by M L Briers
“I don’t think that’s the problem.” Wendy offered as she made tea for the others. But she seemed reluctant to say more.
“Then what is it?” Samantha demanded.
Wendy’s eyes flicked towards the newest witch and all eyes followed. Tilly frowned at the sudden scrutiny from her fellow witches. She’d never like to be the centre of attention, hell she didn’t even liked to be noticed in a crowd, and she certainly didn’t like the amount of scrutiny that she was now under.
“What?” She snapped at Annabeth with a hearty shrug of her shoulders.
“Don’t look at me for answers, sister. I’m just looking where everyone else is.” Annabeth tossed a shrug right back at her.
“Well could you not? It’s disconcerting.” Tilly snapped back and Annabeth beamed her a grin.
“Big word for a little witch.” She teased and watched Tilly squirm some more.
“I think it has to do with a full coven…” Wendy offered quickly to try to keep the peace between the others.
“And we’re not…” Eloise offered back.
“Not yet.” Wendy offered a vague glimpse into their future.
“But we’re going to be?” Annabeth queried. She’d accepted the lack of information since she’d first arrived from Wendy, and yet she’d sensed there was so much that the older witch wasn’t telling them.
“Isn’t a full coven thirteen, we’ve a way to go…” Deborah put in. Usually preferring to sit on the sidelines and see where the chips fell, this time she was more than curious.
“Not always. And it doesn’t have to be. Any number times three is good.” Wendy offered back to the group as she started to place the cups in front of the women.
“Six.” Annabeth said almost absently, but she did turn her eyes towards Tilly. The others followed suit, one by one looking to the newest witch in their midst. Tilly balked.
“Hey. I already told you guys. I don’t do covens.” Tilly said adamantly.
“Perhaps now would be a good time to test the waters.” Annabeth offered with a wry smile.
“Think of me as a cat, you know what you can do with your water.” Tilly bit back.
“Perhaps there’s another way.” Wendy offered and all eyes turned towards her.
“I’m listening.” Tilly offered.
“Let us channel you without giving your magic over to the group. You won’t be linking your magic with ours per se.” Wendy watched as the woman considered it. “At the moment we’re all working together and you are working individually, together we might be able to break through the shield.”
“And you can also get a better feel for us.” Samantha offered her opinion and Deborah nodded her agreement.
“So what do you say, witch, are you ready to bust some balls?” Annabeth asked in her up front way and the rest of them chuckled.
“We can try, but I’m still not interested in linking with you.” Tilly announced to the relief of the others that she was at least willing to give it a go.
“Don’t worry, it’s not like we take offence at that or anything.” Annabeth teased and Tilly frowned back at her.
“You, I’m still unsure about.” Tilly informed her and Eloise chuckled some more.
“She grows on you.” Eloise offered.
“Like mildew.” Samantha added as she pushed up from her stool.
“Like a fine wine.” Annabeth corrected her and she shook her head.
“More mildew than wine, Annabeth.” Deborah laughed as Annabeth poked her tongue out in response.
“And childish to boot.” Eloise noted.
“Like I told our men, witches be bitches.” Annabeth grinned with glee at the thought.
“Speak for yourself.” Samantha chuckled. “You’re definitely someone’s bitch.” She pointed a finger in amusement when Annabeth had to think on that one.
“Right back at ya babe.”
“I don’t join things, Luke; I’m just not a joiner…” Tilly offered up her thoughts to him. He had asked for them and as much as she didn’t want to hurt his feelings, there they were.
“You’ll join with me. We’ll be bonded, Tilly. You’re my mate.” Luke pressed the point.
She didn’t know if it was the sexy gravelly, growl or the intent look from those dark puppy dog eyes, but she was feeling him right down to her toes. It wasn’t even really him that was the problem. It was the pack. The community as a whole, and she would be expected to fit right in with that.
“Don’t hold your breath.” She offered on a mumble even thought she knew his superior hearing could pick it up well enough.
Luke looked down at her. One moment he was filled with foreboding over what her words could mean for them, for him, and the next he couldn’t help the wide smile that caught his lips as he grinned at her. She frowned hard, not understanding his new happy mood when she was telling him that she didn’t want him.
“I’ll woo you, woman. Have no fear of that.” Luke informed her as if it was a foregone conclusion.
“Well aren’t you Mr Optimistic.” She scowled a little as she went to turn and walk away.
He reached for her wrist without warning. Long, thick fingers closed around her flesh and he yanked her backwards, knowing that she’d lose her balance and end up pressed against him. That was all part of his plan.
He snatched her up in his arms as she stumbled and wrapped her close against his chest. When her head tipped back to look up at him; he brought his lips down on hers. There was nothing soft or gentle in that kiss.
Luke claimed her lips for his own, put his stamp on them there and then, and when she gasped in surprise at just how good it felt, he pushed his tongue inside and claimed her fully. He felt her hands on his chest, and even through the thin clothe of his shirt they made his skin tingle. When her fingers curled into his flesh he knew he’d gotten through that hard outer coating that she held so tightly around herself.
Tilly knew of the mating pull, every witch did, but knowing about it and experiencing it were two different things entirely. It had been bad enough trying to keep thoughts and fantasies at bay when she wasn’t being held within his strong arms. Just one look from those sexy dark eyes was enough to make her womb throb, but now that he kissing her all bets were off.
Her toes were actually curling within her boots. Her nipples ached as they pressed hard against his chest and she had the need to rub herself against him like a familiar cat looking for a treat. She didn’t even want to contemplate the way her womb was pulsing and her sex was throbbing…
This is so not going to go the way I planned it. I can feel it… I can feel him… I want to feel him and not just pressed against me but deep inside… Crap, I’m done for…
Tilly couldn’t say that he didn’t leave her breathless and panting for more when he finally pulled back from her lips. His eyes took her in and he looked mighty satisfied for a man who had been told that she wasn’t going to be his mate. She guessed he knew as well as she did that she was toast.
If that’s wooing me, bring it on. She berated herself for that thought. They had other more pressing things on their plate aside from mating… But magic is the last thing on my mind right about now.
“I should let you get back to your friends.” He didn’t seem to be gloating, just satisfied that she’d responded in the way she had, and that was lucky for him because she didn’t think she could hold back from giving him a piece of her mind if he gloated… Any self respecting witch would have done the same thing in her place.
“Just because we’re all witches, doesn’t mean we’re all friends.” She informed him as she hesitated in stepping back from the strength and the safety of his arms when he let her go.
“I thought witches were all sisters…” He teased her and she scowled.
“Then how do you explain the Werewolves and what the other coven did for them?” Tilly took the moment to straighten her clothing. Each brush of her fingers against the fabric felt as if she was putting another little piece of the wa
ll within her back in place. “And what I did too them; stealing the pendant wasn’t exactly a sisterly thing to do.”
He noted the way that she kept her eyes down from him. He noted her hands working over her clothing and it seemed to sooth her ruffled feathers. He also noted the way her cheeks were flushed and her lips were slightly swollen from his kisses and he liked that the best of all.
“Fair point. I guess it’s just that every witch that has come into town has joined the coven…” Luke shrugged. It didn’t really bother him either way if his mate was a part of it or not, she was still his mate.
“Not me.” Tilly’s head snapped up and when her eyes locked with his; he saw a steely determination there that impressed him. He gave a small nod of his head in acceptance of her decision. “Now I need to go do what I do best.”
“You must be really good at magic then…” He informed her with a wolfish grin on his face. “Judging by the way you kissed me.” He saw a renewed depth to the colour on her cheeks and grinned at it.
“You kissed me.” Tilly announced on a scowl as she started a backwards retreat away from him and towards the back door of Wendy’s house.
“And you kissed me right back.” He informed her with glee as her hand missed the door handle and she shook her head as if to shake off any lasting effects that he was having on her. Impossible.
Wendy had prepared everything accordingly for the next attempt at gaining access to the inner sanctum of the werewolf amulet. She’d kept half a mind on what was going on outside with Tilly, and the other half on what was happening inside the room with the other witches. She tried not to reach out to find where Caleb was because he was just a distraction. She knew he was on her land somewhere, keeping a watch for Were’s and that was enough for her for now.
By the time that Tilly joined them everything was ready to be able to try again. The werewolves hadn’t been seen since the dawn and now that night was closing in again Wendy was worried that they would be back. Perhaps they’d turned tail and ran at the sight of the pack, or Caleb, or both, only time would tell, but Wendy wasn’t about to wait and find out when there were lives on the line, including Caleb’s.
“So tell me how this works.” Tilly demanded as she took her place inside the circle.
“We’re going to channel your magic through ours. You can break away at any time if you feel the need.” Wendy assured her.
“So I have total control over my magic?” Tilly wanted to make absolutely certain. She kind of liked these witches, even Annabeth who she found a very dominant personality, but that didn’t mean she wanted to be tied to them forever.
“At all times.” Wendy assured her once more. “But, I’d urge you to try to keep open to us and not break away, because I believe that’s going to be the only way to break through this spell.”
“Isn’t it just going to get harder once we break this one? We still have other spells that need to be taken care of before we can destroy the pendant, or is this the worst of it?”
Tilly knew magic, but she didn’t have a clue about coven magic. She knew this amulet seemed impervious to her magic alone and that was the only reason that she was allowing this to happen in the first place. Given the choice she would rather not be there.
“I can’t say. It’s like breaking a code to find another underneath. Who knows the potency of a spell until you try to unravel it?” Wendy gave her the honesty that she deserved. She was happy that Tilly was trusting enough to allow the coven to channel her magic, even if she wasn’t ready yet to put her full faith in them and link their magic.
“I always liked a good mystery myself.” Annabeth offered, slightly more subdued than normal. “Night’s coming, let’s see if we can’t crack this puppy.” Annabeth saw the look that Eloise gave her and shrugged her shoulders.
“Crack this puppy?” Eloise turned her nose up at that.
“Ok, given the company we keep, probably not the best choice of words.” Annabeth admitted on a small chuckle.
“You think?” Eloise twisted her head on her neck and questioned her with her eyes.
“Sorry, mum.” Annabeth giggled as Wendy drew their attention back towards the task at hand. She knew that this might just be a very long night, and she dismissed the thought of Caleb that popped into her mind.
“Let’s get started.” She urged them.
Caleb walked the line between the properties. Admittedly his walk was as fast as a human jogger and yet with every long step that he took his senses were fixed on everything around him. Sights, smells, even the way the breeze was blowing at the underbrush. He knew what he was dealing with and he wanted to be forewarned should the werewolves decide to attack.
What made it harder for him were the sights and sounds of the Lycan wolves as they patrolled both lands. Mate witches were away from home and that made the males jumpy. Torn between protecting their mates and their pack; the night had an uneasy feeling about it in general.
With more land to cover the pack had found themselves spread thinner than they would have liked, and it was with a heavy heart and trepidation that Jethro had allowed some of the more dominate she-wolves out on patrol, but only around the community itself. In truth they weren’t expecting the Were’s to attack the pack, but the witches lair. They’d come for the pendant and not a fight.
Caleb broke away from the boundary to make his customary rounds nearer to his new home. He knew where every Lycan was running and the path that they would take. It wasn’t a matter of running circles across the land, but a continually changing route that meant that the werewolves couldn’t predict where anyone one wolf would be next.
Then there was him. Mr Unpredictable himself. Changing courses and varying the speed at which he travelled in the hopes of catching an unsuspecting werewolf out and finishing him before the damn mutt had time to howl to the others. He’d do whatever it took to keep his mate safe and he could practically taste the blood on his tongue from the first kill.
He was more than grateful that his bloodlust was now under complete control. Mating with Wendy had stopped the pack from being wary of him and stopped him from wanting to chew off anyone else’s head if they got in his way. The only thing that could invoke that bloodlust now would be for someone that he cared about to be hurt or worse. Every vampire believed in vengeance and it didn’t always have to be swift. If anything happened to his mate; he knew that he would torture and hunt were’s for a very long time to come, not to mention the coven that had started this whole thing rolling.
Jethro heard the sound from his right. It was faint but it was there. His beast stopped in its tracks and sniffed at the air. Mindful of just how exposed he was at that very moment in time; he placed his rear end towards the largest tree trunk and waited to see what came next.
Silence greeted his ears. There was an absence of anything but the breeze moving now. He didn’t like that one bit or the fact that he wasn’t getting any scent from that breeze except from Mother Nature.
‘I’m at the top end of the boundary line to the witch’s property, anyone else near me?’ Jethro used the link through the pack and the silence that came back was deafening to his ears. Now he knew he had a problem.
‘On my way.’ Luke was the first to reply.
‘No, stay with the witches, it could be a decoy or nothing at all.’ Jethro didn’t like the way his fur was standing on end. But the one thing he would always rally to was a damn challenge.
‘On my way.’ Dexter was next and Dale followed suit.
He heard a twig snap from the left and that gave him cause to assume there were at least two, maybe more in the area. His beast bared its razor sharp fangs in a snarl to let them know that he acknowledged their presence and all attempt at trapping him was now futile. That made him feel a whole lot better about the situation.
The first raggedy black beast slunk out from the underbrush. His red rimmed eyes locked onto Jethro and he snarled a challenge of his own. A heartbeat later and he was moving on fast paws tow
ards the alpha…
CHAPTER SEVEN
The first breakthrough happened quite suddenly. Unlocking a spell was never meant to be easy and sometimes it could only be done through the death or removal of the witch in question powers, but this was different. With the six witches working together to unlock the spell that the original coven had placed, they finally managed to break through the outer shell of the ward that had been put in place to seal the pendant inside, make it impervious to anything, natural or unnatural that might try to harm it.
“Easy-peasy, I didn’t even break a nail.” Annabeth was the first to gloat. “And I’m not saying this to try to persuade you, but we make an awesome team.” She beamed with glee.
“Yeah, that sting in the tail and the end when the ward gave way was awesome.” Samantha’s voice was full of sarcasm. Each witch had cursed as the ward buckled and gave out a nice shock in a last ditch attempt to keep them at bay. None of the witches had stopped in their task.
Wendy acknowledged Annabeth’s words with a quick nod of her head. The six of them together had become a formidable force. Even without Tilly giving her powers over completely; the semi formed coven had seemed to double the power of the magic that they could expend.
“Now for the fun part.” Eloise announced. She was quite looking forward to obliterating the damn thing. Anything that put her mate at a disadvantage was not ok with her. Anything that gave her one damn shock after another needed to be put out of its misery for good.
“Is everybody alright to continue or should we take a break?” She looked around the group and the group looked to each other. They all nodded their heads and Wendy acknowledged that.
She closed her eyes and raised her hands once more, but the sound of Deborah’s gasp stopped everyone in their tracks. She scowled as she listened with her heart and her mind to her mate. Jethro was in trouble…