by M. L. Briers
“Now what?” Doug asked, casually leaning his shoulder against the truck and folding his arms over his broad chest. Max snatched at look at the man, his eyes showed the amusement he was expecting, but at least he had to sense not to rub his nose in it just yet.
“You drive her back to pack land and I’ll bring her…” He flicked his eyes to her car and he winced. “Car.”
“Great, if you pick up all the pieces we can put it back together again. Like a jigsaw.” Doug turned to leave just as Max opened his mouth to speak, and he bit down on his annoyance. Was everyone trying to wind him up today?
“Get in the truck, Lisa.” Doug called out to her as he yanked open the driver’s door and slipped behind the wheel.
“Wait up, what about my…?” Darby’s eyes shot to her poor car and the mess it was now that her damn mate had played with it.
“Max will bring your car, all of the pieces too.” Doug informed her, giving her an amused flick of his eyes as his mate climbed in beside him.
“That’s so kind of him, perhaps he can find a tree or two to run it into on the way.”She threw herself back against the back of the seat and crossed her arms over her chest.
“You did run from your mate, it wasn’t the smartest…” Doug offered and she shot forwards in her seat again, eyes wide in disbelief.
“I was driving not running, and he told me to leave town.” She sneered back at him. Hadn’t they just had this argument?
“And you believed he was chasing you for the exercise. Right. Got it.”Doug started the engine and watched his alpha collecting pieces of what had been a nice car.
“What if I don’t want to go with you?”
“You can log your grievances with the alpha, or you can sit back, shut up, and pray that he doesn’t kill you.” Doug’s amusement far outweighed hers. She still wanted to hit someone, maybe she was more Lycan than Fae in that respect, but after what he had done to her car…
“Besides, I think you’re going to want someone to put your car back together, unless you’re good at DIY?”
After the trouble they had with the Fae in the past, wasn’t it just sod’s law that he would be given a Fae mate. The damn mating call of his body had propelled him into action when he saw his mate getting away, and even as his rational mind was screaming at him, from somewhere in the far recesses of his mind, to let her go, he had acted like a complete idiot and chased her damn car down like a dog.
Here boy! The damned woman had even called him like a dog out of the window of her car as he was running through town. And damn, wouldn’t he have liked to have felt her between his jaws when she did that? He guessed she had a lucky escape from his beast’s anger. It was rare to be able to control the beast when he was on the chase, but somehow the whole lot of them had managed to do it, he didn’t know if he should be appalled or grateful that his beast had backed down.
Max knew one thing. He couldn’t claim her as his. He would fix her damn car and send her on her way. Pinning for her for the rest of his life would be a small price to pay considering her personality. Mate or not, he didn’t want to be tied to a Fae for the rest of their lives.
Max could feel the restlessness of his beast within him. Knew that the idea of not claiming their mate would not sit well with his wolf, and yet he couldn’t rally the energy to care about that now. An unhappy wolf was never a good thing, it could lead to complications like becoming a rogue, but that was another thing he would have to deal with in the future, right now he just needed to get rid of her, one way or the other.
As he drove the battered car up behind the stationary truck in front of his cabin he spied her in the back seat. Doug and Lisa were both standing beside the truck waiting for him, but he guessed his mate was being a pain in the backside again.
He cut the engine and popped the door open. Unfolding his large frame from what felt like a very low, very confining ride, he stretched out his limbs and ignored the woman in the back seat of his truck.
“So we eat?” Doug asked, his eyes sparkling with the amusement that was running through him and Max groaned internally at his Beta’s enjoyment of the situation.
“We should start rebuilding the car, the sooner she’s gone…” Max heard Lisa’s gasp of disapproval and even though he didn’t want to acknowledge it, something within him just couldn’t help it and he turned his eyes to look at her.
“You’re not going to claim your mate?” She hissed out in a hushed whisper and watched as Max raised just one dark brow at her in disbelief.
“And after what you witnessed, do you really believe that would be the best idea?” He wanted to run a tired hand over his face. He wanted to shift into his wolf and go for a calming run in the woods. He wanted to be doing a millions things that wasn’t mate related at that moment in time, because it was easier than dealing with the sour faced Fae in his truck.
“But, she’s your mate.” Lisa offered as though he were slow on the uptake. He narrowed his eyes on her and considered her words.
“Yes, thank you for pointing that out. Now if we could get the car fixed, send her on her way, and forget she ever existed…”
“You are seriously going to deny your mate?” Doug asked. The deep frown lines and questioning eyes gave Max a headache.
“What did I just say? Car, her gone, and forget she exists…” Max spoke very slowly to try to get them to understand what it was that he wanted. It was his damn mate for God sake, why was everyone else so damn interested?
“Easier said than done, for you.” Lisa hissed back at him. He saw her eyes flick towards her own mate’s, as if she was looking for backup, and from the look on Doug’s face she was going to get it.
“Yeah man, I mean, she’s your mate.” Max growled low and deep within his chest. Did he really need to be having this conversation?
“I’m sorry, when did there get to be a vote on me taking a mate…?”
“It’s not taking a mate. It’s claiming your one true mate.” Lisa reminded him, as if he needed reminding, and he rolled his eyes and felt the need to bag his head against a brick wall, it would be more rewarding than this conversation.
“My, there a word you need to remember in this little scenario. She is my mate and if I deny her that is my damn decision. Get it?” Max could feel the irritation that seemed to climb up his spine and make his head hurt.
“But, Max…” Lisa started and he snapped his head around and glared down at her, no longer willing to discuss this.
“Lisa, take the Fae…”
“Darby.” Lisa was obviously on her high horse now, Max noted, as she crossed her arms over her chest and shifted her weight onto one leg, and there was that pout she liked to use when things didn’t go her way.
“Take, Darby, into the house and keep her busy while we rebuild her car, please.” He added the word please for good measure, when what he really wanted to do was walk over to the truck and beat his head against the nice hard panel’s of the door.
Lisa huffed her acknowledgement. Starting towards the truck she shot him a dark glare, before she pulled open the back door and regarded the woman in the back seat. Max noted how her attitude took a sudden shift for the better.
“Let’s go get something to eat and leave the males to do their own thing.” He could hear that there was more to that sentence that she was mumbling under her breath and tried hard to dismiss her mood, although his ears strained with the desire to find out what she was babbling about to herself.
“That his kennel?” Darby asked, louder than she knew she needed to for his ears, and he picked up on the sniggers from Doug and Lisa even as his temper rose within him again.
“Yep, he lives here.” Lisa confirmed and he watched Darby turn her nose up at the idea of going inside.
“Then I’m fine here.”
Max let his eyes roll closed for the briefest on moments before he stalked to the open driver’s window of the truck and leaned his arms on the frame.
“The sooner you go away, the
sooner we can fix your car, the sooner you can leave.” Max heard the low growl within his tone and felt his wolf grow even bolder within him. His damn wolf was going to fight him every step of the way on this one, he just knew it.
Darby didn’t turn her head to look at him, she just reached for the handle and popped open the door. When she dropped down from the passenger seat to the ground, Max found himself moving slightly to be able to keep his eyes on her, and then cursed his mind for doing it.
“Fine.” Was all she said, a moment before she slammed the truck door so hard the whole frame shook on its shock absorbers.
Max dragged his eyes away from her and fixed his stare on the interior light, counting to ten in his own mind, and reminding himself that she was about to take her annoying self inside and away from his presence. As long as he didn’t kill her first, she should be out of there in no time.
The sound of the men outside the cabin, allegedly fixing her car, made her cringe every time that they hammered something. She wasn’t a mechanic, but she had to wonder if they should really be hammering her car at all, and then it got to the point where she really needed to see what the heck they were playing at. For all she knew, they could have been turning her car into a version of a Mad Max mobile, and she would be sitting there oblivious to the fact. It itched within her until she had no choice but to go and take a look.
Apparently Lisa wasn’t about to let her out of her sight and followed along behind her. She had to admit, she liked the Lycan woman, she was good company, although she doubted the same could be said for her right then, but Lisa’s constant chatter had provided her with something to concentrate on, if only for a while.
From where she stood looking down on the site of devastation, it appeared that far from putting her car back together, they seemed to have more parts than they started off with.
“What have you done?” Darby took the stairs at speed and stalked over to the assortment of pieces that had been a whole only a few hours before.
Doug was the first one to respond, getting up from his knees he surveyed what looked like a parts sale at a breakers yard through her eyes.
“Ok, now it may look like the car is worse off…”
“Oh, you think, paws?” Darby wasn’t about to take any prisoners, she’d had enough of their brand of entertainment at her expense and she was ready to blow, Mount Vesuvius had nothing on her wrath when she felt the need to explode, and that need was pretty damn close.
“Now calm down…” Doug tried to sooth her until she put her hand on her hip and shot daggers from her eyes. That act alone had him clearing his throat, “the bits that came off…”
“Came off? Oh, no. He ripped off!” She motioned her head towards the alpha who was sitting there with his lips pressed together and his head partially inclined away from her as he sat on his haunches; hammer in hand at the place where a door should have been.
“Ok, the bits that were taken off the car need to fit back into certain places that need to come apart for that to happen…” Doug was using logic when he could see the only logic that she was applying was the fact that her car looked more like a jigsaw puzzle than an automobile at the moment.
“Are you shi…?” She was spitting fire now, daggers be damned, she could just turn him to ash with one look. The smile that beamed across his face made her bit down on the expletive, and she squawked in disbelief.
“We’re also going to need a few spare parts…” He wasn’t sure if he should have offered that piece of information until it was already too late and he saw her shift in place, redistributing her weight and placing both her hands on her hips and tilting her head to one side questioning him with her wide eyes.
“I’m sorry what?” She had waited a few seconds for his answer and when it didn’t come she prodded him again. “Parts, is it?”
Doug shot a look towards his alpha for help, but it seemed his alpha wasn’t about to get involved in a discussion with his mate.
“New rubber for the car door window…” Doug saw her eyes flash and then narrow slightly. “A new handle for the door…” She rolled her jaw as if chewing what he was telling her over. “The bolts that hang the door have been twisted and sheared off, so we’re going to need those…” He admitted. A twitch at his brow as he watched her head slowly shake upon her neck, just a little movement from side to side, but it was there. “Wing mirror, some paint for the door…”
“A whole new blood car then really?”She’d waited long enough and she certainly didn’t want to hear anymore.
Doug swallowed hard and looked to Max, but he kept his head down, smart guy, Doug thought as he faced his alpha’s mate’s wrath.
“No, just a few touch ups…” He tried gently and saw her eyes flash with anger.
“A few bloody touch ups? Are you kidding me?” Lisa went to take a step towards her to try to pacify her, but she felt it coming and turned on her heels with her hand up, palm outwards to stop her in her tracks. “Don’t even…” She warned turning back towards Doug, “Satan claws over there broke it, now just shove it back together so I can leave.”
The sound of the hammer hitting metal and the low growl made her flash her eyes towards Max, but Doug took a step towards her, climbing over the door that had been so brutally murdered by the alpha.
“Look, it’ll be as good as new…”
“New? Doubt it, but right now I just need drivable.” She informed him. There was a rush to realisation that night was coming and she could be stuck here if they didn’t get a move on.
“That’s not going to be possible for a… bit.” Doug admitted dropping his eyes and looking a little too innocent, like a child caught with his hand in the cookie jar professing his innocence in the face of damning evidence.
“How big a bit?” Darby repositioned her feet beneath her, she really wasn’t sure she wanted the answer.
“A day…” Doug started and she balked. “Maybe two…” He offered and she almost swallowed her own tongue. “Probably three, if I’m honest.” Doug finished lamely.
Darby felt as if she were being consumed by the vapours. Hysteria beckoned at the thought of staying around here for another hour let alone a day, or two, probably three…
Stalking over towards Max probably wasn’t the best idea, considering their recent history and yet, the blame did lie entirely at his big feet.
“Fix this…” She demanded, and he finally lifted his eyes to hers, the darkness in their depths was all aimed towards her.
“That’s what we are trying to do.”
“State the bloody obvious…” She snapped out and he rose to his feet, towering over her and yet she didn’t feel threatened, not really. “Not this…” She made a grand gesture over the car parts, hesitating slightly at the state of her beloved car. “This!” She gestured wildly around her at where she was, and then between them.
Max took a slow calming breath in through his nose and slowly released it through his mouth. She was an irrational, female, Fae, and he really didn’t have time for her drama, and yet his beast wanted their mate placated.
“Damn it woman, what does it look like I’m trying to do?” He growled low and deep within his chest and she took a step back from him, not because she felt threatened by his growl, on the contrary, she felt drawn to it, to him, and that wasn’t good.
“It looks like you took a molehill and made it into a damn mountain, that’s what it looks like. Just weld the bloody door shut superglue the handle and mirror in place and I’ll sort it out when I get…” Max was getting madder by the moment, with every word he felt his protective gene flare a little more.
“Are you insane?” He took a step towards her and she glared up at him, not willing to give another inch to him.
“Yes, I’m insane, welcome to my world of the-big-bad-wolf-eat-my-car…”
“I did not eat your car…” She saw his eyes flash with anger and she dug her heels in.
“As good as…”
“Not even close.” He
gave her a look of disdain and she stomped over to the hammer he had been beating her car with and grabbed it, turning back towards him accusingly.
“And now you’re playing the well known game of if-you-can’t-fix-it-beat-it-death…” She tossed the hammer down on the floor between them and it landed on its handle, the momentum of the impact tossing the hammer head onto his bare foot and she heard the clunk of metal on bone and saw the darkness sweep through his eyes, as he clamped down on his jaw and growled between his clenched teeth when the pain shot through his foot.
Doug was sure he heard her physically swallow as Max lowered his chin towards his chest and regarded her under black brows.
“Oops.” She raised a brow at him, just as the corners of her lips turned up into an ill timed smirk. He tried as hard as he could not to react, but the pain was excruciating and he couldn’t help but reach for his damaged foot. That did little for the chuckle that was threatening Darby, and she burst out laughing, much to Doug’s disapproval as he groaned and rolled his eyes towards his mate.
“Maybe we should go back inside…” Lisa offered as she started to walk towards Darby, but Max’s head snapped around and he gave her a warning growl a moment before he turned back, to the now openly amused mate, and he stalked towards her.
Darby saw him coming at her only an instant before he reached her. Fast hands reached for her, giving her no time to react as a Fae or a human as he hefted her up over his shoulder in a fireman’s lift and swung her around wildly as he turned towards the cabin.
“Hey, put me down you big fleabag!” She hissed from her position down his back. The sight of his taut backside right there in full viewing pleasure.
“You’d do better to say nothing more, little Fae, not right at this moment in time.” Max growled out as he stalked towards the cabin, thinking nothing of her comfort as he took the stairs three at a time, making her bounce on his shoulder, and he heard the huff of a breath or three as he kicked the cabin door open and continued inside, leaving Doug and Lisa to watch in dismay as they went.