by M. L. Briers
His nose took him straight to where Joshua’s scent was the strongest. Her bedroom. Somewhere in the back of his mind it troubled him that his brother had been inside this room, but as he took in the interior, he was damned if he knew why.
Joshua’s blood stained the pastel sheets of her bed, and the imprint of his brother’s head was still deep within the pillow. But there was something else, something more. His nose took his attention to the ripped fabric and small bottles on the bedside table and he stalked across the room to investigate the strange smells.
His eyes noted the metal bin beside the bed and he snatched it up. The scent of his brother’s blood was seeped into the fabric along with the scent of the herbs and spices.
Was this Fae trying to help or injure? And where the hell was Joshua now?
“Ok the turning is coming up for the pack’s land.” Cynthia called from the front seat, and Isabel felt a flash of unease about where they were going. Not that she was going to admit that to her friend, she was already flighty enough.
“Ok.” Isabel called back, trying not to sound as apprehensive as she felt.
“The point of no return.” Cynthia warned, and Isabel knew what her friend was driving at. Literally.
“Take the turn, Cyn.” Isabel felt the Lycan stir beside her. His moan of pain caused her to frown down with empathy. He was being jostled about in the back of the van. Even after all the layers of blankets she had laid in the back, hoping it would ease the ride, it still caused him pain.
“No coming back from this sucker…” Cynthia warned again, the hesitation in her voice causing Isabel to roll her eyes.
“Take the damn turn woman.” She snapped back and wished she hadn’t when the van turned a hard right. She very nearly ended up face down on top of the Lycan.
“Well here we are, just another day, just another drive out in the woods… If we overlook the fact that we are two Fae, on pack land- then I guess we should just enjoy the scenery. Take it all in. Uncharted woods, so to speak.” Cynthia muttered to herself as much as she spoke to Isabel. She was trying hard to convince her pessimistic brain that this wasn’t really going to end badly.
“Look if this turns out badly, I’ll apologise.”
“If this turns out badly, I’ll see you on the other side.” Cynthia shot back and Isabel could have sworn that she heard a gentle chuckle from the Lycan, although his eyes were still closed to the world.
“Well that could be fun too…”
“No-one’s going- to die here- today.”Joshua breathed out on long, painful breaths, as Cynthia shot a look down at him over her shoulder, and Isabel snorted at her friend.
“Unless the idiot driving keeps looking over her shoulder!” she snapped, but Cynthia seemed lost in her own little frowning world. “Cyn- eyes-road-now!”
Cynthia blustered for a long moment. Dragging her eyes away from the injured Lycan to stare out ahead of her, lost somewhere in deep thought.
“Doing it already, geez. You wanna drive?” She snapped back.
“No, but could you?”
“What? He spoke…”She shot back, as though that was a good enough reason for them ending up embedded in a tree.
“Yeah, they do that.”
“I know they do that. I just wasn’t expecting it…”
“What were you expecting a growl? A bark...?”
“Oh, bite me.” Cynthia shot back over her shoulder.
“Ask me-again- when I get-my strength back.” Joshua breathed into the silence of the van. Cynthia shot a wide eyed look of disbelief over her shoulder, and found the nearest pot hole in the road. The van dipped down before jumping back up again, and Joshua moaned in pain.
“Lycan humour, who knew.” Isabel met Cynthia’s wary eyes before the pair of them sniggered in unison.
Cynthia turned her eyes back to the road, just in time to see the big black wolf blocking the way.
“Crap. Hold on.” She shouted into the silence of the van, before hitting the brakes as hard as she could.
CHAPTER TWO
The roar of pain that left Joshua’s lips as the van skidded to a stop, just feet away from the black wolf, shook the van.
“Wolf! Wolf!” Cynthia spat out. The fear within her practically had her seat hopping into the back. But the fact that the Lycan took up all of the room, with Isabel pressed up against the metal panel of the side, kept her where she was.
‘Brother. They mean no harm.’ Joshua reached out into the pack collective. He knew who was standing outside the van, he could sense him there.
‘What the hell is going on Joshua?’ He heard the anger in his Alpha’s tone and knew exactly how he would be thinking in his place.
Cynthia turned to look back at the wolf outside and found only road where he had been standing.
“Crap, he’s gon…” The sound of the back door being yanked open had her throwing herself up against the steering wheel in shock. Her eyes locked onto the menacing face of the human Lycan who stood framed by the opening of the van, and she couldn’t help but swallow down the fear inside her.
“I’m guessing that’s him…” She breathed out in what was barely a whisper.
Isabel took in the sight of the Lycan standing there glaring into the van. His eyes had no time for either of the human’s as he stared down at his brother lying in a nest someone had created for him.
‘They are helping me...' Elijah could hear the strain in his brother’s voice. He could see the effort it took for him just too breathe in and out. The scent of his blood mixed with that same smell that he had come across back at the Witches lair hung thick in the air, masking, but not eliminating the scent of her.
‘How badly are you injured?’ Elijah turned his eyes onto the Fae at Joshua’s side for only an instant, but it was all he needed for her to be imprinted on his psyche.
‘Nothing that won’t heal- thanks to the Fae.’ Elijah slammed the back doors closed and walked around to the front of the van. Pulling open the driver’s door to a squeal from the current occupant, he narrowed his dark gaze on her for a long moment.
“Move over.” He growled. She didn’t need telling twice. Cynthia practically threw herself into the passenger seat, so much so that she nearly face planted herself against the window.
“Hey, dog, be nice. She just saved your brother.” Isabel wasn’t adverse to the sense of fear that had her insides clenching. But she also wasn’t about to see her best friend treated like that either.
When his black eyes turned on her in a menacing look that had the hand of fear practically gripping her guts like a vice, she decided that she had said her piece and wouldn’t challenge him further, unless he started with Cynthia again.
When the van started to roll forwards he finally took those black eyes away from her and concentrated on the road ahead.
“He’s Alpha.” Joshua breathed out. She wasn’t sure if it was by way of an explanation for his behaviour or as an apology, either way it wasn’t flying with her.
“He’s rude.” She informed her patient. But put her hand gently on his bare shoulder in order to show him that she understood.
“He’s naked!” Cynthia moaned from the passenger seat, trying to keep her eyes on the road ahead, even though her gaze kept flicking back to the muscled torso, and large half mast that sat bobbing against his stomach.
“So look somewhere else!” Isabel shot back at her and she heard the snort that came from Cynthia’s lips.
“Easy for you to say. It’s not bobbing around like he’s waving to you…” Cynthia groaned, shifting in her seat to try to keep her back towards the Alpha beside her, and her eyes away from his arousal.
Isabel snorted a laugh and she was sure she heard something of a growl come from the lips of the Lycan lying beside her, but she couldn’t be sure.
‘Cover yourself brother…’ Elijah heard the slight growl in his brother’s voice and raised an eyebrow in wonder at it.
‘If the woman is curious brother…’ He returned in
a good natured jibe and heard a distinct growl this time.
‘That is my mate next to you- brother.’ That revelation nearly had Elijah hitting the brake as his foot hesitated over the accelerator pedal.
“You’re what!?” The thin metal panels of the van shook with the loud, deep roar that came from Elijah’s lips.
If the window had of been open, Isabel was sure that Cynthia would have exited the van, no matter what the speed they were travelling.
“Elijah, she fears you!” Joshua used as much of his strength as he could muster to warn his Alpha that he was not going to lie there and have his mate terrorised.
Joshua tried to push himself up on his elbows, but Isabel put her hands on his shoulders to push him back down to his make shift bed.
“Don’t move. You’re going to make your injury worse.” Isabel felt the dark gaze on her from the front of the van, and raised her eyes to give him a look that she hoped conveyed the annoyance she had for him.
The dark curse that came from his lips, matched the look in his eyes as he turned back towards the road, a flick of his eyes at the Fae next to him, eased his temper somewhat.
“Relax Fae. You will not be harmed.” His words should have been a comfort to Cynthia, but she didn’t feel very comforted in that moment.
Isabel muttered dark curses and berated the Alpha under her breath for making the Lycan that she was tending pull at his wounds. She knew that Lycan’s were basically bad tempered ogres, but that one took it to a new level.
She didn’t notice how both Lycan’s were straining to hear her words over the creaks of the van and the sounds of the engine. All she knew was that if it had been the other Lycan lying injured in the road, she would probably have taken Cynthia’s advice and run him the heck over.
“Easy with him.” Elijah growled out at the two big men who had come to the back of the van to take the injured man away. They eyed Isabel with suspicion as they entered the small confined space, only made smaller by their presence within it. She made a point of scooting into the corner of the van and making herself as small as possible as they worked.
The groans of pain and growl’s of the lack of appreciation at being manhandled came from Joshua when they lifted him from the van. Leaving only Elijah standing there, as naked as sin itself, and just as appealing in all of his Lycan glory to Isabel’s eyes.
Not that she was going to ever tell him that. Just trying to keep her eyes from his body, all of his body, any part of it, was enough of a headache to her. Elijah held out his hand and motioned for her to come towards him.
“Come out.” He growled and Isabel took one look at those dark eyes and snorted.
“Not bloody likely.” She muttered. Deciding that she was going to join Cynthia in the front seat for the journey home, but she wasn’t going to put a foot on pack land to do it.
Hopping through the gap between the seats seemed like her best option, but as she turned to start her climb through the opening, she felt the van shift beneath her feet and knew that it was his weight that had caused the movement.
In the time it took her to turn her head back towards him, he had climbed up into the van and was heading in her direction.
“Back off, mutt.” She managed to spit out, before his hand snaked around her waist and he yanked her up against his hip.
“You will not be harmed, so keep your magic to yourself. But I can’t let you leave until I find out what happened.” He was growingly the words into her ear as he lifted her against him and carried her with ease from the back of the van.
It wasn’t like she didn’t squirm in his arms to get away. It just didn’t have any effect on the man.
When he dropped down onto the dirt track, he eased her down his body until she felt the ground under her feet again.
“Will you walk, or do you need to be carried?” He growled down at her. Isabel wrenched herself from his grip with an anger that rolled through her like thunder. She knew he had let her go. His grip had been such that she wouldn’t have been able to get away any other way.
“Get over yourself, Alpha.” She managed a sneer, although she was hoping for so much more. The sound of Cynthia squealing and hissing from the front seat made her turn towards her. The sight of Cynthia half in and half out of the van’s cab, her hands grasping the metal beams of the interior for dear life, as a young Lycan had his arms around her waist trying to prise her out of the vehicle.
“Let her go you oversized fur ball!” Isabel started towards her friend, but got no more than two steps when she felt the Alpha’s arm around her own waist, yanking her back against him. Her backside collided with something long and hard and she knew exactly what that was in an instant, as he groaned out into her hair.
“Get that thing away from me.” She bit out between clenched teeth. The heat that rose within her had little to do with how mad she was, and more to do with the instant arousal that flooded through her body.
“I can scent that you don’t mean that.” The Alpha’s words breathed against her cheek did little to dampen her arousal. But the heat from her body raced into her cheeks, and she wanted nothing more at that moment than for the ground to open up and swallow her whole.
She wondered just how much magic it would take for that to happen.
“Let her go.” She protested as Cynthia’s hands finally slipped from the frame and she was propelled backwards with the young Lycan behind her. The man somehow managed to right them both in an instant, but he didn’t let go of her.
“You were told you wouldn’t be harmed…” The Alpha in him breathed his authority over her whole body and she slammed up her shields against him.
“This is how you repay those who help you…?” She accused, squirming in his arms and trying her damndest to get away from the cast iron grip he held her with. “Perhaps I should have left your brother in the road where I found him.” She ground out between clenched teeth.
The growl of annoyance that greeted her ears made her heart skip a few beats within her chest, but it did little else. Not with her shields in place.
“Will you walk or…?” He growled down at her, and she snapped her answer back at him.
“Yes, damn it. Let me go.” He released her in an instant and she spun away from him, turning her angry gaze back upon him. “Now let her go.”
“Let her go.” The instant he issued the command so Cynthia was released by the other Lycan. She rushed towards Isabel with an accusing look.
“Told you this would end badly, there’s no helping these people…” She hissed out, on a whisper that Isabel didn’t think the Alpha had not picked up on. Not with his big wolf ears.
“Ok. Sorry.” Isabel spat back, and right now, she meant it.
“Oh good, that helps.” Cynthia shot back, her eyes flicking up to the suspicion of her captors.
“Can we leave the berating me thing until later?”
“No, in case there is no later.” Cynthia shot back.
Elijah couldn’t help but roll his eyes as the two woman whispered back and forth to each other. Fae were a nightmare. How many times did he have to repeat himself? He had already told them that they wouldn’t be harmed. What did he need to do- draw them a damn map?
His eyes flicked to the young Lycan standing off to the side of the woman, and he growled his lack of amusement at the situation that his pack brother seemed to find there.
‘Something amusing you brother?’
‘Fae. There just so…’
‘Aren’t they though.’ He shot back with a growl of disbelief. Trust Joshua to bring trouble home with him. And one of them was Joshua’s mate. That meant that they were going to have the decidedly non-pleasure of her company for a long while yet. And he didn’t even want to think about the other Fae right now. That was even more complicated.
Isabel sat on the desk in the office and stared blankly at the leaf green wall ahead of her. She was trying as hard as she could to ignore Cynthia; who had been pacing up a storm since they were shown i
nto the room and not-to-nicely told to wait for the almighty Alpha’s return. Maybe without the almighty part, but it seemed fitting because he seemed to irk her so.
Strutting around in his altogether with his bits on show for the world to see, and yes, they might have been impressive bits, it seemed most Lycan’s had been blessed that way, the one she had tended too wasn’t too delicate a flower in that department either, but it still didn’t need flaunting at every opportunity he got.
“What do you think they will do now?” Cynthia’s over anxious voice pulled her from her thoughts.
“Let us go” Isabel answered in the best matter of fact voice that she could manage. She didn’t believe that the Lycan’s had a beef with either of them. Not once they had spoken to the injured man and he told them what had happened, and how she had saved his life. Hell, she might even get a thank you, but she wouldn’t hold her breath on that one.
“Really? Because I was getting the whole… Let’s have lunch and you’re the lunch vibe from the Alpha.” Cynthia looked worried, but then she did that when of her plants were ailing, it was in her nature.
“They are going to have enough to deal with due to that bloody vampire. We are of little consequence to them…”
She hadn’t heard the door open, but she did hear the deep tones of the Alpha breathing almost against her ear.
“Don’t put yourself down of course you are of consequence to us…” She rolled her eyes and stayed as still as possible in the hope that he would believe that he didn’t affect her.
Cynthia on the other hand almost climbed the wall like a startled cat. A little yelp to boot, and Isabel could have sworn she heard the alpha chuckle.
“Is she always like that?”