by M. L. Briers
“Now just hold on there a minute.” Landon growled out. His eyes were on Ben. The man’s long legs were eating up the distance towards the woods, and he couldn’t understand what the heck had gotten into the big shifter, but he didn’t like it. Not one bit.
“You!” Andi snapped her fingers towards Ash and the man jumped a little on the spot… His head snapping around on his neck to take her in as if she was a snake about to strike him…
“I didn’t do anything!” He rushed to protest his innocence, and she tilted her head and gave him a look of disbelief.
“Sure you did, but for right now, I just want a lift back to town.” She did cross her arms this time, and she gave him the kind of glare that made him narrow his eyes on her and wonder if she was planning to fry his backside again.
“Sure, climb in the back of the flatbed…” He started with all the sarcasm he could muster, and she lifted her hand and pointed her index finger in his direction. “Just kidding.” He added on another rush not to get his backside zapped or worse.
“Now wait up there, little lady…” Landon bit out.
He really didn’t like this scenario, and he wasn’t about to let the witch out his sight until he’d figured out what was wrong with Ben, and what the man thought he was playing at by rejecting his mate.
“Take her back to clan land.” He informed Ash and the man scowled at the witch…
“Look-” Andi rounded on the alpha.
“I can’t risk Ben’s bear getting loose and ending up in town looking for you.” Landon reasoned with her.
For one long moment Andi considered his words. She knew how badly that could go – for Ben, for the humans in town, and for the clan should their secret come out…
She’d bought a shop and was planning to put down some roots in the town. She wanted to be accepted by the community, not watch them being eaten by a bear.
The last thing she needed was for all hell to break loose on her watch, because of her, and she didn’t think her conscience could survive it if she was the cause of someone getting hurt. And yet, Ben had given her an out and she wanted to take it – just from sheer pride alone. She sighed.
“Fine.” She bit out, lifting a hand in frustration and dropping it down to her side. The way she saw it, she really didn’t have much of a choice in the matter.
“Thank you.” Landon said, and she thought he sounded like he meant it. At least the alpha seemed to be a reasonable man.
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Ben stalked towards home. He needed to be alone. His pride was hurting and he had that sick feeling within the pit of his stomach…
He would have thought he’d be used to rejection by now. It had been happening at every twist and turn of his life so far.
The only people that hadn’t rejected him had been Landon and the clan of misfit brothers that he was more than grateful for, and he’d be grateful for them again when they ended him…
With all the mates that had come to his clan lately; he’d thought about finding one if his own, it was only natural to dream that dream of someone with which you could share the rest of your life with. Finding unconditional love from another person wasn’t something he’d ever expected to discover for himself… but he’d half hoped, maybe even dared to dream a little that it might be out there for him one day.
Looking for validation in the eyes of someone else probably hadn’t been his best bet for his life’s plan. Thinking that his mate might just accept him for who he was had been a nonstarter.
His bear rallied within him. The beast protested in no uncertain terms the fact that they were going in the wrong direction. It growled and clawed, but he wasn’t interested.
She hadn’t wanted him and she never would. It was the story of his life and he needed to accept that now more than ever.
Some people just weren’t born to be loved. He knew that better than anyone.
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Andi sat in silence in the back of the truck. Ash had opened the front passenger door for her, but she’d walked on by and pulled the back door open herself, climbing in to the sound of a sigh from the shifter and the slam of the front door as she’d closed her own.
She didn’t want to sit beside him for fear that he might try to strike up a conversation with her, and right then and there – she wasn’t feeling so damn chatty. She wished that she could be alone, but she understood where the alpha was coming from and she respected that.
She folded her arms across her chest and hugged herself, knowing that there wasn’t anyone that could do it for her. Nobody ever had.
She’d been alone since birth – maybe even before that, maybe in the womb she’d sensed that her mother hadn’t wanted her – maybe that was why she was such a fighter, why she wanted to make something of her life – to prove to the world that she was worthy…
Even her mate had rejected her, walked away without a backwards glance… Finding out that she was a mate had scared the hell out of her – it was the last thing that she’d expected to find in the small town that she’d chosen as her home… and for one small moment in time she’d had to wonder if it could be that easy, if fate could just have delivered someone who gave a damn about her right to her front door… and then he’d rejected her… but she guessed she’d kind of rejected him first.
When he’d kissed her she’d felt it – the magical stirrings within her mind and soul, a glimmer of hope, of what fate was offering her, and it had freaked her the hell out. Actually finding someone to love and being loved back… it wasn’t something that she knew, and it had felt so alien to her…
Now she was filled with regret for the lost chance, the lost hope of having something so right, so pure within her life, and letting it slip through her fingers like that. But then disappointment was something that she knew well.
Apparently not many children were ever returned back to into the care system once they’d been adopted – she was a rarity. That wasn’t a badge of honour that she could wear on her chest with pride.
She didn’t really remember her adoptive parents that much, only knowing from reading her case file years later that her strange behaviour – the fact that she knew things, could do things that her strictly religious adopted parents felt was wrong had caused her to be returned – they couldn’t cope…
Not many foster carers could cope with her either, and she’d bounced around from pillar to post, fostered and returned back to group homes for most of her young life. It was an unhealthy pattern that had crushed something with her.
Then the social workers had stopped trying to place her anywhere – even they kept their distance from her, and she was bounced around care homes too, never staying long enough in one place to feel settled. Never staying long enough in any school to make any real friends.
By the time that she was thirteen she realised just how different she was from the others around her, and she learned to hide those difference; her abilities with magic, the way she knew things that other people didn’t pick up on, but even with her new found talent to hide in plain sight, she’d never got close to anyone, never wanted too. Now this…
Her magic had served her well over the years, once she’d learned on her own how to harness it. She’d played her intuition and made some good bets in life, getting enough money to pay for the bakery and start over, somewhere where she could put down some roots and just live her life…
Andi closed her eyes and sighed inwardly. She knew that Ben’s bear could turn on him because he’d denied her. She knew what that would mean for the man and his beast, for the clan, and now that she’d had a not so great introduction to the bear clan – well, she’d need to move on.
Moving on – she sighed again. It was the story of her life to date, and she wondered if she’d ever find anywhere to just… be.
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Landon had followed Ben across the mountain. The man didn’t seem to be wal
king anywhere purposeful, just stalking across the land aimlessly. At one point he’d thought the shifter was heading for home, but then he’d changed direction, zig-zagging across the land like he couldn’t make up his mind or had a faulty internal compass.
He’d skirted the wolf packs land and was sort of aiming downwards on a cross the mountain kind of angle – he was kind of hoping that he’d walk out whatever it was that had screwed with his mind and caused him to turn his back on his mate – he was also hoping that he’d turn back towards his home, but it didn’t look like that was going to happen either.
“Ben…” Landon bit out. He guessed now was the time to speak up if he had any hope whatsoever of reaching the man.
“Leave me be, Landon.” Ben’s bear growled beneath the surface. The beast was rooting for the alpha.
“Talk me, son-”
“Don’t call me that, man. I’m not your son…” He kind of wished he’d had a father like Landon in his life from an early age, hell, any age. Every child should have a family, and every boy needed a father figure, especially a shifter bear.
“You need to get your backside to where your mate is and make this right before it’s too late.”
Landon didn’t want to have to put Ben down. Out of all of the bears in the clan – he had to say that Ben was the easiest to get on with – he couldn’t imagine having to end him.
“Go away, Landon.” Ben growled out. In his mind his best bet was to stay away from the witch – that way he couldn’t screw up and let his beast out by mistake.
“Ash is taking her to clan land…” Landon informed him. He wanted the man to know exactly where she was just in case his bear got away from him and burst out – taking off towards town would ensure that Landon had to kill him, and he wanted to avoid that at all costs.
Ben stopped dead in his tracks. His hands were fisted at his sides as he slowly turned towards the alpha, his eyes were jet black and glaring in disbelief.
“She’s with Ash…” he ground out and Landon was sure that he could hear Ben’s teeth grinding together.
“You’d rather I sent her off with the vampire?” Landon had stoked the man’s interest, rightly or wrongly, hanging a big banner over Ash’s head like a target for Ben’s anger, for that little green eyed monster to raise its head, but it had seemed to do the trick, spark an interest, get him to stop and consider something.
“Yes,” Ben growled back. That choice was unpalatable, but at least it made more sense. “He’s mated.”
“Yeah, well…” Landon shrugged his shoulders. “I guess someone needs to take care of the witch as you’ve rejected her.”
Landon heard the hard grunt that came from Ben at the thought of Ash having anything to do with his mate.
“After all, she’s clan now – whether you want her or not.” Landon rubbed it in.
The alpha watched the way that Ben’s eyes darted around the area, as if he was looking for answers within the shadows of the night. He didn’t know what had sent the big man off, but he needed to send him right back towards his mate.
“Not – want – her.” Ben echoed the sentiment. Those words sounded insane to Ben’s ears…
She’s my mate…
Who the hell in their right mind didn’t want their mate?
Ash isn’t having her…
She’s mine…
M – i – n – e, damn it!
If he so much as lays a finger on her…
Ben’s beast roared within him at the thought of Ash laying a hand on his mate, touching her… He turned on his heels and started off on a slow run towards clan land…
“Yes!” Landon muttered, but the next moment, as Ben’s bear burst from within him, Landon wasn’t so certain that he’d done the right thing…
“Ah… crap.”
There was one big, bad mood bear heading right for Ash and the witch – and that could go badly wrong.
CHAPTER SEVEN
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“Don’t talk to me. Don’t even look at me.” Andi rallied against the hand that Ash offered to help her out of the truck.
“Has anyone ever told you that you’ve got a mean streak about you?” Ash bit out.
“Don’t think that I’ve forgotten what you did.” Andi snapped back.
“What’d I do?” Ash bit out, frowning back hard at her as she eyed him from the back seat of the truck.
“Seriously?” She demanded, and he shrugged those broad shoulders. “What do you have the memory of a goldfish and the brain to match?”
“Look, lady… ha! Lady…” he shook his head, but snapped his eyes to hers when she hissed a low warning at him…
“You tossed me in the boot of your truck.” She reminded him. Narrowing her eyes on him and debating whether or not to zap him.
“My truck doesn’t have a boot.” He held up a finger as a matter of point and she zapped him, good and hard, just because…
“Smartass.” She snapped out.
Wrenching her magic back; she watched his whole body deflate as his muscles started to relax… he growled, he grunted, he rolled his head on his neck and then eyed her.
“Don’t do that again.” He warned.
“Or what?” She asked, as innocently as she could, but there was a little smirk on her lips that she couldn’t deny, and the light of amusement within her eyes that annoyed him.
“I might just forget that you’re Ben’s witch and kill you.” Ash bit out.
He wouldn’t… at least, he hoped he wouldn’t, but there was always that risk with his unruly and unpredictable bear.
“Give it your best shot-” She challenged him and his bear roared within him. Ash growled long and hard as he fought the urge to shift…
“Step away from the witch.” Ethan growled out.
He’d heard what Ash had said about the woman being Ben’s witch, and his bear had gotten all protective of her. Right then, he didn’t trust Ash’s bear as far as he could throw him, maybe less…
Ash turned fast at the sound of Ethan’s voice. He didn’t want that man or his bear anywhere near Ben’s mate.
Things tended to go badly wrong for mates when Ethan was around. The man didn’t have the best track record where women were concerned, and if Ben came to his senses and came back for his mate – well, Ash didn’t want him to find her squished, or worse, dead.
“Back off, Ethan.” Ash growled out. His bear rose up within him, growling and clawing to be set free to take care of the danger that Ethan presented.
“I mean it, Ash. Get away from the witch.” Ethan growled back a warning, shifting his weight and fronting up to the man.
“Hey!” Andi snapped out. “When you two have finished getting your tackles out and comparing them-” Andi turned in her seat and dropped down the short distance to the ground.
Right at that very moment Ethan’s bear burst from within him. Ash let his bear loose and the beast tore from inside of him…
Andi shrieked at the sight of the two bears and clambered backwards into the back seat of the car…
“Shoo!” She swatted Ash on the backside with her magic and made his beast roar up on its hind legs. Now that its backside wasn’t close to the back door; she used her magic to slam it shut and locked the two of them outside where they belonged… “Whoa.” She bit out, watching the big bears start to circle each other…
Andi wasn’t quite sure what to do. This was clan business and none of hers, and yet, both men had seemed determined that this was about her.
She knew that she could use her magic to get between them, but she wasn’t sure it was her place to do that. She didn’t want to make matters worse, or worse still, bring the bears wrath on her.
A moment later and all hell broke loose as the bears reared up and started to fight in earnest. She knew that bear clans could be worse than wolves for constant infighting, but she still felt somehow responsible for this turn of events.
The hard thud that rocked the truck sent a jolt for fear chasing through her. Th
e bears would be hard pressed to get inside, but that didn’t mean that if they became frenzied enough they couldn’t still do some real damage to the truck and its windows were a vulnerability…
Andi’s hand reached out for the back of the passenger seat and she gripped it tightly. The view that she had right then was off the back of one big bear, half reared up, and the sound of an enraged roar echoed inside the truck and in through her ears until she wanted to silence that sound with her own hands…
Her breath caught in her throat as the bear that had been blocking her view seemed to disappear, and her jaw sagged downwards when she saw the other bear rushing headlong towards the truck at full speed…
“Oh crap!” She bit out, watching him turn his body at the last moment, and he hit the truck with everything that he had side on…
The sound of metal creaking, the jolt to the trucks frame, the way that she’d tried to clamber backwards away from the window towards the other side of the truck, all came together in one moment that pitched her body backwards, and she let out a scream of surprise and shock as her body slammed into the backs of the front seats before she bounced backwards of them, finding herself lying on her back and staring up at the roof of the car as she tried to still her pulse from galloping away inside of her.
Another roar echoed within the truck – this one angrier, more sustained, and she palmed the seats around her and pushed upwards, desperate to see what was happening, and yet unsure that she wanted to know…
She twisted and turned her head until her eyes caught sight of the big brown bear as it raced forwards… and then there were three…
Four! Oh my Goddess, what the hell is happening?
Five… five bears…
Six!
What the hell is going on here?
I started this… didn’t I?
Maybe I should put an end to it – maybe I should stay the hell out of it.