Maxie Duncan Box Set

by Webb, Melissa L.

  Twenty Seven

  I opened my eyes, feeling worn out but content. Light was already streaming through the curtains. I glanced next me, hoping to see my blond god. Once again, his side of the bed was empty.

  I got up, disappointment weighing heavily in my chest. No morning sex for Maxie. Scanning the room for my discarded clothes, I dressed quickly, stopping by the bathroom before I headed out. I guess it was back to real life. I walked through the suite in search of a pen and paper. I'd leave a note rather than call him. I would hate to get Ryan in trouble with Zand.

  "Are you missing something?" a voice asked from behind me as I searched the living room.

  I turned around and stared at the man behind me. He hadn't left me at all.

  "You didn't have to meet Zand this morning?" I asked as Ryan wrapped his arms around me.

  "No," he said, smiling mischievously. "This morning is all for you."

  Oh, a girl could get used to hearing those words. I pulled his lips down to mine, showing him just what I thought of that idea.

  He pulled away, growling softly. "Come on," he said, tugging me towards the kitchen. "I ordered breakfast for you."

  I followed him in, giggling in delight at the mini buffet on the bar.

  "I didn't know what you'd want this morning, so I ordered a little of everything."

  Everything looked so good. I think I gained 10 pounds just by smelling it. Grabbing a plate, I went straight for the waffles. What can I say? When I'm bad, I'm bad. I sat down at the table, mouth drooling over the food in front of me. Don't worry, I took plenty of protein, too.

  Ryan sat a mug of coffee in front of me as he joined me at the table. This was pure heaven.

  "You're going to spoil me, you know," I told him after I had swallowed a bite of waffle.

  "That's the idea," he told me, a twinkle in his eye as he watched me eat.

  "Aren't you going to have some?" I hated to think about all that food still on the bar. You could feed a small nation with what was left.

  He shook his head. "I already ate. Besides, I like watching you eat. There's something about a woman indulging herself that is just so sensual."

  I felt a blush creep into my cheeks. Here I was pigging out, and he thought it was sexy. Men. Go figure, right?

  We sat in silence as I finished my breakfast. As I dealt with my dirty plate, seriousness crept into Ryan’s face.

  “What happened to your shoulder?” he asked me suddenly.

  Oh, no. I had forgotten about that. I had to come up with that excuse after all. “It’s nothing. I was just being clumsy.”

  He came over to stand by me, fixing me with those brilliant blue eyes. “I don’t buy that. What really happened?”

  I froze. There was no way out of this one. I had to tell him something, but what? Could I trust him with my secret? Did he really care enough about me to handle hearing the truth? I had to tell him. He was too important to me not to. I wanted this to last and building a relationship on lies wasn’t the way to start. He deserved the truth. He needed the chance to get out of my nightmarish world if he wanted to.

  I just hoped he believed me. I took a deep breath. “I’m not like regular girls, Ryan.”

  He smiled, his eyes dancing. “I know.”

  I sighed. This was going to be harder than I thought. “No, that’s not what I mean. I can do things.”

  He leaned over, kissing me softly. “I know.”

  Great. He wasn’t getting it. “No, you don’t…”

  He let his lips drift down to my neck, kissing softly as he went. He worked his way up to my ear and stopped, nipping softly at my earlobe. “I can feel the power flowing off of you,” he whispered. His breath felt cool against my neck. “You’re practically swimming in it.”

  What? What did he say? Pushing him back, I looked into his eyes. “How do you know?”

  He smiled and tried to pull me back to him. “It’s not like it’s a secret.”

  Well…that was news to me. Had everyone known from the beginning? “What? How?”

  “I could sense it on you the first time we met. The first time we touched.” He looked at me with affection in his ice blue eyes as he laced his fingers with mine. “You’re a witch, Maxie Duncan, and that’s okay with me.”

  I stared at him, floored. All of this time he knew. Even before I did. He knew and accepted it. What did that mean? Did he care so much about me that it didn’t matter? And how was it possible for him to sense it? I decided to tackle the hard question first. “How are you okay with this?

  Ryan smiled again, that charming boyish grin that set my heart a flutter every time. “Oh, I think that should be obvious, Max,” he said, emphasizing his words with a kiss.

  I tried to make my mind focus as my lips melted into his. There was no way I was going to let him off the hook. Not when so many important questions still needed answers. I pushed back from him again. “Enlighten me.”

  He stepped away from me, running a hand through his thick blond hair. “God, Maxie, what can I say? I honestly never felt this way before…about anyone.” He turned and smiled at me. “And that’s saying something. You’re all I think about.” He came back over to me, sincerity written in his beautiful face. “Since meeting you, my life has been better. I’ve been more of who I want to be, who I was meant to be. Every thought, every emotion, is about you, baby.” He stopped, taking a deep breath. “You’ve changed my life for the better, Maxie. And I love you for it.”

  The whole world froze around me and I stopped breathing. Had he really said what I thought he had? I couldn’t be sure. I was suddenly afraid I would wake up any moment and lose what was happening. “You really mean that?” I managed to squeak out.

  He grinned as he took my hands. “Yes, I do. I love you.”

  OMG! He said the words. Those glorious words I had hoped to hear ever since our first date. Those words that haunted my mind on a regular basis. Does he or does he not? I now knew the answer. He loved me. I glanced up, feeling slightly dizzy. My heart was pounding so loud, it almost drowned out the inner monologue in my head.

  Ryan had his head cocked to one side, an expectant look in his eyes. “Don’t you have anything to say to that?”

  Oh, right. I was so caught up in the words he spoke, I forgot to give him something in return. Poor guy must be dying inside. “I love you, too, Ryan.” There. It was official. I had come to California to find my destiny and I had. Score one for team Maxie!

  Ryan leaned over and kissed me. Our newly admitted feelings bringing fire to the dance. I felt his emotions flood against mine. In an instant, he became a part of me, and I a part of him. We were no longer Maxie and Ryan, but a new creature, one who had been woken from a deep slumber and was feeding off the emotions swirling around it.

  I pulled back, startled by the loss of myself in his kiss. Was this what happened when witches found their soul mates? I hoped not. It was unsettling and I wasn’t sure I liked it very much.

  Ryan stared at me a moment. I couldn’t tell, but I think he was just as thrown off by what had happened as I was. He grabbed my hand suddenly. “Come with me,” he said, leading me into the living room, pulling me down on the couch. He sat down next to me, our knees touching as seriousness once again crept into his eyes. “Do you want us to be together, Maxie?” he asked me.

  I couldn’t figure out what he meant by that. Weren’t we already together? Hadn’t we just confessed our love? “Yes. Of course.”

  “Good,” he said, nodding. The sudden light coming into his eyes told me he had just decided something. “Then let’s leave all of this behind and start over. We can be anyone we want and not have to live up to what others expect from us.”

  “I don’t get it.”

  “I’m tired of being Ryan Everheart and living up to the name all the time. Run away with me. We could go somewhere where names and titles don’t matter.”

  An impending sense of dread began to wash over me. Was he ashamed of me? Was there some reason Holly
wood’s leading man couldn’t be with someone like me? I knew it. He didn’t want to date me because I was a witch.

  He must have sensed some of the things running through my head, because he pulled me to him, stroking my hair softly with his fingers. “I’m not ashamed of you, Maxie. I’m not. I only want to keep you safe. You have no idea how harsh my world can be.”

  I felt the truth in his words, but it didn’t help to lessen the dread I was utterly soaking in. I loved that he was willing to give up everything for me, but why should he have to? It wasn’t what I wanted. I didn’t want to give up anything. “What’s wrong with staying here?” I asked, pulling away from him. My life was just starting to get good again. There was no way I’d give that up. Especially now that Ryan knew the truth. Speaking of which…

  “How do you know about witches?” I asked suddenly, strange thoughts taking shape in my head. “Who are you, Ryan?”

  He just looked at me. The silence between us confirming everything I was thinking. “Does it really matter, Maxie?”

  Well, darn. “You’re not human, are you?” Of course, he wasn’t human. He was far too perfect to be human. How could I have been so blind.

  “No, I’m not,” he admitted with a shrug. “But neither are you, so what does it matter?”

  I stopped and thought for a moment. He was right. It shouldn’t matter. I was a witch. A witch who lived with a pixie…who was dating a trickster. I lived in an apartment building that only rented to Supernaturals. Why should I be surprised that my boyfriend was also supernatural? This was my world now. These were the types of people who would always be around. But somehow, for some reason, what he was still mattered. A lot. “What are you?” I asked softly.

  He sighed, rubbing his finger against my knee. His skin was cool against my flushed skin, even through my jeans. “Maxie, I love you. Remember that. I’m not some monster. I’m a gentle, caring, compassionate guy who just wants a normal life with you.”

  I heard the words. I knew he meant them, but the dread just kept building. Why wouldn’t he answer my question? Was it really that awful? “What are you?” I asked again as I realized I wasn’t going to like his answer.

  He nodded with determination, knowing he had to own up to whatever he was keeping from me. “I love you,” he whispered, giving my knee one final squeeze. His mouth opened in a smile that was devoid of any joy.

  I watched as his perfect white canines grew longer, turning razor sharp. They were identical to Jersey’s. I gasped as it slowly dawned on me.

  Sorrow filled Ryan’s eyes as he saw recognition sweep over my face. He gently stroked the back of my hand with his thumb, offering support. “I’m a vampire, Maxie.”

  Twenty Eight

  I opened the apartment door, slamming it behind me in frustration. I couldn’t believe the sick joke my life was turning into. I used to be the all American girl-next-door, (Well, maybe not too next door. I did grow up in a mansion after all. But…you know what I mean.) and now I might as well be a long lost relative of the Munster’s.

  I stalked through the parlor and into the kitchen. I needed ice cream, cake, or any other calorie rich substitute. Maybe if I got fat, I wouldn’t have to worry about this anymore. I know, I know. It wouldn’t help anything. I’d just be a fat witch with things trying to kill her.

  Pulling open the freezer, I looked for something to drown my sorrows in. How could Ryan do this to me? I couldn’t date a vampire. Who dates a vampire? My life had suddenly become a young adult series. But I wasn’t that girl. Could I really date a member of the undead, even if he was charming and gorgeous?

  I slammed the freezer door after realizing we were out of ice cream. Great. Death by chocolate wasn’t even an option. What a lousy witch I was. I couldn’t conjure ice cream and I didn’t want to date a vampire. Someone was going to strip me of my broomstick if I wasn’t careful.

  Leaning back against the refrigerator, I tried to hold back the tears I felt coming. What was I going to do? I really liked Ryan. Why did he have to be an immortal bloodsucker?

  “What’s going on?”

  I looked up at Van, standing in the entrance way, her hands on her hips. I quickly tried to wipe at the moisture seeping from my eyes, but I knew it was too late. She had already seen them.

  She took a few steps closer, sympathy on her face. “He told you, didn’t he? It’s about time.”

  “You knew? This whole time you knew?”

  “Of course, we knew,” she said with an apologetic shrug. “Everyone in the supernatural community knows what he is.”

  I sniffed as I straightened up from the fridge. They knew what he was and had kept it from me. “Why didn’t you say anything?”

  The sympathy on her face faltered a little at that. “We all told you to forget about him. We said he wasn’t good for you. What more do you want?”

  I pulled out a chair at the table and sat down, hard. My legs were shaking and I couldn’t trust myself to stand there. I was so confused. Finally, when things started going good in the love department, I had to find this out. I didn’t know what was going on inside of me. I loved Ryan, or at least I thought I did, yet every instinct was telling me to run.

  “Are all vampires really that bad?” I heard myself ask. Maybe Van would tell me I was overreacting. Sure, you can keep a vampire as a boyfriend. Just keep the fridge stocked with blood and cut down on your garlic intake.

  Van watched me for a minute before nodding. So much for that fantasy. “Most of them are, Max,” she told me softly. “They’re selfish creatures controlled by their own wants and desires. They’re unnatural.” She studied my face a moment, trying to gauge what I was feeling. “Haven’t you had any doubts about him?”

  I started to deny it, but then realized she probably knew what I was feeling anyway. It was no doubt a pixie thing. I took a deep breath and voiced the thing that had been bothering me. “The first time we kissed, there was this intense pain, almost like I had been struck by lightning. And not in a good way,” I told her, realizing it didn’t sound good even to my own ears. It still happened to some extent every time we touched. It was like I was hooked up to a live wire. Every nerve sizzled with it. I had gotten good at blocking it out. The pleasure he brought me was worth it, but…was that sensation natural?

  Van nodded, not surprised at all. “That’s your witch’s instinct kicking in. It’s shouting ‘Danger, Will Robinson.’” She frowned when that failed to get a chuckle out of me. She sighed and continued, “It’s trying to tell you that nothing but danger lies down that road.”

  I shook my head. I couldn’t believe it. Not about the guy I had gotten to know. “But Ryan’s not bad. He loves me,” I told her. And I knew deep down it was true.

  “I’m sure he does,” Van admitted as she took the chair across from me. “But a vampire’s love is different. They get blinded by it. It becomes an obsession. And generally speaking, they have no moral compass. They’ll do anything to keep that love.”

  I frowned as I thought about that. He might have blindsided me with the vampire thing, but I knew without a doubt he was a good guy. “Ryan’s different. He’s the exception to the rule.”

  “Bat’s don’t fall very far from the cave, Max.” She was silent for a moment, leaving me to wonder what else she had to tell me. “You know who his father is, don’t you?”

  “No.” Ryan had never given me a name. I knew there were reasons he wanted nothing to do with his dad. Reasons I had hoped that one day he would feel close enough to share.

  Van looked at me, a heaviness to her eyes. Oh, boy. This was bad. Wasn’t this situation bad enough already? “His father is Richard Everheart.”

  “The shipping magnate?” I managed to get out. He was one of the most powerful men in the world. He made my family look like bums living in the street. Which, of course, is saying something. “That’s Ryan’s dad?”

  “He claims him as his son and heir. Richard is the East Coast godfather of vampires. If you’re a vampire livi
ng in his domain, you do what he says.”

  I shuddered at the images strolling through my mind. What had I got myself into? I could see now that there was nothing cute and cuddly at all about vampires. I don’t know why teenage culture had decided there was. Yet, I couldn’t help what I felt. I wasn’t ready to give up on Ryan and what we had together.

  Van wasn’t going to back down. She wanted me to know everything. And I couldn’t blame her. That’s what friends did. They tell you the truth even if it hurts. “That’s why we leave them alone. They leave the rest of the Supernaturals alone as long as no one makes any trouble for them,” she told me, fear etching her features. “But you’ve crossed into vampire territory. All bets are off now. Let’s just hope that Richard Everheart had no idea who you are.”

  “What would he do if he did?” A sudden thought popped into my head. Was he the one sending the attacks on me? Was I in danger simply because I was dating his son? I knew now the guy in the elevator had been a vampire. And he had a Jersey accent. East Coast, huh? Had Daddy Everheart sent him in to get rid of me? The pieces were certainly beginning to fit together.

  “I need to get my powers under control. And as soon as possible, don’t I?”

  “Yes, you do,” Van agreed whole heartedly. “You should go see Jensen. He’s at the bookstore right now.”

  I nodded absently. That’s exactly what I needed to do. I was done running from my destiny. I didn’t want to die because I refused to admit what I was. Jensen could help me. He could teach me how to use my powers, instead of them using me. I stood up, and suddenly my shoulder was on fire. I cried out in pain as I sat back down.

  “What’s a matter,” Van asked, appearing next to me faster than any human could. She grabbed my hands, as I swatted at my shoulder, trying to put out the flames that engulfed my entire left side. It was probably for the best, all it was doing was making it worse.