by M. L. Briers
WOOING HIS MATE
By
M L BRIERS
Copyright © 2014 by M.L Briers
All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof
may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever
without the express written permission of the publisher
except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
Table of Contents
WOOING HIS MATE
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 ONE
Link tooled the car towards pack land. He wasn’t too sure about doing this with Macy in the car. Hell who was he kidding? this was a damned bad idea. Taking a human onto pack land was never a good idea, but when the human in question was Macy, the only woman he knew who could cause a nun to curse, and she had, then it wasn’t just a bad idea, it was insanity.
Link tossed a look over to his friend sitting in the passenger seat. She looked happy enough in their detour. She’d been expecting a wine tasting weekend and now she was on route to the middle of nowhere, but that’s what he loved about Macy, she never complained about the unexpected, at least not the kind of unexpected that normal life could throw at her.
If the worst came to the worst and she found out about anything even remotely supernatural, Lycans, Fae, Werewolves, or even Vampires, he’d do what came naturally and make her forget.
One of the perks of his natural abilities, making human’s forget, and he’d only had to use it on her a few times in the past five years, or so, since he’d known her. The first time was the night he’d made her forget that he’d fed on her. Deciding that to befriend her and have her in his life for just a while would be more satisfying than to have her as a take-away, or drive through…
He liked Macy, and they’d been good friends for nearly five years, but the moment she started to question his youthful appearance he knew he’d have to walk away or share his secret, neither of which thrilled him with a fuzzy warm feeling inside.
Spunky, but ditzy. Honest and caring with a big heart that some people were prone to take advantage off. And she was funny. She brightened his life, made it fuller, and he would surely miss that when he had to move on or make her forget… He’d even toyed with the idea of making her forget him and reacquainting her again, or making her think he was aging… but his next steps in their friendship were still unclear to him.
“I’ll try to make this as fast as humanly possible.”He assured her and watched her shrug her shoulders out of the corner of his eye.
“A trip out of the city is still a trip out of the city, who knows maybe I’ll like the middle of nowhere, surrounded by nothing and no one.”Macy teased back at him, knowing when he felt guilty and hating it.
To her, Link had been a good friend for years. He cheered her up with his wicked sense of humour. And she loved that he knew so much about history and liked to share it with her. The man was practically a walking encyclopaedia, who needed a search engine when she had him?
“There are people, Macy. And a few shops to mull around that are close by…”Link offered, hoping they wouldn’t be around that long.
“Cool.”She tossed her auburn hair over her shoulder and lifted her hand to chew on her nail…
“Although it would probably be best not to mix with the people…”Link offered. Lycans weren’t always the friendliest people to be around, especially when one of them had been hurt, as was the case this time.
“Why?”
“Because they’re not like us, they don’t get our humour, and you have a habit of…”
“Terminal foot in mouth disease?”Macy offered with a wide grin as her eyes sparkled with mischief.
“Speaking before thinking.”Link offered with a wicked grin.
“Verbal crapping syndrome.”Macy nodded emphatically and Link chuckled.
“Just…”He started and she held a hand up to stop him.
“Don’t speak. Got it.”Macy teased and watched as he rolled his eyes.
“It’ll be fine.”He assured her. Please, let this be fine. He offered to whatever deity was popular this century.
Link saw the Beta standing outside the large cabin waiting for his arrival. They had wolves patrolling the land at all times of the day and night and he wasn’t surprised that his appearance had been noted and conveyed on.
He was surprised that he was being greeted by the Beta though. Unless the Alpha wasn’t in attendance, he would usually be the one to greet a vampire, it was the done thing.
“Rick…”Link offered him a hand in friendship and Rick had no problem accepting it, although both men vied for the right to use the tightest grip in their brief handshake. Neither one feeling a bone snap was a good sign.
“Link, it’s been a while…”Rick turned in his stance and slammed an open hand against his back and Link rolled his eyes. There was never an end to competition with Lycans…
“Not long enough. Where’s the boss?”Link’s eyes scanned the area. This pack had never been anything but friendly towards him, but he hadn’t lived as long as he had without being cautious.
“On his way downstairs…”Rick scented the air again. The scent of the human female that clung to the vampire wasn’t Fae. His eyes flicked towards the car. “She’s not Fae?”Rick growled and Link turned on his heels and gave a small sarcastic wave to Macy to draw her attention from the Beta and to mask the fact that Rick was glaring at her.
“No she’s not, and she also doesn’t know about us, so keep your fangs to yourself…”Link cautioned him and got a smirk back in return.
“Link. Thanks for coming, sorry I wasn’t here to greet you…”Rudd scented the air as he strolled towards the vampire, finding what he expected, death, but mixed with something more favourable, the scent of a human…
“Not a problem, but I’m on a schedule, so how can I help?”Link offered as he reached for the hand that Rudd offered in friendship, but noted the distant look in the Alpha’s eyes, and even though he was still walking towards him, not only had he slowed in his step, but he was also lowering his hand, as if he forgot it was actually out there.
“We’ve got a Beta that was attacked by a Werewolf…”Rick offered, noting the way his Alpha seemed preoccupied and jumping into the void.
“A Were? Around here?”Link looked surprised.
“Vampire blood is the only thing that will heal the wounds…”Rick offered as the Alpha scented the air again.
Coming to stand before Link and narrowing his eyes on him, Rudd continued to sniff the air as if he was looking for food. Both the Beta and Link were now watching the Alpha’s unexpected behaviour and their conversation was more like an afterthought.
“Not a problem…”Link offered and then frowned as the Alpha leaned towards him and scented him again. “Although, that could be…”
“Rudd?”Rick felt the urge to slap his Alpha upside his head, but he valued his teeth and thought better of it. Link on the other hand was seriously debating doing just that. Instead he lifted his hand and clicked his fingers in front of the man’s face to gain his attention.
“Hey, I know I smell great, having paid a small fortune for this manly scent, not to mention my natural musky tone of…”
“Death…”Rick offered on a snort of contempt and Link gave him a dark glare before turning his attention back to the
Alpha.
“But dude, not cool…”Link clicked his fingers again, drawing the Alpha from his confused state and bringing his eyes up to Link’s.
“Mine.”Rudd growled out and Rick balked at the thought of it.
“You’re really not my type.”Link offered on a smirk, and then it hit him, Macy, and his immediate reaction was to get his backside back in the car and drive them out of there.
Rudd growled a warning at him and Link held out his hands in front of him.
“Whoa, big guy…”He offered as Rudd stretched his neck upwards and scented the air. “Ok. This is bad.”Link spat out just as the Alpha decided to try to sidestep him and concentrate his search for the scent on his car. The same car where an unsuspecting Macy was sitting, probably chewing her damn nails…
“Mine.”Rudd growled out again. His eyes fixed on the woman inside Links car and he growled his desire for her. “Move.”Rudd offered the vampire, but Link held his ground.
“She’s human…”Link offered backing away from the Alpha slightly as Rudd slowly stalked forwards towards his mate.
“She’s my mate…”Rudd growled. The overwhelming need to scent her up close and personal was driving him on.
“Who doesn’t know about us…”Link offered with a quick pleading look towards the Beta.
“Rudd, she’s an outsider…”Rick offered taking as many steps to stay right alongside his Alpha as Link was taking backwards.
Macy turned to look at the three men on the porch steps just as her mobile went off and she turned and reached for her bag…
Link shot a look back over his shoulder and saw Macy turn away. In a split second he’d hit out at Rudd, catching him on the jaw with a closed fist and knocking him sideways. The loud growl from the alpha pierced the air and Rick’s joined his.
“What the hell?”Rick took a step towards Link.
“Knocking some damn sense into him…”Link spat out his explanation quickly as he landed another punch, this time knocking the Alpha to his backside on the floor.
Rudd shook his head, shaking off the pain and the damned fogginess that had taken over his brain, and he growled long and hard as he raised his head up to Link, glaring with menacing intent…
“Think about it, Alpha… Human…”Link spat out and Rick was torn between attacking the vampire and jumping on the Alpha to hold him down so he couldn’t start towards his mate again, at least not until he was back in his right mind. Normally there wouldn’t have been a question about who to side with, pack first, yet the thought of his Alpha scaring the hell out the human female did make sense to Rick, and she was Rudd’s mate, she should be protected, but from her own mate?
“I know she’s damn human, you blood sack…”Rudd pushed himself up to his feet and glared at both men. “I was just going to introduce myself.”He growled down.
“You were?”Rick took a long step backwards, shocked by his Alpha’s admission and feeling kind of guilty, but Link raised a brow in amusement.
“You sure, because there was drooling and a glazed look in your eyes at some point there…”He offered smirking.
“Get out of my way or I assure you, you will be the one with a glazed look…”Rudd growled.
“You get she’s human, right?”Link offered again.
“And she doesn’t know about us…”Rudd snapped back at the vampire before he nudged him aside with his shoulder as he barrelled through.
“This should be…”Rick started and Link groaned, shaking his head.
“Hell on earth, actually… that would be a blessing.”Link groaned again. Watching the broad back of the Alpha as he stalked towards the car and Macy, poor unsuspecting…
…Alpha, Link told himself.
Rudd stared down at her side profile as she chatted on her mobile and his heart thumped within his chest. When her eyes flicked in his direction she did a double take at the sheer size of the man who stood staring down at her so intently.
The deep lines of a frown made two little ridges appear between her brows and made him want to sooth her. Her eyes went wide as she took him in, and just as quickly she dismissed him.
He reached for the handle to open the door, but she quickly hit out at the locks with a closed fist and shifted in her seat to watch him intently.
“What’s she doing?”Rudd shot towards Link as he came to stand by the boot of the car and folded his arms across his chest. He really didn’t want to see how this would play out, but it was almost compelling viewing and he had front row seats.
“She’s being Macy.”Link offered, vague in his explanation.
Rudd lifted a giant fist and tapped on the glass with the backs of his fingers. She gave him the once over again and then turned away in her seat, putting her back towards him, and he stiffened slightly.
“Now what’s she doing?”
“Still being Macy.”Link offered and Rudd turned his dark glare of annoyance towards him. Link took a long breath in and sighed it out. “Ok, maybe I may have suggested to her that she shouldn’t date men, and therefore she’s not interested, some would say wary of…”
“Why would you do that?”Rudd took two long steps towards Link and Link backed the hell away from him. Never come between a male and his mate, Link’s rule number one, and if the Alpha saw it that way he might just feel his wrath.
“Look, she was making some bad choices, so now she doesn’t date…”
“Have you slept with her?”Rudd demanded in a quietly growled tone and Link held up his hands.
“She’s my friend. I resent the implication that I would…”
“Have you fed on her?”He growled again and Link shrugged just one shoulder, a small wince of an apology crossing his face.
“I may have had a taste…”The roar from Rudd’s lips made Link balk. “But that was before we were friends and none since. And she’s also under my protection…”
“Mine now…”Rudd growled and Link had to bow his head to that claim.
“I can un-suggest her lack of interest in men…”Link shrugged again and Rudd growled out his disapproval.
“You in particular, not men in general.”Link added as Rick sniggered somewhere behind him. “Look I may also have told her to stay in the car and ignore you people…”
“What?”
“That was for everyone’s benefit, so she wouldn’t discover your secret and there would be no need to erase her memories or in your case, eat her…”He offered and the Alpha growled out again. “Not that you would eat her, now you know who she is…”Link offered, trying to placate the damn Alpha now that he was in full protection mode.
“Fix it.”Rudd growled out. He wasn’t best pleased that he couldn’t even get his mate to open the damn car door, let alone get her to talk to him.
“Fine. Don’t go getting all claws out and feisty, easily fixed. Just back off and let me talk to her.”Link offered bad-temperedly, noting that Macy had just clicked off her call and was turning in her seat to look for him.
Link was around the driver’s side of the car in an instant. He tapped on the window to signal his return and bring Macy’s attention towards him before he opened the door with the central locking and slipped inside.
“Hey, did you see the size of that guy?”Macy rushed out. Her cheeks were flushed crimson with excitement and Link nodded.
“Yeah, they tend to grow them that big in the country, it’s all the manual labour…”Link offered and then he reached for Macy’s chin and brought her attention towards him.
Open and unguarded with him, she met his eyes and Link held her there, caught by his natural ability to subdue his prey.
“Macy, it’s time that you opened yourself up to the concept of dating again.” And that’s a bloody understatement… He told himself as he kept her gaze. “You also need to be open minded to the people around you and…”He paused for a long moment and grinned to himself. “Feel free to say what’s on your mind around them.”Verbal Pooping and all…
He released her chin an
d then her gaze and it only took her a moment to drag herself back to reality.
“Do they have dogs? I heard growling?”Macy asked him and he wanted to laugh, but he just smiled to himself.
“Something like that…”Link assured her and then he motioned for her to get out of the car. “Let’s say hi, we might be here a little while.”He offered and no sooner had he said it than the door popped open and the Alpha was leaning down and offering her his hand.
“Welcome, let me help you…”Rudd felt the softness of her palm brush over his and he steeled himself against the overwhelming rush of adrenalin that shot through his body.
Macy allowed herself to be helped from the car. Not something she would normally allow anyone but Link to do, but then most of the time she was with Link, and most other men didn’t offer.
The unexpectedness of the feeling, not unlike tingling swept up her arm and across her body as she was drawn up to her full height, which was almost a head shorter than the man mountain that was helping her. He didn’t release her hand right away and she didn’t complain. There was just something about him that was so…
Macy shook her head and frowned at the thought. The man was built like a barn and had shoulder length chestnut brown hair, and that was her first no-no. She didn’t like men with long hair.
He looked like his muscles were packed inside his clothes and that was also a definite no factor. Men who spent all their time working out in the gym were usually either vain, or brain addled, and she liked men of the world who knew things, like Link, although she wouldn’t dream of dating Link. He certainly wasn’t boyfriend material, she thought, shaking her head again to force the rush of stray thoughts away.
She hadn’t even considered dating in a long time, why would she be sizing up the locals now? And she was just about to turn her head and look for the familiarity and security of Link when Rudd leaned in towards her and sniffed the air. Macy balked, pulling back and regarding him with the disbelief.
“What the hell? Why are you sniffing me? Are you mental…?”She spat out, yanking her hand from his and turning to look for Link, finding him as he strolled around to her side of the car. “Is he unhinged?”Macy demanded of her friend, and Link couldn’t help but snort a laugh at the Alpha’s expense.