by M L Briers
Dexter pushed his large hands into the pockets of his jeans to keep from wringing her neck if the mood took him, and to be able to unclench the fists that had formed without thought on his part. He dropped down from the pavement and took a slow walk around her side of the car. She looked a lot guilty and a little wary. He guessed he had that effect on most people given his size.
“Are you ok?” He asked as she flicked big blue eyes up in his direction. His heart thudded and his stomach clenched, and for some reason that defied logic, his length hardened at those baby blues. She nodded as he stood beside the driver’s window and waited for her to roll it down or get out of the car. She did neither.
He could see her hands were still clenched against the steering wheel and her breathing was all over the place and guessed that she was still in shock. He reached for the door and saw her head snap around as her eyes widened in fear. The sound of the door locks snapping on made him pull his hand away as if she’d reached out and slapped him, and he wondered how the hell she’d done that without moving…
Witch…Goddamn it to hell… Not another one! He took a long step back and eyed her with suspicion.
Samantha saw his reaction to her and grimaced. She guessed snapping the locks on the door with a little bit of magic had given the game away. But what the hell was she supposed to do? Get up close and personal with a wolf after she’d maimed his truck? No, that would never do.
“I’d say drive on but you’ve blown a tyre and unfortunately you’re not going anywhere.” Dexter informed her and saw her wither slightly at the thought.
“I’m not coming out while you’re standing there. I like my head on my shoulders.” She informed him and he felt the urge to growl.
“I do not hurt women.” He hotly denied her accusation as his eyes narrowed on hers.
“Sure doesn’t look that way.” She shot back, poking the bear, or wolf in this case. His large hands clenched into fists at his side. He resented the implication that he would ever attack a helpless female. Not that this female was helpless, she was a damn witch after all, but still. She motioned towards one fist with her head. “Point in fact.”
His eyes snapped down towards his hand, he took a deep breath and willed his fists to open; it took more of an effort than he’d expected, but he managed it. He folded his muscled arms across his chest and stared down at her as if he’d proved his point. She snorted her contempt.
“Sure that stance is sooo much better.” She offered and Dexter bit down on the dark curse that he wanted to offer her and rolled his jaw instead as his arms dropped down his sides.
“Would you like me to do a happy jig for you?” He gave a small growl of annoyance. This woman was testing his last nerve, the one that she hadn’t maimed yet as she had his pride and joy. What does she want, a written guarantee in blood?
“I would love it, just not now. But you can do something for me and go the hell away.” Samantha desperately wanted to peel her hands from the steering wheel, they were clenched so tightly around the fake leather that it physically hurt her, but she just couldn’t seem to do it.
“And what about my truck?” Dexter’s eyes flicked back over to the damage and he winced again. Even taking it to the packs garage wouldn’t give it that brand new feel again. It was tainted.
“Ahh…” She looked guilty of something and he narrowed his eyes with suspicion.
“Oh, don’t tell me that you don’t have insurance.” He let out a deeper growl this time and had to bite it off before he drew any attention from the nosey townsfolk.
“Of course I have insurance.” She snapped out at him. “I just don’t know who I have it with and I’m not getting out of this damn car.” She added as she thought about the things that she’d left behind, perhaps not everything was worthless; she should have grabbed some paperwork…
“Tell me you’re driving through town and not planning on staying and I’ll forget about it.” Dexter could swallow the cost of the repairs, after all the pack would only charge him for parts and not labour, pull out the dents, a re-spray and it would still be… maimed, defaced in his eyes, but acceptable. It would be a small price to pay to see the back of another witch.
“Well I was…” She unclenched one hand and sighed with relief as the blood flowed freely into her digits again.
“Was…?” He growled out.
“Hello, my tyre.” She nodded her head and a curl bobbed in front of her face. Blowing it back out of her eyes; she twitched her nose in annoyance. She really couldn’t afford the price of a new tyre on top of everything else. She was homeless and jobless now, and her bank account hadn’t been flushed with money in the first instance.
“There’s a garage…” Dexter raised his hand and pointed and she twitched her nose again. “Tell me you can at least afford the tyre…” He growled and she gave him a half shrug. “Fine. I’ll pay for the damn thing if I never have to lay eyes on you again.” He reached into his back pocket for his mobile and muttered and growled as he swiped at the screen.
“Why are you doing this?” Samantha could understand his kind not liking her kind around, but it was a little extreme to be paid to leave.
“Let’s just say we’ve had a few unwelcome visitors to town lately and I think my alpha’s head will explode if he sees you.” Dexter assured her. Samantha peeled her other hand from the steering wheel and finally sat back in her seat.
“That could prove… interesting.” She mumbled to herself forgetting wolves had big ears.
“Not for you.” Dexter growled out a warning. Jethro was all loved up with his mate right now, but another witch in town wouldn’t be the news that Dexter wanted to deliver to his Alpha. Five witches was nearly a Coven, small, but potent considering the strength of the others witches powers. They had already dispensed with a vampire and a Warlock and he didn’t think adding to their brethren would be a good idea.
“I just want to be gone.” Samantha assured him. She didn’t think that she was far enough away from her troubles yet and she didn’t need them knocking at her door, not that she had a door… She sighed.
“And I second that emotion.” Dexter assured her to a sneer from the witch. Dexter looked down at the mobile in his hand and was about to raise it when he saw Wendy’s familiar blue car driving towards him. He growled out of instinct and snapped off the call. The fact that the witch was here didn’t bode well for getting rid of the newcomer; the woman always seemed to show up right when you didn’t need her too.
“Good morning…” Wendy rolled down the passenger window and took in the scene. Dexter growled some more.
“It had promise.” Dexter bit out. Wendy had that smile on her face that riled him. It was as if the woman always knew a secret that she wasn’t willing to share and he didn’t like surprises, not of the witching kind.
“Trouble?” Wendy stated the obvious.
“Well she is one of yours, what do you think?” Dexter motioned towards Samantha as the witch eyed him with a deep frown on her forehead. Wendy held back the chuckle that seeing the big, bad pack enforcer eyeing the little witch as if she was a bomb about to explode provided.
“One of mine?” Wendy teased him and heard the deep, low growl rumble through his chest. She ducked her head and eyed the cloudy sky with a frown. “Is that thunder? I had no idea it would rain today.” She offered innocently and watched the man shuffle his feet in annoyance.
“It seems to be raining witches at the moment.” He growled back.
“Ah, she’s a witch.” Wendy offered playfully and the man growled again.
“Please tell me that I don’t have to deliver the news to the alpha that she’s staying.” Dexter really didn’t like that idea. Jethro had loosened up a lot since meeting his mate and yet the man wasn’t going to be happy. He could feel it in his bones.
“I have no idea. But perhaps you could man up…” Wendy started and was silenced by a harder growl of annoyance.
“Man up?” Dexter wasn’t impressed by her cho
ice of words.
“Oh relax, Dexter. We don’t even know why she’s here yet.” Wendy could guess, but she didn’t think it would do the enforcer any good to hear it. “She might just be passing through.”
“What are the damn odds?” He growled out and saw the amusement flood across the older witch’s face. Wendy knew full well that Samantha was destined to be among them. Her broom had fallen over again this morning and that told her that company was coming and she was only too happy to receive another sister into their ranks. She turned her attention to the witch secured inside of her car.
“His bark is worse than his bite.” She offered as she teased Dexter once more.
“Don’t bloody count on it.” Dexter muttered as his eyes snapped towards Samantha when she shifted in her seat. One curl danced in front of her eyes and she blew it back from her face. He didn’t know why he had the urge to do that for her but he didn’t like it. Something was off with his beast and the damn thing was playing merry hell with his libido.
“I’ll take your word for it but I’ll stay where I am until he leaves.” Samantha scowled up at him. Dexter pulled himself to his full height and stuck out his chest. The woman had a way of playing on his last nerve, but then she was a witch.
“And what did I do to you?” He growled out. “Let’s not forget who maimed whose truck…” Dexter’s eyes darkened as they flicked to the carnage that she had caused and he winced once more at the sight of his battered and bruised pride and joy.
“Accidents happen and I very much doubt you’re the safest damn driver in the world.” The shock of the accident and finding herself staring up at a big, bad wolf was starting to wear off and Samantha was finding her feet in the midst of uncertainty. Too much had happened over the last week for her to be her normal self and yet she wasn’t about to be kicked to the ground by this wolf.
“Never had an accident yet that was my fault.” He growled back.
“Says you. But then it wouldn’t be your fault would it? You’re a man after all.” She snapped back at him. His dark eyebrows drew down over his darkening eyes and he leant his arm on the top of her car and brought his face down to the window so he could see her eye to eye.
“I don’t lie…” He growled out. “But I am a liar and a woman beater in your book. That’s twice you’ve insulted me and I would firmly suggest that you don’t do it a third time.” His eyes narrowed on hers. She felt the deep seated shiver run through her body.
“Add bully and misogynist to the list of your attributes, why don’t you?” She snapped back and watched as his cheeks coloured with anger.
“You made a wise decision to stay in your car; otherwise I might just not be able to…”
“Control yourself?” She raised her eyebrows up accusingly and saw his head snap back on his neck as if she’d slapped him. “Snap my neck? Rip my head off? See, I was right about you.” She declared and heard a loud rumble of an angry growl roll towards her.
CHAPTER TWO
“You are close to making me lose my temper…” Dexter warned her and she gave him the kind of killer smile that had his length twitching in his jeans.
“And let me guess, I wouldn’t like you when you’re angry?” Samantha shot back. The man might not have turned green with rage and yet she knew that what he did turn into was equally as deadly. “You’ve made my point for me, wolf.” She tossed up a dismissive hand and he grew redder in the face.
Dexter’s head snapped around towards Wendy and the woman widened her eyes and shrugged her shoulders. He took a long calming breath that did little for him. His pride was on the line here and he wasn’t certain why he needed to prove himself to this female, but it clawed at his insides.
“Tell her that I would not harm a female.” He ground out between clenched teeth.
“He says he would not hurt a female.” Wendy offered with an air of amusement. Dexter groaned.
“That’s not what I meant. I could have done that myself.” He felt as if he needed to head butt something. Females were irrational and annoying, but witches were even worse.
“That’s what you asked me to do.” Wendy offered with an innocence that wasn’t in her eyes.
“I asked you to vouch for me and tell this…” He bit down on a dark curse. “Woman, that I wouldn’t harm her.” Dexter knew he didn’t need to explain himself to the older witch. She knew exactly what he was asking of her but she was choosing to be awkward.
“Oh.” Wendy offered innocently and then said no more. Dexter growled on a deep frown of annoyance that was mixed with frustration.
“I cannot deal with this today.” He yanked his body up to his full height and growled for all he was worth. The sight of old Mrs Cartwright stopping and looking up at the sky for signs of rainclouds would have amused him if he hadn’t been in such a foul mood. He snapped his growl off and the woman shook her head as she continued on down the road.
“Perhaps you should go home. Have a lie down…” Wendy teased and Samantha snorted her amusement.
“The poor dear.” She muttered to the sound of another growl that Dexter snapped off almost as quickly as it had started.
“She…” He pointed a finger towards Samantha. “Needs to leave town.” He offered to Wendy and the woman gave him another innocent shrug of her shoulders.
“Should I pass that message on as well?” She asked. Dexter didn’t know if he was coming or going. Between the two of them they were driving him insane. He wasn’t sure if he wanted to shift and run like the wind to get away from them or just head butt the nearest wall until he felt more like himself.
“I…” He bit down on another curse. Tossing up one large hand in frustration; he backed away from them. “You deal with the alpha.” He pointed to Wendy and she smile back knowingly. “And you stay away from me.” He pointed towards Samantha.
“Gladly.” She offered back with a sweetness and light smile that riled his wolf up some more. He turned on his heels and stalked away.
Samantha watched him leave with a strange feeling in the pit of her stomach. The man was a growly, broody, bad tempered hunk of annoyance to her and yet there was just something about him that warmed her through and excited her. She watched him raise the mobile to his ear and he shot a look back over his shoulder at her, and that caused her heart to leap inside her chest. The sound of taping on the driver’s window made her snap out of her appreciation of all things wolf.
“I think you could do with a cup of tea.” Wendy was standing beside her car and staring down at her with the most serene smile that she had ever witnessed in her life before.
“I wouldn’t say no.” Samantha admitted. To that wolf either… She turned her eyes back towards him and found him standing there staring back at her. Damn, but he’s all man, and I don’t even like Lycans.
“Let’s go. Dexter will take care of your car…” Wendy assured her and Samantha reached out with her hand this time and snapped the locks off. The moment she set foot outside the car she was on tender hooks, she wasn’t sure what she expected to happen but… something.
By the time she was settled into the passenger seat of Wendy’s car she felt slightly deflated from her expectations. When the woman started the car she locked eyes with the broody Lycan who stood like a statue up the road and hadn’t moved a single muscle since he’d taken up point there. He looked as if he was ready for battle, every muscle seemed tense within him as he held himself rigid, and when they drove by him she was sure that he moved towards them, certain that she’d seen his mouth open as if to say something and his hand had started to come up, but when she turned her eyes back, he was just watching her leave.
It took everything that Dexter had not to move from that spot. He held every muscle in check as he fisted his hands at his sides and watched her drive away. For what had to be the longest moment of his entire life to date, just as she drew level with him, he held everything in check until he couldn’t resist the urge to move. He swayed in place, wanting to reach out to her, call h
er back to him, and as her eyes locked with his he caught his breath and held it.
He watched the car disappear down the road and growled out with the irrational need to follow it, follow her. The need within him was almost overwhelming. Only when it felt as if his lungs were on fire did he realise that he wasn’t breathing, he dragged in a hard breath and turned to eye her car.
Stalking back towards it; he already had a sense of what ailed him. Yanking the car door open; he stuck his head inside and took in a long, deep breath. The witch’s scent hit him as hard as being slammed into a brick wall, but it was a different feeling entirely.
His whole body tensed hard with knowing. His blood heated within his veins. His length became painfully hard and twitched uncontrollably to be buried within her, and his beast yipped and growled out with equal measure.
‘Mine.’ His wolf staked its claim on their mate and he had the overwhelming desire to slam his head between the car and the door, at least twice, possibly more. Another witch mate and this one was his. That thought held him spellbound for a moment.
The heavy sound of the tow truck pulling up behind him was enough to snap his attention back to reality. The sound of the horn blasting out into his mind was akin to someone setting off a starters pistol beside his ear and it sent his head up against the inside of the roof. Pain shot through his body. His eyes darkened and his head snapped around towards the offending Lycan sitting behind the wheel of the tow truck, and the Omega, Tom, swallowed down hard at the sight.
Dexter was torn in two minds about planting his fist in Tom’s face and following his mate out of town to the witch’s lair. He chose the latter. Setting off on fast heels down the middle of the road, before he remembered his truck, he cursed his muddled mind and turned back on fast heels as he muttered a string of dark curses to himself.