ROMANCE: BIKER ROMANCE: Werewolf Rider (MC Shifter Pregnancy Romance) (New Adult Paranormal Romance Short Stories) (63 page)

Double Dragon Desire

"You're never going to believe who's coming to town," Erin exclaimed. Parker didn't need to see her best friend's face to know she was excited. The words she spoke rose light and airy, like bubbles through champagne. Between the two of them it was always Erin who was the ball of energy, and Parker loved her for it, even if it meant Erin was the one who usually got all the attention.

"I already don't believe it," Parker replied. She'd been sitting in the lounge of the Hertz building, waiting for class to start when her phone had started to vibrate with an incoming call. "You'd better tell me so I can start convincing myself it's for real."

Erin laughed.

"Parker, Sordid View is coming to town to play the Metro Center next week. I already got us tickets. I don't care what you have going on that night, or what you have going on the next day — we're going."

Erin was right; Parker didn't believe it. She sat back in the arm chair and looked upward at the open second floor. Students flitted between classrooms and down stairwells, the college an anthill of activity. Sordid View was one of Parker's favorite bands—a pop punk group that had been underground until recently, when their single Relative Gravity had caught on, and spread like wildfire. Almost overnight they'd risen from indie obscurity to radio obsessions, and Parker had never thought that—as big as they were now—that they'd ever visit a college town in the middle of nowhere. With a population of a little more than twenty thousand, Leadington was an unlikely place for a big name band to tour to. Before that, Sordid View had been too obscure to really bother much with touring far from their hometown.

"You're kidding me," Parker uttered. She plopped back in the arm chair and stared upward, gazing at the open ceiling above. The lobby was located at the base of the university stairwell, which sat in the center of the building. Walkways ran along the walls, opening up to passages that led towards the exterior of the building. From where she sat Parker could see students passing to and fro as far as the fifth floor.

"I told you!" Erin laughed. "The venue doesn't have seats, so if we get there early enough we can make our way to the front of the stage. Maybe Lysander will notice you, if you're right up front."

"Shut uuuup," Parker chided, but she was grinning like an idiot. Lysander Smythson wasn't the reason she'd gotten into Sordid View, but he certainly was one of the reasons she was staying. Tall, a little willowy, but totally breathtaking, as soon as she'd seen his photograph Parker had been hooked. Tattoos ran up his right arm and crept up over his shoulder to flirt with his neck. Apart from the vibrant colors across his arm, he was otherwise uninked. Along his right ear he had five piercings spaced evenly through the ridge of his ear, each of them spiked so that they looked like spines sweeping downward. He kept his black hair messy, and he sang like no one else. When Relative Gravity had taken off, Parker had known they'd get famous off of it. She'd been right.

"I told you that you wouldn't believe me," Erin said in a sing-song voice. "So uh, yeah. Best friend award, please. I'll be waiting by the mail for my plaque."

"I got the cab ride home and dinner, and we call it even?"

"You got it. Now get to class and learn something for once, okay?"

Parker laughed, shaking her head.

"Yeah. I'll call you later, okay? We've got to discuss what we'll be wearing. See ya, Erin."

"Bye bye," Erin sang. The call ended, and Parker laughed out loud. Several heads turned in her direction, students hunched over textbooks glaring at her. The lobby wasn't a designated silent area, but plenty of her peers took advantage of the comfy chairs to cram before tests.

Sordid View in concert. In real life. She'd look up and get to see Lysander's shocking green eyes in person. Parker buried her face in her hands, choking off another laugh. Was this real life? But as the day dragged on, and she faced calculus homework and the bitter cold of the encroaching winter, Parker knew it was no dream. The next morning she woke up and the Sordid View show was a day closer. And then another day, and then before she knew it, Parker stood with Erin inside the Metro Center, pressed up against the stage.

Erin was dressed in her best. A hi-low black top covered with white skull print was fitted to her torso, revealing the delicate curve of her breasts, and her black leggings left little to the imagination. Canvas sneakers and a slouch hat completed the look. Her blonde hair peeked out from beneath. Whatever Erin wore, she always made it look effortless. Parker felt as though she could never compete. Her dark brown hair was swept up into a messy bun, the electric blue streaks that ran through it almost invisible that way. Black skinny jeans, ripped horizontally up the leg and thigh, clung to her as closely as leggings would have. The old school Sordid View tank top she'd ordered online years ago clung tight, but Parker thought that Erin looked much cuter. A pair of black clunky boots and thick banded bracelets up her arm added interest, but not enough to steal the show from her best friend.

"If anything happens and we get separated," Erin told her as the lights began to dim and fog began to roll across the stage to tumble onto the floor, "text me and let me know you're okay, okay? And if you're in a bad situation, what's the safe word?"

"Blue skies," Parker replied faithfully. Every show they went to, Erin took her through the same routine. They were the same age, but Erin had always acted motherly towards her.

"Mmhm. So stay safe and scream your lungs out!"

It would still be a while before Sordid View took the stage, but Parker's heart already raced in excitement. Tonight one of her dreams would be realized, and maybe, just maybe, Lysander would gaze down into her eyes and fix her with his tantalizing smirk. But first, there were three opening acts to get through.

Clinging to the security barriers, Parker and Erin jumped and cheered, fueled by the music. As the night wore on, the floor grew more crowded. Those that had come to see Sordid View had lingered on the outskirts of the venue, chatting the night away as the opening acts performed. When the last of the opening bands played their last track, the mob packed in close. The heat of countless bodies left the air humid and sweltering, even amongst the plunging winter temperatures. In moments like this it was easy to forget where she was, and the responsibilities of her world. Standing before the stage there was only excitement and the promise of a good time. Parker couldn't wait.

When the last of the stage hands cleared away following setup and the overhead lights all dimmed, her heart felt ready to burst through her chest. Erin, still at Parker's side, gripped at her arm, and when Parker turned her head to look at her, she found her best friend laughing. The roar of the crowd drowned out the noise, even as close as she was. In that instant everything was magical, and Parker couldn't help but laugh back. Even the sound of her own laughter felt distant and muted compared to the excitement abuzz around her.

Then the darkness disappeared, the audience basked by poison-green lights that shone out from the backboards, near blinding. The crowd screamed, and as Parker squinted through the light she could see why — a figure stood center stage, facing them yet masked by the light that poured forth. His head was turned in profile, and he looked down. In one hand he gripped a microphone. The low hum of the bass kicked in, reverberating in Parker's chest, and as the thrum cleared the lights blinked out of existence, then streamed down from overhead. In stunning detail, so close she could almost touch him, stood Lysander Smythson.

Parker screamed.

The rush of the crowd was instant. Those who had lingered behind before now fought their way to the front, and Parker found herself pressed against the security barriers. The guitarist and the bassist emerged from the wings, joining their singer beneath the sickly green light, as though they all strode through noxious fields. In the back she spotted the drummer, confined to his kit. Parker's hands tightened around the barrier and refused to let go; this was the moment she'd been waiting for for years, and she wasn't going to be elbowed out of the way by bandwagoners.

Sordid View was starting with one of their older tracks; Parker knew it well. And as the guitar sang its last cords leading into the vocals, Parker watched with bated breath. Lysander lifted the mic languidly to his lips, pierced the audience with his narrowed, no-good gaze, and crooned the first verse. Right there. In front of her. In person. It felt like she might melt.

The tide of jumping, grinding bodies no longer mattered. Parker clung to the barrier and watch Lysander sing, his voice crystal clear through the speakers set on the stage. She'd seen video recordings of him playing live online and knew he was talented, but tonight he sounded better than he had on any recording, amateur or not. And when Lysander drew to the edge of the stage and looked out over the crowd, letting his eyes linger upon her, Parker felt like none of it could be real. How could one human being be so amazing talented and gorgeous all at the same time?

Tonight Lysander was dressed in tight black jeans slung across the back with thin, glistening chains. A simple V neck t-shirt was tucked partially into his leather belt, the other side left to hang down. Dark cords acted as chokers, clustered along the base of his neck, and gave way to a long stretch of black cord upon which hung a cross, dipping down to dangle near his stomach. Similar cords were wrapped around his right wrist, and when he raised his arm to sing they slid down his forearm, catching Parker's eye.

And right now he sang for her.

Eyes locked, the cross dangling from his neck swayed so close she felt she could grab it. Parker could see Lysander's lips moving, and she could see the spark of passion in his eyes. The moment lasted for an eternity, and yet only for a few moments at the same time. Before she knew it he'd taken a few quick steps backwards and had righted his posture, bounding across the stage with the wild energy only a singer possessed. Parker turned her head to shout to Erin about what had just happened, but found her friend no longer stood beside her. The crowd had dislodged her, and now Parker was alone.

The green of the stage lights was shot through with brilliant whites, and the lighting began to change. The color seeped away, replaced with angelic beams, and then bled through into blues. Parker had never seen anything like it before, and the way it played across Lysander as he sang left her breathless. When the song ended and the crowds around her cheered, she could only stare. Lysander stood center stage, mic lowered, chest heaving. This close she could see the sweat across his brow and the glint in his eyes that burned with life. God, was he handsome.

The mic rose to his lips once more.

"Hey, Leadington," he said, words smooth. A few steps brought him back towards the edge of the stage, and Parker felt her heart jump into her throat. "Good to be here. The boys and I have wanted to come out for a long time, but we only got around to it now. Hope you guys didn't mind the wait."

Lysander allowed for a pause as the crowd shrieked back in reply. Parker found herself shouting alongside them, throwing a hand into the air as she jumped up against the barrier, trying to catch his attention. Maybe it was a trick of the eye, but she thought she saw him glance down at her.

"Tonight we've got a lot to play for you, a lot of old stuff, a lot off our new album, and maybe one thing or two we're experimenting with."

New songs? No way. Parker grinned like an idiot, hung up on every word.

"So tonight I want to hear a lot of screaming, want to see a lot of dancing, and want to see every single one of you gone crazy. Got it?"

Another roar of approval sounded from all around her, and Parker's voice joined them as she jumped and screamed Lysander's name. His eyes darted in her direction once again, and he flashed his infamous smirk. There was something between them, and whether it was just the magic of being so close to the man she'd dreamed about for years, or the rush of a live show, Parker didn't know. Whatever it was, it felt fantastic. How she wished tonight would never end.

"So we're gonna play something for you that I'm sure all of you have heard before. Ready, guys?"

The wooden clack of drum sticks counting down told Lysander that they were. Parker grinned, eating all of it up. Not only was Sordid View amazing because their lead singer was one of the most handsome men alive, but because of the chemistry between the band members.

"Guess they are," Lysander said with a smirk. "So let's go!"