Taking on Tory

by S. E. Smith

  The beast inside him pushed at him as he teased her lips apart. A soft growl of approval escaped him when she opened for him. He released her wrist so he could slide his hands around her waist as she slid her palms up his chest to his shoulders.

  She did taste as good as she looked. His cock thickened as he thought about where else he planned to taste her. The knowledge that he would be her only master, her only alpha, flared inside him, searing him with pain.

  It took a minute to realize that the pain he was feeling was not coming just from his loins, but from his head as well. In fact, it was increasing as she continued to pull doggedly on his hair. He winced as he reluctantly released her.

  They studied each other for a moment; him with a possessive intensity; her with a look of… expectation. After several long seconds, she released his hair and patted his chest as if he was the family dog who had done a good deed. The grin on her face was a combination of relief and expectation.

  “Thank you, Nonny!” She breathed as a knock sounded on the door.

  “Enter,” Simon barked in frustration.

  “Would you like for the pieces you requested for the room brought in?” Youssef asked in a light tone, his eyes taking in Simon’s strained expression and the woman’s satisfied one. “Or it can wait.”

  “Are all the pieces out of the van?” Tory asked, peeking around Simon.

  “Yes, Miss Carson,” Youssef replied with an amused grin when she looked at him in curiosity. “The packing material has been stored in the back.”

  “Great,” Tory breathed, sliding to the side and away from Simon. She reached into her back pocket and removed the packet of papers Alexandru had given her with a description of Simon’s purchases. “There you go. Youssef, how would you like to explore Charleston tonight?”

  Simon’s eyes swiveled with deadly accuracy at his friend. He noted with satisfaction when Youssef paled and swallowed hard. The message in his eyes was clear, touch her and he would kill him.

  “I’m afraid I have… other plans for the evening,” Youssef replied in a strained voice. “Perhaps, Mr. Drayton could escort you.”

  Both men watched in disbelief as Tory shook her head. “Thanks, but no thanks. I’m looking for someone a little more… manly.”

  Simon’s mouth dropped open as Tory gave them both a grin before she murmured a hurried goodbye. He blinked several times before he turned to look at Youssef’s stunned face. No, he had not misunderstood her.

  “Did she just imply that I am not man enough for her?” Simon asked in disbelief.

  “I refuse to answer that question, my friend,” Youssef said, raising his hands in surrender. “I’m close enough to being your next meal as it is.”

  Simon sank down on the couch and ran his hands over his face. He had never, even when he was just a young man, ever had his masculinity questioned before. First, she wanted Youssef. Then, she thought he and Youssef were… his mind shied away from that. Finally, she wanted someone a little more manly? Manly! Hell, what was he?

  “I do not like the look in your eyes, Simon,” Youssef muttered. “The few times you have had that look in my lifetime, it has been trouble.”

  Simon looked up at his friend. “I think it is time to show Miss Carson just what I really am,” Simon said. “When she wakes in my arms after I save her from a creature she has only imagined, let’s see if she does not think I am ‘man’ enough.”

  “Simon…” Youssef’s voice faded.

  It was no use. Miss Carson had unknowingly woken the beast. A beast who had not had the thrill of the hunt for far too long.

  “She is mine, Youssef,” Simon replied, pulling off his jacket. “Tonight, I hunt.”

  ***

  “Stupid, stupid, stupid,” Tory muttered as she pulled away from the main gate of Simon Drayton’s estate and onto the main road. “You almost blew it. You have got to remember to think human when around the humans. Nonny and mom didn’t tell me it would be so hard. ‘I’m looking for someone a little more manly!’ That has to be the stupidest thing anyone ever said to Simon Drayton! The guy wrote the book on manliness! I wonder what Youssef would have thought if I had said human! That would have really put Drayton in a spot if he had to tell his head of security that HE was in more danger than Simon would ever be. Stupid, stupid, stupid, Tory-girl. Think before you insert your foot in your mouth next time.”

  Still, one good thing… okay, maybe two, came out of Simon kissing her. She wasn’t cursed anymore. She had waited to see if he broke out in Blisterwarts like Edgar had, but Simon had remained completely, blissfully Blisterwart free!

  Nonny had worked on a reversing spelling for hours before she left. Her grandmother had only figured out which spell her dad used after her mom stole his Spellbook for Nonny.

  “If it wasn’t for the fact I love daddy so much, I’d put a hex on him,” Tory grumbled.

  Her dad had hidden the Blisterwart spell in her hairbrush. Every time she used the thing, it re-enforced the spell. No wonder she couldn’t get rid of it!

  “Well, I’ve got enough business now I can move into the apartment above the Krazy Kettles back home,” she growled, turning onto Meeting Street. “As soon as I get back, I’m moving into my own place.”

  The second thing that had been good about the kiss was… everything. Damn the Werewolf if he couldn’t kiss. Now it made her wonder if maybe she shouldn’t have taken a chance on Maverick. If all Werewolves kissed like that, she would have asked her mom and Nonny for help a long time ago.

  Tory pressed the button on the rearview mirror and watched as the door to the warehouse opened. It was a short walk back to Alexandru’s apartment. She carefully pulled inside and pressed the button again to close the garage door behind her. Turning off the van, she opened the door and stepped out just as her cell phone rang.

  Glancing at the number, she grinned. “Hi Alexandru,” she said, closing the door and locking the van.

  “Did you deliver the items to Drayton?”Alexandru asked.

  “Of course,” Tory said, pulling open the outer door and stepping out onto the sidewalk. “It isn’t brain surgery. I delivered all the items, told him you were picking up some of the other things he wanted, and gave him the packet of documents like you asked.”

  “Listen, about the items,” Alexandru said heavily. “I received another call about another important piece. The problem is, I have to fly overseas to get it. I’m not going to be back as soon as I thought I would.”

  “Oh, that is too bad,” Tory said, doing a jig and fisting pumping in the middle of the sidewalk. She grinned when several pedestrians laughed at her. “How much longer do you think it will take?”

  “Shit, I’m sorry, Tory,” Alexandru said heavily on the other end. “It looks like I won’t be back until the end of next week.”

  “The end… a whole week and a half?” Tory whispered, grinning as she looked around.

  “Yeah, I’m sorry, Tory. I know you wanted to explore Charleston and everything. I really wanted to show it to you, too. You didn’t come all this way to just hang out in the apartment,” Alexandru said.

  “No, don’t feel bad, Alexandru. I mean, I’m a big girl. I can do the tours, go to the aquarium, things like that. I’m not a child,” Tory replied hastily, trying to keep the excitement out of her voice. “I’ll really miss you. I was hoping we could spend some time together, but I can manage until you get back.”

  “Are you sure?” Alexandru asked in a voice filled with doubt.

  Tory rolled her eyes and tilted her head back to look up at the white clouds drifting across the sky. Alexandru was as bad as their dad! Was she sure? Hell, she was going to have to call her Godmothers and thank them for whatever strings they decided to weave for this one.

  “I’m sure,” she replied firmly. “You take care of your business. Mr. Drayton really wants all of the furniture and is depending on you.”

  “If you are sure,” Alexandru said in a gruf
f voice. “I’ll call you later in the week. Be careful with what you eat. Dad will kill me if something happens to you.”

  “Alexandru, I’m twenty-four. I think I can control my urges to bite some unsuspecting soul and drain them dry. Besides, I know what I can and can’t eat. Don’t worry about me,” Tory retorted dryly as the imagine of huge, golden haired Werewolf rose in her mind. “I’m a big girl now.”

  “I know,” Alexandru said gruffly. “I saw your bra hanging in the laundry room. That’s why I’m worried.”

  “Sheesh! TMI, big brother. I’m off to explore. Go look for your treasures,” Tory muttered. “Love you.”

  “Love you too, Tory,” Alexandru said. “Be safe.”

  Tory didn’t bother answering. She had the three Fates as her Godmothers, for crying out loud. She was probably the safest person in the entire universe. Destiny, Fortune, and Aura were always keeping an eye on her.

  Chapter Six

  Simon stood in the shadows watching Tory Carson as she stepped out of the restaurant. She had changed from jeans and the blue blouse she had been wearing earlier to a sexy black long sleeve sweater dress with matching knee high, low heeled black boots. He liked her in a dress. It brought up all kinds of things he’d like to do to her. Namely, bend her over, lift it up, and bury himself all the way to his balls in her.

  His eyes followed her as she wandered along the storefronts, pausing occasionally to look at a display before moving on to the next one. His eyes narrowed on a pair of young men who turned and watched as she walked by them. A low growl escaped him when the taller of the two nudged the other. Soon, they were following a short distance behind her.

  A shiver of unease coursed through him when the two males turned down the narrow street behind her. A low curse escaped Simon when he realized that Tory appeared oblivious to the fact that she was being followed. Hell, she wasn’t even taking the basic precautions a woman out alone should follow. She was alone late at night, walking down a deserted narrow lane, and not paying attention to what was going on around her. She just kept sniffing at the bag of food she had picked up.

  He pulled the black leather jacket he was wearing off. Holding it loosely in one hand, he flicked the button at the top of his jeans free. It looked like he was going to be scaring more than Tory tonight. He flicked open his cell phone and punched the number for Youssef.

  “Be prepared for a cleanup mission,” he growled. “Lock on my location.”

  “You are not going to kill her, are you?” Youssef hissed in dismay.

  “Not her, the two men following her,” Simon replied in a low voice as he rounded the next corner. He watched in disbelief as Tory stepped up to the iron gates of one of the local cemeteries, opened it, and slipped inside. “I swear I have never met a more clueless female in my life.”

  “Then why do you chance discovery?” Youssef demanded. “Let fate do what it will with her.”

  “Because she is mine,” Simon replied. “Magnolia Cemetery on Cunnington Aveune.”

  “I’ll be there in fifteen minutes,” Youssef promised. He stopped on the street across from the entrance to the cemetery. The two men had paused at the entrance to the cemetery and where they argued in quiet voices. He could hear every word of their conversation and it only heated the fire of rage building inside him.

  “This is crazy,” the shorter man who smelled like stale cigarettes muttered. “Let’s find some other chic.”

  “No,” the tall, lanky one hissed. “Did you see the curves on her? Did you see the size of her tits? This one is perfect?”

  “She might be perfect, but she walked into a fucking cemetery,” the first man argued. “Normal chics don’t go into cemeteries at night. Besides, what if someone sees us?”

  “Who’s going to see us? The ghosts? Everybody is dead, man,” the lanky male chuckled. “Dead people don’t talk, dude. Come on.”

  “I don’t like this,” the first man grumbled. “I’d rather find some bitch down near the harbor.”

  “I get her ass,” the lanky male replied. “Since you’re such a pussy, you can have that.”

  Simon started across the street as the words faded. By the time he got done with the two men, there wouldn’t be anything left for Youssef to clean up. He was going to rip them to shreds and burying their remains among the dead.

  Slipping through the gate, he stripped off his clothing before calling forth the beast inside him. It was time to hunt. First, he would kill the two men. Then, he would take his prize, the clueless woman that would discover he was all male.

  ***

  Tory waved to another ghost who smiled and floated away from her. She loved walking through cemeteries. There were so many interesting people who had lived during all different time periods. Cemeteries were the best place to learn about the past.

  Mrs. Fitzpatrick, a widow from the 1800’s who still hung out at the Magic cemetery, was one of her best friends even if she was an old ghost. Mrs. Fitzpatrick and Sheriff Buchanan, the first sheriff of Magic, had helped her with her history during high school. She would have failed if it hadn’t been for them.

  “How’re you doing? Nice to meet you. Is there a nice place to sit and have dinner?” Tory asked one group of soldiers gathered around a ghostly fire.

  “Down by the pond is nice,” one of the soldiers in gray replied. “Nice night. If you come back again in a couple days, the moon will be full and it is real pretty, then.”

  “Thank you. I’ll have to make sure I come back.,” Tory replied with a grin. “See you.”

  “Have a good evening, ma’am,” another soldier replied, looking with envy at Tory’s ass as she walked away. “I wish they had women like that when I was alive.”

  Ghostly laughter filled the air as the soldier turned back to his comrades. Tory heard the comment and chuckled. Yep, there was always a ‘lively’ bunch in the cemetery.

  She wove her way through the beautiful, peaceful tombstones enjoying the cool evening and the serenity of the grounds. Some of the tombstones were works of art, while others shared their tragic stories. She remembered being fascinated and saddened by the tales the ghosts told her.

  She had been around seven the first time she went down to the cemetery in Magic. A sigh escaped her as she remembered crying when one little girl, the same age as her at the time, told her how she had died on a dark winter morning after being ill. The young girl’s mother sat beside her, brushing her hair as they talked about what they liked to do. The girl’s father sat nearby chatting with Sheriff Buchanan.

  Tory thought of her Aunt Topper. Topper had found her sitting on a bench in the lone shade of a mature Juniper tree with tears streaming down her cheeks. Her aunt had sat with her and helped her to understand that there were many different levels to life than just living.

  ***

  Tory shook her head and turned when she heard a whispered warning from a nearby ghost. Pulling her thoughts away from her memories, she froze. Her eyes skimmed the darkened landscape. Two men moved silently through the graveyard. It was clear that they were looking for someone.

  The faint outline of the soldier who had told her about the pond floated toward her. She waited until he was close before she spoke in a low tone. Something told her that the two men were not just out for an evening stroll.

  “They look for you, ma’am,” the young soldier warned her. “Do you want us to scare them away.”

  “No,” Tory said, feeling her teeth lengthen. “No, I’ll take care of this.”

  “Be careful,” the soldier replied. “Me and the boys will be close if you need us.”

  “Thank you,” Tory replied, setting her dinner down on the top of a headstone.

  She started to turn away when another shape moved in the darkness. It took a moment for her to realize that it was either a very large dog, or more than likely….

  “Simon,” Tory muttered. “Humans, first. Werewolf, second.”

  Swirling, Tory transf
ormed. This time, she was a sleek raven. Soaring upward, she flew toward where one of the men had circled around the large pyramid tomb. She transformed just a few feet behind the short, stocky man.

  “Can I help you find someone?” Tory asked, smothering a grin when he turned with a startled cry.

  The man stood frozen in surprise as she took a step closer to him. He swallowed several times as he tried to force the words out. Sweat beaded on his forehead despite the chill of the air.

  “Where in the hell did you come from?” He croaked out at last.

  “Why are you following me?” Tory asked instead, tilting her head to look at him. She sniffed the air. “Just out of curiosity, what blood type are you?”

  “O… I have Type O,” he whispered before clearing his throat. “Why?”

  “Damn, oh well,” Tory muttered in disappointment. “You know, smoking isn’t good for you, right?”

  “I know. I’ve been trying to quit. Why… why do you… Why do you want to know what blood type I am?” He suddenly asked in confusion.

  “Maybe she wants to drink it,” another voice commented behind her.

  Tory turned and gazed at the other man. She had heard him coming up. She ran her gaze up and down him as well. Sniffing the air, she was disappointed that this guy smoked as well. They both probably had the same blood type too. It really didn’t matter. She might be hungry, but neither one of the men whetted her appetite like Simon Drayton did.

  Now, that man had whetted her appetite so fast, so hard, she knew she was in trouble. That was why she had turned attention to Youssef. Thank goodness he had come in. She had been pulling Simon’s hair back to expose more of his neck. Another few seconds and her teeth would have been buried in his succulent vein and she would have been feasting on his ‘A’ positive blood.