by Kate Wendley
Anthony sat at the far end of the small room at a sturdy, though worn wooden desk that faced the bare wall in front of him. His computer was on and the wallpaper background on the screen was of rolling green fields with a small, picturesque farm in the middle of it. It was the only personalization she could see in the office. A second desk was situated next to his and faced the same wall, though closer to her. A small sofa was situated just inside the door, and a tall, narrow bookcase half filled with books looked lonesome in the far corner of the room.
Anthony didn’t move from his rolling desk chair as she stepped over the threshold and into the room. His dark eyed gaze felt bone heavy and gave the impression he’d absorbed every little thing about her in one brief look.
He too calmly said, “Please close the door behind yourself.” As soon as they were shut in the room together, an eerie silence descended around them.
“I’ve put a sound barrier around us. No one will hear our conversation.”
Goosebumps raised all over her body. What was going to happen that he didn’t want anyone to hear?
“Zach tells me you don’t seem used to being around shifters, so I’m assuming you’re from a territory unlike Atlanta.”
“Yes sir.”
He inclined his head and gestured for her to sit. She kept her eye on him as she lowered herself to the boring, office functional looking sofa, her body tense and braced to flee if she needed to.
He sat completely still in that unnerving way vampires do. She tried hard to never do that, but plenty of vampires didn’t care if they looked creepy and unnatural. She was almost glad when he spoke again because it made him seem more human.
“Would you like to tell me why you’re here?”
She couldn’t tell from his mood if that was just a question or if it was his way of saying she wasn’t wanted in his territory.
“Well, sir, my Maker, Samson, lets me freely roam, and I was looking for a new place to call home.”
He didn’t flinch when she said Samson’s name so he must not know of him. Crap. She was more used to people trying to stay on Samson’s good side than not even knowing who he was. She’d figured she might be too far from his territory, but she still hoped for some kind of recognition. Gossip traveled, after all. Anthony’s expression gave away nothing, though, except that he wasn’t an easygoing person.
Without preamble, he flatly said, “No weapons in the club. You feed from shifters only, and there are plenty of volunteers here. If you need safe sleeping quarters, I’ll provide you a room free of charge for one month, below the club where myself and many other vampires sleep. After a month, if you decide not to join my family, you’ll begin paying for your room.”
His gaze was unwavering and seemed to catch everything, even though it didn’t appear that his eyes moved off hers.
He continued in that unnerving, lifeless tone. “Vampire business is vampire business, shifter business is shifter business, and we don’t intervene. If you remain, then you’ll be considered a loner in my territory since your Master isn’t here with you. And if you don’t join a family in Atlanta, then you’re on your own in disputes. Either way, I still expect you to bring no harm to the shifters. They provide your lifeblood and many other things you may find you need.”
She cautiously nodded.
“I advise you not to break my rules, but that is of course your choice. I’ll warn you now, I’m swift and harsh with punishment to vampires who disobey. The rules are that you’ll do nothing that threatens the secrecy of our kind, and you won’t harm humans in any way. Any disagreements with supernaturals are to be handled at the ranch, no violence at the club.”
He leaned forward in his chair and she automatically leaned away from him. “On a more personal note, I have a human girlfriend and if you so much as hurt a single hair on her head, or fail to protect her when you might’ve had an opportunity to, I’ll show you no mercy. Understood?”
She swallowed and nodded.
He leaned back and took a breath. He seemed distracted with other thoughts, which was at least an emotion. “Do you have any questions for me?”
She stared dumbfounded at him, not sure if she had the nerve to ask anything, and also no longer believing shifters were in charge around here. Anthony was too damn scary for that to be true.
She weakly spit out, “You don’t care if I don’t want to join your family?”
He surprisingly relaxed back into his chair and opened his hands in a tired gesture. “I have my hands full enough already. Join if you like.”
That answer felt like a trick, but she wasn’t sure. So many families were filled with a dangerous mix of varying levels of power, egos, and a mishmash of unique abilities. It was common that Masters tried to force loners into their family so they’d have someone new to torture, er, play with.
Sounding like he was trying not to be bored, Anthony said, “May I ask if you have a vocation? Any plans for what you’ll be doing in Atlanta, if anything?”
She realized she’d been staring at his giant scar that took up half of his face and forced herself to look away. “I’m a teacher, though mostly I tutor.”
He moved and she tensed.
“A teacher? I have need of teachers and tutors at any and all levels. We try to take care of our own in our community, but there’s a constant shortage in every area due to simple lack of interest and motivation, unfortunately.” A look of irritation and disgust passed through his eyes before his expression went back to interest in her. “If you don’t have work yet, I’d be interested in talking further with you about your qualifications. Assuming you have the necessary skills, I’ll hire you at a very assuredly more than fair wage and keep you as busy as you’d like to be.”
She blinked at him in a stupor. This Master wasn’t like any she’d ever talked to before. He actually seemed like a halfway normal person. Huh. Except that Zach had been right about feeling absolutely no energy signature from him. Even a human had an energy signature, piteously weak as it was. He had nothing, like there should be empty space where he sat. His gaze was heavy and deadly, though, setting off all kinds of alarms in her subconscious. This was not a man to be taken lightly, or to push her luck with. The sooner she was no longer the object of his attention, the better.
“Thank you sir. I’ll take that into consideration.”
She was surprised to glimpse a barely hidden look of disappointment, but maybe she was mistaken.
“Very well. I’m frequently here in my office should you want to talk further.” He inclined his head and said, “Welcome to Atlanta.”
Chapter 5
Shutting the Master of Atlanta inside his office, all alone, felt like she was trying to trap a sleepy tiger behind a paper door. The sooner she was out of his potential victim range, the better she’d feel. She almost started madly giggling she was so relieved her stressful encounter with him was over, then stilled when she heard her name. The voice sounded way too close…
Her stomach dropped when she saw Ethan looking straight at her from across the room. His lips moved, and again it sounded like he could’ve been whispering in her ear.
“Harmony. Come here please.”
She froze in indecision, but in the end she figured Ethan was more powerful than her, so trying to ignore him could be bad news. Besides, wasn’t she here to meet new people? He wasn’t just some person, though, he was a powerful Master… who’d flirted with her earlier. She tried to calm her nerves as she cautiously made her way over.
His eyes didn’t move from her as she neared, though he didn’t sit unnaturally still like Anthony had. Ethan’s movements were more humanlike, and when she was almost right in front of him, he gestured for her to join him at his small table.
He wasn’t exactly frowning anymore, but he didn’t look as carefree and happy as he’d been hours earlier when she’d stupidly snapped at him. Even so, she kept her senses wide open as she slowly took the seat next to him. He didn’t say anything for a long time and she wo
ndered if he’d eventually get bored with her and tell her to leave. She hoped for it, anyway.
While she waited, she cautiously studied him since the alarm bells weren’t going off in her head like they had with Anthony. Anthony’s gaze had been hard and deadly and she could almost see the power in his eyes. Ethan seemed more like a regular vampire, not some immensely powerful Master, though his energy aura did feel stronger than most. She was actually glad she could feel the pressure of his power in the air. Not being able to sense even the barest hint of Anthony’s disturbed her. It didn’t feel right, like she’d been in the presence of an unearthly creature that should never have been made physical.
Ethan looked and felt much more natural to her. She guessed his human age to be mid to late thirties, and like he was one of those men that probably looked mature even when he was a teenager. He was handsome and reminded her of a European cologne model with his square jaw, gorgeous blue eyes and medium brown hair that was a little long on top. He wore a stylishly tailored business casual, button down shirt with the first few buttons undone, a not too formal jacket, and not that she was looking, but he probably wore nicely tailored pants as well. He screamed style and smooth machismo, though she wasn’t sure yet if his personality matched his outward appearance.
Zach had said he was a powerful Master, but Ethan didn’t make her feel nervous like Anthony had. She decided Anthony must be the more powerful of the two. It would explain how two Masters could be in the same territory, and it helped calm her nerves even more.
After a good couple minutes, Ethan finally said, “Tell me about yourself.”
“Sir?”
“Please, call me Ethan.” He studied her for a moment, then repeated, “Tell me a little about yourself.”
Feeling much more calm, she said, “I’m hoping to stay free here in Atlanta, but will of course abide by any Master’s rules.”
His face soured. “I don’t care about rules or what you’ll abide by, or even if you join a family. Tell me about you. Who are you?”
“What would you like to know… Ethan?”
He looked disturbed. “I don’t know. Something personal. How are you different than every other vampire in Atlanta?”
She figured it wasn’t good that she bothered him so much, but she had no idea what to do to end this conversation, so she politely said, “I’m a teacher. And a tutor.”
“You’re a teacher? With all those weapons?”
For a second she thought he might be poking fun at her, but his mood was too serious. “The weapons aren’t for my students, but yeah. I mean, I teach when I can. I can only work at night, obviously.”
“Are we talking college level or below?”
She wasn’t sure why everyone was so interested in her being a teacher, but Ethan seemed to be less tense now, so she figured it didn’t hurt to keep talking about herself. “Most recently I’ve been tutoring college students for all the general education classes they need before they get to their major courses. I’ve also done a lot of college prep courses.”
He sat back in his chair and narrowed his eyes at her, his expression definitely looking more relaxed now. He wasn’t smiling, but he wasn’t frowning anymore. “Hmm. I’ve got some shifters at home that could use a tutor. Anthony probably also has a need for it.”
That was interesting. It didn’t sound like these two hated each other’s guts. That was good. “Master Anthony mentioned that. He said he’d put me to work immediately if I wanted.”
Ethan’s expression turned somber and she regretted talking about her conversation with Anthony.
He sighed and looked casually around the room. “Tell me something else. What do you like to do in your spare time?”
While his eyes were elsewhere and his mind obviously distracted by something that seemed to be gnawing at him, she studied his handsome features. Was he another dangerous, sleepy tiger, or was he a good guy? Could any vampires really be good guys?
More importantly, wasn’t it time she put herself out there more and found it? She stubbornly knew she hid behind her defensive shield far too often, but after all the territories and crazy vampires and shifters she’d met in her travels, she knew she had good reason to. Still, if she didn’t let down her wall once in a while, how would she find the good guys?
“For now I’ll be spending time getting to know Atlanta and what the supernatural community’s like here.”
He turned a surprised, hopeful look on her. “You want a tour of the city?”
She felt like she’d walked right into that one, and as much as she wanted to let her guard down and hope for the best, she didn’t feel ready to do that with Ethan, yet. “I’ll eventually make my way around.”
He unexpectedly laughed, and his smile looked good on him. More than good. It was damn sexy, and definitely more relaxed, like he’d been when she first met him upstairs.
He asked, “Are others going to join you here in Atlanta?”
“Maybe.”
He chuckled again and put his hands up in surrender. “Fair enough.” With a twinkle in his eye and a smirk on those devilish lips, he said, “Welcome to Atlanta. Perhaps I’ll see you around sometime.”
He was being awfully gracious, just like Anthony. It didn’t seem real, but that’s of course what all the cryptic blog posts had said about Atlanta. It was like a fairy tale kingdom for supernaturals… when things went right. When they didn’t go right, well, she’d heard sometimes things got ugly. She’d seen ugly everywhere, though. What she hadn’t seen was too much of things going right. Not in vampire and shifter life anyway. That’s what she was hoping to find here. That and the cure to the restless ache in her soul. Was that too much to ask for?
She cautiously left Ethan while keeping her eye on him, and he did nothing but smile and watch her go.
**
On Harmony’s way out of the club, she stopped in the upstairs foyer and asked Benicio if she could talk to him.
“I’m on duty, if you hadn’t noticed.”
“How much longer?”
He cocked his head and practically looked down his nose at her, but it didn’t seem like a snobby gesture. More like a regal pose of curiosity. He was a lot taller than her, too, so it seemed even more dramatic.
“Another hour. Why?”
She stood confident in front of his imposing stature. He was tall, had really broad shoulders, and a lot of muscle. His overall presence was that of someone you should think twice about messing with. So far his personality wasn’t as daunting as all that, though.
“I’m new here. I want to know what things are really like. From your perspective.”
He cocked an eyebrow. “And what made you decide my perspective was a worthy one?”
She narrowed her eyes at him. “Call it a hunch.”
A slow smile spread across his face and he chuckled under his breath. “Meet me out back by the basketball court in an hour.”
**
Ethan couldn’t stop staring at the door Harmony left through. He wished she’d come back, but had no idea why he was so fixated on her. She was a beautiful woman, to be sure, but he’d been with scores of beautiful women and had never felt such a driving need to get to know them better. At least not past bedding them.
Something about her intrigued him, but he couldn’t put his finger on what. Maybe it was that she didn’t cave to her obvious fear of him, and when he got more personal with her, she also didn’t seek his favor through feminine charms.
She wanted nothing to do with him.
This town suddenly got a lot more interesting…
**
Harmony stared out into the night as she sat atop a picnic table waiting for Benicio, the comforting weight of a dagger held loosely in her hand. A well-manicured lawn spread out beyond the basketball court, and a line of thick, hearty trees formed a border along the edge of the property. She tried to ignore the frantic shifter energy emanating from the buildings behind her while she spent a few minutes taking stock of t
hings.
She’d been a loner for so long now, and had to rely on hunches so many times that she’d learned to trust her gut. Sometimes, though, her gut was too scared or confused to tell her exactly what to do. Like tonight. Two Masters in one night, both of them fairly civil, but completely opposite of each other in every other way. Something had to be wrong with this picture.
An unnatural stir in the air alerted her to trouble. She’d barely leapt from her perch when Benicio was suddenly sitting there. She hadn’t sensed him coming until it was too late, which meant he was definitely more powerful than her.
He grinned mightily as she scowled. She didn’t put her dagger away, but she relaxed from her fighter’s stance. Enough to not look like the aggressor, anyway. She was in Atlanta hoping to be left alone to do her own thing, not to get into fights.
“Jerk. Did you only agree to meet me so you could play games with me?”
He chuckled and gestured for her to sit, his eye on her weapon for a brief moment. “Oh, come now. I’m a gentleman, above all. I was merely testing you to see if you could sense me. It’s not often I get a chance to try my skills with someone new without it being taken the wrong way.”
“And how did you know I wouldn’t take it the wrong way?”
He smirked. “Call it a hunch.” His eyes flicked to her dagger again, so she figured she better either use it or put it away.
She grumbled at him, but he honestly seemed like a decent guy, so she slowly sat back down… as far away from him as she could get, and slid her dagger back in her boot. She wasn’t a dummy, though, so she casually kept her hand on the hidden pocket along her outer thigh where she kept another weapon.
The teasing was mostly gone from his voice when he said, “So what can I help you with this morning?”
“Tell me about Anthony. And Ethan. They both seem way too nice for being Masters.”
Benicio fought another smirk as he cocked an eyebrow. “Too nice. Hmm. I might use the word prudent, instead. And don’t mistake that for being softhearted. You’ll die in a heartbeat if you feel like you can pull one over on either of them.”
