by M. L. Briers
“Yeah, that makes me want to run head first into the lion’s den.”
“Lion’s Den?” Doug asked.
“Witches lair?” Jonathan tossed back.
“Like a fly to the spider,” Tom said.
“Shouldn’t that be like the spider to the fly?” Jonathan asked.
“You’re the fly.” Tom chuckled again.
“Now see, that doesn’t fill me with a warm fuzzy feeling,” Jonathan growled.
“What are you a beta or an omega?” The alpha growled.
“A fly — apparently,” Jonathan said as he tossed his hands up in the air again.
“Warm fuzzy feeling my backside,” the alpha growled.
“Not even if you paid me,” Jonathan grumbled.
“What’s going on?” Rex demanded as he strolled into the living room munching on a chicken leg.
“Now the other one has found his mate,” Tom chuckled.
Rex ground to a halt. He even stopped chewing, which was a miracle all in itself. He swallowed hard.
“Oh thank God — now I can breathe through my nose again,” Rex said with a big rush of relief.
“Thanks for throwing me under the bus, brother,” Jonathan growled.
“No problem. And hey, better you than me,” Rex chuckled.
“They were just going upstairs to see their mates,” Tom said.
“Hey, enjoy,” Rex stalked across the room, took the chicken leg between his teeth, reached out and turned a chair around to face the stairs. Then he sat down and snatched the chicken leg out of his mouth. “You go right ahead. I’m ready.” He grinned.
“You’re as bad as the elder,” the alpha growled.
“Would you pass up front row seats to the end of the world?” Rex asked ripping the last of the meat from the chicken leg and tossing the bone over his shoulder. He chewed happily.
“I’m getting a really bad feeling about…” Jonathan growled.
“Tough!” The alpha growled at his brother. “I told you — suck it up.”
“Oh yes,” Tom grinned from ear to ear as he turned his attention towards Rex. “You missed a bit — the alpha has been spelled. He can’t smell a thing…”
“That’s not true!” Doug growled. “I can smell bacon fat.”
The deep rumbling chuckle that started in Rex’s chest rolled up to his throat and burst out of his mouth. He slapped his large hands down on his knees, tossed his head back, and roared with laughter.
Doug bit out a stream of curse words. Then he turned on his heels and stomped up the staircase.
It was that or kill his sibling.
“Get your backside up the stairs, brother,” he growled over his shoulder.
Jonathan added his own curse words to the alpha’s list as he rolled his eyes and dutifully followed on after him.
“I hate witches,” Jonathan grumbled. “I tell you, this will only end badly.”
“Yep, for you.” Rex chuckled.
~
~
~
“We could climb out of the window,” Natalie said.
She knew that it was a bad idea to start off with. But the look on Saffy’s face just confirmed it.
“Why don’t we just borrow broomsticks and fly away?” Saffy offered back, her voice dripping with sarcasm.
“If you’re just going to be silly…”
“Oh, I’m being silly? You just said we could jump out of the window,” Saffy stalked towards the window, lifted her hands, and motioned to the outside world. “Good luck with that.”
“I’m just trying to come up with a plan,” Natalie offered back.
“Well, could you make it a plan where we both don’t break our legs?” Saffy said. “Because we might escape the house, but we’re not going to get very far from the tangled heap in the snow, are we?”
“Okay, you come up with the plan,” Natalie tossed back the challenge.
“You mean since I got us into this in the first place?”
“I wasn’t going to say it…”
“Again.”
“But as you mentioned it…”
“Before you did — this time,” Saffy said as she folded her arms, tipped her head to one side, and raised her eyebrows at her friend. Natalie sighed.
“Look, one of us is his mate — so let’s just put our heads together and…” The hard thump of something hitting the bedroom door made Natalie freeze in place. She grimaced.
“Don’t answer and they may go away,” Saffy hissed out in a whisper of breath.
“What are the odds?” Natalie’s voice dripped with sarcasm.
“Well…” Then something hit the door again and made her grimace. “Not good.” She shrugged.
“I am betting that window is looking pretty good to you now, isn’t it?” Natalie whispered back.
“Still — not so much,” Saffy admitted.
“No?”
“I sort of like my legs in one piece, and I know I could use losing a few pounds from my hips — but I’d still rather they were in one piece as well,” Saffy offered back.
“Point taken,” Natalie shrugged. Then the pounding on the door started, and she screwed up her face in annoyance. “Persistent little bugger, isn’t he?”
“Positively dog – matic,” Saffy offered back.
“Open up — I want my nose back,” the alpha growled.
“What are you — five? Nobody stole your nose,” Saffy said.
“You know what I mean,” the alpha growled again.
“I bet he falls for the thumb trick all the time,” Natalie chuckled.
“I heard that,” the alpha grumbled.
“Wolf — ears — shocker!” Natalie chuckled.
“Is that like pot — kettle — black?” Saffy grinned at her friend.
What was the point in being in a perilous situation if they couldn’t have a little fun at the alpha’s expense?
“It’s more like — doh!” Natalie said. The witches offered each other almost silent chuckles.
“If you don’t open this door I’ll…”
“Huff and puff and…” Natalie started, but Saffy cut her off.
“Wrong fairytale and its Christmas to boot,” Saffy reminded her.
“Open the damn door, or I’ll break it down,” Doug growled.
CHAPTER TEN
~
Saffy looked at Natalie and shrugged. Natalie took a moment and then shrugged back.
“Well, you need to do what you need to do,” Natalie offered.
Both witches jumped in place at the crashing sound that came from the door. Wood splintered from the frame as the door shot backward on its hinges, and the alpha had to toss up a hand to stop it when it came back at his face.
Doug’s eyes were jet black. His chin was low toward his chest. There was a rumble of a deep, angry growl.
“It is your bedroom door, after all,” Natalie said and then flashed him a big, teasing grin.
“She got you there, brother,” Jonathan chuckled from somewhere behind him.
“It’s not funny,” Doug growled.
“So not funny,” Jonathan chuckled.
“Is it wrong that I have the need to kill someone?” The alpha asked.
“Don’t look at me,” Jonathan said.
“Or us!” Natalie warned him.
“I’ve never killed a female — yet,” Doug growled back at her.
“Don’t you threaten us,” Saffy scowled at the man.
“Did you hear me threaten them, brother?” Doug tossed back over his shoulder.
“Threaten – no. More of a not-so-subtle warning, but, yeah, I could see how…”
“Don’t make me hurt you, brother,” Doug growled.
“I think he has anger issues,” Natalie said to Saffy.
“I think you’re right,” Saffy nodded in return.
“I didn’t — I do now,” Doug growled.
“Perhaps you should lie down,” Natalie said.
“Take the weight off,” Sa
ffy chimed in.
“Maybe you’re not cut out for this whole alpha thing,” Natalie offered.
“That’s so true. I should imagine it takes a special kind of an idiot to be alpha,” Saffy said.
“Are you trying to make me angry?” The alpha growled as he scowled back at the witches.
“Gee, I don’t know,” Natalie rolled her eyes towards her friend. “Are we trying to make him angry?”
“Well, doh,” Saffy offered back.
“Make it stop,” Doug grumbled to no one in particular.
“Where’s your Christmas spirit, alpha?” Natalie chuckled.
“Good question. Brother, go get me a bottle of Scotch,” Doug growled.
“I thought you wanted me to sniff the witches?” Jonathan asked.
“I have a problem with that,” Saffy said.
“Me too,” Natalie folded her arms and scowled at the brothers.
“Me three, but apparently I can’t get out of it,” Jonathan grumbled.
“Wait — why is he going to sniff us?” Saffy asked.
There was a slow-to-boil, wolfish grin that spread over the alpha’s face and it filled Saffy with dread. The alpha had something up his sleeve, not that he was wearing sleeves, but she had a terrible feeling that he knew something she didn’t.
More importantly — she suspected that it was going to be something that she didn’t like.
“Oh, I’m so glad you asked me that question.” There was a not-so-subtle rumble of a growl that went along with his words as the alpha’s eyes lit up with glee.
“I’m not,” Jonathan grumbled.
“Would you get to the punchline?” Natalie demanded.
“One of you is my mate,” the alpha said.
“Tell us something we don’t know,” Natalie sighed.
“The other one is his mate,” Doug announced and watched with pure and unadulterated glee as both witches were dumbstruck, only managing a small squeak between them.
“It feels like you really enjoyed that, Doug,” Jonathan said.
“You have no idea,” Doug chuckled.
“That’s not right!” Natalie was the first to respond with a shrill like tone that hurt the shifters ears.
“That’s not possible!” Saffy joined in.
“What are the odds?” Natalie bit out in disbelief.
“Has to be one in a billion,” Saffy offered back, her voice almost breaking with panic.
“I bet the window thing looks really, really, really, good right now, doesn’t it?” Natalie demanded of her friend and her previous need to poo-poo that idea.
“You’re bloody telling me!” Saffy shot back.
“Ah, so now you’re interested?” Natalie grumbled.
“Well, yeah! Before I thought you were the alpha’s mate — now all bets are off. It doesn’t matter which…”
“It matters to me!” The alpha growled. Natalie ignored him.
“So you’re saying, that you would have willingly thrown me under the bus to save yourself?” Natalie demanded.
“Oh, like you wouldn’t have. You’re the one who said so downstairs. I’m just returning the favor.” Saffy shot back with a small chuckle of disbelief.
“Do they do this a lot?” Jonathan asked the alpha as he scowled at the witches sniping at each other.
“From what I can tell — all the damn time,” Doug growled back.
“Yeah, about that sniffing thing…” Jonathan got no further.
“Too late now. You already got their scent downstairs — you’re hooked. Suck it up.” The alpha chuckled.
“Okay, sniffing time…”
“No!” Both witches squealed out the word at the same time.
“Quick. Do your thing,” Saffy squealed to Natalie and backed her words up with actions by nudging her in the ribs with her elbow.
“He feels hot, full of snot, let’s be bold — give him a cold,” Natalie snapped her fingers, and she forced her magic out toward the beta.
“Yuck!” Saffy gave her friend a look of disgust. “Snot?”
“Hey, I was spelling on the fly,” Natalie said with a small shrug of her shoulders.
The beta sneezed, it was loud, it was deep, and it was snotty.
“That’s…” Saffy grimaced. “Attractive.”
“You know I’m a shifter, right?” Jonathan asked and sneezed again. “I heal quickly.” He sneezed again.
“Not when you are spelled, you don’t?” Natalie grinned from ear to ear.
“Damn it brother; you should have sniffed them when you had the chance!” The alpha growled.
“How was I to know they were underhanded?” Jonathan said and then sneezed again.
“They’re witches?” Doug opened his hands and motioned towards them.
“I screwed up,” Jonathan grumbled, then sneezed. “Is my nose swelling up?” He turned to look at the alpha and Doug growled back at him, then his face twisted, and he sneezed again.
“If it isn’t already then it will be when I punch you,” Doug growled.
“Anger issues,” Saffy said as she leaned in a little towards Natalie like they were conspirators, which, of course, they were.
“Gee, I wonder why?” Doug growled back.
“You know…?” Jonathan sneezed. “It doesn’t matter how long it takes for the spell to wear off. You two aren’t going anywhere.” He informed them in a rush of words before he sneezed again.
“We’ll see about that!” Natalie said.
“There are other ways to determine a mate,” Doug warned them.
“Don’t you dare!” Saffy gasped in a breath of disbelief at the thought of it.
“You wouldn’t know which mate you were kissing,” Natalie said as she threw her hands up onto her hips and scowled at the man.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
~
“They have a point. I don’t like that idea, brother,” Jonathan said before sneezing again.
“The three of you,” the alpha said with a small shake of his head, berating each one of them in turn with just a look. “Get your minds out of the gutter.”
“When in Rome…” Saffy offered back.
“She has a point, brother,” Jonathan said and sneezed once more. “Damn it! Every time I talk I sneeze.” He sneezed again.
“Then shut your yapping,” Doug offered back.
“I second that,” Natalie said.
“Me three,” Saffy offered as she arched just one eyebrow at the beta and offered him a smug grin.
Jonathan didn’t say a word. He did, however, grunt in annoyance.
“Touching,” the alpha said.
Both witches eyed him with contempt.
“Pass,” Natalie said.
“I wouldn’t touch you with his,” Saffy shrugged.
“Oh.” The alpha started towards them. His chin was down, his eyes were dark, and he looked menacing. “Who says you have a choice?”
“Me!” Saffy snapped her fingers, and the alpha was on his backside on the floor before he knew what hit him.
“Nicely done,” Natalie grinned.
“Thank you,” Saffy offered the alpha a victorious grin.
“And the alpha falls over his feet,” Jonathan chuckled before sneezing again. “God damn it!” He sneezed.
“I’m warning you!” The alpha growled as he pulled himself back up to his full height and glared at the women.
“Did you hear something, Saffy?” Natalie asked as she spun her hand on her wrist and the alpha flipped in the air and landed on his backside once more.
“Hark, the sound of someone landing on their brain,” Saffy offered back and cupped her ear for good measure.
Doug growled long and hard. He dragged his body back to his feet, lowered his chin once more, and offered another long growl.
Both witches looked down at his feet. Doug resisted the urge to do the same, it would feel like a victory for them if he did, and he refused to give them the satisfaction.
He lifted one foot just sligh
tly from the floor — and he didn’t just find himself on his backside again — but tossed across the room where he landed against the wall — upside down, and staring at his feet.
The sound of Jonathan’s deep laughter roared through the air like a taunting red rag to a bull. Doug grunted in annoyance, and then he fell sideways and landed against the floor.
“I was going to zap him,” Saffy said.
“But it was my turn,” Natalie offered back.
“I’ve got one for you,” the alpha growled as he flipped onto his hands and knees, before springing back to his feet. “Riddle me this – riddle me that – one or two witches are going to go splat.”
“Oh, a comedian,” Natalie folded her arms and offered him a look of pure contempt, Saffy didn’t look impressed either, but on the bright side, he’d made Jonathan chuckle.
“Now, if I thought you meant that, brother, you know I would have to stop you, right?” Jonathan chuckled and then sneezed.
“Oh, I mean it!” The alpha growled.
“The time for talking is in the past, make them sleep, and make it fast,” Natalie rushed out before either man could do or say anything to stop her.
One moment the alpha and beta were standing there, and the next they dropped to the floor like deadweight’s and started to snore like babies.
“You know that spells not going to last long, right?” Saffy said.
“That’s why we’re getting out of here now!” Natalie said as she fisted a handful of Saffy’s sweater and yanked her towards the door.
~
~
~
Rex was really enjoying himself. He’d heard the muffled thuds that had come from the alpha’s bedroom upstairs, and each one made him chuckle.
Jonathan’s continual sneezing was annoying, but he guessed the man had a reason. Maybe some fairy dust, or some such nonsense that the witches had used against his brother. Whatever it was, he was glad it had stopped for now.
The sight of the witches at the top of the staircase confused him for a long moment. Especially, when his brothers didn’t immediately appear behind them, it wasn’t normal for a mate not to follow their female around like a stray dog.
Rex shot a look at the elder, and Tom shrugged back. The witches looked guilty of something, but Rex was unsure what to do next.