Gathering Their Mates Read online

  GATHERING THEIR MATES

  By

  M L BRIERS

  Copyright © 2013 by M.L Briers

  All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof

  may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever

  without the express written permission of the publisher

  except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  TABLE OF CONTENTS

  GATHERING THEIR MATES

  CHAPTER ONE

  CHAPTER TWO

  CHAPTER THREE

  CHAPTER FOUR

  CHAPTER FIVE

  CHAPTER SIX

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  CHAPTER NINE

  CHAPTER TEN

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  CHAPTER ONE

  “Oh no I’m not!” Silver was adamant and no amount of dark glares from her friend would shift her from her stance.

  “Oh yes you are…” Emily glared. Watching as Silver folded her arms over her ample chest and set her chin in a defiant tilt, the same way that she always did when she dug her heels in and decided, usually against everyone else’s better judgement, on a course of action.

  “Oh no… I’m not.” Silver said it nice and slowly so her friend could take it in and let it roll around in her brain for a while.

  “Oh yes… you are.” Emily gave as good as she got and watched her friend’s jade green eyes narrow to barely there slits.

  “What is this kid’s theatre? He’s behind you!” Ashley snorted a chuckle, before popping another handful of popcorn into her mouth and munching on it. Popcorn that was supposed to be for the movie they were now not going to watch because Emily was being a dictator and Silver’s back was up.

  “I already said you would.” Emily announced as thought that was now the end of it, the definitive moment where Silver should cave to her unreasonable demands.

  “I guess that makes you a liar.” Silver shot back and Emily snapped her head back on her neck and gave her a look of horror.

  “I don’t lie and you are going.” Emily bit out between clenched teeth and Silver snorted her disdain.

  “You tell more lies than a politician, in fact, you should think about it as a good career move…” Silver sneered and Emily opened her mouth to speak but Silver held up her hand making Emily snap her jaws shut, and then she made her wait a moment longer before adding. “And I’m not going.”

  Emily gave a little shriek of annoyance as she stomped her foot on the floor like a five year old. Silver dropped her arms and turned away from her. Her eyes caught with Ashley’s amused brown ones, wide and revelling in the argument between her friends, as Silver turned her attention back to the washing basket with the folding that she had been halfway through when Emily had arrived with the news, and what stupid news it was.

  “Who needs a RomCom to do some female bonding when my best friends can be so much more entertaining?” Ashley bit out with her usual sardonic tone before reaching for more popcorn and hoping the festivities would start again.

  “Look, Silver…” Emily decided to try a different tact, but when Silver turned her head to look over her shoulder at her, lifting one eyebrow in defiance, and Emily balked again. “Oh come on!” Emily stomped her foot again but it didn’t have any more effect on Silver’s decision a second time than it had the first time around. Silver just turned back to her washing, a grin of satisfaction on her lips.

  “Finally sinking into your brain that I’m not going?” Silver asked, trying to keep the amusement out of her voice, just not trying too hard.

  “I will look like a complete idiot if you don’t go…” Emily gave her sympathy button a nudge and Silver snorted.

  “What’s new, you always look like an idiot…” Silver shot back full of contempt for her friend’s not so subtle attempt at blackmail.

  “Ashley, tell her.” Emily shot a glare towards Ashley who snorted her amusement.

  “Oh please Em, do not drag me into your lame-brain plans. I want nothing to do with it. Silver’s right. It’s a terrible idea.” Ashley went in for more popcorn and Emily actually growled low and hard in her chest, not a normal pastime for a Fae.

  “Well I signed you up too, so you can stop…”

  “What?” Ashley jerked forwards on the sofa and dropped the bowl of popcorn down on the table as she drew herself up to her full height, which wasn’t much more than Emily’s at five foot two, and glared across the room at her as she wrapped her bathrobe around her curvy hips.

  “I thought we could all go together…” Emily shrugged her shoulders and pursed her lips. “I didn’t realised my so called friends would be so uncaring.” Emily sneered as she turned on her heels and gracefully turned and sat in the hard backed chair by the roaring fireplace. Her back ramrod straight as she took on all the heirs and graces that she didn’t actually possess.

  Ashley shot a look of disbelief towards Silver who sighed back at her. She’d had her say, now it was Ashley’s turn to tear her a new backside, and she was ready for the fallout, because when these two witches butted heads…

  “Are you completely devoid of all sense in that pitiful excuse of a brain of yours…?” And there it was, Silver thought, Ashley was winding up to bat and she was aiming to take Emily’s head off with the damn ball. “I have no damn intention of going to a meeting of Fae, Vampire and Lycans, and you can take that to the bank, sister!”

  Emily opened her mouth, but it was too late, Ashley was on a roll. “Tell me what damn planet you are from and I’m sure we can come up with a spell to send you back there…” Ashley threw her arms up in the air in frustration. “Or at least call your home planet to come get you, you little…”

  “I think what Ashley means is, we’re not going.” Silver didn’t bother to turn around until the ungodly shriek came from Emily’s lips and then she whirled, a pair of granny knickers in her hand from her week where being in control of her hormones meant munching on chocolate , and she stood transfixed as Emily wailed like a damn banshee.

  Ashley’s eyes tore away from Emily and looked to Silver in a ‘what the hell’ kind of way, and then they dropped to the enormous knickers she held out in her hands and her eyes went wide, and Silver looked down at them mortified as she tossed them back on the pile behind her as Ashley sniggered.

  “I think she’s calling her home planet…” Ashley offered as Emily kept it up.

  “I’m so tempted to get a baguette and shove it in.” Silver grimaced as the sound started to peter out.

  “Have to be sideways.” Ashley grunted her disdain and Emily finally gave up her wail and slumped back against the chair looking decidedly destitute. Another ploy and they knew it.

  “This is the first time I will be called on to serve and neither of you care… call yourself my friends…” Emily batted her eyelids up to snatch a quick look at them as both Silver and Ashley folded their arms across their chests in unison, staring down at her.

  “You were stupid enough to offer your services to the Fae council?” Ashley tilted her head and frowned at her friend, as Silver groaned her disbelief.

  “Iris said…” Emily started and Ashley groaned and turned away in disbelief.

  “Iris said… Iris would say black is white and Lycans don’t howl at the full moon if it suited her purposes…” Ashley waved a dismissive hand as she shot a nervous look towards Silver who bit down on her jaw and raised her brows.

  “I guess that settles it then. We’re going to this thing…” Ashley’s jaw dropped open and Silver tossed a look towards Emily. “We can’t let her go alone, Ash. Not with Iris pulling her damn strings. She’ll have her seconded to some damn pack in the back of beyond before we can stop her, and miss twinkle toes here would go as well.” Silver growled her annoyance. Tossing a dark gaze towards Emily. “You had better pray that nothing… untoward happens on this little field trip, my fairy Fae…” She pointed a long index finger of warning in Emily’s direction and the girl swallowed hard. “Or I just forget about the witch’s creed and do ye some harm.”

  Ashley popped open the door to her SUV and surveyed the crowd that was gathered not more than ten feet away. Taking one long deep breath of the great outdoor she coughed and spluttered her dislike of it.

  Silver walked up to her side and eyed the crowd through dark glasses that were out of place on such a grey day. But she’d tied one on last night at the thought of this gathering today and even the weak light of the drab sky was too much for her.

  “Is that cow poo?” Ashley turned her nose up at the smell and Silver groaned.

  “No mistaking you for a city girl, breathe through your mouth until you don’t notice it anymore.” Silver offered helpfully, but Ashley balked.

  “How can you not notice it?”

  “Cuddle up to a few wet Lycans and you’ll find the smell refreshing.” Emily offered and Silver shot her a look of contempt.

  “Says the Fae ambassador to the Lycan nation.” She sighed. The only good thing about this gathering was the sense of immense power that came from so many none human’s gathered all together in one place. The air was almost electric with the buzz it generated and Silver couldn’t resist pulling her glasses down her nose and shifting her gaze to see the air, sparkling and cracking with the colours of so many bright aura’s all in one place.

  “So where are we staying?” Ashley asked as she turned to look down at Emily, who just shrugged.

  “We need to find Iris. She has the accommodat
ion sorted out…”

  Ashley and Silver looked at each other, “Pig pen.” They said together, knowing that if Iris was going to place them anywhere it would be the worst accommodation possible. There was no love lost between them and she would revel in the notion of wielding all the power.

  “It won’t be that bad, I’m an ambassador.” Emily grinned, back to the heirs and graces stage of her power grab.

  “I need a drink…” Ashley groaned and Silver gave her a silent amen to that notion.

  “Find the vampires they’ve usually got more booze than a teenage party.” Silver drawled as her eyes locked onto the tallest man she had ever seen in her life and his gaze held hers. Jet black collar length hair and what looked like a full two days stubble that encased his thin lips and gave him that dangerous, but sexy look that she knew to be Lycan, she didn’t need to see the broad shoulders that Atlas would have been proud to have, or the deep chocolate of his eyes, and when he gave her that wolfish grin, showing perfect white teeth and just the right amount of his fangs, she almost convulsed on the spot.

  What was it about Lycans that just screamed ‘climb on up my body, wrap yourself around me and hold on for the ride’, she asked herself as she nudged Ashley in the ribs and got a grunt of annoyance for her trouble.

  “Get me a bottle of scotch and a long straw and I’ll be forever in your debt.” Silver groaned as she dragged her eyes away from Mr-Tall-Dark-And-Lets-Practice-Making-Pups-Handsome and nudged Ashley onwards across the grass in the opposite direction from the tantalisingly sexy Alpha.

  “Embrace the experience.” Emily announced as she followed her friends through the muddy field, cursing that she had chosen not to listen to their advice and had worn heels. Each step making her heel disappear into the sodden earth and she found that she was walking like a damn robot, as she planted one foot in front of the other and dragged her heel out of the mud each time.

  “Walk on the balls of your feet.” Silver offered as she rolled her eyes to herself. “City girls!” She muttered, grabbing a handful of Ashley’s jacket at the back so as not to lose her as they came to the start of the crowds.

  “If I’m put in a tent, I’m going home.” Ashley grumbled as Silver grinned again.

  “What would you do without a toilet?” Silver chuckled and Ashley grumbled to herself again.

  “Pee in Emily’s stupid hat.” She snorted out of the corner of her mouth as she elbowed a big Lycan out of the way and carried on going so that she didn’t have to deal with his growl.

  “Watch it, Fae.” The deep tone followed on after her through the crowd as she immersed herself in the thick of it, hoping he could no longer see her.

  “I’ll bet he got your scent…” Silver cautioned and Ashley grimaced, she’d forgotten about that.

  “Sorry, didn’t see you there.” She shouted back at him, just to be safe.

  “Because he was so hard to miss.” Silver whispered and Ashley chuckled as they forged through the crowd in search of Iris.

  “I’ve put the three of you in one of the dorm cabins…” Iris looked down on Ashley with one raised, unimpressed brow and a slight scowl.

  “Tell me we’re not sharing with the Lycans…” Ashley balked and Iris scowled deeper at her.

  “Don’t be silly. They are all going to be in wolf form at night, sleeping out in the woods, but then you would know that if you had bothered to attend one of these gatherings before.” Iris looked down her nose at Ashley and Ashley returned her gaze with a bored look.

  “Perhaps if one of these gatherings were in a non heathen setting, say the city, at a hotel, I might have.” Ashley retorted and Iris sighed and rolled her eyes.

  “The cabins are over there…” She motioned towards the woods. “The three of you are sharing. The beds have all been stripped and changed, and the door has no locks. Lycan tradition. So just shove a chair up against it, or use your magic to protect the space.” It was Iris turn to look bored as she looked past them to see who else she could help.

  “And how are we to know which cabin is ours?” Silver asked and Iris rolled her eyes again.

  “Emily’s name is on a temporary plaque.” This time she walked away from the trio and Ashley groaned her annoyance.

  “Vampire’s, scotch, and a straw. I’m so over this already.” Ashley put her arm through Silver’s and they started to walk away from the main throng.

  “Ladies, may I be of service.” The deep growl that rumbled through his voice indicated Lycan, but none of them needed that pointed out as he stood before them. Six feet something of pure muscle and the brightest blue eyes that Ashley had ever seen. She frowned up at him for a long moment, her eyes narrowing as she took him in.

  “Have we met?” She asked, looking decidedly confused and he offered her his hand, although she just stared down at it blankly.

  “Vaughn.” He offered on another deep growl and she raised one perfectly plucked brow back at him.

  “Congratulations, your mother gave you a stupid name…” She shot back and Silver rolled her eyes as she leaned in towards her and whispered.

  “Be nice, he does bite.” Silver cautioned and Ashley snorted.

  “Although that’s generally true. During the gathering it’s generally frowned upon…” He leaned in towards Ashley and scented her, a soft growl rumbled through his chest. “Unless someone agrees to be bitten. Would you like to feel my bite, little witch?” He growled out and Ashley’s eyes flared with annoyance. She rounded her shoulders and planted her hands on her hips as she glared up at him.

  “Would you like to feel the toe of my boot embedded in your ars…?”

  “Ok. We’ll that’s a pretty image that I’d rather not have as a memory.” Silver grabbed her arm and whirled her friend away from the big guy, almost steamrollering over the top of Emily as she stood to the side of them.

  “Mutt!” Ashley sneered over her shoulder as Silver kept pulling her across the field towards the cabins, sniggering and snorting her amusement as she went. Emily tittering along behind them on her heels.

  “You two are going to get us in trouble.” Emily cautioned and Ashley rounded on her.

  “We are?” She gave her a wide eyed look of surprise. “He sniffed me!” Ashley balked and Emily gave a small shrug off her shoulders.

  “They do that. Get used to it.” Ashley looked to Silver for support. She just shook her head in disbelief.

  “Just think bottle of scotch and a long straw.” Silver soothed and Ashley took a deep breath and sighed.

  “Scotch and a straw. Scotch and a straw…”

  “It’s actually quite homely.” Ashley stood in the middle of the log cabin and turned a full three sixty degrees on her heels, inspecting the place with her eyes as she went.

  “Ah, city girl gone country.” Silver chuckled as she dropped down onto the long sofa and laced her hands behind her head with a look of approval on her face. “So who’s going back for the clothes and the rations?” She eyed the other two who both balked at her.

  “Give it an hour or so for the hordes to clear…” Ashley tossed her a knowing look and Silver nodded her agreement.

  “Well I have to go to a meeting in half an hour. So you two can take care of that right?” Emily eyed them hopefully and Silver shrugged.

  “Suppose so. That means you get the top bunk.” Ashley informed her and Emily shrugged. She didn’t much care where she was sleeping because she was too excited to sleep anyway. “Two days of being sniffed…” Ashley mumbled to herself. She couldn’t see an upside to this little trip and she resented Emily for her stupidity that meant she was here, when she could have been drinking coffee and eating pastries at Joe’s on the corner.

  “Two days with no honking horns and the sound of nature…” Silver offered and Ashley couldn’t help the evil little grin that took hold of her.

  “Two days without a strawberry Danish with cream and berries on the side.” She leaned over the back of the sofa and whispered against her friend’s ear and heard Silver groan her need.

  “Nooo. That’s just mean.” Silver grimaced before jumping to her feet and looking about her. “I’m going for a walk, give me the keys to the car, if I find my way over there I can grab a couple of bags.”