Only After Dark The Boxed Set Books 1 - 4: Shifters Forever Worlds (2 page)

“
C
ousin
.” Lézare opened his arms, greeting his cousin Vax, also a white tiger shifter like himself. They hugged, shoulder to shoulder. “Your mate grows more beautiful every time I see her.” Lézare pulled Callie in for a hug.

“Oh, you’re such a flirt,” Callie laughed him off, though her cheeks were kissed with a blush.

“When will you give us that baby to spoil?” He held her hand and stepped back, admiring the fullness of the baby within.

“Hopefully not while I’m here… but just in case…” She looked at Doc Evans.

One hand holding his mate Mae’s hand, Doc raised the other hand to his brow in a playful salute. “Traveling obstetrician, at your service.”

Mae laughed, a flash of indigo gleamed in the depths of her eyes, and a sudden gust of wind blew on the sunny day.

Doc gave her a sideways glance. “Control yourself.”

“It’s not me. It’s her,” Mae said.

Lézare knew she was referring to her elemental. He’d heard she had an elemental inside her that controlled the weather. Vax had told him when he’d phoned.

“You must tell me more of this.” He hugged Mae and shook Doc’s hand. “Vax mentioned the elemental the last time we spoke…” Lézare stopped talking when he noticed a shadow cross Mae’s face.

Everyone was suddenly silent, as if he’d brought up a subject that was not to be discussed.

Lézare’s gaze traveled from one to the other, looking at all the newcomers.

Mae gave a terse little laugh. “Sorry. I overreact sometimes.”

Lézare didn’t buy her response. He was grateful she was willing to overlook his faux pas, though he had no idea what he’d said that was wrong. He’d make it a point to ask Vax later.

Alexa, Veila, and Lila were clustered around Callie, whispering about her pregnancy. Callie grabbed Mae’s hand and brought her into their tight circle.

“Where’s Evie?” Vax asked. “And Valencia?”

Lézare looked at Mark. “Evie’s sulking.”

“Mason?” Vax glanced at Mark as well.

Lézare nodded. “Is Mason not coming? Not that I don’t want him to. The more the merrier is my thought, but she’s got…” He wanted to say
issues
, but looked for another word. “She’s got concerns.”

Mark joined them. “Mason does as well.”

“And what about Valencia? Will we get to see our elusive cousin?” Vax inquired.

“She’s on the way, driving back from Georgia. Hates flying. Refuses to get into a plane. She said cats weren’t meant to be airborne, even if they are shifters.” Lézare laughed.

“How’s Callie?” Doc asked Vax as he approached the circle of men. “She looks well.”

Vax smiled. “She’s great. Baby’s great. Everything’s great.”

“It doesn’t look like the trip to Europe did her a disservice,” Doc commented.

Lézare gauged the look of happiness on his cousin’s face. “And things between you and your brother?”

Vax and his brother Rafe had been more like rivals and enemies than friends for years, Lézare knew their issues began because of their father Giovanni Tiero, but he’d hoped they’d become close, one day.

“Just got back from Rome not long ago.” Vax paused, rubbed his jaw, his eye on Callie.

Lézare waited, hoping for good news.

“Things are better. While Callie was visiting with Jax, he and I had some time to reflect on a lot.”

“And…” Lézare prompted him.

“It’s been resolved.”

“So things are good, does that sum it up?”

“It does.”

Vax laughed, then lowered his voice when Callie looked in their direction. “Callie’s happy. It’s weighed on her that Rafe and I had issues. Comes from not having a family.”

Movement caught Lézare’s eye. He glanced at one of the windows and saw the blinds move. Evie’s room. “Sometimes it would be easier not to have a family, wouldn’ it?”

Vax followed Lézare’s gaze. “Evie?” His voice was so low that Lézare almost didn’t hear him, even with his shifter hearing.

“Yes,” he whispered back, his voice equally low.

“So, how many are invited?” Callie approached Lézare.

“Invited? Or responded? Or how many do I actually expect?” Lézare grinned.

“All of the above?”

“I invited two hundred, knowing full well that at least fifty couldn’ make it but they’d be insulted if they didn’ get invited. I received sixty-five RSVPs. A few dozen declined, and I’m expecting that another two or three dozen will show up because that’s what always happens. It’s been happening for as long as I can remember.”

“How long have you had the ball?” Veila stepped into the circle, joined by the other women.

Alexa stepped forward. “The Masquerade Ball is the highlight of Escape Weekend. It’s the last event, not counting the brunch that we serve the morning after the Ball. Escape Weekend began when our great-great…” She turned to Lézare. “How many greats? Three or four?”

Lézare held up two fingers.

“Yes, that’s right. Our great-great-grandfather Étienne started it after he’d taken the last descendant of the Arceneaux—his arch enemies—as a bride.”

“That’s incredible.” Callie’s eyes had gone wide.

“You should ask Lézare to tell you the story sometime. Étienne’s son, our grandfather, told it to him before he… before he was killed. Lézare has remembered it word for word.”

Lézare laughed. “I cheated. I transcribed it, but I’m glad to share.” He never tired of Étienne’s story, a story of retribution, adversaries, and ultimately, love. “Sometime. Right now, let’s get everyone set up in their cabins.”

“Yes!” Alexa jumped with glee. “The cabins from more than a century ago have been preserved. They were the cabins of our people. Half our people lived in the main house, half in the cabins.”

“Isn’t that a sad reminder for you?” Callie’s eyes clouded with sympathy.

Alexa sighed. “It was difficult when I was younger. If we tear them down, then we’ll have nothing to remind us of the strength of our people. Of Étienne, of his family before him.”

Lézare nodded. “So they stay. And we use them once a year, during Escape Weekend. That’s it.”

“I love the history.” Veila took Mark’s hand. “Will we get to stay in one?”

“It’s up to you, main house or a cabin. You’re family and family gets first choice.”

“Cabin!” Callie exclaimed.

“Wait.” Vax took her hand. “What if you need help? You’d be a good distance from the house.”

Mae looked at Doc, a worried look on her face, then back at Callie. “Couldn’t we stay nearby, at the nearest one? Just in case.” An indigo flash coursed through her eyes.

Before Doc could respond, a distant thunder rumbled, and a set of clouds formed a few miles away. Mae’s elemental was projecting Mae’s emotions again.

“Of course,” Doc answered with a slight head shake at his mate’s weather control. “We’ll be in the nearest cabin. They’re not far apart, are they?”

“A few feet away. You’ll feel crowded out there,” Lézare responded. He’d never enjoyed staying in the cabins. He’d tried once, when he was young. His grandfather had taken him down the week before Escape Weekend. That was Lézare’s first and only time.

“So, what exactly do we do during Escape Weekend? And who did the planning and all the work?”

“There’s a company we’ve used for more than a hundred years. The owners aren’t uncomfortable with shifters. They provide the wait staff, the food, housekeeping, even the entertainment, if we want it.”

“Are they shifters? Is that why they’re not uncomfortable with us?”

“No.” Lézare closed his mouth. He wasn’t sure if he should even discuss the other supernatural beings that existed.

“Lézare. You can’t stop at that. Tell them.” Alexa prodded him with her elbow.

Lézare frowned at his sister. He would share only as much as he needed to. There was no reason to discuss their age-old enemies, the vampires. “The owners practice sorcery, might even have an elemental or two amongst them. They cast spells on the humans who work at the event. The humans don’t remember what’s happened after the week is up.”

“Interesting idea,” Gavin said. “That’s a good way to keep secrets.”

Alexa gave Lézare a sideways glance. She knew he was holding back. There was no reason to discuss their on and off problems with others, not during the festivities of Escape Weekend.

“Let’s get you to your cabins. Festivities begin this evening with a cocktail party.”

A
lmost time
for the cocktail party.

Lézare straightened his tie, adjusted his jacket. A knock sounded at the door.

“Enter.” He ran his fingers through his hair. He’d kept it short to keep the unruly curls under control, but this was uber-short, even for him.

The door opened, revealing Alexa and Evie, both of them gorgeous in their evening attire: cocktail dresses that rivaled those of royalty, he was certain. Alexa was in black, showcasing the auburn hair she came by naturally. She was the spitting image of the portrait of their great-great-grandmother Celine, the mate of Étienne.

Evie was wearing a shade of green that lent a deeper green to her hazel eyes, eyes that glowed amber when her tigress’s ire had been aroused.

Both were in a joyous mood. Their scent and their pulses gave away the adrenaline that was coursing through their bodies, as it did Lézare’s.

Escape Weekend had always been exciting for the Arceneaux siblings. They’d never even considered letting the tradition go, though long ago a family member had said it was dangerous to assemble so many shifters in one location at the same time. That had been proven out over time. Lézare pushed the thoughts away. This wasn’t the time to dwell on shifter skirmishes with vampires in his area.

And certainly there’d been incidents, but Lézare had plenty of security, overtly and undercover. Threats would be dealt with immediately and severely.

“Ready?” He put his arms out, and each sister grabbed a side. He escorted them down the wide hallway that led to an even wider curving staircase that led to the ballroom, where the cocktail party had already started, though it was unlikely it had gotten into full swing yet.

“Ready.” Evie beamed, clearly thrilled that Mason wasn’t here, though she couldn’t hide the hint of sadness that remained because he’d proven he was strong enough to stay away from her. She’d met him when she went to Florida State to attend college. They’d been a couple for three years. Lézare wasn’t sure exactly what had split them up, but the moment she’d finished her last final, she’d left town and immediately returned to New Orleans, without another word about Mason.

“And you?” he asked Alexa. “Are you ready?”

She beamed at him. “I was born ready.”

That was what worried him about this sister of his. She’d accept any challenge, jump into any situation. Hopefully she’d never jump into one that would leave her wishing she hadn’t.

He took the steps slowly as the ladies were in heels that left him wondering how in the world they managed not to fall.

At the base of the stairs they were greeted by a waiter with a tray of champagne flutes. The rest of the family was in the room already, along with three dozen shifters that Lézare had done business with over the years. Many of them lived in the US. A few were from Europe, a handful from the Middle East, and some from Africa.

No one had a mask on yet as the only event that required masks was the masquerade ball. To prevent any issues, like the ones in 1891 and 1897, all mated and bonded shifters had to wear a wristband made of black satin with a gold stripe running lengthwise down the center.

Lézare released himself from his sisters’ grasps and appraised the room.

Damn. Damn. Damn.

No sooner had the thought struck him than Evie whirled on him, her face aflame, her hazel eyes glowing golden fury.

“He’s here,” she hissed.

“I see,” Lézare responded around the smile he’d plastered on his face.

“I thought you said—”

“I never said anything. I don’t know anything. I invited him because I had to. He’s family now.”

“This is unbelievable.” Evie’s voice was controlled, but Lézare knew her too well. There were tears behind the anger. “My own brother and sister side with anyone but me.”

Lézare looked at Alexa, pleading with his eyes for her to help him with their sister.

Alexa gave him a subtle shrug.

“Let me…” What could he say?
Let me take care of it? Let me kick the Martinez brother out?
He was screwed, either way.

“Monsieur Arceneaux.” One of the temporary staff approached him. “You have a phone call.”

“This isn’ a good time. Tell them to call back.”

“I did mention that the timing was not good. I was told it was urgent.”

“I’ll take it in the den.” He exhaled the words on an exasperated breath. This had better not be a last minute RSVP. He handed the staff member his flute and told his sisters he’d be back shortly.

As he departed, Alexa and Evie were hissing at one another about Mason’s surprise appearance.

L
ézare picked
up the extension in the study, still able to hear the buzzing of the crowd at the cocktail party.

“This better be good,” he muttered to himself. “Lézare Arceneaux,” he answered.

“Arceneaux. Natalya’s missing. I thought she might have gone to After Dark, but they said she wasn’t there. I heard that Vax was coming to your place.” That voice, one Lézare hadn’t heard in months, prompted a drum tempo of fear in his body.

His gut tightened. A million of the fire ants that seemed to be overrunning the South chewed on his stomach lining. Was Natalya okay? Had she been hurt? His brief encounter with her had left an indelible mark on him. He couldn’t seem to get her off his mind.

She’s fine
, he tried to convince himself. Of course she was fine. She had to be.

If she’s fine, then why is her father calling me?

He’s overreacting. He has to be.

“Yes, Vax is here. Are you sure she’s missing? That she hasn’ gone on a shopping spree, or isn’ chasing a new boyfriend around town?”

Just saying those words, the very thought of her involved with someone else, tore through him with the intensity of a welding tool ripping through metal.

“I’m certain. She’s changed, Arceneaux. She hasn’t been the same since she returned from… your place. She’s been concentrating on her studies. No parties. Nothing. She’s a different woman.” The sound of a ragged breath being drawn came across the connection. “I want my daughter back. What if she’s been kidnapped? What if she’s been taken by the same ones who put on the underground fighting? Would your group be available to help find her?”

Lézare couldn’t see anyone being able to force Natalya to do something she didn’t want to do. He thought of the last time he’d seen her; it had taken several of his men to subdue her. He had no doubt she could take care of herself.

Then why am I so damned worried? Why does my pulse feel like it’s about to go over the cliff?

“We’re really not in the shifter locator business.” He had no business looking for her. He had no business wanting that woman. She was trouble. High-spirited, dramatic, and…

Damn her.

She was far too sexy, far too desirable. He couldn’t deny the attraction.

“You helped me find her before.”

“I was helping my cousin Vax that day. He felt responsible for her, and wanted to be sure she was returned to you unscathed.”

“Arceneaux, I’ll compensate you handsomely.”

“No promises.”

“Wait. My phone says I have a text.” There was a pause. “It’s from Natalya. It says she’s going out of town for the weekend.”

“Oh, then great, we know she’s fine.”

“No. I don’t trust it. It doesn’t sound like her. Listen, I’m telling you, she’s not the same woman. I need you to help me. To help her.”

Did he really want to get involved with looking for
her
? How the hell was he supposed to get
her
off his mind if he spent his time looking for
her
?

“Tell me the last time you saw her and where that was.”

“Thank you.” Her father’s voice was a tired old man’s voice. So different than the last time Lézare had talked to him.