by M. L. Briers
“What’s not good?” Robert asked.
“I — never got to wish on it,” Elizabeth rushed out on a grimace.
“Supernatural hocus-pocus designed for children,” Robert said.
“That’s…” Elizabeth half rolled her eyes. “One way to look at it.” She bit out in annoyance and Rick leaned in towards her.
“Want me to shift into my wolf and sink my fangs into his butt?” Rick offered. As he pulled back his head, she noted the teasing grin.
“Don’t tempt me.”
“The only way to look at it. I pity the poor souls who believe in the supernatural — they’re almost as pitiful as the ones who believe in alien abduction — almost, but not quite.” Robert offered back.
“Mind how you go, this path looks uneven,” Elizabeth said.
“No, it’s…” Robert tripped on nothing at all, well — maybe a little magic. He ended up on one knee with his palms braced against the ground.
“Whoops!” Rick bit out. At any other time, he might have berated his mate for using magic against a human — but he’d enjoyed it too much.
“Might want to fix that,” Robert grumbled as he picked himself up and dusted himself down.
“Might,” Rick grinned. But the sight of Chloe making another pass around them stole his attention away again. “Might be a good idea to double-time it back to the inn, feels like rain in the air.” He lied.
“A bit of rain never hurt anyone,” Robert said.
“Sounds like a good idea,” Elizabeth said and heard a grunt of annoyance that came from Robert. “I don’t want frizzy hair.” She tossed the man an olive branch.
“You two go on alone. I’m just going to mark out the place where Robert tripped and check it out in the light tomorrow,” Rick lied.
He hated to do it. Send his mate off with a human that he didn’t trust. But he trusted Chloe even less.
He might have had the urge to kill Robert — but, he probably wouldn’t act on it. The human discovering a vampire, now that was a different matter entirely.
It would be up to Monty then to wipe the man’s memory clear, but if it couldn’t be done, then they would have no choice but to kill him. Rick knew that he had to put himself between Chloe and Robert. Even though every instinct within him said to walk away.
~
~
~
“And what’s going on in here?” Hank asked as he walked into the kitchen and found three elder witches all talking over each other while Quinn looked on in horror.
“We are just discussing how best to help Quinn with his little problem,” Dorothy offered her mate a teasing smile.
“He has so many — which one?” Hank fell into line with the witches teasing. The sound of Quinn’s low, deep, warning growl wasn’t lost on the man.
“Now listen here…” Quinn started, but Angela lifted a little finger and wiggled it again, causing Quinn to snap back his head.
“You know…” Angela left the words hanging.
“Oh – oooh! That problem?” Hank raised his eyebrows as he turned a questioning look on Quinn. The man growled again.
“I do not have that problem,” Quinn grumbled.
“I thought you’d got past the denial stage?” Angela gave a small shake of the head and a disappointed look towards the elder.
“There’s nothing to deny,” Quinn growled.
“Which is a denial of a denial,” Valerie said.
She had to admit that she was having fun. Even if it was at Quinn’s expense.
She didn’t realize just how much she’d missed company. Especially company of her own age.
“I can’t be in denial of something that isn’t true,” Quinn said getting exasperated at the way the conversation was going.
“Don’t be ashamed,” Hank offered with a wave of his hand. “It happens to everyone — not me — but… others.”
“Well, not me!” Quinn growled back.
“I thought we already established that it did?” Angela asked.
“Did what?” Quinn was getting confused again.
“Happen.”
“What happened?” Quinn growled.
He’d only been trying to do the right thing. Feed his mate. Somehow everything had become a living nightmare for him.
Witches. It had been amusing to him when the mates picked on Hank or Lark, but now the shoe was on the other foot — he didn’t much care for it.
“Do you need to have a lie-down?” Hank asked and got another hearty growl from Quinn in return.
“No, I don’t!” Quinn grumbled.
“It could be an overriding loss of stamina,” Angela shrugged her shoulders.
“What could?” Quinn asked with a deep frown.
“Your inability to perform,” Angela offered him another sympathetic smile.
“Perform what?” Quinn growled.
“You know…” It was Dorothy’s turn to lift her pinky finger and wiggle it.
“I don’t have an inability to perform!” Quinn growled long and hard in frustration.
“Are you sure?” Angela asked.
“I think I might be losing my mind,” Quinn grumbled.
“An inability to perform — lost stamina — and senility,” Dorothy drew a long breath in between her parted lips and gave a slow shake of her head. “That’s not good.”
“You can say that again!” Hank offered.
“I might need to lie down,” Quinn grumbled.
“Well, you go right ahead, dear,” Valerie said. But she couldn’t keep the laughter from her voice. Quinn eyed her for a long moment.
“Why is everyone picking on me? Hank’s standing right there — can’t you pick on him for a while?” Quinn grumbled again.
“We’re just trying to help you,” Dorothy lied, but she did it well. Even her mate might have believed her if didn’t know her so well.
“Please don’t,” Quinn growled.
“Not only in denial, but he’s given up on life. How sad.” Angela sighed once more.
“I don’t think I like you people anymore,” Quinn grumbled.
“Well,” Valerie pushed up from the stool. She’d had to turn her face away from her mate because she couldn’t help the wide grin that stretched from ear to ear. “If that’s how you feel then I’ll be off.”
“That’s not…” Quinn started to explain, but she cut him off.
“I’m going to bed, and I’ll see you all in the morning — maybe.” Valerie offered back over her shoulder as she started towards the kitchen door.
“Now see what you’ve done!” Quinn grumbled another growl at the witches.
“Don’t blame us for your lack of wooing skills,” Angela said.
“And your inability to perform,” Dorothy added.
“How the heck do you live with them?” Quinn grumbled as he started off after his mate and eyed Hank with annoyance.
“Witches — they make life so much fun. Don’t you think?” Hank offered back on a small chuckle.
“I’m trying really damn hard not to knock your head off right now – don’t ask me to think as well,” Quinn growled.
CHAPTER NINETEEN
~
Rick was tracking the vampire, and Chloe was tracking the human. He knew he needed to take her down and he knew that he needed to keep it low-key.
Maximum effort and minimum sound. He couldn’t alert Robert to the vampire’s presence.
He kept downwind of her. He didn’t want to alert her to his presence either. Although knowing vampires as he did, she was probably more than aware that he was there.
The moment that Chloe put herself in his crosshairs, he took his chance, rushing for her in an attempt to take her down. He was more than surprised when she was hoisted up in the air in front of him and disappeared into the treetops.
Rick growled in annoyance as he stumbled over his own feet and almost head-butted a tree trunk.
“Enjoy your trip? And not even a postcard,” Monty’s voice drifted down
all around him.
“Because you couldn’t make your presence known before,” Rick growled out.
“Of course I could…” The vampire’s words were bitten off by the sound of painful groan that was torn from his lips. There was a rustling of leaves and a grunt of annoyance. “I’m not a tin of beans — stop trying to open me up with your claws.”
“And stop trying to mess with my fun,” Chloe hissed back.
“That witch is protected,” Rick growled upwards.
“I wasn’t going to snack on the witch,” Chloe bit back.
“And humans are off-limits,” Rick growled.
“Not if it’s an accident, they’re not,” Chloe offered back.
“So you were going to accidentally sink your fangs into his neck and drain his blood?” Rick gave a small shake of his head in disbelief.
“I accidentally got carried away,” Chloe said.
“And what if your mate couldn’t wipe his memory?”
“More for me — Yum!”
“Monty…!” Rick growled.
“She’s trying,” Monty offered back.
“In more ways than one,” Rick grumbled as he started to walk away.
He needed to catch up to his mate and the human. His wolf was getting antsy again.
~
~
~
“Valerie!” Quinn called after his mate just as she put a foot on the first stair. She stopped and turned to look back at him over her shoulder.
The sound of the front door opening caused the elders to turn and look in that direction. Elizabeth practically launched Robert into the foyer.
“Don’t want to get wet!” Elizabeth rushed out her words as she backheeled the door closed behind her.
“You must really not like rain,” Robert said before he caught sight of the elders.
“What’s he doing here?” Valerie demanded. She knew the man, he worked with Elizabeth, and he seemed to pop up wherever they went.
Valerie didn’t like coincidences. She certainly didn’t like him.
“Just a happy coincidence,” Elizabeth offered back with a small glare to ward off her mother.
“Happy?” Robert muttered.
“Or not,” Valerie offered back.
For one long moment, Robert met the elder woman’s eyes, and she was sure that she saw his top lip twitched with anger. But it was fleeting, and she couldn’t swear to it.
~
~
~
Rick heard the low growl of a familiar wolf and stopped in place. The jet black wolf padded out of the foliage towards him and gave another small growl.
“What are you doing here, Marla?” Rick asked as if he didn’t know the answer.
The wolf shifted into her human form and stood before him naked. Rick didn’t bat an eyelid, nor did he allow his eyes to wander over her body.
“You found a mate,” Marla said. It sounded more like an accusation to Rick’s ears than a question.
“We are friends, Marla. You knew that was all we could ever be,” Rick offered back.
“I was hopeful it would be friends with benefits.”
“That’s not who I am, and you know it,” Rick said.
He’d known for quite some time what Marla had wanted, and he’d tried to dissuade her, put her off, and yet she never quite listened. He hadn’t been looking for a mate — but he hadn’t been looking for a lover either.
“I thought you might come around to the idea.”
Marla looked hurt, but there was nothing Rick could do about it. Even if he had not have found his mate, he never would have led Marla on like that.
“I’m sorry,” Rick didn’t know what else to say.
“Don’t be. You found your mate. That’s a good thing.” Marla shrugged. She’d had time to think about it, and if she took the witch out of the equation, then she’d still lose Rick – only to being a rogue. “Now the fact that she’s a witch…” She shrugged again.
“Why did you challenge her back there?” Rick asked.
“Too many witches. Maybe it’s time that I looked for a new pack.”
“Maybe it’s time you looked for your mate,” Rick offered back and got a curious look in return.
“Because it’s that easy…”
“Maybe it is when you have witches in the pack that can help you.” Rick gave a small shrug.
“Help me?” Marla looked confused.
“Maybe they can do some kind of a spell that might bring your mate to you? I don’t know, but instead of challenging them, maybe you should be a little more friendly and ask for help.”
Rick folded his large arms across his broad chest and raised just one eyebrow at. He watched as she considered his words.
“You really think they can do that?”
“I really think they’re more than likely to try if you’re not trying to kill one,” Rick berated her.
“Wasn’t going to kill her — just chase her off.”
“How’d that work out for you?”
“It was going just fine until some big, snoopy, annoying enforcer got involved.” Marla grinned.
“Right place — wrong time — for you. Suck it up, be nice to the witches, and maybe you’ll get what you witch for.” Rick grinned from ear to ear as she groaned at his pun.
“Now if you were dressed I’d introduce you to a human male. Maybe he’s your mate,” Rick chuckled.
“Dressed? I think he’d prefer to meet me like this,” Marla grinned back. “Maybe he is my mate.”
“Damn, I hope not,” Rick growled back.
~
~
~
“It’s nice to see you again, Mrs. Harper,” Robert said.
Quinn eyed the man. He’s BS barometer was registering high.
It wasn’t just his mate’s reaction to the man’s presence. Although, both he and his wolf had picked up enough of a vibe from their mate to want to throw the man out on his backside, but no, he didn’t like the look of him either.
“Is it?” Valerie doubted that.
She’d always gotten the impression from Robert that she was definitely surplus to requirements. Even a fool could see that the man liked her daughter – she was just thankful that Elizabeth didn’t return the sentiment.
“Yes,” Robert offered back with a small frown and a hard stare.
“You do surprise me,” Valerie muttered.
“Let’s get you a cup of tea and then you can be on your way,” Elizabeth said in a rush of words that she hoped would stem her mother’s disapproval and obvious challenge to his presence.
“That…” Robert gave a small grunt of annoyance. “Would be helpful, thank you.”
Valerie eyed the man with a death glare as he walked across the foyer with Elizabeth. She’d like nothing better than to pick him up by the scruff of the neck and boot him out the house as if he was a cartoon alleycat.
Quinn shuffled closer to his mate and leaned in towards her.
“Want me to kick him out?” Quinn gave a low growl.
“Don’t tempt me,” she said and rolled her eyes in frustration.
There were times when she wished that the world knew about witches and the supernatural — just so she could zap a human or two. The first person that she would zap would be Robert.
“Go on — do something wicked,” Quinn chuckled.
The sound of the man’s deep laughter warmed her to him. She couldn’t help but smile.
It seemed that Quinn was contagious — just not in a bad way.
When the front door opened and Rick rushed in, Valerie eyed the man head to toe and back again.
“Where’d she go?” Rick demanded as he scowled at Quinn.
“Where’d who go?” Quinn scowled back.
“Elizabeth!” Rick growled just a little.
“I’m sorry, Elizabeth?” Now it was Valerie’s turn to be confused.
“My mate!” Rick bit out.
“Y-your…” Valerie couldn’t quite get the words
out. This time when Quinn chuckled, she didn’t rush to amusement.
“Well, look at you lost for words,” Quinn teased his mate.
“I – I – I…” Valerie’s mouth started to open and close like a goldfish.
“Well, who knew that finding out her daughter was a mate would make it so peaceful around here,” Quinn teased again.
“Mother!” Rick growled in earnest this time.
“Mate!” Valerie managed to get out.
“And there goes that peace and quiet,” Quinn chuckled to himself.
CHAPTER TWENTY
~
“Where’s Elizabeth and that…” Rick growled again.
“Robert,” Valerie bit out as if just his name was a horrible taste on her tongue.
“Robert,” Rick growled.
“Well, it seems that the two of you are in agreement about Robert,” Quinn said.
“Your mate, you said?” Valerie eyed the enforcer for a long moment.
“My mate,” Rick nodded.
“Good.” Valerie looked relieved, but Quinn looked confused. “Better than Robert.”
“That’s not a glowing recommendation,” Rick offered back.
“You — as a son – I can live with,” Valerie said.
“I’ll take that,” Rick nodded.
“So a shifter son is okay, but a shifter mate is…?” Quinn left his words there.
“A right Royal pain in the backside comes to mind.” Valerie’s sense of humor had returned now that she knew that Elizabeth had no intention of dating Robert.
“She’s known you how long and she already has you pegged,” Rick chuckled.
“Bite me,” Quinn growled.
“Sorry, I’m a one-woman man,” Rick grinned. “So where did Elizabeth go?”
“In the kitchen — with Robert,” Valerie huffed.
Rick grunted in annoyance as he started off across the hallway on fast feet. The sooner his mate wasn’t alone with that man, the better.
He heard voices long before he reached the kitchen door. He never thought he’d be grateful to be walking into a room with Angela and Dorothy inside.
“I’m surprised that you found us,” Dorothy said.