by M. L. Briers
BROTHERS
Clan Special
ASH
BY
M. L. BRIERS
Copyright © 2016, M L Briers
All Rights Are Reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced whatsoever without written permission of the author, except for brief exerts in reviews. Any unauthorised reproduction or distribution of the material herein is illegal and may result in criminal proceedings. No part of this book may be scanned, uploaded to the internet or distributed via electronic or print without prior consent.
Note from the Author;
All names, places, and incidents contained herein are purely fictional and have no basis in actual events or linked to actual Humans, Witches, Vampires, Werewolves, Lycans, Werebears or persons living, dead or undead.
Copyright © 2016, Cover Design; K Shipley
Table of Contents
BROTHERS
Clan Special
ASH
CHAPTER ONE
CHAPTER TWO
CHAPTER THREE
CHAPTER FOUR
CHAPTER FIVE.
CHAPTER SIX
CHAPTER SEVEN
CHAPTER EIGHT
CHAPTER NINE
CHAPTER TEN
CHAPTER ELEVEN
CHAPTER TWELVE
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
CHAPTER NINETEEN
CHAPTER TWENTY
CHAPTER ONE
~
Ethan could feel it eating at him.
His beast wasn’t just its usual crappy self. This was worse, way worse. The animal was clawing within like a festering wound that wouldn’t heal.
It had been years since he’d lost it completely, allowed his beast to push forward and rampage out of control. This clan had saved his life back then. They’d taken him in and brawled with him every time his bear needed to let go.
It wasn’t a one sided thing – they were all misfits in one way or another.
His alpha had managed to keep him in line – within reason. Now that line was rushing towards him at great speed, and he knew that even Landon couldn’t save him from himself this time.
Not now that reason was slipping away.
He knew why. He knew what he’d done and he’d done it for the best – the best for her.
She didn’t deserve to be tied to someone like him.
He was no good. Rotten to the very core.
His beast was touched in the head. Had been for a long time now since that night… the night that he’d killed the humans.
Ethan swung the axe, bringing the blade down into the wood and shattering the log into pieces…
He’d killed and he was ashamed of it.
He’d taken human lives and he couldn’t give them back, couldn’t turn back the clock to that night and do things differently – couldn’t walk away…
Should have walked away.
He lifted the axe and brought it down again, and again, and again, over and over until his muscles burned, until his body screamed out for relief, until the clan had enough firewood to see them through the month…
He wrenched his body up and wiped the sweat from his brow against the back of his wrist. His eyes stared off towards the top of the snow-capped mountain.
It looked like home to him, but he knew he had no home – not then – not now – not ever.
He was done.
This was it. He could feel the beast starting to push forward, to take over his mind, and he half welcomed the fact that he wouldn’t be long for this world.
He should have died a long time ago.
He should have died that night.
He’d tried to be a better man.
He’d tried to be a better person.
But his beast hadn’t tried to be better. His beast hadn’t admitted the wrong that they’d committed together. Man and beast as one.
His beast was adamant that the humans had got what they deserved.
Ethan was ashamed for the both of them.
“Damn, Ethan. How warm do you need to be?” Ash chuckled as he sauntered towards him, hands dug deep into the pockets of his jeans and a stupid grin on his face.
Ethan grunted. Now wasn’t the time for Ash and Ben’s antics, and he knew that Ben was close by – he could hear the man’s big feet on the frosty earth…
“Leave.” Ethan growled as his beast riled up inside of him, more than ready to take on both bears…
He didn’t want to hurt anyone.
Not now and not then, but his beast was getting stronger inside of him, and that meant danger for anyone around him.
He’d tried to stay alone. Off on his own, but now they were here, probably checking up on him as usual… they needed to go.
“Friendly as ever.” Ash chuckled.
“I think he’s trying to make the rest of us look bad.” Ben said from somewhere over his right shoulder, and every muscle within Ethan’s body tensed hard in knowing that he was cornered…
His beast wanted out. His beast wanted to claw, to rip, and to tear into both of them until they were nothing but blood and bone on the cold earth.
He couldn’t let that happen…
“Leave. Now.” Ethan growled longer and harder.
The warning in his tone wasn’t enough to stop either man from advancing – they knew him too well. He was the original bad mood bear and they were used to these moods swings. It was just his way…
Only this was different. Ethan knew that this was different.
“What’s eating you man? You’ve been unsettled for a few days now.” Ben asked.
Ben could sense the change in the air as Ethan’s bear tried to push forwards… it was like scenting his bear’s fur and an electrical charge all rolled into one, and yet Ethan had been getting better at controlling his bear.
Something was up, they just weren’t sure what it was.
“You need to leave, today isn’t a good day to mess with the bear.” Ethan warned them again.
He didn’t know how many more tries he had left to get them to leave before his bear had enough control and burst out of him, but it was coming, as sure as day turned into night and then day again… it was stalking him.
“Baby bear’s having a cook out tonight-” Ash started, but Ethan rallied around towards him, axe in hand and Ash stopped talking.
It was there in the man’s eyes, a madness that he hadn’t seen in a long time. The iron glad grip of Ethan’s fingers around the handle of the axe dented the wood… Ash heard the wood protest and his eyes narrowed on Ethan.
He’d been right. Something was definitely wrong.
“I don’t care. Go. Now.” Ethan growled longer and harder…
Ash’s eyes flicked towards Ben and Ben acknowledged the look that his clan brother gave him. Tension hung in the air along with a whole dollop of danger and that made both men nervously excited for what came next…
A second later and Ethan’s attention was caught by the scent on the breeze… Vampire!
Ethan swung his big frame around towards where he knew he’d find Connor, and that left Ben and Ash an opening to try to take him down…
Sensing the trap and with a deafening roar of anger; Ethan’s bear burst free from within him…
“Ah, crap!” Landon growled out. “Take him down.” He roared as the clan came from all around.
Ethan’s bear fought hard – it wasn’t going down without a damn good fight.
Ash’s bear was the first to burst out, followed by Ben and then the alpha. Marshall and Kirt shifted e
nroute, and only Jake hung back in his human form to help the vampire out with the tranquilliser should he need it.
Sure, they could have shot his fat bear butt from a distance, maybe should have, but that wouldn’t have been showing the proper respect due to one of their own.
No bear liked to go down without a fight.
Ethan scented the blood in the air. He’d drawn it and that sent a certain amount of satisfaction through him as they brawled with his beast.
He scented Connor in the air, knew the man was close by, and then he felt the sharp pain in his neck.
He reared up, exposing his beast’s underbelly to Landon, but the alpha didn’t take the easy shot and open him like a can of beans… Even if Ethan did welcome it. Instead, he launched his own bear at the man and brought him down to ground under his weight…
The tranquilliser wasn’t as fast as it should have been. The bear was too hyped up, which meant that both Ethan and his bear were fighting the effects of the drug as one…
‘No!’ Ethan growled into the clan’s psychic link…
‘Sorry, man. You need to go to sleep for a while…’ Ben’s bear had practically parked it’s backside on Ethan’s head and shoulders. If he stayed there too long then he’d suffocated the damn animal, but right then, he just wanted Ethan to stay down…
‘I did it right… I let her go…’ Ethan growled, feeling the effects of the drug starting to take a hold on him…
‘Can’t risk killing my…’ Ethan tried one last time to push up…
‘What the hell’s he talking about?’ Marshall growled.
‘It’s the drug, it’s like pot to a shifter.’ Jake said.
‘Talk to me now, Ethan…’ Landon growled out.
‘Can’t kill her… don’t want to be near her… take her…’ Ethan was rambling.
‘He’s deliriously deluded.’ Ben offered.
‘Can’t kill my mate…’ Ethan growled at the thought of hurting her.
‘Mate?’ Ash’s bear moved swiftly to unseat Ben from Ethan’s head. He shifted into his human form and dropped down on the ground next to the sleepy bear. “She’s here, Ethan.” Ash lied, but he was hoping to hell that Ethan didn’t pick up on it…
‘Grac…ie…’ Ethan tried to open his eyes but they felt like lead. His arms were heavy, his head was heavy on his neck, and he felt damn tired…
He wanted to see her just once more. Take in those pretty, wide, smiling eyes of hers as she chuckled and giggled.
He grinned.
“Damn, Ethan’s bear with a smile on his lips?” Connor snorted. “We should give him happy juice more often.”
“He’s found a mate.” Jake said, informing the vampire of the conversation that had taken place within the confines of the link, and Connor’s smile faded as he scowled down at the man.
In the grand scheme of things, and of all the things that could possibly be bad. That was the worst.
CHAPTER TWO
~
“Damn fool.” Connor ground out. “Who is she? It is a she right, not that it bothers me or anything if he’s gay… I just assume, and I know before anyone says it that assumption is the mother of all…”
“Gracie.” Ash offered up, if only to stop the man’s ramblings.
The vampire snapped his head back on his neck as if he’d been slapped in the face with a kipper. His eyes snapped wide and his top lip curled as if he’d just trodden in something nasty.
“As in the little witch with the big… pair of giggles?” Connor eyed Ethan’s bear…
That was harsh on such a happy go lucky type personality… Ethan, for a mate. Damn!
‘That’s gonna go down well with Gemma.’ Landon growled.
The alpha’s mate was just coming to terms with the fact that she was a mate. He doubted very much if she was going to throw her friend in Ethan’s path.
“Let’s get him to my dungeon,” Connor sighed. “Then we can go get his damn mate.”
“Gracie?” Jake snorted. “That’s like feeding a puppy to a… well, a bear.”
“Yep.” Connor nodded. “I guess you guys are gonna need me around for a while.”
Landon shifted into his human form with a loud groan.
“That groan had better be because you’re getting on in years and shifting is becoming tiresome, and not because of what I said.” Connor eyed the alpha and Landon huffed a long breath.
“If that makes you feel better about yourself, Vampire.” Landon raised just one tormenting eyebrow back at his friend and Connor grunted.
“I’m the best thing to happen to this clan in… oh, forever…” Connor preened.
“That would be our mates, dumbass.” Landon growled back and Connor snorted.
“I’m the second best thing to happen to this-”
“Shut up.” Landon growled, but there was a twinkle of amusement in his eyes that Connor caught sight of.
“Fine. Have it your way.” Connor shrugged his broad shoulders. “Just get that big old bear to the dungeon. I can pretend he’s a rug on the stone flooring.”
“You really are a butthole.” Landon growled out.
“I think I get that kind of talk enough from my mate without you chiming in, thank you very much.” Connor tossed back with a smirk.
It was time to go hunting for a mate.
~
~
~
Ash didn’t much like going to the city, but this was a trip for Ethan and not for himself, and he knew that he had to be a part of this. Helping his clan brother before the bear took over was the only sane thing to do, it was either that or they would need to put Ethan out of his misery once and for all.
He didn’t like that idea. It just didn’t sit well within him.
They all knew that Ethan had been skirting the edge of a very tall cliff for a long time, and at one time or another there probably wasn’t anyone in the clan that hadn’t considered killing the man themselves… but now that time was close at hand it just felt wrong.
Now that Ethan was literally looking down the barrel of a gun and practically begging them to pull the trigger on him by walking away from his damn mate in the first place, well, now he didn’t want to be the one to end his life.
“Stop pouting.” Connor grumbled from the passenger seat of the pickup truck.
The vampire’s eyes were closed to the world about him, and for all anyone knew the man was asleep. He hadn’t moved a muscle in about three hours…
“You can talk.” Ash grumbled back.
“Yes. It’s a complicated set of muscles but it comes naturally since birth.” Connor offered back dryly.
“You’ve been sulking since I refused to get in that sporty girl car that you drive and we took the truck.” Ash growled back.
“You mean the testosterone mobile that is driven by men who wished they had a bigger penis, and have a need for scaffolding to hold up what they have got in the form of a tiny blue pill…?” Connor huffed. “Yep.”
“Hey, if you want to compare penis size…”
Connor shot him a look of mock horror.
“I’ll pass, but thanks for the offer.” The vampire bit out.
“And don’t say yep, it only suits the alpha.” Ash grumbled back.
“It’s a word.” Connor sighed as he snapped open his eyes and scanned the area. They’d just reached the city and he could smell the stench of too many humans in the air already.
He hated the city.
“I just want to snatch the witch and go home.” Ash grumbled.
“My feelings exactly.” Connor offered back.
“Even if Landon did tell us to give her the choice…” Ash gave a small shrug off his shoulders.
“She can have a choice, but whatever the answer is…”
“She’s coming home with us.” Ash nodded.
“Glad to see the alpha sent someone who thinks like I do.” Connor grinned.
“That’s an insult.” Ash tossed back.
“Then that’s
a bonus.” Connor smirked.
“I could leave your backside in the city and drive home without you.” Ash offered and Connor grinned.
“And miss my charm and company on the long drive back…?” Connor snorted a chuckle. “Nah!”
“Landon sent you along to stop me from accidentally breaking the witch, and if I do break the witch then you’re here to fix her.” Ash reminded him and Connor sighed, a deep, long, theatrical sound that Ash didn’t buy for one moment.
“I feel so used.” The vampire tried to look as downcast as possible.
“Now who’s pouting?” Ash chuckled to himself.
“You do realise one thing, don’t you?” Connor shot a look at the man out of the corner of his eye to make sure that he was paying attention.
“Go on.” Ash almost sighed to himself.
He knew that Connor was the master of one liners and sarcasm, but he’d walk into the firing line if that was what the vampire needed. He didn’t usually need anyone to open the door for him.
“If Ethan mates, or even kills his mate – You are the last of the clan’s bears in need of a mate.” Connor saw the man swallow down hard. Watched the deep frown that took his brow, and saw him move in his seat as if something was making him very uncomfortable.
Connor didn’t want to miss out on an opportunity when it knocked.
“Does that mean that fate brought you all together for a reason? Does that mean that fate has a mate waiting somewhere for you?” Connor thought the man might just break out into a cold sweat.
“I don’t want a mate.” He practically whispered back, as if it was a secret and they were in danger of being overheard.
“Noooo?” Connor shot him a smirk as the shifter turned his head fast to glare at him.
“No! Damn it.” Ash growled out. “Those witches are as close to insane as I want to get and I ain’t got one and don’t want one.” Ash scowled as he turned his head back and stared out of the windscreen.
“Too bad. What fate wants, fate will surely get.” Connor almost sniggered as Ash swallowed down hard again. “But on the bright side, you could find yourself with a vampire mate.”