by M. L. Briers
Connor had to grin. It was just too much fun.
CHAPTER THREE
~
“Tell me something I don’t know.” Connor bit out.
“People think you’re an asshole.” Ash gave a small shrug off his shoulders when Connor turned his head to eye the man with something of a death glare. “You’ve spent too much time with witches – they have that exact same look.”
“Oh, trust me, this one’s all mine, and I like to back it up with action and not words.” Connor ground out.
“And yet, there you are, Mr Chatty – Mac – Chatballs.” Ash grinned when Connor did another double take at him. The death glare was still in place, and yet Connor’s lips did quirk up a little.
“Keep it up, and you’ll be Mr Bear-ly there balls when I rip them off.” Connor heard the man snigger and ignored it. “Then you’ll have no need for a damn mate.”
Luckily, as a vampire, he wasn’t cursed with the need to answer a challenge like the clan or the pack, but he still liked to get his jabs in where he could, and the bear was looking mighty good for a dig or two, and the bonus to that was – they were in the city, he couldn’t shift into his bear if he wanted too.
“Touchy, and with the need to be liked, hmm, good to know where your buttons are.” Ash chuckled as he pushed by the vampire and entered the shop.
He wanted this done and dusted. He wanted out of the rat race already – his skin was beginning to itch from the dirt and grim, and the noise of cars and chatter was annoying him.
One scan of the shop told him everything that he needed to know. Witch stuff – enough said. He felt a growl rumble within him and bit down on it.
The last thing that he needed to do was scare the hell out of Ethan’s mate. He needed to be normal, or as normal as a shifter could be – normal wasn’t a saving grace of his clan…
The swoosh of the curtain that hung like a divider about three quarters of a way up the shop floor made him snap his head around… and there she was… a witch.
With short spiky black hair that looked like the ends had been dipped in purple ink. Her blood red lips drew his attention and his cock twitched.
It twitched again when he saw the ink of a tattoo poking out from the low cut shirt she was wearing. She liked tats like him…
She certainly wasn’t exactly what he’d been expecting… Where were her big… assets that Connor had mentioned, and he remembered them because he’d told himself to check them out.
“Gracie…” He took a step forward and she scowled back at him, her dark brown eyes narrowing on him as if she’d got a stink under her nose but couldn’t decide what the smell was.
“Not Gracie.” Connor offered, and Ash hesitated for a moment…
“Not gracie?” He looked both relieved and puzzled for a moment. “Where’s Gracie?” He demanded on a frown as he tried to still his heart from racing and his bear from stirring within him.
“You I know. Unfortunately.” Scarlett nodded to Connor and he nodded back a greeting. Then she flicked her eyes to Ash. “You I don’t know.” She made it sound like an accusation.
“He’s harmless,” Connor waved a dismissive hand towards Ash and the bear growled within him.
Ash didn’t like that description much. While he didn’t want to scare the hell out of the woman – witch, he assumed, mainly because of the oddball way that she was dressed and looked, and the obvious fact that she was in a witches shop, and he thought he remembered someone saying her name in relation to Gracie…
Damn – he was confused. He’d lost his chain of thought.
He’d expected to walk in and be confronted by Gracie. He’d practiced being nice when he met her all the way up in the truck…
He couldn’t scare off Ethan’s mate, because that would be bad…
“I’m not harmless.” Ash growled as he turned his nose up at the vampire, stuck out his chest, and his male pride was showing as he tried to look… bigger. A little more threatening.
“Ok, he’s a deadly shifter and you should be careful. In fact, you should zap him now and save us all some time and pain listening to him, because he drones on and on and…”
Ash turned towards Connor and growled long and hard.
“See what you mean.” Scarlett grinned as she tossed one hand onto her hip and eyed Ash down, up, and down again, stopping at his groin… Her eyebrows rose.
Ash suddenly realised that he had a semi hard cock and she was staring right at the damn evidence. He cleared his throat and shifted his weigh on his meaty legs as she brought her eyes back up to his…
He liked her eyes. He could imagine her looking up at him with those sinfully smoky eyes as he…
He cleared his throat again…
“Do you have to?” Connor grumbled and Ash snapped his head around on his neck, confused. Connor nodded to his groin and Ash bit down on his annoyance. It wasn’t his fault…
“She was staring.” He growled.
“So it’s my fault that you can’t control yourself?” Scarlett looked offended and Ash bit down on his annoyance with the vampire. He didn’t want to offend her – he’d just met her…
“No-” He offered and her eyebrows arched perfectly. He kind of wished that he could trace them with his fingertip…
“But you just said it was.” Scarlett tilted her head to one side and narrowed her eyes on him, waiting…
Ash’s eyes flicked around the room. Hell, he didn’t have a damn clue what to say to that…
“Can we see Gracie now?” Ash sounded a little unsure of himself as she stared back at him.
Just that look was like a challenge to his bear, but he’d be damned if he knew why.
“Gracie!” Scarlett hollered and both men groaned inwardly as their sensitive ears rang like they were standing inside a church bell while the monks were doing a number on the pull cords.
“If this witch thing doesn’t work out, you’ll have a career as an early warning system for incoming missiles.” Connor bit out. “Maybe a town crier, do they still have those?” He asked as innocently as he could manage.
“I’d say bite me but…” Ash growled. The deep rumble ended in his throat when he bit it off. She didn’t seem to have noticed. “I don’t want a dead vampire on my floor.”
She was feisty. Ash liked that.
Spikey haired girl with the tats had game. He liked that too…
“Oh my!” Gracie’s eyes went wide at the sight of Connor standing there. She’d got as far as the curtain partition and ground to a halt.
Ash had to drag his eyes from the little firebrand witch to take in Ethan’s mate… Well, she certainly had big…
“Yes. It’s me. And I’m still a vampire.” Connor offered with his dry tone and amused eyes, and she blushed a pretty shade of pink.
“Gracie?” Ash asked and her eyes snapped towards him.
She looked nervous. If she’d been a cat then she probably would have taken off out of there like a shot, of that he was certain.
“What…?” She motioned between them. Then her eyes went wide as if she’d been startled. “Did something happen to Gemma?” She rushed out, and he could see the panic in her eyes.
“Better damn well not have.” Scarlett practically growled out the words as she placed her hands on her hips and fronted up to him.
He saw the fire dancing in her eyes and his cock got harder. He took a breath in to try to still the racing of his heart, and that was when he caught a big old whiff of her scent…
Ash’s bear rose within him so fast that it almost made his head spin.
It couldn’t be.
Not a witch.
Not that damn witch with the spikey black and purple hair and the tats…
Could it?
Mine…
CHAPTER FOUR
~
“Oh, that’s bad.” Ash bit out. Feeling the double edged sword of getting his backside kicked by fate and wanting to go to her, scent her, embrace the fact that he had a mate.
<
br /> He didn’t want a mate. Definitely not a witch one.
“It’s bad?” Gracie’s voice turned shrewish as she looked from Ash to the vampire and back to Ash again.
“No. Nothing happened to Gemma.” Connor frowned hard as he turned to look at his friend. “What the hell, scaring her like that?” He demanded, but he backed off at the sudden look on Ash’s face – like the ground had just opened up all around him and he had nowhere to go but down to the depths of hell.
“I need…” Ash rocked forwards on his feet towards his mate… Then he caught himself and deliberately took a long step back. “Air.” He turned on his heels and stalked out of the shop, letting the door slam closed behind him as he gulped in the icy chill in the air.
“That’s…” Connor held up his hand, index finger raised to the ceiling as he contemplated it.
“Why are you here?” Scarlett demanded and Connor’s attention was brought right back towards the witches.
“Funny thing happened…” Connor looked at them in turn – it might have been the wrong turn of phrase to use given the circumstances, not to mention the fact that neither witch looked like they wanted to find anything amusing. He took a moment. “It’s like this…”
Connor stopped again, pausing for thought at how best to deal with the flighty witch and get her on board the love train. This was going to ruin everyone’s day, of that he was sure.
Gracie looked curious, while Scarlett looked… suspicious.
“Well,” Connor had never been backwards in coming forwards, and yet, faced with the fact that Gracie really was a puppy, and he really would have been throwing her to the big, mean, unpredictable bear… he wasn’t exactly sure his conscience could manage it.
At times like these he missed the old days when he didn’t have a damn conscience or soul.
He huffed.
“Spit it out.” Scarlett demanded, both of her hands were on her hips now as she stared back at him, unimpressed by his procrastinations.
The trouble was, he’d been fine with being the bearer of bad news all the way there – he hadn’t much given it a second thought, but now that he was faced with those wide eyed innocent looks that Gracie was giving him…
He groaned inwardly.
“Indulge me in a moment more of your time.” He gave them a small, apologetic grin. Then he too turned on his heels and stalked out of the shop.
“Why are you out here?” Ash growled out as he turned to find the vampire at his side.
“Same reason you are, I just can’t seem to burst her bubble.” Connor grumbled.
Before he’d met his own mate, maybe it wouldn’t have been so damn hard, but tossing Gracie into the lion’s den and hoping that she didn’t get mauled, well, that didn’t quite sit right inside of him.
“I have a bigger problem.” Ash grumbled.
“You have more than one.” Connor offered back to the sound of a low, deep growl of annoyance. “You don’t like it when people are brutally honest with you?” Connor felt more like his old self now.
“What, you don’t like it when someone punches you in the face until you’re a bloody pulp and your own mate wouldn’t recognise you?” Ash growled back, but Connor held up his hand in warning.
“Remember where we are. You’re not in Kansas anymore, Toto.” Connor offered and scowled.
“What the hell does that mean?” Ash bit out.
“You’ve never seen the Wizard of Oz?” Connor looked genuinely surprised.
“When was he on the mountain?” Ash growled.
“He wasn’t. It’s a movie.” Connor shot back in disbelief.
“I don’t watch movies about wizards.” Ash growled back.
He didn’t want to be having a conversation about stupid stuff when his mate was twenty feet away… His brain was already screwy – the last thing he needed was for the vampire to complicate things.
“Ah, but that movie tells you all you need to know about witches, my friend.”
Well, in Ash’s book that might have been different. It might well have come in handy. He’d remember the name and look out for it.
“So the wizard is Toto?” Ash frowned.
“No – the wizard isn’t Toto.” Connor looked at him as if he’d grown another head.
“The witch is Toto?”
“The dog. The dog is Toto!” Connor shook his head.
“So, I’m the dog?” Ash looked more than confused.
Connor opened his mouth to speak, and then he gave a small shake of his head and waved it away.
“Never mind.” He sighed.
“And I’ve never been to Kansas.” Ash growled.
“Lucky Kansas.” Connor groaned back.
“Why are you out here?” Ash snapped.
“I can’t find it within myself to kick the puppy.” The vampire grumbled.
“She’s my mate.” Ash admitted.
“Gracie!” Connor was confused.
“The other one!” Ash snapped back.
“Scarlett?” Connor felt like his head might just explode. “Two mates for the price of one – go figure.”
“I’m trying to figure it, but it’s…” Ash growled long and hard, snapping it off only when a passing human eyed him and took a couple of sideways steps away from him on the pavement.
“A shocker.” Connor chuckled.
“Not funny. Not even remotely damn close.” Ash bit out, grinding his teeth in annoyance.
“Don’t you want to scent her?” Connor teased. “Don’t you want to bury your face between her shoulder and her neck and take a really big whiff of your mate?”
Ash’s whole body snapped rigid. He wanted nothing more, and yet, he didn’t want that either, because then it would be real. Then he would know for certain. Then he would have a witch mate that he needed to woo, and woo he would, even if he didn’t want any of it…
“No.” Ash growled on a slow shake of his head.
“Noooo?” Connor’s voice was melodic and teasing.
Ash grumbled a growl.
“No.” He mumbled, looking at his feet and shuffling in place, but his head was slowly nodding now – his subconscious mind – his bear, urging him on.
“Yessss?” Connor asked and Ash could have roared in frustration.
He’d gone there to get Ethan’s mate and found his own. How screwed up was that?
He wanted to shift into his bear and run… and run… and run, until he found something to sink his claws into, something he could kill for the hell of it…
“I’m not…” He shot a sideways look at Connor.
“Go on.” Connor urged and the big shifter grumbled and growled.
“Mate material.” Ash looked everywhere but at Connor.
He didn’t want to see the amusement in his eyes – not when he wanted to rip someone’s damn head from their shoulders and dropkick it into touch.
“Ha!” Connor snorted a chuckle. “None of us are. Were. She’ll knock you into shape in no time, and if you live through it. Bonus.” Connor reached up and slapped the man on the back. Ash was solid muscle, and the man didn’t even shift an inch, didn’t blink…
“I don’t want a mate.” Ash confessed.
“Sure you do. You just don’t know it yet.” Connor chuckled again.
Ash looked more than sceptical. He had the look of a condemned man about him, and he was slightly green around the gills.
“I’m so glad you’re enjoying yourself at my expense.” Ash grumbled.
“Well, if it was at my expense it wouldn’t be so damn funny, now would it?” Connor shot back. “Let’s go back in there and get these witches back to clan land so you and Ethan can… at least try to woo them.”
“You think Ethan will try?” Ash scowled.
Now that he’d met his own mate he was torn, and he wasn’t as screwy in the head as Ethan was. He guessed he kind of knew how the other man felt now, not wanting his mate and all.
“Not a damn clue, but we don’t give up until the fat
lady sings or Ethan is dead.” Connor offered back and Ash nodded. Then he frowned harder.
“What fat lady?”
CHAPTER FIVE.
~
“I don’t like it.” Scarlett folded her arms across her chest and eyed the two of them outside the shop looking far too conspiratorial for her to feel anything other than – well, off.
“It has to be something to do with Gemma, and yet he said she’s fine.” Gracie looked worried, and Scarlett didn’t like that either.
Normally the witch was a human version of Tigger. She bounced about like she had springs on her feet and jumping beans inside of her… this whole thing felt… bad.
Gracie craned her neck to eye them. She couldn’t hear what they were saying and she couldn’t lip read… so, it was pretty futile behaviour, and yet she couldn’t help herself.
It was just human nature to be… nosy. Or curious to the point of distraction, as she liked to think of it.
“Maybe, maybe not.” Scarlett dropped her hands and shook out her arms. She felt caged, as if she was waiting for the other shoe to drop.
She hated that the supernatural had come knocking at their door again. Not exactly knocking, but the vampire and bear showing up had made her uneasy in a way that she couldn’t describe, because she just couldn’t put her finger on it.
Something was bothering her. It was on the tip of her tongue and yet she couldn’t quite spit it out.
“You don’t think she’s fine?” Gracie looked worried again, and it wasn’t a good look on her.
“Not a damn clue, but I intent to find…” She snapped to attention when the two men turned to come back inside.
“Ok, here’s the thing…” Connor tried to sound bright and breezy.
“Yes, you are.” Scarlett muttered.
“I need the two of you to come back to clan land.” Connor offered with a smile – a stretched smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes.
“I smell a rat.” Scarlett bit out, and she saw Ash raise his chin and sniff the air before he’d even thought about it what he was doing.