And she didn’t want to get involved with him, either. She had made that fact very clear today. After not wanting to speak to him on the street, she had studiously ignored him for the entire day. She had even acted irritated as he shadowed her, just like she had at first. Whatever had flowered to life between them yesterday had obviously withered on the bud, as far as she was concerned.
He picked up his coffee cup again. Perhaps it was for the best. No, it was definitely for the best. He couldn’t offer her anything, and it would only be cruel to let the chemistry between them develop any further. Especially if she was mentally fragile, as Leonie was claiming.
Leonie reached out, slowly, and covered his hand with her own. Evan looked down at it, puzzled. What was she doing?
“I’m so glad we’ve had a chance to speak,” she drawled, her blue eyes wide and disarming. “Maya mightn’t appreciate your attention, Evan, but there are other women who could find it…interesting. Think about it.”
Evan stared at her. She was making a play, no doubt about it. He stared down once again at her hand covering his own. Her skin was cold; colder than he would have expected on a hot summer’s day.
Suddenly, he felt the hackles on his back start to rise. A growl rose in his throat, low and ominous. The wolf was not happy, for some reason. Sometimes, it made its presence felt in the strangest of ways. If he wasn’t careful, it would start to take control, and the next thing he would be transforming in this café. And that could not happen.
He suppressed the growl with difficulty, taking his hand away from hers.
“I should get back,” he said, standing up, and throwing some money on the table. “Interesting chat, Leonie.”
She smiled up at him. “The pleasure was all mine.”
He walked away, frowning. What had just happened there?
The wolf was warning him. But why, he could only imagine.
***
Maya stared at the café from across the street. She felt as if everything was starting to tilt sideways; as if the world had turned suddenly on its axis in the most unexpected way.
She had thought that a walk would be good. Clear her mind, after the punishing rehearsal schedule. Freddie was a hard task master, and Vera was working them extra hard for the rushed debut of Giselle. She felt as if all the muscles in her body were being battered.
She had looked around for Evan, but strangely, he wasn’t around. She had tried to suppress the feeling of loss. It was ridiculous; she had spent all the previous night psyching herself up for seeing him and ignoring him. She had sensed he was bewildered by her sudden cold attitude toward him. But she had gritted her teeth and told herself it was for the best. Like taking bitter medicine to cure yourself of a sickness.
It had been a difficult day. Freddie wasn’t happy with her. When she had walked into the rehearsal room that morning, late and breathless, he had frowned, glancing at the clock on the wall pointedly. And when they had a short break mid-morning he had walked up to her, a newspaper in hand, and flung it at her.
“Read it,” he had hissed, that perpetual frown deepening. “Page five.”
Maya had opened the paper with a sinking heart. It was a short feature article about the upcoming production. There was a photo of herself and Freddie at the press conference, smiling happily. That part was all good. But somehow, the newspaper had gotten wind of the shopping mall appearance and her sudden exit. She forced herself to read to the end.
Tongues were wagging when principal dancer, Maya Roberts, suddenly collapsed at the Covenester Shopping Mall. A security guard had to step in and whisk the star of the CBC’s upcoming production of Giselle away. The rest of the cast and crew were forced to battle limply on without their star. After such a positive press conference, it seems that the ills that have besieged the ballet company are far from over. An omen of things to come? Watch this space.
Maya closed the newspaper and handed it back to Freddie.
“I’m sorry,” she whispered.
“What the hell happened, Maya?” he said, his eyes narrowed. “This was supposed to raise our profile. It was supposed to show that the CBC are back on track. And your supposed collapse is all that anyone remembers from everything that we did yesterday!”
Maya smiled weakly. “It must have been the heat,” she said, staring down at the ground. “I couldn’t help it, Freddie, and I certainly didn’t plan it. I want the CBC to succeed. Why else would I be here?”
He stared at her. “Well, you should have told me beforehand if you were feeling faint. I wouldn’t have let you do it. Now, we have to go into damage control.” He paused, dramatically. “Again.”
Maya took a deep breath. “What’s that saying?” She paused. “There’s no such thing as bad publicity. At least they are talking about us, I guess. It might mean more people come to see Giselle.”
Freddie raised his eyes skywards. “Yes, to see if you can get through the performance without fainting.” His face softened slightly. “If there is a medical issue, you need to tell me, Maya. You are prima ballerina, and you must be in peak condition. Is something wrong?”
Maya shook her head, slowly. “No, I’m alright. Just a bit exhausted, I guess, and battling with the heat. I shouldn’t have worn that jacket yesterday.” She squared her shoulders, staring at him. “It won’t happen again. I won’t let you down, Freddie.”
Freddie smiled faintly. “That’s my girl. We’d better get back to it.”
Maya thought about it, as she stared across the street. It seemed that everything was slowly unravelling, once again.
She could see them, clearly. Leonie and Evan, sitting in a window booth at the café on the corner. They were talking intently while they drank coffee. And then, Leonie leaned over and placed her hand over Evan’s. He didn’t take his hand away. In fact, he seemed to be trying to control himself.
She turned around and rushed back down the street, crossing over without really looking. A car horn sounded, and she waved apologetically before continuing. That would be a great headline, she thought grimly. Star ballerina mowed down by car in front of theatre. She could almost see Freddie frothing at the mouth.
She ran into the theatre, straight to the dressing rooms. Rachel, one of the other dancers who she lived with, was sitting there scrolling through her phone. Her eyes widened as she took in Maya’s agitated state.
“Maya, what is it?” she asked, frowning with concern.
“Nothing,” said Maya brusquely. “I’m fine.”
Rachel opened her mouth then quickly closed it. She stood up. “I’ll give you some space. See you back in the rehearsal room.”
Maya nodded, not looking at the other woman.
She stared at her reflection in the mirror, appalled to see that she was as white as a sheet. And sweating. It was dripping off her; she could feel it running down her neck, and there were beads of it dotting her forehead. She took a deep breath, trying to calm down.
Why were Leonie and Evan having coffee together in that café? And talking so intimately? It didn’t make any sense at all. Leonie had been so dismissive of him; she had warned Maya not to get involved with him. And Evan hadn’t seemed happy with Leonie this morning, when she had told him that she thought Maya didn’t need a bodyguard anymore. And now, they were cosied up together, holding hands.
Maya raised a shaking hand to her face, wiping the beads of sweat away. Leonie was supposed to be her friend. They had sat and watched a movie together last night in the living room, munching on popcorn. Leonie had picked it: Thelma and Louise.
“This is a great movie to get over a guy,” she had said, meaningfully, as she slid the DVD into the player. “Feminine power, Maya. If other women have your back, it makes it all better. And all the girls here have your back.” She had paused. “You are one of us, now.”
Maya had felt surrounded by love. Especially when Rachel and Isabel had joined them. They had all sat together on the sofa, whopping with joy as Thelma and Louise became more empowered, lea
ving a trail of broken men behind them.
“We should go on a road trip,” Leonie had announced at one point. “All of us. Hit the road. No men allowed. Just the open road, good music on the stereo, and the stars in the sky.” She had smiled, wickedly. “Oh, and a bottle of tequila.”
They had all laughed, vaguely discussing the possibility. Maya had gone to bed firm in her resolve that she could resist Evan, and that it was for the best. She had a strong group of girlfriends and her dancing. That was all she needed.
And now, Leonie was making a mockery of all of it. Girl power indeed, she thought grimly. Was she deliberately going behind Maya’s back? Telling her that Evan wasn’t good for her, so that she could make a play for him herself? But why was Evan taking the bait? He had acted as if he disliked Leonie just this morning.
Maya thought of the kiss that they had shared. She had thought it was special; that he was genuinely attracted to her. But she could see now that it hadn’t meant anything to him. He had been alone with a pretty girl and made a play. That was the extent of it. Just like he was doing with Leonie now. He had worked out that Maya didn’t want to take it any further and quickly decided to move on.
It hurt. It hurt so badly, she could barely stop herself from doubling over in pain. It was almost physical.
She was being stupid. She knew that. It was only a kiss, nothing more. Men and women shared kisses all the time, and they didn’t mean anything. And it was especially stupid because she didn’t want it to go any further. They were too different.
So, why was she reacting this way? She should be happy. Happy that she had extricated herself with no hard feelings. Happy that Evan was blithely moving on, without a backward glance.
Maya pressed her hands against her temples. It was a choice. She had to decide that she was happy with it, and then her feelings would slowly follow. Mind over matter, and all that.
She stood up. Break time was almost over. There would be another two hours of rehearsal, and then she would be done for the day. She would be able to go home and crawl into bed at long last. Say farewell to another rotten day.
The door opened and Leonie walked in. She jumped when she saw Maya standing there, silently.
“Maya!” she said quickly, a smile breaking over her face. “I didn’t know you were in here, you are so quiet! Is everything okay?”
Maya turned to her, studying her. Leonie looked flustered, but she was staring at her with an open expression.
“Fine,” said Maya. “Just fine. I tried to find you. Did you go somewhere?”
“Just out for a walk,” said Leonie quickly. “I needed to stretch my legs a little. I’m sorry, I should have asked if you wanted to come.”
“It doesn’t matter,” said Maya, walking towards the door. “I’ve had a good break. Things are clearer, now.”
She opened the door and walked out without a backward glance.
Leonie stared after her, her head tilted sideways. The lights flickered briefly. A slow smile spread over her face, and she started laughing.
She turned, staring at her face in the mirror. A very different one stared back.
Chapter Nine
Evan peered at the sky as he walked towards the warehouse. The sun was just beginning to set, casting a haze of pink and orange over the city skyline. He stopped for a moment, taking a slug from his water bottle. It had been a scorcher of a day, and it was only going to get hotter. The long days of summer were at their height, counting down to the one day that he didn’t want to happen: his birthday.
Still a month or so to go, he assured himself, the fear seizing him once more. Most of the time, when he was so busy working on cases, he managed to forget what was going to happen to him. What was fated to happen to him. But then, it would drop into his brain like a stick of dynamite, exploding in all directions.
He crossed over the street, weaving in between cars. The dives and bars were beginning to pump. He could see men walking into them, ready to sink a few warm beers, seeking escape from the heat. The slow mournful notes of a saxophone rose into the air, causing him to flinch just a little. Well, it was the wolf flinching really. His hearing was highly attuned, just like an animal. As was his sense of smell. He passed by a pile of trash cans, stinking in the heat. It was all that he could do not to heave into the gutter.
He wondered, briefly, what his life would have been like if he hadn’t been born like this. A shapeshifter. He could have been normal; just a regular joe, going into a bar to have a drink, just like these guys were doing. Nothing more pressing on his mind than relaxing after a hard day’s work then heading home. A regular home, rather than the seemingly abandoned warehouse in this dodgy part of the city.
He turned down the industrial street, passing by factories, all closed for the day. He didn’t really miss being normal—or not that much, or that often. Most of the time, he enjoyed living with the others. It was a band of brothers, all working together to combat the Vilgath. He remembered that Caleb had always battled with being so different, but he had accepted it.
He rapped on the door. He heard footsteps approaching, and then Zach’s face appeared. The young omega shifter grinned then opened the door wider, letting him in.
“Killer day,” he remarked, as they walked into the huge, open-plan living space. “Thought I was going to melt at one point. Bring on winter!”
Evan nodded. Summer was hard on all the Wild Keepers. Their internal temperature always ran hot, and they struggled in the heat. He knew all his brothers would heave a sigh of relief when the days started cooling down.
Thad was sitting at the table, typing on his laptop. He could see Shay in the tiny kitchenette, preparing himself some food. And Noah, the new guy, was chilling out listening to some music on his headphones.
Evan sat at the table, taking out his water bottle again. Thad looked up. “You look hot, Evan. Hard day?”
Evan shrugged. “A puzzling day.”
Thad closed his laptop and stared at him. “How are things going at the ballet company? Ready to step into a tutu yet?”
Evan laughed. “Not even close! They are the strangest group of people I have ever met.” He took a long slug of water. “Just like I thought, really. Obsessed with their ballet, and they look down their noses at all the little people around them. Most, anyway.”
Thad nodded. “Give me a rundown on how the case is going. Any leads?”
Evan sighed, leaning back in the chair. “A few, but not much. There is definitely Vilgath activity, just like you suspected.”
Thad nodded again. “I knew it! How did you find out?”
“The star dancer,” said Evan, trying to keep his voice neutral. “Maya Roberts. She confided in me that she had seen what she called a creature hovering on the ceiling when she discovered the dead director. Description matches a demon. And she thinks she saw one staring at her in the crowd at a mall yesterday.”
“Any clues where they might be hiding?”
Evan frowned. “I’m going to do some background checks tonight, on all of the ballet crew.” He sighed. “One in particular. Her name is Leonie Adams. A dancer there. She’s…. odd. And my hackles started to rise a little when she touched me today.”
“She touched you?” Thad was grinning. “Did you ask her to? Is she good looking?”
Evan grinned. “Yeah, she’s pretty, but cold as nails. And manipulative, I think. She was definitely making a play for me, all the while smearing her friend Maya’s character.” He paused. “There’s just something about her I definitely don’t trust. And obviously the wolf senses it, too.”
Thad nodded. “Trust the wolf,” he said. “I’ve had an instinctive reaction to people on cases, where the wolf has started rearing up, and it is usually spot on. She should be top of your list. Anyone else suspicious?”
Evan shook his head. “Not overly. But I’ll check them all, just the same.”
Thad stood up. “Sounds like you’ve got it under control,” he said. “Has anything else happene
d at the company since you’ve been there, apart from the star seeing a demon in the crowd?”
“Nothing major,” he replied. “But the appearance of the demon yesterday was deliberate. It was a publicity appearance, and it revealed itself in the crowd to Maya. It rattled her so much that she collapsed, and I had to take her home.”
Shay had walked over to them, slurping his bowl of noodles. “The perks of the job,” he grinned. “I think I saw that story in the paper, along with a photo of the ballerina. She’s a stunner. Did you drop her at her house and leave...or linger awhile?”
Evan coloured slightly. He didn’t want to talk about Maya to any of them, and certainly not discuss her like Shay wanted to. “All part of the job, Shay.”
Shay’s grin widened. “Oh yeah, you are her personal bodyguard, aren’t you? Lucky dog.”
Evan snorted. “Watching a bunch of prissy ballerinas rehearsing all day is hardly my idea of hitting the jackpot, but you can have your fantasy if you like.” He paused. “The case could have been yours, Shay. Do you want to swap? Hanging out at a bar sounds better than where I am.”
Shay was currently working on a case at a bar, pretending to be a barman. Plenty of free drinks, by the sound of it. At the moment, with the way Maya was with him, he would gladly swap where he was for the life of a barman.
Or would he? He frowned, pondering it. No. He couldn’t walk away from her. Whether he liked it or not, he was involved. A demon was targeting her, and he had to get to the bottom of it.
Before she became the next victim.
“Nuh, you can keep it, man,” said Shay, sitting down. “I’m good where I am. Pretty laidback place and lots of good tunes on the jukebox. Apart from those pesky demons, of course.”
Evan stood up. “I’d better get to work. Lots of research to do.”
Shay nodded. “Oh, before I forget.” He stared at Evan. “I’ve got two tickets to the Reds game tomorrow night. Do you want to come?”
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