MoonlightTemptation (15 page)

“Do you really think Dane would be into a fling?”

“I don’t have any idea. The man is a contradiction. I swear
he has a stick up his ass most of the time but then—” She sighed, realizing she
was about to tell Cat how hot he was in bed. “He kisses me like he can’t get enough.”

“Doesn’t his kiss tell you more about his feelings than
anything else? I mean, Dane has always been kind of uptight about everything.
But if you bring out that side of him, doesn’t that show you how he really
feels about you?”

Well, when she put it like that…

“But what about Ryan? I mean, I like Ryan. I like him a lot
and I just met him. Hell, I just met him two days ago and I slept with him. And
Dane. Oh God, I’m a slut.”

Cat pinched her arm, hard. “No, you’re not. Jeez, I don’t
know why you
eteri
always think sex is bad. Why can’t it just be fun?”

“I don’t think sex is bad. And the sex was
great
.”
Evie narrowed her gaze on Cat as a thought crossed her mind. “Wait, are you
having sex?”

Cat rolled her eyes. “Don’t you think I would have told you
if I was? Please. Besides, if my dads even
thought
I was having sex
don’t you think I’d be locked in my room at Dad Kyle’s house?”

Yeah, that was a definite. Still… “But you’re thinking about
it.”

Cat’s gaze faltered and dropped and, for the first time,
Evie saw uncertainty in Cat’s expression. She’d never seen the girl as anything
other than openly confident.

Damn, she’d been so wrapped up in her own drama. “Cat, tell
me. What’s going on?”

She shook her head and her smile made a comeback as she
lifted her gaze back to Evie’s. “Nothing’s going on. Absolutely nothing.”

“And…that’s not a good thing?”

“It just means there’s nothing to tell. Nothing at all.”

Evie’s gaze narrowed as she worked those tersely spoken
words over in her mind. “But you want there to be something going on.”

Cat shrugged and her gaze dropped to stare at the quilt on
the bed. But not before Evie caught the sheen of tears in her eyes. “Is it
wrong to want there to be more to life than spells and potions and running in
my pelt?”

Evie couldn’t help it. She laughed, one short burst of sound
that made Cat look up at her with wide, startled eyes.

Then she started to really laugh and couldn’t stop. She
laughed until she could barely breathe. And when she finally got herself under
control, she looked over to see Cat shaking her head.

“Gee, I’m glad I provide you with so much amusement.”

“No, Cat, I’m not laughing at you. But…you have to look at
this from my perspective. Spells, potions, werewolves. Magic. Your life is full
of magic that you can control. You’re brilliant and sweet and funny and
beautiful. And I absolutely get that you feel stuck in neutral here. There’s no
challenge, is there? Everything comes so easy to you.”

Cat just shook her head. “No, you’re right. I’m being
stupid.”

“No, you’re not. Cat, honey, what do you
want
?”

“Truthfully? I don’t know what I want. I just know it’s not
making potions and running through the same hundred acres of woods.”

“Have you said anything to your mom or dads? Have you told
them—”

“I can’t tell them. And you can’t either. They’d worry and
want to know what’s wrong. And what can I tell them? I’m bored? I want to go to
the movies and shop at the mall. I want to go on a date with a guy and have him
kiss me good night. The only— No. No, it’s all just so
freaking
stupid.
I’m
stupid.”

Evie heard tears in Cat’s voice and knew whatever Cat was
feeling ran deeper than she’d suspected. And she’d gotten so damn good at
hiding it, Evie didn’t think her parents even suspected there was anything
wrong. Because if they had, someone would’ve done something about it.

Cat was nothing if not loved. Her parents were devoted to
her. They only wanted her to be happy.

And Cat was really, really not. How had they all missed it?

“Hey, Catene.” Evie rolled up onto her elbow so she could watch
Cat’s face. “I don’t think you’re stupid. I think you’re one of the smartest
people I know. So you know what? We’re going out tonight.”

Cat’s eyes rounded. “What? Where are we going? Wait, what
about Ryan and Dane?”

“I could use a little break myself. And they’ll be here when
I get back. You and me, we’re going to dinner and then we’ll do a little retail
therapy.”

The sparkle made a comeback in Cat’s eyes before she shook
her head. “I can’t. I promised Ralisa I’d help her with the warding spells
tonight.”

“I’m sure you can reschedule. Unless… Do you think your
parents don’t want you to go out with me?”

Shit, she hadn’t thought of that. Maybe they wouldn’t trust
her with Cat out among the
eteri
. Hell, she was
eteri
. Of course,
they wouldn’t—

But Cat was shaking her head. “Stop that. Mom and the dads
love you. You know that. I just thought you’d want to go back to Dane and Ryan
tonight.”

“Yeah, well, maybe a little distance will help me think
better.”

“Think about what?”

About what the hell I’m doing.
“Haven’t you ever
heard the saying distance makes the heart grow fonder? Well, it also lets the
head think clearer. And by the time I’m finished corralling three little boys
for school lessons they probably don’t want, I think I’m going to need a break
from males.”

Cat’s smile was infectious. “Then we should go to The Cellar
for dinner. They make the best gelati and they make their own pasta. Then we
could go to the mall. Or even just dinner is—”

“After dinner, we’ll hit the mall. If we had more time, I’d
say we’d head to King of Prussia but we need at least a full day to do that.
The Berkshire Mall has Hot Topic and Aeropostale and Hollister. I think we can
start there.”

And definitely hit Victoria’s Secret as well.

Cat squealed and grabbed Evie for a hug. “Thank you, thank
you, thank you! This will be great.”

* * * * *

“So it’s just you and me until later tonight.” Ryan dropped
into the chair next to Dane’s desk. “Cat and Evie are having a girls’ night
out.”

Immersed in the data from Alex’s latest blood test, Dane
didn’t respond right away. It took a second for Ryan’s words to sink in. When
they did, all thoughts of levels and markers evaporated and he turned to Ryan
with a frown.

“She’s going out with Cat? I thought she agreed to come back
here after she was finished with the boys.”

Ryan shrugged, not appearing too upset about the change in
plans. “She says she’s still coming over, just not until later.”

A heavy weight settled on Dane’s chest. “Do you think we
pushed her too hard?”

Sighing, Ryan leaned back in the chair as far as he could
without tipping, his gaze somber. “Honestly, I don’t know. She seemed okay when
I dropped her at her house. And she didn’t sound upset when I talked to her
just now on the phone. She just got to the community building and is waiting
for the kids. Are you going to take Alex over?”

He’d considered not taking the boy himself since he’d wanted
to study the amazing changes in Alex’s condition but now, he wasn’t sure. He
wanted to see Evie’s face when she told him why she was going out with Cat
instead of coming home with him and Ryan. “Yeah, I’m taking Alex.”

“Then you better get a move on. You don’t want him to be
late for his first class.”

They walked to the holding facility, neither having much to
say.

Alex was waiting in the front room, fairly vibrating with
excitement.

“Hey, Dr. Dane. Is it time to go?”

Dane didn’t have to force his smile but he did try to hide
the amazement at the boy’s complete turnaround. His face glowed with health and
his eyes shone. He had no doubt the boy could handle a few hours with Evie.

Un-fucking-believable.

“Hey, Alex. In a few minutes. How are you feeling?”

“I feel great.” His smile practically split his face in
half. “Can we go?”

“Yeah, you can. But I’m going to have my friend Ryan take
you, if that’s okay. I need to talk to your mom.”

As Ryan knelt down to introduce himself to the boy, Dane
headed through the door at the back of the room.

Alex’s care had to come first and he needed to speak to
Grace about the next phase of treatment.

Nodding to the guard on duty, he knocked on the door and
waited for Grace to acknowledge him.

As he opened the door, she remained with her back to him,
staring out the window. Probably to hide the fact she was crying, which he
could tell because he could see her wipe her face in the window’s reflection.

“Hello, Grace. How are—”

“Alex is responding well to the treatment. I must thank you
for that. But I have to repeat my objection to allowing him to go alone to this
so-called classroom.”

Okay.

Closing the door behind him, Dane leaned back against the
solid oak. Only the strongest battering ram or explosive could bring it down.
Not even a spell would work because the entire building had been warded against
the use of magic.

Not that Grace Bell had much magic. Her power registered so
low as to be practically nonexistent. But she was one hell of a scientist.

“You don’t need to thank me for treating Alex, Grace. I’m a
doctor. And as I’ve told you before, we don’t harm children. He’ll be perfectly
safe for the two hours he’ll be in class with the other children.”

With a sniff, Grace finally turned and Dane was struck by
the woman’s features, as he was every time he saw her. She really was a
beautiful woman. She faintly reminded him of an actress he’d seen in an old
black-and-white film. What the hell was her name?

Oh yeah, Katherine Hepburn. Grace Bell had that same haughty
expression, the same straight nose and her dark auburn hair gave the impression
of suppressed heat though she carried herself as if her backbone had been fused
straight.

Only around Alex did she show any softness. Most of the
lucani
who met her thought she was arrogant.

Dane had spent enough time with her to realize it wasn’t
arrogance. It was fear.

She covered it well but from the moment she’d been brought
here, she’d been terrified. But not for herself.

“Will there be guards at all times?”

“Of course. We won’t allow anyone to harm Alex. But maybe
it’s time you told me what exactly you’re so afraid of.”

She huffed, as if disgusted that he thought she’d be afraid
of anything. But she bit her lip, a nervous gesture he’d noticed her making
more often than ever.

“I’m worried about Alex. I don’t like the fact that you’re
taking him out of the building without me.”

So her fear had something to do with Alex’s safety.

Grace and Dane had tap-danced down this road before. Several
times. But now that Alex and Evie would be in close proximity, Dane had had
enough of her prevarication. He wanted answers.

And today was the day she gave them to him.

Pulling out a chair from the small table in the center of
the room, he sat and watched her eye his every move with suspicion. The woman
really didn’t have a trusting bone in her body.

Not surprising considering she’d lived with and worked for
the
Mal
most of her life.

“You weren’t born
Mal
, were you?”

Grace’s gaze narrowed as she stared at him. “You know I
wasn’t. We’ve discussed this before.”

“But you’ve never told me who Alex’s father is.”

She bit her lip again. “Because he’s never been a factor in
Alex’s life.”

Which he knew to be true but he also knew there was
something she wasn’t telling them. “Then why are you so terrified of him that
you won’t even tell me his name? You treat him as if he’s the boogeyman.”

“Because he is.”

Dane could barely control his response to her heated statement.
His eyebrows lifted and she turned away with a huff, as if pissed off at
herself for letting anything slip.

Now they were getting somewhere. She wasn’t just afraid. She
really was terrified. Of Alex’s father.

“Grace, if there’s something we need to know about Alex’s
father, something that may put him in danger, you need to tell me now. Before
something happens.”

“If Alex’s father wanted him back, there would be nothing
anyone could do to stop him.”

“Are you saying there’s a possibility his father may try to
take him?”

“I’m telling you, you don’t have any idea what you’d be up
against if he did.”

“Then why don’t you explain it to me. Grace, we don’t have
to be the enemy. Don’t you want to get out of this room?”

She shook her head, but he could see she’d stopped to think
about what he’d said. For the first time, she actually appeared to consider
talking to him.

Then her lips pursed and her gaze slid away to the window.

“I know I’ll never leave this building. Your king will never
allow it. I only hope to remain breathing until Alex is a teenager.”

Dane blinked as he sat, speechless, for several seconds.

Then he shook his head. “You’re kidding, right? You honestly
think Cole’s going to have you killed?”

She swallowed, the sound audible in the quiet room. “Why wouldn’t
he? I worked for the
Mal
for the past fifteen years. I kidnapped
Evangeline Simmons and kept her confined so I could siphon her blood. I can’t
believe I’d be allowed to live. I can only hope that when the end comes, it’s
painless and fast.”

“
Vaffanculo
. We’re not animals, Grace. And we’re not
Mal
.”

“At least with the
Mal
, I knew where I stood.”

Frustration gave her voice an edge he rarely heard from her.
The only time he’d seen Grace Bell lose her cool was when she’d thought Alex
was being taken away from her. He’d thought they’d made it clear they didn’t
plan to separate her from her son.