by M. L. Briers
The alpha pulled himself up to a sitting position and his eyes fell on Ashley. She shrugged her shoulders and grimaced at him.
“Now’s not really a good time for visiting…” She couldn’t help the sarcasm that ran through her. She also couldn’t help the giggle that followed, and he growled at her. The sound of his beta’s low growl reminding him that she was his brother’s mate, and would be one of their pack once they were bonded.
“Perhaps if you bought food…” Emily added, before biting down on her bottom lip and trying desperately not to chuckle.
“Oh, chocolate maybe?” Ashley tossed over to Emily who shrugged.
“Well it is Silver, so anything with a high sugar content would do it…” Emily added.
“But not caramel, caramel makes her cranky, and you want to avoid cranky…” Ashley teased and Emily chuckled.
“I think he gets that he needs to avoid cranky.” Emily smiled sweetly at him, as he dragged himself to his feet and started back towards the cabin door. Ashley held up her index finger and wagged it at him.
“Not a good idea, unless you like to fly…”
“It’s the landing I don’t think he appreciates.” Emily whispered towards Ashley as the alpha stopped and looked back and forth between the two women.
“She’s my mate…” He started and Ashley shrugged.
“Judging by her reaction, I think she needs a little space to get used to the idea, don’t you?” Ashley tried not to gloat. She’d warned him, or tried to, but he hadn’t listened, but it appeared this time he just might.
Ben took a long, deep breath and then exhaled his annoyance and his resilience. His backside hadn’t hurt that much since he’d had a pair of fangs clamped down on it, numerous times, during a teenage fight with a she-wolf who didn’t appreciate his attentions.
“Perhaps giving her time to adjust might be…”
“Safer.” Ashley put in.
“Less painful.” Emily added helpfully, both women smiled sweetly as he turned and glared at his beta and the vampire who stood there in amused silence.
“I’m impressed at how many times you went back for more.” Kirk grinned in amusement, and his beta chuckled behind his hand as he shook his head.
“Do not make me kill you vampire.” Ben growled out as he walked straight through the middle of them and carried on going as they turned their attentions back to their own mates.
“Don’t even take a step closer.” Ashley warned them and the pair frowned in unison. Both turning and following the alpha back across the field.
“Ice cream!” Ashley shouted triumphantly as she back heeled the freezer closed and yanked open a couple of drawers until she found the spoons.
Dropping down in the middle of her friends onto the sofa she offered a spoon to each of them before popping off the top and devouring the dessert with her eyes.
“God I’m going to enjoy this.” Emily announced as they huddled around the tub and started to dig in. The moans of pleasure rolled between them and back again as they took spoonful after spoonful.
“So two Lycans and a vampire, what are the odds?” Silver mumbled as she took a large spoonful and sat back against the cushion.
“There really is no getting out of it, so what should we do?” Emily asked eyeing the pair of them as they sat thoughtfully. Ashley held up her empty spoon and took a moment to consider it.
“We should stay in here, forever. Never leave. We could adopt some cats to keep the Lycans at bay, and your vampire can’t get past the damn door.” She offered and Silver snorted.
“They’d have to be big damn cats, and I don’t think we can conjure up a pride of lions even with the best intentions. Plus the lions would eat us, so I’m going with a no.” Silver dipped back into the ice cream and sat back again.
“How about we just take off under cover of darkness?” Emily offered and the other two turned to stare at her.
“Are you nuts?” Ashley balked and Silver sighed.
“Do you know what would happen to us if we ran? As for your damn vampire, he’d track you far and wide.” Silver reminded her and she sighed.
“So I’m just supposed to meekly offer up my neck and get fed from?” Emily shivered with the very thought of it. “Not my idea of happily ever after.” She mused on another sigh.
“Who said life comes with a happily ever after?” Silver muttered and Ashley groaned her annoyance.
“I don’t want to move to the country. I’m a city girl. I like the hustle and bustle of traffic, and elbowing people out of the way. I like that I get to fight for the marked down shoes at sale time. I love that I can step outside our front door and order a coffee and a Danish. Which I can eat at a table, sitting beside the road, that’s filled with life sapping, fume filled exhaust pipes, from Chelsea tractors. As snooty women, in designer heels, drag their little darlings along the street, to dump their little butts off, at an offensively expensive nursery, while they go for brunch with their equally annoyingly friends.” Ashley whined towards the end, and Silver pursed her lips and closed her eyes.
“Goodbye department stores and taxi cabs.” Silver mumbled.
“Goodbye shoe sales and boutiques.” Ashley added.
“Goodbye blood from my veins.” Emily offered morosely and the other two sniggered.
“Sweetie, you really need to get over the whole fangs thing.” Ashley offered and Emily whined.
“Sure, it’s supposed to be erotic.” Silver added and Emily frowned.
“There’s nothing erotic about something sucking out your life blood until you look like a shrivelled up old prune.” Emily wasn’t buying it. The longer she could keep that vampire and his fangs at bay the better.
Silver stuck her head out of the cabin door and looked in either direction. Only when she was sure that the coast was clear, did she step outside with her mug of coffee and take in the sights and sounds of the countryside around her. While it was true that she loved living in the city, a little part of her was still a country girl at heart, and she missed being this close to Mother Nature.
Leaning back against the wood of the cabin wall, she closed her eyes and allowed the relative peacefulness to wash through her. The tingling that crept over her skin told her that he was there, before she even bothered to open her eyes and look for him. Not that she needed to look far. Standing beside her, between her and the door of the cabin, was six foot odd of pure menacing muscle that glared down at her with a look of annoyance that only an alpha could deliver with such ease.
“Go away.” She made sure she delivered the words with crisp, clean, loud tones, so there would be no misinterpretations for her words or their meaning.
“Not feeling zap happy at the moment?” he growled down at her, and she propped open one eye and raised the corresponding brow.
“Is your mutt unable to understand anything but sit and stay?” Silver watched for a reaction, but there wasn’t really any changed from the menacing annoyed stare he had appeared with.
“ I told you not to use magic at the gathering…”
“And I haven’t. I used it at the cabin away from the gathering. You need to be more specific when you’re dealing with a Fae.” She informed him, and he managed a slight rumble of annoyance within his broad chest.
“Semantics.”
“Yes, that’s how we get around our creed…” She opened her eyes and stared up at him innocently. “The part that says, first do no harm.” She offered blandly as she went to step around him, but he thrust his hand out in front of her to stop her. She took in the gesture and then turned towards him, slowly.
“I don’t much care for magic.” He offered and she took a long moment to think it over.
“And I don’t much care what you care for.” Silver informed him, keeping his eyes locked on hers, as she slowly tipped her mug and allowed the hot coffee to escape its confines down the front of his trousers. It took just a moment for the burning heat to penetrate through the material and onto his skin, and he
growled his annoyance as she took a step back, all wide eyed innocence.
“Whoops. Sorry. I get all shaky hands when I see a big, strong, alpha males being so dominant.” She made sure every word hit its mark.
“It would be a shame to lose a mate. But I’m sure I could live with it.” He growled down at her, and she allowed the smallest of smiles to touch her lips, as she reached out with just the tip of her index finger and gently scratched her nail down over the stubble on his cheek.
“You’re welcome to try.” She breathed up at him and saw the flare of his nostrils and the flicker of desire within his eyes as they darkened.
Silver waited for him to drop his arm, and then she walked around him into the cabin and closed the door behind her. Putting her back to the wood and closing her eyes as she felt her heart doing the samba in her chest. God, but he was gorgeous, and annoying, and sexy, and menacing, and desirable, and dangerous, and she needed her damn head tested for challenging him like that.
“I’m not going alone.” Emily was adamant. She wasn’t about to let either of them off the hook. They had a barbecue to attend, and she was supposed to be there, but not alone.
“Well I’m not going.” Ashley shook her head and folded her arms over her chest as Silver sighed.
“Fine. I’ll go with you. But it’s part of the gathering so we can’t use our magic.” Silver warned Emily and she nodded her understanding. “Although if that alpha…”
“It’s not like he’s going to throw you over the picnic table and have his wicked way with you then and there, Silver.” Emily chuckled, and Silver felt the need to keep her back to the other two, as her face took on a crimson hue. Just the thought of it sent a wave of arousal through her. Not the thought of being taken in front of everyone, just the thought of being taken by him and in such a primitive way.
“I’m going to freshen up.” She shot out of the room, leaving Emily and Ashley to look at each other with grins on their faces.
“He’s getting to her.” Emily folded her arms across her chest and grinned as Ashley nodded her agreement.
“She has spent the longest time with her mate. Which means you’re next on the fever scale.” Ashley chuckled to herself as she nestled down against the sofa and gloated. “I on the other hand, am staying as far away from my mutt as possible, for as long as possible, in the distinct hope that fate got it wrong and it’s all a big misunderstanding.”
“Fat chance sister, you’re just as screwed as the rest of us.” Emily perched on the edge of the coffee table and stared at the wall opposite, the thought of her mate’s advances sending a tremor through her body.
“So what are you going to do when your vampire wants to feed from you?” Ashley cocked an eyebrow at her, and she dragged her eyes back and bit down on her inner cheek in dismay.
“I don’t get much of a choice now do I?”
“Sure you do, after the initial bonding, you can say no.” Ashley shrugged and Emily sighed.
“I still have to get through the bonding, Ash.”
“Maybe he can do that vampire mind meld thing and take away your fears.” Ashley teased and Emily hugged her arms around herself. It might be a big joke to everyone else, but to her it was like her worst nightmares come true.
“Maybe.” Emily whispered her eyes flicking to the sound of the internal door opening as Silver walked back across the room.
“What do you have in your pocket?” Emily eyed the bulge as Silver tried to look as innocent as possible.
“Pocket?”
“Silver?” Emily got to her feet and tipped her head to the side.
“Bug spray.” Silver didn’t sound too sure of her answer, and she didn’t make eye contact which was a sure sign that she was lying.
“Hand it over.” Emily sighed, her palm outstretched, showing she wasn’t messing about. Silver rolled her jaw and pursed her lips before reaching in and tossing the small canister at Emily. Her eyes went wide as she looked down at the pepper spray and gasped.
“Are you trying to get him to kill you?” Emily demanded and Silver shrugged her shoulders, still trying to look innocent.
“It might make the mating process go a little smoother between those two if she was dead.” Ashley chuckled and Emily shot her no nonsense look of disapproval.
“Come on Silver, stop torturing the poor guy…”
“Poor guy? Geez Em, whose side are you on?” Silver shot back and Emily balked.
“Ours, but…”
“Really? Because it sounds like you’re rooting for the mutt.” Silver shot back, and Emily threw the small can on the sofa next to Ashley and turned on her heels towards the front door.
“I’m just not trying to start world war three is all.” Emily shot over her shoulder, as she yanked open the door all big and bold, and then remembered her vampire mate and poked her head out to check if the coast was clear. “Come on, let’s go eat.”
“Bring me a doggy bag…” Ashley begged with her words and her eyes and Silver grinned down at her. “Not the dog, just the food.” Ashley warned as Silver tossed her hair over her shoulder and headed after Emily.
“Maybe.” She called over her shoulder, before pulling the door shut and leaving Ashley to her roll her eyes and drop her head back against the cushions.
“Peace at last.” She groaned, but knowing nothing was ever as easy as it appeared in real life.
Silver walked with a purpose towards the large crowd that had gathered for the barbecue. The smell alone was worth the effort to drag her backside across the muddy field. She knew she’d almost certainly have to deal with the alpha at some point, and she hoped the food would be a good enough reason for that too. Although there was never a good enough reason to have to deal with Iris, so Emily was on her own there.
“Where’s Ashley?” The deep tones over her left shoulder, as she reached down into the ice filled bucket for a beer, left her in no doubt who was behind her. And she snagged the icy glass of the bottle and stood up to turn towards him.
“Sorry, Ashley can’t come out to play tonight.” Silver drawled as she pursed her lips and gave him a mock look of sympathy, and he eyed her for a long moment looking for any sign of duplicity.
“She’s in the cabin?” Vaughn’s eyes flicked towards the far side of the field, and Silver turned back away from him, not even bothering to answer the low growl he gave her, as he turned and stalked off, leaving Silver to take her first long drink from the alcohol her nerves had been craving all day long. And damn was it good, she closed her eyes and savoured the bitter sweet taste all the way down her throat, as it chilled and warmed her at the same time.
“Would you mind handing me one of those?” Silver felt the unmistakeable tingle of her mate beside her and swallowed hard. There goes her little slice of heaven, she told herself, as she turned her head to look up at him over her shoulder. That act alone sent his pulse racing and his groin aching. He could picture that pose as he entered her from behind, on a long, slow slide of nirvana.
“Those things at the end of your arms are hands…” She started and he leaned the top half of his body towards her, bringing his mouth beside her ear.
“And they have fingers and guess where I’d like to be sliding those right about now?” Ben offered on a deep growl, and watched her cheeks colour and her pupils dilate, as a rush of arousal coursed through her.
“Back and forth across your own…”
“Now Silver, why would I need to do that when I have a mate to do that for me?” He growled down at her, not willing to give her the chance to draw any other mental image than him and her together. Although if she liked the idea of watching him bring himself pleasure, who was he to deny her, as long as she reciprocated the act, he’d be more than happy to oblige.
“Maybe you’d like me down on my knees in front of you…” Silver purred, and the image made his length twitch uncomfortably in his jeans.
“Sounds good…” He growled, more than ready to start the mating process.
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br /> Silver licked her tongue over her lips and opened her mouth, and he nearly lost the willpower he had not to throw her down on the muddy floor and start the festivities right then and there. But she snapped her jaws closed, and her eyes narrowed, as her teeth chomped together, and he winced with the thought of his manhood between those jaws.
“I’m hungry.” She offered innocently, as she took off away from him towards the food, and he grinned as he watched those curvy hips swing from side to side in a mesmerising display of her power over him.
“She got you there.” Kirk chuckled as Ben let out a low growl of annoyance.
“Worry about wooing your own mate and leave mine to me.” He tossed out as he stalked after the female.
Ashley towelled off her hair as she walked out of the bathroom and into the living room. Her skin tingled, and her eyes locked onto the large Lycan sitting on the stool at the kitchenette counter, as his eyes started down at her naked feet and travelled up over her towel clad body, until he reached her face. The fact his eyes were a dark black and not blue, told her all she needed to know about how much he liked what he saw, and she couldn’t help but swallow down her own tongue, as she realised that apart from the towel she was naked and very much alone with him.
“I’m kind of glad you didn’t attend the barbecue.” He growled and she panicked. Turning on her heels, she made a dash towards the bedroom door, but he got to her before she had a chance to get inside and close it behind her. Not that it would have been any real barrier to him.
His arm came about her waist and he hauled her back against his body, his breath at her neck, as he growled down at her.
“Don’t ever run from me, Ashley.” He growled out.
CHAPTER THREE
Mentally telling his damn wolf to stand down, as the beast bayed for her submission inside him, Vaughn held onto her tightly, afraid of what his wolf might do if she ran again.
“I- I didn’t.” She swallowed hard, closing her eyes and cursing her stupidity for what she had done. Lycan equalled wolf, and wolf equalled hunting, and hunting equalled catching, and catching equalled…