CHAPTER THREE
~
Zeke knocked on the backdoor of the guesthouse and fidgeted uncomfortably, knowing who might answer. He’d already had a run-in with the elder, and he wasn’t looking for another punch on the nose or two black eyes, but he needed something inside.
Nana wrenched open the door and eyed Zeke from head to toe. “You looking for another broken nose?” she asked, not letting the man off the hook as easily as she’d bet he’d have liked her to.
Zeke grimaced, but he saw Drew crane his head around from his place at the kitchen table, and Drew looked both relieved and pleading. “I need Drew,” he said, pointing into the house.
“Why?” Nana asked. “We’re talking here.”
“Sorry, but the alpha needs him now, like now-now, right this minute now,” Zeke said.
“I know what now means,” Nana said, and Drew was hightailing it out of his chair and sidestepping the elder to get outside like he needed that whiff of freedom more than life itself.
“Got him, thank you,” Zeke said, turning on his heels and moving fast down the slope before the wicked witch of the house decided to toss him on his backside again.
“Thank the hell out of you,” Drew said, slapping Zeke on the back. “Really, seriously, thank God for you every single day of the week and twice on Sundays.”
Zeke cocked an eye at the man. “Are you feeling okay because you look a little sickly?”
“Nana wanted to have a heart-to-heart about Hope and our relationship going forward – that was nearly three hours ago, and I swear, I have barely spoken a word since.”
Zeke chuckled. “I could tell Nana the emergency is over, and you…”
“Noooo,” Drew said. “Where’s the fire? I am up for battling bears, vampires, another pack – even zombies, man – let me at them; what does Heath need?”
“It’s not Heath, although he is on his way; I need you.”
“For what?” Drew asked. “Not that I’m not happy to be needed; God only knows how much I love being needed right now.”
“Amy.”
Drew scowled. “I thought Darcy was your mate?”
“She is.”
“And Amy is…?”
“Roadblocking.”
Drew slowly pulled his head back, nodding his understanding. “And you want us to kill her?”
“What?” Zeke said, screwing up his face. Then he started to consider it. His beast growled a warning. “Ah, no,” he groaned, shaking his head.
“No? It’s an easy fix, brother.” Drew was enjoying pulling Zeke’s chain, even though he owed him over the whole Nana thing.
“Yeah, but she issued a challenge,” he said, shrugging. “And you know me.”
“More than you’d like me to,” Drew said, chuckling. “Considering I was the last one to issue you a challenge.”
“Right,” Zeke said, turning the corner to the bar just as Heath climbed out of his truck. “Hey, brother, this way,” he said, waving him over.
“What’s the big get here now for? I thought aliens were attacking the damn bar,” he grumbled, thrusting his hands in the front pockets of his jeans.
“Zeke has a little problem with his mate,” Drew said, grinning.
“You need wooing advice from us?” Heath said, laughing.
“No,” Zeke said, frustrated that he was once again the butt of the joke.
“He needs Amy out of the way,” Drew said ominously.
“Nobody is killing Amy,” Heath growled. “True, and Hope would kill us.”
Drew nodded. “They would if they found out it was us.”
Heath gave his beta a double-take. “I like Amy.”
“She’s roadblocking,” Drew said, snorting a chuckle. “And has issued him a challenge.”
Heath looked interested. “What’s the challenge?”
Zeke took a slow, deep breath and looked a little constipated. “I have to prove to her I’m worthy of Darcy.”
Drew yanked his head back. “That’s not good.”
Heath slowly shook his head. “Way not good, brother.”
“How do I get Amy out of the way, distracted, or call off the challenge, or prove to her I’m worthy?” Zeke said with a helpless shrug.
“High standards,” Drew said.
“And as mean as hell,” Heath said, turning to Drew. “He’s never going to do it.”
Drew gave a thoughtful nod. “Especially as he’s not.”
“Hey!” Zeke growled.
“The man can’t even put a toilet seat down,” Heath said, a twinkle of amusement in his eyes as he pulled his brother’s chain.
Drew reached out and slapped a sympathetic hand on Zeke’s shoulder. “Sucks to be you.”
“While I don’t agree with the two of you about me,” Zeke said. “It’s hopeless.” He looked more downtrodden than Heath liked.
Heath eyed Drew for a second, an unspoken agreement to stop pulling Zeke’s chain between them before Drew stepped in. “Hold on, let’s get a beer and think this through,” Drew said.
Zeke grumbled a growl. “Can’t, I’m barred – Amy did it.”
Heath and Drew eyed each other, considering the man’s plight. “Back deck,” they said together. Drew lifted a hand and slapped Zeke on the back. “There are always little ways to work around these things where witches are concerned.”
“Yeah? Find me an Amy workaround,” Zeke replied, offering up a challenge of his own.
~
Amy stepped in front of Darcy, and the woman hit her internal brakes and screeched to a halt. “Amy!” Darcy said, looking over Amy’s shoulder at the three shifters sitting at the deck table.
“Nope!” Amy said, berating her with a look.
“It’s my job,” Darcy protested.
“It’s Faith’s job, too; let her take their order,” Amy said, folding her arms and providing a human barrier to Darcy’s mate.
Darcy looked a little sketchy. “I’m doing the back today,” she said, her gaze wavering.
“Look me in the eyes and say that,” Amy said.
Darcy groaned. “Fine,” she grumbled. “But if I don’t get to know him…”
“Then you won’t be so quick to throw yourself under the Zeke bus,” Amy replied, shrugging. “Which is a good thing.”
“Not for me, my loins burn to…”
“Oh, Goddess,” Amy said, turning her nose up at her friend. “What is wrong with you?”
“I believe in love,” Darcy said.
“And you can hold on for a little longer to experience it,” Amy said.
“Why?” Darcy asked, tossing up her hands with frustration. “He’s my mate…”
“He’s a jerk and needs training,” Amy said.
“Training?”
“Like a puppy,” Amy replied. “We might even be able to potty train him, but the attitude has to go.”
“What attitude?”
“Smug, cocky, weasel-like with a big dollop of unworthy written into the mix…”
“You’re just mad because he sniffed you.”
“Yeah!” Amy said, pulling her chin back and looking at her friend like she’d lost her mind. “He miffed me off – he miffed Nana off…”
“Neither is hard to do.”
Amy snapped her index finger right in front of Darcy’s nose. “Point of order,” she said, narrowing her eyes. “He is not going anywhere, and you have all the time in the world…”
“But the sooner, the better – more time…”
“Do you really want an untrained puppy peeing on your carpets and chewing your furniture?”
“Huh?” Darcy looked around Amy to where Zeke was sitting with the others. “He looks fine to me.”
“A serial killer would look fine to you.”
Darcy pursed her lips and considered her friend”s words. “Well,” she said, giving a half-shrug. “I suppose he isn’t going anywhere…”
“And time apart makes the heart grow fonder.”
Darcy snorted in annoyance. “What are you drinking behind there – lighter fuel?”
“Happy juice,” Amy said.
“You need a bucket.” Darcy folded her arms and huffed.
Amy shifted her attention from Darcy to the four strangers who entered the bar. “Look,” she said, placing her hands on Darcy’s shoulders and spinning her on her heels. “Customers.”
“But…” Darcy started to turn back, but Amy locked her in place. “I’m not even charging you to make your man a better mate – where’s the gratitude?” Amy whispered in her ear.
Darcy twisted her head and questioned Amy with a look. “You are bat-poop crazy. Did I mention that?”
“Probably, everyone else does,” Amy said with a teasing grin. “Now go, do your job; customers have money and money pays our wages.”
“I know how commerce works,” Darcy said, scowling.
“Turn that frown upside down,” Amy said. “Bigger tip.”
“Fine,” Darcy said, sighing. “But this is going to get old fast.”
“The whole loins thing, right?” Amy said, grinning.
“Something like that.”
“You know they have adult sites on the internet where you can buy perfectly good…”
“God!” Darcy said, tossing her hands up in frustration and walking away.
Amy grinned to herself just as Faith sidled up to her. “You have more chance of pirates walking through the door than keeping that witch away from that man.”
True jabbed Faith in the arm on the way by. “That’s the second time I have heard that word today – stop it, you’re tempting fate!”
“I can only hope,” Faith said, grinning. “It’s not like Beetlejuice; they don’t appear when you say it three times.” True carried on walking, but she offered her sister a warning glare. Faith considered it for a long moment. “Unless…”
“Don’t you dare!” Amy hissed in a low whisper. “Don’t we have enough to contend with, like shifters, a vampire, ghosts and Darcy’s mate?”
Faith cocked an eyebrow at her. “When are you going to let Zeke off the hook for sniffing? It’s a little petty considering the outcome.”
“When are you going to give in to the vampire and get down and dirty with him? It’s a little petty not to, considering he’s put up with your bat-poop craziness from the word go.”
“Touche,” Faith said.
“You bet your backside it’s touche,” Amy replied, victorious.
Faith lifted her hand and tapped her index finger against her lips as she thought. “I wonder how you call a mate to a witch?” Her eyes flashed victory.
Amy pulled her head back and scowled. “You had better not be talking about this witch…”
“Just wondering,” Faith said with a mischievous grin.
Amy leaned in. “I wonder how many different love spells Darcy knows, maybe one for a stubborn witch who won’t accept her fate and mate…”
“Not my mate…”
“One true love,” Amy said, wickedness sparkling in her eyes. “Attraction spells – I have to have you now, spells…”
Faith snapped to it. “You would, wouldn’t you?” She narrowed her eyes on Amy.
Amy straightened. “You threatened to smother me with a pillow in my sleep…”
“But I also said you would always have a home with me,” Faith replied, leaning in and scowling.
“If you went off to live with the vampire, I’d get the whole house,” Amy said, tossing up her hands.
“Fine!” Faith said. “Do your evil, mean, keeping them apart thing all you like…”
“It’s not evil when it’s for her own good.”
“Says you.” Faith turned and walked away, leaving Amy to consider it.
Amy looked at Darcy, who was interacting with the customers, before looking over her shoulder at Zeke. “It’s not evil; it’s what friends do. I’m looking out for my friend,” she muttered, heading to the bar. “And a little payback never hurt anybody.”