~

 

“Where ya going?” Vicky’s voice was so unexpected in the silence of the large hallway as Liam and Agatha made their way towards the front door of the castle that they both jumped in place.

Liam had already wrapped a hand around his mate’s wrist and yanked her behind the safety of his body by the time he rumbled his first warning growl…

“None of that, puppy…” Vicky admonished him, but there was a whole heap of amusement within her eyes. “Use your words, and don’t poop on the floor.”

“You and Connor as well suited,” Liam offered back to the witch with a certain amount of disbelief…

“Really? I was thinking Prince Charming might have been a better match, but, hey-ho, you can’t have everything, but at least I got the castle.” She grinned.

“I’d say you were separated at birth…” Liam grumbled, and his mate chuckled behind him…

“How old do you think I am?” Vicky scowled.

“I’m not going to answer that question…” Liam was well aware of the pitfalls of even mentioning a female’s age.

“Smart wolf. You might live to see your next birthday yet.” Vicky lifted her hand and motioned between the pair and the front door. “Romantic moonlight stroll?”

“Bear hunting,” Agatha offered as she sidestepped her mate.

“Ooo, sounds like fun. Mind if I join you, or is this a wooing thing – kill the bear – get the girl?” She teased.

“I’m sure your mate would have something to say about that…” Liam offered back.

“Oh, I’m sure, which makes it all the more fun, don’t you think?” Vicky offered back with a sly smile.

“If anything happens to you, Connor is…”

“Going to flay you alive? Yeah, possibly…” Vicky said, and then she shrugged her shoulders. “I say we live dangerously.”

“That’s because you wouldn’t be the one being flayed…”

“You got me there. Bonus.” Vicky grinned.

Agatha covered her mouth with her hand and chuckled behind it as her mate shook his head in disbelief.

“Witches.”

“Wolves.” Vicky tossed back as she started for the door…

 

~

~

~

 

Connor picked up the stray scent in the air of that damn wolf, George’s brother, and he had half a mind to be done with that man once and for all, but right then, he had bigger problems to worry about.

He’d also picked up a few other scents in the air, that of his mate, and Liam and Agatha …

“It’s turning into a damn party…” he muttered as he swung from one thick branch to the next and landed effortlessly in a silent stance that meant that he could listen intently to what was going on around him…

Kent was to his left and a good fifty feet or so away. Liam, Agatha, and Vicky were to his right and heading away from the castle.

George’s brother was stalking in Kent’s direction, and there … on the breeze … he could just pick out Marco as the man picked his way, almost silently, towards the group…

Connor didn’t like how things were playing out and now his own mate had put herself in the firing line...

Vicky wasn’t going to like what he had to say to her later, but right then and there, he was more concerned with keeping her alive.

Kent made the first move – scenting the wolf that was closing in on him – he didn’t have time to find out the beast’s intentions, he’d been on the mountain long enough to know that the wolf wasn’t joined to any pack or even the clan, and in his book that left the rules of engagement open to interpretation.

He preferred to attack first and ask questions later…

 

~

~

~

 

The sound of fighting took Liam’s attention off of his surroundings and towards the danger that had appeared off to his right. He scented the air and found Kent’s bear on it … and that was good enough for him…

“Stay there…” he growled at the witches, and without a backwards glance he was off and running towards the fight.

“I do love a man of authority…” Vicky offered, with a roll of her eyes and sarcasm in her tone.

“We could sneak a look…” Agatha tried to make it sound as if she was uninterested, when she was damn well chaffing at the bit to find out what was going on…

“Or we could go and zap some furry butt…” Vicky had already turned towards the sound of fighting when Marco rushed from the cover of the dense foliage towards them…

By the time that Agatha had made her first sound and Vicky had turned back towards the witch, Marco had his hand locked around Agatha’s wrist and was yanking her towards him…

The shifter’s claws were out and his fangs were down, and Vicky’s heart leapt into her throat at the threat to her friend…