiny squeaking that was coming their way…
Then his eyes widened at that sound… His bear growled out a warning.
“Oh hell, no!” Landon hated bats – they were like rats with wings, vermin of the worst kind…
“Good luck with that.” Connor took another step sideways, and then another as Landon’s head snapped back and forth between the vampire and the bats that were coming towards him, closer, closer, and then they swooped downwards…
“Aren’t they related to you? Do something!” Landon growled out, and Connor chuckled.
“Yeah… no.” Connor said, taking off on fast feet in what he hoped was the general direction of the alpha’s mate, leaving Landon behind him, wildly swinging his arms as the bats came for him.
CHAPTER SEVEN
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Gemma embraced the sound of silence as she made her way towards the edge of the clearing that was now visible where the trees started to thin out ahead. She hoped the road was there, and she hoped to hell that her car was on it.
She almost tripped over her own feet at the sound of a roar that came from somewhere behind her… then it seemed to echo into the night, bouncing off the few remaining trees, and pinging her guilty button.
“Serves him right.” She ground out, refusing to feel bad for what she’d done.
“Does it, does it really?” Connor asked from up ahead of her and she ground to a halt.
He looked as if he’d been there forever. His backside was resting against a thick tree trunk. His arms were casually folded over his broad chest, and his dark eyes were grinning at her in amusement.
“Busted.” She ground out.
“Well,” he offered, his dark eyebrows reaching up towards his hairline. “The thing with vampires is, we’re smarter than the average bear.”
“Ha! Funny.” She ground out.
“I thought so.” Connor offered, slowly pushing away from the tree and starting a slow walk towards her. “Now, why don’t we do the alpha a favour and call off the bats?”
“I-”
“While I appreciate the humour, I don’t think he or his big – bad – mean – growly – clawy – bear does. And that could be problematic… for you.”
“Why me?” She snorted. She didn’t really see a downside to this – not for her.
“You are the mate that just ran from the bear, no?” He asked, tipping his head to one side and regarding her with a smug smile.
He watched as her eyes went wide.
“There you go, now we’re on the same page.” Connor offered back. “Bats… now.” He whispered and she winced.
“Why would I do that? As you say. I’m the mate that just poked the bear.” She tossed up a shoulder and challenge him with her stance.
“Because I don’t think he’s going to stop coming for you, bats in the belfry or not, and when he does – I don’t think you want to be mating an angry alpha with his bear just rippling under the surface.” Connor gave her the whole big picture. He wasn’t about to sugar coat it.
“Fine.” She ground out, lifting her hand and clicking her fingers… “Don’t
suppose you want to use your bat senses to locate my car?”
“Not really, no.” He grinned.
“Yeah, didn’t think so.” She grumbled.
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“Are you kidding me…?” Landon growled out – skidding to a halt the moment that he left the clearing and his eyes fixed upon the two of them standing there.
His mate was looking decidedly sour faced and pouty, and the damn vampire was looking so damn amused that he could have kept running and rugby tackled the guy down into the dirt, fists flying, until he felt a moment of pure satisfaction…
“I think you lost this.” Connor nodded his head towards the witch and Gemma bristled.
“I’m not a this. I’m a person, and I don’t belong to him-” She started, but Connor waved a hand.
“Nobody said that you did or do, so park your broomstick and take a reality check on your sense of humour, or lack of it, and just b-r-e-a-t-h-e…” Connor noted the way that her arms were folded, the way that her eyes were shooting him the death glare, and the way that her lips were pressed firmly together until they were white… “Or not as the case may be. Wouldn’t want to take you out of your shrew comfort zone.” He muttered.
Gemma turned towards him and lifted her hand to point a warning finger at him, but the alpha was already storming towards her with a face like thunder and a rumbled growl in his chest for the vampire that drew the both of them to look at him…
“I’ve had it with you, lady.” He growled out.
“Me?” She turned that finger towards her own chest and gave him an innocent look. It didn’t help.
For one long moment she thought that he wasn’t going to stop.
For one long moment she thought that he was just going to steamroller right over the top of her and leave her lying in the dirt, like some cartoon character, complete with the indentation in the ground beneath her body to boot.
She debated moving. She hesitated in a rush of desire to use her magic to keep him at bay, and then there he was – grinding to a halt right in front of her – toe to toe – so close that she needed to tip her head back on her neck to be able to look up at his face, and there she found the underlying anger that fuelled him…
“You.” He growled down. His chest was heaving in the air again, and she found the hearty rise and fall of those muscles somewhat distracting.
“Then you know what you have to do…” She said.
She was going to tell him to send her on her way. She was going to plead her case that she was just too much trouble to have around…
She never got the chance.
“Oh yeah!” He growled out.
A heartbeat later and she found herself tossed up and over one broad shoulder with the blood rushing to her head, and a great view of his backside… and the ground… but mainly his backside, as he stalked off on fast legs.
“W – ait!” She shrieked out.
“No. I don’t think I will.” He tossed back over his shoulder. “And if you zap me, well, that’s cutting your pretty little nose off to spite your face.”
Gemma bit back on a roar of annoyance that threatened to explode from within her. What the hell was she supposed to do now?
Sure, she’d run off, but that didn’t give him the right to treat her like a teeny bopper in some movie. She was a grown ass woman, more than that – she had long since left the need to be swept off of her feet in her twenties – maybe her early thirties… definitely her early forties.
This, here and now, well, this was just embarrassing.
She was more than conscious that her backside was up in the air and there for the world to see… should the world be passing by.
She was more than conscious that she looked like a bloody idiot.
And she was certainly more than conscious that for the moment – he had her right where he wanted her and there wasn’t a bloody thing that she could do about it.
Oh the shame… the indignity of it!
You had to push and push and push until he… he lost it. She berated herself.
So I’m not happy about being a mate… who would be?
I’m set in my ways… well, tough luck because fate has thrown a big old wrench into that comfort zone, and given you a big old bear shifter to deal with…
So, what are my choices?
Well, I tried running… Twice… that didn’t work.
I could try being the biggest bitch to walk the planet so he wants me gone… somehow I don’t think that’s going to work either. I haven’t exactly been sunshine and roses up to this point…
Or… I could kill him… which could be out of my hands if he keeps freaking miffing me off…
I’d say what’s a girl to do, but let’s face it – I’m a little too old to be playing that card…
What’s a witch to do?
Better… but I still don’t have a damn answer to that question…
I guess there’s always the option of… letting him… woo – me.
Why doesn’t that sound so toe curlingly wonderful?
“Will you just put me the hell down?” Gemma growled out and his bear liked that sound in her voice. It growled back… that deep rumble sent a vibration through his body and right into her womb… a flash of excitement went through her and she wanted to groan out loud… it had been a while since anyone had gotten her body to respond like that.
“I think that’s a no.” Connor offered as he trailed along behind them.
Gemma used her hands against the alpha’s wet jacket to push her upper body up and away from his. She raised her head and blew a stray curl out of her face – eyeing the vampire back with all of the fire and annoyance that she felt inside of her.
“Don’t talk to me.” She snapped and Connor held up his hands with a shrug off his shoulders.
“I’m sort of the one on your side here…” He grinned, and she went to answer him, but her mate jumped over something on the ground – her hands slipped against his back and she was looking at the ground again.
“Don’t do me any favours.” She ground out, using her hands to walk her body up his back again – the damn vampire was still grinning.
“I shall remember that you said that.” He smirked.
“Oh, please do, and while you’re at it, remember that I said screw you too.” She hissed.
There was another growl that rumbled through Landon at her words, and he felt her body shift against his shoulder once more. He tightened his grip around the backs of her legs to make sure that she wasn’t in danger of sliding right off of his shoulder, and felt her try to fidget once more, but there was really nowhere for her to go.
“Stop squirming, you’re worse than a cub.” He growled out.
“Then put me down, psycho the damn bear.” She growled back, deliberately riling him up by twisting and turning as best she could against the hold that he had upon her.
“I’m warning you.” Landon growled.
“No!” She snapped back. “I’m warning you.”
“If you’re planning on doing anything stupid… correction… anything stupider-”
“That’s not even a word.” She tossed back at him.
“You’re correcting my grammar now?” He growled.
“Well, somebody has to do it!” She snapped back to the sound and feel of another one of his alarmingly sexy growls.
“Anything more stupid…” He offered and she groaned. “Then there might just be hell to pay, because my bear is not happy.” He warned her and she snorted her contempt for him and his bear.
“So, what? It’s a bear with a sore head, go figure.” She hissed back and Connor chuckled while Landon growled some more.
“No, please.” Landon growled out. “Keep poking the damn bear.”
“I’ll just magic myself a damn javelin and get right on that.” She muttered, bouncing against his shoulder once more when he jumped again.
“You are really living up to your hair colour.” He growled back.<
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“You ain’t seen nothing yet.” She made it sound like a promise, and he growled outwardly and groaned inwardly at what fate had in for him.
A redhead with the temper to match. Just what he didn’t need in his life right then, but she was his mate, and there was no way in hell that he was going to walk away from that.
He was determined to woo her. If he died trying.
If she killed him in the process… so be it. Because now that he knew that he had a mate – he couldn’t live without her…
Even if she was a damn hellion.
CHAPTER EIGHT
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“Ah crap.” Landon growled at the sight of Ben coming out of the cabin to the right, and the big man did a double take at him as he carried his mate towards his own cabin.
He debated turning back the way that he’d come and going a different way around, but there was no time, Ben had seen him. He might as well walk on.
The last thing that he needed was for the clan to get wind of this turn of events. But the wide eyed look that Ben was giving him said that the man was more than curious… and Ben being curious only ever led to two things… trouble and mischief… and he had a feeling that he was going to get a little of both.
“Something you want to share?” Ben asked.
The big shifter kept his voice at a normal level but the alpha could hear him loud and clear. He felt a wave of dread rise up inside of him.
“No.” Landon growled back.
“Interesting that you should ask.” Connor started and Landon growled the man a warning… he didn’t take it on board. “She’s…”
“Injured.” Landon lied and everyone knew it.
‘Front and centre…’ Ben sent the words out through the clan’s link and Landon groaned inwardly.
“Ben…” He warned again, but the big shifter’s grin just got wider.
“You injured her?” Connor teased and Landon hummed to himself, trying to calm his need to rip the vampire apart – to not to let his bear burst from within him and rampage through clan lands killing anyone and anything that got in his damn path…