CHAPTER THIRTEEN
~
“You two give witches a bad name,” Martha announced as she zapped the squabbling witches to get their attention, and they rounded on her with fierce glares. “Oh, please, do give it your best shots,” she warned them.
“She hexed me!” Bree bit out.
“Just gave as good as I got,” Kelly shrugged.
“And around here that seems to be fitting,” Martha tossed back.
“At least you know your witch can hold her own in a witch-cat-fight,” Jai chuckled at the sour look on the alpha’s face.
“He should be thanking me,” Bree said and waved a dismissive hand towards Mason. “I did just find him his mate.”
“Thanks,” Mason bit out, his tone dripping with sarcasm.
“Yes, Bree,” Martha said. “But it’s the way you go about it.” She berated the woman with a look.
“Kelly will come around to the idea,” Maxi announced and got a snort of contempt for it from the witch herself.
“Counting bloody chickens and hatching comes to mind,” Kelly grumbled with a dark look tossed at Bree for her troubles.
“Having a shifter mate is way better than expected,” Maxi assured her.
“Couldn’t be any worse,” Kelly tossed back.
“It could be the vampire,” Jon said.
“I resent that,” Jai tossed back.
“Go ahead,” Jon shrugged.
“Yes, but…” Bree turned a curious look at her friend. “You’ve only had a mate for a day and a half. Shouldn’t you wait at least two whole days before declaring how wonderful it is?”
“Not the point,” Maxi shot back.
“So is the point,” Bree said and rolled her eyes. “That’s like selling your soul to the Devil and saying it was worth it before the eternal pain and suffering kicks in.”
Mason growled again. “Does there have to be so much infighting?”
“Says the alpha,” Bree tossed back.
“I don’t go around starting fights with people for no damn reason,” Mason growled.
“You did with me,” Bree said raising her hand.
“Me too,” Maxi shrugged.
“And me,” Kelly said, and she folded her arms, tipped her head to one side, and dared him to deny it.
“They got you there,” the vampire tossed back.
“Out!” Mason growled as he lifted a hand and pointed the way just in case the vampire was unclear.
“Again?” Jai grumbled. “Geez just install a revolving door.”
“Well, you keep coming back like a bad smell,” Mason growled.
“But, then I’m going to miss all the fun…”
“Fun?” Mason growled again.
“Well, you wooing your mate has to be worth a few broken bones and a fried behind,” Jai shrugged.
“Seriously – leave,” Mason growled.
“Do you want me to put him out like an unwanted cat?” Jon asked. He’d been enjoying the spectacle until now. The alpha finding a witch mate was priceless, and payback was a bitch, or in this case – a witch.
“You smell strong — don’t make me bounce you off a wall,” Jai tossed back.
“Give it your…” Jon didn’t get any further as the alpha growled a hearty warning at the pair of them.
“Can I just woo my mate in peace?” Mason growled out.
“I’d say that’s unlikely,” Martha tossed back. “But don’t mind me.” She folded her arms and offered him a smirk. “Seen as you dragged me all the way out here, I think I deserve to witness the fun.”
“Look,” Mason growled, but his mate jumped in with both feet.
“No, you look — you’re a big, not unattractive guy, you might growl a little too much, have a short fuse, and shift into a wolf on occasion — but, nobody is wooing anybody, least of all when that anybody is me.” Kelly tossed her balled up fists onto her hips, stomped her foot on the floor, and glared at the alpha. “Get it? Got it? Good.”
“She’s a mean one,” Bree sniggered.
“And look who got them together?” Maxi grinned, and Bree winced.
“Okay,” Mason growled. “Anybody who isn’t a mate — leave. Anybody who is already mated — go mate some more.”
“That sounds like a good idea,” Jon offered his mate a big beaming smile.
“I’d like to protest,” the vampire said, but when Mason snapped his head around toward him and offered him a deep, low, warning growl that rumbled in his chest and the air — Jai held up his hands in front of his chest. “Fine, being outside on the porch is good too – I have perfect hearing.”
“Am I done here?” Martha demanded.
“Yes,” Mason shot back.
“Fine, well then if I can’t witness the festivities I’m going home,” Martha said, tossing up her hand and turning on her heels toward the doorway.
“Finally, someone who knows when they are not wanted,” Mason growled, but when the elder ground to a halt and made a slow turn back towards him — he winced once more.
“I’m gonna change my telephone number — don’t come crying to me the next time you have a witch problem,” Martha grumbled. “And with Bree around, boy, are you gonna have a witch problem.” Martha snorted a chuckle that sounded like a bad omen to the alpha’s ears. “Infestation comes to mind.”
Mason lifted his hand and rubbed it over his face as he groaned. He had hadn’t meant it the way it had sounded. He quite liked Martha, but he wanted some peace.
There was no way in hell that he was going to stop her from leaving by apologizing — once he’d wooed his mate, that would be the time to apologize and make amends.
“Picking on elders,” Bree snorted in contempt as she started for the door.
“Shame on you, alpha,” Maxi said, as she pushed up to her feet and made her way toward her mate.
“Badly done,” the vampire said with a shake of his head at the alpha to make his point, and he turned to follow Martha outside.
When Mason looked at Nathanial and Jon, they were both shaking their heads as the vampire had, and were looking anywhere but at him. He got the message. Apologise now.
Mason rolled his eyes as he started across the room toward the door. “Martha,” he called after the elder, and she turned at the front door to look back at him. “I…”
“I know, and I won’t take it personally, this time,” Martha said, as she pulled open the front door and disappeared outside.
“I just want to woo my mate in peace,” Mason grumbled.
“She’s a witch,” Bree leaned in and whispered as she walked by him. “How peaceful do you think it’s going to be around here?” She chuckled as she continued out the front door.
Nathaniel slapped the alpha on the back and Mason grumbled a growl. He’d really like to plant his fist in someone’s face, and Nathanial might just do. “Good luck, alpha.” The enforcer said, as if Mason was about to go into battle for his very life — maybe he was.
After all, his mate was a witch.