~
“Step away from the bear…” Liam growled at his mate and Agatha frowned back at her mate.
“Seriously?” She bit out. “The bear?”
“Agatha…” Liam could feel his wolf pushing forward and clawing to break free and he didn’t want her anywhere near the man when that happened…
“Now hold on…” Connor offered from behind him, but Liam’s beast was fit to tear free…
“Look…” Kent said, but that was as far as he got when Liam’s wolf burst free from inside of him…
Kent could feel his bear pushing forwards. He noted the arrival of the wolf like a challenge to his pride, to his life, and he tried to hold his bear inside, but too much had happened in the last few hours and his bear wanted an out, and it would use any reason to have it…
“Oh, wonderful…” Connor muttered to himself as Kent’s bear tore free of the man…
One honour bound wolf.
One challenged bear.
One miffed of witch…
What could possibly go wrong? Connor thought.
I need a damn holiday.
~
~
~
Vicky had been on her way to check on Agatha when she’d heard the commotion within the tunnels. The sound was unique, and it echoed through the castle halls like a beacon, drawing her towards the sounds, and bringing her to the conclusion that something had hit the fan, and knowing her mate as she did – it was a damn good bet that he was probably right in the middle of it…
She didn’t bother wasting time reaching out to the door handle of the room – instead she lifted her hands, palms outwards, and blasted the door backwards on its thick metal hinges …
Her jaw almost dropped at the sight that befell her.
One wolf.
One bear.
One witch.
And Connor…
Oh, for the love of…
“Honey, I’m home…” Vicky announced as she took a step inside of the large bedroom and eyed her mate.
Oh, sure – you look all guilty and sorry for yourself now…
Wait til I get you alone later…
“About the tunnels … I can explain…” Connor started.
“But, honey … I see you’re planning a spot of redecoration without me…” Vicky bit out, with one hand; she zapped the bear – with the other she zapped the wolf, and with a nod of her head – Connor ground down on his jaw as the pain raced through him…
“Why me?” The vampire bit out.
“Because you annoy me so…” Vicky said.
“Fair enough…” Connor grumbled. He knew better than to try to reason with his mate when she was in the zapping mood.
His mate was formidable, and he loved it…
“I’d advise you both to shift back or risk losing your balls, and I mean … your balls…” Connor announced to both shifters…
Kent was the first the return to his human form – closely, and somewhat reluctantly followed by Liam…
Vicky pulled her magic back into her body…
“I will kill you…” Liam growled at the bear shifter…
“Whatever man…” Kent tossed back.
“Good come back line – do you practice those?” Connor asked smugly, and Kent grumbled a growl towards him.
“Kent wasn’t trying to kill me…” Agatha berated her mate…
“No, he was just playing…” Liam growled, eyeing the other shifter and not his mate.
“Calling me a liar?” Agatha’s tone made the man snap his eyes towards her…
“No … I’m just…” Liam was as short on words as he was on clothes …
“Sucking on that foot in your mouth?” Kent offered.
“Call me insane, but I kind of like this guy…” Connor shrugged, Liam growled, and Vicky chuckled.
“Me too…” Vicky offered.
“Me three.” Agatha directed her words at her mate.
Liam narrowed his eyes on her and tried to stop the swirling of anger and annoyance within his mind. His instinct said kill the bear – his mate’s eyes said differently. Jealously tapped on the door of his subconscious and only made him want to kill the bear more.
But … that wouldn’t help him woo his mate.
“Fine…” Liam growled. “For now.”
“Don’t do me any favours, wolf.” Kent growled back.
“Stop it,” Agatha berated Kent and the shifter rolled his eyes. “And the pair of you … get some damn clothes on.”
“Really?” Vicky frowned. “I thought them naked was just bonus points, but each to their own.”
“Shocking…” Connor teased his mate.
“Well, if that shocks you – what I’m going to do to you later is going to make your damn hair stand on end.” Vicky promised with her eyes, and the grin that formed on Connor’s lips made him look like a total idiot.
~
~
~
“Towel…” Agatha snapped out as she tossed the towel at Liam across the room and the man caught it with one hand.
He wrapped the fabric around his waist and held his hands out to the side, inviting her inspection.
“Better?” There was still that deep rumble within his chest that underlined his words. His wolf was still up front and centre inside of him.
“Not much, no…” she admitted.
Her eyes had flicked towards him in a meaningless glance and been held hostage by the hard muscles that covered the rest of his naked torso. The red welts and dark bruises that covered his skin from his fight with Marco drew on her instinct to make things better – not that she’d ever been much of a Florence Nightingale – but, for him, it seemed her sympathy and caring buttons had both been pushed.
“Well, you want me to take it off?” Liam growled back.
“Not really, no…” she offered back with as bland a tone to her voice as she could conjure up.
“I know that you’re female and there’s no winning with you, but…?”
“Go, get dressed!” She tossed up a hand towards the connecting door that led to his bedroom.
“Fine…” his exasperated tone made her sneer back at him. “Do not leave this damn room…”
He’d already sealed off the door to the tunnels. Putting a dresser in front of it, added a chair, her suitcase, and something that resembled a footstool… at least he’d hear a crash if the bear shifter tried to get in that way…
Not that he was leaving her side, except to get dressed, because the woman was his mate, and she was in danger.
He was stuck like glue until that bear, Marco, was dead and buried – whether she liked it or not, and he thought that her answer to that would probably be not … but, he wasn’t about to ask.