by M. L. Briers
“He’s got an attitude that deserves a kick in the crown jewels…” May grinned and her eyes lit up with mischief.
Andy couldn’t help but chuckle. She liked the old woman that people whispered behind their hands was a witch … the woman was feisty.
“I like how you think.” Andy softened her stance. “I did consider wrapping a four by four around his thick head…”
“Just break a perfectly good piece of wood,” May shrugged as she reached into the glass display and pulled out the biggest – most chocolate chip heavy muffin that she could find. “I’m sure it would give you a warm glow inside and a sense of pure satisfaction though…”
May placed the muffin down on top of the glass and grinned from ear to ear.
“On the house – you look like you could use it.” May offered and Andy groaned again.
“That and more…” Andy whined, and then she leaned in towards the counter top. “You know, people say you’re a…” she stopped short of saying the word.
“Oh, I know what people say…” May nodded. “Why don’t we have a nice cup of tea – it’s not like he’s going anywhere?”
May clicked her fingers and the water urn on the counter behind her sprang to life and started to spit out boiling water into a metal pot that sat beneath the spout.
Andy’s mouth fell open slightly and her eyebrows started to climb up towards her hairline. A slow smile eased across her face.
“You gonna tell me how to get rid of him?” Andy gave a backwards nod to the front door and the shifter outside.
“Well that would involve murder, and I don’t think that’s a step that you want to take, just yet.” May informed her and got a long sigh back in return.
“Never say never.” Andy muttered as she snatched up the triple chocolate muffin and paced over to one of the table by the window, eyeing the man with a death glare before she turned and dropped down into one of the chairs with her back firmly towards her mate.
CHAPTER NINE
~
“I can scent you a mile away, vampire, stealthy isn’t an option for you when you’re standing up wind of me.” Elijah stared straight ahead of him.
He was watching his mate chatting to the witch inside the shop. The last thing that he needed was the vampire hanging around with his bad scent that got stuck under Elijah’s sensitive nose.
“I wouldn’t call it being stealthy if I wanted you to know that I’m here…” Nash offered back as he walked towards the brick wall between Aunt May’s shop and the next and propped it up with his shoulder.
He watched Elijah standing there. The big man was fisting his hands and shaking them loose over and over again.
“Go away.” Elijah growled.
He didn’t have much time for the vampire. The man was a friend of his brother’s and as such he wasn’t exactly on Elijah’s Christmas card list.
“It’s that warmth of personality that makes you so attractive to your mate…” Nash offered back.
He heard the bones in Elijah’s neck snap as the shifter’s head whipped around and his dark eyes narrowed with intent on the man. His top lip curled slightly in annoyance.
“I don’t like repeating myself, but you are old, and perhaps you didn’t hear me the first time … go away.”
“I gave Nathan my word that I’d look out for Andy,” Nash offered back to the sound of a low warning growl that rumbled from the shifter towards him on the wind.
“That’s my job.”
“And when you’re mated then you can have sole discretion on how best to go about protecting her … I say when, perhaps it should be … if.”
“You don’t think I can woo her?”
“With all that charm at your disposal?” Nash grinned as he watched the self-doubt creep onto Elijah’s face. “You know … we could end this now and call it a draw – divide the land…”
“I thought the will specified it was the first to mate…?”
“You both found your mates on the same day. If you can both woo them into agreement to be your mate – I could … leave town for a few days and not hear who mated first.” He offered back.
“That’s dishonest…” Elijah scowled.
“I’ve been known to have lapses in my better judgement.” Nash offered back.
“That goes without saying … vampire.” Elijah sneered.
“You make it so hard for me to want to help you.” Nash offered back with a tone so damn dry that you could have been forgiven for thinking that he was dying of thirst.
“I don’t need your help,” Elijah growled, turning his attention away from the vampire and back inside the shop to his mate.
“No?”
“No.”
“You think that you can woo Andy before Jethro woos his mate?”
Nash watched the cogs turning in the shifter’s mind. Any sane rational man would wager a bet on the other brother.
Jethro had the charm, the temperament, the experience in dealing with women, and no bunker mentality that had kept him from interacting with the wider world …
Elijah had … the mating pull on his side, but then so did his brother.
Fate’s little helper – the mating pull would ensure that the more time the mates spent together, the more they would want to spend together, and right then Elijah’s mate was sitting on the other side of a sheet of glass, ignoring his existence, while Jethro was in his mate’s company.
“No.” Elijah finally admitted, and that admission kind of shocked Nash. He thought the man would at least put up a good fight.
“Then where is the harm in agreeing to split the land?” Nash asked.
“It’s … dishonest.”
“And you have your pride…”
“Yes.”
“And your honour.”
“Yes…”
“If not your home.” Nash shot back, bringing the shifter’s attention back towards him once more.
“So be it.” Elijah offered back with a small snarl.
“Let’s hope your mate – should you manage to woo her, eventually – feels the same way.” Nash offered back.
He’s right. I should leave now – before this goes too far.
I’m never going to woo her in time to keep a home for us…
Jethro’s won already.
He’s found his mate and he’ll woo her.
He’ll fulfil the terms of the will and I’ll have nothing to offer Andy.
A man should work his fingers to the bone to provide for his family – die in the damn process if need be – I could start over somewhere else…
That’s a long road to nowhere…
I need to do what’s right.
I need to do what’s right for my mate.
Elijah gave one nod of his head and turned on his heels. He started back across the road leaving Nash to play catch up. It wasn’t hard.
“What are you doing?” Nash asked.
“What does it look like?” Elijah growled. “You win. My brother wins. I’ll be gone by morning.”
Elijah reached his truck and wrenched open the door. His eyes flicked back towards the bakers for only a second, and the sight of his mate walking out into the spring sunshine held him in place for a long moment …
He regretted his decision already, but he was sure that it was the right one – for her.
“You have a mate…” Nash scowled as his eyes followed Elijah’s stare back to where Andy was turning towards the road, ready to cross over towards them…
“We both know that I stand no chance of wooing her…”
The man sounded resigned, and Nash could have kicked himself. Maybe he’d overplayed his hand.
“Best not to try then.” Nash shot back in disbelief.
“Best not to saddle her with a life that she didn’t ask for.” Elijah growled.
He was trying to pull his gaze from his mate, but he never realised just how hard letting go of something so precious was…
“Even if you’re her one shot at
happiness?” Nash shook his head.
“Leave, Nash. Go be the errand boy and tell my brother that he got what he wanted.” Elijah growled.
Then he folded himself into the driver’s seat, reached out with the keys in his hand, but something stopped him from putting those keys into the ignition…
“You can’t do it…” Nash started, but the sound of a truck, moving at high speed caught his attention as his eyes flicked back to where Andy was just stepping out into the road…
Nash moved fast. He didn’t know why, but he had the sense that something was wrong – badly wrong. It was in the sound of the engine…
His eyes caught sight of the speeding truck coming down the centre of the road towards them. His attention turned back to Andy as she started across the road …
A heartbeat later and Nash saw the truck swerve – it made a beeline right for her…
He moved fast. He ran right at her and saw her eyes snap to him, getting wider as realisation dawned on her about what he was doing.
He wrapped his arms around her at the same time as the truck’s front wing hit him. It took him off his feet – Andy too – and the pain screamed through his body, as he forced the turn in midair, coming down onto his back on the pavement with Andy sprawled out on top of him…
“Andy!” Elijah growled.
He’d been slower than the vampire, and he’d only made it to their side once the truck was already speeding away from them.
His mind spun. His heart hammered in his ears as he reached down and scooped her up – pulling her from the vampire’s embrace with a hearty warning growl for the man who might just have saved her life…
“What the hell…?” Andy gasped as she tried to get her breath back.
The collision with the vampire had winded her, both when he’d taken her off of her feet, and when she’d come down on top of him.
She didn’t know quite what had happened then … but she knew that now she was being locked inside the protective arms of her mate. She clung to him – unsure which way was up…
“That…” Nash bit out as he lay on his back and waited for his blood to heal the damage to his body. “Was deliberate.” He ground out.
“Yeah…” Elijah’s heart was in his throat and that was the only word that he could manage to push out…
“Is she alright?” Aunt May asked as she rushed towards them.
Elijah growled a long, hard warning at the woman. He hadn’t meant to do it, but his mate could have been killed, and right then and there the shifter didn’t want anyone near her …
His bear wholeheartedly agreed.
“Wolves…” Nash bit out, as he pushed up to his elbow and waited for his hip to stop screaming at him in pain.
“Mason?” Elijah growled at the thought.
Mason and his brother lived on Jethro’s side of the mountain. He wouldn’t say that they were particularly friendly with his brother, unless things had changed, but still, he couldn’t take anything for granted.
“I’d know that truck anywhere…” Nash bit out.
“Surely not…” Aunt May shook her head…
“They aimed right for her,” Nash offered up to Elijah and the man nodded on another, hungrier, angrier growl.
“Jethro,” Elijah bit out.
“No…” Nash shook his head.
“Proof speaks for itself, vampire.”
“Jethro wouldn’t do that…” Nash offered.
“He’s right, Elijah … Why would your brother…?” Aunt May scowled at the big shifter. They needed to make him see sense before he did something he would regret…
“Land. To win.” Elijah growled. “I’ll kill him myself.” Elijah turned back towards the road, taking his mate with him.
The woman was shaking like a leaf in the winter winds, and until he made things right – killed his brother – she wouldn’t be safe.
He had to make it so that she was safe.
CHAPTER TEN
~
“Elijah…!” Nash bit out.
He pushed up from the ground through the pain of his injuries. His hip had been smashed up pretty damn badly and his blood hadn’t fully healed him yet.
He tried to start off after the shifter, but he just barely managed a few steps, even dragging his leg behind him.
“Elijah, no!” Aunt May called out, but the shifter wasn’t listening… “Nash, you have to stop him. He’ll kill Jethro without even thinking about it.”
“Jethro might be the better wooer, but Elijah is fiercer in battle…”
Nash bit out as he watched the man lift and place his mate into the passenger seat of the truck before he stalked around to the driver’s door…
“Elijah!” Nash called after him, trying to go as fast as he could on his bum leg…
“Stay out of this, vampire.” Elijah growled back, folding himself into the front seat, slamming the door, and starting the engine.
Nash ground out a curse. He knew that he wasn’t going to change the man’s mind.
He changed direction and started towards his car. He might not be able to walk too well, but he could sure as hell drive an automatic.
He needed to get between the brothers before they killed each other.
~
~
~
“I thought you lived in a cabin in the woods…” Alana eyeballed the room. It had timber frames and was decked out in wood cladding – that gave it a cabin feel – but apart from that the place was more like a large extended bungalow that a cabin.
“It’s a cabin and it’s in the woods…” Jethro offered back. He didn’t get her point.
“Okay, well, I thought cabins were like little sheds with thicker walls…”
She shrugged her shoulders. From what she could see he had all the mod cons that you’d find in any civilised city, rather than roughing it in the middle of nowhere…
“City girl,” he scoffed back at her.
He perched his backside against one of the tall chrome and black kitchen stools, folded his meaty arms across his broad muscled chest, crossed his legs at the ankles, and let his eyes take her in.
He was watching her reaction to her new surroundings like a hawk.
If he was going to sell living in the middle of nowhere to a city girl more used to a coffee shop on every corner then he was going to have to see what she liked and what she didn’t and play it to his strengths while he distracted her away from his weaknesses.
“At least in the city we don’t have to go on an expedition to get to the local shops and supplies.” She smirked back at him.
“True, but then I can leave my doors and windows open when I go on said expedition and I’ve never been robbed.” He could have kicked himself when she turned to look at him and her eyes narrowed.
He grimaced and cursed inwardly.
Bad move. He told himself.
You’re supposed to be wooing, not digging the knife in and twisting.
Wooooooo – the woman – damn it!
“Was that a dig at me?” She placed her hands on her curvy hips and eyed him for a long moment.
Mine … his bear growled at him.
He didn’t need to be berated by his damn beast.
“Actually no, but now you mention it…”
“I didn’t…”
“You did, but we can change the subject.” He shrugged just one shoulder as he stared back at her.
Give and take … that’s the way. He thought.
Show your hand then concede to her … that should get you out of the hole you just dug for yourself … remove the paw from your big mouth…
Alana took a moment to stare back at him. The man looked the epitome of Mr Cool – just leaning there with no real expression on his face – Mr Dark and Handsome was just staring back at her like it was her move.
“You’ve got a TV and a coffee machine, so I’m guessing you’ve got electricity…” she gave the snide comment and he bit down on the rush of amusement inside of him.
/>
Change of subject … way to go!
She’s your mate the priority is to woo her. Keep her – not have her running screaming for the damn door.
Now play it cool. He couldn’t stop his lips stretching in a smile though…
That annoyed her, because now he looked even more damn handsome – less dark and dangerous – not that she didn’t like a little dark and dangerous in her life, she did…
“No running water though, bathroom’s outside,” he offered back and saw her face drop.
“Seriously – like the true definition of does a bear crap in the woods?”
His shoulders moved with laughter this time. That sexy smile grew, and this time; his eyes sparkled with amusement.
“No,” He let her off the hook. “But I do have a hot tub out back.” He offered and saw interest spark within her.
“That’s a lie too, right?”
“No, actually that one is true.” He lifted a hand and motioned towards the patio doors at the back of the room. “Right out there. Why don’t you go take a look around while I get some food going?”
Jethro had heard her stomach growl once more and as much as he wanted to follow her around the cabin watching her reaction and learning from it – his need to take care of her was growing inside of him.
Alana narrowed her eyes on him in suspicion once more, but his smile didn’t falter, and then curiosity got the better of her and she started for the patio doors.
Jethro chuckled to himself as he pushed up from the stool and walked around the kitchen counter to busy himself with making something for her to eat.
“Okay, so you weren’t lying…” Alana said in surprise as her eyes took in the large tub through the glass in the doors.
“It’s great place to sit and watch the stars go by,” Jethro called out and heard the sound of the door being pulled open.
“Whoa, that could pass for a swimming pool,” she called back, more than impressed.
“I’m a big guy,” he called back.
“Yes, you are…” she muttered to herself, and yet his ears still caught it.
He wasn’t sure from the tone of her voice if she liked that about him or if it made her nervous. It was one of those times when he wished her could see her reaction to be able to better know what she was thinking.