The Carver's Magic (15 page)

Crap
. I can feel the squeeze of my stomach with the fact of all I had thought of while sitting here.

“Yeah imagine how I feel.”

Pissed, I say, “Look, I didn’t do any of this on purpose so I will take my share of the blame, but I am not talking it all.”

“Didn’t think you would take any of it.” He says arrogantly, and taps the top of the mug.

“Wow. You really are a dick. You must be an alpha.” I fill the mug with more hot chocolate. Wondering if I was obeying him or if I wanted to share my hot chocolate with him.

“What did you just say?” He tilted his head, confused.

“You. Are. A. Dick.”

“No, the other thing.” He waved his hand slightly as if he could rewind the conversation.

How interesting he shrugs off my calling him a dick. Maybe he’s called that a lot. “About being an alpha?”

“Yeah.”

“I know you are an alpha, Dar. I know your father is an alpha and you are his first born.”

“How do you know all this?”

Hiding the smile inside, I say, “Cory told me. She is the one who was looking into you – behind my back. I only just found out, so don’t worry, she won’t be doing that anymore.”

“Your sister told you I was an alpha. Or that I was the first born.” This seems to be important to him because his eyes are holding mine, making sure he doesn’t miss a word.

“Why is this a touchy topic for you?”

“Because it is. Now tell me what you think you know.”

Hot and cold. He is one moody bastard. “Okay…your father runs the pack. You are his first-born son. Your brother is a half brother, born to a different mom. You never went to college but you do have a lot of investments, and you own a construction company with all pack members as employees.”

He holds my eyes for another moment and I hate that I feel I need to lower my eyes to him. He is not my alpha, per se. Or is he? I am not really sure, but I don’t bow down to anyone, including him.

“My father was with my mother and accidently had me. She was an alpha female, but not his true mate. When he met his true mate, he told my mom about it. She told him to leave and take me with him.”

Uh. That’s shitty.

“Try not to think anything while I tell you this. It’s distracting.” He waited as if he was testing me.

I roll my eyes and take back the mug for a sip.

“My father mated with Cort’s mother, so Cort is the only heir he claims. But when Cort died his mother wanted to go after the Carvers. When my father told her not to, she went anyways. Told him that he wasn’t a man if he wasn’t willing to fight for their son. Ophelia never came back, but her body was found a year later. My father changed when they took Cort, but when he learned his mate was no longer just missing, but dead, he shut down.

“He spends most of his time at the council headquarters. He only shows up once or twice a year, if that. But because he has not told anyone I am the next in line, the pack is divided. Some tell me to challenge him and take over. Some tell me that I am not fit to rule, but they are. It’s a political mess. I help out where I can but the pack is restless and breaking at the seams.”

“What is stopping you from challenging him?” I shouldn’t be asking, but I am curious. Not that I am going to be able to help him, but whatever. I am just curious.

“I don’t know if I want to be alpha.” He takes back the mug and finishes it. Then he stands up and says, “So that’s it. That’s my side and now I know yours.”

I stand up after him. “Fair enough. But this talk didn’t resolve anything.” I grab the mug and place it in the sink.

“I know,” he scratches his head and looks at me with something in his eyes I didn’t understand. Then his eyes glint.

Oh yeah, he can hear me and know my confusion.

I walk to the front door and open it, “Thanks.”

He walks out the door and turns around with his finger in the air. “Oh and Beth? If you can, try . . . and watch the things you think about.”

My stomach tightened as I remembered what I had done last night in his name. Shit.

“Exactly.”

CHAPTER SEVEN

SHANE

Last night Cory’s sister bailed on the bar and left me hanging. Only demons would understand the level of anger I felt towards her last night. I wasn’t sure if she left, or if something happened.

Beth had been gone for an hour before I accepted she was not coming back. That was also when I started looking for reasons of why she would have left. Her and I had not fought, the douche wasn’t in the bar and the one vampire I knew was in the bar had not touched any of the patrons. So there was no reason that I could see as to why she would have left.

That was until I looked over to the Nickleback poser. He had a soft spot for Beth. And when I say soft spot, I mean he looks at her like he wants to stuff her into a trunk and go off-roading.

I noticed the poser was on his phone but keeping a withering look on Cory. That was why I broke my own rule to stay out of other people’s business. In those few micro seconds I had not only decided to make sure she got to her car okay, I was going to make sure that the poser didn’t try ambushing her when she left. I was also going to find a way to keep an eye on her round the clock, I mean if Beth was always taking off like that, someone had to watch over Cory. She would become a target if Beth ever pissed off a pure blood. And the first pure blood that comes to mind is the darkly pissed off wolf.

The best I could think of right then was to slip a locating bug on her, and when I say bug I mean a coin from my pocket that I put a spell on quickly. I reached into my pocket and pulled out two coins. I got them in Panama when I was about twenty. They had the Conquistador on one side and I always liked the look of them. I carried them around just in case something happened. I’d like to think that my self-motto was to always have a backup plan.

The spell I put on the coins was a combination of fairy and witch magic, and completely genius if I say so myself. If I held the coin in my palm I could see in my mind everything around the other one. That way I could use it to teleport. I can’t teleport anywhere that I have not seen. So this way I could always teleport to Cory no matter where she went.

I slipped one of the coins into Cory’s pocket. I thought I was slick but she noticed. She pulled the coin out and looked at it, then up at me incredulously. "Um, what are you doing?"

I made a stupid excuse about it being a tip someone at the bar gave her. She didn’t buy it. Before she put it back in my hand I grabbed her wrist. "Please Cory. Keep it. There are more special kind of people here than there has ever been, and I have no idea where Beth is or why she’s not here. So, just this once, do me a favor and take it." I can remember her hesitation. But thankfully she nodded and put the coin back in her pocket.

Smiling, I pulled out a piece of paper that I already had written my number on and gave it to her. "The coin will let me know where you are, but this is for emergencies or whenever."

Cory huffed, "I’ll be fine. I promise.” She tried to give back my number, but the look on my face made her stuff it in her pocket. Then when I didn’t move, I told her I was waiting for her to agree to use it. Instead of agreeing, she pulled out a small note pad from her apron and scribbled her number down and handed the paper to me. I took the sheet and punch it into my phone right there. I wouldn’t put it past any woman to give me a fake number. I called the number and I heard a funny tune from her pocket. Her jaw tensed and she blushed a little.

"Now I have your number." Secretly pleased my plan worked out even better than originally planned.

* * *

I throw my pillow at the wall. I have no idea what time it is, but I can’t get my damn mind to shut the hell up!

One time. Why can’t you try a human?
The dark side of me asks
.

I don’t want to. I answer, even though I know it’s a lie. I do want to try her,
I want to know how she would feel underneath me.

Then do it. You can always take the memory later.
I refuse to respond to the dark part of me that thinks I would ever do something like that.

She works at the bar and if it went bad, or better yet, when our bedtime relationship went sour like they all did, it would be awkward. I learned my lesson with Enora.

I can feel the coin in my pocket. I want to check it again. But this time it wouldn’t be to see if she got home, she already did that. It would be to see if I can catch her in the skimpy shorts and tank top again. I can’t get that image out of my mind.

She would feel so soft and warm.
A part of me is trying to tear down one of my unbreakable rules. No dating humans ever.

I could easily run my hands up her silky thighs right to her sweet spot, the spot I want to be in right now.
Ugh. Visualizing it is making this worse, it’s not like I am not already hurting from the pipe in my pants. And yes, maybe I could take care of it myself, but it would make it worse in the end. I would want her even more.

I leave my bed and walk to the kitchen, grab a water bottle in the refrigerator and down all of it. I grab another one and stuff it in my gym bag. I refuse to drown in my thoughts so I teleport into my car hoping the gym can clear my mind.

Two hours later. The gym failed me and I still can’t close my eyes without her there. And worse I am letting my mind begin to plot, even though I am half-heartedly telling myself I will never go through with it.

You can call her and make sure she’s okay. That wouldn’t be suspicious and you do genuinely want her to be okay.

No. I know she’s okay. I don’t need to call.

What if she’s afraid to call you? She’s shy and someone has to make the first call. What’s the worst that can happen?

Everything.

It’s five in the morning and I am stiff as stone and I already broke down and took two showers.

Then just do it. Call her. No one’s resisted before, and after each escapade you reset and lost interest. This has to be done.

She works with me.
No.

Are you afraid?

No
. I’m not stupid. This will pass. Maybe I can call Enora. She would let me over no matter what time it was. I look towards my phone and couldn’t pick it up. The memories of Enora and all that we’ve done caused me to soften.

There has to be some explanation to that.

It is odd isn’t it? We have to find out if it’s Cory, or if there is something wrong with us.

I don’t want to agree, but I do need to know. Thinking about sex with other women shouldn’t make me lose interest. It should push me to call Enora and take my mind off the shy smile that is haunting me. But just the thought of being with Enora is making me feel sick.

And that has never happened before. I’m a man, thinking of having sex should never make me feel ill. Which means, I have to find out what it is about Cory that is causing this.

* * *

My eyes hurt as I open them to a sun-drenched bedroom. From my bed, I glare at my cheap window blinds that are useless against the afternoon sun. I grab my phone and see that I slept for about three hours. I fall back on my pillow, hating that Cory’s long legs in short booty-shorts is flashing in my mind.

This can’t be happening.

I pick up my phone and hold it tightly. Am I really going to do this? I tap my forehead with my phone and wish that I didn’t want her so much. But I already decided. I need to know why thinking of any other girl made me lose strength. There was nothing natural about that.

I chuck my phone at the wall and hear the plastic shatter.

“Dammit Cory.”

I pull a small scrunched paper from my black Dickies. I take a moment to admire her horrible penmanship. I call on my magic to fix my phone and bring it back to me.

I push my legs over the bed and hunch over. Before my thumb can push the power button I shake my head internally. I know this isn’t going to be a hit it and quit it girl. I seriously want her.

Forever?

No. Not forever. That’s insane.

Deciding that, I need to contact her so that I can get on with my afternoon breakfast. Even though I am tired, I am craving a peanut butter waffle sandwich.

The screen lights up and I slowly punch in the numbers making sure I get the number correct. Here goes nothing.

Me: U never text me when u got home. Rude.

She didn’t text back right away. I gave her another minute, hoping she would respond, before I get up to take a shower.

After my shower I check the phone again.

Cory: You didn’t ask me to.

Ignoring her comment entirely, I text: What u doing? I just woke up.

A few seconds later she texts back.

Cory: You're lazy. I’m at work.

Me: Ambers?

Cory: No. I work at NatLab too.

Me: 2 jobs?

Really? Wow I was actually impressed. And I don’t get impressed. Ever.

Cory: Yeah, I figured I could pay off my school loans faster with two jobs.

She had a degree? Seriously, I am really impressed.

Me: What’s ur other job?

Cory: I work in a lab.

That’s a non answer. A little miffed she was getting vague I ask. Me: What kind of lab?

Cory: Carcinogens research.

What is carcinogens research? I quickly did a search on my phone. And now I am grinning. Cory’s a biologist. Deciding against following up on this topic over the phone I decide it’s time to play with her a little bit. Loosen her up.

Me: R u jealous I get to sleep in?

Cory: Nope. I like getting up early.

Me: Eh. Y?

Cory: Because I have stuff to do.

Me: Like?

Somehow this conversation was getting serious because I wasn’t playing anymore. I really wanted to know what someone like her, a biologist by day and waiter by night did with their time.

I take my phone to the kitchen. I pull out a glass and fill it with water and drink all of it. I lean back against the counter as my phone chirps. I pull the phone out of my pants pocket, feeling triumphant with the answer that is bound to be very interesting.

Cory: None of your business.