He finished his beer. "She never confided in anyone?"
"No," Maggie set her cup and saucer in the dishwasher. "Her first year in the harem, she hardly spoke at all. George, the Coven Master back then, gave us a small monthly allowance. Cora Lee, Pamela, and I would go shopping or to the movies. Vanda spent her money on art supplies."
Phil sat back, surprised. "Art?"
"Yes. She painted. Every night. All night." Maggie grimaced. "Ghastly pictures. Red paint everywhere. Blood, dead bodies, swastikas, barbed wire, wolves—"
"Wolves?"
"Yes." Maggie shuddered. "She painted them with such huge, vicious teeth."
He swallowed hard. What the hell did wolves have to do with the war? Or with Vanda?
"Then one night she went crazy," Maggie continued in a low voice. "She piled all the paintings in a heap in the backyard and set them on fire. She burned her art supplies, too, and never painted again."
Phil crumpled the empty beer can in his fist. "Did she ever say why she stopped painting?"
"Just that she didn't want to remember anymore." Maggie sighed. "But of course, she still remembers. We all remember the painful memories from our past."
His own painful memories crept out of hiding, brought to mind by Maggie's words. It had been nine years since his father banished him. Nine years since he'd seen his family. During the first few years, he'd received letters from his sister. She didn't know his whereabouts, so she left the notes in his hunting cabin in Wyoming, hoping he would find them.
He hadn't been to the cabin in four years. What was the point? He could never go back to his father's pack. That part of his life was over.
Maggie suddenly brightened. "I know what might help. Darcy interviewed the harem girls for that reality show a few years back. There might be a copy here somewhere."
Maggie dashed from the kitchen to the living room. "Eew." She wrinkled her nose at the leftover pizza sitting on the coffee table.
"I'll get it." He closed the box, then hurried back to the kitchen and stuffed it in the fridge. By the time he returned, Maggie was sliding a disk into the DVD player.
"I found it!" She showed him the case titled The Sexiest Man on Earth.
"I remember that show." Phil settled on the couch. "That's when the ladies won the money that financed the nightclub."
"And Darcy won the Sexiest Man," Maggie added with a laugh. She located Vanda's interview on the menu, then sat on the couch next to Phil.
Vanda's image came on the TV screen. She was smiling at the camera, her lovely dove gray eyes twinkling, her lips full and sweetly shaped. The zipper on her purple catsuit was pulled down just low enough to show some cleavage. Phil found himself smiling back.
Maggie chuckled. "You're so smitten."
He hushed her when Darcy's voice came on, asking Vanda to tell the audience about herself.
Vanda began, her clear voice showing just a hint of accent. She was born in 1917 in a small village in southern Poland. Her mother died when Vanda was eighteen, and as the oldest daughter, she'd taken over the care of her large family. A father, four brothers, and two sisters.
Her smile started to fade when she talked about her mother's death. She was frowning by the time she told how the Germans and Russians invaded Poland in 1939 and her father and brothers marched off to fight.
Her face grew pale. "My father urged me to escape with my two younger sisters. I packed some food, and we fled south to the Carpathian Mountains. I'd been there before, and I knew there were some caves where we could hide. I…never saw my father or brothers again."
"How terrible," Maggie whispered.
Vanda continued, describing their long trek into the mountains. The youngest sister, thirteen-year-old Frieda, took ill, and by the time they found a shallow cave, she could hardly walk. Vanda stayed with her and sent her other sister, Marta, to fill up their water bags.
Marta didn't come back. The next morning, Vanda made her sick sister as comfortable as possible, then went to fetch water. By that evening she was frantic with worry. Marta was gone and Frieda was failing fast.
She went in search of her sister, and squealed with joy when Marta stepped into her path. But Marta attacked her, bit her, and with superhuman strength carried her off to a cave. The vampire who had turned Marta was there, and he changed Vanda, who was too weak from hunger and blood loss to fight off two vampires.
"The next evening," Vanda said, "I was still reeling in shock from what had happened. But I rushed back to my little sister to see how she was. She had died. All alone."
Vanda covered her face, and Phil could tell the film had been edited. The camera rested on Darcy for a moment, and when it returned to Vanda, she was composed once again.
She quickly explained that the war had been so difficult that she'd joined the harem to find a little peace and relaxation. Then she smiled and said she was happy to participate on the show, and the interview ended.
"Poor Vanda." Maggie sniffed. "She lost everyone."
"Not quite." Phil used the remote to turn off the television. "She has one sister who might still be alive."
"Marta?" Maggie made a face. "Marta should have helped her save their sister."
Phil nodded. "Vanda may feel that her only surviving relative betrayed her."
Maggie took a deep breath. "Well, at least you know why she's so angry now."
"There's still a lot she didn't say. She was transformed in 1939."
"Oh, you're right." Maggie sat up. "And she didn't come here till 1948. That's eight years unaccounted for."
"And she merely called it 'difficult' in the interview. I have a feeling she went through hell."
Maggie's eyes filled with tears. "Of course she did. It was in her paintings. Dead bodies, swastikas, barbed wire, blood."
And wolves. Phil swallowed hard. How would he ever gain Vanda's trust if she was terrified of wolves?
Maggie touched his arm. "I want to see her. Even if all I can do is give her a hug."
"Of course. She'll be at the Horny Devils."
"I've teleported there before, so I know the way." Maggie rose to her feet. "Would you like to hitch a ride?"
"Yes." He wrapped an arm around Maggie's shoulders. Vanda wouldn't be able to avoid him now. "I'd appreciate it if you didn't tell her about my being a shifter."
Maggie frowned at him. "You'll have to tell her if you intend to have a future with her."
"I will." But not now. She was already looking for a reason to run away from him.
Phil and Maggie threaded their way through the crowd at the Horny Devils. When Maggie spotted Pamela at the bar, she squealed, and the two women spent five minutes hugging and laughing. Phil could hardly hear them over the noise.
He lifted a hand in greeting. "Big crowd tonight."
Pamela grinned and handed him a beer. "Isn't it marvelous? That awful Corky told everyone not to come because we were so nefarious and evil." She laughed. "And of course, they just had to see for themselves."
"Does Vanda know about the boycott?" he asked.
"No, thank heavens, and we need to keep it that way. She might go ballistic, and we can't afford any more lawsuits." Pamela spotted Cora Lee and waved at her. "Look who's here!"
Cora Lee ran over to Maggie, and the squealing and hugging started all over again. Then Maggie produced a stack of family photos from her handbag, and the ladies gushed over how adorable Maggie's daughter was. Phil wondered how she'd managed to have a child but refrained from asking since the explanation might take a long time, and he wanted to see Vanda as soon as possible.
"Hey, bro!" Phineas walked toward him with two female Vamps hanging on his arms. "I dropped by like you asked. You sure were right about the hot chicks."
"Any sign of Max?" Phil yelled over the noise.
"No." Phineas gave his new friends an apologetic look. "I hate to say this, ladies, but I gotta go back to work."
"Oh no, Dr. Phang." The brunette on his left arm stuck out her bottom lip in a
pout. "How can you leave us?"
"Duty calls, sweetness." Phineas patted her hand. "But I'll come back every few hours to make sure you're safe."
"Oh, Dr. Phang, you're so brave." The blonde on his right rubbed against him.
"Where do you work?" the brunette asked, trying to draw his attention away from the blonde.
"I can't say, darlin'," Phineas replied. "Top secret stuff, you know."
"Oooh." The blonde shivered. "Are you a spy?"
"All I can say is when danger lurks in the shadows, they call on Dr. Phang." Phineas stepped back and lowered his voice. "I'll be back."
"I'll be waiting for you," the brunette yelled as Phineas disappeared.
The blonde sidled up close to Phil. "So are you a spy like Dr. Phang?"
"We…work together." Phil noticed Maggie was headed with Cora Lee and Pamela to Vanda's office. He started to follow, but the two Vamp women had latched onto his arms.
The brunette caressed his biceps. "You seem incredibly strong for a mortal."
"And handsome in such an earthy way," the blonde added.
"Actually, I'm not in Dr. Phang's league." Phil extricated himself from their grip. "He's much stronger than me. And a little dangerous. You should probably stay away from him if you like to play it safe."
The brunette's eyes lit up. "He sounds so exciting."
"Well, he is called the Love Doctor, you know," Phil admitted.
The blonde stepped back. "No offense, cutie, but I'm going to wait for the Love Doctor."
The brunette turned toward her. "No, you're not. I saw him first."
While the two women argued over Phineas, Phil hurried to Vanda's office.
Maggie spotted him quietly closing the door. "Vanda, I hope you don't mind, but I brought Phil with me."
Vanda stiffened and turned toward the door. The smile on her face vanished, and a blush crept up her neck.
He remained by the door. "Hello, Vanda."
The blush rose to her cheeks. "Hi."
Pamela and Cora Lee greeted him with knowing smiles.
He nodded briefly at them, then returned his gaze to Vanda. "How are you?"
"Yes, dear, how are you?" Maggie asked when Vanda didn't answer. "Phil told me about that horrible snake, and I just had to make sure you were all right."
"I'm…fine," Vanda said quietly.
"Well, it was mighty nice of Phil to call you up," Cora Lee said to Maggie.
"And we're delighted to see you again," Pamela added.
"It's lovely to be here," Maggie said, smiling. "The club is a huge success. I've never seen such a big crowd."
"Yeah, that'll show Corky Courrant," Cora Lee muttered.
Pamela winced and shook her head.
Cora Lee gasped and covered her mouth.
Vanda frowned at them. "What's going on?"
"Nothing," Pamela and Cora Lee answered together.
Vanda glared at Cora Lee. "Out with it."
"It's nothing!" Cora Lee insisted, then turned to Pamela for help. "It amounts to nothing, right? We have a huge crowd. They all came to see why Corky said our club was violent and evil."
"What?" Vanda yelled.
Phil walked toward her. "It's all right. Corky used her TV show to announce a boycott of your club, but her plan obviously backfired."
Vanda's eyes flashed with anger. "She's trying to destroy me."
"Your club will be fine," Phil said softly.
"Not as long as that bitch is around," Vanda hissed, and she vanished.
"No!" Phil made a grab for her, but she was already gone.
"Land sakes," Cora Lee whispered. "Where did she go?"
"Where do you think, bigmouth?" Pamela snapped. "She went to DVN to let Corky have it."
"Sweet Mary and Joseph," Maggie breathed. "We need to stop her."
CHAPTER 7
They have lousy security," Phil said as he followed Maggie down a hallway at DVN. No alarm had gone off when they had teleported into a costume room. "You'd think they'd be more careful after that incident last December."
Maggie leaned close and whispered, "These guys aren't exactly grounded in reality."
"I see what you mean," Phil muttered. They passed a group of actors in the hallway, and one of them, dressed as a giant chicken, was practicing his squawk.
"That's it!" one of his companions said. "Now do it again, but with more passion."
Another actor, dressed as a pirate, joined in. "Yaar, me hearty. Ye must believe that ye be a chicken."
Phil snorted. A chicken with fangs.
"This is it." Maggie stopped in front of a door decorated with a giant gold star. Corky Courrant was painted across the star in bright red cursive script.
Maggie listened. "I don't hear any fighting inside."
"That's a good sign," Phil said.
"Unless Corky's already dead," Maggie whispered.
Phil opened the door and marched inside. Corky was very much alive, seated behind her desk, studying photos. In the corner, a little bald-headed man with a camera gasped, then teleported away. No sign of Vanda.
Corky glanced up. "How dare you barge in like that!" She gathered up the photos and shoved them into a desk drawer. "Who the hell are you?"
"Don't you know?" Phil asked. "You posted my picture on your show tonight."
Corky sniffed, then waved a hand in dismissal. Her large jeweled rings glittered under the fluorescent lights. "I'm not interested in the identity of a mortal. Get out of my office."
"I was the man pinning down the dancer at the Horny Devils nightclub. How did you get that photo?"
"I'm a journalist. I never reveal my sources." She glanced at the corner where the little man had teleported away. Her bosom heaved when she sighed with relief.
"Hello, Corky." Maggie strode inside, her cowboy boots clunking on the linoleum floor.
Corky sat back. "Well, if it isn't little Maggie, known for her short stature and her equally short career as a mediocre actress. What brings you to New York?" She eyed Maggie's clothes with disdain. "A little shopping, I hope?"
Maggie approached the desk. "I just had a lovely time at the Horny Devils. Thanks to you, it's the most popular nightclub in the vampire world."
Corky's eyes narrowed into angry slits. "I remember now. You're one of Vanda Barkowski's friends. You can give that crazy bitch a message from me." Corky rose to her feet. "I'm going to destroy her. And her club."
"Try it," Phil said softly, "and you'll regret it."
Corky scoffed. "Am I supposed to quake in fear from a mere mortal and a…miniature cowgirl?" She glowered at Maggie. "Don't think I haven't forgotten how you stole Don Orlando from me."
Maggie glared back. "You had already lost him. You treated him like a slave."
"Ha! I made him a star! I made him famous. What could you ever do for him?"
Maggie smiled. "I make him happy." She turned on her heel and marched out.
Corky sputtered. "I could ruin you. And your ranch. You're just so trivial, I haven't bothered!"
Phil paused by the door on his way out. "Leave Vanda alone."
"What are you," Corky sneered, "her guard dog?"
"Close." He took a deep breath and tapped into his inner Alpha power. He knew it would make his blue eyes glow. His body began to shimmer, his form fuzzy along the edges. He could shift in an instant if he wanted, or remain in human form while retaining all the power of the Alpha wolf.
Corky stumbled back, her eyes wide. "Who—What are you?"
Let her wonder. He shut the door in her face and reined in his power. In an instant he was back to normal. "Okay, where do you think Vanda is?"
Maggie stared at him, her mouth agape. "What was that?"
"The power of my inner…animal." He started down the hallway.
Maggie stood in place, her eyes still wide with shock. "But don't you need a full moon?"
"No. So where could Vanda be?"
"I–I don't know." Maggie ran to catch up with him. "I've never hear
d of a shifter who wasn't dependant upon a full moon."
"I can shift at any time." They reached the end of the hall, where it led into an intersecting hallway.
"That's amazing," Maggie whispered. "What kind of animal are you?"
He ignored the question as he inspected the new hallway. No sign of Vanda. "Let's split up. You go right, I'll go left."
"All right." Maggie headed right, then pulled back around the corner, grimacing.
"What's wrong?" Phil peered down the hall to the right. A blond woman was talking to the pirate actor.
"It's Tiffany." Maggie raised her gaze to the ceiling as if in prayer. "Must I see every woman tonight who's slept with my husband?"
Phil recalled that the actor Don Orlando de Corazon had been touted as the greatest lover in the vampire world. "I'm sure he never looked at another woman once he met you."
Maggie snorted, then smiled. "I believe you're right. Bless you. So you're a powerful shifter who knows exactly what to say to a woman? Vanda doesn't stand a chance."
"I hope you're right. But we still need to find her. How about I go right, and you go left?"
"Okay." Maggie hurried down the new hallway, moving away from Tiffany.
Phil strode toward the blonde and the pirate. He tried the first door. A storeroom.
"Aar, me buxom wench." The pirate adjusted his eye patch. "Ye be a glorious sight for me sore eye. Would ye care to go below deck with me?"
"To the basement?" Tiffany giggled. "Sure. I just love your accent. It's so classy. You sound like a prince." She led him to a door at the end of the hall.
Phil smiled to himself. Tiffany certainly wasn't pining over the loss of Don Orlando. He spotted a door labeled: CORKY'S DRESSING ROOM. This sounded promising. He quietly eased it open.
Vanda was seated at a dressing table. There was no mirror above it, but rather, a monitor connected to a digital camera. As a Vamp, this was the only way Corky could see herself to apply the mounds of makeup she wore. The camera was turned off now, and Vanda was entirely focused on her task, snipping at clothing with a small pair of scissors.
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