by Cecy Robson
Incident? Between my date with Destiny and the legions of orthodontically challenged waiting to munch on us, “incident” didn’t quite sum it up. “Take your apology and shove it up your—”
Shayna covered my mouth. “Dude! Are you nuts?”
“Oh, Celia, please. Let’s just leave,” Emme begged in a frantic whisper. “It’s almost their lunchtime, for goodness’ sake.”
I allowed them to escort me out of the courtroom while keeping my eyes on Taran. She runway-strutted the entire length of the aisle. Before making her grand exit, she threw one last comment. “By the way, Sir Aleksandr, your vamp sucked in bed.”
I continued to watch Taran until she safely returned to my side. But unlike most males who met Taran, Misha wasn’t captivated by her. No. His hungry gaze fixed on me.
CHAPTER 3
I thought of Misha as I jogged my tenth and final mile alongside Lake Tahoe’s shore. Fangs and master vampire status aside, he was a beautiful man. A beautiful man who should have tempted me as easily as a fish to a line. And yet there was no temptation. Strange, though, to have someone so attractive see me with desire. Most men ignored me to gawk at my pretty sisters. On the rare occasion a potential suitor did glance my way, my predator side unleashed and intimidated the crap out of him. But what did I expect? My inner beast remained my powerful and loyal guardian, sharing my heart and spirit. She made us tough, strong, and a little scary…she also made us lonely.
I was only nine when our parents died. As mere humans, they hadn’t stood a chance against the gun-wielding burglars who broke into our home. I took on the parental role, willingly if not fiercely. Someone had to step up. Someone had to keep us safe. But as much as I tried, as hard as I fought, sometimes it wasn’t enough. Even a tigress could become prey, especially in a foster system full of predators.
Years of fear and betrayal made it difficult for us to trust anyone. We didn’t really have friends, except for Bren, the only were we knew and our Wiki into the supernatural world, and Danny, my buddy from college. It was hard to let others in. Especially for me. In many ways, I remained that young girl determined to keep herself and her little sisters safe.
I increased my speed, gliding along the cold, moist sand and trying not to let the pain from my past and the solitude of my present consume me. It was better for men to fear me, I reminded myself. If they feared me, they couldn’t hurt me. Again.
Go to your happy place, Celia. Go to your happy place.
That was easy, considering where I ran. A cool April breeze swept along the lake, rippling light waves to splash along the large boulders and bringing a fresh whiff of Tahoe’s magic to my nose. My inner tigress purred. God, I loved it here. It was strange to think of a lake as a friend, but it was. Tahoe made me feel happy and welcomed—a rare feat, considering the crap we’d been dealt….
I scented the werewolves before they appeared around the bend. They ran with the natural grace of their wilder sides and jumped easily over the small chunks of snow that remained along the beach. The breeze blew against me, so they couldn’t track my scent, but they would notice me soon enough.
The leader ran in front and six pairs followed closely, all in human form. When we first moved to Tahoe, I didn’t think there were but a handful of weres in the whole area. Now I scented them in the woods where I frequently hiked and along the walkways of the quaint shops near our house.
I guessed they needed to keep up with the rising vamp population.
Without thinking, I focused on the leader. He smelled like all wolves: of earth and a touch of fire. But like all beings, he had an extra something special to mark his scent unique. His aroma was that of water crashing over stones, clean, hard, strong. And while his redolence sent a wave of goose bumps cascading up my arms, it was his physique that stole my breath. He wore a black, long-sleeved University of Colorado T-shirt and black running shorts that inched up his powerful legs as he effortlessly raced along the sand. My gaze traveled from those rugged legs to his muscular body. He was well over six feet tall and, boy, was he cute. His chiseled cheekbones set off his strong jaw, darkened by a five-o’clock shadow. His nose was sharp, yet not so big that it didn’t fit his face. Thick, straight dark hair hung slightly over his eyes. And damn, those eyes, they were light brown and absolutely mesmerizing. I caught myself staring and our gazes locked.
Bren once warned me never to look a were in the eyes. “We’re temperamental assholes, Celia,” he’d said. “It doesn’t take much to challenge my kind.”
It was stupid, but I refused to avert my gaze, and so did he. To make matters worse, I gave him a small, shy smile, completely out of character for me. His dark eyebrows furrowed; he was probably trying to figure out what I was doing. I was, too, for that matter.
We stared at each other as we drew closer. It wasn’t until I knew he got a hint of my scent that his expression changed. He stopped and turned as I passed by. The others ceased to run as well.
“Did I tell you to stop running?” he half growled, half shouted at them. His voice echoed in a deep timbre behind me, above another splash of waves. I liked the way it resonated and, for some strange reason, wanted to remember it. I doubted I would, but that face…I wouldn’t forget that face.
The other wolves quickly resumed their pace. I peeked over my shoulder as I continued to run, the wind sweeping my long hair like a dark sail behind me. The leader stood rooted to the same spot while the others sped away. He tilted his head and continued to gaze at me, his expression a mixture of confusion and intensity. He jerked toward me suddenly, only to abruptly stop. My smile widened. I stared at him a second longer before finally continuing around the bend.
The wolf’s steamy presence gave me a new burst of energy. I ran a little faster, with a quick bounce to my steps, leaping over the large boulders that cascaded along the small incline to the road. I spotted the shortcut through the woods that led into my neighborhood. I paused briefly, allowing the ears of my beast to search for any subtle sounds of animals scurrying. The last thing I needed was to accidentally brush against some woodland creature. Another Celia-ism I failed to share in court was my ability to change into other creatures—although never on purpose. If an animal came in contact with me, and I couldn’t block its spirit, a bit of its essence transferred into me. One violent seizure and some drooling later, I’d emerge as that critter. The problem was, I couldn’t immediately change back—especially if stressed. I accidently stepped on a skunk once. The same week I was awaiting the results of my nursing boards. Needless to say, my sisters spent a week shoving lettuce down my throat and praying I wouldn’t lift my tail.
My hearing picked up a flock of quails and a few chipmunks. They scampered away when they felt the presence of my beast. I relaxed slightly and hurried along. The tall, thick pines darkened the path, no matter the time of day. Only small snippets of sunlight trickled through, dancing along the trunks and forest floor, highlighting the fallen needles and mounds of frozen snow. It was always a few degrees colder than the beach. I didn’t mind. My inner furry beast kept my metabolism high and my body warm, and this forest satisfied my animal side’s desire to roam.
I inhaled deeply to absorb the freshness, only to stop when I locked on a foreign scent.
Something lurked in the trees. And it didn’t belong.
I hummed to quiet the growl that threatened to escape, and casually ambled along until my nose fixed upon my prey’s location. The moment I caught it, I swept up a stone and launched it into the large white fir to my left.
“Ow!”
I charged the were. He crash-landed with a hard thump into a dormant rhododendron bush. He surprised me by not poising to attack. Instead, he sat up and rubbed his head…rather pathetically.
He glanced at the blood on his hand, then back at me. “What the fuck? I was only trying to get a look at you.”
“What?”
He stood, wincing and wobbling as his crushed skull snapped back into place. Judging by his feline scent
, he was either a werebobcat or a werecougar. Since he wasn’t more challenging, I went with werebobcat. “You’re one of those chicks from vamp court, aren’t ya?”
“Excuse me?”
He frowned. “I said—”
“I know what you said, moron! What I want to know is why you’re here?”
“To look at you,” he repeated once more. “You know. ’Cause I heard you’re kind of freaky and—”
Werebob’s catlike screeches persisted as I resumed my pace toward our neighborhood. Perhaps my knee to his nuts would teach him to watch who he called a freak.
Loser.
The trees parted just a few yards away, revealing the house closest to the path. Unlike some of the huge developments here in Dollar Point, our division was basically a wide cul-de-sac with eight beautifully crafted and large custom Colonials. We didn’t have access to a pool or tennis courts like other communities, but we were set away from the main road and had a great view of the lake. Our yard was small, but skillfully landscaped and backed into a greenbelt. If it weren’t for our grouchy neighbor, Mrs. Mancuso, it would have been our own little piece of heaven.
Jesus had the Virgin Mary. If the devil had a mommy, it would have been Mrs. Mancuso.
I jogged to the end of the path and onto the sidewalk, stopping when I reached our mailbox. As I stretched my muscles, a sleek ivory limo rolled to a halt in front of our house. The driver stepped out and opened the back door. The vampire with the bow tie I recognized from court emerged. Most vampires paraded around like the rock stars of the supernatural world they believed themselves to be. Not this little guy. His crew-cut blond hair suggested military. His neat brown suit and red bow tie suggested 1950s college professor. He glanced around anxiously, his dark eyes widening when he saw me approach.
He adjusted his jacket before smiling politely. “Hello, Celia. Forgive me for arriving unannounced—”
“Who are you and what are you doing here?”
My bluntness made his jaw slack, but his polite smile quickly returned. “I am Petro.”
His Russian accent was subtle, and his voice not nearly as strong as Misha’s. He also lacked the typical vampire swagger. If it weren’t for the alluring scent of sex and chocolate vamps carried, I wouldn’t have been sure he was vampire. I blinked, waiting for more.
“Petro Makisma,” he repeated, as if I should know him.
Petro glanced at his driver in the awkward silence. The driver kept his poker face, yet left me with the impression Petro’s lack of notoriety was nothing new. Petro shifted his feet. “Ah. I’m here to extend my apologies and those of my entire family.”
Again, I waited.
His shoulders slumped. “Sir Misha Aleksandr and I are of the same family.”
The hardening of my face made him step behind his driver. In all fairness, it wasn’t my prettiest look. “Oh. Him.”
Petro’s jaw nearly unhinged. He glanced at his driver again, who gave the palms-up “go figure” response. I supposed Petro expected the mere mention of Misha’s name to excite me. Think again, Petie.
The front door to my house opened and my sisters hurried outside. Taran must have sensed the vampire mojo. “Who the hell are you?” Taran asked when Petro greeted them warmly.
Petro’s smile faded once more. I was starting to feel bad for the guy. “He’s Petro Makisma,” I answered for him. Their blank stares told me they’d never heard of him either. Taran eyed Petro’s bow tie like it could bite. I walked to her side. “He’s here to apologize on behalf of his family.” More blank stares. “He’s with Misha.”
“Oh,” they all responded.
Petro urged his driver forward with a gentle nudge of his small, neat hands. “The gifts, please, Antonio.”
I stepped back, giving the driver ample space in case he chose to attack. Unlike Petro’s five-foot-five frame, this guy was behemoth. A Goliath to Petro’s David.
The driver returned with a stack of wide crimson velvet cases. He handed one to each of my sisters, saving the last one for me. I quirked a brow at the lush case. A small silver plaque, engraved with my initials, lay fixed at the center. When I wouldn’t take it, the driver opened the case. Dime-size diamond earrings glimmered with enough brilliance to blind. Between the earrings rested a small, handwritten note on thick, expensive stationary. The little card read:
My Dearest Celia,
Looking forward to dinner.
Your humble admirer,
Misha Aleksandr
This time, it was my jaw’s turn to fall open. First of all, there was nothing humble about Misha. Second, damn. Just, damn. I glared at Petro. “You can’t be serious.”
Petro frowned. “I assure you they are the highest caliber of diamonds. However, if you prefer a more classic emerald to match your eyes—”
“We don’t want the jewelry. And we especially don’t want to go out to dinner with some idiot who tried to kill us!”
“Speak for yourself, Celia,” Taran said, admiring the sapphire-and-diamond bracelet she’d already snapped onto her wrist. She frowned at my scowl. “What? It’s the least that rich bastard could do.”
Emme dropped her gaze, blushing as pink as the diamond at the center of her platinum necklace. “Everyone deserves a chance at forgiveness,” she said quietly.
“He tried to have us killed.” I repeated my words slowly. Apparently, though, all it took was something shiny to distract them. Surely Shayna would be reasonable.
Nope.
Shayna juggled her sapphire-encrusted daggers. “Oooh—look. They sparkle in the sunlight.”
Petro cleared his throat. “Forgive me, Celia, but I believe he intended the dinner invitation to be a private rendezvous.”
Petro jumped at my scowl. “I’m not having dinner with him.”
It was then I heard what sounded like a bottle being dropped behind our house. Now what? I jogged around back, slowing to a stop when I caught a wereraccoon rifling through our garbage. A naked wereraccoon in human form. His aroma of bark and dry leaves was unmistakable. I couldn’t believe it. It should have been comical. But I wasn’t laughing.
His hairy legs stiffened. Slowly he raised his head from the large plastic barrel to see me standing there, gawking at him.
“Um. Hi,” he mumbled through a mouthful of food.
He paused before bolting toward the lake like his life depended on it. Because it did. Of course our evil neighbor had to come home from grocery shopping just then. After all, when else would Mrs. Mancuso have had the opportunity to see me chasing a naked man across my front lawn? She crossed herself as I ground to a halt in front of her.
I watched the wereraccoon disappear into the patch of woods as he ran faster than any naked guy with flapping male parts should. Taran’s WTF expression said it all.
Petro’s driver gave a one-shoulder shrug. “Welcome to the supernatural world,” he muttered.
CHAPTER 4
Finding a wereraccoon rifling through your trash sucked. Having a can of Lysol thrown at you while being called a tramp by a woman with enough neck skin to make a purse sucked more. But getting stalked by the supernatural paparazzi just about threw me over the edge. In addition to the wereraccoon and werebobcat, every mystical freak imaginable had made an appearance. I scented them everywhere. They hid in our bushes, peeked in our windows. I even found a werepossum sleeping under our porch.
My knuckles ached from pummeling the two wererats that rang our doorbell in the middle of the night, reeking of witch’s brew and begging for autographs. And I was coming off my sixth twelve-hour work shift in a row.
So when a master vampire showed up on my doorstep, let’s just say I didn’t welcome him with open arms.
“What do you want, Misha?”
Misha frowned, giving him a totally unfair sexy brood. “You’re not wearing my earrings.”
The earrings marked the beginning of the parade of expensive gifts Misha had sent in an effort to apologize for vampire court. “Giving us jewelry and
paying off our mortgage doesn’t change the fact you almost had us killed. You can’t buy us, Misha. We’re paying you back for the house.”
“The master sent flowers and candy, too,” one of his idiot bodyguards said from the walkway.
“Oh, yeah, ’cause nothing says, ‘I’m sorry I wanted to torture you,’ like chocolate truffles.” I narrowed my eyes at Misha. “Just tell me what you want.” The corner of Misha’s mouth curved slightly while the two goons behind him exchanged “I have dibs on her liver” glances.
“I came to see you.”
I stood in the doorway in the tank top I’d slept in and a pair of yoga pants that had been begging to go to the big laundry basket in the sky. My wild curls and I had fought. They’d won. I hadn’t showered, and I resembled something the wereraccoon was chewing on before he ran like the dickens. Yet Misha’s hungry gaze swept along my body, despite my hell-on-a-cracker appearance.
I leaned one arm along the doorway and rested my other on my hip, annoyed. “Why? Did you run out of virgins or something?”
Misha’s gray eyes flickered with stirring mischief. “If I had, should I expect to find one here?”
“Nope. We’re all out, too.”
“Hmm.” Although it sounded more like yum.
Misha lived in Tahoe City, a ridiculously wealthy area packed with multigazillion-dollar properties. I doubted he’d driven the six short miles to our home in Dollar Point just to borrow a cup of virgin. A few moments passed, enough time for that cocky expression to slowly dissolve and shadow with foreboding torment. “I need your help, Celia. I fear it is rather urgent.”
My human side warned me to run far and fast. Whatever scared Misha would surely scare me. My tigress held us in place. She thought we should hear out the reigning Prince of Darkness. I refused to invite him in, though. Inviting one vampire meant only he or she could enter. Inviting a master allowed him and everyone in his keep access to our home, so we agreed to meet at a nearby café. I reasoned that he wouldn’t have sent flowers and gifts just to kill me later. And while he didn’t make my insides flutter like that wolf I’d met, Misha wasn’t exactly hard on the eyes.
