by M. L. Briers
She just thought that, where possible, she would be in charge of her own destiny. As a witch, she guessed she should have known better.
“I think we’re being stalked,” Jodie said in a low voice that she hoped couldn’t be overheard.
Turner scented the air. His eyes closed briefly as he processed and picked apart all the smells that mixed together as one.
“I think you’re right,” he nodded.
“You know, curiosity is said to have killed the cat,” Jodie announced loud enough for their stalker to hear.
“It kills wolves as well,” he played long.
There was a rustling of leaves and the sound of fast feet that took off away from them that made Jodie chuckle.
“I think we might be going to hell,” Jodie said.
“I think Zoe probably sent her to spy on us.” Turner certainly expected no less from the elder.
“That doesn’t mean we are not going to hell for scaring little children,” Jodie offered back.
“Well, you could be right — but look at it this way — I can’t be held accountable because you’re a bad influence,” he grinned.
“Funny, my sisters say the same thing.”
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
~
“Well, that’s not exactly how it…” Jodie came to a dead stop, and Turner almost ran into her from behind. He yanked his body back from hers and cursed himself for not paying more attention to what she was doing instead of what she looked like doing it. “Hello?”
Turner unpeeled his eyes from her backside and followed her gaze. There was Finley, as naked as the day was long, stalking across the front garden, and yanking his mate along with him.
“Don’t look!” Turner slapped his hands over his mate eyes and immediately felt fingers trying to peel them away.
“Hey, I thought you guys were all okay with nudity?” Jodie hissed out. She didn’t mind watching a floor show, especially when she didn’t have to pay for it.
“We are.”
“Then get off me!” She offered him a little zap of her magic just to make her point. She didn’t want to miss all the good bits.
“We haven’t even mated yet,” Turner offered back.
“Your point?” Jodie demanded. She zapped him again, harder that time, and he let go with a small groan.
“I don’t have one,” Turner admitted.
“Then stop being a spoilsport and let me ogle your brother!”
The moment that the words were out of her mouth; she grimaced. She should have known by his initial reaction that the green-eyed monster of jealousy had him in its grip, but there had been something of a disconnect between her brain and her mouth.
“You what?” Turner bit down on the words as his eyes widened in disbelief.
“That is to say…” Jodie grimaced again as she rolled her eyes upwards, looking for clues in the clouds that rolled across the sky, and finding nothing but air she rolled her eyes back down to note that he looked like a man chewing his own tongue. “What I mean is…” She grimaced again. “Yeah, I have nothing.”
“Why don’t you ogle your own damn mate?” Casey ground out the words as she tried, and failed, to release Finley’s grip from around her wrist.
“He’s not naked — running around showing off his little bits and pieces,” Jodie tossed up a hand towards Finley, and her mate snatched it downward.
“Don’t even point towards his naked body,” Turner grumbled.
“Little — bits and pieces?” Finley growled.
“Hello! — Someone’s ego just crash landed,” Casey chuckled.
“And with good reason,” Turner offered. “He is on the small side for a shifter.”
“Says you — the runt of the litter,” Finley growled back with a snort of contempt for his brother.
“Really?” Jodie turned to look at her mate. “Well, he’s small, so how tiny are you?”
“Is it like — minuscule?” Casey chuckled.
Turner wasn’t sure at first. Both witches were sniggering, and his brother was just out-and-out chuckling. His beast protested in no uncertain terms.
“It’s not tiny — it’s not minuscule – it’s bigger than his!” Turner growled as he tossed up a hand towards his brother and Finley chuckled harder.
“In your dreams, brother,” Finley grinned from ear to ear.
“I wouldn’t take that if I were you,” Jodie said.
“I’m not going to!” Turner growled as he turned a dark stare on his brother.
“That’s a challenge if ever I heard one,” Casey offered to her mate.
“Damn well sounds like one to me,” Finley growled, stopping in his tracks and releasing the hold that he had on his runaway mate.
The betas stared off against each other. While a look passed between Jodie and Casey, and Jodie gave a small nod.
“Go get him, Tiger!” Jodie said, she slapped her hand against the taut muscles of his backside, propelling him on, as he stalked across the garden towards his brother.
“Hit him a good one from me,” Casey said rallying her mate to action. Finley started off with a long, hard, deep growl.
The brothers met somewhere in the middle. Both men swung at once, and as the fists flew — Jodie hightailed it over towards Casey, neither sister could hide their grins.
“Men!” Casey chuckled.
“The little darlings!” Jodie sniggered back.
“Shall we take our leave, sister?” Casey asked.
“After you, sister.”
The witches turned on the heels as one — only to find the alpha standing right behind them, and of course, Steph was by his side. Neither mate looked impressed.
“Funny story…” Jodie started, but she’d run out of words again. So she just grimaced instead.
“I’m laughing on the inside,” Kit growled.
“Alphas,” Cassie shrugged. “No sense of humor.”
~
~
~
Zoe sat in the rocking chair on the back porch and kept her eyes on the woodland in front of her. She patiently rocked back and forward as she waited for news.
Her ears picked up the sound of gentle feet against the grass. Her wolf paid attention and tracked the movements as the sound came towards her.
“So, what did you find out?” Zoe asked.
“If that’s what a mate is like — I don’t want one,” Tina answered with all of the innocence and all of the honesty of a child.
Zoe couldn’t help but smile to herself. She liked the pups – they could always be counted on to bring a person back down to earth.
“I think you’ll change your mind when you’re older.”
“I know you’re an elder — but I think you’re wrong.”
“Challenging an elder’s word — bold,” Zoe turned steely eyes upon the child.
Tina eyed her back for a long moment. She seemed undaunted by the older woman’s status, and then she finally averted her gaze.
“Just being truthful,” Tina shrugged. “I thought we were always supposed, to tell the truth to our elders.”
“Hmm, I think somebody got me there,” Zoe admitted and saw the smile that touched the child's lips. “So what did you learn?”
“That elders aren’t always right?” Tina offered, and Zoe almost choked on her tongue trying to bite back the laughter that wanted out.
“About the mates?” Zoe managed to keep a straight face and a reasonably even tone as she berated the pre-teen with just a look.
“They argue a lot — just like brothers and sisters,” Tina offered back.
“Not exactly — but we’ll go into that when you’re older,” Zoe said.
“I don’t want to get older if I have to have a mate,” Tina frowned.
“Bite your tongue. We might not be witches, thankfully, but we still don’t tempt fate.” Zoe grumbled a growl, and Tina wrinkled her nose.
“I didn’t mean to.”
“Good. Then don’t do it again. There are some
bad things in this world that not everybody sees. You have a pack to protect you, and one day you’ll have a mate to walk beside you and keep you from harm’s way.” Zoe tried to sound as patient as possible, even if, her advancing years had made her slightly less maternal and a little more grumpy.
“I sure hope not,” Tina muttered.
“Come sit in the chair beside me and tell me what you’ve seen.”
Zoe’s memory wasn’t the best anymore. But she made a determined effort that once the witches were part of the pack, then she would ask them for a protection spell for the child. Fate could be cruel sometimes.
It was always better to be safe than sorry.
~
~
~
“So, no spell to do — three mates — shifter — mates — and a whole load of misery on the horizon,” Casey grumbled. “Well, this is a fine mess that you’ve got us into, sister.” She eyed Steph with contempt.
“Well, what were you two thinking getting those two meatheads to punch each other senseless?” Steph tossed back.
“Escape,” Casey tossed back as she shrugged just one shoulder.
“And go where?” Steph sneered back.
“Anywhere is better than a mate,” Casey scowled back at her.
“You mean, the mate that will hunt you down wherever you go?” Steph tossed back with a victory smile.
“I hear the arctic circle is nice this time of the century,” Jodie offered as she rested back in the chair in front of the window and inspected her fingernails.
“You may mock…” Casey sneered.
“Think you — I did.” Jodie didn’t raise her eyes to a sister as she batted her words away.
“But I don’t think we should be sitting around like lambs to the slaughter…”
“Piggies in a straw house?” Jodie said. “Big news — fate wins — you lose, get over it.”
“We’re witches, there has to be a spell – somewhere — to break this curse,” Casey said.
“Good luck with that,” Jodie poured scorn on her sister’s less-than-stellar idea.
“I think fate will smite you,” Steph said. “It will definitely smite your mate.”
“That’s not my problem,” Casey’s nose twitched in annoyance. The thought of a mate going rogue didn’t appeal to her, but she had to think of herself.
“No, it’s your conscience’s problem,” Steph warned.
“Might as well go live at the arctic circle,” Jodie said. “It’s not like you’re ever going to find another true love.”
“Or will be happy again,” Steph added.
“Geez, whose side are you on?” Casey bit out.
She was already feeling guilty, and she didn’t need her sisters sticking a knife in to add to her woes.
“Mine,” Jodie said.
“Me too,” Steph shrugged.
“But, he’s a wolf,” Casey whined. “That wet wolf smell is going to stick to everything.”
“It’s nice to see that you have your priorities in order,” Jodie chuckled. Sometimes she had to wonder where Casey’s reasoning came from. It was probably a planet, far, far away
“Oh, shut up,” Casey hissed as she folded her arms and let her chin practically hit her breasts. “I thought Prince Charming was actually supposed to be a prince. Not a frog.”
“Isn’t it a toad?” Jodie narrowed her eyes as she tried to remember what fairytale was what.
“Well, tell yourself that in this case it’s a wolf and get over it,” Steph berated her.
“But, I didn’t even like Red Riding Hood.” Casey huffed.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
~
“What do you think they’re talking about?” Turner asked as he leaned in slightly toward his brother and eyed the witches from across the hallway. Finley snorted a chuckle.
“You.”
“Why me?” Turner asked, straining his hearing to try to listen in, but still, couldn’t manage to hear much of anything.
“Because you ask so many stupid questions,” Finley bit out.
“Why don’t you go and ask them?” Kit said.
He’d been watchful of the mates, trying to pick up on their body language to see if they were plotting anything. He wanted to knock it on the head before it even started.
He’d allowed his mate to chastise her siblings for encouraging the scrap between his brothers, but in truth, it never took much for the betas to go one on one.
“Why me?” Turner asked again.
“Because you’re the one that’s interested,” the alpha offered back.
“But still…” Turner shrugged.
“I think he’s scared of his mate.” Finley snorted a chuckle.
“I think you’re delusional,” Turner shot back.
“I think you’re both a giant pain in my backside. But am I complaining?” Kit growled.
“You just did.” Turner got a long, deep warning growl in reply.
“Just go — get them out of there,” Kit grumbled.
“Again — why me?” Turner scowled back at the alpha.
“Finley’s right, you do ask too many stupid questions.”
~
~
~
In theory, it should have been easy. She was his mate, and he was an alpha.
So, why did he feel like a pup again when it came to her?
It should have been a walk in the meadow to woo his mate, and yet, he felt as if he’d been dropped into the middle of a thorn bush and everywhere he turned the prickles were just waiting to snag him. And it wasn’t like she was the meanest of the three witches either.
Kit had to be fair — it was more about him than it was about her. She hadn’t zapped him in a while. Although, he wasn’t going to rest easy, not when one could be heading his way; if the scowls that came from her direction was any indication of her intentions.
He found himself waiting for the snakes to sprout from her hair, but they hadn’t appeared yet.
Kit knew how important it was. This was his mate. This was his one chance at real life. He didn’t want to fail.
Kit caught her shooting another look in his direction, and he tightened his muscles and stuck his chest out, trying to look every inch the alpha, every inch the dominant male with good genes and great hair. She sniggered and looked away.
Damn.
~
~
~
“Okay, I have a plan,” Casey announced.
“You have a plan?” Steph asked as she caught sight of the alpha strutting his stuff, and sticking his big muscles out for her approval, just as a snigger came from her lips at the thought of Casey coming up with anything remotely like a plan.
“Please tell me it’s not like Steph’s plan. Because Steph’s plan sucked — hence, why we are here,” Jodie grumbled.
“My plan…” Steph started, but Casey cut her off.
“Wasn’t a plan.” Casey had to agree with her sister — the other sister, and while she hated to gang up, much, on anyone — because they did it to her all the time, Steph’s not–a–plan had consisted of giving in to the alpha’s demands.
“Okay, not a plan, exactly,” Steph admitted with the roll of her eyes. “But, I’m still sure it’s more of a plan than what Casey can come up with.”
“Well, I’ll give you that,” Jodie shrugged.
“I’ll have you know, my plan is a good plan,” Casey folded her arms and huffed at her sisters.
“Okay, let’s hear it,” Jodie shrugged.
“Seriously?” Steph offered Jodie a curious glare.
“Sure, why not? It can’t be any worse than your plan, now can it?” Jodie grinned in triumph.
“No, I don’t want to share.” Casey huffed. “Maybe, I’ll just leave you two here and use my plan by myself.”
“Well, that would be selfish of you,” Jodie offered back.
“Yes, yes it would,” Steph agreed.
“You know you’re supposed to share with your sisters,” Jodie s
aid.
“But if you want to go ahead and be selfish, there’s not a lot we can do about it,” Steph added.
“I don’t want to be selfish — but, neither of you wanted to hear my plan in the first place.” Casey eyed them with indifference.
“But now we do — you should share,” Jodie teased.
“Sharing is caring,” Steph said.
“There are times when I really hate having sisters,” Casey huffed.
“So, you would have preferred little wizards running around?” Jodie snorted a chuckle when Casey’s face turned sour.
“Fine. I’ll share!”
~
~
~
“So, what do you think about Casey’s big plan?” Steph asked as she leaned in towards Jodie and whispered, in the hope of figuring out where Jodie’s allegiances were.
“I think our sister should stop reading cozy mystery novels — it gives her ideas, and it’s never going to work. The mating pull will get to her long before then.” Jodie offered back.
It wasn’t exactly the answer that Steph had been looking for.
“And what about you?”
“What about me?” Jodie tossed her a curious look.
“How do you feel about having a mate?”
“How should I feel about having a mate?” Jodie tossed back.
“You’re doing it again!” Steph grumbled as she gave her sister a death glare.
“Doing what?”
“It. That psychoanalysis rubbish that you read in a book one time.”
“Oh, that.”
“That’s it!” Steph scowled at her sister.
“That’s what?”
“That’s your answer?” Steph grumbled.
“And what would you like my answer to be?” Jodie was on a roll.
“Well, let me see — firstly, I’d like you to have one.” Steph shot back and gave her sister a questioning, impatient look.
“You said firstly?”
“You have a point?”
“That means there should be a secondly — I was waiting,” Jodie really was on a roll, and she was enjoying it.