by Maia Starr
Eliza had to constantly shake the dirty thoughts out of her mind. Sure, it had been years since her last relationship, but that didn’t excuse the kind of thinking she was engaging in.
But she couldn’t help it. Every look of his heavy and dark chestnut eyes sent shivers up her spine, and his easy, casual smile caused her to suck a little too hard on her bendy straw. Even the handshake had been erotic for her, the strength he was holding back similar to Gabriel’s, yet stronger, she sensed. It felt like Eliza was in the presence of a celebrity with how much her palms sweated. Her foot tapped the ground incessantly, though no one else seemed to notice.
It’s like he’s a king in the way he carries himself, sauntering in to mingle with us peasants.
Even after being chewed out by Jesse for his dirty hands, he’d gone to the restroom to wash off, coming back and flipping his long, dark brown hair like some kind of surfer. She couldn’t stop staring at him.
“So you said you want to be a doctor, right?” Ethan said. “How’s that going so far?”
“As well as it could be!” she said, beaming so bright, Jesse and the professor chuckled at her reaction. “Professor Allard is a wonderful teacher. It’s only the first day, and I’m already smitten with his teaching style.”
“Woah, woah! Slow down there, Eliza,” the professor said. “I’m taken, just so you know.”
A round of laughing and Ethan caught her eyes once again. A wave of desire surged within her body, and she quickly crossed her legs to cut the flow. She couldn’t get like that here, in a restaurant. Not in public! Besides, she barely knew Ethan. He might already be in a relationship...or maybe he could be like those stalkers. “What about you?” she found herself blurting out.
Ethan paused. “Me? What about me?”
“Are you taken, like Professor Allard?”
He smiled. “Nope. I’m so single my pockets still jingle.”
Jesse rolled his eyes. “What a terrible joke.”
“I’d like to see you do better, bear.”
Bear? “Why did you call him a bear?” Eliza asked.
Ethan swung his gaze back to her. “Because he smells like one. Doesn’t he? Here, lean close and get a good whiff. You’ll understand.”
“What? No, you don’t have to do that, Eliza.” Jesse turned red, as bright as a tomato. “But I’m single too. If you’re wondering…”
It was then the door front door to the restaurant slammed open, banging against the wall, causing every head in every booth to crane back and peer at the hunched man waddling inside. Draped in dark clothes, with hands stuffed in his pockets, the man looked around, his slitted eyes landing directly on Eliza’s, brightening. With a deadly smile, the man began to saunter over, his short gait off-kilter and throwing a sense of unease as he stopped directly in front of her, like Ethan had just ten minutes ago. Whispered conversations resumed within the restaurant as the stranger continued to look at her, his smile growing.
Wait, haven’t I seen him before? Somewhere in Salem? And then it dawned on her...that man had been, and still was, one of the ones following her. She suddenly felt the need to gulp down half a glass of water.
“Can we help you?” Professor Allard said, his voice thicker than Eliza had heard it before. She turned to spy the narrowed look on the professor’s face, and it was another couple seconds before it hit her that both Ethan and Jesse were completely silent, eyes scrunched together and locked on the man looming over her. Each gave off a threatening aura, an air that made her shiver like crazy.
“I just wanted to meet the new girl in town,” the man said, angling his head to look at the professor, and then glancing back to her. “You are the one, right? The new girl? I heard you moved in a few days ago.”
“Yes, I’m new around here,” Eliza murmured, and then laughed nervously. “Boy, people really do know when someone new comes to live in Salem, don’t they? I must be big news right now…”
Silence followed her statement, with no one reacting, save the man who still loomed over her. “What’s your name?”
“Eliza.”
“I’m Seth. I know this is kind of forward of me...but want to have dinner with me?”
“I’m sorry?”
“Dinner. With me. How about tonight?”
There was something about the way the man spoke. Just like his gait, it was awkward, not as fluid as it should have been. She couldn't shake the uneasy feeling that came with his voice. And to just up and ask her for dinner immediately after introducing himself? She supposed it wasn’t so weird...but she was in the presence of two other men. An extremely forward stalker, then. For all he knew, she could have already been asked out for dinner that night, yet he didn’t seem like the type to back down.
Eliza realized she paused in her answer and turned to look up at the man. “I’m sorry, but I have plans tonight.”
“Tomorrow night then? Or maybe the night after that? I’m pretty much always free.”
“Hey, buddy, she’s not interested,” Ethan suddenly said, his voice booming around the restaurant, causing the conversations to die again. All eyes glanced between her, Ethan, and Seth. “Take a hint and screw off.”
“There’s no need to be rude,” Seth said, his smile evident that he was eating Ethan’s tone up. “I was asking politely, wasn’t I?”
“Oh dear, look at the time!” Professor Allard suddenly said, his eyes fixed on the golden watch he wore around his wrist. “That shop I was telling you about is almost closed, Eliza! If we want to go, we need to rush over now. If you would please move, Ethan—”
“What, hey—”
But it was too late. The professor had shouldered Ethan out of the booth and nearly shouldered Seth too, though the man was deft enough to step out of the way as Professor Allard grabbed her wrist and pulled her out of the booth.
“I’ll pay you back for the meal, Ethan!” he called as he rushed Eliza out of the restaurant. Ethan was shouting something, and so was Jesse, but the last thing Eliza saw was the grin on Seth’s wolf-like face. And that grin scared her.
“Wait!” Eliza said as the professor pulled her onto the street. “What shop? Where are you taking me? Did we discuss this before? I don’t remember.”
Professor Allard stopped when they were far enough away from the restaurant and put a single finger up to his lips. “Please, enough with the shrieking or some people may get the wrong idea. I decided to drag you away, of course, because whatever was about to happen between the three men in there wasn’t going to be pretty, and it certainly wasn’t something you needed to be a part of.”
Eliza gulped as he let go of her wrists. “Who was that guy?”
The professor stared at her. “You’ve heard the rumors about the shapeshifters, right?” she nodded. “And the ones about the kidnappings?” she nodded twice. “Well, I’m not one to make those rumors worse...but Seth, there, may have been behind some of those kidnappings.”
Eliza stared at, unblinking. “You’re joking.”
“I wish I were. In any event, I suggest you stay away from him.”
Chapter Nine
Ethan
Ethan watched in frustration as Gabriel snatched Eliza away from all three of them and burst out of the front door, vanishing from sight, Eliza’s last look of confusion like a dagger to Ethan’s heart.
Seth whistled as they watched her leave. “And there she goes.” Swinging back to stare directly into Ethan’s eyes, the wolf shifter raised a brow. “You weren’t in on that little getaway, were you? Poor you.”
“Be quiet.”
“You want me to be quiet? Well, you’re gonna have to rip my tongue out for that.”
But Ethan wasn’t listening now, instead, in his anger, he grabbed Seth by the collar and bared his teeth at the shifter. Seth didn’t seem the least perturbed, his knowing, wolf-like smile spread wide and his dark eyes staring directly back into Ethan’s. Jesse rose quickly and placed a hand on Ethan’s shoulder. “Woah, I don’t like him either, but d
on’t do anything you’ll regret just yet, Ethan.”
He swung to the bear shifter. “Don’t you tell me what to do either, bear!”
“Well you can’t blame me if something goes seriously wrong here, you hot-headed dragon,” Jesse whispered back. Whispered, because the entire restaurant was still watching them. Dozens of eyes, all pointed in their direction, watching with bated breath to see whether a fight would break out or not. A mother near the entrance hurried her two children out the door as she gave Ethan the stink eye, leaving him to awkwardly simmer with Seth’s shirt still tightly held in his fist.
“So?” Seth asked. “Are you gonna nail me in the face or what?”
Ethan stared at him for another moment, and then shoved Seth backward. Most people would have fallen onto their asses, but Seth managed to stay upright, even following Ethan as he made his way to the door.
“Hey, don’t just leave!” Jesse called back. “I’m not paying the entire bill myself!”
“I’ll pay you back later, like Gabriel said,” Ethan called back. And then he was out the door and into the sunlight. A flurry of steps followed him, only deepening his annoyance.
“My, my, you’re just as interesting as Eliza is, now aren’t you?” Seth said, the man’s breath hitting Ethan’s neck.
Ethan whirled on the man. “Why are you following me, wolf?”
“Because I want to talk to the new Cave Dragon alpha; why else?” Seth’s grin remained. “Specifically about her.”
“You mean Eliza.”
“Yes, exactly. Have you claimed her yet?”
Snorting, Ethan turned and sauntered away. “It has nothing to do with you. She has nothing to do with you.”
“Not yet, anyway…”
“You don’t seem to understand, Seth. I know who you are. Former member of Dax’s tight-knit group, kidnapped women left and right. Because of you, those rumors are still lingering around Salem.” He glared back at the wolf shifter. “Meaning I have enough reason to put you in the ground right here and now.”
The wolf shifter cackled. “So why don’t you? If it’s so easy for you…”
Ethan thought for a moment, his feral inner dragon creating a ruckus inside his chest again. The pounding made his head hurt, and he almost let loose right there and then. But no, he couldn't shift here, not in the middle of Salem. That was stupid, childlike. He wouldn’t be dragged around by his emotions. So instead, he stopped in an empty little park where no one else seemed to be around. He turned and eyed the shifter, crossed his arms.
“Because I’m not a murderer, Seth. But if you do anything to Eliza or anyone I know, then it won’t be murder anymore. It’ll be justice.”
Seth’s grin subsided for a moment, leaving Ethan off guard, but then the smile returned. “Whatever helps you sleep at night, I guess. Killing is killing, Ethan, whether you like it or not.”
“I’m sure you know all about it.”
“More than you think, dragon.”
“A wolf shouldn’t concern himself with a dragon, Seth. You Gray Rock Wolves are teetering on the edge right now. Dax and the rest of your friends were killed off by Jesse’s new alpha, so maybe it would be a good idea to try not to go around trying to pick up women like nothing happened.”
Now Seth snarled. “So the rest of us aren’t allowed to find happiness now, is that it? Don’t you think that’s a bit much?”
“If you’ve changed, then yes. But I’m guessing you haven’t.”
Seth began to circle him, probably a habit the shifter couldn’t break. “A little judgmental, are we? Kyle was a lot more levelheaded when we fought him. He didn’t insult as much as you are right now. I like him better, I think.”
Ethan wanted nothing more than to smack the shifter and send him flying. Rage was building up inside of him, like an inferno of power that just wanted to be released. He began to count the seconds in his head in an effort to keep himself from blacking out to the pain that came with the rage. “Do your people have a new alpha yet? It’s been a while since Dax was killed…”
Seth grunted, finally finishing his circling. “No...but now that I think about, I wouldn’t mind becoming alpha.”
“And how would you get your people to accept you again?”
“By pulling off something they never could have dreamed of, something that not even Dax could do...kill a dragon.”
Ethan straightened, his focus returning and danger instinct going off. Seth smiled and shrugged at his reaction. “I’m kidding, Ethan. Kidding! You dragon shifters are always so serious when it comes to life and death. You need to chill out.”
“And you need to learn when you’re pushing things too far…”
“But you aren’t willing to be a murderer, right?” Seth sneered. “Well, not that it matters. Eliza is still single. We’re both mateless. Let’s make this a fun contest, yeah?”
“There won’t be any damn contest.” Turning on his heel, Ethan began to walk away again. If he was in this man’s presence for any longer, he might very well lose his mind.
“That’s if you can stay sane long enough to get her! You might very well be too late!” Seth called.
Ethan ignored the wolf shifter, Seth’s confidence startling him more than anything else. Dammit! Ethan finally found her, his mate! And now not only did Jesse have an eye on her, but some stinking wolf shifter did too...Ethan didn’t like this at all. Something needed to change, and quickly. Ethan needed to act.
A thought crossed his mind then, as he made his way back to the metalsmithing building. The thought disgusted him momentarily, but after musing on it, he decided to go through with it. If Seth were on her trail, then so were other shifters. Bad ones. Eliza needed to be kept safe.
He just hoped she wouldn’t come to hate him for what he was about to do.
Chapter Ten
Eliza
Life couldn’t have gone any better for Eliza at the moment. Or at least, she couldn’t have asked for more out of her move to Salem.
The first few days had been lifeless, boring, with only her wandering in Salem bringing some excitement. Salem was a beautiful town in her eyes, but only so far as it was more natural than other towns and cities were. Even so, she’d loved it.
Soon after, classes had started at Salem University, and things had gone from just lovely to pure ecstasy in a way. Professor Allard was as quick-witted as she’d hoped he was, as observant and wise and smart enough to lay everything he knew out in a way made easier for her to understand. Eliza knew she’d never come to regret her decision to arrive in this small town simply because she got to work under the great, weathered Professor Gabriel Allard.
And then there was Jesse, her first friend from Salem. Eliza had entertained the idea that it would be a while before she developed a decent friendship, given the strange, awkward looks most of the other students under Gabriel had thrown her way the first day, but Jesse had immediately made her feel welcome with that warm smile of his. And he knew Gabriel personally, the best of coincidences! Sure, it was obvious that Jesse seemed to want more from her, but she’d done her best to push him away without stinging his feelings gently. And he’d realized her efforts to dissuade him, and either didn’t care or understood and stayed by her side anyway, which she would have appreciated.
And finally, there was Ethan.
Ethan was amazing! From the moment she’d caught his eyes dark, brooding eyes, Eliza had felt the rush of her heart, the heat swirling in her chest like it did when she had been in high school, staring at her crush from across the room. Rippling muscles bulged from the soft fabric that just barely clung to his tanned, hot skin. His smile, hard yet daring, drew her in and made her weak-kneed all of the two times she’d seen him. Except this time was different. It was more than a simple, outright desire for him: there was a deeper want.
She wanted to know him. And she had just the right opportunity to do it.
“A date,” Eliza whispered quietly, her lips curling into a small, dopey smile. She gr
inned and stared into the mirror, her red lips full, her makeup all done, leaving her ready to go out that night, save having to choose a dress. A decision that could take Eliza all night if she had had a bigger closet. But instead, she only had the five she’d brought, and she’d spent the past few hours switching between them, her mind unable to decide what Ethan would find more appealing.
Her mind reeled at the thought of making love again after so long, her pulse quickening at the very thought.
Eliza almost couldn’t believe Ethan had asked her on a date so soon, let alone the fact that she might be able to do more than simply stare at his chiseled, hard body. Just earlier that day, she’d somehow bumped into him in Salem, she on her way to class and he on his way to work. It was like a miracle, to suddenly be able to lock eyes with him without the intrusion of others, though it had happened much quicker than she had anticipated.
“Want to go out for dinner tonight?” he had said, his voice cool and smooth and just right. “Maybe get some steaks, go out for a walk afterward...or go for the walk beforehand. Whatever suits you best, Eliza.”
Eliza… It had been the first time he’d uttered her name, and Eliza had thought she melted into a pool of sweat as he looked down on her, eyebrows arched and expectant.
“Of course,” she had answered. “I’d love to go out!”
“Of course,” Eliza said to herself again, her smile growing as she twirled in front of her full mirror. It was as if the words were magical, full of some secret power. Full of desire, putting into her voice all the things she had wanted since she came to Salem. A new start, a career realized, new friends, a boyfriend, maybe one that would become more than just that.
Eliza could imagine it now, picturing her life with Ethan as she studied the ruffles in her skirt, trying to smooth them all out. She and Ethan would date, ideally for a year and half, and then, when the time was right, he’d propose. They’d get married half a year later; everyone she’d left behind would come to see her on her big day.