Dragon Ugly (Dragon New Year) (3 page)

“What
was
that?”
she asked her lupine counterpart.

“
Something big
,
”
the wolf murmured.
“Smells like water. Not sure.”

Her stomach felt queasy at the wolf’s answer. A sound made her jump, but it was just the refrigerator making its usual pinging noises.

She went through her morning routine with wariness, checking each corner, not closing the door during her shower, and doing another check of the house before she left. She parked her car and started to walk to the Crescent Moon to get breakfast for herself and her business partners, Anna and Jezebel. With food in hand, she headed to Scentify in heels, which started a deep ache in her feet with each step.

As she walked, questions about her mental visitor haunted her thoughts. No matter how much she tried, she couldn’t shake off the feeling that she was being watched. Her nape burned and the pinpricks continued to go off on her arms. She wasn’t sure whether to be calm and relax or continue to indulge the tension streaming through her body.

Her wolf continued to paw at their invisible divider, not asking for out but wanting to search for the intruder, to protect both of them. She didn’t blame the wolf in the least; she didn’t feel safe. Every car that passed her set her on edge. The sun that shone overhead was too bright; the sky seemed too blue and open. She felt exposed even though she had walked this ground many times, day and night. Stress clutched at her shoulders, making them feel tight.

The sidewalks teemed with people, most of whom were tourists—strangers surrounding her and boxing her in. She stopped under a bakery awning and took a few deep breaths. She was safe. No one would harm her
.
But she knew that Scentify would be full of strangers, and any one of them could be the intruder. The idea sent a thrill of alarm down her spine. She bit her lip and wondered if she could go home and call in sick.

“It wasn’t an attack,”
the wolf told her.
“Just curiosity. We’re safe and I’m with you.”

A soothing wave of reassurance spread throughout her body. She sighed and sank against the building. The scents of moonlight, forests at night, cool air, the kiss of a stream, the musk of animals scurrying around in the undergrowth—all these sensations swirled around her. Breathing in deeply, she allowed the wolf to arm her, to strengthen her defensive shields.

She felt that power seep into her until she could stand tall and walk on with ease. No one seemed threatening. She could see police officers winding their way through the crowd, doing their morning rounds. Just seeing them, in their dark blue and black uniforms made her feel a bit safer. She continued on along the sidewalk and stopped at the corner, waiting for the light to change.

Everywhere she looked, she could see the pentacles announcing Bonfire Festival Week in honor of Beltane. The ghost of warm, cinnamon-apple pie, deep-fried and topped with vanilla ice cream, rushed over her taste buds, along with the sugary rush of funnel cake and the scent of deep-fried Twinkies. Her mouth watered. She couldn’t wait for the fairs to begin. It would all lead up to the big bonfire by the lake, where there would be live music, food, and prizes given out just for attending. Then there would be the parade of shifters. Excitement shimmered over her skin.

It was all Jez and Anna talked about. That and how many yummy men were milling around town unattended. Carissa could only shake her head. The last few nights had been crazy. All the loud music had made it almost impossible to sleep without taking melatonin or something stronger.

Her purse began to vibrate, drawing her out of her thoughts of the fun ahead, she juggled her bags and reached into an outside pocket to get her cell phone. She answered without checking the ID.

“Hello?”

“Cari, darling? It’s Deanna, your mother,” her mom responded.

Carissa rolled her eyes. Like she wouldn’t know who her mother was. Apprehension filled her and she felt eyes on the back of her neck again.

“What’s going on, Mother?” She wasn’t sure she wanted to hear the answer.

“I was just calling you about the Bonfire Festival. There seems to be a lot of eligible men running around—”

Ah, this conversation again. “Mother, I don’t have time for this. I’m on my way to work.”

“Yes, I know, but we haven’t talked lately and I’ve been thinking about your frigidity. Daniel and I think that maybe if you found the right person then you’d open up and finally bloom. You deserve to have a fulfilling sex life, honey.”

Carissa plowed into someone in front of her and had to apologize quickly. She looked around as her face blazed with embarrassment and her ears pinged. Frigidity? Deanna had spoken to her father about this?

Before Carissa could say anything, her mother continued. “I’ve sent you some links that should help you. Some are porn, and others are positions that Daniel and I have found very satisfying. Also, I have to tell you what happened at our latest orgy. Oh. My. Goodness. Cat shifters are so naughty. They fuck like it’s their life mission. Perhaps you should find yourself one. It will definitely help broaden your sexual horizons.”

“I can’t discuss this right now,” Carissa hissed.

“Dear, call me Deanna. We’ve spoken about this before. Mother makes me feel so old and I’m so full of vim and vigor. Anyway, I’ve also emailed you some links for sex toys and accessories…”

Carissa was sure the whole world could hear this conversation and were judging her. She looked around, but thankfully no one was gazing her way. “Please, stop this. I can’t talk about this and I’ve told you my sex life isn’t fodder for your conversations with dad.”

“But it’s for your well being, dear. All that frustration can’t be good for your body or your stress level. I do worry about your blood pressure. The doctors already think you’re pre-hypertensive. You need to relax; sex will help that.”

Carissa gritted her teeth. The only reason she had high blood pressure was because of her parents’ unrelenting nagging. She almost said so out loud, but resisted the urge. It was disrespectful and that wasn’t the person she wanted to be.

Carissa shut her eyes. There were days when she wished to the gods that her parents had never learned how to use technology. Most of the time, she could ignore them, but after the strange probing this morning, her mental defenses were still rebuilding themselves.

“Mother, I have to go,” she said, as calmly as she could, calling the wolf for a little help.

“She does have a point
,
”
the wolf said.

Carissa blinked. Her wolf was on her mother’s side? She shook her head and crossed the street. “Mother—”

“Let me tell you what happened at the orgy. This may help you. You never know…” Deanna pushed on as if Carissa hadn’t spoken.

She listened to her mother go into vivid detail about a party she had thrown that ended up involving food items, sex toys, and something to do with catnip. Carissa gritted her teeth, wishing that her hearing would fail.

“Mother—” she tried again.

A horn blast jarred her, and she looked up to find a driver at the crosswalk motioning for her to go. She resisted the urge to be obstinate and make him wait or just flip him off and then go. Good manners won out and she rushed across the street. The only good thing was that she had got a brief respite. The sound of her heart pounding and a loud ringing filled her ears, drowning out the conversation for a blessed moment.

Carissa blew out a breath and tried to relax. She took a moment to readjust the strap of her purse and juggle the bag handles that were digging into her forearms and the palm of her left hand. Once that was over, the jangling in her ears faded away and her mother’s voice came back in full voice along with that throaty chuckle that indicated that she’d just said something that would make the Pope blanch. Carissa sighed.

“Mom…Deanna,” she started. “I’ve got to go. I’m almost at work.” It was a lie.

“Oh, yes. Don’t forget to check those links.” Deanna’s voice dropped to a whisper. “You know…to help with your frigidity. I want you to go looking for a man at the Bonfire Festival. Don’t forget—cat shifters: sexy beasts and insatiable. Purr indeed.”

Carissa wanted to throw up. Instead, she hung up and continued on to Scentify.

Carissa began to wonder if she’d ever be left alone to find a guy on her own. With a sigh, she managed to yank open the front doors to Scentify, satisfied to see some people already waiting for them to open. She gave her potential customers a nod and allowed them to precede her into the shop. “Please, do wander around and check things out. I’ll get the coffee pot going.”

She gave them her best welcoming smile and squelched the excitement that fluttered in her stomach. Heels clicking on the pristine marble floor, she bypassed the front desk and headed to the back. All thoughts of unease disappeared.

“We have customers, ladies. One of you will have to forgo breakfast to get the ball going.” Carissa held out the bags of food and headed for the cabinet that held the herbs that they were still trying to decide how to use. She put her bags in the cabinet and placed her purse under her desk.

Anna grabbed her coffee and took a large swig. “I’ll go. As long as I have my coffee I’m good. Jez, you owe me.” With that she veered out of the room.

Carissa sat behind her desk and looked at Jezebel as she unpacked her breakfast, a cup of tea at the ready on the small table that separated the guest chairs. She said nothing, which made Cari uneasy. Rather than ask what was wrong, she got up and made herself a cup of coffee and got out her own breakfast.

“So, how many people out there today?” Jez asked, as she sank down in one of the guest chairs.

“About ten,” Cari replied. “More than usual. Maybe those ads and coupons are helping?”

“Probably. It helps that it’s Bonfire Festival time too.” Jezebel went quiet.

“What’s up?” A sinking feeling filled Carissa’s belly.

“Your mom called me. She’s worried about you. Why didn’t you tell us that you had issues?”

Frustration began to build in Carissa’s belly. The wolf wanted to lash out at her friend, to clamp down on her neck, and demand some sort of submission, or force her to take back the very personal question. To cover up her reaction, Cari picked up her coffee cup and took a sip, allowing the bittersweet liquid with a hint of Irish cream to soothe her. She savored the burst of smoky flavor and sweetness before placing the cup back on her desk. Her brain continued to work, searching for an answer that wouldn’t sound aggressive or rude. The last thing she needed was to get into an argument with a friend who was, after all, just trying to show some concern.

She cleared her throat. “First, my mom had no right to talk to you about that. That’s her assessment of me, not the truth. Second, I would ask you to not repeat that assertion. If I have an issue, I’ll let you know.” Not that she really would. They might be friends, but it was none of Jez’s business what was going on with her sex life.

A light red flush appeared on Jezebel’s pale caramel cheeks. “Cari, look, I’m sorry, but she made it sound like it was interfering with your life and your happiness. I love you dearly, hon. I just want you to be happy, is all.”

Cari refused to feel guilty for the tone she had used. “I know that, Jez. But you know my mother can go overboard. She wants everyone to have the sort of open relationship she and my father have. She feels I’ve failed her in some way by not being just like them. I’m happy where I’m at right now.”

It was a small lie, and she knew it. But her problem was not frigidity—not in any way, shape or form. Over the years her parents had tried their damndest to set her up with everything with a cock. It was humiliating to have her parents feel that she couldn’t find someone on her own. Deep in her gut she knew that if she met the right person, she’d open up, be comfortable in her own skin, and finally find that sense of security that she’d been longing for.

“Okay, so what’s up? You looked a bit—for lack of a better word—weak for a moment there?” Jezebel peered at her, a keen look in her light brown eyes. Red flecks glowed in the bright light of the room and her nostrils flared. “You smell like water and earth.”

Carissa’s eyes widened and she stared at her friend. She took a swallow of her coffee and tried to cover her reaction. “What?”

“Water. You smell like water and earth. That’s not your normal scent. What happened?” Jez leaned forward, jagged layers of ink-black hair falling over her shoulder.

Carissa weighed what to tell her. Did she go for the truth or keep it to herself? Jezebel had been around for over a century; maybe she’d heard of something like what had happened to her this morning. Taking a risk, she dived into the subject, barely stopping to draw breath. If she paused for even a second, she wouldn’t be able to finish.

Jezebel whistled. “Seems your mate is looking for you and is here in town. Although it seems they’re associated with water.”

Carissa took a bite out of her bagel sandwich and thought over what her friend had said. “How do you know?” she asked around a mouth full of bread, bacon, cheese, and egg.

“Normally, werewolves pair up within the pack. If you mesh, all is good, but if your mate is outside the pack and they decide to try and find you, they can send a bit of their power your way. If they’re strong enough, they might be able to get a look at you to see who you are, what you’re like. Sort of like speed dating on a paranormal magic level, without words.” Jezebel scrunched up her face. “Am I explaining this right?”

Carissa tried to untangle the information she had been given. “Maybe that’s it.” She sighed. “I have no clue. I’ll think about it and if I have any questions, I’ll ask you. How’s that?”

Jez nodded. “OK. Just remember, I’m here for you. Anna and I both are.”

Carissa gave her a small smile. She knew that was true. She just wished her mother didn’t have her friends’ phone numbers.

Chapter Three

Brent strolled down the sidewalk with Fletch trailing behind. The crowds seemed to be packing into stores like sardines. Everywhere he looked, people were spilling out of doorways. Streamers and flags billowed in the wind, with multicolored flames painted on their bright surfaces. Carts and food trucks were spread out every few feet, filling the air with tantalizing smells of hot dogs, bacon, chocolate, French fries, hamburgers, and other fast food. He wished it was like this every day. As soon as the festival was over, they’d all be gone.