by Leela Ash
“Because he’s a worthless alcoholic, that’s why. She’s afraid if I come home I’ll rock the boat. She says things have been better with him lately. It’s what she always says before they get unbearable again.”
The tears began to spill in earnest and Clark quickly gathered Carmen up in his arms. She couldn’t help but take comfort in the feeling of his strong arms around her, as if he would be willing to protect her from anything. But the pain she was feeling was inside. Not even Clark’s strength could take that threat away. It was always inside of her.
“I’ll tell you what,” Clark said, his deep voice rumbling in her ear. “You can call this your home, for the summer or for however long you want it. All right? I don’t know what made you think I wanted you out of my hair, but I get it. Things probably feel as awkward for you as they do for me. But we can be adults about this, right?”
Carmen nodded miserably against Clark’s broad chest and he kissed her on the cheek, his stubble scraping against her as he pulled away.
“I don’t want you to go anywhere. Not unless this town goes to shit. Then I want you and Rachel to take off somewhere safe while I do my best to take care of it. Understand?”
“Yeah,” Carmen whispered.
“Good,” Clark said, smiling down at her. “I don’t want you to ever feel like you’re not wanted, all right? Your daddy sounds like a fuckin’ moron, if you ask me. And your mom’s too lovesick to see it. You’re better off keeping your distance. Things like that have a way of sucking you in and making you feel like you’re not good enough.”
Clark stretched, swiping a tear off of Carmen’s cheek with a finger.
“Cheer up, honey. It’s all going to be fine.”
And with that, he stood and left the room, leaving Carmen in a daze on the couch behind him.
15.
It had taken just about all Clark had not to demand Carmen’s address from Rachel so he could go up there himself to give her useless parents a piece of his mind. He paced furiously back and forth in his room, imagining just what he would say to them.
As a parent, he took this kind of thing even more personally. He had given up everything to take care of Rachel after her mother had died. Everything. But there were still people out there who wouldn’t do shit for their kids. Even let them visit home when they wanted to. What the hell was wrong with humans?
But it wasn’t just humans, Clark had to remind himself. There were plenty of shifters who resented their pups so much they’d as soon let them starve as feed them. Nature was cruel, and sometimes, precious things were gifted to those who would never be able to fully appreciate them. It was a harsh fact of life.
Still, it was wrong. Plain and simple. Anyone who could put that pain on the face of such a pure, innocent person deserved whatever misery came to them. He growled in frustration, clenching his fists into tight balls. What he wouldn’t give to…
“Clark?”
“Missy? What the hell are you doing here?” Clark asked, shocked by the sudden appearance of the woman he usually hoped to forget.
“Sorry, your daughter’s friend let me in. She is a cute little thing, don’t you think?”
Missy’s eyes flashed knowingly at him and Clark’s heart hammered in his chest. Missy had always been a sharp one, especially when it came to the women Clark was interested in. It was almost like she could smell the girls on him, or him on them.
“Poor thing’s having a hard time with her parents,” Clark said quickly. “It’s hard to see a young thing suffer like that.”
The rage filled Clark’s chest again and Missy raised her eyebrows.
“I see,” she said.
“Why are you here?” Clark asked, a little bit more gruffly than he had meant to. Still, it was strange to have her here, in his bedroom, in the place where he and Carmen had…especially when Missy was looking at him with such disapproval.
“Well, David and I were talking and he felt you might need to speak with someone who has a little more…sway.”
“Oh really?”
Missy smiled tightly. “I guess neither of us knew that person would have to be a little girl that your daughter brought home from school.”
“Know your place in my home,” Clark growled, his eyes flashing. “And get to the point before I escort you the hell out of here.”
“That’s the thing now, isn’t it?” Missy asked, her eyes roaming Clark. “You don’t have a place here anymore. Just like everybody else. We’re getting kicked out of our own territory, Clark. It’s happening more and more every day. When are you going to stand up to these outsiders and do something about it?”
“What can I do about it? Lobos told me to stand down! And if I don’t, who knows what will happen? Don’t you remember the last time I meddled in higher affairs? How many people died?”
Missy grew somber. “Yes. I lost my parents in the craze. You lost your wife. But you do understand that there is a time and a place to step in, and just as you did then, that time is now.”
“I’m not going to risk any more lives. If you don’t like that, you should just leave me the hell alone about it. Do you understand?”
Missy sighed, and backed up toward the door.
“I thought you were different, Clark. I get that you were grieving, and I even get having a crush on that cute little girl out there. But I will never understand what will compel you to keep your head down.”
“Missy…”
“All right, I’m leaving. But David is organizing a meeting that he wanted me to invite you to at his place tonight. It’s very hush-hush, word of mouth, you know. If you don’t get involved, the pack is going to take matters into their own hands. And you know that’s going to be much more dangerous than if you took care of things yourself.”
Clark was startled by the news, but he supposed it made sense. He had been dishonored in front of them, after all. As far as they knew, he held little to no rank in the pack as he once had. Still, the news was infuriating, and Clark wasn’t very happy at the messenger, either.
“Good bye, Missy.”
Missy opened her mouth as if to say something else, but she seemed to think better of it.
“Good bye, Clark. Good luck with your temptress.”
Clark growled and Missy laughed bitterly as she closed the bedroom door behind herself.
He waited until he heard the engine of her car start and leave his property before he allowed himself to move again. So everybody was trying to do their own thing and get involved. The outsiders had made that much of an impact already?
It wasn’t that he was surprised by the news, exactly, but more surprised that the others had jumped the gun without Clark’s go-ahead. Usually, they consulted him during these types of matters, and sure, they had been asking him to get involved over the past few months. But organizing a meeting without his permission? One he was invited to rather than conducting? That was kind of a hit to his pride.
He would just have to go to the meeting and find out exactly what was on their minds. It was for their own good. Hopefully, his sway over them hadn’t lessened because of his change in rank and he would be able to talk some sense into them before things got really ugly.
***
“Clark! You made it!” David exclaimed. “Have some punch!”
“Punch…?”
Clark suddenly had a drink in his hand and he was being led through a huge crowd of people. They swarmed around him as they began to realize who he was, and he was met with shouts of, “Clark!” and “He’s here! He’s here!”
Clark sighed deeply. It wasn’t as if he knew what to do. He just wanted to make sure that this little resistance meeting didn’t result in something more than his pack could handle.
“I’m glad to see you,” David said, making his way to the little platform he had set up in his living room. He stood on it and looked out at the crowd.
“Ladies, gentlemen, and pups, please give a warm welcome to Clark Thomas!”
The crowd cheered uproariously and C
lark grimaced.
“Although the powers that be may claim that mutt Thames as our leader, let Clark know just what we think of that!”
The crowd booed and jeered passionately, and a few even cursed Thames’ name. It was actually kind of refreshing to feel the amount of unadulterated support that his pack had for him, and Clark smiled out at them broadly, catching Missy’s eye in the crowd. She gave him a tight smile of approval and applauded as well.
“Clark, why don’t you come up here and give everyone a few words before we get started tonight. I promised this as a way for everybody to voice their concerns, and I think, maybe more than anybody, you have some concerns we all need to hear.”
Clark was surprised by David’s words, and in truth, he hadn’t thought of anything to say yet.
“I couldn’t…” he said, but he was already being led helplessly onto the little platform and before long, he was looking out over the familiar faces of his pack, his heart constricting in his chest. He couldn’t let any danger befall these people. They were his world.
“I know most of you remember what happened so many years ago. It’s been almost two decades, now. Corruption had leaked into our ranks, just as it’s doing now, and I made some rash, foolish choices that led to a lot of bloodshed.”
The crowd was silent, and Clark forced himself to continue.
“I’ve regretted every day, every moment since then, the way I acted before I thought. It cost the lives of some very valuable people, my own wife included.”
“But we won!” someone in the crowd shouted, and everybody began to cheer again. Clark frowned deeply. It had never felt like much of a victory to him.
“Still, there were casualties where there could have been none. I didn’t think things through. So I’m here to implore you, no matter how difficult the obstacles ahead may seem, not to do anything rash and unreasonable. Do not put your lives on the line unless there is absolutely no other choice. Do not take positions you are not meant to have, or lead when you are meant to follow. Listen to me, and listen to David, and we will give you a careful plan of attack. Don’t do anything reckless. I guess…just don’t be like me.”
Clark left the stage abruptly, and the crowd was silent. He left the room as the meeting continued, but he could feel all eyes on him as he retreated to the doorway. It had been hard to tell them how he felt, why he hadn’t gotten involved before now, but hopefully, the pack would understand and do whatever they could to stay out of harm’s way. If only he knew what to do to keep it that way.
16.
“Mm, I smell a virgin. A human! And a healthy one.”
Carmen’s heart thudded hard in her chest when a grating voice spoke behind her. She dropped the milk into her shopping cart without turning around, immediately regretting her choice to go out alone. She had decided to run out and get some groceries before Clark returned, and had borrowed the truck after securing Rachel’s groggy permission.
“Don’t talk to me,” she said as firmly as possible, but her voice wavered. The man cackled.
“You’ll do nicely. Yes…”
“I said don’t –”
Carmenwhipped around to face the man, and was shocked to find that there was nobody there.
“I must be losing my mind,” Carmen mumbled to herself, taking her cart to the checkout lane. She hadn’t gotten everything on her list, but she was too spooked to stay out any longer. Why was it that the only safe place for her in this town seemed to be Clark’s house? And even there, the dark, looming, sexual threat he posed was not to be overlooked.
“Miss! I said $17.80! Where is your mind at?”
Carmen blinked in surprise. She hadn’t even heard the cashier the first time.
“Sorry,” she mumbled, digging the exact change out of her purse.
“Mm-hm,” the cashier replied, refusing to meet her eye.
Nobody seemed to be a big fan of humans in this town. That, or everybody was under a lot of stress due to the shift in power favoring the outsiders. The shifters liked them even less than they liked humans.
“Have a nice day,” the cashier said mechanically as Carmen took her bags. She smiled half-heartedly and walked briskly to the truck, tossing the bags in the passenger’s seat. She couldn’t wait to get home.
“Here she is,” the same unnerving voice said from behind her.
“What-”
Hands were suddenly over her mouth and a strong arm wrapped itself around her torso. Carmen tried her best to scream. The sound was muffled and ineffective, and no matter how hard she struggled, she couldn’t free herself.
“Oh, Thames will be pleased with this one.”
A sudden piercing pain invaded Carmen’s neck and she let out a muffled cry ofanguish. Soon, the world was turning black and Carmen fell into a deep sleep.
***
“Where am I?”
Carmen woke up cold and sore on a sandy surface that smelled of earth. She sat up and pain seared through her head. The whole room was pitch black, and she couldn’t see in front of her at all.
“The underground palace,” a woman’s voice whispered.
“What?!” Carmen’s heart thudded fearfully. “What for?”
“The virgin auction,” another woman’s voice answered.
“You’ve got to be fucking kidding me,” Carmen growled, trying to get to her feet. But a wave of nausea overpowered her and she stayed on the ground.
“No… I heard them talking about it when they brought me here,” the first woman answered. “I guess it’s a gift to the townspeople. An old, outdated custom that died back in the 10th century. But Alexander’s dug it up. He’s Thames’ right hand man, now.”
“That little freak?” the second woman exclaimed.
“Yup. Thames is going to be officially taking over the throne and giving out virgins to bless his reign and the people who support him. It’s such a barbaric ancient custom.”
“So what’s going to happen to us then?” Carmen broke in. She didn’t know Alexander or Thames, but the last thing she needed was to be part of some horrific ritual that would leave her at the mercy of the type of man who would buy a virgin.
“That depends on who buys us, I guess,” the first woman said. “I really don’t know.”
“This day just gets better and better,” Carmen sighed. She couldn’t help but curse her parents. If they had just told her that she could come home, she would be on a train right now heading to Iowa. But no. She was stuck in some dark pit in the underground palace waiting to be auctioned off to the highest bidder. What good was her virginity now? She might as well have given it to Clark when she had the chance.
“Tell me about it,” the second voice said. “I started my period and everything.”
Carmen couldn’t help but laugh before the severity of the situation caught back up to her.
“So why does it have to be so dark in here?” she asked, reaching her hand out in front of her face to test the limits of her vision. “Couldn’t they give us something to work with?”
“They don’t want the guards looking at us with temptation,” the first woman said bitterly. “They might mar the goods.”
Carmen fumed at the idea of her hymen being thought of as a currency by these people. Who the hell did they think they were? They were total pigs.
“So what’s going to happen to King Lobos?” the second woman asked. “Why is he allowing this to happen?”
“Oh, you know the king is an old coot by now. His mind isn’t quite right. He’s just doing what his advisers tell him to do. They were probably paid off or something by the outsiders. I don’t know what they’re playing at but I don’t like it at all. They’re taking shifter society back into the dark ages.”
“You know, I read in my anthropology course about rogue shifters like these ones,” Carmen said, her mind suddenly reeling back to her studies. “They might not even be wolf shifters at all, but another type entirely. It’s easier and less obvious than flat out warfare, and they use ma
nipulation to secure territory for themselves and their clans. Do you think…”
“The Grizzlies!” the other two women gasped in unison.
“I can’t believe this is happening,” the first woman groaned. “I should have just stayed home today.”
“Try not to worry,” Carmen said, Clark’s image strong in her mind. “We’re going to be all right. I know somebody who is working on taking care of this. Don’t give up hope yet.”
The other women grunted and fell silent as all three of them contemplated the bleak future ahead of them.
“Come on, Clark,” Carmen begged silently. “I know you can do this.”
17.
“Dad, have you seen Carmen?”
Clark had just walked through the door when Rachel approached him. Her face was wrought with worry.
“No, I thought she was here. Why?”
“I’ve been trying to call her to ask if she wanted to go out with Bobby and Greg and I, but I can’t reach her.”
Clark darkened. He really didn’t like Greg or the way he looked at Carmen.
“No. And why do you still hang out with Greg? He’s an asshole.”
Rachel grinned.
“It’s been ten years since he broke my fragile little heart, dad. You need to learn to let things go.”
Clark was silent.
“Seriously, though, I’m worried about Carmen. I told her she could take the truck because she wanted to make us dinner tonight, but she’s been gone for hours and I can’t reach her. Do you think something might have happened to her?”
“Maybe Greg found her before you did,” Clark said bitterly. The idea of Carmen hanging out with that little arrogant slimeball made his blood boil, and he was ready to drop the subject.
“Get real, dad. She can’t stand him. I’m seriously worried!”
“Hm…all right. Want to go with me to check the grocery store then?”
The note of concern in Rachel’s voice brought the matter home to him. Carmen was missing. It wasn’t like her to take off without coming back, especially if she had something that didn’t belong to her, like the truck.