by M. L. Briers
He took a step closer; kind of leaned on in wedging his foot against the rock, and before she knew what was happening, his arm came around her and he lifted and scooped her towards him as if she didn’t weigh an ounce. Her hands found the hard muscles of his biceps and she couldn’t help but squeeze, if only just a little…
He could feel her heart beating as her breasts pressed against his chest. That sound comforted his bear. Let it know just how close she was…
“So, biting is fun?” She had to tip her head back on her neck to gaze up into those dark eyes of his.
“Can be.” He assured her with just a wiggle of his eyebrows…
Then she did what she’d wanted to do for the last few minutes; she reached up and ran her fingers through the silver grey hair at his temples, brushing his hair from his face, and he claimed her lips a heartbeat later.
Neither of them noticed the lights from the vehicle at first. Caught up in their own little world where nobody else was around, and touch, sense, and desire were their only companions… but the blast from the horn changed all of that, and Landon snapped his head up and growled long and hard at the intrusion as the car came speeding towards them.
They were blinded by the headlights, and Gemma tossed her hand up to protect her eyes from the brightness, but Landon was already putting her behind his back.
“Now what?” He growled out.
Every inch of his body was more than ready to take his mate and run. He didn’t know if this was trouble coming at them or more lost tourists, but he wasn’t putting his mate at risk.
“For an out of the way destination to enjoy quiet living – it sure is busy around here.” Gemma said, peering around the alpha to get a better look at what was coming at them…
“Only since you showed up.”
Then she felt it.
Magic.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
~
“Ah… crap!” Gemma bit out; followed by several muttered curses.
“What is it?” Landon asked, sensing everything but fear coming from within her. He’d like to know what she knew, because he hated to be blindsided.
“Witches.” She bit out.
“More…?” He scowled as the vehicle slowed the closer that it got to them.
“It’s the coven.” She rolled her eyes and then her body away from him, searching the night sky for a moment of peace from the life that she’d come here to avoid.
“Coven?” He growled. “All of them?”
“Not quite.” She snapped back. “This is my mother’s doing.” She bit out.
Then she took a step around him, held out her hand, palm showing, and pushed her magic towards the car. It screeched to a halt; the engine silenced, but there was witches chatter from inside, a lot of chatter that meant only one thing… Gracie was in that minivan.
“It sounds like a gaggle of geese in there.” Landon growled out.
“Tell me about it.” Gemma sighed.
“Oh look, a snack!” Connor teased as he closed the gap between them – coming out of the darkness where he’d been waiting and trying not to watch the alpha woo his mate…
Gemma’s head snapped around on her neck and she offered the vampire something of a death glare.
“You really are related to Gorgon’s aren’t you?” Connor teased and got a sharp sting against his skin as she zapped him…
“I thought my mother couldn’t use her magic?” Gemma eyed him for a long moment. She could practically see the wheels turning in his mind until he grimaced… then she knew he had the answer.
“I don’t suppose your mother has a mobile phone-?”
“You left her phone?” Gemma ground out and he grimaced again, but the sound of the minivan’s doors rolling back made Gemma turn on the spot towards the women that spilled out from inside…
“Gemma, we thought we were in trouble there for a moment.” Gracie was, of course, the first to speak.
Her eyes shone with excitement every time the woman met another person. She had the kind of bubbly personality that annoyed some people – especially first thing in the morning and last thing at night, but she was a good, kind soul, and she hated the thought of harming another living being…
Gracie snapped to attention as her eyes took Connor in. There was a small shriek of anxiety and she immediately let loose with her magic, zapping the vampire to his knees…
She had absolutely no qualms about harming the previously, and some would say still, dead.
“He’s friendly.” Gemma bit out as she rushed to push her shields up and build a barrier between Connor and Gracie’s magic…
“Unless I get zapped for no good reason and then I become very unfriendly.” Connor bit out as he pulled himself back up to his feet and eyed the very curvy witch with a certain amount of disdain.
“I’m…” Gracie snapped off her magic. Truth be told she hadn’t realised that she was still zapping him, or rather Gemma’s shields. “Sorry?” She grimaced.
Connor snorted.
“At least you have the Grace to apologise.” He offered and Miss Bubbly was of again.
“That’s my name, matches my temperament.” She giggled and sort of bounced on the spot. Her eyes were still wide like saucers and they were flicking back and forth between Gemma and the vampire… “New friend?”
“Not… exactly.” Gemma moved sideways and eyed the vampire when he leaned in towards her.
“I’m hurt. I thought we had a friend connection.” He whispered, but the sound of Landon’s deep, warning growl made him snap back upright and take a step away from her again. “Got it, nooo need to repeat.” He offered as he put his hands to his chest in surrender.
“N-e-w friend?” Gracie asked as her eyes flicked to the alpha and back to the witch again.
“Something like that.” Gemma said…
“So, Molly called and told us to get here pronto, said she was being held against her will… any idea what that’s about?” Scarlet’s eyebrows rose upwards towards her hairline.
“Sort of…” Gemma admitted and one of Scarlet’s eyebrows shot downwards as the other stayed put.
“Care to elaborate on that?” Scarlet asked – eyeing the men.
“Okay, fine!” Gemma said and then frowned as she considered what came next.
“I’m her mate.” Landon offered up. Gemma’s lips pouted, and then she rolled her eyes back in her head before closing them for an instant.
“What he said.” She bit out.
“Mate!” Gracie looked all starry eyed at the news… Scarlet just snorted as she folded her arms and gave a small shake of her head.
“Only you could go away to escape your mother and walk into even more trouble.”
“I think it’s wonderful.” Gracie burst out as she clapped her hands in excitement and bounced on the spot some more.
“For a curvy woman she’s very springy.” Connor whispered against Gemma’s ear and the witch elbowed him right in the gut. Satisfied that she’d got him a good one when she heard the air being forced out of his lungs as he raised his hand, nodded in acceptance, and backed off.
“Bet Molly doesn’t think so.” Scarlet hit the nail right on the head, and Gemma could see the amusement in her eyes.
“Hence her rescue party.” Gemma motioned towards them.
“Jane’s here too, but she’s sleeping.” Scarlet informed her. “She told us to wake her only if anything really ugly happened.”
“A woman after my own heart.” Connor grinned.
“You have one of those, vampire?” Scarlet eyed him.
“Yes, but it’s cold, dark, and doesn’t beat to the sound of everyone’s drum.” He offered back in a dry tone.
“Good to know.” Scarlet said, dismissing him with just her tone before she turned her full attention on Gemma.
“So, you don’t need rescuing, and Molly…?” Scarlet waved a hand in the air.
“Is fine where she is.” Gemma offered back.
“I guess we get
to sleep in the minivan all night.” Scarlet bit out unenthusiastically.
“Oooo, like a girlie sleepover.” Gracie grinned.
“You’ve long since passed your sell by date for being a girl.” Scarlet snapped back.
“I have a cabin.” Gemma offered as Gracie opened her mouth to speak, and all eyes turned towards her.
“Is it near the shifters or the vampire because…?” Gracie shook her head a little as she spoke.
“No.” Landon offered quickly. “Thank God.” He muttered loud enough so only Connor heard him.
“Sounds good.” Gracie bounced some more.
“Wonderful.” Scarlet just sounded bored. It could be her natural state of being sometimes and it complimented Gracie’s personality perfectly.
“Connor will show you.” Landon was sure that he heard the vampire’s neck snap as his head spun towards him and they eyed each other…
“Why don’t I?” Connor offered through grated teeth, but when he turned back towards the witches, he already had a smile on his lips.
“How many reasons do you need?” Scarlet shot back and Gemma couldn’t help but chuckle.
“Oh that you find funny.” Connor offered a glare towards Gemma and she tossed up her shoulders.
“Yeah.” Gemma teased him with an honest to goodness smile and he snorted his contempt for her.
“Witches, van.” Connor snubbed his nose at Gemma as he started towards them.
“Can’t you turn into a bat and fly in front of us?” Scarlet sneered. Connor went to open his mouth to speak when Gracie gasped.
“Really?” Gracie’s eyes lit up.
“No.” Connor ground out with a small shake of his head as Gemma and Landon chuckled behind his back. “I can hear sniggering.” He bit out.
“Must be that bat hearing of yours.” Gemma chuckled some more.
“It’s all funny-funny until the fangs come down and then there’s usually screaming and whatnot.” Connor eyed her over his shoulders, but she just shrugged her shoulders in reply.
“If those fangs come out, you and me are gonna have a problem.” Scarlet ground out.
“Oh good, something for me to look forward too.” Connor’s tone was dry, but he shot another death glare towards the alpha.
“I know. I owe you…” Landon got it.
“B-i-g t-i-m-e.” Connor bit out slowly.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
~
“Gracie seems-” Landon frowned. He wasn’t sure how to put it and he didn’t want to offend her.
“Over enthused with life. She’s young, she’ll learn.” Gemma strolled into the cabin and welcomed the heat that the roaring fire was putting out.
“I was going to say – good people, and… bubbly, but is that how you feel?” Landon asked, snagging her wrist in his large hand and easing her back around to look at him.
“Feel?” Her eyebrows went upwards. She looked caged again.
If Gracie was enthusiastic then she was the complete opposite. He didn’t like that. He wanted her to feel excited and optimistic about what lay ahead, because it was him that was in her future now.
“You know, feelings, emotions, expectations?” Landon’s eyes took her in. Guarded, there was no other way to describe her.
“I have little expectations of life…”
“That doesn’t bode well for us.” Landon’s free hand came up and cupped her cold cheek and she leaned into his touch.
He didn’t know if that was a conscious effort on her part, maybe to feel the warmth of his hand, but she’d responded to his touch and that was the main thing. She hadn’t shied away from it or from him.
“Maybe that takes the pressure off life?” She sounded as if she wanted to sigh, as if everything had overwhelmed her, become a little too much. “When someone has little expectation on you then you can’t disappoint them.”
“Do you think I’m going to disappoint you, Gemma?” Landon asked.
“I don’t know.” She gave a small shake of her head.
“Do you want to go back with them when they leave?”
He felt his heart struggle to beat within his chest. It was as if there was a hand inside, a clenched fist that held his heart within its iron grip. Her eyes didn’t tell him anything – he stared and stared – but they were still too damn guarded.
“This just doesn’t feel real to me.” Gemma felt the pad of his thumb stroke down her cheek…
That was real. His touch. The hard muscled chest beneath her fingertips, real too. Yet, it somehow felt like a dream, a dream that she was going to regret waking up from when the alarm clock woke her.
“It’s real. We’re here. Together. For now or for the rest of our lives, but only if you want it, and only you can take that leap of faith.”
Landon could have pushed her. He could have kissed her senseless. It was good odds that her body would respond to him.
But that would have been wrong. She was struggling – arguing with herself – debating the rights and wrongs of taking that giant leap into forever with him.
For his kind it was clear cut. A certainty.
If you were lucky enough to find your mate then you grasped that good fortune with both hands and tried as hard as hell not to let it get away. He couldn’t blame her for being unsure. Being a mate might have been written into her DNA, but you never knew until it happened.
It wasn’t him that she was uncertain of. She could feel his gentle side. She knew his strength of character. The bear side of his personality would die to keep her safe – the human side would bust a gut to make her happy.
She felt that on instinct.
It was the thought of stepping out of her life and into this new one. It wasn’t the location. It wasn’t the cabin or the clan…
It was change and change was always hard, even if it could be the easiest thing in the world. Leaving your old life behind was a big leap of faith, no matter how greener the grass looked on the other side.
Could she really just up and leave everything familiar?
Maybe twenty years ago she wouldn’t have thought too long on it. Maybe ten years ago that thought would have been pretty fleeting…
She had nothing to stay in the city for and every reason to leave that life behind her.
Why the hell did that decision feel so hard now?
“I’m just set in my ways, I guess.” She was thinking out loud.
“Me too.” Landon smiled.
There it was. In his eyes.
Hunger, desire, need.
Three damn good reasons to stay.
Nobody had ever looked at her like that, and nobody ever would again – except for him.
She reached up a hand and wrapped it around the back of his neck… a gentle growl rolled through his chest as she pushed up onto tip toes, urging his lips down to hers…
Warm, soft, and trying not to be demanding. His lips pressed against hers and she didn’t give a moment’s thought to opening for him.
It felt right. It felt damn good, with great big jolts of excitement shooting right to the heart of her.
She felt his hand leave her wrist and snake around her. Felt the press of his hot palm against the small of her back, even through the layers of clothes…
He was her hot shifter guy. Her silver fox. The love of her life in the flesh…
How could she ever consider walking away from him?
Landon felt her body soften against his. Melt in all the right places until she fitted just perfectly.
She was fire and ice, but that ice was rapidly melting.
His bear reared up within him. The beast had never been blessed with patience and now wasn’t a time when it was going to develop any.
It wanted a mate. It wanted her.
Landon wholeheartedly agreed.
CHAPTER NINTEEN
~
“Can we talk?” Connor might have phrased it as a question but Scarlet could tell that it really wasn’t one.
While Gracie made good time f
litting from room to room, discovering her new surroundings, and Jane slept in the van, Scarlet had been mindful to keep a watchful eye on the vampire.
“If you’re hungry…” She gave a small shake of her head.
“Not necessary. I have a mate.” Connor’s eyes glimmered with amusement.
“Another vampire?” She curled her top lip at the thought.
“No.” He didn’t elaborate.
The coven was still an unknown factor and he wouldn’t put his mate at risk of reprisals should any come. Besides, it was always good to have a witch in your back pocket that nobody knew about.
“I still get the feeling I’m not going to like what you have to say.”
“That depends on which side of the fence you’re standing.” Connor waited for her to get curious, and she did.
“Go on.”
“Molly.” That was enough to elicit a small groan from her lips. “You’re not fond of your High Priestess?”
“Let’s just say that she can be a real piece of work.”
“I’ve noticed.” Connor felt a little lighter. If the coven witches weren’t devoted to the woman then that made what he had to ask a lot easier.
“You want to know what she’ll do if Gemma mates the alpha bear.” Scarlet considered the answer to that. He waited.
“They have internet!” Gracie giggled like a schoolgirl, and Scarlet shot her a look over her shoulder.
“Maybe they have running water too.” She offered as Gracie fluttered off once more. She turned her attention back to the vampire. “I think she’ll try to kick up a fuss…”
“Try?”
“Well, she needs a full coven to do any real damage.”
“How so?” Connor didn’t follow.
“Her power is parlour tricks and whatever she’s learned to master with limited powers over the years. The real problem between Molly and Gemma is that Gemma has all of the power – her magic is far stronger and that niggled and burned inside Molly. Gemma’s the tie that binds the coven together, magically and personality wise. Molly’s not going to like it, but there’s not much she can do without a full coven of willing witches.”