CHAPTER ELEVEN

 

 

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Bree gave a little grimace as she turned a look back over her shoulder at Joel’s wolf and the beast narrowed its eyes on her. “I like to think of him as rainbow warrior,” Bree said with a small shrug. She kind of wished that she’d lifted the stupid spell now that she could see how infantile it was, and sort of funny, but not when his wolf was meeting its forever mate.

“That’s not funny,” Sandy berated her and confirmed what she already knew. “Who would do that?”

“That would be me,” Bree raised her hand and fidgeted in place, unhappy with owning that one.

“Why would you do that to that poor majestic beast?” Sandy berated her again as she turned a look on pure disbelief on Bree.

Bree opened her mouth to answer, and yet, a thought hit her hard. This could actually play in Joel’s favour, and she was big enough to take the hit from the witch’s words. After all, she had done the deed.

“You know…?” Bree shrugged as if she didn’t care.

“No, no I don’t,” Sandy snapped back with righteous indignation. “I would never be so cruel to an animal.”

Bree hadn’t thought about it like that. She’d been more intent on getting her own back on the man than his beast. “Well…” she shrugged again.

“Shame on you, witch!” Sandy hissed, and Joel’s wolf growled a little as it started to pad towards them.

Bree didn’t like the way that things were going. She hadn’t meant to hurt the wolf in any way when she’d glamoured the spell. Perhaps people were right – perhaps she was an evil, horrible, devious, meddlesome witch that was never going to change and couldn’t redeem herself.

No, they were wrong – she’d already done more good deeds since she’d met the pack than at any other time before. She wasn’t horrible; she was just … well, she didn’t know what she was, but she was trying to change, and change she would.

“Change him back!” Sandy bit out her demand and scowled at Bree with a dark glare.

“Vested interest? Pack witch?” Bree tossed back.

She liked the fact that her plan was working and the witch seemed more intent on protecting the wolf than making her escape, and she couldn’t help but rub it in a little – even if the witch didn’t know what her plan was.

“Oh, you’re so going down,” Sandy bit out and unleashed a zap towards Bree that hit its mark and sent the witch flying onto her pride on the ground. “Ha!” Sandy was more than surprised.

“Ouch!” Bree bit out in annoyance. Maybe taking the hit didn’t quite mean what she’d thought it did, and that one hurt.

“I’ll do it again,” Sandy warned, and she had to wonder if it would work twice in a row.

Bree had the urge to zap the witch back just, so the woman knew who and what she was dealing with, but she guessed she’d started the whole plan thing rolling in the first place – her pride had suffered for it, so she might as well see it through.

“Fine,” Bree bit out like she meant it as she hoisted herself up onto her knees and tried her best to look beaten into submission. “I’ll un-glamour him – spoilsport.”

Bree did just that, although she was sure that she saw the wolf flinch when she aimed her magic at him. That didn’t make her feel any better. But, she was as good as her word, and the wolf was back to being a boring old grey and white.

“Shame on you, witch,” Sandy bit out.

“Yeah, you said that already,” Bree bit back as she grumbled under her breath. “Two birds with one stone – helped with the witch’s magic and giving the woman a vested interest in her mate.”

Joel tossed a curious look at Bree, and she winced as she realised that his big old ears could hear her. She poked her tongue out at him before she turned on her heels and climbed back into the car.

“Well, my job here is done,” Bree called out from the open window as she started the engine and saw the witch panic.

“Wait, what?” Sandy looked from Bree to the wolf and back again as realisation dawned on her that she was about to be left alone with the mate from hell.

“Gotta go!” Bree called with a big old smirk on her lips as she put the car into drive and pulled another U-turn. That manoeuvre felt like her life over the past few weeks.

“But – but – but…!” Sandy said as she took a big step towards Bree car and stopped in frustrated annoyance as Bree stuck out her hand and waved it.

“Car’s working!” Bree called back, and then she stomped on the pedal and shot off.

Sandy flicked a look at the wolf and then at the open door to her car. What were the odds that she could make it inside, close the door, start the engine, and drive away – let alone get away from the wolf?

She’d estimate those odds were … not good.

 

 

~

 

 

“Damn it, Martha, let me in,” Thorn growled as he rattled the door handle just to show his mate that he meant business.

Being locked out of her cottage was a step too far. Sure, it wasn’t as if the sneaky witch could just escape him out of another door and run away – he didn’t think she’d try that stunt. If he knew anything about Martha, and he’d learned a lot the last few days, the woman wasn’t a runner – she was a fighter – a brawler – a nightmare that had gotten under his skin and wormed her way into his heart and his psyche, but a runner? Never.

It was just the sheer annoyance of getting so far with her and then she’d slammed the door in his face – literally. Worse still, she’d used her magic to make it impossible for him to open that door, even with a little brute force which he was reluctant to use. It wasn’t as if she was in danger – then he would have gone through the nearest window if he’d had to, but, they’d kissed, and he was antsy, and that was enough for him.

“You cool off outside,” she called back, and he grumbled a few choice words under his breath.

“Let’s talk about this…”

“You wanna talk now? Didn’t do that before you overstepped the line, did you?”

So, she was definitely miffed about the kissing thing. Well, maybe he’d gone too far too fast, but he couldn’t help himself.

“You enjoyed it, don’t deny it,” he called back and then grimaced at how that sounded. Perhaps challenging her wasn’t the way to go.

He’d had a plan to slowly woo her around to his way of thinking and accepting him as hers. That plan had been working, and he’d gone and jumped the gun.

Now he was in the doghouse – so to speak, and that wasn’t good.

“Being pawed and slobbered over, sure, what’s not to like?” she tossed back, but she bit down on the lie inside.

She’d liked it alright – really – what wasn’t to like? And he liked her, at least if his kisses were anything to go by. Didn’t that sage of wisdom, Cher, say; it’s in his kiss? Well, if that were true, then he liked her just fine.

“You’re too old to act like a spoilt child,” he called out and bit off a chuckle. He heard a thud from inside, then a scrap of chair legs against the floor, and he knew he’d gotten her goat with that quip.

A heartbeat later and she yanked open the back door. The first thing he noticed was the death stare – she did it so well – the second thing he noticed was her little balled up fists of annoyance, and the third thing – well, there was a look of amusement that touched the corners of her lips that he’d learned to spot over the last couple of days in her company.

“And you’re too damn old to act like loves young dream – especially when you’re anything but – you old fart,” she leaned in on that last bit and pinned him to the spot with her glare.

“I kissed you – get over it and move on,” Thorn tossed back. The confrontational thing seemed to be working for him – so why stop now?

Martha’s mouth opened fast and snapped shut. He noted the way she chewed that over and knew he was on the winning side of the argument.

“Gonna tell me to go boil my head again?” he demanded, and wondered if that had been a step too far when she slowly twisted her head and then as quick as a flash – she zapped him.

Thorn bit down on the growl of annoyance that was mixed with a groan of pain. Maybe he’d been wrong and confrontational hadn’t been the way to go.

He lifted a hand and pointed his index finger at her. “Now, listen here, she-demon…” and then he was talking to the door again as she tossed it closed with her magic.

Thorn took in a long breath and held it as he rolled his eyes to the sky and didn’t bother counting to ten because he knew it wouldn’t help.

Mine… his beast berated him once more.

“Go whistle,” Martha called. “Or howl at the moon, because you’re in the wolf-house and you’re staying there until you’re either neutered or housetrained!”

“That’s it,” Thorn grumbled as his beast rose up within him. He’d had enough being Mr Nice Guy. “The gloves are off…”

“Handbags at dawn – bring it on, Wolfie.”

“I’m gonna woo you like you’ve never been wooed before!”

“Ha! Don’t hurt yourself!” Martha tossed back, but there was a flare of excitement inside her at his words that sent her heart racing and put a skip in her step.

So, it had all been deviousness and subterfuge on the dishonest old wolfman’s side. He’d been playing her and had no intention of not claiming his mate – her – well, what did she think about that?

She was as pleased as punch – but she wasn’t about to tell him that.