by M. L. Briers
Jaxon gave the impression that he was considering what she’d said. He wasn’t – he was going nowhere without her.
“I’ll – be around,” he offered back.
A heartbeat later and the man was gone.
“Nice friend of yours,” Chloe shot out over her shoulder to the young witch with a little venom in her tone. That vampire had unnerved her a little more than she cared to admit.
“Bite me,” Fallon grumbled.
“That’s just so damn tempting,” Chloe whined to Monty and her mate grinned back at her. That grin wasn’t as wide as it should have been, nor was it registering in his eyes as it normally would… “You’re worried?” Chloe whispered, stepping towards him so that she wasn’t overheard.
“I’m … cautious.” Monty offered back. “No more games of chase me or hide and seek.” He warned her.
“For now,” Chloe agreed she could sense the concern within him, and he nodded back, glad that she understood that it wasn’t the time to play games with that vampire on the loose.
Caution be damned. Monty was worried and he didn’t want to entertain the idea of his mate getting hurt.
Keep an eye on the witches…
Keep an eye on my mate…
Kill the vampire if necessary…
Who said life had to be damn boring…
Monty didn’t like it. The man had to rival him for centuries lived and that meant that he was as strong and able to match him in skills.
He remembered him from when they’d met, and if he remembered correctly then he was a nasty piece of work. Not that Monty considered himself to be an angle … but he’d come a long way since his wilder days, and he doubted that the same could be said for Jaxon…
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“Who is he?” Jamie growled once more at the thought of his mate being owned by anyone.
The fact that the vampire seemed to think that he had some claim on her just made it worse.
There was only one man who had any kind of a claim on his mate and that was him, and she had a choice in that claim. It was never a given that she’d accept him – that she’d mate with him.
He wanted to rip that vampire limb from limb, and he was certain that he would enjoy doing it.
“Vampire…” Fallon shot back.
She didn’t want to go into the whole story, especially in front of Dorothy and the other vampires. Her life history was her own business, and so was her father’s.
“Now is not the time to be sarcastic. I have a pack, witches to protect, and you, my mate…” He bit down on that last word and she felt her last nerve ping.
“Don’t do me any favours, wolf…” Fallon started to build up a head of steam.
Dorothy knew that temper well. She’d had it in her youth – still did, if she was being honest, and so did Fallon’s mother. It was only natural that her granddaughter would have gotten it in her DNA too.
The elder pushed up from the chair to her feet, and that movement gave Fallon a good reason to look away from the dark, glaring eyes of her mate that had her bewitched at the same time that it annoyed her so…
“He has a right to know, Fallon,” Dorothy said, and watched the young witch open her mouth to protest. She never gave her the chance. “He’s your mate, and like it or not, he has a duty to you and his pack.”
“Taking sides?” Fallon hissed.
She felt a sharp sting in the tail of that one and it had nothing to do with magic.
Her grandmother should have been on her side. Whether the woman was right or not didn’t count towards brownie points in her book, but then she guessed the elder didn’t feel like she needed any brownie points where her granddaughter was concerned.
“Stating a fact.”
Dorothy wasn’t about to wither under the younger witch’s glare. Even if she was kin, or maybe it was because of it.
She’d known vampires like that one before in her youth – when they’d had a reason to sniff around her, for her magic and her blood, but she’d always walked away.
Fallon’s father hadn’t.
The man had been beholding to them – worked for them – liked the money and lifestyle that they could give him. Heaven forbid that he should do an honest day’s graft for an honest day’s money.
Now he’d passed that legacy on to his daughter. Well, Dorothy wasn’t about to let that happen.
Whatever the vampire wanted from her kin – she’d stand in her stead. Her youth might not have been a match, but she guessed that her magic was far superior in nature and that was a bargaining point in anyone’s book, especially a vampire.
“I need to leave,” Fallon said, turning on her heels and not taking more than one step before her mate was standing in front of her.
The man was blocking the doorway with his large body once more, and he was looking down at her like a man who wasn’t quite sure if he could rein in his beast.
“I need to protect you, and if that is from yourself then so be it,” Jamie offered the words as he tried to slam the cage door on his wolf. It felt like the hardest thing that he’d ever had to do in his life…
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
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“What the hell is that supposed to mean?” Fallon demanded, placing her hands on her hips, and glaring up at Jamie with a look that said she wasn’t about to be messed with by anybody.
“I need to draw you a picture?” Jamie growled.
“I guess so – do you need crayons?” She shot back.
Fallon’s eyes flashed with anger and practically dared him to mess with her. She’d more than had enough of men with bigger egos and not much in the bank to cash them with.
For his part, Jamie knew that he needed to keep his beast at bay, but she wasn’t making it any easier with the challenges that she was throwing out … the woman was frustratingly annoying…
“What are you; a man or a mouse?” Chloe called from outside, and Monty slowly turned his head and stared at her in disbelief…
“Nice stirring of the pot,” he offered, impressed.
“Well, I was a witch – it’s a knack you know?” She grinned back with a sparkle of wicked amusement in her eyes.
“All in the wrist?” He gave her a suggestive wiggle of his eyebrows and heard her dirty little chuckle.
“Definitely…”
“Hey, Bonnie and bloodsucking Clyde, back off!” Dorothy berated the two of them.
Then she raised her hand and flicked it on her wrist, using her magic to drop the blind down over the window, and blocking out the two of them from view.
“Oh, trust me when I say that I don’t need a box of crayons for this particular picture…” Jamie offered back.
The beta took one large step towards his mate, wrapped one large hand around her wrist, and yanked her hand from her hip and her body towards his…
Fallon tensed her body and prepared for the collision of her soft body with his hard one, but it didn’t come, at least, not in the way that she was expecting.
Jamie dipped at the waist, and with a squeal that came from her lips of disbelief that was mixed with shock, she found herself hanging over one broad shoulder, with a great view of his taut backside…
“Are you freaking kidding me!” Fallon bit out.
Sarah slapped her hand over her mouth to hide her grin and the small cackle of laughter that escaped her lips.
Dorothy sighed inwardly at the spectacle of Fallon’s backside sticking up in the air, and groaned outwardly at the language that came from her granddaughter’s lips…
“Oh … whoa…” Angela said with a snort of laughter as she rounded the bend and caught sight of the spectacle. She might have been late to the party, but she was glad that she’d turned up for the fireworks.
Hank folded his arms and nodded his head in admiration for the man, a small smile of his lips… He might well have clapped, but his mate didn’t look too impressed and he didn’t want to get in her bad books…
Dorothy a
lready hated him, and that didn’t bode well for his attempt to woo her. He definitely liked the beta’s technique at dealing with an awkward mate though.
It was just a shame that he thought if he tried that with Dorothy – then they might have both ended up in a heap on the floor … either way, he’d be in no position to mate with her after that.
“Any bedroom in the middle of the hall upstairs,” Sarah whispered to her pack brother as she pointed a sly finger upwards, and Jamie nodded once in understanding.
Then the behemoth turned on his heels, almost knocking Fallon’s head against the wall; as everyone squealed and grumbled in panic. But Jamie was somewhat oblivious, as he stalked off towards the staircase…
“Seriously?” Fallon called out.
She had taken to struggling against his shoulder until she felt one, large hand slap down on her backside to keep her locked in place.
Her head shot up and her eyes glared at the first person that she locked eyes with…
“Don’t look at me … I’m too old for that sort of thing,” Lark grumbled, hoping not to get zapped for something that was not of his doing and far out of his control.
He’d no more try to stop the beta from wooing his mate than jump in front of a high speed train. Each would certainly pack a punch that would knock him on his backside…
“He’s your pack…” Fallon hissed out, but each heavy foot that her mate placed against the stairs on his journey upwards towards the bedrooms, made her voice jump and her breath leave her body in little spirts as she bounced on his shoulder…
“Well, that’s not my fault either!” Lark played innocent and confused for all that he was worth, but inside he was laughing his backside off.
“Could someone just…?” Fallon squealed in frustration and bit down on her need to zap the man…
She would have zapped his taut, sexy backside in a heartbeat, except looking down from where she was hanging over his shoulder at the drop to the bottom of the staircase below and beyond, made her think twice.
Self-preservation was such a bitch!
“What’d I miss?” Nathan panted as he raced through the front door, ready to meet the challenge of dealing with an unwanted vampire, should someone point the way, and his eyes swept up the staircase to where Jamie was fast disappearing.
He scowled up at the young witch that offered him back a very convincing death glare from her positon over his younger brother’s shoulder, and he twisted his head on his neck and lifted his hand to point a finger of recognition at her…
“Don’t overtax your brain,” Hank chuckled at the alpha, and Nathan closed his mouth and pressed his lips together…
“You snooze, you lose…” Angela grinned.
“But…” he pointed up at an empty space. His brother and the witch were already gone.
“Welcome home, dear, and how was your day?” Sarah teased and her mate frowned.
“Not as interesting as yours by the looks of things,” Nathan growled.
“Congratulations, you have another witch in the pack…” Sarah offered back, and Nathan opened his mouth to say something, but then he just lifted one eyebrow on a nod of acceptance.
“Oh.”
“Oh?” Angela teased.
“Ok?” he winced, somewhat unsure of what they wanted from him at that point.
He’d expected to be dealing with a rabid vampire in some way, shape, or form, and there was his brother – carting off Dorothy’s granddaughter over his damn shoulder…
“Better, but where’s the happy jig?” Angela’s sly smile spread across her face at the man’s confusion, and the alpha grunted back.
“Real men don’t dance,” He growled.
“Is that your way of saying that you have two left paws?” Dorothy offered, and he was momentarily stunned and confused once more.
He guessed with witches in the pack, he should get used to that helpless feeling…
“I do have two left … paws,” he said, rethinking that one through, even while he was giving his answer.
“On the front?” Dorothy raised her eyebrows at the alpha … and the man lifted his hand to his head and scratched…
“I don’t,” Hank announced. “I can trip the light fantastic.” He offered his mate a wicked grin and saw her eyes sparkle with amusement.
“Proof is in the pudding,” Dorothy shrugged, unimpressed by her mates declaration.
“Yes, as long as he doesn’t trip over his drooling tongue,” Lark grumbled, and Angela shot him a sympathetic look.
“Ah, can’t dance either?” She asked, and her mate grunted.
“But I can hunt better than he can.” Lark grumbled.
“No, you can’t,” Hank growled back. His beast had taken offence to that one.
“Proof is in the pudding,” Lark sneered back the challenge.
“Fine.” Hank growled.
“Good.” Lark growled harder.
“Anytime…” Hank countered…
“Oh would you listen to them…” Dorothy rolled her eyes.
“Can just feel the testosterone cluttering up the air…” Angela offered, folding her arms, and offering her mate one raised eyebrow and a very unimpressed look.
Lark grunted again, this time in annoyance…
“Well, I can…” He muttered. Not willing to let it slide.
“Can’t,” Hank offered back.
“You…” Nathan announced, pointing a finger at Lark, and the elder eyed him for a long moment. “Go … do something.” He snapped out before turning his attention towards Hank… “Don’t you have something more important to attend too?”
“Like what?” Hank grumbled.
“Wooing…!” Nathan bit out in frustration and Hank snapped to attention…
“Thanks a lot!” Dorothy grumbled.
“You’re entirely welcome,” Nathan offered back with a sly smile and a sparkle of amusement in his eyes…
“You old romantic…” Sarah teased, bringing his attention towards her and she gave a suggestive wiggle of her eyebrows at the alpha, tempting him more than she’d ever know.
The low deep growl told her that the man liked what he saw, and she liked that he liked it – oh, she liked it a lot.
“I’d love to show you how romantic, but I need to go track the vampire…” Nathan winced with an apologetic look.
He growled internally at the thought of not throwing his own mate over his shoulder like his brother had done, and carrying her off up the stairs to have his wicked way with her, and it would have been very wicked…
“Me too,” Lark growled.
“And me,” Hank said, eyeing Lark with a dark glare. He wasn’t about to be outdone by the man.
“No, and no,” Nathan growled back.
Both elder’s snapped to attention, or as close to it as their backs would allow.
Nathan groaned inwardly. He hated it when the elders wanted to prove their worth to the pack … and now they had mates to prove a point to.
In his mind they’d put in their years, done their time, and should only be called on when absolutely necessary…
“We need you here in case the vampire comes back,” Sarah said quickly as her mate floundered in silence…
“Right,” Nathan lifted his hand and pointed a grateful finger at his mate. “Guard the witches.” He said with a nod…
“Sounds like pan duty,” Lark grumbled.
“Agreed,” Hank offered.
“Wow, you guys actually agreed on something – should I alert the media?” Angela snorted.
“What’s pan duty?” Dorothy asked, confused.
“It’s what happens after a meal, and the part that nobody wants,” Hank grumbled.
“You don’t want to protect your mates?” Sarah put in quickly, just in case the alpha floundered again … but, she didn’t realise that she was putting her foot right it in, and by it …
“Charming,” Dorothy said, clucking her tongue, and Hank snapped to attention once more…
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
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“I didn’t say…” Hank bit out in a rush…
“You did too,” Dorothy announced, not letting the man finish trying to take his foot out of his mouth.
“Didn’t.” Hank growled his one word answer just in case his mate tried to cut him off again.
“Did, and don’t you growl at me, you old dog!” Dorothy snapped back at him…
Then she raised her chin in the air and started for the doorway … Hank balked, tossing up his hands in frustration…
“Now what’d I say?” He growled out, not asking anyone in particular, but damn confused by his mate’s attitude change…
“Not enough, apparently,” Angela offered with an indignant look at the man.
“I…” Hank looked flabbergasted.
Both elder witches sauntered out the door, one after the other. He turned confused eyes on the alpha…
“Don’t look at me. I don’t pretend to know a thing about women,” Nathan held up his hands in surrender.
“Well, a few things…” Sarah said with a wicked grin, and the alpha growled once more.
“But…?” Hank turned pleading eyes on Sarah, but it was Lark that got in there first.
“Well, now you’ve gone and done it,” he grumbled in an accusing tone. His eyes flashed with anger. “I’d better not be in the doghouse because of your stupid remarks.”
“But…?” Hank pressed his lips together when his friend turned and followed the witches.
“Whoops!” Monty called from outside, and Hank rolled his eyes in his head…
“I really do need that full frontal lobotomy,” the elder growled, and Sarah covered her mouth once more as she closed mouth and pressed her lips together as she blew silent chuckles down her nose…
There was a sympathetic look in her eyes for the man. He really didn’t look as if he got it, not one little bit…
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“You put me down!” Fallon practically growled at her mate as she hung down his back and viewed the world from a very different prospective … it wasn’t all bad – she could have done without all of the blood rushing to her head, but she did have a great view of his backside to look at…