“Oh my God!” she repeated. “He followed me. In the store.” Her breaths were as choppy as her words.
Joe’s body tightened with outrage. A man stalked her? That Lily, normally so guileless and oblivious to her appeal, had noticed the man’s actions gave immediate credence to her claim. He fought his resurfacing anger to rub soothing circles on her back. “Take a deep breath,” he said from between clenched teeth, “and tell me.”
Lily leaned away and looked into his face. The fear in her gaze and her trembling mouth had him wishing the man were here now so he could take his head off. “His hand—” she gasped, “he was standing by the diapers—but I knew!”
He pressed her face against his chest. By her jittery, incoherent explanation, he knew it might be a while before he pieced together the story. His rage boiled like an ulcer in his belly—but she didn’t need his anger. She needed his comfort now. “Shhh. Take it easy, baby. I’ve got you now.”
A shudder shook her frame and her arms tightened around him. “There was a car down the street. I was nervous.” She sniffed against his chest.
Joe smiled, wondering if she realized she’d just wiped her nose on his T-shirt.
“Then the butcher thought I was pregnant.”
He shook his head at that last thought. She was so rattled she wasn’t making any sense. He smoothed the hair from her forehead and she raised her face. Grabbing her chin, he lowered his mouth to kiss her—something he’d wanted to do the moment he’d seen her again.
She drew back again. “But—”
His hand grabbed a fist of her hair and tilted her head. He sealed his lips over hers.
She murmured a protest, her hands pushing at his shoulders.
He kept kissing her, sucking on her lower lip, enticing her to open her mouth and let him in.
Finally she relaxed, her arms creeping up to encircle his neck.
By the time he pulled away, his heart galloped and his body had grown hard as a rock. He was a bastard, but all he could think of doing was taking her—right here. Now!
He pulled her blouse from her slacks and reached beneath to palm her breasts through her lacy bra.
Lily’s lips, blurred and reddened by his kisses, formed a passionate moue. Then she blinked. “No! You have to listen.”
Joe let his head fall back to the door with a bang and dragged air into his lungs. She was driving him nuts.
“I th—think your werewolf followed me,” Lily said breathlessly. “I went to the grocery store down the block. Had to get something for dinner—for you.”
He rubbed her back again, the motion soothing his own racing heartbeat. “How do you know it was him?”
The little frown that wrinkled her brow indicated she’d switched to analytic mode. “There was blood on the sidewalk. Bloody paw prints from a very large dog—your wolf.”
The way her mind leapt from one disjointed thought to the next left him dizzy. “Why did the paw prints make you think the man was the wolf?”
“He followed me. I heard a car start as I was getting into mine.” At his dubious frown, she scowled. “I know it was him, and he was watching me in the store. He had a bandage on his hand. I left my change at the register and he followed me out.”
“He couldn’t have just been a good Samaritan?”
“No! It was his eyes. His stare was so intent.” She looked at him, apology in her expression. “Just like yours. He was smelling me!”
Joe quirked an eyebrow. “You don’t think any man would love the way you smell?”
“He looked like he wanted to eat me!”
A rueful smile lifted the corner of his lips. “So do I.”
Lily shoved at his chest. “You don’t believe me.”
All humor fled. “I didn’t say that. I think we should be very cautious. What I want to know is why you went out alone, after I specifically told you not to.”
She huffed. “You are not the boss of me.” Her arms came up between them and she struggled against his hard embrace. “Besides, there’s no vampire food in the fridge.”
“Vampire food?” His head was starting to hurt. Her leaps from subject to subject were hard to follow when his brain had fled so far south.
“Well, I wasn’t sure what your diet consists of besides human blood, but somehow I didn’t think chicken breasts and Rocky Road ice cream would appease you.”
He sighed. “So what did you get?”
“Well, I asked for pig’s blood, but the butcher said I’d have to special order it. So I bought steaks.”
“Steak will do. I woke up hungry as hell.” He gave her a heavy-lidded once-over. “You worked up my appetite.”
“Oh.” She blushed and smoothed a strand of hair behind her ear. “Oh!” Her eyes widened. “I left the steaks in the car—and my purse. I have to go get them.”
“No you don’t! It’s dusk, give it a few minutes and I’ll get them.”
Lily took a deep breath and bit her lower lip.
Her telltale clue said she wanted to ask him another question. He caressed her buttocks and pulled her against his arousal. “Out with it.”
Her glasses had slid toward the end of her nose and she glanced up at him from beneath her golden lashes. “What’s so special about the way I smell?”
Joe felt the throb in his cock begin a slow drum roll. “You smell horny—all woman-spice and musk, and a little wild.”
“I smell gamey?” She looked appalled.
“No. Primitive. Feminine. Your scent grabs a man by the balls.”
“Yuck! I should have bought strawberry douche!”
The look on her face made Joe’s shoulders shake with laughter. “Baby, you can’t improve on nature. It’s the first thing I noticed—even before I met you. I just followed your scent.”
Color leeched from her face. “So did the werewolf,” she whispered.
He leaned down and kissed her lips. “Yeah, he did.” He took a deep breath. As much as he’d prefer to take her straight to bed, Lily’s safety was at risk. “When do we see your voodoo queen?”
“She’s not a voodoo queen—she’s a spiritualist.” Lily snuggled her hips against his. “She’ll see us just after dark.” She looked over her shoulder at the shrouded window. “Now.”
Joe pulled her into his arms and gave her one last hard kiss. “Let’s go. I’ll eat in the car.”
* * * * *
Leveque’s shop was just off Bourbon Street. An orange neon sign advertising “Tarot/Voodoo” gleamed brightly above the small doorway of a narrow, white stucco building that adjoined a row of shops. A bell tinkled above the door as Joe hustled Lily through the entrance with a hand to the small of her back. He gave a final look up and down the street before following her inside.
The narrow shop was small and dark; the shelves filled with cheesy Voodoo amulets and dolls, T-shirts with skeletal jazz bands, New Orleans key chains, and stuffed toy alligators.
Lily headed straight to the back of the shop, past the counter where the girl with the corkscrew curls nodded to a curtained doorway. Her eyes widened at the sight of him and Joe grinned evilly. As he passed, her eyes narrowed in a warning he couldn’t miss.
Lily pulled back the drapery and he followed her into a cozy little sitting area with a sofa along the wall and a small wooden table in the center flanked by two chairs. The air smelled like cooking spices and Joe spotted incense burning from a small brass bowl.
A door opened from beyond the table and a short, wizened black woman stepped through. “Lily.”
“Madam Leveque,” Lily said, shaking the old woman’s hand. “I hope you don’t mind that I’ve brought a friend.”
Large, dark eyes gazed up at him for a long moment, and then a slow smile brightened her face. “Vampire,” she said softly, and raised her hand.
Shaken by her immediate recognition and acceptance, Joe reached for her hand and turned it, bringing it to his lips to press a kiss to the crepe-paper skin. “Madame, I’m Joe Garcia.”
; She smiled with delight and motioned toward the table. “One of you may sit on the sofa. As you can see, I am accustomed to seein’ only one person at a time,” she said, her voice low and melodic. “Lily, you must have a very interestin’ tale to explain how you come to be in the company of this handsome man.”
Joe pulled out one of the chairs for the old woman and she slowly sat down, smiling her thanks.
“Madame,” Joe interrupted. “We have questions.”
She held up her hand, “Don’ tell me now.” She softened the command with a smile and pointed toward a cupboard in the corner. “Bring me the candle and my cards, please.”
Fighting his impatience, Joe found a stubby candle in a wax-encrusted dish, matches, and a worn deck of cards bound with a rubber band.
Madame reached for the matches and lit the candle. “Lily, would you turn off the light? The switch is beside the door.” She smiled at Joe conspiratorially. “I work best in the dark. As I imagine you do, too.”
When the overhead lamp flickered off, the glow from the candle cast the old woman’s face into relief, lending her a look of ageless wisdom. “I would like you to shuffle the deck for me, please.”
Joe glanced at Lily, feeling a frown settle between his eyes, but she only nodded her encouragement and motioned him toward the chair.
As the old woman lit the candle and set it to her left, Joe removed the rubber band and carefully shuffled the age-softened cards. The design on the backs of the cards was of some celestial body. The faces were unlike any deck of cards he’d ever played poker with. He knew he was about to have his fortune read.
He sighed, resigning himself to the fact he would have to humor the woman in hopes she’d let him ask his questions in good time. When he’d finished, he handed her the deck.
“This won’ take long,” she said, humor crinkling the corners of her eyes.
Joe felt heat creep across his cheeks and gave her his attention while she laid three cards facedown on the table.
“Let’s see what the cards can tell me about you, boy. Dis is called the ‘Holy Trinity’—only three cards,” she assured him with a wink. Her gnarled fingers turned over the first card. A grin creased her face and she looked from Joe to Lily, a wicked gleam in her eyes.
Joe looked down at the card and saw the figure of a man, wearing a robe of fiery colors and holding a beautiful golden wand.
“The King of Wands,” she said, tapping the card. “This card tells me you’re a man of passion. Handsome, conscientious, noble, and strong…” she looked up at him with a coquettish tilt of her head, “…and a good lover.” She laughed at Lily’s telltale blush.
Her hand hovered over the next card. She flipped it over and gave a small gasp. When she looked up, all humor was wiped from her face. Joe squirmed beneath her look of pity. “The Ten of Swords,” she whispered.
This card depicted a body covered in blood. Ten swords pierced the torso. Despite his cynicism of the whole ritual, a chill crept up Joe’s spine.
The old woman closed her eyes for a long moment. “Misfortune, ruin, loss, failure, desolation beyond tears. You have suffered.” She was still so long, Joe thought she might have nodded off, then she sighed. “Ah…” When her eyes opened her gaze held warmth. “But all is not lost. The evil is nearly over.”
Joe heard the distant sound of a bell tinkling and the curtain stirred. The candlelight wavered, nearly extinguishing, then fluttered and burned brighter. Madame turned the last card. “The Blessed Virgin sends a message.” She raised her gaze to him.
The third card drew a gasp from Lily and sent a chill through Joe. It depicted the classic symbol of death—a tall, gaunt figure, his face hidden within the folds of a cowl. He held a scythe. A white rose in full blossom graced the corner. The macabre card was surprisingly beautiful.
The old woman patted Joe’s hand. “Death is not the horrible card you think,” she said. “Isn’t death merely the stepping through from one life to the next? Dis could be a foretellin’ of the end of pain and a reminder of your mortality. I think a great and good change is comin’ to you. With courage, evil may be overcome.”
Joe blew out a breath and glanced back at Lily. She smiled thinly.
“Now, Miss Lily. I would read your cards.” Madame Leveque slid the deck across the table toward her.
Joe slid from the chair and held it out for Lily. Lily sat and carefully shuffled the deck, before handing it back to the old woman. Joe placed his hands on Lily’s shoulders and he felt some of her tension ease.
Again, Madame drew three cards. As soon as the first was turned, all three people leaning over the table laughed.
“The Queen of Wands! Appropriate, non? A woman of passion and energy. You are fond of nature— wild things, yet you are practical.”
The second card brought the tension back. A man dangled by his foot from a rope that hung in the air.
“The Hanged Man. Dis indicates you’ll experience suspense and change. There may be sacrifice for great gain, or a search for inner truth. A change in point of view may be needed.”
“But what does that mean?” Lily asked.
Madame settled back in her chair and folded her hands on her stomach. “Your choices have brought you to dis point. Now it is up to you to gain wisdom from your search for truth.”
Lily shook her head, but Joe squeezed her shoulders. He wanted to see the next card.
Madame’s hands remained on her belly and she smiled at Lily. “Turn the next one, my dear.”
Lily reached a tentative hand to the card, and Joe had to smile. For all her professions of belief in empirical proof, she was enthralled. She flipped the card.
A beautiful woman blended two bowls of water into a single stream.
“It is called ‘The Star’ and represents the blending of the past and present. An awareness and acceptance of two worlds.” Madame glanced pointedly between Lily and Joe.
Feeling a little mesmerized, Joe murmured, “Thanks, Madame.”
She nodded her acceptance, and then swept her hand toward the sofa. “Please, take a seat and we’ll talk. “
Joe held his hope in check and sat down. Dragging a hand through his hair, he tried to figure out a place to begin.
“Joe wants to be human again.”
Joe smiled ruefully. Lily’s eagerness eclipsed his.
Madame’s dark gaze seemed to look straight through him. “What about your new existence can’t you accept?”
“I’m a damn parasite!” Frustration made his reply angrier than he’d intended. “I feed off humans.”
“Do you take more than they can give?”
His hands dug into his thighs. “Sometimes, I want to. It’s hard to fight the hunger.”
“God gives us all tests.”
“I don’t think God has anything to do with my current state.” Darcy and her bloodsucking boyfriend do!
Madame nodded. “I think you will find your mortality.”
He stared, hope rising. He leaned forward. “How? What do I have to do?”
“You must face your past. Go home.”
Not what he wanted to hear. He shook his head and looked at Lily. Her bleak expression reflected his heart’s dismay. “I don’t understand.”
“I can’t tell you anythin’ more.”
His head dipped. He’d come all this way only to hear that he had to go home. Something he already knew.
“Madame,” Lily’s voice broke through his disappointment, reminding him of the other danger lurking. “There’s one other problem I need your advice concerning.”
The old woman reached across the table and took Lily’s hand. She turned the palm upward. “You haven’t figure it out yet, have you child?”
“What?”
“Tell me first. What disturbs you?”
“There are so many things. I have intense…cravings. And then there’s this …thing following me.”
Madame tilted her head toward Joe. “Does this man satisfy your…cravings?”
<
br /> Lily nodded her head, blushing.
“Then isn’t your problem solved?”
“What I feel isn’t normal.” Lily gripped the edge of the table. “I want too much. Besides, he’s leaving.” She shrugged her shoulders and bit her lip. “And then there’s the other…thing.”
“The wolves? Do wolves follow you now?”
Lily exchanged a shocked glance with Joe before dragging her gaze back to the woman. “Yes. Or at least one does.”
Madame turned to Joe. “The only way to keep them from her is to take her with you.”
Joe nodded. “Why do they follow her?”
“For the same reason you do.” Her little smile told him he wouldn’t like what she said next. “To mate.”
His body tightened. “Is it because of her increased sex drive?” he asked. “Do they smell her constant need?”
Lily’s eyes darkened and Joe recognized the signs of her growing arousal. Just the mention of sex and she was primed. And like Pavlov’s dog, her arousal kicked his into high gear.
“It is dat. And something more,” the old woman said, her expression growing amused. She hadn’t missed the exchange between Joe and Lily.
Frustrated with her cryptic comments, Joe blurted, “Why do they follow her?”
“Because she leaves her scent all over the city. She’s in heat.”
CHAPTER EIGHT
Lily slid the strap of her handbag over her shoulder and shivered despite the balmy night air. Still reeling from shock, she wrapped her arms around her middle and stumbled toward Bourbon Street. “I’m one of them?”
“You heard what she said.” His words were clipped, his face hard as stone. “Not yet.” His hand pressed the small of her back, hurrying her along. “Although, I’m wondering why you’d fight the change! The wolves don’t mean you any harm. They just want to fuck you. Something you want.”
Anger burned away the chill. “So I should just give into my nature? I should let any Duke or Fido take me because my body is ready to breed? That’s so hypocritical coming from you! Why do you fight what you are?”
“I wasn’t born to be a vampire. You were born to be a werewolf.”
“Well, I don’t accept that.”
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