by M. L. Briers
“One thing is for sure Elijah…” Joshua groaned out as the two friends stared each other down from their mate’s prospective laps.
“Life’s not going to be dull…” Elijah finished for him with a slight shake of his head.
Emily walked out into the back garden carrying a tray of prime rib for the barbecue. Her attention immediately fell on her sons and their mates among the whole of the pack who had gathered for the celebration.
Both pairs snuggled together on recliners as the protective nature of the two Lycan males meant that neither female had gotten a moment’s alone time since they both nearly died at the hands of the Vampire.
It amused Emily to watch her sons trailing around behind their mates wherever they went. Two big strapping males acting like little pups playing follow the leader.
Not that she would ever say those exact thoughts to either of them and wound their big Lycan egos. But that didn’t mean she couldn’t enjoy those moments herself.
Now all she needed was a house full of pups and she would be eternally happy.
Joshua nuzzled into Cynthia’s neck and breathed in her scent. She squirmed against him, the bonding a fire in her blood that had not yet been extinguished.
“So will either of you take offence if we sing Ding Dong the witch is dead?” Caleb muttered from the sidelines bringing everyone’s attention towards the two Fae among them.
“Not as long as you don’t take offence when I throw a stick and tell you to go fetch.” Isabel shot back without even blinking.
Elijah rolled his eyes at his mate and she caught the gesture. Balking at him she shrugged her shoulders.
“He started it.” She spat out, about to defend her position when Caleb chuckle turned everyone’s attention back towards him.
“You’re alright for a Fae…” He teased and she grinned back at him.
“Glad you approve.” Elijah growled out and Caleb dropped his eyes and turned away from his Alpha, not wanting to push him any further as Emily wrapped an arm around Caleb’s shoulder before ruffling his hair.
“Let’s get you something to eat.” She grinned, walking him towards the barbecue and away from Elijah.
“So tell me Cyn, when are you going to do the deed. Because from where I’m sitting, there doesn’t appear to be a bite mark…” Isabel teased and Cynthia blushed at least twenty shades of red before settling on deep crimson.
“We’re working up to it…” She muttered. Her eyes flicked to Joshua for a moment before dropping back down again.
“Well stop working up to it and just go for it.” Isabel shot back and Cynthia frowned down at her hand inside Joshua’s.
“We will…”
“When?” Isabel shot back and watched her friend balk.
“Soon…” Cynthia was getting flustered.
“How soon?”
Cynthia’s head shot up and she gave Isabel the evil eye.
“Isa…”
“Oh don’t Isa me. Your mate wants to bond with you, so what’s stopping you?” Isabel pressed the point and she watched as Cynthia did her gold fish impression before she blurted out.
“He is…”
Joshua frowned down at her as she swallowed hard and winced before lifting her head to look up at him.
“I am?” Joshua looked for clarification and Cynthia shrugged helplessly as she winced again.
“I didn’t think you wanted too, after the vampire thing… that is you haven’t tried…” Cynthia heard the soft chuckles that emanated from the gathered crowd and winced again.
“I thought you were still skittish about it. Especially after the vampire thing...” Joshua admitted and Isabel nudged Elijah in the ribs as he exhaled a huff.
“See what happens when you don’t communicate… Well there’s no time like the present!” Isabel chirped out as she heard Joshua’s low growl of desire roll through his chest.
Cynthia swallowed hard as she stared back at him. He seemed to be frozen in place for a long moment before he jumped up and reached down for her. Grabbing her around the waist he lifted her up against him and when she didn’t protest he reached down and slung her over his shoulder to the cheers of the pack.
Isabel giggled like a school girl as she watched Cynthia being carried off by her mate to the clapping and cheering of everyone there.
“You’re meddlesome.” Elijah breathed against the soft skin of her neck where his bite had been, but had been healed completely by the vampire’s blood.
“I’m a Fae, Elijah. It’s what we do, so you had better get used to it.”
He reached around her waist and pulled her against him as she gave him her best mischievous look.
“Just promise me that if you are planning anything really wicked, I’ll be the one on the receiving end.” He ran his fingers up her spine and her hips moved towards him of their own volition.
“Oh, I’m really, really good at wicked.” She breathed back at him and saw him shift uncomfortably in his seat as his arousal was squashed inside his jeans.
“Do I get a demonstration?”
“Later.”
“How much later?”
“Later-later.”
“That’s not an answer.”
“It’s the one I’ve got. If you want a different answer ask a different question.”
Emily cleared her throat as she stood by the side of their chair with two plates of food in her hands.
“Life’s certainly not going to be dull around here. You want these to go? Or are you going to eat first?” Emily teased and watched her son roll his eyes at her as he reached for the plates and Isabel chuckled beside him.
When Joshua’s bonding roar shook the glass in the windows of the house sometime later a cheer went up again from everyone present. Everyone except Elijah and Isabel who had disappeared to off into the woods a little while earlier, with the promise of something wicked on Isabel’s lips as she enticed him away.
The End.