~

 

Griffin rose up from his chair to meet the man head on. He didn’t want Angus getting closer to his mate than was necessary.

“Percival, do me a favor and guard my mate,” Griffin bit out, and he didn’t care who heard him.

“With pleasure,” Percival said, and he was at Keri’s side by the time that the witch had pushed up out of her chair and got to her feet.

“Back off. I can take care of myself,” Keri warned the vampire.

“Good. Less work for me,” Percival assured her. “That doesn’t mean that I’m not going to stand right here,” he said, practically bumping hips with the witch.

“Do we look like Siamese twins?” She scowled at him.

“I’m too pretty,” Percival offered back with a smug grin.

“Sure you are, Percy,” Keri narrowed her eyes on the man before a deep, hard, angry growl snatched her attention right back towards the alpha and his predicament.

“Get rid of the witches and take your chances going rogue,” Angus growled as if he had every right to dictate to the mates and the alpha what to do.

“State your damn challenge, Angus, if that’s what you’re here for,” Griffin growled back.

Chatter went up around the pack, and Keri was more than aware of a few glances that were aimed in her direction.

“Don’t worry; I’ve got your back,” Percival whispered.

“Do I look worried?” Keri scowled, but she couldn’t take her eyes from Griffin.

“A little, yes,” Percival shot back.

“Butthole,” Keri bit out.

“The alpha can take him,” Percival assured her. I think.

“At what cost?” Keri shot back, and the vampire didn’t seem so ready with the answer to that question.

“It’ll be…”

“If you say fine – there’s gonna be zapping,” Keri shot back.

 

~

~

~

 

Neal stood at the end of the hallway with his shoulder propping up the wall, his solid arms were crossed over his chest, and his eyes were firmly fixed upon the bathroom door.

He listened with half an ear to the sounds in the bathroom. He waited, and waited, and had to wonder how long it took for his mate to do what came naturally.

 

~

~

~

 

Penny sniggered to herself as she backed out of the bathroom window. She was going to show her mate what for when she doubled back around the side of the house and came at him from the other direction.

She knew the sound of the tap that she’d left running should be the distraction that she needed to pull off her great escape, but she hadn’t counted on the brick wall that she ran into the moment that her feet hit the ground, and she’d turned to find the shifter blocking her way.

Penny craned her head back on her neck and stared up into the jet black eyes of a man that didn’t look best pleased to see her. She lifted her hand and went to silence him with a finger against her lips, but the look that he gave her sent her blood running cold within her veins.

His top lip twitched in anger, and he held contempt for her within his eyes, and every fine hair on her body stood to attention as a stone weighed heavy inside of her.

It was one of those times where she just knew that she’d made a dreadful mistake and she wished that she could take those five minutes back again and do things differently.

Shame that she didn’t know a magic spell that could make that wish come true.

 

~

~

~

 

“Your disregard for the good of our pack shows your contempt for your position as alpha…” Angus growled with so much hate within his voice that those gathered knew what came next before the man had even offered up the challenge.

‘Neal… Angus is going to challenge the alpha, get the hell out here!’ Lucas growled into the pack’s link.

‘On my way,’ Neal’s voice came back at the beta.

Lucas eyed the crowd for any signs of solidarity with Angus from those that were gathered.

“Get on with it, Angus,” Griffin growled.

“I challenge you for alpha of the pack,” Angus bit out.

The man growled long and hard, showing his disrespect for Griffin, and making his point loud and clear to all those around him.

“To the death then,” Griffin growled back.

His wolf was ready and eager to be done with the man. Angus had always been a trouble maker looking for a reason to whip up the pack against the current leadership, but Griffin didn’t think that there would be too many that joined with Angus on his side of the argument.

The alpha’s beast clawed and scratched to be set free, but Griffin was keeping a tight rein on the beast until it was time to let go of his wild side.

He’d take the man head on in a fight that only one of them would walk away from, and that time started the moment that his challenger made the first move.

“There are rules,” Maria shouted from her place in the crowd, as an elder, it was her place to remind the hot headed men of that fact.

“To hell with the rules, woman,” Angus growled, keeping his eyes locked on the alpha.

“Then if you win it won’t be legitimate, Angus,” Maria warned him, and she enjoyed doing so.

The elder’s top lip curled in disgust for the man. Not only was he unworthy to become the alpha of their pack, and she wasn’t the only one to think that the man had idea’s above his lot in life, but if he managed to win the challenge, he still wouldn’t be recognized as the true alpha.

Angus shuffled uneasily on his feet. His beast was ready for the fight. He was ready, and it angered him, even more, to have to listen to the old woman’s version of pomp and ceremony.

“Watch my mate,” Lucas growled towards the vampire.

“What am I a witch sitting service?” Percival grumbled, but if push came to shove and things went wrong – he knew that he would need to get the witches out of there as fast as possible.

He only wished that all three of them were together.

Lucas moved forward towards his brother, taking the route that led him around to the man’s side. He knew that Griffin couldn’t afford distractions as he faced Angus, and he’d sense the beta coming at the side of him to watch his back from any form of possible attack that might have from someone else within the crowd.

“You either respect our ways, Angus, or you leave now,” Maria warned, and the pack muttered in agreement.

“Maybe, if we’re the problem?” Isla said to Keri.

“It’s gone too far for that,” Percival offered back. “This challenge will stand no matter what, it has to now that Griffin’s wolf has taken offense, and your leaving would only kill your mates anyway.”

Keri thought on the vampire’s words. Every inch of her was primed with magic and ready to blast Angus clear across to tomorrow, but she’d held her powers within her, even if she couldn’t hold her tongue.

“Well, Griffin had better win the fight then, because the moment that he does – I’m going to bond with him,” Keri said, loud enough for most of the crowd to hear, and word spread quickly to the few that hadn’t picked up on her words.

“If that doesn’t incentivise the alpha, nothing will,” The vampire chuckled.

Percival turned his eyes down on Keri, and she could feel his gaze upon her. She lifted her chin and ignored him.

“But you knew that already,” Percival whispered aside her ear.

“Fine. We’ll do it your way, old woman,” Angus growled in out in annoyance.

He’d wanted it fast, clean, and over with. But, he’d have his way in the end, of that he was sure.

“What did I miss?” Neal growled as he rushed to stand beside the vampire and eyed his brother and Angus.

“I’m running a three for two on my babysitting witches service, where is yours?” Percival asked.

“Bathroom,” Neal shot back.

One hell of a scream went up from somewhere behind the house, drawing the attention of the crowd, and making Neal’s heart slam against his ribs as it stopped beating within his chest for the longest moment of his life to date.

“Penny…!” Keri yelled as she turned on her heels and started towards the house, following on behind Neal; who was running at break neck speed.

“Crap!” Isla bit out.

“What the…?” Percival bit down on his need to be in two places at once.

It was then that Angus attacked.