by Leela Ash
“The usual. Running errands for my brothers. They’re always so busy doing this or that, I often get stuck with the little things like grocery shopping and going to the bank. Not that I mind. I just wish my time was devoted to more important tasks. I feel a little left out, sometimes.”
He spoke so candidly, as if it were no big deal to tell her exactly what he was thinking and feeling. It was strange, really. Most men would rather die than to let their feelings out. But Carter didn’t seem to view it as a weakness. Just as an unfortunate fact of his existence. It was something to respect about him, that much was clear.
“They don’t let you do things for the business?” Amy asked sympathetically.
Carter gazed at her as if he didn’t quite understand what she meant, and then his face lit up.
“Oh. Well, everyone has their jobs. But it can feel like I am less important than others. I should probably not worry too much about it. It’s just one of those days.”
Amy nodded and smiled, and the line crept forward.
“I get those days sometimes,” she said. “I often feel like I don’t do anything right. It’s discouraging.”
“Because you get sick?” Carter asked.
“Yes,” Amy said. “Because I get sick.”
He seemed to consider this, then smiled. “My kind rarely get sick. It is unfortunate you have to suffer.”
“Your kind?” Amy asked, furrowing her brow in confusion.
“Next!”
Before Carter had the chance to answer, Amy was beckoned to the teller. Carol. Of course.
“Carol,” Amy said, not even attempting to veil her displeasure. “Hi.”
Carol didn’t acknowledge her with a ‘hi.’ Instead, she quickly went into Amy’s account. It was as if she had memorized all of its information, which was a whole new level of invasive. But Amy said nothing; it would do no good anyway. She was just glad to have gotten a chance to speak to a teller.
When Amy and Carol were finally finished with the transaction, Amy gave Carol a friendly nod, which Carol ignored. Amy sighed and glanced over her shoulder and noticed that Carter was looking at them with a deep frown on his handsome face. She tried to look away and ignore it, but she couldn’t shake the fact that she was mildly upset. Not only because Carol was being bitchy, but because Carter saw it. He saw the way that she was treated like a social parasite. What if it changed his opinion of her? What if he didn’t want to speak with her because of it?
She already had a hard enough time socializing in this place. If she didn’t have a job secure, she would’ve left a long time ago. But Rich had always taken care of her, and that was the way it was going to be. Nobody else ever would, that much was clear. And if Carter deemed her as unworthy of his attention, she would be losing yet another person from her life because of things that were beyond her control. It was just too much, sometimes.
“Are you ready to leave now?” Carter asked, as Amy made her way toward the door. He had completely disregarded the bank teller that he had been working with to stop her from leaving the bank without saying goodbye to him. It brought a shy smile to Amy’s lips and she nodded.
“Yes, I’m done here. I don’t like staying any longer than I have to. Besides, they’re closing soon.”
Carter settled his gaze heavily upon her as the bank teller called for him to return and finish the transaction.
“We should go do something,” he said. It almost looked as if he regretted speaking as soon as the words were out of his mouth, but then again, Amy could have just been being paranoid. She was worried that he wouldn’t want anything to do with her because of her illness. Maybe that was all it was, and it didn’t reflect Carter’s own impression at all.
She nodded at him, dumbfounded, as the bank tellers cries for Carter became louder and more insistent. He smiled at her.
“Don’t go anywhere. Wait for me outside.”
He turned around and walked back to the counter as Amy stared at him. She tried not to acknowledge any of the dirty looks that they were receiving from the other customers in line, and headed out through the large heavy double doors, her mind spinning. Carter wanted to do something with her. But what?
Her heart fluttered involuntarily, and she leaned against the building with a deep sigh. Whatever it was, she hoped it didn’t involve men and wolves in an alleyway.
8.
“Have you ever been here before?” Carter asked, gazing at Amy intently. For some reason, he couldn’t keep his eyes off the human. The connection between them was just too strong. He knew that he shouldn’t be doing this. In fact, his brothers thought he was out running errands and wouldn’t think anything of it. It almost made him feel guilty, but he was compelled by something far greater than himself to act. He wanted her. Badly. But she wasn’t his fated mate. No sickly human would ever do. So why did he feel this way?
“I’ve probably been everywhere around here,” Amy said with the shy smile. But her eyes were bright.
“Oh, so you don’t think this is anything special then, do you?” Carter asked, a little bit crestfallen.
He had decided, a little bit spur of the moment, to take her to the most beautiful place he had discovered in Brookside. It wasn’t far from the waterfront, which was one of the most comforting places he had found. It reminded him a little bit of his home world. Out of all the dragon shifters on Earth from Fiora, Carter was sure that he was the one who had missed his world the most. The others were eager to get back, sure, but none of them seemed to be quite as heartbroken over the banishment as Carter was.
“Oh, I know that this is a very special place. I have come here before myself. It’s actually my favorite place to come and think when I’m feeling lonely.”
“Lonely?” Carter asked, suddenly intrigued. He had certainly been feeling lonely lately. “What makes you feel lonely here? You have a lot of people around like yourself.”
He met other humans, of course, which was different than Carter’s situation. He would give anything to be back in a world full of dragon shifters. It was difficult to have to hide so much about himself from the rest of the humans. None of them would ever be able to understand, even though they did have a vague knowledge of the shifter culture and those who walked among them in their world. But he couldn’t help himself. It was clear that there was a lot of discrimination in regard to shifter and human relations. Many humans were content to remain in denial about the existence of shifters entirely.
This was one such community that remained intentionally in the dark. Even though they knew, they didn’t acknowledge it. They liked to go on living as if shifters didn’t exist at all. It was infuriating, really, but there was nothing Carter could do about it. He had been explicitly instructed not to make waves. And if he ever wanted to get on the elder’s counsel, that was what he would have to do. He had to follow his instructions. He had to be wise. No matter how painful and difficult that happened to be. And it surely was going to be painful and difficult.
“Actually, there aren’t as many people around here like me as you might think. I have always been considered different. A lot of people treat me differently. And it’s actually very disheartening and lonely for me as well. I can imagine how you might feel, being here and not knowing anybody. But really, you aren’t alone. You have your brothers. They know what you’re going through. It’s a little different for me, and I’m sure most of us can relate to being a little bit lonely sometimes.”
Carter nodded. “I know that it can be hard. Where I’m from, those with disease are shunned and frowned upon. I understand that it is not your will or your wish to be inferior.”
Amy looked at him, her expression startled, and she opened her mouth as a protest. But before she had a chance to speak, Carter cut her off.
“I think that you are great the way you are. Even if it means that you need some protection at times.”
Amy’s mouth twitched and she looked away, her beautiful eyes scanning over the water. “I don’t always need p
rotecting,” she said quietly. “But when I do, I really do.”
“Well, you really showed those wolves a thing or two,” Carter said, laughing deeply. It had been a very entertaining show, although he had only been able to catch parts of it. It had been very time-consuming to fight off the men who had been after the human. Another surge of concern washed over Carter and he felt a sharp pang of protectiveness surge through his body. “And if anybody like that ever tries to bother you again, I hope you know that you can contact me.”
He dug through his pocket and thrust a business card toward Amy. “This is the name of the moving company I work for. If I’m not there, one of my brothers will be and they will certainly be willing to help you. If you’re in trouble or something.”
He looked away and cast his glittering eyes out over the water. He could feel Amy turn her gaze back upon him and he shifted slightly in an attempt to quell the strong urge he suddenly had to take her in his arms and pull her close.
Amy looked up at him, her eyes suddenly brightened, as if she could tell exactly what Carter was thinking. But that was impossible. Maybe she just reciprocated it.
The space between them grew tense as Carter attempted to swat his unwanted feelings away. He couldn’t give himself to a human. Not like this. Not when they still needed to find the descendants so they could help to continue the sacred bloodline. If the bloodline was lost, who knew what might happen to the people of Fiora? Or shifters, in general? He had to stay focused and find his fated mate. If he couldn’t do that then there was no way he would ever earn his place back among the Elders.
Carter turned quickly away from the human, his heart pounding wildly in his chest. It was clear she felt similarly. He could sense it. Their desires were mutual. But he couldn’t allow himself to take the bait. Perhaps it was the universe testing him. Trying to see if he really was the noble man he had always attempted to be. And if he wasn’t, then they would take away his honors. Take away his only chance at validation.
“Are you all right?”
Carter’s heart constricted painfully at the sound of Amy’s voice. He couldn’t help but turn to face her, his breath coming in a little shorter. When he met her gaze, there was something powerful there; a longing that pulled her close to him and made it nearly impossible for him to move away.
“I’m fine,” he replied, though his voice came out a bit strained. He was fighting every impulse within himself to take the human right then and there. It was so hard to resist her. Even though he knew better. Even though he had figured out that this was a test.
“You don’t look fine,” Amy said, her beautiful voice a hushed whisper.
Carter finally dared to meet her eye and found fire behind the icy blue spheres. She stared him down, her longing nearly palpable. She wanted him just as badly. He knew it. He could so easily reach out and…
“No,” Carter said, clenching his teeth and turning away. He hunched over the railing that separated the walkway from the dangerous rocks that led down to the water and refused to look again at the object of his desires. It was too much. He should never have let himself get to this point. He had gotten carried away. They should have parted ways at the bank and been done with it. Instead, he had set himself up for this. Gotten himself into trouble…
“No, you’re not okay?” Amy asked quietly, taking a step toward him.
Carter flared his nostrils and exhaled deeply, trying to rid himself of the woman’s scent. She smelled good. Amazing even. Like fruit or berries or something equally delightful. What was going on with him? Why couldn’t he just resist this?
“I don’t know how to explain,” Carter said, gritting his teeth. He was an alpha. He didn’t actually have to explain anything. All he had to do was show her. Let himself go. If she wanted him, she would receive him. If not…well…
“Carter?”
A low growl rumbled in Carter’s throat and he gripped Amy by the shoulders. She let out a soft, startled gasp that turned into a low moan of approval when Carter pressed his lips against hers. The sensation shot a hot surge of fire through his body and he pulled away quickly, shocked by the intensity of the woman’s touch.
They gaped at each other for a split second before Carter quickly decided that he hadn’t had enough of her. Amy gripped his shoulders tightly as he pulled her close to his body, deepening their kiss with a sensual push of the tongue. The heat of her mouth enveloped him, and Carter tensed up, heat pulsing in his abdomen.
Amy responded to it passionately, her body just as in tune with Carter’s intense longing as if she could feel it herself. She gazed deeply into his eyes, breathless as he glanced about himself. He seemed set to take her right then and there.
It was a chilly day so not many people were out and about, and his eyes rested on a deserted beach beyond the rocks.
“Come with me,” Carter said, taking Amy’s hand. She followed wordlessly, her body exploding with the intense energy of her need as Carter led them down a path that wasn’t officially a path. When they were hidden from view on the beach, under a sweeping bridge lined with large boulders, Carter’s eyes flashed as he measured Amy up.
Their gazes met briefly and then their lips were pressed together in a passionate kiss that neither of them seemed in control of. Their bodies knew exactly what they wanted to do and took every initiative to do so. No matter their reservations, their longing took over. Amy hardly had time to think. What was she doing, following this strange man she hardly knew under a bridge and letting him touch her like this? Letting him make her feel this way? But all thoughts were driven out of her head as she was touched; as she felt the power of his incredible body press against her and create the most delicious friction she had ever felt.
Carter pulled away just long enough to hold her gaze, and she saw in the light that his eyes weren’t just grey; but had a deep purple hue that made him seem even more powerful and mysterious. Before she could think deeper about it, her thoughts were interrupted by a deep burst of pleasure erupting from within. Amy let out a soft cry of rapture as Carter pressed his body close to hers and she felt the firm bulge of his longing against her thigh.
Amy inhaled sharply, arousal surging through every part of her body. No man had ever made her feel this way before, and she trembled in Carter’s arms, her body alight with a strange, overwhelming desire that consumed her entire being. She wanted him. Entirely.
Carter seemed able to sense it and his touch was intuitive and assertive. Every movement of his fingers brought a new burst of excitement pulsing through Amy’s body. He knew exactly how to touch her, and she found herself surrendering to his firm prompt to press her back against the boulder behind her as he pushed her jeans off and lifted her legs around his waist.
She felt him suddenly against her thighs, the urgent muscle pressed wantonly against her middle. Amy closed her eyes, overwhelmed by the sensation, and gripped him by the shoulders as Carter began to press himself slowly inside her.
Amy’s entire body awakened with a powerful explosion of bliss as she felt Carter pry into her opening, and he let out a hiss of pleasure as he was engulfed by her heat. Her fingertips dug into Carter’s skin as he thrust gently inside her, and Amy bit her lip, doing her best not to attract any attention to them. They were technically still in a public place, even if there was nobody there at the moment. They could get into major trouble for this if anybody happened to notice them.
But the thought was quickly driven out of her head when Carter expertly moved his body again, in a way that seemed to fill her up entirely. Amy couldn’t repress the deep moan that escaped her lips and shuddered in rapture as their bodies began to move in unison toward their shared goal of climax.
She knew she shouldn’t be doing this. She should stop it. Get away while she still could. There was no way that this would be able to amount to anything. Carter clearly wasn’t doing this because he wanted a relationship. Who knew what the man wanted? But she couldn’t let herself get caught up in her thoughts. She wa
s already enjoying this far too much. Stopping now wasn’t an option. She wanted Carter. Badly. She wanted him more than she was able to admit even to herself. And so, she remained where she was and relished in the nearness of his body despite her reservations. She was probably going to regret this later.
Carter’s purple-hued eyes glimmered at her, almost as if he could tell that she was having reservations. He slowed down his pace and gazed at her curiously, silently asking if she was all right to proceed. Amy didn’t hesitate and took his mouth against hers again, his lips.
Soon, Carter was pressing inside her again with all the high-intensity passion that had originally made her lose herself, and Amy was unable to hold back the soft gasps of pleasure that fell from her lips. Every noise she made seemed to fuel Carter on further in his task, until it became clear that both of them were nearing their climax.
Carter gripped Amy by the waist, his strong hands pressing into her demandingly as he immersed himself as deeply inside her as he could get. Bliss consumed her as Amy’s body received him and she let out a low moan as she was carried swiftly toward her peak.
Carter’s body responded to the sensual friction of her body contracting around him as she began to climax, and Amy held him tightly as he sped up his pace powerfully, until she was filled suddenly with the hot rush of his climax. Carter had met her in his own orgasm, and their bodies continued slowly, his hips rolling slowly to carry out their last tendrils of ecstasy, until he was certain that both of them had been satisfied.
When he pulled away, Carter straightened his clothes quickly and looked away, his expression that of panic and fear. Amy couldn’t help but feel stung by it and dressed herself quickly, her heart hammering heavily in her chest. She wished this had been happening under more normal circumstances. Maybe they could lay together and talk about what happened or at least get their bearings more comfortably. But now everything felt rushed and off-balance, and Amy swallowed hard as she watched Carter begin to move swiftly down the beach.