CHAPTER FOUR

 

 

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Bree noticed the change in the vampire immediately. “Ummm,” she bit out, but a split second later she’d hit him with her magic and put him on his backside on the ground.

“Little late, but okay — glad you’re finally onboard,” Emily said as she turned a look back over her shoulder at Bree and found the witch coming right for her.

“We need to leave,” Bree bit out as she grabbed the witch by the upper arm and dragged her down the street with her. Her magic was holding the vampire down, but as soon as they got too far away; all bets were off.

Luckily, her car wasn’t too far away.

“Hey!” Joel growled out, not too loudly because he didn’t want any stray human walking past to hear him, but he was having a hard enough time as it was trying to make out as if his balls weren’t of fire and his pride wasn’t damaged to care if a little growl escaped at the same time.

“You can run — but you can’t hide,” Jai called out after them as he watched in annoyance as the witches climbed into Bree’s car, and the old clunker roared to life.

“What’s your beef?” Joel demanded.

“Let’s just say — she’s not your mate — stay the hell away from,” Jai warned.

The vampire was fighting against Bree’s magic as hard as he could in an attempt to try and push up to his feet and go after them, but it was like climbing a mountain in flippers. When her old junker of a car pulled away from the curb, he shot up in the air as if someone had put a firecracker under his backside as he was released from the devious and meddlesome witch’s magical hold on his body.

“Dude, humans,” Joel reminded him.

Jai bit down on his annoyance, but there were so many more emotions than that rolling within him. One of them was the thrill of the hunt — and he was going to enjoy it. “Joel, you’re not a surfer — there’s no damn sea around — stop saying, dude.”

“You’re leaving?” Joel asked as the vampire stalked away.

“I’m hunting,” Jai bit out. “I have the scent of blood, and it smells good, now all I need is the taste.”

Joel pulled up short. He didn’t like the sound of that. A vampire with the taste for blood wasn’t a good omen for anyone. “Damn it,” he bit out as he reached into his back pocket and retrieved his mobile.

If the vampire was on the warpath and had a bloodlust, then the alpha needed to know about it.

 

 

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Mason had rallied his troops. Joel had reported that Jai seemed to be on the hunt for a witch and he had a bloodlust going on. It had taken the alpha a few moments to reconcile that image with the man that he knew.

While the vampire wasn’t a member of his pack, he was still family — he’d hate to have to kill family. He didn’t know what had triggered the vampire’s bloodlust, but he’d heard that it happened sometimes. Especially, around witches.

Go figure.

Mason wasn’t happy to find out that there was a new witch in town — especially if that witch that had triggered the vampire to hunt. Devious, meddlesome witches and their spells – how he hated magic.

If this witch had used magic against their friend, then she would pay the price. But, if she could turn off the vampire’s lust for blood the way she had turned it on, then they needed to find that witch and persuade her by any means necessary to do it.

Unfortunately, Joel had reported that the devious witch had taken off with Bree. He guessed that he shouldn’t really have been surprised by that. Bree was nothing but trouble since the moment he’d met her. Even if she had helped find his mate — she was still becoming more trouble, and she was worth to have around.

Now he’d have to go cap in hand to Bree to discover what they’d done to his friend and make them put it right. And he would make them put it right. If this was some kind of revenge for being banished from pack land, then that witch was going to be very sorry.

Mason had a stop to make along the way — that stop wasn’t palatable either, but he figured that it was necessary.

When the door to the small cottage opened, Martha eyed the alpha with a death glare. No surprise there.

“I do one little favor and you people can’t seem to leave me alone,” Martha grumbled as she tossed up a hand in the air and let it fall to her side in annoyance.

“I need another favor,” Mason said, although he didn’t relish asking the elder for anything after what he’d been told Stan had done to her.

“Not interested,” she said, and before Mason could say a word, she slammed the door closed in his face with her magic.

Mason took in a deep breath and held it – he could have counted to ten, but he didn’t really have the time. Then he lifted his hand and wrapped on the door once more.

“Go away!” Martha snapped out from behind the wooden barricade.

“It’s important,” Mason called.

“Not to me, it isn’t.”

“Be reasonable…”

“How reasonable is it to be sniffed by a farty old coot?”

“Well…”

“I’ll tell you! It’s not reasonable — it’s not warranted — it’s not welcomed — you people should keep your sniffers to yourself!” She grumbled.

“Us people?” Mason rolled his eyes.

“You know what I mean — don’t try to make out like I’m some kind of species-ist or something,” Martha grumbled from inside. “I don’t care what species you are — I do care that I was sniffed.”

“We won’t be going to pack land — there’s no reason you should be sniffed…”

“Don’t care!”

“Bree’s in trouble!”

With that, the door was yanked back open once more and Martha narrowed her eyes on him. “What did that witch do now?”

“Don’t know…”

“And how do you know she’s in trouble?”

“Because the vampire’s hunting — and he’s after Bree and her new friend.”

“Well, why didn’t you say something,” Martha berated him. “Come here beating around the bush — talking about sniffing — running circles until you finally get to the meat and veg of the problem,” she grumbled as she reached for her keys and stashed them in her back pocket.

“Witches,” Mason grumbled.

“What’s that you say?” Martha snapped at the alpha, but she didn’t give him time to answer. “Stop growling, grumbling, and mumbling like an old man and speak up. You’re an alpha after all.”

Mason rumbled a growl in his chest, but the moment that the elder witch offered him a death glare — he snapped that sound right off. “I’ll try to remember to speak up,” Mason said, louder that time, and she raised just the one eyebrow back at him.

“I’m not deaf, just stop mumbling,” Martha snapped as she started toward him like a mini battering ram.

The alpha stepped out of her way. He lifted his hand to motion to the front door that she’d left open, but, she snapped her fingers, and the door slammed shut behind her. “Well, what are you waiting for – Christmas?” she snapped.

Mason was fast regretting his bright idea to bring the elder with him.