by M. L. Briers
Caleb threw her a bone. He released her just enough that she had some free space to move, but there was no way in hell that he was letting go of her while she was still that mad.
She’d attacked him, damn it, not the other way around!
Rachel felt his arms give and twisted to one side. She managed to drag her knee across the ground, and when he shifted his weight a little, that knee flew upwards…
There was a jolt to his body at the same time as all of the air in his lungs escaped his throat with the sound of a wheezing balloon. She snapped her eyes to his face and saw the pain etched there, and for one long moment she twisted her head on her neck and considered it…
“Oooo.” She bit out on a gasp of surprise.
Her eyes widened in the knowledge that her knee had connected with his balls. It hadn’t exactly been intentional, but when his arms dropped away from her and hit the ground on either side of him as his body seemed to try to fold in the middle, she wasn’t sorry that she’d got him a good one.
She took that opportunity to roll away from him.
Caleb’s arms came up and his hands grabbed at his groin. There was a long whimper from his lips.
Rachel rolled onto her knees and eyed him with surprise. Her hand came up and she covered her mouth as amusement filled her eyes and she bit out a chuckle, and then another.
“Well, that serves you right.” She hissed out as she rallied back on her heels before she pushed up to her feet and stared down at him with glee. “You wanted to cop a feel, and now you’ve got one.” She chuckled…
Caleb’s eyes snapped to hers. They were jet black and full of fire.
There was a low, deep growl that was trying its best to rumble through that big old chest of his, and yet, she could still hear a deflating balloon rolling along beside it.
“Enjoy!” Rachel lifted her hand, snapped her fingers in victory, turned on her heels, and started for the house once more…
It was then that she felt the hard grip of his fingers around her ankle as he twisted on the ground and snagged her. She let out a shriek of surprise when he yanked on her leg and her foot shot out from beneath her lifting off the ground and destabilising her.
She waved her arms looking for stability, but there was none to be had. She was a lame duck, floundering in mid-flight away from him. She knew that she needed to do something, but before she could act he gave another, more forceful yank and she was flying backwards through the air.
The world tilted as she started to fall backwards – every second dragged on almost in slow motion, and then everything seemed to suspend in time…
A second before she made contact with him; the world came rushing back in vivid Technicolor and his hard body seemed to rush upwards to meet her fall. She landed on top of him with a hearty thud and another, small shriek of disbelief.
He was her damn mate. He wasn’t supposed to be trying to kill her.
One large, muscled arm wrapped around her torso, locking her in place against him, as she struggled to understand just what had happened…
One second she was escaping him – he was down holding his balls, and the next – damn it!
“Looks like the shoe is on the other paw now.” He growled out beside her ear, still sounding a little wheezy – slightly breathless.
“I don’t believe you just did that!” She bit out, sounding rather breathless from the shock of it all.
She lay there over the top of him, her back against his chest, her body panting in the air around her. She searched the night sky for some sanity in the midst of all the madness.
“I don’t believe you kicking me in the damn balls.” He growled back.
“It was my knee and you deserved it.” She hissed back. She could have protested her innocence, but she doubted that he’d believe her.
She needed an out. He was right, the shoe was on the other foot and that was unacceptable to her. She lifted her arm up, and swung her elbow backwards to make contact with the hard wall of his chest.
He grumbled out a growl of annoyance, but the sound of a pained gasp from her lips made his ears prick up.
“Do not hurt yourself on my body.” He warned her.
“Yeah, and beware my knee.” She hissed back.
“I think we need to establish some ground rules.” He bit out.
“I think you need to go and shove your head right up your-” She cut her words off at the sound of an over revving truck coming down the road on screeching tyres.
“What the…?” Caleb pushed with his upper body and took her to a sitting position with him.
“Oh, don’t tell me, a friend of yours?” She sneered. Her eyes took in the sight of the truck that was speeding down the lane towards the house…
The only trouble was – the lane was blocked with Caleb’s truck.
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Nessie’s eyes held the wolf’s gaze in the rear view mirror as she drove like the wind on a stormy day. Every now and then she’d hit a big pothole and the truck had bounced and so had the wolf with it, but his eyes always came back to meet hers in that mirror.
There he was again. All snarly growly-ness. But as she flicked her eyes towards the roadway once more; she noted the big pickup truck that blocked the way…
She was about to hit it head on.
“Hold on!” She managed to scream out as she kicked down on the brake once more with both feet. Her hands gripped the steering wheel for dear life, and her brain kissed her backside goodbye.
Shaun’s wolf’s head came up, and his eyes took in the sight of his idiot brother’s truck parked in the roadway… It was already too late by the time that his mate had screamed the warning.
The truck that he was riding on was braking hard and his paws were skidding towards the back of the cab. Even though his razor sharp claws screeched against the metal as he tried to brace them, there wasn’t a damn thing that he could do to stop from flying out of the back of the truck once more…
This could end badly.
CHAPTER TEN
~
“Yep, definitely one of yours.” Rachel bit out at the sight of the wolf flying through the air like somebody had shot the beast out of a cannon…
“Holy crap!” Caleb bit out.
Watching his alpha sail through the air was something of a surreal experience. All four of the wolf’s paws were flaying about in mid-air as if the beast was desperately trying to learn to fly…
“There he goes…” She snapped her head back on a grimace the moment that the wolf hit the grass verge. “That was… impressive.” She said, turning her head to look at a shocked Caleb. “Who knew wolves could really fly?”
“Damn it!” Caleb practically tossed her onto her backside on the grass as he shot upwards.
“Maybe you guys could ask Santa for a job pulling the sleigh, should the reindeer ever go on strike for better pay and conditions.” She called after him, somewhat amused that he didn’t even realise that she was now free and clear to get the hell out of there and away from her mate.
She pushed upwards, ready to retreat back into the house when her eyes locked onto the feminine figure in the driver’s seat, she twisted her head and craned it forwards on her neck, noting the familiarity that the woman had to… and then she realised that it was Nessie.
Her eyes widened in surprise and her mouth dropped open a little.
“Way to go, Ness!” She snorted a chuckle.
Rachel’s feet were already taking her across the grass and down the slope towards her friend as Nessie popped open the door to the truck and climbed out on shaky legs. She gave a double take towards Rachel as she stalked towards her, but she kept snatching her eyes back towards the downed wolf.
“I think I killed him.” Nessie looked as white as a sheet.
“Nah, they heal. He’ll be fine.” Rachel offered back with a dismissive wave of her hand in the alpha’s direction. “But nice try.” Rachel shrugged her shoulders.
“He was chasing me.” Nessie’s eyebrows rose towards her hairline… She felt guilty, more than guilty… if she’d just been paying more attention to the road and less in that mirror then she might have caught sight of that damn truck and had time to brake.
“Yeah, I’ve had my fair share of wolf problems. Nice pick of location by the way.” Rachel motioned around her. “Where next? Hell?” Rachel’s tone was somewhat acidic as she slammed home the sarcasm.
“Not my fault.” Nessie bit back, and lifted her hand to chew on her fingernails to boot.
Rachel slapped at her hand.
“Don’t bite.” She berated her.
“Tell him that.” Nessie nodded towards downed wolf and Caleb who was leaning over the injured beast.
“I think I might just have to.” Rachel said on a frown.
If he truly was her mate – then it was a damn good bet that he was going to want to bite. All sense of amusement left her then.
“We need to get out of here.” Rachel grabbed a fistful of Nessie’s jacket and started to yank her with her back towards the house. “No need to pack, just grab the keys and leave.”
“We’re taking Mary too, right?” Nessie hissed back, trying to twist out of Rachel’s hold but the woman seemed to be on a mission and there didn’t seem anyway to shake off her death grip. Rachel snorted.
“If she can get ready fast enough, sure. If not…” Rachel ground out.
“Look, I don’t think they are going to kill us…” Nessie started, trying to placate her friend and dislodge the hold that she had on her.
Nessie’s legs felt like lead, and Rachel was tugging her along at the kind of speed that was going to end up with her face down in the grass if she didn’t slow down.
“Shouldn’t I go see if I can help him?” Nessie bit out, almost falling over her own feet.
“No.” Rachel shook her head fast. “Maybe they won’t kill me, but you?” Rachel shrugged again.
“Why me and not you?” Nessie bit out.
“You shot a wolf off the back of a truck like a cannonball, for one thing.” Rachel bit out and Nessie grimaced at the memory. “You got the key?”
Nessie went to reach for the key in her pocket and then shook that thought away. She reached out with her magic and opened the front door before they even got to the porch…
“And then there’s always the fact that…” Rachel practically launched her friend into the hallway, she turned on her heels and slammed the door shut behind her. “I’m a mate.” Rachel muttered.
“You’re what!” Nessie screeched out.
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“That… was… not… good… for… my… health.” Ernod flopped his upper body forwards and braced his hands upon his knees as he panted and wheezed.
“I’d say you got off lightly compared to the alpha.” Lucky chuckled.
Her witch was coming up trumps. Two shots at the alpha and both had hit home. If this kept up, she’d kill him in no time, and Lucky would win the bet, and the elf’s shoes… his hat…
Happy? She was more than happy with how things were progressing.
“You’re witch… is evil.” Ernod gasped and grumbled.
“Yes, isn’t she though?” If Lucky had of been male she would have stroked her beard like an evil cartoon character, as it was, she had to console herself with folding her arms and lifting one hand to her chin as she watched the beta trying to help the alpha get to his wolf paws.
“Did you have a hand in that?” Ernod bit out as his back snapped straight and he eyed the faerie for signs of deceit.
“Unfortunately, no.” Lucky gave a small shrug off her shoulders. “But she has the killer instinct, don’t you think?” She beamed him a wicked smile.
“I think…” Ernod bit out, but stopped abruptly when Ned ran by them, panting and growling in annoyance. “That the alpha will still win the day.” He assured her.
“Want to bet your trousers on that one?” She gave a small evil chuckle as she wiggled her eyebrows back at him.
“No.” Ernod bit out in disbelief, doing a double take of the faerie’s over-enjoyment of the situation at hand.
“My witch will resist your alpha and I’ll win the bet.” She said as she flounced off. Happy in her own little world.
Ernod curled his top lip and sneered at her as she walked away…
“Over my dead body.” He muttered.
“If needs be.” She tossed back over her shoulder without bothering to turn around.
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~
“What the heck did I miss?” Mary demanded to know as she stood at the window in the hallway to the cottage, curtain in hand as she peered outside.
Dressed in fleece pyjamas and with a big fluffy housecoat wrapped around her body. She’d heard the commotion from outside as she’d been drying herself, but by the time that she’d got dressed and rushed into the hall – it was all over and done with and the women were inside.
She somehow felt cheated…
“Don’t ask.” Rachel shook her head.
“Already did. Who are they?” Mary eyed the two men down at the lane and the large dog that they had with them. “Someone hit a dog?”
“Wolf.” Rachel corrected her. “And if by hit you mean did someone shoot him off the back of the pickup truck like a cannonball, she’s guilty as charged.” Rachel pointed not one but two accusing index fingers at Nessie.
Nessie rolled her eyes to the ceiling and bit down on the need for Rachel to stop saying it like that. It was not her fault.
“In my defence – he did get all rowdy.” Nessie ground out on another grimace.
“Well, watch out, cos one of them is coming this way.” Mary said, but peering over Mary’s shoulder, Nessie had already spotted the truck guy stalking towards the house.
“I kind of borrowed that one’s truck.” Nessie rushed out an explanation on hushed tones. Rachel rolled her eyes and joined the witches at the window to get a good look at who was coming up the path.
Definite wolf, and definitely miffed.
“Trust me when I say that I think your kleptomania is the least of our worries.” Rachel bit out.
She had far more important things to worry about than the sketchy details of Nessie borrowing a shifter’s truck, whether she’d asked permission or not…
“I do not have kleptomania!” Nessie snapped back, scowling back over her shoulder in disbelief at her friend.
“This you’re worrying about?” Rachel snapped back with perfectly raised eyebrows. “When we have wolves at the damn door?” Those eyebrows dropped into a scowl.
“Oh, he looked miffed off.” Mary noted. Craning her neck around the other two that were now jostling for position at the window to get a better view. “And he has that dark sexy thing going on, don’t you think?”
“No!” The other two snapped at her as they turned their heads in unison to glare at her. She backed off as they turned their attention back towards the wolfman stalking up the path…
“I’m going to be nice…” Mary said, and Rachel all but ignored her while Nessie turned to see Mary yanking the front door back open.
She screech out and slammed the door closed again with her magic, just as Ned was closing in on Mary…
“No you don’t!” Ned growled out.
“What are you doing?” Mary berated her. “You get more bees with honey.”
“We’ve got enough bees thank you.” Nessie bit out…
“Open the damn door, witch!” Ned growled.
“Oh, go huff and puff somewhere else, you got your damn truck back!” Nessie called back at him through the wooden barrier that she knew wouldn’t last long if just one of those wolfmen wanted in, let alone the three of them combined.
“Don’t wind them up any more than they already are.” Mary cautioned, and Nessie knew that she’d been in the wrong a couple of times tonight, but the point was that she had a damn good reason to do what she’d done.
She held no belief that the wolves would see it the same way.
She was reasonable – they were male.
She had female hormones – they were packed full of testosterone.
She was a witch, and therefore benevolent by nature – they were wolves and it was in their DNA to kill things…
She just didn’t want one of those things to be a witch tonight.
“I’ve got enough to worry about without you making it worse.” Rachel had taken to pacing back and forth in the hallway – her finger was tapping against her lower lips as she considered her options, and Nessie knew that look…
“Like what?” She demanded, turning her attention solely upon her friend.
Rachel looked sheepish, and that was never a good sign either.
“What if, let’s just say for arguments sake…” Rachel tapped that finger faster…
“Spit it out, before the damn suspense kills me!” Mary grumbled and then jumped in place as Ned took to banging his big fists against the door… “Geez, what did you do to that guy, was he the one you shot through the air?”
“It was his truck.” Nessie whispered – looking somewhat guilty – feeling somewhat guilty, but she knew that even as a witch, she had no magic that would undo what had happened. Now they had to figure a way around the shifters wrath…
“Stop with the damn banging already!” Rachel snapped out. “Didn’t your mother ever teach you any manners?”
“Spit it out, women.” Nessie demanded. Rachel was snappy, irrational, and procrastinating… that usually meant trouble. Maybe she wasn’t the only one that had messed up tonight…
“What if one of us is a mate?” Rachel asked looking even more shifty than she had before.
“You’re a mate!” Nessie exclaimed on an accusing gasp. Rachel lifted her hand and deliberately considered her reply, when Mary’s whoop of delight completely threw her for a loop.
CHAPTER ELEVEN