~

“Well, that’s something you’re going to have to discover for yourself — I hate to brag.” Ray’s grin turned wolfish, and that affected her to. She cursed fate, she cursed herself for walking right into that one, and she cursed him for being so damn sexy.

“Didn’t you just brag in a subtle way?” River called out, and Ray’s head snapped around so fast on his neck in the vampire’s direction that Ava was certain she heard his vertebrae snap into place, or out of place.

“Don’t you have a victim to terrorize?” Ray growled.

“An appointment that slipped my mind, hmm.” River took a moment to think about it. “No, nope, I’m pretty sure I’d remember if it was feeding time.”

“Well…” Ray bit down on another growl.

“I am waiting for your sister…” River left that open for his imagination, and he received a warning growl that he’d expected from the protective beta.

“Never tease a twin,” Breanna offered as she leaned in toward him slightly.

“But, it’s so much fun,” River chuckled back.

He didn’t turn to look at the female vampire; he was too busy keeping an eye on the shifter. He didn’t know the man well enough to judge his temperament and be comfortable turning his back on him, and he’d hate to have to put the man down — permanently.

“Let me phrase it another way, back off,” Breanna warned.

“You are a protective one, aren’t you?” River said this time he did turn his attention to the female. She intrigued him.

“Says the vampire that drove all the way out to the middle of nowhere to protect a witch,” Breanna countered what felt like a challenge with one of her own.

“That’s different…”

“Says you.”

“Yes.”

“Bite me…”

“Ooo. Don’t tease me.” River grinned.

“Over your dead body…”

“I can well believe that.” River chuckled. She was not just intriguing; she was definitely worth his time.

“Would you two get a room?” Ray grumbled.

The beta liked that idea, anything to get the witches vampire off pack land worked out well for him. He had wooing to get to, and the vampire wasn’t making things any easier.

“You may be Audrey’s twin, but don’t test my patience,” Breanna sneered at him.

“See, even your own kind doesn’t want you here,” Ray growled.

“The difference between you and I is that I know how to woo a woman over to my way of thinking…” River said. Breanna snorted a chuckle.

“Don’t count on it, there’s no evidence to back that up so far,” she bit out.

“Harsh,” River offered back, and the snort of amusement from the beta didn’t faze him one little bit.

River did find some enjoyment in the challenge that she’d thrown out to him, and he was more than tempted to meet that challenge head-on.

 

~

~

 

Audrey grumbled a growl. The best-laid plans often went wrong, and her plan hadn’t been the best to start off with.

Now she was traveling in the boot of the vampire’s car, presumably headed toward pack land. The only good things to come out of it were the fact that he’d knocked her out, and she guessed that she was still supposed to be unconscious so he wasn’t watching her and that her body was healing.

Every so often she tested the link between her mind and the pack. So far, she hadn’t been close enough to make a connection. That didn’t mean that she wasn’t going to keep trying.

‘Ray…’ She knew that her best chance at an early connection was with her twin brother.

Audrey intended to see that vampire boots up in the ground, and she was determined to dance a jig on top of his grave. That was if the witches didn’t fry him to ashes — that thought pleased her more than she expected — and she’d even dance a jig for that outcome too.

‘Ray…’

Having a mind for vengeance, and a — sort of — plan, still didn’t stop her mind from tossing up all the bad scenarios that could happen. She didn’t want to think on them — she had to believe that everything would work out as she needed it to.

After all, a pack of wolves, two vampires, and three witches were better than a sharp pointy stick. But then, he had to know that too.

So why was he hell-bent on walking into a trap?

Maybe he didn’t know about Breanna and the other two witches, but still, that left one witch, one vampire, and a wolf pack to deal with. Something was off.

 

~

~

 

“Now, you have your motorbike, it’s time to go into the house,” Ray said. He’d lived up to his part of the deal; now it was her turn.

Ava still didn’t like that idea. Being outside was still her best chance at escaping her fate.

But, she had made a deal with him, and it would be in bad form to welch on a deal — wouldn’t it? At least, that’s what she was telling herself, and once again, she didn’t know why.

Should she be doing everything possible to distract him, dissuade him, and make her escape? Why did that not feel like the most important thing anymore?

Was she too late?

Had the mating pull gotten to her already?

Was she losing her mind? That last one was quite possible, considering that she’d been spending time with him. Monkey see — monkey do.

“On one condition…” Ava said, trying to buy herself some time and see if the little devil on her shoulder came up with a plan of action to kick her backside in gear.

“You can’t change the terms of the deal once I’ve delivered my end,” Ray offered back, and of course, he was right, and that little devil on her shoulder was surprisingly quiet.

‘Ray…’

“Fine,” she muttered. Stupid little devil, of all the times to be quiet, now wasn’t one of them.

‘Ray…’

Ray tried to hide the grin that took the corners of his mouth upwards, but that was impossible. He was finally getting his mate inside the house and keeping his damn pack out of his business.

‘Ray…’

Now if he could just get his sister to shut up, that would be a bonus. He motioned toward the house and waited with bated breath while his mate took a moment to consider her options. She huffed, and then she started off on slow feet.

Hallelujah.

That was okay with him — fast or slow — she was heading in the right direction.

Finally.

‘Ray…’

‘Damn it, Audrey. I don’t care what you’ve done to the vampire’s car; I’m busy…’

‘Ray! Thank the spirits…’

‘Not happening. Explain it to him yourself. I’m not getting you out of this one. I have wooing…’

‘The witches vampire is here, and I’m in the boot of his damn car — can you think of someone other than yourself for once?’