Changing Times (6 page)

“I’m not sure I can handle him,
cheré
.” Tony placed a
kiss on her knuckles then released her hand. Carly simply stood there watching
him. Confusion and desire warred within her. Confusion about this particular
man and his effect on her.

The desire could be easily explained. The air of danger that
suddenly surrounded them kept her grounded in reality. There wasn’t any way she
wanted part of whatever feud those two had going on.

Carly saw the shutters come down over his features even as
her hand tingled from the contact with his mouth. What was his deal? One minute
he acted like he wanted to ravish her on the spot, the next he was like a human
iceberg. Just as she opened her mouth to call him on it a brown van pulled into
the parking lot.

The logo on the side was of a clock with the words “Changing
Times” in flowing script across the face of the clock. A young man jumped out
and grinned as Tony walked over to him. She watched Tony hand the young man his
keys then Tony motioned her toward him.

“Louis will take care of the car for me. I’m afraid this isn’t
quite as luxurious but it is dependable transportation. I apologize about
lunch.”

“It’s okay. I think I lost my appetite anyway.” Carly jumped
into the conversation before he could suggest they take a rain check. Tony
inclined his head then walked around to the passenger side of the van with her.

“The door sticks, allow me.” He opened the door for her.
Carly gave him what she hoped was a withering glare as she got into the van.
Tony simply glanced down as he shut the door. She had the feeling he was trying
to keep from laughing at her—again. Tony rounded the front of the van and with
a few more words of caution for Louis, got behind the wheel. They drove back to
Carly’s car in silence.

Tony turned to face her as he parked the van behind her car.
“Carly, I meant what I said about Slade. He is dangerous. He is also willing to
risk other people’s lives to get what he wants. Don’t try to challenge him. Don’t
even think about fighting with him. If he comes near you, call me.”

Tony reached into his pants pocket and pulled out a business
card. He flipped it over then pulled a pen out of the glove compartment of the
van. He wrote something on the back of the card. “I want your promise that if
he contacts you that you will call me or one of these two people.”

“I can take care of myself, Tony.” Carly was more than a
little annoyed with his attitude.

“Can you?” Before she could answer him he was over the
separation of the two seats and had her pinned in the passenger seat. His mouth
was at her throat, his hands holding both of hers at her sides. Carly froze.
Her frantic heartbeat sounded loud to her own ears, she couldn’t imagine how it
sounded to him.

When Tony spoke, his breath feathered over her neck, causing
chills to race over her body. She could feel his lips brushing against her skin.
“As fast as you think you are, he’s ten times faster. As strong as you think
you are, he’s even stronger.”

Carly inhaled sharply as she felt Tony’s mouth move even
closer to her neck. The sharp, clean smell of his skin mingled with a slightly
spicier scent reached her immediately. “He could have you before you even knew
he was near you. Don’t take chances, Carly.”

Tony closed his mouth over the frantically beating pulse in
her neck. He bit her slightly and Carly jumped. When he licked slowly over the
area he’d just bitten, she could feel her body arching toward his, feel her
breasts tighten. He moved just as quickly off Carly as he had moved on her.
Carly took less than a minute to regain her composure. Tony’s head rocked back
from the force of her blow. Though he had to have seen it coming he made no
move to avoid it and ignored the faint red mark that appeared on his cheek.

“I want your promise, Carly. If Slade approaches you I want
you to call one of the numbers on the back of that card.” Tony’s voice was as
calm as though he was commenting on the weather.

“Go to hell.” Carly was pissed off at the shaky quality of
her voice. Just who the hell did he think he was anyway? How dare he attack her
like this?

“I’ve already been there,” Tony’s voice was soft as he
opened the door of the van then came around to the passenger side to open her
door. She couldn’t stop shaking and hoped he could tell just how pissed off she
truly was. Carly glanced once at him as he reached toward her. “Your promise,
Carly.”

“All right.” Her voice was still shaky but she was quickly
regaining her control. “
If
Slade makes an attempt to contact me I’ll
call one of the numbers on the back of this card.” She turned to walk to her
car. Tony’s voice stopped her.

“Carly?” Carly stopped but didn’t turn to face him. “I’m
sorry.”

She wasn’t sure what he was apologizing for. Carly nodded
without turning around then got into her car. Tony waited until she’d started
her car. They pulled out of the parking lot and turned in opposite directions.

Tony wasn’t sure Slade would attempt anything with Carly nor
did he know if he would ever see her again. He knew he wanted to. In spite of
the danger he might have put her in, his body was still reacting to the feel of
her under him, the scent and taste of her, the rapid heartbeat. Tony shook his
head then deliberately forced his mind back to his confrontation with Slade.

Having Slade approach him in public like that meant that the
Turn Skins would be escalating their bid to reveal themselves in the human world.
Slade’s own admission that he wanted an accounting led Tony to believe there
would soon be more violence from the Turn Skins camp. For the most part, Slade
was still an unknown to him. Now might be a good time to find out just where
Slade had come from and what he’d done in the past.

Tony did know that Slade had appeared on the scene after
Micah had left the pack, so that meant he’d come to the Turn Skins just over
two years ago. Curtis’ battle with cancer and the drugs he’d been taking had
caused his mental state to deteriorate rapidly, something unusual among
Shifters. According to the information Micah had given him, Slade had taken
advantage of that deterioration.

Forcing Challenge fights with an ailing Pack leader wasn’t
unusual among the canines. At least that had been Tony’s experience with them.
He didn’t generally run with or pay a lot of attention to the wolves. Still,
knowing that
someone
had convinced Curtis to step down and had
instigated Challenge fights to see who would take his place as Alpha made Tony
wary. That
someone
had obviously been Slade.

Now would be a good time to find out more about Malcolm
Slade and what exactly what his agenda was. He would concentrate on Slade for
now and forget about Dr. Carly Chambers.

* * * * *

Slade laughed as he watched the scene in the van. Surely
Tony was warning the little human to stay away from the “big bad wolf”. Slade’s
laugh was louder this time. “Big bad wolf, yeah, that’s me.”

Carly Chambers. Slade smiled as he followed her on his
motorcycle, whistling the children’s nursery rhyme song about the big bad wolf
under his breath. Her scent was easy to trace. Almonds and honey led him right
to her door. He didn’t even bother claiming his wolf form for this one.

After a suitable time lag he stepped into her backyard and
waved at her as she sat on her balcony drinking a cup of coffee—French vanilla
from the smell of it. Then he melted back into the hedge. He knew she couldn’t
see him now, but he could see her. Slade started whistling again, slightly
louder then allowing the sound to drift off. He knew she would report his
appearance to Pantera, which was exactly what he wanted. He wanted Tony Pantera
angry enough to attack.

Tony was an unknown element. Slade wanted nothing to
interfere with his plans. Curtis had put the wheels in motion but Slade would
carry out the plans they had formulated. Fear equaled power. With fear on their
side, the Turn Skins could gain more power in New Orleans and become a force to
be reckoned with. He wasn’t going to allow this unknown element to screw up his
plans.

Tony had fought with other members of the Turn Skins once
before. Those who had seen him fight said that he seemed to completely lose
control. Slade couldn’t afford to have Tony against him and he knew Tony would
never accept his rule. Tony was strong enough to lead all of the Turn Skins and
the unaligned shifters, he just didn’t seem to be interested in wielding that
kind of power. Tony had been in hiding much too long.

It was time to blow the lid off their little game of
hide-and-seek with the public. It was definitely time for the cats to come out
to play with the rest of them or else get out of their way. Permanently. Slade
continued to laugh to himself as he walked down the street.

In spite of her promise, Carly hadn’t called Tony after
Slade’s appearance in her backyard. She was slightly shaken by the sense of
menace surrounding the man. Carly wasn’t sure what to think about Slade or Tony
or any of it. If Tony was delusional it seemed there were several people in her
immediate vicinity sharing his delusion.

She refused to accept that she was becoming a believer even
though she had picked up several books and articles about lycanthropy during
the week that followed. She had also talked to a trusted associate who had
spent some time in southern Mexico dealing with the porphyria victims.

A little over a week after her backyard encounter with Slade,
Carly was walking toward her car when she heard someone whistling. Normally
that wouldn’t have bothered her but it was the tune that gave her pause. It was
the same one Slade had trilled in her backyard.

Carly stopped in her tracks and looked around. There wasn’t
another soul in sight. She made it to her car and got inside, quickly locking
the door. Before she could put the key in the ignition there was a loud thump
and her car started shaking slightly from side to side. Suddenly a face
appeared in her windshield.

“Hey, Doc. How’s it going? Say, why don’t you drop Pantera
and hook up with me?” Slade grinned, chilling her blood in her veins. Once
again, his eyes seemed to be glowing at her from his position on top of her
car. How he had gotten there she had no clue.

“What do you want from me?”

“Nothing really. It’s Pantera I want. You? You’re just the
means to an end. Granted, you’re damn attractive but,” Slade shook his head as
he chuckled, “you’re really just not my type. Too…human.”

“Leave me alone or I’ll call the cops.” Carly’s voice was
calm but her palms sweated as she white-knuckled the steering wheel with a
death grip.

“And tell them what? That I jumped on your car? That I asked
you out?” Slade laughed again. “Come on, Doc. I haven’t committed any crimes
here.” There was a brief pause before he continued. “Yet.”

Slade slid off the roof of her car onto the hood. He leered
at her as he eased himself past the windshield. Her muscles tensed at the
controlled slow slide of Tony’s enemy. Slade had somehow hooked his fingers
onto the space between the hood and windshield of her car and his face was
directly in front of hers. Carly drew in a sharp breath. For just a fleeting
moment she had seen the face of a wolf and not a man. His features had blurred
then stabilized, but his eyes were still glowing.

“Call Pantera, Carly. Tell him I’m really anxious to meet
him again. Tell him I’m close. Tell him I’m watching.”

Slade rolled completely off her car and vanished. There was
no other word for it. One moment he was standing in front of her car, the next
he was gone. Carly’s hand shook so hard she dropped the keys twice. She managed
to start her car on the third try. She put it in gear and drove home just
slightly over the speed limit.

When she arrived at her condo, she triple-checked the doors
to make sure they were all locked then sped up to her bedroom. She dug the card
Tony had given her out of her wallet and flipped it over. The first number he
had written on the card was swiftly punched into her cordless phone.

It seemed to take forever, though in reality it was only
three rings. A sleep-laden voice came over the line.

“Tony? It’s Carly. Slade was waiting for me tonight.”

“Carly? Are you all right?” Tony was immediately awake. She
could hear the difference in his voice.

“I’m okay. Scared but okay. He was on my car. He knows where
I live.” Carly could hear her voice shaking and it made her angry. “What the
hell have you gotten me into?”

“Carly, I’ll be there in ten minutes. You’ll be safe, I
swear it. Slade won’t hurt you.”

“He doesn’t want me. He said to tell you he was close, he
was watching and he was anxious to meet you again. Tony, he scares me.”

“Understandable. Carly, I’m going to come to your house
tonight. If you don’t want me inside, that’s fine but I’m going to make sure
you’re safe. No one is going to hurt you.” Tony had gotten out of bed and was
pulling on clothes even as they had talked.

He was at the door to his bedroom as he confirmed her
address then grabbed his keys. He suddenly remembered that the Jaguar was in
the shop and the van was still at the store.

Tony briefly debated changing and making his way to Carly’s
on four feet but realized that might not be the best plan. He grabbed a
different set of keys and took off for the garage. His standby vehicle was
there. The truck was old but reliable. Tony got behind the wheel of the ancient
pickup and gunned the motor to life.

Within twenty minutes of Carly’s call he was pulling up a
block away from her house. Tony got out of the truck and made a round of the
block, using all the senses available to him as he searched for any traces of
the “other”.

Tony found a spot where someone had been watching Carly’s place.
The scent wasn’t one he was familiar with, so he knew that it was one of Slade’s
people. Tony felt his lip curl as he moved closer to Carly’s condo. He knocked
on the door then looked around again as he waited for her to answer the door.

There was a muffled noise from the other side of the door.
Tony stared straight into the peephole. Though the condo was in darkness, he
could sense Carly on the other side of the door. Tony waited for her to open
the door. Her voice came through the closed door asking who was there.

“Carly, it’s Tony. Open the door.” He heard the sound of the
chain being pulled back then two locks clicked open. Carly stood framed in the
doorway. She stared at him for a long moment then stepped back to let him in. “He’s
not here now, there was no sign of him outside.”

Tony stared hard at her for a moment then simply held his
hand out. Carly let him pull her closer then she practically jumped into the
circle of his arms. Tony closed his arms around her as he kicked the door shut
behind him. He held her tight in the circle of his arms as she took a deep
breath.

He could feel her pulse rate and heartbeat slowing as she
absorbed the warmth of his body. Tony was wearing a shirt but when she had moved
closer to him her hand had landed on bare skin. He’d been in such a hurry to
get to her he hadn’t buttoned his shirt, just stuffed it into his jeans.

Tony could feel her awareness of him now. Though she’d been
scared when he’d first arrived, she felt at ease with Tony. She knew on some
internal level that he would do everything in his power to keep her safe. His
arms tightened around her briefly. Carly took a small step back. Tony
immediately released her. He stroked one hand down the back of her head before
he reached up with his other hand to tilt her face back slightly.

“Did he hurt you?”

“No, he was just on my car watching me. There’s something
seriously wrong with him, Tony.”

“He’s dangerous. I told you that. I’m staying here until
daylight.” It was a statement, not a request. He saw her anger flare for a
moment and saw when she realized that she really wanted him there. She simply
nodded as she turned to lead the way into her condo.

Tony followed even as he glanced around with interest. Carly’s
tastes were somewhat eclectic but the overall effect was one of comfort. The
colors she had used were bright and vibrant, much like the woman he could still
feel in his arms. She was very different from Jenny. That thought came unbidden
into his mind and Tony shook his head slightly.

His hair fell forward and he brushed it back impatiently. He
hadn’t bothered pulling it back when he’d left his home. Tony chuckled briefly
as he realized that wasn’t all he hadn’t bothered with. His appearance left a
great deal to be desired. Not only had he stuffed his shirt into the first pair
of jeans that had come to hand, but he’d put his shoes on without benefit of
socks.

Tony ran a hand through his hair again, as he became aware
that Carly was watching him. She was standing in front of the coffeemaker with
a large cup in her hand. Tony nodded once and she turned her back on him to
pour him a cup of coffee.

“I saw a brand on his hand,” Carly didn’t have to elaborate
to let Tony know she was talking about Slade. “I’ve never understood why anyone
would mutilate their own body that way.”

Tony grinned at the quick breath she drew in as she saw how
close he stood to her now. Tony knew she hadn’t heard him move at all. Taking
the cup out of her hands, he took a sip then deliberately backed away from her.
Carly took another deep breath as she met his eyes.

“Are all lycanthropes into that?”

Tony felt a small surge of victory at the fact that she
seemed to accept what he was. He wasn’t sure what had changed her mind but he
wasn’t going to question it. He put the coffee mug down on the counter as he
turned to watch her again.

“What, self-mutilation? No, of course not, just as not all
humans are into it. There are extremists in everything, Carly. Shifters are no
exception. There are those who enjoy inflicting pain and those who enjoy
receiving it. That doesn’t mean that all shifters are into extreme behavior.”

“What about you? Are you into it? Pain, I mean.” Carly
flushed slightly and Tony wondered why she’d asked.

“No.” Tony moved slightly closer to her and waited until she
looked at him again then he smiled a wicked smile. “When I’m making love, I don’t
mind a little biting and scratching but it isn’t the source of my pleasure nor
is it necessary for my pleasure.”

He watched her eyes widen and he stepped even closer. “What
do you like, Carly? Do you like pain?”

“No.” She kept her eyes on his as she answered then locked
her eyes on his mouth. Tony closed the distance between them before she could
draw another breath. He had her in his arms and his mouth was just hovering
above hers. He was waiting for a sign, something, anything to show that she
wanted this as much as he did. She rose up on her toes, closing the distance
between their mouths.

He gently bit her then soothed the slight sting with a lick.
Her arms wrapped around his neck and his held her tightly against him. Tony
wallowed in the taste of her. He opened his eyes without even realizing he’d
closed them. He could feel her yielding to him. Tony pulled her even closer and
Carly opened her eyes. Dark blue eyes met green-gold ones then she allowed her
lashes to drop closed again.

Tony took her under and Carly melted against him. Reaching
down to pick her up, he carried her into the living room they had passed where
a couch waited. He knelt on the floor beside the couch as he moved his mouth
across her neck. With his jaw he brushed against hers then rubbed along her
shoulder.

“This is how others like me will know to leave you alone.
I’ve marked you with my scent, kitten.” He whispered even though they were
alone.

“Tony…” Her voice came out breathlessly and he raised his
head to stare into her eyes. He knew his eyes were even more golden now and he
smiled as he slid his hands under her shirt to touch her soft skin. “Wait.”

She put her hands over his and he stopped moving his hands. “What’s
wrong, Carly?”

“It’s too soon.”

“We don’t have to make love. Just let me touch you.” Tony
slowly pushed her top up just to the bottom edge of her bra, exposing her
stomach. Keeping his eyes on her face, he dropped his head to her stomach. He
licked across her abdomen and Carly gasped as she grabbed his head. She couldn’t
have known the meaning of their positions. For a shifter to expose his abdomen
to anyone was the most submissive position imaginable.

She ran her hand slowly through his hair and Tony smiled
against her stomach. It truly was his one vanity. He loved being stroked and
loved having his hair played with. He turned his head so that he was looking at
her feet and Carly continued to run her hand through his soft hair. She wrapped
her fingers in his hair then pulled gently.

Tony was doing what he had wanted to do earlier he was
wallowing in her scent. He really wanted to get her out of her clothes so he
could concentrate more on her skin and not so much on the detergent she used
and the smells of the hospital that still clung to her. He turned his head
slightly and took a deep breath with his mouth open to draw even more of her
scent inside. Carly gasped at the feel of his open mouth on her stomach and he
chuckled.

“Touch, taste, texture, smell, they all mean more to
shifters than they do to humans. Sometimes humans mistake the craving for touch
for something more than what it is. It causes some problems. I want you to know
this, Carly. I want you. I want to touch you and taste you and make love to
you. I don’t want you to think I’m just craving touch from you.”

“Why do shifters need touch more than humans?”

“Contact. We need to know we’re not alone.”

“Everyone needs that.” She ran her hand through his hair
again then shook her head as she took a deep breath. Tony felt it and turned
his head to look at her. He smiled and turned his face back into her stomach.
He opened his mouth over her lower stomach again.

Going slowly, he lapped at her with his tongue, then very
gently closed his teeth on her. He felt her gasp but didn’t let up. He wasn’t
hurting her and he knew it. He knew how much pressure to exert without causing
her any pain. He just wanted to get more of her scent into his system.

Tony released her and sat back on his heels. Carly took a
deep breath then pulled her shirt down, covering her stomach. She met his eyes
and he smiled at her.

“I meant what I said, Carly. I want you.” Tony fought his
body’s reaction to her scent yet again. He had succeeded in arousing himself
and he knew he had aroused her as well. Though she wouldn’t admit it to him,
her body’s response to his mouth on her had been very clear to him.