20 Shades of Shifters: A Paranormal Romance Collection

by Demelza Carlton

Her red lips parted in a smile, showing her perfectly white teeth. “That will be fine. I don’t know why I’m so nervous. It’s only dinner.”

  Barry knew she was trying to convince herself that tonight had no significance to their future. Her normally beautiful blue eyes looked troubled. They had lost some of their usual vitality.

  “You clean up nicely.” Samantha straightened his white shirt’s collar and readjusted his jacket.

  He had put on a tie, afraid the restaurant had a dress code. There were several restaurants he occasionally went to in Denver that required men to wear a tie and jacket. He didn’t want to be responsible for Samantha to be embarrassed in anyway this evening.

  They exited through the front door and Samantha locked it behind them. Two men approached as they walked to Barry’s rental. He had a good idea who the men were, but he still positioned himself between them and his mate.

  “Good evening,” the taller of the two said. They both smelled like cougars. “I’m Officer Jamison and this is Officer Thomas. We will be protecting your property tonight. Alpha Baker asked that we introduce ourselves and become familiar with each other’s scent. We will be as invisible as possible. Please go about your usual routines.”

  “Thank you, Officer Jamison,” Samantha replied. “We are having dinner with Alpha Baker tonight and will let him know you have reported to us.”

  Barry opened the car door for her and Samantha slid into the passenger seat. Her long beautiful legs were visible only to his gaze. Last night they had been wrapped around his waist. Now was not the time to get excited. It was going to be a long evening and he didn’t want to spend it with the alphas and a painful erection.

  The often treacherous roads were easy to drive in the summer, particularly when it was still light. It was probable he would be driving in the dark on the way home. Samantha was unusually quiet sitting beside him. The silence bothered him. He could have turned on the radio, but wanted to engage his mate in conversation.

  “It’s a lovely evening,” he commented. When in doubt, talking about the weather was always a safe topic.

  “Are we really going to talk about the weather?” Samantha replied. “I’m not a china doll who will crack if you bring up a difficult subject. Tonight’s dinner is on both of our minds. It’s silly not to talk about what may happen tonight.”

  He sighed. “Our relationship is so new, I don’t know when to protect you and when to have an open discussion on a topic.”

  “When in doubt, don’t try to protect me. I’ve had to care for myself alone my whole adulthood. Somehow, I’ve managed to get through the good and bad of my life without too many scars.”

  “Yup, you would have been a great alpha,” Barry said. “I used to marvel at you when I was a kid. You seemed fearless. On several occasions growing up, I asked myself what you would have done.”

  “What did you end up doing?”

  “Generally, I fell on my ass,” Barry admitted. “I never had the guts to do what you would have done.”

  “Sometime you are going to have to share the stories, what you thought I’d do, and what you ultimately did.”

  Their conversation made the trip into town go faster than he expected. He drove into the restaurant’s parking lot before they had a chance to share any of his past experiences. He found a parking spot not far from the entrance. Since this was a mixed community, shifters didn’t like valet parking. If the patron was a wolf, they wouldn’t have wanted the scent of a cougar in their car.

  Barry parked the vehicle and ran around to open Samantha’s door. She gracefully rose. Her medium heels brought her to his eye level. He liked directly staring into her eyes. They both seemed more self-assured than they did when they left the house.

  They walked hand-in-hand to the front entrance. He gave their name to the hostess and they were led to the back of the restaurant. Eyes shifted as they made their way to their table. The stares were partially due to the way Samantha looked, but also because news had started to circulate about them. If there were whispers at their backs, he didn’t hear them.

  Tobias Hopkins and Levon Baker rose as they approached the table. Carol Hopkins was seated to her husband’s left. Introductions were made and the two alphas returned to their chairs.

  He heard Samantha let out a loud sigh next to him. The hostess handed them both a heavy menu. With one eye he reviewed the menu, with the other he watched his mate. She bit her lower lip as she studied the menu.

  “If no one objects, I’ll order two bottles of Cabernet Sauvignon,” Alpha Baker said and flagged down the waiter.

  The alpha ordered a two-hundred-dollar bottle of wine. All of a sudden his tie became more restrictive and he loosened it a bit. He wasn’t sure if this dinner was to “out” his relationship with Samantha or the alphas one-upping each other.

  “Samantha?” he heard a deep male voice behind him. Even through the makeup, he saw her pale at the voice.

  “Ian,” Samantha replied. “When did you get back into town?”

  He turned to examine the male Samantha had her longest relationship with. Ian stood a good six-foot-six and looked mean as hell. His eyes moved between the Bakers and down to him. It was clear Samantha’s former lover was not happy with the company she was keeping. The hairs on the back of his neck stood straight, warning him of danger.

  Chapter 20

  Chills ran up Samantha’s spine at Ian’s voice. What had brought him back to town? He had left after being arrested for violating the restraining order she had against him. After Ian was released, although he made threats against her, the man disappeared from her life.

  He had on a pair of jeans and a black tank top. His tawny hair was shoulder length. Over the years, he hadn’t lost any muscle definition. He was still a beautiful specimen of a man. It was what first attracted her to him. Unfortunately, his disposition wasn’t as lovely as his physical appearance.

  “I still have some friends in town,” Ian growled. “They told me about the company you were keeping. I had to see with my own two eyes.”

  Levon stood and confronted the former member of his pride. “You are not welcome in Eclipse any longer.”

  Ian didn’t back down from Levon’s warning. “It’s a free country. My new alpha and pride would never allow what is happening here to occur.”

  “The restaurant has the right to refuse service and as the owner of this establishment, I want you to leave.” Levon raised his hand and two burly men came forward. They were the alpha’s security and in this context, the restaurant’s bouncers.

  The two men didn’t bother to politely escort Ian out of the restaurant. They both grabbed his upper arms and dragged him out. All eyes watched as Ian was physically removed and yelled obscenities. If the alphas wanted the town to know about Barry and her, they certainly did now.

  “You could have had her years ago, you bastard, but you weren’t man enough to have her.” That accusation was the last thing she could make out from Ian’s ranting.

  From the short encounter in the kitchen, she assumed he was referring to Levon. Had their alpha voiced his attraction to her to others and never bothered to follow-up by asking her out? She looked at him for some type of explanation.

  Levon pulled out his phone. “Please order. I need to make some calls. I’m doubling the cougar force guarding your home. Unfortunately, I don’t think Ian is going to be brushed aside with a simple expulsion from my restaurant.”

  The cougar alpha walked toward the front of the restaurant. His cell phone was against his ear and he was shouting orders to whomever was on the other end. He behaved as if he hadn’t heard Ian’s last statement.

  Two bottles of Cabernet Sauvignon Levon ordered arrived and Tobias did the honor of tasting and approving the wine. Samantha took care not to guzzle the red beverage. With its hefty price tag, she was drinking liquid gold. Her taste buds weren’t sophisticated enough to generally distinguish between a cheap and more expensive bottle of wine. However, the Cabernet was smooth and
mellow. She normally shied away from reds because she found their taste too overpowering.

  They followed Levon’s instructions and ordered without him. She decided on the New York strip steak. Rather than having the petite cut, she ordered the largest portion they offered. Tonight, she wasn’t going to eat like a human woman, but the female cougar she was. They ordered two sides of mashed potatoes and creamed spinach. To start off with, they each selected the tenderloin Carpaccio.

  She was starving. They never officially had breakfast or lunch. She had some snacks with the girls while they played on the patio, but nothing substantial.

  When the bread arrived, she ignored it. She wanted the raw meat that passed as an appetizer. Barry reached for her hand and squeezed it in support.

  Levon still hadn’t returned. They made small talk waiting for the cougar alpha to rejoin them. The longer he was gone, the more nervous she became. She took another sip of the wine to soothe her frayed nerves.

  Her alpha arrived with the Carpaccio. Rather than taking her fork and digging into the raw beef, she controlled herself and waited for Levon to give them an update. Barry had no such control, he was already half done with his appetizer and was eyeing hers.

  “I’ve got someone tailing Ian and as I promised, I doubled the guards on your property.” Levon took a bite of his appetizer that gave her the green light to dig into hers. “If you stayed at my compound, I’d feel more confident in my ability to protect you.”

  “That is out of the question,” Tobias spoke up. “We are just as capable of protecting this couple as you are. The only reason I don’t have men helping to guard Samantha’s is because it’s cougar territory.”

  The two men argued as Samantha ate the raw beef. She didn’t care for the mustard and capers, but raw meat was never to be passed up. Nothing the two said caught her attention. Barry leaned back in his chair, his glance traveled between the two alphas. Mrs. Hopkins just looked uncomfortable.

  “I don’t want to leave my home,” Samantha finally intervened. “Alpha Hopkins, I appreciate your desire to help protect Barry and me. But seriously, I think we are capable of taking care of each other. We are not helpless humans.”

  They didn’t have to speak in hushed tones. Humans were always seated in another dining room. Most of the larger establishments had the same practice of segmenting their patrons.

  Tobias bowed his head. “No offense meant. We have evolved past the strongest members of our pack being in leadership positions. Barry is held in high regard for the knowledge he possesses that is more valuable than the most powerful among us. He has the ability to heal our sick. I never meant to imply he couldn’t take care of himself and his mate.”

  Samantha turned to see Barry’s response to his alpha’s assessment. He had a surprised look on his face. She wasn’t sure what to make of it.

  Barry had always assumed his alpha supported his education, but didn’t hold him in high regard when it came to the pack’s hierarchy. Pack politics never interested him, so he didn’t realize how past views had changed when Tobias took over the pack. He should have realized it when Marc told him about the fight that occurred between his father and the alpha.

  “Once I am done with my education, what will be my position in the pack?” Barry inquired.

  He felt Samantha squirm in her chair. They were fooling each other if they believed they couldn’t live without his pack and her pride. Their children would be adopted by whichever breed Samantha gave birth to.

  “I am considering having two hierarchies within the pack,” Tobias answered. “One to deal with traditional matters, while the other deals with the town and the changing environment we find ourselves in.”

  Levon rubbed his chin. “Very interesting. I was considering doing something similar. Progress continues to strip away our lands and our ability to live the way our ancestors did.”

  “Fortunately, you don’t have a group of dissidents in your pride trying to destroy your attempts at dealing with a changing world,” Tobias responded.

  His father was at the top of the list where Tobias’s troubles were concerned. “I wish I had some sway with my dad. My attending medical school only drove us further apart and my relationship with Samantha pretty much destroyed what little regard he once held for me. Fortunately, my brothers support us. I only hope one day to reconcile with my mother. She always regarded Samantha as her closest friend. This all has taken a terrible toll on her.”

  “Over the last several years, I have invited Nancy to join us in the wolf compound for her protection,” Tobias said.

  “What?” he and Samantha said in unison.

  Tobias shifted forward in his chair. “Some of the conversations I’ve had with her daughters-in-laws concerned me.”

  Samantha turned to him with a bewildered look on her face. “I had no idea. She admitted he was sometimes distant and would punish her in various ways when he didn’t like her behavior, but she never admitted to me that he had ever become physical in his abuse. Had I known, I would have told her to leave Dave and invited her to live with me.”

  The more he learned about his parent’s marriage, the less comfortable he was leaving in a week for Colorado. Ignorance was bliss, but turning a blind eye on what his mother could be suffering was another matter.

  Their dinner was served and the subject concerning his mother had ceased. His Porterhouse was perfectly cooked. Charred on the outside and raw in the middle. He cut into the steak and shoveled a large piece into his mouth. The animal had been butchered that morning and it was the freshest steak available anywhere.

  He turned to see how Samantha was enjoying her meal. She was staring at her plate, not having touched it. Her eyes were glued to the steak, but she showed no sign she was going to eat it.

  “We need to go to your parents and confront your father,” Samantha stated.

  “That’s a terrible idea,” Tobias said. “I haven’t been able to prove anything and I’ve tried. Eat your steak and concentrate on what you can do for your friend. In all likelihood, you are the person she will contact when she has reached her limit. I will take it from there.”

  Samantha toyed with her fork, but still hadn’t started to eat. He was not the only one watching her with concern.

  “You need to eat and gather your strength,” her alpha announced. “We will all go to the Simpson household after dinner. I have a way of getting underneath a wolf’s skin. Together, we will witness how he treats his wife under stress.”

  His mate laughed at Levon’s pronouncement. She picked up her knife, cut into her steak, and started to eat. The lioness she was, ignored the potatoes and vegetable.

  After she finished her steak, he was comfortable continuing the conversation. “I will make sure Marc and Nate are present.”

  “Will your father show his true stripes if your brothers are there?” Samantha asked.

  “It will only incite him,” Tobias answered. “Your father is a proud man, and he will be shaken by his sons and alpha questioning the type of mate he is. Naturally, we will not come at him directly with accusations. We will assure your mother is safe, even if we need one of your brothers there at night.”

  It was Barry’s turn to excuse himself to make a couple of phone calls. He was lucky to catch Nate at Marc’s. Their children often played together and their spouses were best of friends. Both his brothers were unaware of their wives’ concerns. Yet again, he was surprised about the dynamics related to his family he was unaware of. He had distanced himself not only geographically, but personally from his family. As of tonight, that had to stop.

  As he headed back to the table, his stomach did flips. Had he known he was going to confront his father tonight, he wouldn’t have eaten the whole steak. Any dealings with his father always caused him a high level of anxiety. But this time, he had more than his professional life at stake, but his mother’s very existence.

  Chapter 21

  They all passed on dessert, wanting to confront Dave Simpson. Sam
antha could barely remain seated while they finished eating dinner. Her legs nervously shook below the table. At one point, Barry put his hand on her leg to calm her down.

  Guilt consumed her. How could she have missed the signs about the abuse when Nancy’s alpha was aware of it? She shouldn’t have let her career blind her to the problems her friend was having.

  She sat nervously in Barry’s front seat while Hopkins and Levon followed in their own vehicles. The shadows created by the headlights seemed particularly ominous. She knew it was all her imagination, but her mind was consumed with negative thoughts.

  They pulled into the Simpson’s driveway behind the Hopkins. She recognized Marc’s pickup truck. At least they wouldn’t be the first to enter the house. Her usual unease to be around Dave Simpson grew exponentially. How had he been able to sire someone as caring and wonderful as Barry mystified her.

  After they parked and got out of the car, she immediately ponied up beside Carol Hopkins. Although Dave was no doubt in the group trying to unseat Tobias, he would be less likely to attack Samantha if she stood beside the alpha’s female. Samantha had nothing to do with Barry’s decision to pursue medicine, she was directly responsible for the latest event that catapulted his son out of his life.

  As soon as they entered, she heard loud voices coming from their living room. The men were yelling at each other and Nancy was sheltering herself in the corner, away from the commotion. Nancy immediately ran to Barry when they entered.

  “You have to stop this,” Nancy cried.

  Barry took his mother into his arms and then steered her toward his alpha’s female and Samantha.

  Carol Hopkins took charge. “Nancy, why don’t you make some coffee. We just finished dinner and didn’t have any. Meals aren’t complete without a cup of java after.” The alpha’s female continued talking as she directed Nancy to the kitchen. “Do you know that the more coffee you drink, the less likely you are to suffer from depression? I don’t know if that’s true or not, but I read it in an article.”