“The address is a residence in Sunnyside,” she told him after she’d hung up. “It’s in a reasonably good neighborhood, so that’s some comfort, though all bets are off once we actually go inside.”
Cole chuckled. “Sunnyside? That’s a strange kind of irony.”
“Yeah, right?” Angela started to smile, then stopped, as if she remembered that she wasn’t supposed to be friendly with him.
“Look, Angela…” Cole hesitated, still not totally sure where to begin. In the end, he decided straightforward was the best way to go. “I know I’ve been distant today.”
“Oh good,” she said sarcastically, folding her arms, and staring straight ahead. “I was starting to think this was normal Cole, considering I don’t really know anything about you.” The anger in her voice made him recoil, but he deserved it.
“Well, you’re right about that…it is normal for me to distance myself from….” Cole ran his fingers through his hair, a sigh escaping his lips. “I was just trying to steer us back on track, so we could focus on the mission. I just want this to be over with, so we can get your friend back safely.”
“Fine. Start the car so we can get going then.”
Cole’s face clouded over, his eyes shadowed. “No. It’s clear to me that we have to hash this out, if we’re going to work together, especially since we’re heading straight into a den of thirsty blood suckers. We need to be on the same team, here.”
Angela scowled, but she turned her body in her seat to face him. “Don’t worry about that. My priority is bringing Raina home. I don’t care about why you’re distant, or what your issue is… my only concern is finding my friend. Understand?”
There was something about him, the way his eyes lost their shine, the cast of his face, that told her there was more to this man that she wanted to discover, but now wasn’t the time. Not with Raina’s life on the line.
“Okay,” Cole replied, a mix of what looked like relief and disappointment etched on his handsome face. “Just know that this weird behavior of mine? It has nothing to do with you, and everything to do with me.”
“Now, if that isn’t a line…”
“No, really. What happened between us last night…” Cold dropped his gaze for a moment, his eyes downcast, but then turned to her, reaching out to take her hands into his. When his eyes met with hers, she felt her pulse race. The charge in the air changed, heated, the intensity between them back again, raging in full force. He let go of one of her hands so he could reach up and brush a wisp of hair from her face.
“The truth is, Angela… I’ve never felt this way about a woman in a very long time.” He stroked his thumbs over the back of her hand. He felt her pulse jump, and tried not to lose himself in the silky smoothness of her skin against the pads of his thumbs. “This connection that we have… it scares the shit out of me because it could undo us both. I freaked out… it was my instinct to pull away. I’m sorry for doing that to you.”
Angela drew in a slow breath, and he looked up to see her staring at him. There was such a myriad of emotions in her eyes that he couldn’t figure out what she was feeling, but he knew that confusion was probably predominant. “It scares me, too. I don’t even know you. Do you know how stupid I feel that after just meeting a guy, and taking him home with me, that I am having any feelings at all? I’m not the kind of girl that falls over a guy this easily. There’s something different about this – about you.”
She held his gaze, and her heart clenched. She could tell he felt the same way about her. It was all so confusing, everything happening so quickly. It didn’t help things that it was all wrapped in guilt that their focus was on anything but getting Raina back.
“This is different, Angela. Let me ask you something. Do you believe in true mates, or does that sound silly to you?”
Angela shrugged, suddenly feeling uncomfortable. “I don’t know. As a shifter I’m supposed to, but I just don’t know.”
“It’s our way, right? We are supposed to find that one true mate, and when we do, it’s supposed to feel unlike anything before. It’s supposed to feel…”
“Different.” Angela replied, a frisson of dizzy excitement rushing through her. It felt as if the air had been pulled from the car, and she struggled to draw a breath. The heat rose in her face, and she dropped her eyes.
“Yes, different.” Cole leaned toward her, and set one finger beneath her chin. She let him raise her face to his.
“Do not look away from me, Angela. Look at me, baby.”
His dark eyes were lit with an inner fire, a fire that pulled her in. When he leaned further across the space between them, she met him, his lips claiming hers. The kiss was brief, but searing.
“So what do we do about all of this between us?” Angela’s voice was strained, breathless.
With infinite care he reached out, touching her face with his fingertips, tracing the planes of her cheeks, her jaw, her mouth. As he touched her, she parted her lips, and he slipped a finger between them. He tasted salty, earthy, and she sucked gently on his finger. His lips parted in response as he drew in a breath. She held his gaze, watching his eyes darken, pupils dilating, then back to violet, as he searched her face.
“We just go with it.” He raised an eyebrow, one corner of his mouth curving up in a smile. “But first, we rescue your friend.” He reached over, his hand squeezing her thigh, and she shivered as his fingers crept higher. “And after that, you’re all mine.”
Her breath caught in her throat, and she blinked. Every sense was focused on Cole, on his hand touching her, on his eyes, now locked with hers. She nodded. “Let’s go get our girl.”
Chapter Seven
Cole shifted the car into gear and pulled onto the road. Angela relaxed with a sigh, a smile playing across her lips. “You know where you’re going?”
“I will, as soon as you punch in the directions.” Cole chuckled.
“Oh, right.” she entered the directions to the coterie into the car’s GPS, then she took out her phone, and pulled up the profile she had on Dimitri.
“Dimitri Devine, seventy-two years old, hails from Richmond, Virginia.” She pursed her lips. “It says here that he’s a member of the Shadow Watch Coterie, but that’s all the way in Baton Rouge. That can’t be right. I guess the database isn’t up to date on this guy. Good thing our friend gave us his current location.”
“He’s young for a vampire.”
“Yeah, he is.” She considered that for a moment. “Generally vampires don’t leave their sires, until at least a hundred years of age right? So it’s strange that he’s on his third coterie already.” Her expression darkened. “Either he’s got really bad luck with roommates, or he likes to stir up trouble a bit too much.”
Cole grunted. “I think we can guess which one it is.”
He parked a short distance away from the house, then they both got out, and walked around to the trunk. “I’ve got some holy water in here,” he said, handing her two glasses that were small enough to tuck into her boots. “And a change of clothes, just in case. I’m assuming you brought extra clothing, too?”
Angela nodded. One downside to being a shifter, and not knowing when you’d have to call to your animal for battle, is that your clothes are usually shredded to bits, during the transformation. One could never be too sure, so a spare set of clothing was always a good idea. “Of course. In my knapsack.” She pulled the leather bag from the trunk, slinging it around her shoulder.
“Alright, let’s go.”
“One sec.” Angela checked her gun to make sure it was still charged. It wouldn’t work as well against vampires, as it did against shifters, but it would still stun them long enough to make a getaway. She pursed her lips when Cole handed her a short sword – a non-regulation weapon that she would surely get cited for, if a report got filed on the incident – but took it anyway, and strapped it to her side anyway. You could never be too careful when it came to vampires, and decapitation was one of the only ways to kill them.
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“Okay, I’m ready.”
They walked the distance in silence, trying to remain inconspicuous as possible – not an easy task with a sword swinging from her belt, and the aura of pure danger that seemed to emanate so effortlessly from Cole. A movement to the right, caught her attention, and she turned her head just in time to catch an elderly lady peeking through lacy curtains at her. The curtains instantly fell back, but not in time for Angela to miss the look of fear on her face.
Great. Nosy neighbors. That was just what she needed. Whose idea was it to set up a coterie in a neighborhood full of gossiping grannies anyway? When this was over, she was going to have a serious talk with her Captain, and see if she could bring it up to the Vampire representative of the Order. Having a coterie in this kind of location was not good for human-supernatural relations.
Cole checked the address on the scrap of paper in his hand, then looked up, and stopped. “This is it.”
As Angela took a step forward, Cole put a hand on her shoulder, pulling her back. “Wait. Let me figure out how many we’re dealing with.”
“What do you mean?”
“I can see life-force signatures… heat from bodies, even those of the Undead.”
“Ahh, a power only available to Mages. Lucky you.”
“Lucky us,” he replied, his eyes closed tight, his hands held out in front of him, as though he were summoning energy, or calling magic. Perhaps he was.
“Eight, maybe ten of them, in total. We can take them.”
“You sure? Maybe we should get back up. Just in case.”
“No, we need to move quickly. Find Dimitri, figure out what is going on. Let’s go.”
As they stood in front of the house, Angela understood exactly why the vampires had chosen it. It was a sprawling Victorian Gothic Revival home, with a tower jutting out from the left side, and a gazebo-style patio on the right. Dark reddish-purple siding and golden accents made it look majestic and foreboding all at once, and navy-colored shutters were drawn over all the windows, which were of various shapes and sizes, and likely also had blackout curtains hung inside of them to protect from the light.
“I bet all the kids on this block whisper to each other that vampires live here,” Angela said dryly. “Considering that every single house on the street, except this one, and the one at the corner, are Spanish Colonia Revivals.”
“They’re not exactly doing a great job of blending in,” Cole agreed, stepping up to the door. Angela followed him up the wooden steps to the front door, which, along with the patio railing, had been painted the same dark navy as the shutters, and allowed him to ring the doorbell.
Actual organ music resonated throughout the house.
Oh my God, Angela groaned mentally, as she and Cole exchanged a look. She hadn’t even met them, and she could already tell these were going to be the cheesiest vampires she’d ever seen.
The door opened, to reveal a pale young man with silvery blonde hair, and a faraway look in his powder blue eyes. He was decently dressed in a plum-colored V-neck sweater and navy pants, no doubt chosen to match the exterior of the house. “Welcome to the Shadow Watch residence. How can I help you?”
Angela held up her shield. “We’re here to speak to Mr. Devine, regarding an incident last night at the Crazy Horse. May we come in?” She suppressed the shiver that always went through her, whenever she had to deal with sycophants – humans that acted as both food and servants for their vampire masters. They weren’t banned by supernatural law as it was a much safer alternative to having vampires hunting the streets for food, but it still all felt so wrong to her.
The young man’s eyes flickered briefly, but he nodded. “My Master will receive you in the parlor. Please give him a few minutes.”
Angela and Cole followed the sycophant into the foyer, which was lit by wall sconces that leant a muted yellow glow to the space. Black and grey carpets covered the wooden floors, matching the elegant grey wallpaper. They passed beneath an ornate silver chandelier, which was unlit, and into a parlor decorated completely in black and grey and silver.
Angela took a look at the black and silver Queen Anne-style furniture and chose one of the chairs so that Cole wouldn’t have to test his weight against them. He seated himself on the low couch in front of the wrought-iron coffee table, upon which the sycophant placed a dainty plate filled with bite-sized cakes and cookies as well as two cups of tea and all the fixings.
“Please, help yourself.” The sycophant inclined his head. “The Master will be down in a few moments.
They waited in complete silence, not daring to speak, lest someone be listening to private observations best not shared. Angela’s stomach growled, and Cole shot her a warning look, as she eyed the cakes. She knew better than to take food in a place like this, but damn, she was hungry. They really should have taken the time to grab some food before making their way over here.
“It’s not poisoned, you know. You can have a bite.”
Angela and Cole jerked their heads toward the door, as a pale brunette wearing a white gossamer dress, glided in through the doorway. The faint scent of graveyard dirt, stone and blood would have been enough to mark her as a vampire, but she did them the favor of flashing them a fanged smile to identify herself.
“Who are you?”
The vampire perched herself on the edge of one of the chairs, and lifted one of the untouched cups of tea to her lips. Her long lashed eyes fluttered closed for a moment.
“Mmm, Earl Grey. My favorite.” Her eyes snapped back open, the irises rimmed with glowing red circles now. “Won’t you care to join me?”
Angela forced her body to relax back into the chair, knowing that showing any sign that she felt threatened, was an enormous mistake. “No, thank you.”
The vampire arched a dark brow. “The idea that you would refuse food and drink offered when you are clearly hungry, is insulting,” she hissed. “Are you saying you won’t accept our hospitality even though I’ve just taste-tested your drink for you?”
Angela leaned forward now, pinning the vampire woman with a cold stare. “I’m a Protector,” she said evenly. “It’s against protocol for me to accept food or drink while I’m on duty.” She didn’t mention that they could have easily put something in the food that would harm her or Cole. As an undead, there were many poisons vampires could ingest without harm, that the living could not. “Also, I would rather not drink from that cup now that your lips have touched it, in any case.”
“Now, now, Eternity,” an amused male voice drawled just as the vampire bared her fangs. “Let’s not scare the guests, shall we?” Dimitri glided into the room, as if on wheels, dressed impeccably in a white linen shirt, black pants, and a smoky grey jacket, with a swirling black pattern. His chestnut brown hair hung loosely around a sculpted face, that was nearly as handsome as Cole’s, and his eyes were warm and brown – at least until they caught sight of Cole.
“You,” he hissed, the muscles in his face tightening. He pointed a shaking finger at Cole. “You nearly killed me last night!”
Cole rose fluidly to his feet when Eternity jumped in front of Dimitri, who was clearly her lover. Her eyes turned fully red, as she elongated her fangs. “I’d hate to have to ash a pretty thing like you,” he said dryly. “Why don’t you both sit down so we can have a civilized discussion?”
“There is no point in having a civilized discussion with loyalists like you – ”
“Eternity!” Dimitri grabbed her by the arm, and pulled her back, silencing her with a glare. Her face pinched with fear, but the damage had already been done.
“Loyalists?” Angela said slowly, as she rose, resting her hand on the butt of her gun. “Are you saying that you two are rebels?”
“What’s going on in here?” A huge vampire, dressed all in black, entered the room. A huge scar bisected his left cheek, and he wore an angry scowl on his face. “How can anyone get some sleep in all this ruckus?”
Cole sized the newcomer up. “We’re here
on behalf of the Order, questioning Dimitri here about an incident he was involved in at the Crazy Horse last night.”
The man’s eyes widened angrily, as he turned on Dimitri. “Are you kidding me? The Order has already found out about your involvement? I told you that if they found you out, I wouldn’t tolerate you here – ”
Several other vampires filed into the room, as Dimitri and the other man launched into a heated argument, and Angela drew closer to Cole, a deep unease settling into her stomach. “I need to call for back up. I have a bad feeling that we just stumbled onto a nest of rebels. You may be wrong with your body count.”
“No, I wasn’t wrong,” Cole grumbled under his breath, eyeing the vampires. “These vamps are also really young, and likely untrained. We can take them.”
“All of them against just us?” she hissed, wide-eyed. “Are you crazy?”
“No, I’m a fucking bear with Mage abilities. Trust me.” His lips curved into a smile, and Angela shook her head in disbelief and amusement.
“Okay… let’s do this.”
“What the fuck are you two whispering about over there?”
Angela and Cole turned back to see the hulking vampire glaring at them. His dark eyes glowered so fiercely, she was surprised they hadn’t turned red like Eternity’s had earlier. “We’re just wondering who’s in charge around here.”
The vampire puffed out his chest. “That would be myself, Drake Holsten.” He glanced around at the other vampires, as they glared at him. “Well, more or less. This is more of a democracy, than a coterie. We’re all vampires who were fed up with the dictatorship of the coteries we came from, and so we banded together to form our own group. We look out for each other, and don’t take kindly to threats from outsiders, even if they are wearing a shield.” He gave her a gimlet stare.
Well that explains a lot. “So you guys are a relatively new Coterie, then?”
Drake clenched his jaw. “We prefer democracy, but yes.”
Angela would have laughed at the absurdity of it all, if it weren’t for the fact that there wasn’t anything funny about the situation, and the fact that Raina was missing. “And are you a democracy of rebels, then?”
Bearly Magic: (Bear Meets Girl: BBW Paranormal Shapeshifter Werebear Romance) Page 7
