Guardian Bears: Karl (4 page)

“I don’t care why you’re doing it,” Karl growled back in response. He narrowed his eyes, but the other man’s gaze shone with the light of a fanatic’s belief. He wasn’t going to scare easily, Karl could tell. “All that matters right now is that she doesn’t want you bothering her. Are you going to back off, or are we going to have that trouble you don’t want?”

For a moment they stared at each other, close enough to reach out and touch. There was a deep undercurrent of hatred in Damian’s gaze, a cold fire that Karl felt more than saw.
Something’s happened to this man,
he thought.
This is personal to him, and he’s not going to give up on it.

He’d seen that look before, in the eyes of enemies who’d committed themselves to any atrocity they needed in order to win. Someone like that would have no mercy, give no quarter, and stop at nothing to harm his foes. In the Army, that was the kind of person he and the rest of the Bear Squad had hunted down. He never expected to walk into it here.

It wasn’t Damian who acted, though. One of his thugs, intimidated by Karl’s looming presence, stepped forward and reached out a hand to shove Karl in the chest. Karl turned aside, letting the man’s push glance off his broad torso, and gave the man a tap on the shoulder as he passed. Off balance, that was enough to send him stumbling into his friend, and the two of them glared at Karl. The bear shifter closed his hands into fists and stepped towards them.

“Don’t!” Allison yelped, her voice bringing his head around. She wasn’t looking at him, but past him, towards the bar. Karl risked a glance behind him and saw the cameraman standing in the doorway, filming away.

How long has he been filming?
Karl didn’t mind a fight, but he
did
mind putting off his chance to look into the werewolf problem while he spent time in the local jail for brawling in public. And being caught on camera beating some manners into these guys would be a sure-fire way to see to that.

Damian was still watching, arms folded and uninvolved. His nasty smile had spread wider, as though daring Karl to take a swing.

I’m not going to fall for that,
Karl told himself as he stepped forward. It took an effort to push down his bear’s instinctive desire to fight the man, but he knew the satisfaction of hitting Damian wouldn’t be worth it. Deliberately turning his back on the men, he walked away, an itch between his shoulder blades as he moved past them to take Allison by the arm.

“Let’s get out of here,” he growled at her. She looked up at him, fear in her eyes. But one glance back at Damian and she made up her mind, hurrying with him to his car.

W
hat am
I doing in this man’s car?
Allison asked herself as they pulled out of the parking lot. It seemed like a better idea than sticking around for whatever those other men had in mind for her, yes, but he was still a stranger.

On the other hand, she did owe him. In her experience, not many men would step up like that, risking a three on one fight for the safety of a woman he barely knew.
Okay, so my experience isn’t exactly wide, but no one ever tried to stop Jeremy from hassling me
, she thought. And he’d never seemed as threatening as the three men they were leaving behind.

The SUV seemed cramped and small, but that was just because Karl was so big. His towering, muscular form filled the driver’s seat and she found herself pressing against the passenger door just to try and get a bit of space. Which was ridiculous – this was the biggest car she’d ever been in. But Karl filled it with his presence more than his body, and Allison couldn’t stop herself from thinking about that body as he drove.

They traveled in silence, and she watched him. He was focused, his hands tight on the steering wheel, knuckles white. He was suppressing his feelings, trying to keep something under control. His strong, stubbly jaw was tight with anger and his gaze was fixed on the road. Belatedly she started to worry what he had in mind for her. He was looking for the monster too, after all, and now she was with him on her own.

She still felt safe, though. Maybe it was the way he’d waded into danger to help her, maybe it was something about his manner, maybe it was something else about him. Despite the fact that she knew she ought to be afraid, she wasn’t.
Perhaps this is how a lot of victims feel,
she warned herself, trying to be cautious despite her ease around him.

“Where are you taking me?” she asked, trying to keep her voice even and calm. Karl glanced aside at her voice, looking almost startled to see her in the car with him. He relaxed with a visible effort, slowing the car as he loosened his grip on the wheel. Another glance to the side and he shot her a reassuring smile which seemed to light up his face.

“That is a good question,” he replied. “I just wanted to get you away from those assholes, and I’ve done that. It’s probably about time I thought about where we’re headed! Where can I take you?”

Allison pondered that for a moment. “I guess you’d better take me home.”

The idea of taking this stranger home with her was a little worrying, but he
had
just saved her from those men. Even if he was investigating the monster, the same as them, he wasn’t being nasty about it. And despite herself, she wanted to spend some more time with this mysterious man.

Getting to her place took no time at all, giving her no time to think about whether to invite him in. He pulled his SUV up in front of her dilapidated little house and got out into the warm evening air with a little shudder that amused her. The summer was shaping up to be a hot one, all right, but it wasn’t hot enough yet to bother any of the locals. Karl, however, looked ready to melt.

“Come on in, I’ll fix you a cold drink,” she told him, making a sudden decision and surprising herself.
One drink can’t hurt,
she told herself, leading the way.

It had been a long time since she’d had a visitor over, and she realized as soon as he was in the door what a mess the place was. Karl didn’t make any comment as he followed her through to the kitchen, though when she glanced back she saw that his eyes didn’t stop moving. It was as though he was memorizing everything he saw, filing it for later use. As soon as he saw her watching, he grinned a disarming grin and shrugged.

“A habit I picked up in the Army,” he explained, sounding a little embarrassed. “They taught me a lot about keeping my eyes open and being aware of my surroundings.”

“I promise there’s nothing to be afraid of here,” she told him, going to the fridge and taking out a big pitcher of lemonade. She laughed, seeing his eyes fix on it.

“It’s not something I can turn on and off,” he told her with a shrug and a grin, but now his attention was fully on the cold drink as she poured him a tall glass. “While we were out in the field, we had to treat every place we went as dangerous. Maybe it’s a bad habit to bring home, but it’s dug in pretty deep.”

He looked into her eyes and took the glass from her. Their fingers brushed against each other as he took the cool glass out of her hand, and Allison gasped at the electric feeling of contact with his skin. She froze, unsure what she was feeling as Karl looked her in the eyes for a second, motionless. Allison felt her cheeks heat.

Then he lifted the glass to his lips and drank deep, giving her a chance to turn away and fill her own glass.
Allison, what are you doing?
She shook her head, trying to focus.
Don’t let him get to you – you’re just thanking him, remember? He’s after the same thing as those guys he saved you from.

You can’t trust him.

Part of her, though, rebelled against those thoughts. The touch had woken something in her, and that something wanted
more
. Just the thought of touching him again made her melt, and she tried not to look at him as she turned. Her hand shook as she raised the glass to her lips.

She heard the clink of his glass as he put it down on the counter, and a long, happy sigh. “I needed that, Allison. Could I trouble you for another glass?”

She smiled. She couldn’t help it. For all his obvious strength and toughness, Karl looked like he wasn’t coping well with the weather, and his look of relief was almost touching. It was oddly reassuring to know that he wasn’t quite perfect.

I guess he’s hot in more ways than one
, she thought, blushing as she added some ice to his glass and poured the lemonade. He practically grabbed it from her and downed half the glass before he looked at her again. The look sent a shiver through her, his eyes so powerful in that strong face, and she found herself torn between backing away and stepping closer.

Frozen in place, she looked down at her own glass, breaking eye contact. Her heart raced and she took a deep breath to steady herself.

“Thank you for saving me from those men,” she said.

“My pleasure,” he replied, finishing his drink. “I just wish I could have given them what they deserved. What were they after, anyway?”

Immediately her guard came up again. No matter how distracting his presence was, this man was still a danger to her. Allison’s grip tightened on the glass in her hand and she looked up, meeting his eyes again. This time she held them, not willing to back down.

“I don’t know,” she said. “Something to do with the monster, I guess, but I have no idea why they think I know anything about it!”

She instantly felt bad about lying to him. He had waded into danger for her, he’d taken her home safely – but she couldn’t trust him.
I can’t trust anyone, not now. Not until I know what’s happening.

* * *

K
arl looked
at her and tried to judge what he was hearing. It wasn’t easy, not when he was so distracted being this close to her. She drew every part of his attention, and it was difficult not to lose himself in her green eyes.

They must have had some reason to be after her,
he told himself, fighting to stay focused on the matter at hand.
Damian wouldn’t have just followed her for the fun of it – and his camera crew tried to keep anyone from going outside and interfering.

But knowing that there was something going on didn’t help him much with working out what it was. If Allison had some idea of who the lost wolf shifter was, he needed to get that information from her. On the other hand, he had to admit that right now neither of them seemed up for a conversation about it. She had every reason to be frightened of a man pressing her about her secrets, and he was too distracted by her presence to think straight.

It’s this damned heat
, he told himself.
I can’t focus. Why couldn’t Marcus or Lucas take this job instead of me?
But his two partners were too busy with their new love-lives, having found their fated mates. Besides which, Karl was the one who owed Harper a favor, and a man should pay his own debts.

Thinking about his partners made a connection in Karl’s mind and he felt his hand tense on the glass. Forcing himself to loosen his grip before he smashed it, he looked at Allison again. This time he let his instincts lead him instead of forcing himself to focus on the job.

His bear was almost purring as he stared, and Karl knew why he was so distracted by her.
She’s my mate! How could I have missed that?
He had known straight away, of course, deep down – he just hadn’t wanted to admit it to himself, not when it would get in the way of work. But now that he was aware of it, he couldn’t hide from it anymore. He didn’t want to, either, but he needed to work out how to deal with that. She was watching him, waiting for him to say something, and for once he had no idea what to say.

Hello, I’m your fated mate?
How would a woman who knew nothing of shifters respond to that? Especially one who had good reason to be afraid of strangers right now. Karl knew he had to find a better way to start the conversation than that.

The moment had already dragged on too long, and he could see a spark of fear in Allison’s eyes. Fear she covered with anger.

“They had a reason to think you knew something,” he told her, holding up his hand to stop her response. “Don’t worry, though. I’m not going to press you for anything you don’t want to talk about. I’m here to help Mayfair deal with the monster, but the important thing is that I’m here to
help
. Not like those guys, who’re here for themselves.”

Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a card and put it on the counter, scribbling on the back before pushing it towards Allison. “Here. That’s got my number, and the room I’m staying in. When you decide you can share what you know, contact me. Or if you want anything else, feel free to call.”

She took the card a little dubiously, looking at it. He could see the conflict playing out in her eyes as she tried to decide what to do with it, and then she nodded.

“I’m not promising anything,” she warned.

“I’m not asking you to,” he assured her. “There’s no pressure here. I’m here to help – call me if you need me. For anything.”

She blushed at that, and he wondered what exactly she was thinking about. The way she looked at him, he knew that she liked what she saw. Smiling, he raised the glass to his lips and drank the melted ice water before putting it down. Time to get moving, even if he had to drag himself away by force.

“Now, I’ve imposed on you enough for one afternoon,” he told her, turning towards the door. Before he could take a step, her hand landed on his forearm.

The contact was like a jolt of electricity, sending a shockwave through his body. He froze for a second before looking around, moving slowly so that he didn’t lose contact with her hand.

Allison looked up at him, meeting his gaze with a determination that moved him. Her face was flushed, and there was a mixture of fear and need in her. They looked into each other’s eyes for a long moment before she spoke.

“What will you do?” she asked, her voice barely more than a whisper. “I mean, if you do find a monster here?”

He matched her gaze, showing her his own steely determination. “I will keep you and the town safe, Allison. Whatever that takes, I promise I can protect you and get rid of the monster for you.”

It was as though steel shutters slammed down in her eyes. Allison jerked her hand back from him as though his skin was scalding her, and he couldn’t read a thing from her anymore.
What did I say wrong?
He didn’t know, but that was obviously not what she wanted to hear.

Equally obviously, she didn’t want to talk about it now. And without knowing where he’d gone wrong, he didn’t know what he could say to make it right.

“I guess I’ll call if I think of anything,” Allison said, ushering him towards the door. For a moment, he considered staying, making her talk to him. But that would wash away whatever remaining goodwill he had with her, so he let himself be led out of the house and got back into his car.

She was watching from the doorway as he got in, and despite her stony face, he could feel the conflict in her growing again. He wanted to turn back, to try and talk to her, but the time was wrong.
I have to give her time to think,
he told himself.
No matter how much I want to push the issue, I’ll just make her clam up if I try and dig it out of her.

Turning and looking back at her as he started the engine, he nodded to himself. He’d see her again soon – the tension they both felt made him certain of that. He wouldn’t be able to stay away even if he wanted to, and he could see that she felt the same.