~

Mel tossed the last Poppet onto the small bonfire that they’d built far enough away from the cabins so that even the smoke couldn’t waft back and reach the walls. When everything became ashes, they would sweep it into the hole that the alpha had dug in the earth and bury it well, seal it with magic, and be done with it.

Now all they needed to be done with was the witch that had caused the problems in the first place.

“So, how many witches do you have around here anyway?” Mel asked, turning back toward the group as they stood watching the flames dance in the early evening light, a sense of relief showing on the brothers faces.

“Including you three mates?” Grayson offered his mate a wicked grin, teasing her, and making a point to remind her of the kisses they’d shared. If he thought that meant he’d wooed her, Mel thought he could think again.

“I think we know to count ourselves out of the equation,” Mel tossed back. She was certain that she could still feel the touch of his lips against hers. Impossible, but there was, that damn stupid mating pull was wickedly good at its job.

“Especially, as we didn’t even know that you existed until today,” Paige offered.

“Oh, the bliss of not knowing,” Kat said as she flicked a quick glance under her lashes at her mate. Parker was staring back at her with a wolfish grin on his lips, and she looked away rather rapidly.

“One,” Parker said, bringing his mate attention back to him.

At least, she wasn’t offering him a death glare any more. He guessed that was progress. He felt like something had changed between his brothers and their mates — he could practically feel it in the air, and whatever it was — he didn’t have that with Kat — yet.

“I guess we know where all roads lead then,” Kat offered back, meeting his gaze, and not looking away that time.

“Now hold on…” Raff’s voice came out of nowhere, and the three witches searched for him in the semidarkness.

“That’s the trouble with vampires,” Mel huffed. “Stealthy little bloodsuckers.”

“He’s in the tree,” Parker said, tossing up a hand toward the large oak that was the vampire’s hiding spot.

“Alphas,” Raff said as he dropped from the large branch to the ground, effortlessly, gracefully, and almost silently. “No sense of suspense.”

“At least they don’t run away like a girl when challenged by a witch,” Dusty offered back with a small sneer at his friend, enjoying the fact that Raff had taken off rather than incur the witch’s wrath.

“Unlike you, I have a great backside, and I wouldn’t want to see it chargrilled and toasted,” Raff offered back.

“So, the witch?” Paige said, elbowing her mate in the ribs and bringing a little grunt of annoyance to his lips.

“We’re going to have to deal with it,” Parker grumbled.

The woman was an elder, and he didn’t savour the thought of having to run her off her land, or worse. But, she had attacked their pack, their elders, and that couldn’t go unanswered.

“Yes, we are,” Mel said. “There are things that a witch can do to another witch that a shifter can’t.”

“We can bind her magic as we did with the poppets,” Kat informed him and watched as his brow furrowed and he considered his options.

“I suppose that’s a better option than killing her…” Parker growled at the thought.

“I thought you didn’t hurt women?” Kat shot back and brought the alpha’s attention back to her.

“I don’t!” He growled.

“Actions speak louder than words and from what I’ve seen today…” Kat didn’t finish that sentence she just gave a small shrug of her shoulders and left it hanging in the air for the alpha to chew on.

“Yes, alpha,” Raff said. “You’re not exactly having a good day, are you?” Obviously, the vampire hadn’t learned his lesson, and he was back to stirring the pot.

“Raff,” Parker growled a warning at him, but he wasn’t listening.

“I mean, first you attacked your mate at my house — then you attacked her sister — then you attacked her again — now you’re talking about killing a witch…” Raff counted his indiscretions down on his fingers.

“Could one of you zap him?” Parker growled.

“Love too,” Kat rushed out, and she wasted no time in carrying out her mate’s request.

Even though Raff knew that it was coming, he still couldn’t get out of the way. The vampire clenched everything that could be clenched and mentally kissed his backside goodbye.

With a flick of her wrist, Kat issued the hard sting of her magic and watched as the vampire’s eyes rolled back in his head as he groaned at the pain. But there was more to come when Mel circled her hand on her wrist and took his legs out from under him.

As stiff as a board, the vampire was flipped onto his back on the ground, and another groan came from his lips.

Paige folded her arms, lifted her fingertip to her lips, and licked the tip of her index finger before she tapped it in the air toward the vampire. He didn’t groan that time; he yelped as he folded in on himself.

“Aren’t we supposed to be attacking witches, not vampires?” Raff bit out.

“Witches?” Kat said, questioning his words.

“Slip of the tongue — witch-ful thinking,” Raff grumbled back as he pulled himself to his feet, made a show of shaking off the rest of the magic from his body — he even shivered — and dusted himself off as he eyed Paige from under his dark brow.

“Watch it,” Dusty growled.

“Oh, I’m looking right at it,” Raff grumbled back.

“Ahh, did somebody get their backside handed to them?” Kat chuckled as she folded her arms, tipped her head to one side, and regarded the vampire with a hell of a lot of amusement.

“Unfortunately, and as you well know, you three are protected by the pack, but if that wasn’t the case…” Raff waved a hand in the air like he was royalty.

“You’d throw a hissy fit and run away again?” Mel tossed back.

“Isn’t it lucky for you witches that a vampire doesn’t rise to the bait or the challenge of mere words?” Raff said, tipping his chin up, and being the bigger man.

“No,” Kat said. “I think the luck is all on your side there, but feel free to give it a go.”

“Let’s not,” Parker growled.

“Yes,” Raff said as he pointed an absent finger toward the alpha. “There are bigger fish to fry than the three of you — obviously, a witch with real powers.”

“Does anybody else get the urge to punch his fangs down the back of his throat?” Mel said, scowling at the vampire as her sisters offered him death glares and dark intent.

“Would you like me to do that for you?” Grayson growled.

“Tempting,” Mel said as she lifted her hand and tapped her index finger against her lips, contemplating the beta’s offer. “But no.”

In the blink of an eye and on the flick of her wrist — the vampire was on his back on the floor once more.

“Because this isn’t going to get old,” Raff grumbled. The sound of the three shifters chuckling grated against his nerves, and he waited for another magical slap, but it never came.

“Well, it isn’t for me,” Parker chuckled.