To Wrangle A Witch (Southern Sanctuary Book 3) (18 page)

Meekly
she followed Locke around to Hadleigh’s empty side of the conference table; all
of Maat’s warriors had obviously already learnt the lesson of staying a safe
distance away from their Captain’s woman when the twosome fought.  Sliding
into the seat directly on Hadleigh’s left Serena took a deep fortifying breath
before making an attempt to interrupt their heated staring competition. 
“I’d like to hear this plan.”

“It’s
not an option.” Vaughn snarled, glaring at his wife with a heated gold gaze
that would have melted the will power of a lesser woman than Hadleigh, who met
his glare and raised him an icy grey fierce look of her own. 

Hadleigh
magic’d a jewel encrusted dagger out of thin air, twirling it carelessly
between her fingers, her eyes never leaving Vaughn.  “Let the witch
decide.”

“Hadleigh.” 
Vaughn said his wife’s name in a low warning rumble that sent a wave of sexual
heat spiking down Serena’s spine.  Everyone in the room shifted
uncomfortably.  Earth, these two were dangerous to be around in this
state.  The heat they were throwing off was uncomfortably contagious.

Okay
it was time to step up and play mediator for these two.  “Vaughn…” 
Serena bit back a squeak as Hadleigh turned her head abruptly to glare at
her.  It was hard to know what was more intimidating, the warrior’s grey
cold eyes or the dagger gripped at the ready suddenly stilled and pointed in
her direction.  Umm right, do not upset the crazy jealous wife in mating
heat.  “Captain, I have fought and trained with Maat’s warriors for four
years.  I know my strengths, my weaknesses, as well as you do.  I am
not a hot head nor do I have a death wish.  But I think I at least deserve
to hear this plan before it is dismissed.” 

Vaughn
gave a slight twitch of his index finger, Drum as his second recognised the
sign and began talking.  “At the lair we discovered the Queen has a kiss
of five vampires at her call.  Two are now dead thanks to Locke.” 
Drum flicked the briefest of respectful nods in Locke’s direction.  “That
means the Queen and her final three will be coming for you Serena to fulfil the
contract.  At the same time they need vengeance, they know their two
brethren have been killed and their nest destroyed along with the blood they
had stored there… Xander’s blood.”

Serena
nodded.  “So you think this might potentially make them careless?” 
She looked around the table as Maat’s warriors suddenly found the ceiling
interesting as she took Drum’s words through to their logical conclusion. 

Locke
must have reached the conclusion at the same time she did, as he was on his
feet yelling at his sister.  “You want to use her as bait!”

Vaughn
was on his feet, microseconds later, leaping across the table towards Locke who
was looming over and threatening his mate.  Only Drum’s quick save,
catching Vaughn by the belt of his pants and dragging him back into his seat
negated the shedding of blood.

“Sit
down.”  Hissed Rafe, glaring hard at Locke.

“Hell
no.”  Locke kicked his chair away, storming around the table to stand next
to the still seated Vaughn.  Shaking his finger across the table at his
sister.  “You are not going to use Serena as bait to catch three suckers
and their even deadlier assassin Queen.”

Hadleigh
was on her own feet, leaning across the table.  “If we don’t do this now
whilst their blood is hot and their blinded by vengeance this could stretch out
for years.  We do not want to give the Queen time to recruit more assassin
minions into her kiss.”

Vaughn’s
eyes dipped automatically to the slight gaping V-neck of his wife’s top. 
Gripping the edge of the table he ignored the groan of the wood under his
touch.  “Stop flashing your breasts to get me to agree with your idiotic
plan.”

Hadleigh
rolled her eyes to the heavens, seeking help from the Goddess to deal with her
stubborn, arrogant, sex mad meld mate.   “Eyes up here Viking.” 
She clicked her fingers in front of her face.  “We’ll all be there to
protect her and I’ve arranged for Sanctuary enforcement backup, your little
witch will be perfectly safe.”

“You
can’t guarantee that!”  Locke leant over the table to meet his sister’s
glare, mirroring her stubborn stance.

Vaughn
glanced up at Locke, blinking as if for the first time realising the man was in
the room.  He noted Locke’s clenched jaw, high colour and the fierce
protective gleam in his eyes.  Vaughn leaned back in his chair, crossing
his arms, returning his gaze to that of his lovely wife’s cleavage.  “What
he said.”

Hadleigh
shifted her stance slightly to meet her brother’s attack now.  “The
witch’s safety will be our number one priority.”

“Please
I know you, your number one priority when the battle begins will be to find and
behead as many suckers as you can.  It’s too risky.”

“And
if we don’t do this now whilst their blood thirst is high the threat could drag
out for weeks, months even.  All the while we’ll never know when the next
attack is planned.  But we know for a fact they’re coming for her tonight…
all of them.  We need to do it now and we need to bait the trap with
something irresistible.”

“Then
wear a blonde wig and stand out there yourself.”

“Oh,
if only I could.”  Heated blood lust filled Hadleigh’s eyes for a
moment.  “But I don’t smell like the witch.”

“Just
roll in some dirt, you’ll smell like her in no time.”

“Hey.” 
Serena shot to her feet, joining Hadleigh leaning across the table.  “I do
not smell like dirt.”

Hadleigh
looked down at the petite little witch at her side before turning to look at
her brother.  “Plus there’s the small difference in our height.”

“
Serena
is not going to act as bait for a pack of rabid vampires
.”  Locke
stated with a finality that cut through the room like a scythe.

“Hey,
you don’t get to decide that.”  Serena banged her fist down hard on the
table, dispelling instantly Locke’s unreasonable statement. 

The
bang of the witch’s fist against the table had Hadleigh blinking as she stared
first at the stubborn little witch with rebellious fire in her eyes and then at
her brother who was acting uncharacteristically pig headed and macho.  Oh…
just like that she realised this wasn’t even her fight, sliding back into her
seat she met Vaughn’s heated gaze across the table.  There was a slight
twist to his gorgeous lips as he smiled at her whilst his eyes filled with
heated promise of all the naughty things he intended to do to her when they
were alone.

“I’m
doing it.”  Serena stated, wishing she had Locke’s power for a moment so
everyone in the room would realise how serious she was.  She didn’t want
this threat of the vampires hanging over her head any longer than necessary and
if Hadleigh was right, luring them into a trap tonight would be their best opportunity
to annihilate the threat completely.  The sooner the vamps were dealt with
the sooner she could run as far and as fast from Locke Valhalla as the winds
would take her. 

“Serena…” 
Locke had over a hundred reasons why Serena was not going to participate in
this insane plan, and he was prepared to start listing them off one by one.

Serena
held up a hand to stop him. “I’m the one they’re after.  I’m the one who
gets to decide.”  She glared first at Locke, then at Vaughn. 
“Understood?”  When she received no response she sent a sharp zap of
electricity through the wood, causing Locke to leap back shaking his tingling
hands.  “Understood?”

Vaughn
stood up abruptly, followed two seconds later by Hadleigh. “Okay so we’re
agreed.  You guys sort out the logistics, Hadleigh and I will be…” 
He tried to think up some suitable excuse but nothing came to mind but getting
his wife alone.

“Just
go for Maat’s sake.”  Marcus pleaded on behalf of everyone in the
room. 

Chapter
Twenty-One

Serena
slammed out of Locke’s linen closet at a fast clip, her eyes snapping purple
and blue sparks of fire, her teeth clenched so tightly together her jaw
ached.  She was mad… red flag to a bull, disturb a hornet’s nest, mad.

And
Locke was seething right back at her, stalking hot on her heels into the living
room.  “Serena, you’re being stubborn an unreasonable.”

She
whirled to face him.  “I’m being?”  She couldn’t believe he was still
sulking because she had insisted upon stepping up and ensuring that the vampire
threat hovering over her would soon be a thing of the past.  “I’m being
stubborn an unreasonable?  Are you listening to how crazy you sound Locke
Valhalla?”

“It’s
madness.  You’re not trained for combat.  Acting as bait to lure out
vampire assassins, not to mention their even deadlier, more ruthless Queen, is
beyond insane.”

Serena
couldn’t believe how stubborn he was acting.  “Maat’s warriors and
Hadleigh will all be there to back me up, not to mention a multitude of
Southern Sanctuary enforcers.  If anything I’m a little worried with that
many people lurking about the vamps will smell a trap.”

“Which
brings us to the dumbest idea ever.  Cutting yourself to sweeten the trap
and distract them is just ludicrous.”

“You’re
the one who gave me the idea… saying I smelt like dirt, the scent of my blood
is sure to send them over the edge.  It’s a brilliant strategic move.”

“Don’t
be stupid.”

Serena’s
left eyebrow arched upwards for a split second.  “Did you just call me
stupid?”  Her hands went to her hips as her left foot began to tap out a
steady impatient rhythm.

Locke
issued a deep sigh.  “The situation is stupid, not you.”

“I
don’t have lie detector abilities like some people but even I can tell you
didn’t mean that.”

Locke
was an experienced urbane man, a feared lawyer renowned for his logical mind
and fast verbal arguments that inevitably cowed his opposition into
submission.  So he wanted Serena to listen and listen well to his
irrefutable smartly worded reply.  He gave her his haughtiest ‘fear me I
am lawyer hear me roar’ look, and then opened his mouth.  “Because you’re
being stupid!”  He all but yelled at her.

Something
inside Serena snapped. 

This
would probably be the last conversation they ever shared together before all
the warriors and enforcers arrived and he knew she planned to leave as soon as
the battle was over and he… had… just … called … her … stupid! 

“You
arrogant, opinionated, know-it-all… Man!”  Earth he was lucky she couldn’t
shoot the electricity she could gather from the earth out her eyes or right this
moment his light grey suit would be smouldering.  “Need I remind you yet
again that I have spent several years working and training with Maat’s elite
warriors?  That I’m a powerful Earth Witch in my own right?  That I’m
also one very pissed off woman who just wants her life back?”  Tapping her
foot, she looked down, her eyes snapping back up to glare at Locke.  “And
by the Tides, where are my shoes?”

“I
don’t know anything about your shoes.”

There
was something in his tone that failed to convince Serena. The man was
impossible to deal with right now.  She needed some distance from him and
some serious alone time before she did… or said something she’d really regret,
or worse, burst into tears demanding to know how he could possibly be so mean
to her after the night they’d just shared together.  Earth Serena, not
going there, remember? 

Whirling
she stomped outside, he wouldn’t dare follow her out there and if he did, well
she’d teach him to mess with a… she came to an abrupt halt, Locke
practically slamming into her, his hands coming up to grip her arms to prevent
bowling her over as he took in the surprising sight of three ladies, having
tea, of all bizarre things, in the middle of the garden. 

Two
sets of eyes were wide with surprise at their dramatic entrance whilst the
remaining set brimmed with amusement and the strangest little gold flashes of
light.

“Shit.” 
Locke muttered under his breath, his hands instinctively tightening on Serena’s
arms.  “My mother.”

“Your
mother?”  Serena whispered through clenched teeth and a fake smile she’d
instantly plastered to her features.
 
Earth, her eyes travelling over the beautifully laid table, full of
plates of tiny sandwiches and a lovely blue and silver tea service.
 
Someone had gone to a lot of trouble.

“And
my Great Aunt Alma.”  Locke warned under his breath.

“The
match maker?”  Serena hissed back in a whisper, not letting her smile
waver as she scoped out Alma’s elegant flipped back shoulder length grey hair,
her warm brown eyes and stylish black and white wrap dress.
 
“So I guess that makes piggy in the middle
the new Mrs Locke Valhalla.”  She identified through clenched teeth,
determined not to let her smile waver.

Great
the three ladies had no doubt heard their entire argument and were thinking
Earth knows what.  What else could Serena do but prise herself out from
Locke’s hold and walk forward, back straight, head held high.  Damn her
bare feet, messy mane of barely brushed locks and flimsy yellow sundress and
double damn Locke Valhalla and for that matter, Miss Perfect, with her designer
cream coloured suit, dark blonde sleek page cut coiffure and bold red
lips.  Anyone with half a brain could see this woman was perfect for Locke
Valhalla: serenely beautiful, professional and poised. 

Serena
hated her on sight as her stomach roiled, acid burning the back of her throat
as she fought the desire to leap across the table and scratch the bitch’s eyes
out.
 
Earth she should have made a run
for it as soon as Locke mentioned the family match maker was here.
 

All
the ladies stood at her approach, Locke’s mother wearing a stylish blue dress
had a slightly bemused welcoming smile on her stunning features as she eyed
Serena with avid curiosity in her lovely dark navy eyes.
 
It was hard to believe this youthful looking
woman was Locke’s mother but the eyes definitely gave it away, the same dark
blue as Locke’s. 

“Locke,
what’s going on here?”

“Mother,
I’d like you to meet my houseguest, Serena Chastain, Serena, my mother Lucy, my
Great Aunt Alma and this is…?”

“Kirsten.” 
Lucy smiled and presented the candidate for future Mrs Locke Valhalla status as
if she were presenting a prized car in a lottery. “Kirsten Vanderburg… of the
Dutch Vanderburgs.”

Locke
managed a brief nod of acknowledgment to the newcomer, all the while his brain
frantically trying to work out how to get the three interlopers out of his home
so he could continue trying to talk some sense into Serena about acting as bait
for four homicidal blood sucking killers.

“We
thought a tea party would be a lovely way for everyone to get to know one
another.”  Alma smiled through the awkward silence that had descended upon
the table as both the other ladies contemplated Serena’s bare feet. 

“Yes
I see that, but unfortunately now’s not…”  Locke was cut off as his Aunt’s
eyes flashed gold lights his way, choking off the rest of what he’d been going
to say.

The
smile on Alma’s face never wavered.  “You’ll join us… both of you. 
Not there Locke, you sit next to Kirsten.  Serena can sit next to
me.” 

Alma
patted the chair beside her rather ominously Serena thought, taking a deep
breath and wondering by the green Earth just what point she’d been trying to
make by storming up to the table instead of running for the hills?  Taking
the seat next to Alma she couldn’t help but watch out the corner of her eye as
Locke snuggled up next to Kirsten, the wannabe Mrs Valhalla.

“Tea
dear?”  Alma passed a cup over to Serena and then to Locke.

Lucy
Valhalla was all smiles suddenly.  “Locke, Kirsten heads up the legal
department of her family’s firm.  I think you’ll find you two have a lot
in common.”

“What?” 
Locke’s head snapped around, he’d been so focused on watching Serena across the
table he’d barely processed what his mother had been saying.  “Oh… yeah
sure.”  He turned to look at the sleek woman he was seated next to for the
first time.  Wow, was that a Christian Dior suit from the current
season?   His eyes flicking to her feet, scoping out the expensive
cream leather brief case she had resting there.  The workmanship was
familiar; it seems Kirsten used the same Italian leather maker he did. 

“And
what do you do?”  Kirsten stared across the table at Serena as if she were
a nasty mysterious stain she’d just found on her new skirt.

“Oh
Serena’s an actress.”  Alma chipped in helpfully.  “Runs around
wearing the cutest little costume. Purple really is your colour darling girl.”

“Umm,
thank you.”  Serena wanted to sink through the grass at her feet as
Kirsten now eyed her as if she’d been downgraded from mysterious stain to
something smelly she’d accidently stepped in.

“I
don’t think I’ve ever met an actress before.”  Kirsten stated in her
throaty European accent, as if she equated meeting an actress right up there
with bumping into a serial killer for the first time. 

Locke
gripped his teacup tightly, finding he loathed the distinctly disdainful tone
in Kirsten’s voice as she talked down to Serena. 

“We’re
really quite ordinary people I’m afraid, not terribly exciting.”  Serena
was desperate to shift the conversation, any topic would be preferable than
herself.

Alma
it appeared was having none of it.  “Darling girl, hush your mouth. 
Why in those tiny little shorts and thigh high boots you positively cut a
dashing figure.  All the fans love you and what woman wouldn’t be jealous
at your chance to work with all those large hunky men.  Reality TV is a
medium of television that is really beginning to come into its own I think.”

Kirsten
was now looking at Serena as if she were something strange and disgusting she’d
found in her handkerchief.  “I’m so busy with work… I barely find the time
for a facial.”  Her hazel eyes lingered judgmentally on Serena’s
skin.  “Let alone find time to watch TV, and when I do, I tend to watch
the news, documentaries… serious things.”

Serena
fought hard the urge to scrub at her cheeks, did she have dirt there?  Oh
Earth she probably had smudges of dirt all over herself knowing her. 
Discreetly as possible she directed a tiny bit of her magic to brush away any
lingering evidence of her more earthy side.

Alma
chuffed a derisive laugh.  “Serious things, oh my dear, life can be dreary
enough without wallowing in the world’s woes.  People want entertainment,
escapism and laughs, you should really try it sometime it might help you…
relax.”

Kirsten
sent a complying nod and small smile Alma’s way before flicking hot disdainful
eyes back at Serena.

Great
now she had a world class lawyer to add to the - we hate and want to kill
Serena Chastain - club, well she’d just have to get in line.  “Umm… So
Kirsten you’re a lawyer.  That must be interesting work, why don’t you
tell us about it?”

Locke
was going to kill someone.  His mother for arranging this embarrassing
little meet and greet.  His Aunt for reminding him that Serena had a
legion of rabid fans out there waiting anxiously for her return to Atlanta and
her old life.  And Kirsten Vander- stuck up bitch-berg, who couldn’t make
her contempt of Serena any clearer.  Just where did she get off judging
and pigeon holing Serena based on no information other than she was an
actress?  He knew the Vanderberg family were metal mages, filthy rich ones
with fingers in practically every mining venture in the Northern hemisphere but
Kirsten better watch herself.  He had a feeling his little Earth Witch
wouldn’t play fair if it came to a smack down.

Hold
on… his little witch?  Since when?   Since the moment he’d
bloody well laid eyes on her he supposed.  Goddess protect him, he was in
love with a wanton wiccan.  One who was insisting upon acting as bait for
a bunch of blood suckers.  One who had already made it very clear that she
didn’t stay in one place too long and that as soon as the vamp threat was dealt
with would be sending him a so long wave and sashaying her gorgeous ass right
out of his life.  Shit… what the hell was he going to do?  Damn he
needed a large shot of whiskey, not this insipid tea. 

How
could he possibly convince her to stay?  They valued different things in
life.  She was Earth and he was pretty much anti-Earth… well not the
earth, more dirt specifically.  If she had her way she’d probably never
wear clothes and he… well he could really get behind that, as long as she
didn’t mind his three piece suits.  Which she’d always seemed to admire in
the past and had certainly had fun divesting him of last night. Plus she made
him laugh, stood up to him, which he found kind of hot and she challenged
him.  Not to mention the fact she hadn’t run screaming when she found out
about his powers, in fact she’d laughed.  But no… an Earth Witch and a
Corporate Truth Mage, what was he thinking?