“What’s going on?” Clark demanded as the crowd jeered at the stage. A sickening smile spread across the gaunt man’s face, and he remained quiet as the townspeople voiced their protests. It was almost as if he relished in the anger he was stirring up.
“This guy says that King Lobos just appointed him as head of security.”
“But he’s one of the outsiders,” Clark said in disbelief. “He doesn’t belong in a position of power.”
“Actually, Alexander was out here before any of this was announced. He said he was doing research into the royal’s family tree. Apparently, this guy is more closely related to Balthazar than Lobos is.”
“That’s impossible!”
“No, Alexander showed everyone in black and white. He even printed pamphlets.”
David thrust his wadded up pamphlet at Clark and Clark snatched it up, his eyes scanning it in disbelief. According to Alexander, Lobos and Balthazar were distant cousins, while this man standing on the stage, labeled as Thames in the pamphlet, was distantly related to Balthazar’s brother, making him a distant nephew.
“This is horse shit,” Clark growled, silencing the crowd.
“Do we have a problem?” Thames asked, his dark eyes dancing.
“Yeah, there’s a problem,” Clark said. He felt all eyes turning on him, as it tended to happen whenever he got angry on behalf of his pack. They were always looking to him for guidance. It was his job to protect them. “I’m the rightful head of security!”
“I’m afraid not,” Thames said, his infuriating smile widening. “It’s all right there in black and white.”
“Challenge him!” an old woman whispered to Clark. But it had been King Lobos himself who had made the decision. How could he go against the word of the king? The town would descend into chaos.
“I see,” Clark said carefully. He would have to handle this situation with caution, otherwise they would have a riot on their hands. And in the case of a riot, there would be hell to pay. Most casualties were innocent women and children, not the people who were causing the mess in the first place. He would have to play it smart. “So you wouldn’t mind if I spoke to the king myself?”
“Of course not, if you can gain an audience,” Thames said, mirth shining in his beady eyes. It took everything Clark had not to put him in his place right then and there. But the documents looked legitimate enough. In fact, he was lucky that Thames wasn’t making a play for the crown. At least, not yet.
“Wonderful, thank you,” Clark said, doing his best to keep his voice steady. It wasn’t for his sake, though. It was always easier to keep his temper when he was acting on behalf of the innocents in his pack. It’s what had made him such a good single father.
“Of course,” Thames said, condescension dripping in his voice. “Don’t mention it. Now if that will be all, I have to undergo some training for my new position. It was all very unexpected…” he trailed off, flashing the crowd a sinister smile before exiting the stage.
He was surrounded by a circle of bulky men, bodyguards, and escorted into a black vehicle with tinted windows. Clark shook his head in disbelief as one of the bulky men climbed into the driver’s seat and Thames and his crew sped off toward the underground palace.
This wasn’t good.
8.
Carmen shifted awkwardly in the booth of the little diner. The whole town was small and old-fashioned, and she got the impression that new trends took quite a while to reach shifter clans.
Greg was sitting beside her, his eyes glued on her chest whenever he thought she wasn’t looking at him. He was really kind of a pig, and Carmen did her best to ignore him.
It wasn’t difficult. She was fascinated by Rachel and Bobby, who were sitting on the other side of the booth. There was a wild chemistry between them, completely unlike anything she had ever seen or experienced first-hand. It definitely paled in comparison to what Rachel and Roger shared.
Bobby was a mysterious man, tall, broad, and masculine. He was nothing like Roger. The complete opposite, in fact. His hair was black, and his eyes were a piercing blue. He was unbelievably handsome, and the only time his serious expression changed was when he looked at Rachel, or she spoke to him. Then his face would soften, and the tenderness in his eyes was unmistakable. Carmen had never seen such an outward display of love before, whether they wanted to call it that or not.
Still, Rachel was playing hard to get, and did her best to pretend she was oblivious to Bobby’s feelings for her. What she really needed, Carmen knew, was to hear how he felt. It wasn’t enough for him to feel it. Not if he wasn’t acting on it or honest with her about it. Why their relationship was so on again off again was beyond Carmen. It seemed obvious that the two were crazy about each other.
“So, what’s your major?” Greg asked Carmen. She sighed.
“I’m undecided.”
“Nice. A woman who likes options.”
Carmen pursed her lips. Greg was hardly a conversationalist, though he did rival Bobby in the looks department. His face was more playful and less brooding, but he was ridiculously handsome in his own right. Despite his many flaws, Carmen could tell why Rachel would want to introduce them. He was sweet, in a way, and he looked like he worked out about seven hours a day.
Still, he was kind of a pig. That wasn’t the kind of man she wanted to be with. He was hardly a man at all. A real man would have more self-restraint than to stare at her breasts all afternoon. She couldn’t imagine Mr. Thomas doing something like that…
“Are you listening?” Greg exclaimed. “I asked you what you wanted to be when you grew up. Not a lot of shifters get the option to go to university, you know. We kind of get stuck in the community.”
“Yeah,” Rachel said. “And it didn’t help that most universities didn’t open up to shifters until about ten years ago. Why bother going somewhere you aren’t wanted?”
“But you’re going,” Bobby said darkly.
“That’s because I can’t wait around for my life to come together or rely on anyone else to do it for me,” Rachel said sharply, fixing a glare on Bobby. “I want a fulfilling life. I’m not waiting around for anything.”
Bobby glowered down at the table but stayed silent. Carmen felt a pang of guilt. If she hadn’t been thinking about Rachel’s dad, the conflict might not have happened.
“Sorry,” Carmen said quickly. “I didn’t want to be anything in particular. I just wanted my own house.”
“That’s funny,” Greg said.
“Yeah…” Carmen replied. Why bother telling them that her father had never given her any support growing up? That he had shit on all of her dreams until her only real wish was to live alone where nobody else could ever hurt her again?
“Hey, the movie is going to start soon,” Rachel said, digging in her purse pointedly to pay the bill. Bobby grabbed her arm and pulled it away from her bag, and dropped two twenty dollar bills on the table.
“Let’s go,” he said darkly. He slid his hand down her arm and gripped her hand, and Rachel’s face brightened. She caught Carmen’s eyes as everybody stood from the table. Carmen smiled weakly. At least one of them was having a good time.
***
The theater in Stonybrooke was a drive-in, and Bobby and Rachel wasted no time in making out. Carmen was only mildly disgusted, but her agitation mounted when Greg, who was sharing the back seat with Carmen, tried to feel her up.
“Hey, cut it out!” she exclaimed, smacking his hand away.
“Dude, chill out about it,” Greg laughed. “You’re hotter than I thought you would be. I’m a good guy, you know, you don’t have to worry about anything. I won’t tell anyone.”
“First of all, there isn’t anyone around here for you to tell. And secondly, I’m not even interested in you, okay? So just leave me alone.”
“Rachel, why did you bother hooking me up with such an uptight bitch?” Greg exclaimed. Rachel and Bobby broke away from each other for a minute, Rachel’s face bright red.
“You fucker, I told you to be cool!”
“Oh yeah, she’s a virgin,” Greg said, his voice mocking. “Poor little virgin doesn’t know how to have any fun. It’s not like I’m going to fuck you or anything.”
“No,” Carmen said. “You’ve got it backward. It’s not like I’m going to fuck you.”
She opened the car door and stormed off.
“Carmen, wait!” Rachel called, scrambling out of the car after her.
“I need to be alone!” Carmen exclaimed. “I can find my way back, just enjoy your night without me.”
“Fuckin’ bitch,” Greg mumbled.
“Are you sure?” Rachel asked. It was clear she didn’t want to leave Bobby, and Carmen honestly didn’t want any company anyway.
“I’m serious, just everybody leave me alone,” Carmen said firmly. “I’ll be fine.”
“All right…” Rachel said. “But it’s kind of dangerous around here.”
“Whatever,” Carmen sighed.
Rachel shrugged and got back in the car. “Suit yourself. Just be careful and don’t talk to anybody.”
“Don’t even look them in the eye,” Bobby said seriously. It was the first thing he had said to her all night.
“Thanks,” Carmen said, surprised by his concern. “I won’t.”
The sound of the movie playing at the theater grew more and more distant as Carmen walked toward the Thomas residence, grateful that the place was so small that she could easily find her way home.
“Fuck yes,” a deep man’s voice suddenly hissed. “Just what I need after that bullshit. What kind of a name is Thames, anyway?”
“What?”
Before she could help herself, Carmen looked up at the man and he caught her eye gleefully.
“Oh, wanna play, do you pet?”
“No, I –”
Carmen’s heart hammered in her chest as he lunged at her, his meaty hands just barely missing her shirt.
“What’s the matter? Don’t like games?”
“What is with people tonight?!” Carmen exclaimed.
“Hey!”
Carmen grew hot as a familiar, masculine voice shouted across the distance. She looked up, a mixture of relief and fear flooding her. Mr. Thomas was quickly closing the distance between himself and Carmen and her assailant, a dark, dangerous look on his face. If she ever found herself on the receiving end of an anger like that, she didn’t know what she would do.
“Chill out Clark,” the man said, stepping away from Carmen and laughing. “I was just messing around.”
Clark. So that was his name. It suited him.
“You know you’re supposed to stay away from visitors, Joseph,” Clark said darkly. “They don’t know the rules here. Besides, she’s half your age!”
“Sorry, man. It was just a joke.”
So putting your hands on a woman was a joke now?
Rage filled Carmen’s chest but she said nothing. All she could do was watch the interaction between the men as the energy between them grew less intimidating. Clark stared hard at Joseph until Joseph laughed and shook his head, walking away as if nothing had happened.
“Are you all right?” Clark asked.
“Thank you,” Carmen said shakily. “Can we go back to your house now?”
Clark smiled gently and put his hand on her shoulder. It was the first time he had touched her, and the heat in her body intensified. What was going on with her?
“Of course,” Clark said, dropping his hand quickly and clearing his throat. “I’ll drive you.”
9.
“I’ve never ridden a motorcycle before,” Carmen said. Clark could feel the heat on her cheeks from a foot away, and she stood reluctantly beside the bike as he dug a helmet out from the boot.
“Don’t worry about a thing,” Clark said, tossing her the helmet. She caught it easily, but her face still looked uneasy. “I’ve ridden this thing a thousand times. Just hold on tight and by the time we get back to the house, you’ll be glad you gave it a chance.”
He mounted the motorcycle and squeezed his eyes shut. It was unbelievably difficult for him to keep his thoughts pure. How could he blame Joseph for going after Carmen? She seemed to have no idea just how sexy she was. But that shouldn’t be a surprise. Virgins like Carmen didn’t know a damn thing about how to use what the good Lord had given them. In fact, they were completely oblivious to how insane they could drive a man. And god help them all once Carmen finally figured it out.
“Like this?” Carmen asked, draping one long, luscious leg over the seat and sliding down his back to the seat behind him. Clark was hard instantly. He just couldn’t help himself. The way her middle scraped against him; he could still feel the trail of heat her body left on him.
“Uh huh,” Clark mumbled, revving the engine. His bike purred instantly, and he managed to choke out the words, “Hold on tight.”
Carmen wrapped her arms gently around his torso, and Clark had to do everything in his power not to groan out loud as the soft mound of her breasts pressed into his back. Was he being tested or something?
Clark tore off down the road, again, ignoring all the speed limits and the racing of Carmen’s heart. He could feel every little thrill the bumps and turns surged through her body, all through the vibration of her heart against his back. In fact, her heart had been racing the entire time he had been with her. But it reached new heights as he sped his bike through the streets. Still, despite what he assumed was her fear, he didn’t even slow down. So what if it was her first ride? He needed to end this agony as soon as possible. Wasn’t he a good man?
They finally reached the house and he hopped off his bike, hoping to go inside before he had to speak anymore to Carmen. But fortune was not on his side.
“Ow!” Carmen exclaimed.
He whipped around, concerned by the note of pain in her voice.
“What happened?”
“I don’t know…I think it burnt me.”
Clark could have kicked himself. He hadn’t told her to watch the exhaust pipe going down.
“Hey, come here,” Clark said, leading her carefully through the back door and into the big bathroom. He sat her down on the rim of the tub and lifted her leg up onto his lap. “It’s not that bad, let me take care of that for you.”
Carmen blushed and sat quietly as Clark rummaged through the first aid kit.
“This might be a little cold,” he warned, squeezing a bottle of ointment over the burn. It was smaller than it felt, fortunately, and Clark smiled soothingly at her. “All better.”
“Maybe if you kissed it,” Carmen joked, the redness in her cheeks deepening attractively.
Clark gazed at her for a moment, lost in the perfect, soft features of Carmen’s face. She looked so delicate and pure. If he were less of a man, he would be giving in to his baser instincts. He tried to think of something, anything, he could say to take his mind off of his desire for her, but his mind drew a blank. All he could see was Carmen.
“Do you want to watch a movie or something?” he asked, tearing his eyes away from her before they wandered on their own. The last thing he needed was for Carmen to report back to Rachel that her father was a pervert.
“Sure,” Carmen said. “I could use something to get my mind off the night I’ve been having.”
Clark frowned. If she had any idea what was going on in his head, then she wouldn’t be so eager to accept his invitation. He wanted to take it back. To tell her that he had a lot of work to do and that she would be better off heading to her room, but he couldn’t bring himself to part with her. When Clark saw something he wanted, most of the time, it was impossible to let it go.
He could only hope that, for once in his life, he would be able to make an exception.
“What do you like?” Carmen asked as they walked through the kitchen together. The question caught him off-guard. It was so innocently spoken, and yet his horrible mind interpreted it sexually.
“Huh?” Clark asked, his voice noticeably strained.
He hoped that Carmen wouldn’t notice it.
“I like romantic comedies, but you don’t seem the type,” Carmen said, smiling at him.
Again, his heart pounded heavily and the heat in his loins intensified. What was this girl trying to do?
The answer to that was nothing. Because she was a virgin and it was going to stay that way. How could he even let himself think something so forbidden?
They settled into the living room and Clark put on an old classic movie. He was sure Carmen wouldn’t be interested, and secretly hoped she would lose interest and go back to her room. But to his surprise, she seemed to enjoy the movie as much as he did.
He caught himself staring at her in the dim light of the room as her attention was captivated by one of his favorite stories. She laughed at just the right parts; places his daughter had stayed completely stone-faced over. Carmen’s whole demeanor seemed so much more mature than most of the women he had known; even women his own age. How was that possible?
Her dazzling green eyes flickered from the screen and held his gaze for a moment, and he sensed a mild feeling of longing coming from her direction. Was he imagining it? Shifters had highly tuned senses, but the mind was also powerful and could lead people to see things that weren’t necessarily there. It was better not to assume anything.
Carmen pulled her gaze away from him and stared at the television, her expression slack. She wasn’t engrossed in the plot line anymore. In fact, he could hear her heart racing as her mind mulled something over that even Clark’s heightened senses couldn’t interpret.
“How do you like the movie?” Clark asked, wanting more than anything to break her out of her thoughts and give him something he could easily interpret.
Carmen hesitated before looking in his direction, and the rapid beat of her heart resumed. Clark couldn’t help but grin. Did she have a crush on him?
“I like it,” Carmen said, her soft voice tight. “But honestly, it’s hard to concentrate. It’s been a bad night.”
Dragon Protector (Dragon Dreams) Page 13
