~

“What!?” Ray bit out. He ground to a halt, all thoughts of his mate and wooing flew from his mind at his sister’s troubles.

“What?” Ava asked, turning on her heels to look back at her mate.

The look on his face was more than enough to tell her that it wasn’t anything that she’d done. Trouble was afoot.

‘Where are you?’ Ray growled at the thought of anyone harming his twin. The need to rip off the vampire’s head was so damn strong that he could taste it.

‘What part of in the stupid boot of the car don’t you get? How the Shrek do, I know where I am, you idiot!’

‘That’s … not the damn point…’

‘Well, would you get to it, ‘cos I’m kind of tied up…’

‘Tied up…?’

‘Not literally, oh geez…’ Audrey knew it was a bad idea to contact Ray first, over-protectiveness ran through his veins in place of blood where she was concerned, and if she thought that she could have contacted Rock first, then she would have.

‘Audrey,’ Rock growled into the link.

‘Oh, thank the saints, salvation from stupidity…’ she said, and almost sighed with relief.

‘Are you hurt?’

‘Yes, he ran the vampire’s car off the road, but I’m healing, and apparently a bargaining chip…’

‘You think he’s bringing you here?’

‘That’s what I asked…’ Ray grumbled.

‘No, you asked where I was, you doofus!’

‘Can we argue later?’ Rock growled.

‘Sure, I can always wipe the floor with him,’ Audrey hissed back. ‘I guess the vamp has a mind to bring me to the pack. I have no idea, but something feels hinky.’

‘We’ll get you out of this, sis, just don’t do anything stupid…’ Rock warned her.

‘Big ask, it’s Audrey,’ Ray grumbled. He’d been cleaning up her messes and pulling her backside out of trouble since they were born.

‘Ray,’ Audrey’s tone was like stone. ‘Go boil your head.’

‘I need the pack rallied…’ Rock demanded.

‘They’re all hiding in the damn bushes outside the house!’ Ray grumbled, and the bushes rustled as heads started popping up. “Yeah, like I couldn’t see you!” He growled.

“What’s going on?” River asked.

“Your vampire has my sister,” Ray growled. He’d sure like to start by cracking that damn vampire’s head. “If you hadn’t let her go out in that stupid car … or was that the damn plan?”

“Yes, I was thoughtfully contemplating losing my car and your sister to Lance.” He rolled his eyes and looked at Breanna. “He fights to win, and he’s pretty damn good.”

“Got it,” Breanna was grateful for the heads up, but she didn’t think she needed it. “Me too.”

 

~

~

 

“Where are you going?” Rock demanded as he followed his mate towards the back door and snagged her upper arm to keep her from going outside.

“To kill a vampire,” she offered back as if the alpha had just demanded to know what planet she was from.

“Nice thought, but no…”

“No?” Frankie snorted her contempt for him. “You don’t get to alpha me, alpha.”

“Wrong…”

“Yes, you are, but I forgive you.”

“Cute…”

“Yes, you are, and that’s why I forgive you.” She babied him.

“I’m not cute…” Rock grumbled.

“Oops, did I hurt your manly pride?”

“I did feel my balls shrivel up a little,” Rock offered back.

“Well, after I kill the vampire, I’ll see what I can do.”

“There they go again, getting more shriveled by the minute. Oh, one just climbed back up inside me.”

“Too bad…”

“Oh, really…”

“Alpha, you are the mate to a witch — get used to it — get over it — and get on board,” Frankie offered back with the kind of glare that Rock had no damn choice but to meet or his balls really would have shriveled up and dropped off.

Then he grunted.

“I’ll take that as compliance,” Frankie said, patting his chest and watching his expressive eyebrows dance over his eyes.

“You do have a point…”

“I know, right?”

“I never said it was a good point,” Rock offered back. Then he took a moment, took in a deep breath, and half closed his eyes as he sighed it back out.

“I’ll take that as compliance,” Frankie chuckled.

“You are going to drive me insane, aren’t you?”

“Optimistic — I like that in a man.” Frankie chuckled again.

“Stay behind me,” Rock growled, and when she opened her mouth to speak, he grumbled a warning growl. “That’s not up for debate.”

“Well, okay.” Frankie took a second to roll her eyes and think about it. “If you really want me behind you when I let loose my magic — who am I to tell you that’s a bad thing?”

“I’m guessing insane would be a blessing?” Rock growled.

“Now you’re thinking positive thoughts,” Frankie offered back.

 

~

~

 

“I came here to fight a vampire, and that’s what I’m going to do.” Lana placed her hands on her hips and offered her mate the kind of look that made him groan inwardly.

“Look, I’m progressive — I believe a woman can do as well as a man in some things…” Cary said, and he knew he should have kept his mouth shut the moment that her lower jaw sank downward. “Maybe that didn’t come out right…”

“Oh really? You think?”

“I don’t think a woman should fight…”

“What about being in the armed forces?” Lana didn’t look best pleased as she folded her arms.

“They have guns.” He knew he should have stopped while he was ahead — not that he was ever ahead — but still.

“And I have magic,” Lana said, she unfolded her arms, and he mentally kissed his backside goodbye.

“And a vampire has stealth, speed, agility, fangs, claws, bloodlust, a bad attitude…”

“Ha! Sounds like most men I know.”

“I really don’t have the time to go into that with you — but when this is over, and the vampire is dead – I want to go into that with you,” Cary growled. If someone had hurt her in the past, then he was going to hunt them down and kill them.

“The fact remains – I came here to fight — is it going to be with you or the vampire?” She demanded, and she looked damn serious in the beta’s book.

Cary grumbled a growl and thought it over. How could he let his mate outside when there was danger? Let alone to fight.

He was certain that the other witches were in the house somewhere, and progressive or not, could he really be the only one that let his mate outside?

 

~

~

 

“Get in the house,” Ray growled out, the annoyance wasn’t for his mate, but for the vampire that had his sister.

“Say what?” Ava raised her eyebrows high on her forehead and looked at him as if he’d just grown a second head.

“I don’t need to be worrying about you while I am killing a vampire,” Ray growled.

“Then you get in the house…” Ava tossed back, and the look on his face was priceless. Confusion reigned, and he just stared back at her.

“Huh?”