Connor: House of Wilkshire ― Paranormal Dragon Shifter Romance

by Kathi S. Barton

“Well, not magic.” Sara giggled. “But it had been magical. The little squirt won’t lie to me again, that’s for sure.”

  Sara knew that she’d been childish in tearing the wings off the little creature. It had taken all she had within her not to kill the thing outright when it wouldn’t tell her what she needed. But then, her way had been much better.

  “You’ve done a bad thing, Sara. Whatever do you suppose the lady queen will do to you when she finds out that you killed one of her creatures?” She didn’t answer, but her smile got bigger thinking about all the fun she’d have if she caught this bug. “Nay, you won’t capture me. I’m not your run of the mill bug, as you called me. I’m something a great deal more than that. I’m much stronger than you are as well.”

  “Stronger than me? I doubt that. Even that so called Grand Witch is as weak as whatever kind of creature you are.” The voice asked her if she really thought that. “That I’m stronger than she is? I know it to be true. Even though I have told her that I’m going to take her job someday, she only smiles at me and goes on talking about how happy she is being married. How can anyone be happy with a man shackled to your legs? I like my life the way it is. I can have all the sex I want, and no one says a word to me.”

  “You’ve never had sex. I can smell your virginity on you every time you pass me.” Sara did get up and look for him then. “You’ll never find me, Sara. You’re much too stupid for that, I’m afraid. However, I do believe that it will make you weaker, the way you use your magic all willy nilly. Did anyone ever tell you to be frugal with your magic? That to use too much, deplete yourself, could be bad for you when you need it later?”

  “Tell me your name. Tell me it so that when I kill you, I’ll have a name to carve into the stone that I crush you with.” Sara didn’t care for the laughter. It sounded so calm, and like whoever it was knew that they were better than her. “I’m going to find you, bug. And when I do, I’m going to not wait around for you to see what comes after you. I shall kill you right off.”

  The laughter again. She would hate laughter altogether if she had to listen to that sound much more. When there were no more comments from the creature, she laid her head down on the bed. Things were not going according to plan for her.

  Sara had figured that if she went to Anna, she could tell her that Davidson was dead and she’d be so grief stricken that she’d be unable to deny Sara anything. The books that she wanted were Davidson’s books that he’d borrowed from the stupid old twit. Without Anna’s permission to use the books, Sara would never be able to open them, much less use the power within.

  “Once I had that power, I could surely take on any creature in the world. Including dragons, if they were to bother me.”

  That was something that she wasn’t entirely sure of. Twice now she’d seen the dragons out flying in the sky. Monstrous was what they were. They looked as if they could crush a large house without much trouble. Seeing them from far below, Sara did wonder where they hid when there were people around. Smiling, she remembered the ridiculous story Davidson had told her about the dragons being men. There was no way a man as large as the dragons were could go around unnoticed by the public.

  When she heard the door unlock on the outside of her room, she stood up, determined to tell Kelly that she wasn’t a child and there was no reason for her to be locked in her room like she was. Opening the door, the other woman was just down the hall, close enough for Sara to be able to speak to her.

  “You lock me in at night. Why is that?” Kelly turned and smiled at her without answering. “Are you a simpleton? I asked you a question. I demand that you no longer lock me in this room every night that I’m here.”

  While the other woman didn’t move, Sara found herself up in the air and slammed against the wall in the bedroom she’d been staying in. When suddenly the door locked from the outside again, Sara screamed. This was no way to treat a guest.

  No matter how many times she pounded on the door or tried to break it down, nothing would work. Even using some of her magic didn’t even put a gouge in the door, nor the wallpaper on either side of it. Blast after blast of magic only wore her out rather than doing a damned thing to the room.

  Jumping on the bed, tearing the blankets and sheets off it, she screamed at Kelly, telling her what she’d been doing. But as soon as she got off the bed to look at the destruction she’d created, the room would go back to its pristine condition. Even the ripped sheets were as perfect as they’d been before.

  “Mother fuckers. Let me the fuck out of here.” The door opened, and before she could go out, she saw a bag, the same one that she’d brought with her, sitting out in the hall. Picking it up, Sara tossed it back in the room only to have it come at her at a high rate of speed and knock her off her feet. Sitting up, she looked at the man laughing at her. “You won’t think this is so funny when I sue you for harming me.”

  Devon laughed harder, the prick. “I believe you are right. I’m sure that I’ll find it much funnier. I believe this is my wife’s way of telling you that you’ve overstayed your welcome. I can’t say that I’ll miss you, because you’ve been nothing but a pain in the ass since you arrived. Do not lie to me.” The compulsion nearly took her breath away, it was so strong. “What did you do to Davidson?”

  Biting her lips until she could taste the blood didn’t stop her from answering Devon. “I knocked him around enough, then I left him for dead. I’m sure that he is by now. Killing him didn’t even make me break a sweat.” Devon told her not to lie to him again. “He hurt me more than I hurt him. But I finally got him in the end. He now lies on his floor, dead as any ghosties that you might know of.”

  “As a matter of fact, I know a few ghosties, as you call them. They’re very good people once you get to know them.” She said that he lied. “I don’t lie, and why would I even bother with someone as insignificant as you? You’re not even worth the dirt on my shoes.”

  The big dog that had been trailing behind Kelly for the last several days came down the hall and sat at Devon’s feet. When she tried to get the dog to come to her, to hurt him in some way, he barked at her and showed his teeth.

  “Even my dog knows that you’re not worth getting all hot and bothered about.” With a short whistle, one that she thought he’d directed at her, Devon and the dog went past her and down the stairs. Devon was laughing hard at something, and she thought it was her.

  Picking up her bag, she stomped her way down the stairs and into the kitchen. It was devoid of anyone, and the big bowl of fruit that was forever there was gone as well. Sara made her way to the refrigerator, and was ready to open it up when Snow, the cook, appeared in front of her.

  “You scared me. What the hell do you mean by popping in and out of the room like you own it?” Snow only watched her with her hand wrapped tightly around a rolling pin. “What do you think you’re going to do with that? You’ll never survive hitting me with that, if that’s what you have in mind.”

  “You think not? Well, we’ll just see about that, now won’t we?” Holding the rolling pin in one hand and pounding her other with the roller, Snow moved two steps toward her, forcing her to walk two back. “You were told that you’ve been here too long. You’ll need to move on; no one wants you here.”

  “I go where I wish. Neither you nor anyone in this house can force me to go anywhere I don’t want to go.”

  The next thing she knew, Sara found herself outside the house at the end of the driveway. The man there, the guard, had his hand on his gun as he closed the gates she’d been bounced from.

  “What is the meaning of this? Wait until I tell Kelly and her husband how I’ve been treated.”

  “They told us to rid the house of the vermin. That would be you, in the event you didn’t understand. Now, if I was you, I’d get my skinny ass out of this town and never return. You’re no longer welcome here.” She started for the gate. “Come on then, if you want to t
ake me on.”

  He was suddenly a tiger, an enormous tiger with his fur sticking up from his back. Not taking her eyes off the monster, she backed her way across the street and down a bit before taking off at a run. They were going to pay. All of them, they were going to pay.

  “As soon as I get my books I’m going to turn you all into dragons and let the army kill you off as food.” She didn’t turn to look to see if the tiger was still after her. She could hear his roars and his nails clipping on the road as she took off. “I’ll get them back. I swear it.”

  Chapter 3

  Connor woke up to the sound of voices. He didn’t move, not wanting to startle anyone, especially Rocky, while she had a heated conversation with a ghost. It didn’t appear to be going well, and he was almost sure that someone, the ghost, wasn’t going to be around much longer if he kept telling Rocky she was wrong.

  Like the question he’d asked her about what Sara had done to her, Rocky hadn’t said anything about her being his mate. They had argued, a great deal as a matter of fact. But to him it had been eye opening. She looked like she could have bashed his head in and not thought another thing about it. However, Connor was careful not to tell her how much he was enjoying watching her get pissed off.

  It wasn’t anything that was earthshattering. Connor had only asked her if she’d come to his home and live there with him. He’d not meant to imply that she’d be in his bed, but she’d gone off the handle so quickly and so prettily that he’d kept at the topic until she finally just went to bed.

  There was only the one room in the place, if you didn’t count the smallest bathroom that he’d ever seen. A table was in front of the couch that he’d slept on. The one chair doubled as a desk chair. The computer that sat on the one end of the desk was old—probably one of the first, judging by the weight of the thing.

  The kitchen area had a small refrigerator, a tiny sink, and one cabinet. Her clothes were hanging over her bed on a chain, and she had all her other things stuffed into a basket that sat outside the bathroom. No door on the bathroom either.

  “You have to listen to me. I’m not sure that you understand.” Rocky told the man that he was the one that didn’t understand. “I do. I’m not dead yet. I’m a young man. I exercise every day. I eat healthy. I’m not dead.”

  “Okay. If you say so. But if you’re not dead, then what the fuck are you doing in my house at six in the morning?” He shrugged. “That’s not an answer, in the event that you didn’t know that. It’s a lazy way of saying that you don’t give two fucks. You’re dead, moron. You were jogging on a path and someone hit you with their bike. Another health nut, I guess. You hit your head and it killed you. Bam, just like that, you’re a corpse.”

  “You’re very rude. And the reason I came here is because I wanted to. There was no pull, or whatever you called it, to have me visit you.” She asked him how he’d gotten in. “Through the door.”

  “Yes, that’s right. You came right through the door into my home.” She glanced at Connor when he stifled a laugh. “Do you have something to add to this conversation? Because I’m finished. I’ve been talking to this dead man for the last two hours. He won’t believe me.”

  “What’s your name?” The man, really a very young looking guy, seemed to not know his own name. “Okay, while that is stewing in your brain, what is the last thing you remember? Before showing up here?”

  “I was running.” He looked down at his clothing that was scuffed now. Ghosts didn’t see what they didn’t remember. “Where did this come from?”

  “As you begin to remember things, like the fact that you were running, other things will start to show on your body. Such as, you were running, and if I don’t miss my bet, you remember falling at some point.” He nodded. “So, in that memory, you see now that your pants are dirty. From the fall. What else do you remember?”

  “Pain. Then I woke up.” He looked at Rocky. “See? I woke up. I’m not dead, because I woke up.”

  “You woke up dead.” Connor cleared his throat when Rocky looked like she was going to murder the dead man. When Rocky stood up, he realized that she was wearing a man’s shirt, and that was all. “I’m taking a shower. You can deal with this. But I want him out of here before I come back. You’re dead.”

  With that parting shot, she left the two of them there and headed to the bathroom. He could hear her mumbling about too many people taking up her space. It was all Connor could do not to laugh. But he didn’t think she’d like that anymore than she did the dead man in her living room area.

  “I don’t remember my name. Is it because I hit my head?” Connor told him that was part of it. “She’s sort of intense, isn’t she? I mean, she only got that way after the first hour. But she didn’t want to believe me when I told her that I’m not dead.”

  “Ah, but you are. I can see you as you were when you passed on. You have a scrape on your nose. Your lips are both busted open. Shall I go on?” The man nodded. “Your forehead is raw, and I can see your skull there. One of your eyes is hanging from the socket. Also, and I would imagine that was what killed you, your neck is broken. So is your left arm and your leg, and there is a long gash in your abdomen. I would say that was from the pavement.”

  “What about the stupid person that hit me? I do hope that they died as well.” Connor said nothing. One of the rules they were told immediately after death was that they couldn’t do harm or wish harm on someone else. “Tell me, damn it. What happened to them? Did they die? I hope so. I surely do. I had my life planned out. I was going to be a great attorney and have a beautiful wife. I was going to be something. Elliot Craven was going to be someone.”

  “You are. You’re dead.” Connor stood up and stared at the man. “You know that you’re dead now, so it’s time that you move on. If you don’t then I will move you, and it will be much harder on you if you don’t do that on your own.”

  “You can’t do this to me.” Connor only stood there, his body hard in anger. “What the fuck do you know anyway? Sleeping here on this couch while your wife sleeps in the bed. What’s wrong with you? Couldn’t get it up? That’s it, isn’t it? You’re nothing but a big steroid taking jackass that talks to the dead. Well, fuck you. I’m going to find out on my own, and if they only have a little nick on their elbow, I’m going to make their life a living hell.”

  “Be gone.” Connor turned to see Rocky when she spoke. Elliot was gone, his body pulled through the other side like a large bubble through a tiny hole. “He would have done just what he said too, don’t you think?”

  “Yes. I was going to do it, but I’m glad that you did.” She was standing there with only a towel on, her hair still soapy from the shampoo. “Are you all right?”

  Instead of answering him, she turned and went back into the bathroom. When the water turned on again—he’d not heard it turn off—he sat down. Connor felt like he’d just run a marathon, a fifty mile one. Completely uphill.

  Getting dressed was easier by just willing clothing on himself. There wasn’t any room for him to change in the tiny space—not to mention, he didn’t know how long he’d have to wait on a shower. Just the thought of going into a stall that she’d been in made him think all kinds of things. But thinking of those things now would not only get him into trouble, but he was reasonably sure that Rocky would murder him. Or at least give it her best shot.

  By the time she came out of the bathroom, he’d had one of his faeries bring them not only some food, but drinks as well. The refrigerator was a college sized one, but with the magic that was now in it, it would be full all the time. Connor also put a beef roast into the oven to have for dinner.

  Not knowing how long he’d be there, or for that matter how long she’d allow him to stay, Connor decided to hedge his bet. He had flowers on the end of the table he thought she used for eating. Also, he had brought in some extra dishware, as she only had the one bowl and a fork. He wonder
ed how close she was to poverty.

  When she came to sit down at the table, he put a plate of food in front of her—eggs and bacon with toast—and sat down to join her. She didn’t hesitate in drinking down the glass of juice, and that told Connor that she was much like him when they banished ghosts. It took a great deal out of them.

  “We should talk.” Connor waited for her to say more, but she only picked up her fork before continuing. “I’m dirt poor, so I know that all this shit was from you. I don’t need your charity.”

  “It’s not. I made this happen because I’m hungry, and you only had enough for you to eat. Or me. I didn’t want to be selfish.” She nodded. “Are we going to talk about us being mates?”

  “Not if you want to live, we’re not.” He told her that since they’d touched, she was an immortal like he was. “Oh goody. Now I get to do this for all of eternity. Thank you ever so much for that, jackass.”

  “Are you this caustic to everyone, or just me?” Rocky glared at him, and Connor laughed. “I don’t want to make you pissier, though I’m not sure how that would work, but I don’t find you the least bit intimidating. You’re adorable when you do that.”

  “Fuck off.” He laughed again. “I’ve been on my own for far too long to want something else to have to deal with. I don’t have money, so I’m guessing that meat that you put in the oven is to impress me. It doesn’t. While I can’t wait to eat it, if your plan is to soften me up to get laid, then you’re far stupider than that idiot that was here this morning.”

  “Why would you think that I’d be something that you’d have to deal with?” When Rocky didn’t answer, he nodded. “All right. You have money now, should you want it. I have more than enough for the two of us for the rest of our days. I didn’t put the roast in the oven to impress you, but I figured, and it seems I was correct, that we’d be burning off a great deal of energy with you being pissed at me all the time, and thought we could use the extra protein. Unless you have in mind other ways to burn off energy.”