Only After Dark The Boxed Set Books 1 - 4: Shifters Forever Worlds (30 page)

W
ithin moments
, the hostess returned. “Follow me.” She led the way down an empty hallway with blue walls. “Stay where the rooms and halls are blue. Other areas are forbidden without a Quake hostess.”

She then turned left and held her hand out with a flourish, indicating they should enter. The room was small, had four tables, each table with four chairs, except one that had three. This was the table the hostess led them to.

Evie chanced surveillance as the hostess led them toward their spots, since she hadn’t been to the place in a long time.

It was still sleek, sexy, and dark, with lighting that was diffused and subtle. The walls’ colors matched the type of paranormal, but in a subtle nonobtrusive way. They were devoid of artwork that could have been deemed controversial, dotted rather with occasional abstract oil paintings.

Stopping at their table, the hostess held out the chair for Evie, then Kait, and finally Cassidy. “Enjoy your visit at Quake.” She produced three black-covered oversized menus from a holder attached to the wall.

“Wow.” Cassidy looked around, then opened her menu. “So basically, right now, there are witches, elementals, shifters, and vampires in this building? Talk about a place to start a brawl.” Her voice was low and awed.

“Bite your tongue,” Evie hissed under her breath.

“For fuck’s sake, Cass,” Kait murmured. “Don’t say shit like that.”

“It’s true. This would be the perfect place to start a supernatural world war.”

Evie gave Kait a look. “One of these days, I may kill her.”

“Only if you beat me to it.”

Cass winced and Evie realized Kait had kicked her under the table.

“I’m not planning. Jeez. I’m just saying.”

“Don’t.” Evie’s tone was final.

The hostess entered the room followed by four shifters, all guests of Escape Weekend who’d been on the bus. They nodded at Evie, greeting her with a quick smile then followed the somber black-clad woman to their table.

Two different hostesses followed, accompanied by shifters. She turned her attention back to Kait who was quietly chastising her younger sister.

“Evie? Evangeline Arceneaux?”

She glanced up at the sound of her name spoken by a male voice that sounded oddly familiar.

She studied the man. “Todd?” She cocked her head, not completely sure because this was a very different Todd than the one she knew years ago. “Todd Scanlon?”

He was buff, clearly spending a lot of time in the gym. The brown bear shifter had gained a lot of muscle since the last time she’d seen him.

The memories of that day. The sheer agony of seeing the evidence of Mason cheating on her was too much. She felt faint and her face grew cold. Her body began to follow suit, the chill spreading throughout.

She glanced at Kait and Cassidy who were looking at her strangely. Or were they? Maybe she was seeing things, maybe she was losing it because all she could visualize was the sight of Mason as she left him in the snow in Colorado.

“Yes! Imagine seeing you here.” He put his hand out.

She rose, then took his hand, thinking they’d shake, when he pulled her into an embrace that was tighter and stronger than she wanted.

“It’s good to see you,” he whispered in her ear.

“Thank you. You, too.”
Not really, considering the last time you saw me, you showed me something that broke my heart.

She should be appreciative, really. If he hadn’t, then she’d never have known the cheating bastard that Mason was.

But still…

Something about Todd Scanlon creeped her out. Again.

She forced a smile to her face. “It’s good to see you, Todd.” She pulled away.

Todd gave her an odd look, one she couldn’t read, then stepped back. “Yes, I’ll be lunching over there.” He indicated the table where the hostess waited for him to join the rest of his party. “Perhaps coffee later?”

“I’m afraid I’m on a tight schedule today. I have to get back to Arceneaux Point for the ball.”

“Ah, yes. The famous—or is it infamous—Arceneaux Escape Weekend. When will I get an invitation to an Escape Weekend?”

When hell freezes over. Like I want to see a constant reminder of that picture.
“I’ll talk to Lézare so he can look into it for next year.”

Todd nodded. His thin-lipped, cruelly handsome face held a smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes. “Time to go.” He glanced at Kait and Cassidy. “Good to see all of you.”

No sooner had he walked off than Cassidy released a breath as if she’d been holding it. “He’s intense.”

“I don’t think he recognized or remembered me,” Kait noted.

“Because he was full-on focused on Evie,” Cassidy said, glancing at Todd’s table. “In a creepy way.” She shuddered. “How do you know him?”

“He used to room with my ex-boyfriend, back in college.”

“You mean Mason?” Cassidy asked Kait, then quickly slapped her hand over her mouth as soon as Evie’s head snapped in Kait’s direction.

Kaitlyn looked down, hiding a sheepish expression, but not before Evie caught it, and narrowed her eyes.

“I was just catching Cass up.”

“No problem.” It shouldn’t have been a problem. Really it shouldn’t, but the wound was raw all over again.

Seeing Mason.

Seeing Todd.

Not-so-gentle reminders of betrayal and what she’d lost.

Suddenly the idea of getting lost sounded better and better. The bathroom stall could provide a haven, at least during lunch.

“I’m going to play hostess for a bit. Order me whatever you’re having,” she told Kait.

“Wait, Evie.” Kait laid her hand on Evie’s arm. “I’m sorry. I didn’t—I wasn’t trying to hurt you.” Her eyes were filled with genuine pain.

“I know.” She patted her friend’s hand. Kait’s kindness made tears threaten to flood Evie’s eyes. “I’ll be back after a while.”

Kait nodded. “Want me to go with you?”

Kait clearly remembered Evie’s penchant for running and hiding, especially in bathrooms, when there was nowhere else to go.

“You’ll be back in time to eat? To get on the bus?”

Evie gave a sideways nod, not really saying yes, though she knew that was what she should do. She should eat her lunch. She should get on the bus. She should pretend none of this mattered.

Yeah, that’s really easy when the only thing that keeps running through my mind is the image of another woman’s mouth on my man’s cock.

M
ason walked
through the blue halls of Quake. He wanted to see Evie. That was his sole mission. He waited patiently for all the pomp and ceremony of Quake. He got the rules from the hostess. He acknowledged that he understood.

Stay in the blue section. Shifters only.

Of course, Evie wouldn’t be anywhere else.

But he’d break every and all rules if he needed to. He had to see her. Wanted to peek in on her and make sure she was all right because his lion was going nuts, roaring and kicking up a fuss in Mason’s mind that something was awry. That something was very, very wrong.

The hostess led them to their table. He was seated with a group of shifters he’d just met.

His lion growled for Mason to find her.

Mason smiled at the other guests. He’d slip out now.

I’m going. I’m going,
Mason assured his lion when the creature roared impatiently.

“Excuse me.” He pushed his chair out and slipped into the hallway. Glancing in both directions, he headed right.

He pushed the curtain aside on one room, though he felt certain he wouldn’t find her there. No scent.

And another room.

Finally, he found her scent. She was in that room, across. He approached slowly, cautiously.

Her scent grew stronger. Taking the curtain’s fabric between his fingertips he pushed it aside slightly and glanced around the room.

No Evie.

Several tables. Several shifters in different stages of eating, but no Evie.

Fuck.

Then he saw Kaitlyn Byrne. She was sitting with another female. He recognized her. Kaitlyn’s little sister—he couldn’t remember her name. Mason frowned. And there was an empty seat at the table.

Maybe that’s where Evie was sitting. Maybe Evie took a quick trip to the restroom.

It’s fine,
he assured his lion.
See? No reason to be concerned. She’ll be back in a few moments.

He studied the table.

The lion roared.

Kaitlyn’s plate was empty so was her sister’s.

But the plate in front of the empty seat was untouched.

The hairs on the back of his neck rose. A ripple of worry traversed the length of his spine.

Something’s not right here.

His lion growled.

I’m agreeing with you, dammit.

His lion snarled in response.

Mason sucked in a lungful of air.

Here goes nothing.

He was sure Kait would hate him. Wasn’t that how it went? Didn’t people usually hate their best friend’s ex?

He strode to Kait’s table, as if he had every right, every reason to be there. As if he and Evie weren’t exes and she didn’t hate his guts or anything like that.

He noticed Kait had a smile on her face.

—until her gaze closed in on Mason’s face. Smile gone. Scowl in place. Her lips lost their curve and flattened into a thin line.

“Mason Martinez,” she said.

Her sister, who’d had a neutral expression on her face gasped.

Shit. Great. So clearly her sister’s heard my name.

“Hi, Kaitlyn.” He rested his palms on the chair in front of him, the one at the place with the uneaten food. “Where’s Evie?”

“Why do you care?”

Not going to do this.
“Just wondering.”

He indicated the plate with a nod, not removing his hands from the chair’s back because he had a white-knuckled grip he wasn’t willing to relinquish. Right now it was the only outlet for his barely contained anger at her hostility.

He’d done nothing to Evie to deserve this kind of bullshit treatment from her and her friends.

Maybe it was time he had it out with her. Maybe instead of just making sure she was okay, he’d do exactly what his lion wanted him to do, which was exactly what he wanted to do: corner her ass and make her tell him what the fuck went so goddamned wrong with their relationship.

Yeah, it’s safe to say I’ve moved from sad to mighty motherfucking pissed off.

Kait’s face was a well-guarded fortress, not yielding a thing. “She’s not here.”

Clearly.

He clenched his jaw to keep from lifting the chair and smashing it into the wall. Or worse.

“No problem. Thanks for your non-help.” He’d fucking find her. He’d scent her.

He spun around and left the room, he and his lion seeing everything through the haze of anger. Room to room he went, no sign, until he’d reached the restroom. Her scent was strong, coming from the ladies’ room. She was here. Or had been her for a while. Every time a woman walked in and then out, he caught her scent. His nostrils flaring and his lion chuffing.

He’d ask the next woman going in to check for her.

Then he saw her. Kaitlyn’s little sister was approaching the restroom door. Except she wasn’t looking at the door. Her stare was fixed on Mason.

“I was looking for you.”

His eyes became slits. Suspicious, he asked, “Why? Is she not back at the table?”

“No. And something seems off. She’s been gone a long time and that guy she knew, he left and never came back.” She shrugged. “Could be nothing, but…” Another shrug.

“What guy?”

“Todd. Todd something or another.”

Mason drew back. He studied her face for signs of duplicity and found none. Her scent didn’t reveal any deception either.

It’s not like I know many guys named Todd. Just one. Does she know more than one? And…

If it was his ex-roommate, why? Why was he here? Last Mason had heard; Todd was on the East Coast.

This was pulling him away from his goal. He needed to know if she was in the restroom. “Can you make sure she’s not in there?” He pointed to the restroom with his thumb.

“Sure.”

Seconds later—though it seemed an eternity—she returned. “She’s not. But she was. I can scent her. And her scent says distress.”

“What? Wait here. Make sure no one comes in.” He shoved the swinging door open.

“I have to get back,” she said, her voice fading as she moved away.

Well, hell.

If a woman walked in, he’d just apologize.

He entered the bathroom. All the stall doors were open.

Obviously empty.

He narrowed her scent down to the far stall. She’d evidently spent some time in there—hiding. He knew her tendencies. She dealt by running and hiding. That was Evie’s way. Cornered, she’d fight, sure, he knew that. God knows she’d shoved him off the ledge that day in Colorado. She would fight, but she preferred not to deal.

He used to tease her about that. A melancholy smile curved his lips. He caught the sadness of his own expression in the mirror. He also caught that he looked like hell—haggard and sleep-deprived.

No surprised there, he missed his mate. It hit him hard as hell when he saw her. He’d thought he was over her—

No, I didn’t. I just fucking ignored the emotions.

He inhaled deeply, sucking in her scent, analyzing it. She was here. Her scent reeked of sadness. But Kait’s sister was right. There was another scent.

Panic.

And…

Yet another scent. Male.

For a brief second Mason accessed his memories of the time Todd Scanlon had been his roommate. This was Todd’s scent. He was fairly certain.

What the hell happened here?

He stepped out of the bathroom. Kaitlyn’s sister was gone. He looked down the hallway.

Empty.

A low whistling sound grabbed his attention.

The sensation of a pinch was followed by a flash of searing pain in his thigh.

Mason glanced down, his eyes taking in the dart that was embedded in his thigh just as everything lost clarity and his field of vision narrowed to a tunnel that quickly degraded to a pinpoint of light traveling toward darkness at a rapid speed.

Then everything went black.