~

 

“I’m telling you, Daniel, I will knock your nose onto the back of your head,” Lewis growled.

“And a bully to boot,” Aggie offered, sniggering inwardly at the alpha’s predicament.

“Will you just stop?” Lewis said rounding on the witch and tossing his large fists up into the air in frustration.

“Sure,” Aggie said with a shrug of just one shoulder. “When hell freezes over.”

“Oh, the spirits!” Nestor grumbled as he stalked into the clearing and eyed the witches. “Now there’s another one!” He paid special attention to Aggie as he eyed her from head to toe and back again.

“Oh, goody,” Aggie shot back. “Now there’s an older, grumblier, misogynistic, male chauvinist, butthole of a Wolf man to put in his place. How am I doing so far?”

“Woman, you’ve got to work harder than that to put an old fart like me in his place,” Nestor grumbled.

“Noted, I’ll work on it,” Aggie said as she lifted just one eyebrow back at him and snorted the contempt that she wasn’t really feeling toward him at that moment, but she was sure it would be right along sometime soon.

“Oh look, Aggie got someone her own age to torment — isn’t that just so darn sweet?” Jules offered and got a frosty stare back from Aggie for her troubles.

“I will hurt you,” Aggie bit back with an equally icy tone.

“I like a woman with gumption,” Nestor gave a small growl of appreciation for the elder witch.

“It’s just a shame that at your age you can’t do anything with one,” Aggie tossed back.

“Don’t speak too soon — I feel something rising,” Nestor gave her a teasing smile.

“At your age, it’s probably acid reflux,” Aggie shot back.

“It’s lower than that,” Nestor growled, and he wiggled his eyebrows at her suggestively. Aggie snorted.

“Kidney stone. Bran muffin working?” Aggie said. “Maybe it’s some form of Parkinson’s as you seem to have twitchy eyebrows.”

“They’re not the only thing that’s twitching,” Nestor shot back as he gazed down his body, knowing her eyes would follow.

“Well, I guess you’re just falling apart at the seams,” Aggie said dismissing him.

“I’m man enough for you,” Nestor teased.

“Not even if you were twins,” Aggie shot back.

“That’s a little harsh,” Nestor grumbled.

“Well, if you’re looking for someone to be gentle with you then you’re looking in entirely the wrong place,” Aggie shot back.

“Oh, wow,” Jake grumbled with a small shake of his head. “I really should not be listening to this.”

“I know right? Think I’m going to be having nightmares,” Daniel chuckled back.

“I think I’ve gone a bit green,” Jake bit back.

“No — no, you always look like that,” Daniel said.

“Aren’t you to a little old to be squeamish?” Jules asked.

“Not about this,” Jake grumbled with another shake of his head.

“Oh look, Jules,” Debbie offered. “Our mates have a problem with wooing.”

“I don’t have a problem with wooing you,” Jake growled back. Even his Wolf protested her words.

“There’s no difference,” she said.

“It’s called ageism,” Aggie said as she fixed a hard stare onto Jake and the man scowled back at her. “Fortunately, you have a long way ahead of you before you experience it.”

“I’m not an ageist,” Jake growled back.

“Sexiest — ageist — do you have any good points?” Aggie stirred the pot once more.

“I’m not sexist either,” Jake growled.

“So then you have no problem throwing your mate in front of you when there’s a charging crazy Bear?” Aggie already knew the answer to that. It wouldn’t be impossible for Jake to answer in any other way.

“Hell yes, I have a damn problem with that,” Jake growled long and hard at the thought of it.

“See — sexist,” Aggie teased.

The three other witches grinned at the beta’s predicament. Aggie had backed him into a corner.

“Well that’s a damn stupid analogy,” Jake growled.

“But it worked though, right?” Aggie chuckled.

“I like your style,” Nestor said.

“You would,” Jake grumbled.

“Can we get back to the wooing?” Daniel asked.

“That sounds like a damn fine idea to me,” Nestor shot another look at Aggie, and the elder scowled back at him.

“Uncle Fester’s getting his groove on,” Jules grinned.

“Uncle Fester?” Aggie shot a questioning look at Nestor. “Did your parents not like you?”

“It’s, Nestor, as you well know,” Nestor grumbled a growl at the younger witch.

“Well, it’s not that much better, but at least it doesn’t make you sound stupid,” Aggie reason.

“Well thank you…”

“But we can’t do anything about the way you look,” Aggie grinned.

“I’ll take the high road on that one,” Nestor offered back lifting his chin in the air and eyeing her down his nose.

“Hell, you can take any road you like as long as it’s not the one I’m on,” Aggie said folding her arms and offering him a withering glare.

She kind of liked fencing with the elder — it was always good to find someone in her own age, even if not in her own league.

“Oh, I can assure you that I’m right there with you every step of the way,” Nestor grinned.

“Well, I’m sure it won’t be too long before you fall over your own feet,” Aggie muttered.

“But I’m gentlemen enough not to take you down with me.”

“Says you,” Aggie tossed back.

“Says your mate,” Nestor offered back.

You could have heard bird poop hit the ground as silence descended upon the group.

“I’m sorry, what’s that you say? I think one of us went temporarily stupid.” Aggie scowled back at the elder.

She considered herself to be too set in her ways to accommodate the needs of anyone else. Especially a man. Definitely him.

“Oh trust me…”

“I don’t.” She gave a small shake of her head and a frosty eyed stare toward her alleged mate.

“But you will…”

“Don’t hold your breath.” Aggie’s whole expression changed the instant a light bulb clicked on above her head. “On second thoughts — do hold your breath and I’ll get back to you in about ten minutes.”

“I’d be hurt if I thought you actually meant that,” Nestor teased.

“Then you should say ouch,” Aggie was back to scowling at him again.

“Four witches — four mates,” the alpha grumbled to himself.

“Ain’t fate a bitch!” Aggie bit out as she eyed Nestor with disbelief and a sour taste on her tongue.