by M. L. Briers
HIS MATE
BROTHERS
HALLOWEEN SPECIAL
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 by Ravenborn.
Table of Contents
HIS MATE
BROTHERS
HALLOWEEN SPECIAL
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 TWENTY ONE
CHAPTER TWENTY TWO
CHAPTER TWENTY THREE
CHAPTER TWENTY FOUR
CHAPTER TWENTY FIVE
CHAPTER TWENTY SIX
CHAPTER TWENTY SEVEN
CHAPTER TWENTY EIGHT
CHAPTER TWENTY NINE
A note from the Author;
Books you might enjoy by ML Briers:
Other books you might enjoy in the A B Lee and M L Briers series are:
CHAPTER ONE
~
“What do you mean you can’t find a witch?” Jake growled, biting down on his jaw to stop the urge that he was feeling to plant his fist in his brother’s face.
“Something to do with the preparations for All Hallows Eve…” Ed grumbled.
They’d been through this again and again over the last two days and things hadn’t changed for the better. The witches didn’t want to come out to pack land to deal with a supernatural problem until after their rituals on Halloween.
It was just that simple and it didn’t much matter what he’d offered them in return, nobody was interested.
Now the way that Ed saw it; the alpha could pout and pull a sour face all he wanted – hell, he could shout and raise his fists to the spirits and even howl from the mountain tops, but that wasn’t going to change the facts. In simple terms – the witches were busy.
“This is an emergency…” Jake grumbled a growl that got lodged in his throat as he rounded on his brother.
“You don’t have to tell me. I know. I’ve seen the damn spectre, and believe you me, I wish I hadn’t, almost choked on a chicken ball…” Ed grumbled back. “But witches aren’t plumbers – there isn’t a twenty four hour emergency helpline that you can call…”
“Have you tried Ghostbusters?” Mitchell put in from the doorway, and Jake rounded on the vampire with his fangs down, his fists open, and his claws out…
“Don’t do that…” he growled out. “Don’t we have enough damn ghouls appearing out of nowhere around here?”
“I’m… crushed.” Mitchell placed his palm against his chest and solemnly bowed his head as the alpha groaned out another growl. Then the vampire snapped his head back up with a gleeful smile on his lips. “But seriously-”
“When is Jake anything but serious?” Ed grumbled, stuffing his hands into the front pockets of his jeans and looking like a pup that wanted to kick a tin can across the ground.
“It’s scaring the pups.” Jake growled out in disbelief. Why was he the only one that wanted that damn apparition gone?
“No really, carry on, I’ll just talk to myself… hello me…” Mitchell turned his head to the right… “Hello you,” then to the left. “Did you have one of your brilliant ideas that nobody will listen to?” Back to the right, “Well yes, I did, because I’m damn awesome-”
“Enough with the stupid and tell me what the hell it is.” Jake growled out, not best pleased with his friend’s attitude when all hell was breaking loose inside of his pack.
“Since you asked so nicely…” Mitchell’s eyes flashed with amusement. “There’s a coven-”
“There is?” Ed’s head came up and the curious look on his face was aimed at the vampire.
“There are lots of them.” Mitchell said in a voice that he’d normally reserve for one of the pups.
“Yeah, bite me, bat-boy.” Ed grumbled back.
“Something to do with the comet that’s passing the mountain on All Hallows – apparently it’s like a little witch convention going on…” He shrugged just the one shoulder to the sound of a deep, low growl from the alpha as Jake turned his glare on his younger brother…
“What…?” Ed took a step back; one hand coming out of his pocket to palm his chest, as he quickly shook his head in disbelief. “How was I supposed to know that – I don’t subscribe to witch’s monthly.” He grumbled.
“Get your butt out there and get me one of those witch’s or so help me…” Jake growled out what would happen next instead of using his words…
“Somebody got out of bed on the wrong side of the dog basket this morning.” Mitchell grinned with glee as Jake made a slow turn back towards him, his eyes blazing with anger.
“Someone woke up to the sight of the spectre hovering over their damn bed this morning.” Jake growled back.
“I can see how that would start the day off on the wrong paw.” Mitchell chuckled while the alpha growled. Then Jake snapped his glare towards Ed…
“What are you waiting for?” He demanded. “Get me that damn witch!”
~
~
~
“Why am I here again?” Richie’s hair was all over the place, still tousled from sleep. No sooner had he stepped out of bed and opened the bedroom door in search of his morning meal than Ed had demanded that he get dressed and get in the car.
Now they were standing in the middle of the town as the humans went about their business. Misty Falls wasn’t a big place, in some respects you could blink just a second too long when driving through and miss it, but today it looked a little busier.
“We need a witch and Jake said not to come back without one.” Ed lied.
His brother had said no such thing, although it might have been implied within the growling, the grunting, and the grumbling, but it seemed like a good incentive to get Richie off and running.
“I hate to be the bearer of bad news, Brother, but you can’t pick a witch up at a local store.” Richie noted the way that Ed raised just the one eyebrow in his direction and he almost rolled his eyes back in his head in anticipation of Ed’s speech – he always raised that one eyebrow before he gave one.
“Now that is where you are wrong, Brother. I have it on good authority that there is a coven or two, maybe more, in the local area, and even witches need to eat. So…” He raised a hand and motioned towards the not – so – vast expanse of the town. “Shopping for a witch just became a lot easier, no?”
“No.” Richie offered back on a frown.
“Oh enlighten me, Miss Pessimistic.” Ed folded two large arms across his chest and demanded
an answer from his brother with a look that could boil water.
“We still need to find said witch, and convince her that coming with us is in all of our best interests-”
“No problem there.” Ed informed him with a grin that only took one side of his mouth upwards, and Richie could have groaned at the sight of it – that grin normally meant trouble, at least it had on every occasion since they were kids… In truth, he hated that grin.
“Don’t even say it.” Richie shook his head. “Whatever it is… I don’t want to hear it.”
“Witch – napping.” Ed offered back like he’d just discovered a cure for every illness imaginable. Richie groaned.
“Kidnapping…” Both of his eyebrows tried to meet his hairline as he stared back at his brother’s grin.
“Noooo, because that would be wrong.” Ed offered his index finger and Richie had a real urge to snap it off. “They aren’t children, they’re witches, hence… witch – napping.”
“And that’s not wrong?” It was Richie’s turn to fold his arms across his chest.
“Work with me here, Brother-”
“I’d rather not.” Richie shook his head.
“We need a witch. There are witches here… we’re just… borrowing one.” Ed offered back and Richie rolled his head on his neck…
“I don’t think you understand how kidnapping works.” Richie offered back.
“Where’s the harm?” Ed grinned, this time both sides of his mouth went up and he showed a little fang to boot.
“Put those away or the witches will feed them to you.” Richie growled.
“Haven’t you ever had the urge to live a little on the dark side?” Ed teased.
“There’s dark, and then there’s stupid, and you brother, are stupid if you think we can just pluck a witch from the streets and get away with it.”
“We don’t need to get away with it-”
“Oh, so you want to be caught stealing a woman?” Richie shot back.
“Not a woman, a witch-”
“A witch isn’t a woman?” Richie groaned inwardly. The trouble with his brother was – he never could see when his plans were… flawed.
“Not today.” Ed turned towards the town. “Now go get a witch before Jake’s head explodes.” He set off, one foot in front of the other, and Richie held firm… for all of a few moments before he shook his head in resignation of his brother doing something stupid and having to make sure that the man didn’t get caught doing it.
“You go left and I’ll go right and whoever gets the witch first gets to keep her.” Ed offered back over his shoulder, setting his legs to move faster, and Richie groaned.
“That’s not how…” He groaned again. His brother was a menace… It was best that he found a witch before Ed did something really stupid…
~
~
~
Melody shot one last look over her shoulder and turned at the side of the building. She’d felt the supernatural bounce off of her shields and hightailed it down the road before she could figure out exactly what it was – figuring that it was better to be safely back in her little bed and breakfast retreat than sorry by running into whatever had pinged her witchy alarm bells.
It didn’t take her more than a few long strides on her short legs to realise that she’d made a horrible mistake. The road was a dead end.
With an immediate about face to right that wrong – she smashed smack bang right into the hard muscled chest of the thing that she’d been trying so hard to avoid.
Her shields told her the obvious as the alarm bells didn’t just ring, they tried to deafen her…
“Excuse you…” Melody gave a nervous chuckle as she went to take a step back and to the side, but the two strong arms that wrapped around her said otherwise.
“I have a need and you’re going to do just fine.” Ed grinned down at her as she tipped her head back on her neck and scowled up at him.
He scented the air and took in her Fae essence… With a quick nod of his head as confirmation, she was up and over his shoulder before she could even think to draw on her magic, let alone a breath.
Melody’s world literally turned upside down. One moment she was staring up into the light chocolate coloured eyes, wondering how the coven had missed the fact that there were wolves in these mountains, and the next she had a great view of his tight backside, hugged by a pair of faded jeans, and the long legs that were now carrying her away.
CHAPTER TWO
~
“Are you insane?” Melody bit out as she finally found her voice, and then mentally slapped herself upside her head.
Of course he’s insane – he’s carrying you off in the twilight… no reasonable man would do that…
But then he’s not a man… well, he is, but he’s not a-l-w-a-y-s a man…
I’d say wolf. Bears are more… growly and rounded at the hips…
Wait… who cares if he’s a bloody wolf or a bear… he’s kidnapping you…
Hellllloooo!!!
“Put me down, back off, and we’ll call it quits.” She lied. She was going to zap his backside right up and down the damn mountain when she was no longer in danger of being dropped right on her head from a lofty height.
“I need you and you’re coming with me-” Ed offered back over his shoulder.
He stopped at the end of the alleyway and peered out. Night time was closing in fast, and he needed to make it to the next alleyway without being seen so that he could travel around the back of the town to get to his car… then he was off to pack land, and job done. One witch for his brother.
“What you need is to put me down before I-” He started on a fast run and she felt every jolt, every jog, every bone bouncing thud through her body that was draped over his broad shoulder like a sack of spuds…
Her hands fisted the material of his shirt and she held on for dear life.
Right then zapping him seemed like the lesser of two evils. Sure, she might end up face planting to ground, but that might be preferable to the way that his shoulder against her stomach was trying to dislodge her damn uterus. She was torn between self-preservation and… self-preservation.
“Nearly there…” He growled out.
Melody tried to lift her head to look about her. She was almost certain her brain was going to resemble scrambled eggs by the time that this guy was through bouncing her around. But the constant jogging motion meant that she never seemed to spend more than a few seconds with her head up…
“W-h-e-r-e…” She would have laughed at the sound of her own voice, spluttering along with each jolt to her body – but this was too serious a matter, and she still hadn’t quite gotten a handle on the shock factor of it all.
“Truck.”
“O-h… n-o-o-o…” She didn’t like that idea one little bit. Once he had her inside the car then he could take her anywhere and her chances of getting away were reduced… “Y-o-u… d-o-n-’t…” She zapped him good and hard with her magic…
One moment; he was doing well, making good time, and he had the truck within his sights. The next; every muscle in his body locked up so tightly that there wasn’t a damn thing that he could do to save himself, let alone to save her from what came next.
They were going down, like some slow motion action scene in a movie, and all that he could do was to wait for the moment that the ground rushed up to meet him.
The instant that he hit the ground with a hefty thud; he felt his muscles unlock… his body was back to being his own again.
He cursed the witch in her stupidity. If she’d released him just a second earlier then he could have wrenched her around his body and protected her from the impact of the fall…
He grunted once with the pains that shot through him from different impact sights, and was already moving towards her on his hands and knees by the time that he scented her blood in the air…
His beast rallied at the scent of a witch, miffed that she had attacked them… but as Ed’s eyes took her in
– he knew that he was in big trouble.
“Damn it to hell…!” He growled out. Fear gripped his gut and twisted hard. The woman was not only hurt, she was unconscious, and his wolf sung a melancholy tune within him for her suffering. “Hold on, I got a vampire with your name on his vein.”
Ed scooped her up in his arms and wasted little time in getting her to his truck. He yanked open the back door, trying not to jostle her too much, and then carefully laid her out on the backseat.
Time was of the essence, and he needed to get back to pack land just in case her injuries were life threatening. He wouldn’t have the death of a female on his conscience.
~
~
~
Belle wanted to see the mountain at night. She didn’t get much of a chance to see the full spectrum of stars in the night sky in the city, power cuts and Earth Day excluded, and up on the mountain she would be able to sample the universe’s true majesty. At least that was plan, weather permitting.
Of course, her sister, Elizabeth, had snorted contempt for that idea. She much preferred to stay in the warmth of the pub and drink herself through a bottle of wine. It amazed her how different they were, and how not like a witch her sister could actually be.
Belle flicked the locks on her car off without the need for such trivial things as the key when her magic could do the job, and pulled open the driver’s door…
A moment later and she was somehow face planting the passenger seat… The warmth of someone’s hands grabbing her backside and pushing her over until she was practically upside down in the seat and all squished in was one thing… the hit to her shields was something entirely different.
Belle kicked out one leg and felt the connection. The hard grunt of pain from her assailant filled her with a small sense of satisfaction, but that was short lived when the thud of the driver’s door, and the fact that the key’s in her hand were torn from her grasp, didn’t exactly fill her with joy…