by Cecy Robson
“But in addition to his own strength, Aric has us to protect him,” Koda said. “Just as we’ll protect our mates and you as his.”
I squirmed uncomfortably. Like I said, until Aric called me his mate directly, I wouldn’t accept it. I gained some composure and met their worried stares with a small smile. “Don’t worry about me. I have the Catholic schoolgirls on my side.” They failed to consider my humor. I couldn’t blame them. Until we knew who or what sought me, none of us was safe.
CHAPTER 15
“Anara has given up on trying to marry off Aric.”
Yippee.
“Now he just wants him to breed,” Liam continued on the phone. “He’s throwing every hot were he can find at him. Wolf or not, pureblood or not, he doesn’t care. All Anara wants is for our kind to multiply. And you should see some of these girls, the way they act and how they dress. There was this one—just today, as a matter of fact—who walked up to him completely naked trying to seduce him. She’d written Aric’s name across her belly with an arrow pointing to her—”
“Thanks for the info, Liam.” Now I’ll have nightmares. “Please put Emme on.”
“But, Celia, there’s more. Turns out she’s a wereminx and, damn, is she flexible. She went up to Aric when he was lying on the bench press and—
“Put Emme on now!” I rubbed my eyes. “Please,” I added a little less psychotically. Dear Lord, sometimes I wished Liam came with an off switch.
“Liam, sweetheart, please stop. You’re upsetting Celia,” Emme said on the other end of the line. “Sorry about that, Celia. Liam sometimes gets carried away.”
“I’ve noticed. Look, I’m late for my workout. I just wanted to let you know I’ll be at the gala tomorrow night.”
“That’s wonderful, Celia. It’ll be great to see you. What changed your mind?”
“I want to see Aric.” Although I didn’t want to see him with another female, knowing I wouldn’t react . . . diplomatically, shall we say. And disemboweling some were hoochie on the weres’ sacred turf struck me as a big no-no. I disconnected with Emme, then took a moment to rub my shoulders. I’d spent the last few weeks getting the snot knocked, twisted, and cajoled out of me by Ying-Ying and Kuan Jang Nim Chang. Although I was lying low for a while, I couldn’t do so for long. I would soon come face-to-face with the Tribe or whoever the hell was behind the attacks. When the time came, one of us would have to die. I wanted to make sure it wouldn’t be me.
I placed my cell phone on a small table near the entrance to the dojang and slipped off my shoes. Instead of finding Ying-Ying standing with one leg behind her neck over a bed of cacti, I found Misha with a mystified bald eagle perched on his arm.
“What’s this, Misha?”
“I thought it would be best if I worked with you this afternoon, instead of Ying-Ying.”
I glanced at the eagle and then back at the exit. “I don’t know . . . I wouldn’t want to disappoint Ying-Ying.”
My yogi appeared behind one of the woven bamboo doors that led to a back storage room. She glided across the light wood floor with a little extra twitch to her step, smiling alluringly as she passed us.
Misha’s grin matched hers. “Do not worry for Ying-Ying. I assure you she is quite satisfied.”
“Slut,” I muttered under my breath.
Misha quirked an eyebrow. “I’m surprised to find you think so little of her.”
I gave him a hard stare. “I was referring to you, Misha.”
My comment earned me a wicked smile and a deep chuckle. “Touch my bird.”
“Excuse me?”
“The eagle, kitten. Come touch the eagle.”
I threw out a hand. “Misha, did you learn nothing from the dog incident?”
“Actually, kitten, I believe I did. My theory is since your other self is a predator, you would do better controlling the form of another beast of prey.”
“Dogs are predators—they’re related to wolves. And you saw how well that went.”
“Kitten, a Cavalier King Charles spaniel is so far removed from a wolf you insult the lupines by even making such a suggestion. I initially believed if we started out with a small creature, we would have better results. But perhaps we need to be more aggressive. Now, if you don’t mind, let us begin.”
“Actually, I do mind very much. Did you have fun watching me drool all over your bed when I had the seizure?”
“No, I would simply enjoy you naked on my bed.” He thought about it. “And screaming with ecstasy as opposed to drooling.”
My face flushed with color. “Are you done?”
His grin told me no. “I also enjoy watching your areolas tighten whenever I stare at your breasts.” He glanced down. “Just as they are now.”
Tears actually leaked from my eyes from the heat building around me. I covered my telltale girlfriends and stormed toward the door. It seemed master vampires also came equipped with magical nipple-stiffening power.
“Kitten, wait—it was all merely in jest.”
I turned to face him. The eagle shook from Misha’s pathetic attempts to hold in his laughter. “Yeah, you’re just hilarious, aren’t you?”
I almost rammed into Hank on the way out. He greeted me with—yup, that’s right, an arrogant smirk. “See, it’s just like I said. You want the master. Now go back inside and get the job done. My money is at stake here, Celia.”
“For the last time, I don’t want Misha!”
“Oh, yeah?” He elongated his incisors. “Let’s have a look at those nipples.”
Hank was refastening his jaw when I screamed at him, “Fine. I’ll go back in just to prove I don’t want him. Kiss your fifty grand good-bye, Batman!”
Misha had calmed when I went back in, but his amused grin remained in place. I stomped to his side, pointy boobies and all. “Let’s do it, then.” He raised his eyebrows in surprise. “I mean your damn science experiment, Misha!”
Misha, although seemingly disappointed that his eagle wouldn’t witness our fornicating on the floor, commenced his twisted exercise. “Take a breath and raise the shields that surround your spirit.”
My eyes closed and I breathed deeply, allowing my protective aura to fall like a velvet curtain.
“Very good, Celia. Now, allow my bird to enter you.”
I cracked open one eye just to be sure he was still clothed. He smirked. Against my better judgment I laughed. “Does everything have to be about sex with your kind?”
“Forgive me.”
“I always do, Misha.”
We began. I focused on blocking the eagle’s spirit before reaching out to the entranced bird. The feathers of the majestic beast were unbelievably soft, but beneath his plumes strong muscles waited to propel him into the sky. I breathed deeply, trying to take him in without seizing.
“Step back,” Misha said quietly. My soles slid across the smooth floor. “Now change into the eagle.”
I searched within me for any trace of the bird. I couldn’t perceive so much as a quill. “Misha, I can’t.”
“I disagree. Try harder.”
I focused on the eagle’s white head, his satin brown feathers, and how tight he gripped Misha’s arm. I concentrated on his scent and the details of his form. Nothing happened. Misha had me repeat the steps over and over. Each time I tried to withdraw my shields a little more. I startled about an hour later when I landed hard on my butt. At first I thought it was the beginning of a seizure, but when I looked at my toes, instead of feet, I bore talons. When I tried to wiggle my new appendages, they changed back to human.
“Well done, my darling. Now try again.”
I repeated the same steps that had brought on the talons, this time without success. It was extremely frustrating, but I continued, motivated now that I’d experienced an inkling of progress. After another hour of hard work, I saw my pinkie toe
nail elongate and turn black. The moment I touched it, it dissolved into my flesh and resumed its normal appearance.
My muscles felt ready to slip off my bones and land with a splat. Sweat dripped between my shoulder blades and breasts. I sucked in a breath, surprised how much my concentration physically taxed me.
“You seem weary.”
Misha sensed my obvious fatigue, but my stubbornness and the excitement that accompanied my newfound talent motivated me to continue. “I’m okay.”
“No. You have done enough for the day. Come, let us dine. We will continue our practice tomorrow.”
“We? All you did was hold the bird.”
He smiled. “Nonsense. You wouldn’t have achieved that level of success had it not been for my encouragement.”
“You’re just a regular cheerleader, aren’t you? Okay, grab the pom-poms and let’s go.”
“She wants him to grab her pom-poms,” Edith whispered excitedly from the door.
“What de hell does dat mean?” Maria hissed, her annoyance deepening her Brazilian accent.
“It means they’re going to bang like shudders during a tornado. Pay up, O naughty ones.”
Liz poked her head in briefly and scowled. “I’m not paying you shit, Hank. They still have their clothes on. And what the hell’s up with the bird?”
Misha and I reached the entrance in time for Edith to open the door. She smiled at Misha with so much sizzle, I thought his black cashmere turtleneck would burst into an inferno. “Oh, Master, what sort of mischief have you been up to?”
Misha returned her grin. “Tell Chef to prepare Celia her dinner and fetch me an equally deserving feast.”
The vamps took off.
“Does it bother you that they have this whole bet thing going?” I hadn’t known if Misha was aware, but I supposed it was his job to know all of his family’s bizarre antics.
“No. It’s similar to children at play.”
“Children don’t often bet on whether their parents are going to have sex.”
Misha’s sly grin slid across his face like a seasoned figure skater across ice. “Does this mean you consider yourself their mother?”
“Mom to the fang-banging Brady Bunch? Oh, hell no. Besides, they barely tolerate me.” My voice softened. “If I ever do have children, I hope they would at least like me.”
He slipped his free arm around me and the deep twinkle of mischief in his eyes dissolved into tenderness. “They would love you, Celia.”
My heart melted at the softness of his words. I buried my head into his shoulder. “Thank you, Misha.”
• • •
We practiced again on the following day, stopping only for meals.
“That is barely a wing.”
I flapped out the half wing I managed from my elbow down. The breeze tickled my underarm briefly before the whole thing vanished. I rubbed the sweat off my brow. “No kidding.”
I managed a beak, a few talons, and some eagle eyes, but no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t keep the form for long. Just before it was time to get ready for the gala, I changed completely into an eagle. It lasted only a few seconds, long enough for me to see my reflection in the mirror the vamps had brought in. Not to brag, but my eagle form was magnificent—and immense. Like my tigress, it was about four times bigger than my human self.
My human body returned in one painful rush. I collapsed, panting and exhausted on the floor, surrounded by the tattered remains of my clothes. Misha perched the eagle on his stand and quickly knelt next to me. “Are you hurt?”
I shook my head. “No, mostly just tired. I’ll be fine in a moment.”
Misha smiled. I wasn’t sure whether he was proud of me or whether it was because I was naked. I grabbed at my torn rags and tried my best to cover myself. He inched his way closer, his face moving toward mine. Whatever he’d planned was interrupted by wretched screaming.
The little Russian dressmaker hurried in, the tap, tap, tap of her pointy black shoes echoing in the room as she launched into one mean-ass fit. She waved a garment bag above her head, all the while shaking her bony finger at me. She motioned to Misha, spurting angry Russian like venom from a cobra. Finally she shoved the bag into Misha’s hands and whirled off like a hurricane.
I narrowed my eyes. “What did she say?”
“She said your dress is ready.”
I changed into a tigress so I wouldn’t be naked, abandoning Misha, who continued to laugh out loud. The interaction between me and the old twit had entertained him tremendously. Goody for him. I returned to my quarters to shower her bitchiness off my skin.
My muscles ached. The hot water helped relax them. It failed, however, to wash away my nerves. I was going to see Aric. And he would be in a tux. My hands skimmed over my body as I applied lotion, remembering the first time I’d seen Aric in a tuxedo. He hated opera and didn’t care for any type of classical music. But he knew my love for Il Divo and surprised me with tickets on a romantic getaway to Sacramento. My olive skin was deeply tanned from our time on the lake. I’d slipped into a strapless canary yellow cocktail dress in the bathroom of our hotel room. When I stepped out into the master suite, Aric had just finished adjusting his bow tie. We gawked at each other for roughly three-point-five seconds before he pounced. We never did see Il Divo. Not to mention my dress lay in pieces and he lost the deposit on his tux.
“What’s with the stupid grin on your face?”
Leave it to Liz to buzz-kill my memory. She and Edith lounged on my bed like lazy heathens. They were dressed in sexy black plaid dresses that still screamed uniform. I pinched the bridge of my nose. Maria and Agnes probably wore the same getup. “What are you doing here?”
Liz tossed back her ice blond hair and narrowed her eyes. “You will be representing our house tonight. We’re here to make you look decent, for once in your life.”
Edith smiled and I instinctively covered my liver. “Don’t fuck this up for us, Celia.”
Liz agreed. “Yeah. Don’t fuck it up.”
There were three reasons I allowed their “help.” The first was that they didn’t have anything sharp or pointy in their hands. The second was that, as much as they made me want to gouge my own eyes out with a spoon, hair and makeup was their thing—not mine. And the third reason—albeit the most selfish on my part—was that if they somehow messed me up, Misha would kill them. That in itself was worth the chance.
Edith did a nice job of giving me a cascade of neatly flowing curls. When it came to my makeup, Liz applied eyeliner, blush, and lip gloss. She very much wanted to add some eye shadow for a smoky effect, but I wouldn’t allow it. That earned me a death glare and a few mutters about what an ingrate I was. And here I’d thought the vamps weren’t any fun.
Edith unveiled the Russian couture dress, shocking me with its elegant beauty—and length. The silk ivory halter dress sparkled with tiny little clear crystals and creamy pearls. The shoes matched the dress perfectly. They were made of the same silk and had the same beading sewn in. The crazy old lady had even provided matching earrings. I put them on, along with a skimpy pair of panties, and stepped into the dress and shoes.
The skirt was so short there was no way I would be able to bend over. Good thing the wack-job seamstress had strategically added pleats. I’d still be able to kick up past my head if I got into any trouble. And while I normally wouldn’t have chosen a dress this sexy, the thought of what Aric would say warmed my cheeks with anticipation.
I adjusted my breasts in the halter while looking in the full-length mirror. The style enhanced my cleavage, but obviously not enough for Liz’s taste. She handed me what resembled raw chicken cutlets. “You’ll need these.”
“What are they?”
“Adhesive silicone bra cups.”
I wrinkled my nose. “Can’t I just go braless?”
“No! It’s bad enoug
h you refuse to wear the silk stockings.”
“I don’t need them.”
Edith licked her lips. “She does have great legs.” She assisted me in attaching the bra cups—I suspected more to cop a feel than to help. When she finished, I filled out the dress significantly more.
I gaped at myself in the mirror. “Um, don’t you think this is a little much?”
Liz was seconds from taking a bite out of me. “No. It’s not. If anything, you should consider getting them professionally done. Here. Put this on. The master is waiting.” She handed me what looked like a white mink coat.
I held my hand up. “Sorry. I don’t wear fur.”
Liz scowled. “Celia, it’s a fake. It’s been magicked to resemble the real thing.” She held out the coat for me to examine. It felt real to the touch. I sniffed it, satisfied only once I smelled the polyester. “We need to go. I can feel our master growing impatient.”
We hurried to the house. Edith and Liz strutted the length of the stone pathway, wiggling their hips and throwing back their hair in perfect choreographed movements. I stumbled behind them, trying not to fall on my face in the sinfully high shoes. Their steps increased when we entered the house. Misha’s growing irritation must have beckoned them forward.
I sighed and gave up trying to chase them down. They abandoned me in the kitchen in their haste to meet their master. I entered the foyer alone, smiling when I saw Misha.
Stunned silence greeted me. My steps slowed and my smile faded. He and all the vampires stared at me like they’d never seen me before. I turned around, certain someone else had caught their attention.
“You look beautiful, my sweet,” Misha said quietly, bringing my focus back to him. He wore an amazing black tuxedo that hugged his muscular body to perfection. His ivory shirt and vest were made of the same silk as my dress and shoes. And although they lacked the beading, they somehow matched the style of my dress. “May I see the rest?”
Everyone took it as their cue to depart. Misha slowly slipped off my coat. The soft edges of the fur tickled my arms and slid down in a seductive caress. He circled me, very much like the predator he was, and examined me carefully. The sizzle in his eyes made my heartbeat accelerate. I wanted to take a step back from him and knew I should. My tigress believed otherwise. He was a predator, but so were we, she reminded me.
