SWNOVELS Chapter Chapter Eight: Deception
“Good idea,” Tamara whispered. “How?”
Shar grinned. “Give him what he wants.”
“Uh.”
“Play act,” Shar whispered, then smiled at Vega. “All right, Johnny, you win.”
Vega lowered the gun and grinned. “That’s better. Now strip.”
Shar looked at Tamara, who was shivering with fear.
“Fated Mates,” Shar whispered to her, then turned back to Vega. “Is this what you want, baby?” she asked as she started unbuttoning her top.
“Yeah, baby, keep that up.” He looked at Tamara. “You too, Tamara.”
Tamara took a deep breath and started pulling her shirt up her body. Their shirts came off, and they stood there in their bras.
“Now your bras,” Vega said, pointing the gun at Shar again.
“What about you?” Shar asked with a grin. “Shouldn’t you be stripping too?”
“Yeah,” Tamara said in a sultry voice, following Shar’s lead. “No fun if we’re the only ones naked.”
Vega grinned, then started unbuttoning his shirt.
Shar moved over to him and laid her hands over his. “Let me do that,” she whispered as she started unbuttoning his shirt.
Vega slid his free hand through Shar’s hair. “I liked you better as a blond,” he said, looking at the strands of hair in his hand.
Shar snorted. She’s always been blond.
“Did you do this to hide from me?” he asked, yanking on her hair.
Shar yelped when he yanked too hard.
“No,” she said out of breath.
“Why did you fake your death?!” he ordered.
“I-I didn’t.” Shar swallowed. This wasn’t going as she’d hoped. “It was a mistaken identity.”
Vega snorted as he let go of her hair. “Continue,” he said, looking into her face. “Then I want you two naked.”
Shar nodded as she continued unbuttoning his shirt.
Tamara watched Shar unbutton Vega’s shirt.
‘How far is she going to let this go?’
Shar got the shirt down around Vega’s wrists, then made a move that shocked Vega and Tamara. She spun Vega around and used his shirt to tie his hands.
“You bitch!” Vega sneered.
“You really think I’d ever let you touch me again?” Shar hissed in his ear.
“Shar,” Tamara whispered as she picked up hers and Shar’s shirts and walked over to them.
“You won’t get out of here alive,” Vega growled.
“Just watch us.” Shar yanked on the shirt, pulling Vega’s arms further behind his back, making him drop his gun.
Vega called out to his guards, but before he could say more than, ‘Guards,’ Tamara shoved what looked like a dirty sock from his floor into his mouth.
Shar chuckled.
“We need to hurry,” Tamara said, looking at Shar.
Shar nodded as she reached into Vega’s pocket and pulled out his keys.
“Thank you,” she said, giving him a shove forward.
He landed on his knees and glared up at them.
“Let’s get going,” Tamara said, handing Shar her shirt.
“Well, we didn’t knock him over, but this was just as fun.” Shar laughed as she slid her arms into the sleeves of her shirt.
“Sharissa, look out!” Tamara shouted when Vega got to his feet and moved to slam his body into Shar.
Shar turned and squealed when Vega smashed into her, knocking her to the floor, him on top of her. Tamara quickly moved over to pull Vega off Shar. The man turned his body as she grabbed hold of him, and they heard something snap. Vega fell limp, and Tamara shrieked.
“Get him off me,” Shar said, pushing on the man, still pinning her to the floor.
Tamara pulled Vega off Shar, and they looked at his dead eyes. Tamara screamed, and Shar jumped to her feet. She placed her hand over Tamara’s mouth to silence her screams and held her as she shivered.
“I didn’t know I had taken hold of his head. I thought I’d grabbed his shoulders,” Tamara cried against Shar.
“It’s okay,” Shar whispered as she closed her eyes. “You could have. You’re stronger than you realize, and how he turned to get out of your grip could have caused his neck….” she stopped when Tamara made a whimpering noise. “Okay, let’s get the fuck out of here.” Shar held Tamara back from her. “Are you good?”
Tamara nodded but didn’t look Shar in the eyes.
Shar snapped her fingers in front of Tamara’s eyes to get her attention. “Listen to me.”
Tamara looked at her new sister and nodded.
“It was him or us. Do you understand?”
Tamara quickly nodded again, then closed her eyes.
“Let’s go.” Shar took Tamara by the arm and headed to the door.
Shar unlocked the door. They peeked out into the hall and found one man standing guard.
Shar looked at Tamara. “Distract him.”
Tamara nodded, then watched Shar disappear into the shadows. Wow, she’s gotta learn that. She took a deep breath and walked up to the guard.
“Hey there.”
The guard looked at Tamara. “You’re supposed to be with the boss.”
Tamara nodded. “I am. But he sent me out here to tell you to bring us some wine and cheese.”
“Where’s Vega?” he asked, looking at the bedroom door.
Tamara fought back her fear and grinned. “In there, fucking Sharissa,” she said, pointing at the door.
The guard grinned. “Is that so?”
Tamara watched the man look at the door. She saw his thoughts reflected on his face. He wanted a peek. She wondered if Vega had let his guards watch him fuck them before. A chill slid down her spine. Bastard.
Tamara’s eyes widened when she saw hands appear on either side of the guard’s head. His neck snapped, and the man fell to the floor.
“Them or us,” Shar said, looking at Tamara.
“How can you live with yourself after killing someone?” Tamara asked, her eyes dim with sorrow.
Shar took hold of her arm and pulled her around the body. “You don’t think of it as killing. You think of it as survival. Them or us, Tamara. I also think about Joy and this little one we’re expecting,” she said, placing her hand over her stomach. “You have one to think about, too. And I don’t mean just their life. I mean, their future.”
Tamara nodded. She’s right; they must think of their cubs’ futures.
“Come on,” Shar said as she pulled Tamara down the hall.
They made their way to the front door and out onto the porch.
“Which way?” Tamara asked, looking around at the trees and cars in the parking area.
“No clue. We just run,” Shar said as she dragged Tamara down the stairs.
“Stop them! They killed Vega!” someone hollered from above.
“Fuck,” Shar cursed.
They made it to the middle of the driveway before bullets sprayed the ground around them, hitting them each three times in the back. They fell to the ground, their life snuffed from them.
“Sharissa!” Dustin called out as he ran to his mate.
“Kill them!” Drezden hollered, pointing to the men with the guns.
Bullets sprayed the ground around them.
“Stop!” Tate bellowed.
Every weapon stopped firing, and the men stared at the vampire.
“They need to die,” Drezden growled.
“No.” Tate looked at Drezden. “We don’t need the mob on our asses. I will fix this,” he said, then disappeared.
“Shar,” Dustin cried as he sat on the ground and rocked his mate.
“Tamara,” Drezden whispered as he pulled his mate into his arms.
“Drez?” Tamara whispered, her eyes slowly opening.
“Thank the Goddesses,” Drezden whispered as he looked into his mate’s beautiful brown eyes.
“Shar,” she whispered, looking over at Dustin and Shar. “Their cub.”
Drezden closed his eyes as he held his mate close.
“Shar. Please come back to me,” Dustin whispered as he pressed his lips to his mate’s forehead.
“Dustin?” Shar’s soft voice had him pulling back and looking down at her.
“Shar.”
“Are you okay?” she whispered as she lifted her hand to touch his cheek.
He chuckled. “I’m fine, Mafilia. But the cub….”
Shar smiled as she placed her hand over her stomach. “He’s fine.”
Dustin choked. “He?”
She nodded. “Senshire told me.”
Dustin smiled. “She did, did she?”
“Seliana,” Dylan said as he and the other Alpha Fated Mates caught up with them.
“How is our cub still alive? You died, and he’s not a part of the future war.”
She pulled herself to a sitting position and turned to face her mate. “Senshire said it would destroy us if he died, and they couldn’t have that. So, all of our other cubs are protected as well. Because how could they have an army of broken hearts?”
Dustin chuckled as he pulled his mate into his arms.
Shar smiled as she cuddled against her husband.
“All right. Who the fuck killed Vega?!” Tate demanded as he appeared before them.
Tamara looked away from the vampire, and Tate pointed at her.
“Do you know what you have done?” he demanded.
Tamara broke down, and Drezden growled at Tate as he held his mate.
Shar pulled herself to her feet and walked up to Tate, who was still glaring at Tamara.
“If you need someone to blame. Blame me. She was trying to protect me.”
Tate’s stare turned to Shar, and she sucked in a breath when his hands landed on either side of her head.
“Tate!” Dustin growled as he jumped at the vampire and his mate.
“Back off,” Tate growled at Dustin.
Dustin froze. “What the fuck?”
Without answering him, Tate looked into Shar’s blue eyes. “Show me,” he whispered as he closed his eyes.
The area became eerily quiet as they watched the vampire and Sharissa.
Tate opened his eyes and smiled at Shar. “Okay, little mama.” He pulled her against him and kissed the top of her head. “But this is a big fuck up and a lot of fixing.”
She nodded her head and sniffled.
“What the fuck?” Dustin asked as he moved closer to the vampire holding his mate.
Tate looked at Dustin. “It was an accident. Tamara didn’t mean to kill Vega, and she was protecting Shar.”
“Isn’t that what they said?” Drezden asked from the ground where he was still holding his mate.
“I had to see it for myself. You know I have to turn things over to the elders.”
“So, they’re off the hook?” Dustin asked.
Tate sighed. “Tamara is.”
Dustin looked between Tate and Shar. “Tate?”
“I’m sorry, Dustin.” Tate took a deep breath. “She chose to kill a guard rather than knock him unconscious.”
“Shar?” Dustin asked, looking at his mate.
Shar turned to her mate. “I was going to just knock him out,” she whispered.
“Shar,” Dustin whispered.
“When they first brought us here. I overheard them. They were talking about what happened at the accident site.” She looked around at everyone’s faces. “I recognized his voice when he talked to Tamara. I couldn’t let him live….”
“Shar,” Dustin said again as he watched his mate.
“He’s the one who shot Lyvia, then Pearl and Josiah. He got a kick out of it. He was so excited about it, it made me sick, and I snapped….”
“His neck.” Tate nodded.
Shar turned to the vampire. “He deserved it.”
Tate nodded. “I agree. But it’s not up to us.” He wrapped his arms around her, and they disappeared.
“Tate!” Dustin screamed, looking up at the sky. “You better fucking bring her back!”
~🐾~
Shar shivered as she looked around at the elders surrounding them.
“What have you brought for us today, Tate?” one of the elders asked, smiling at Tate and Shar.
“Sharissa Kraftman,” Tate said, holding onto Shar’s arm.
The elders sucked in shocked breaths.
“Is she with cub?” one of the elders asked.
Tate nodded. “She is.”
“Good, good,” another elder said with a bright smile as he looked at Sharissa.
“Welcome, Mrs. Kraftman. We’ve been expecting you.”
This book may be over but their story is not.
THIS SERIES IS A LONG INTERTWINING STORY THAT IS OVER 250,000 WORDS. I DIVIDED IT INTO 13 BOOKS, SO THAT EACH FATED MATE COUPLE HAD THEIR OWN BOOK. SO THE BOOKS ARE SHORT (BUT SWEET). ENJOY!