by Denise Carbo
Bethany smiled and inclined her head. “Thank you, Advisor Heyes. I am happy to be home.”
At a similar height, the amiable man smiled in Davis' direction. “And who might you be, young man?”
“Oh, please forgive me, this is Davis Campbell from the North American clan.”
“Ah, how nice. Many years ago, I met your former leader, James Donovan—your current Lord’s father if I am not mistaken. A fierce man, fierce, but fair.”
“Yes.” Davis recalled the towering leader the same way. He had played the role of a distant father figure to him with Davis having grown up without a father of his own.
The advisor stood with his hands clasped in front of him, and with a congenial smile on his face. No guards accompanied him. Was he still challenging for leadership of the clan? He sensed no hostility emanating from the man, but a pleasant smile could hide a conniving heart. Just look at Bryant. He had been amicable enough too when he first met him, and he ended up being a murderous bastard.
The man tilted his head inquiringly. “Will you be staying with us long?”
“No, he—”
“I haven’t decided yet.” When Davis interrupted Bethany, she glared up at him. He ignored her.
“Well, I hope you enjoy your stay. If I can be of any assistance, please do not hesitate to seek me out.”
Aaron sputtered. “He’s not staying, and you have no authority, Advisor Heyes.”
Davis glanced between the two. This should be interesting.
“That remains to be seen, Lord Aaron. It is up to the clan to decide who has authority and who does not. In the meantime, what possible objection could you have to his presence? Has he committed some crime I am not aware of?”
Aaron’s face started turning shades again, and Davis fought a smile. The guy really needed to learn how to handle his emotions.
Bethany curled her toes inside her borrowed shoes and fought the urge to throw her hands up in the air and walk away. They were behaving like overgrown children. Instead, she took a deep breath of the damp air emanating from the river and strove to smooth over the rough emotions flying about.
“He’s committed no crime. Davis and his clan saved me.”
“Well then, that’s settled. He is your guest, and we must extend him our hospitality. After you get settled in, I would like to meet with you, Lady Bethany, at your convenience.”
“Of course.”
“What for?” Aaron demanded.
“That is between Lady Bethany and me, is it not? Good day.”
The advisor bowed slightly before marching away toward the temple, located beyond the square. She looked back at Aaron still surrounded by guards. His pinched features and clenched fists did not bode well for rational conversation.
“Aaron, if it is all right with you, I would like to go to my flat. Could we continue our conversation later, or is there something pressing you would like to discuss immediately?”
Aaron glared at her a moment. “One hour, in the conference room.” He spun around and almost plowed into the guards at his back. “Move, imbeciles.” The front guards followed after, giving Bethany a slight bow. She smiled at them.
An hour reprieve. At least it was something.
As she marched over to the car, she noticed a few of her fellow clan members milling about. No doubt they were hoping for some juicy tidbits of gossip. Dropping her shoulders over the unkind thought, she tossed an absent smile in their direction before climbing into the vehicle. Davis sauntered over to the driver’s side and eased into the seat. Bethany gave him a sideways glance.
What on Earth was she going to do about him?
The car shot forward, but this time she was prepared and had grasped the door handle. Her homecoming now marred by her cousin’s ambush, she valiantly tried to relax and appreciate the sight of her home.
Pointing a finger at the turn for her lane, she leaned forward as he made the left-hand turn. Her flat was located on the river side of the compound. She couldn’t actually see the river from her flat though, only if she went up to the roof. And if she peered over the back-left corner. The lane was paved with cobblestones as well, a narrower version of the main thoroughfare. A line of stone buildings ran the length on either side. Wide stretches of pavement edged between the lane and buildings creating a generous walkway. Some were single dwellings, but most on this lane, like hers, were divided up into multiple flats. Each door was painted a distinct color to distinguish from one another as they were all the same brown streaked gray stone. Her door held the color of bluebells, her favorite color.
“That one, there.”
Davis parked the car. She hesitated to see what he would do. She had learned her lesson regarding making assumptions about if and when he would leave. He opened his door, so she got out and walked to the pavement. He wasn’t leaving. He really did intend to stay awhile.
Sighing, Bethany decided to put off any confrontation with him. She had enough to worry about with her cousin and Advisor Heyes. She only had a brief time before she had to meet with them.
The clip clop of hooves striking the cobblestones echoed down the lane. A pure white horse with flowing mane and tail pranced toward them. Inclining its regal head as it passed them, the horse continued on its way.
Davis glanced at her, and she smiled. “That was Mrs. Evanwood. She lives down by the river.”
“I suppose a horse doesn’t raise too much of a notice in the city.”
Shrugging slightly, she gazed after the horse. It was a form that had more freedom. To any human they would only see a pretty horse, a common enough sight. Only another Risharden would be able to recognize it as one of their own kind. A Risharden had an instinctual sense. She used to believe the intelligence hidden behind the eyes revealed their true form, but she had come across some animals she knew to be only animals, and their eyes held the same intelligence.
“Bethany! Bethany!”
She whirled around to see Colin racing toward her down the pavement. He was a little boy who lived in one of the flats farther up the lane. His carrot colored hair fell over his forehead as he skidded to a stop in front of her. His bright blue eyes were shining—emphasizing the delightful freckles sprinkled across his nose.
Laughing, she bent and gave him a noisy kiss on the cheek. He promptly wiped his cheek with the back of his hand, leaving a smudge of dirt behind.
“What have you been up to?”
“Guess what?”
He didn’t wait for her to speak but plowed on. “My Dad told me one of our ancestors was a dragon! I could be one, too!”
Colin had become preoccupied with guessing what form he might shift into when he was old enough. Even though he had several years to wait, he constantly quizzed the members of his family about the possibilities. His mother would affectionately smile at him while he blethered on. Although it appeared to increase the chances, family members’ forms did not guarantee what shape one would be able to shift into. Look at her, for instance. She was an owl, yet her brother had been a lion and a gryphon. He had been one of the few able to transform into more than one shape, at least that she knew of. Her mother had been a swan, and her father a lion. She supposed the argument could be made a correlation existed. With the exception of her father, they were all flying creatures, and Bryant had taken a little bit of both their parents.
Bouncing from one foot to the other, Colin beamed up at her.
“Do you know that I recently met a dragon shifter?”
His mouth dropped open, and his eyes grew wide. “Aye right!”
Bethany nodded. “Yes, I did. The leader of the North American clan, Malcolm Donovan, is a dragon shifter.”
“That is pure barry!”
“Yes, it is fine. In fact, this is Mr. Campbell, and he is also from the North American clan.” She gestured to Davis standing behind her with his thumbs resting in the front belt loops of his jeans.
Colin peered around her and gawked at him. “Are you a dragon shifter, too?”
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Davis chuckled and shook his head. “’Fraid not. I’m a wolf.”
“Braw.”
Davis raised an eyebrow and looked at her.
She smiled. “It means he likes it.” Colin’s thick accent heavily doused with colloquial terms might be hard to grasp for someone unaccustomed to hearing them.
Colin shuffled closer to stand between them. “I could be a good wolf. I like to run around a lot. My Mam and Da say I run them ragged.” He wrinkled his nose. “Though I would like to fly.” His face brightened. “I could be both! That happens, right?”
Bethany grinned. “I suppose anything is possible.”
“I better skedaddle. Mam made tarts this morning. Brendon will eat them all.”
Watching him run off, her mood was much improved, but then he always had a positive effect on her disposition. He was a delightful handful. She looked back at Davis watching him scamper off. “Brendon is his little brother.”
“I guessed it was something along those lines. Neighborhood kid?”
“Yes, they live up at the corner. In the past year he’s become a tad obsessed with guessing what he will shift into when he’s old enough.”
“I went through that stage, also. Didn’t you?”
Shrugging, she climbed the stairs to her building. “Not really. There wasn’t anyone to question about shifting. I grew up in the Highlands with only my nanny.”
Bethany opened the blue door and glanced over her shoulder. “Were your parents wolves?”
“Yes, both of them, so I guess my fate was pretty much sealed. Didn’t stop me from imagining being a dragon though.”
She started the long climb up the three flights of stairs to her flat. “It makes perfect sense considering the leaders of your clan are a dragon shifter family.”
“Yeah, well, they were more my family. I never knew my parents.”
Pausing on the stairs, she stopped and turned back to him. “Something we have in common.”
“That’s not the only thing we have in common.”
“Oh?” She stared up into his hazel eyes as he paused on the stairs next to her. What else could they have in common?
“We’re both loyal to our clans. That confrontation your cousin subjected you to has to show you what kind of dictator he would be. You really want him ruling your clan?”
Bethany sighed and ascended the stairs. Ah yes, back to her reality and the clamor of who she would support. She understood why the outcome was important to the other clans, of course it was, but it wasn’t like her opinion held much sway. Why all of a sudden did everyone appear to care what she thought?
Chapter Four
“Malcolm, I need to stay here and keep an eye on things.” As soon as Bethany had excused herself, he’d taken out his phone to call Malcolm.
“Explain.”
Davis rolled his shoulders and walked to the window of Bethany’s glorified apartment in a stone building smack dab in the middle of a row of similar buildings. The size of a large bedroom back home, he supposed it held a certain old-world charm if you liked that sort of a thing. “Something doesn’t feel right. The clan hasn’t decided on a new ruler yet. I met Advisor Gregor Heyes, friendly enough on the surface, he’s pushing for some kind of vote. I don’t have all the details yet. Aaron is the same dickhead we dealt with before, demanding he’s the rightful ruler, and trying to bully everyone else into accepting it.”
Silence echoed over the connection. He glanced toward the bathroom where Bethany had disappeared to refresh herself, before her meeting with Aaron. The shower was still on. Her delicate scent filled the tiny space.
“What’s Bethany’s role in all of this?”
“Not entirely sure. Aaron greeted her surrounded by guards when we arrived. He wasn’t exactly welcoming to his little cousin. She’s supposed to meet with him in less than an hour. The advisor greeted her and was extremely courteous, and he also wants to meet with her.”
“Both want her support. Who do you think she’s backing?”
“Not entirely sure. I asked her the same question before we arrived.”
“What do you need from me?”
“Like I said, I need to stick around a bit. Aaron, of course, wants me gone. Advisor Heyes welcomed me to stay.”
“And Bethany?”
Davis snorted. “Yeah, well, the little peacemaker tried to get rid of me when I didn’t kowtow to Aaron and the advisor. I don’t think she fully realizes the precarious position she and her clan are in right now.”
“On the contrary, I am quite aware, which is why I don’t see the need to make the matter worse by antagonizing everyone around me.”
Davis slowly swiveled his head to meet Bethany’s glare. She stood in the open doorway to the bathroom with her arms wrapped tightly around her waist. Her dark gaze pinned on him. She’d changed into a blue dress. It accentuated her tiny waist, skimming just below her knees, and allowing him an appreciative view of her trim legs. Her pursed lips only accentuated the pink little bow of her mouth, making him imagine what it might be like to grab a taste.
An amused chuckle sounded in his ear. “She doesn’t sound very happy with you, Davis. Are you sure you want to stay?”
“Yeah, I’m sure.”
“All right. I’ll notify both Aaron and Advisor Heyes as well as the other council members that you are there on council business to advise us on the state of their clan and its leadership.”
“You can do that?”
“An unstable clan is dangerous for us all. It’s the council’s mandate to ensure peace among the clans. You will keep us apprised of the situation, and any cause for concern.”
“Understood.”
“And Davis, watch your back.” Malcolm disconnected, and Davis slipped his phone into his pocket.
He sighed and braced himself for the female tirade he was sure was headed his way. She hadn’t moved from her position in the doorway. He turned, facing her fully, and folded his arms across his chest. Fire away, sweetheart.
She glanced away and walked over to the small galley style kitchen against the right side of the apartment. The cabinets were painted a cheery pale yellow.
“Do you want something to eat or drink?”
“Depends, you plan to poison it?”
She glanced over her shoulder briefly before turning back to the kitchen. “Still too new for that particular joke.”
Davis winced. “Right, sorry.”
“I’m making tea. Would you like some, or something else? I’m not sure how long this meeting with Aaron will last.”
After filling a little blue teapot and placing it on the stove, she reached into the cabinet and pulled out a white tea cup trimmed in pink flowers.
“I’ll take a coffee if you have it.”
She nodded, and he ambled over to the small two-person wooden table situated against the wall next to the kitchen and sat down on one of the matching stools. He’d glanced around the apartment when they first arrived to make sure it was secure. The one bedroom wasn’t much larger than a walk-in closet, and the bathroom was only large enough to hold a shower stall, toilet, and pedestal sink. This room held the kitchen on one side and a couch, chair, and bookshelves on the other. Spacious it was not. The entire place could fit inside what he remembered of her brother’s master bedroom.
There were no photographs hanging on the walls or sitting on the shelves. A painting of a small white house by a lake hung on the wall next to him over the table.
Bethany placed the coffee down in front of him. “Do you take cream or sugar?”
“No, black is fine, thanks.”
She took her seat across from him and clasped her tea cup in her hands, staring down at the table. Her pale blonde hair was tucked behind her ears, where it formed a curly halo around her head.
Raising her cup to her lips, she gently blew across the top before taking a sip. A slight pink sheen shone from her pursed lips. Her lashes were darker and fuller. She’d put some makeup on, but not much
. For whom?
He paused in the middle of taking a drink of his coffee. The dark aroma circled beneath his nose. Was she interested in someone here at her clan?
Wait, no. She had met Donald at a meet and greet, so she had been looking to meet someone. He'd never understood the appeal of the meet and greets. A bunch of desperate Rishardens getting together hoping to find their mate among those gathered. He’d been surprised Donald had attended one, but he supposed if you were searching for your mate and were out of options, then the meet and greet provided a possibility at least. But how many had actually ever discovered their mate that way? The gatherings were held under a veil of secrecy because of the stigma attached to clans intermingling, so there wasn’t exactly a newsletter published announcing the statistics, not any he was aware of anyway. And if they did find their mate, how did they overcome the obstacles which would then surface? Being from different clans, one of them would have to leave their family and join the other’s or both go somewhere else entirely, leaving their clans behind. Not something he could ever see himself doing.
Davis took a drink of the steaming brew and set down his cup. Strong and hot, just the way he preferred his coffee. Why anyone wanted to mar the perfection of coffee with all those additives advertised these days, he did not understand.
And he didn't understand Bethany. Where was the tirade? She couldn’t possibly think her silence served as a punishment—he couldn’t be that lucky.
“I think we need to clear the air.”
Ah, here it comes. He leaned back on his stool and crossed his arms over his chest.
Bethany placed her cup down and folded her hands in her lap before looking up at him.
“I am very grateful for all that you and your clan have done for me. I realize I owe you a debt. However, that does not mean I will be used as a tool to spy on my own clan.”
Davis couldn’t help but laugh. A spy? No one would dream of using her as a spy. Spies needed to blend in, not stick out in the middle of a crowd. She was too damn beautiful to be a spy.
“I don’t appreciate being laughed at. I’m serious, as much as I owe you, I won’t do anything to harm my clan.”
