~

Parker wasn’t about to let the mates go in blind. He’d completed a full circle of the property along with the vampire to make sure that the old witch was alone in her house, while Grayson and Dusty guarded the mates.

“I think we’ve already proved that we can handle ourselves,” Mel huffed as she slowly paced back and forward over the uneven ground, and flicked dark glances at her mate.

“That’s not the point…” Grayson offered back.

“No, the point is that your all male chauvinist pigs…”

“Wolves, sweetheart,” Grayson chuckled.

“Semantics,” Mel tossed back.

“Now don’t go using big words that Dusty doesn’t understand,” Grayson chuckled again.

Dusty grunted in annoyance. It didn’t matter to Dusty that he didn’t actually know what the word meant, but he didn’t need it pointed out in front of his mate.

“Like you ever read a damn book,” Dusty growled back. “Picture book, maybe.”

“How do you read a picture book?” Grayson tossed back.

“Never heard of a damn comic?” Dusty growled back. He had the bit between his teeth, and if his brother wanted to make him look stupid, well, he was taking his sibling down with him.

“Comics aren’t books…” Grayson grinned.

“And I thought you two were bad,” Paige said as she pointed an accusing finger at her sister’s. “Bickering and snapping at each other all the time.”

“Please, we are nothing like them,” Mel snorted in contempt.

“That’s true,” Kat chuckled. “They take bitching to a whole new level.”

“Fisticuffs at dawn,” Mel shot back.

“I doubt they wait until dawn, they probably just punch each other in the face constantly throughout the day. That would explain the diminishing brain cells,” Kat chuckled.

“Hey,” Grayson grumbled.

“Yes, she was talking about you, Grayson,” Dusty chuckled.

“Because you’re such a genius,” Grayson grumbled back.

“Geez,” Mel said, rolling her eyes to the night sky, and tossing up a hand in frustration as she scoured the area for signs of the vampire or the alpha so they could get started. “Where are those Muppets? How bloody long does it take to be finished being overprotective and paranoid?”

“You called?” Raff said as he appeared right in front of her. Mel made a squeaking noise in the back of her throat as she lifted her hands and zapped him.

“Idiot!” Mel bit out, but a heartbeat later she was facing Grayson’s back when the man spun her behind him, protecting her with his body. “Speaking of idiots…” She grumbled.

“I wouldn’t do that again,” Grayson growled at the vampire. “Unless you want me to rip…”

“Try to — rip,” Raff offered with a smirk.

“Try — do — either way it’s gonna make me feel better,” Grayson growled.

“Can you bloody well not?” Mel bit out as she stepped around her mate, used her elbow to nudge him in the ribs just for the fun of it, and then lifted her hand and wagged her index finger at the vampire. “You are…”

“One-of-a-kind — charming — charismatic — b…” The vampire got no further as Mel zapped him again. Admittedly, that time it was a lot tamer than when he’d startled her.

“Braindead, body dead, and dead—dead if you keep on,” Mel warned him.

“I can get behind that idea,” Parker growled as he stalked back towards the group.

“How quickly they turn on you,” Raff said, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

“Keep annoying the mates and you’ll find out,” Parker offered back.

“What he said,” Kat chipped in before she turned her attention to the alpha. “Can we go now, or would you like to check the chimney doesn’t have a booby-trap in it?”

“Damn, I forgot the chimney,” Parker said and watched his mate roll her eyes back in her head. He had to chuckle at that one. “Stay behind us.” He warned the mates.

“Nice idea, Alfie,” Kat tossed back. “But I don’t think that’s going to work this time…”

“It’s the only way that you’re going anywhere near that witch’s house,” Parker informed her. He wasn’t messing around that time.

“Okay, I’ll follow your lead,” she said raising her hand and motioning toward the house. “Your big — growly — broody — manly, shifter-self,” she offered as she followed on behind him toward the house. “As you bravely go where no shifter has gone before…”

“Now, that’s Star Trek,” Mel chuckled.

“Tell me, Alfie,” Kat said. “Are you going to do one of those big, manly knuckle knocks, or are you just gonna kick the door down?”

“Why?” Parker grumbled as he raised his eyes to the night sky and pleaded for salvation. He knew that he’d ruffled her feathers, but she really needed to get over it. He was in charge whether she liked it or not.

“Maybe he’s going to huff and puff…” Paige chuckled.

“You have to admit, alpha,” Raff said, still eyeing the area for signs of trouble as he followed on behind the group. “Having witches around is just so much fun.”

“Oh, it’s side-splitting,” Parker grumbled.

“There’s the door, alpha,” Kat said, teasing and challenging him at the same time. “Just ram it with your head — that should do the trick.”

“I’m seriously considering going rogue,” Parker grumbled.

“Good choice — I’m sure I could help that,” Kat chuckled.

“Oh, I’m sure you can,” he tossed back over his shoulder, eyeing the door as if it were the enemy. There was no sign of the old witch, Evangeline, but he could hear the woman’s heartbeat from behind that door.

“Go ahead, kick it in, show us your manly self,” Kat chuckled.

“Damn it,” Parker growled.

His beast had risen to the teasing challenge from his mate. He lifted his booted foot and put his weight behind it.

The door didn’t move an inch, but the pain did shoot up his leg, and he bit out a loud grunt of annoyance. That annoyance was only made worse by the sound of the witches chuckling.

“Did you really think that the witch wouldn’t protect herself?” Kat chuckled.

“Epic fail,” Mel sniggered.

“Whoops,” Paige added.

“I’m not saying a word,” Raff offered with a loud sigh. “Except to say…”

“Say it, and then eat your words and my fist.” Parker wasn’t amused.

“Allow me,” Kat said, elbowing her mate out of the way as she lifted her hands and directed her magic at the door.

When the door flew open, Kat went to take a step forward but found herself facing the alpha’s broad back when he spun her behind him.

“Because that’s not annoying,” Kat bit out, sidestepping her mate and offering him a glare.

“Allow me.” Parker grinned with victory as he placed one foot over the threshold of the doorway.

Parker roared in surprise the instant that he was hit with an invisible wave of magic that thrust him back through the air and deposited him on his backside on the grass about ten feet away.

Like that didn’t sting his pride.

“Gee, thanks.” Kat chuckled at her mate’s expense.

Parker grumbled a growl as he dragged his body up to his feet, and stalked back towards the group. But, it was already too late to stop his mate from entering the witch’s house.

“Does nobody listen?” Parker growled as he rushed after her.

“I wouldn’t…” Paige warned, but it was already too late.

The alpha’s foot had crossed the threshold again, and again he was tossed back onto his pride on the ground. Parker slammed his palms down on the grass and pushed up with a stream of muttered curses that made Paige snigger.

“Guess somebody doesn’t listen,” Paige chuckled.

“Because that’s not going to get old,” Parker growled.

“Welcome to my world,” Raff said, inspecting his fingernails and grinning at the alpha’s troubles. “Threshold’s are tricky things.”

“I did try to warn you — obviously, the house is protected by wards,” Paige said. “But would the big, bad alpha listen…?” She pressed that point home.

“Witches,” Parker said as he shook his head in dismay.