Vampire Trouble (29 page)

“Maya, this is King Heinrich and his son Killian,” Olivia said evenly. She kept her intense green-eyed gaze on Maya and gestured for everyone to sit. “Shane was kind enough to fill us in on what happened in New Orleans, and we know you came here with the intention of giving the necklace to Horace but—”

“Wait.” Maya rose to her feet and fought to keep her voice from shaking. “Before you say anything, I would like apologize.”

“Maya—” Doug began.

“No.” Maya held up her hand, removed her gloves, and shot a glance at Shane before continuing. “I owe everyone in this room an apology. My actions were stupid, reckless, and childish, and those actions have brought us to this point.” She unzipped the top portion of her catsuit to expose the necklace and reached around to unclasp it. The cool metal and stone fell into the palm of her hand, and she cradled it against her chest. Killian and Heinrich were fixated. “I have no interest in being a werewolf hunter like my Vanator ancestors, and I have no desire to cause any more trouble for my family or the vampire community.”

“Maya,” Olivia said insistently. “Hold on a second. King Heinrich would like to say something.” She gestured to the king. “The floor is yours, Your Majesty.”

“Thank you.” Heinrich tilted his head in gratitude before turning his serious expression to Maya. He folded his hands on the table and looked her up and down before he spoke, which made her feel like a bug under a microscope. “My son is the one who should be apologizing. Horace may be my son, but I am not blind to his
shortcomings
.” Sadness rimmed his eyes. “Horace has been troubled since he was a child. My wife would say it is simply his nature. I, however, am of the belief that we have a choice in how we behave. I believe that Sentry Quesada acted the way he did to protect you. It would not be the first time that my son behaved badly with a beautiful woman. In addition, I do not hold you responsible for what you did to that young werewolf, any more than you would hold me responsible for the wolves that attacked your ancestors. You were defending yourself and so were they,” he said solemnly.

Maya tried not to look at Shane, who was standing at the head of the table behind Olivia and Doug, but it was impossible. The man was magnetic. Tall. Powerful. Domineering. His penetrating gaze didn't move from Maya's face while King Heinrich spoke.

Choices? Choices were all well and good, except for love. If only she could choose not to love Shane.

“My grandfather told me stories of the Vanator gypsies and the power that they wielded. The Vanators hunted down and destroyed hundreds of our people over the centuries with that necklace, so you can imagine what someone like Horace could do with it.”

“My brother thinks he can use it to overthrow my father,” Killian interrupted. “You must hand it over.”

“Who died and made you king?” Sadie asked incredulously. She remained seated to Maya's right but kept her big, brown eyes on Killian. “Last time I checked, you're not in charge,” she said, jutting her thumb toward the king. “He is.”

“Enough,” Olivia said wearily as she shot Sadie a look. “Apologies, we're all a bit on edge.”

“No problem,” Killian said with a wink. “I like a woman with some moxie.”

“Oh please.” Sadie rolled her eyes.

“Maya,” Olivia said gently. “The necklace is your family heirloom, and I have explained to King Heinrich that I will not force you to hand it over. However, given the circumstances, I'm sure you can agree that it would be best to give it to the wolves.”

“Yes,” Maya whispered. She looked down at the necklace in her palm and ran one finger over the smooth, brilliant green emerald. “It vibrates when wolves are close by, and when it's not lying against my skin…well…see for yourself.”

Maya held it by the chain and allowed the stone to dangle in the air. When it began to glow, everyone let out a gasp. Killian and Heinrich's eyes flickered to orange and they growled. “It's just letting me know that there are wolves in the vicinity. I don't think it can hurt you like this,” Maya said quickly. “I think I have to be wearing it, and when I took that boy's wolf away, I had both hands on his chest.”

“Yes,” King Heinrich murmured. His eyes flickered back to their human state. “According to the legend, the Vanator gypsy women who wielded the dark magic were always wearing that necklace.”

“My brother saw a picture of all of you online. The advertisement for the club, that one with all four of you.” Killian pointed to the necklace. “Maya, you were wearing it in the photo. That's why he came to New York.”

You could have cut the tension in the room with a knife while everyone watched and waited to see what Maya would do. Rubbing the stone between her fingers, she looked at each of them but lingered on Shane.
We
all
have
choices
, she whispered into his mind.
Don't we, Shane?

“Here.” Maya leaned across the table and placed the necklace at the center. “It's yours.” She flicked a glance to Shane who had moved closer to Killian but kept his intense gaze on Maya. “Like you said, King Heinrich, we all have choices, and this is mine.”

“Thank you,” Heinrich said in a voice edged with relief. “You are exactly the way Sentry Quesada described you.” Maya flicked her confused eyes to Shane but the king continued speaking. “I have already informed the czars that Killian and I will meet Horace tonight at the bridge, instead of you, and we will escort him and his friends out of the city.”

“Thank you,” Olivia said as she and Doug rose to their feet. She shook hands across the table with both werewolves and gave them a charming smile. “Our two sentries, Shane and Pete, will be in the area and can provide additional assistance if necessary.”

“That's generous of you,” Killian said with a wide grin. “But I'm sure we can handle this family matter on our own.”

“I insist,” Olivia said through a tight smile.

The tension level in the room ratcheted up a few notches while the leaders of both races smiling politely at one another. King Heinrich finally broke the silence.

“Very well.” He looked at his son and held up one hand to prevent him from interrupting. “We would be grateful for their assistance. You have been gracious hosts, and we wouldn't want to seem ungrateful. Would we, Killian?”

“Aw, man,” Trixie whined and cracked her knuckles. “I was looking for a chance to practice the fighting skills that Pete taught us.”

“Another time,” Sadie said with a glance at Killian. “Something tells me we'll have other opportunities.”

“What are you going to do with the necklace?” Shane asked the king while he continued looking at Maya.

“Destroy it,” the king whispered.

He removed a black velvet bag from his pocket, reached across the table, and used it to pick up the necklace. Maya took an involuntary step back. Her movement didn't go unnoticed by anyone, especially Shane, who seemed more agitated than usual. Without a word, Heinrich dropped the bag on the ground and stomped on it repeatedly with incredible force. The room shook as the werewolf king pummeled the bag, turning the stone into dust and the chain into clinking pieces of broken metal.

Maya's hand flew to her mouth while she watched the king transform her necklace into a bag of junk. Her stomach churning, she backed away from the scene. She was prepared to give them the necklace, but she definitely hadn't expected them to destroy it right in front of her. Images of her grandmother flickered through her head and she squeezed her eyes shut, attempting to get herself together as pain flared deep in her gut.

“Maya?” Olivia moved across the room and stood next to Maya. “Are you alright? You look like you're going to faint.”

“Oh man,” Trixie moaned. “She's not knocked up, too, is she?”

“Trixie,” Olivia warned.

“What?” Trixie said with pure exasperation. “She and Quesada are bloodmates like you and Doug, so it's not exactly outside the realm of possibility.”

“Is this true?” King Heinrich asked, looking from Shane to Maya. “There is another bloodmate vampire couple? Are they daywalkers, too?”

“No,” Shane said tightly. “Maya and I have decided not to commit to the bloodmate bond. I will be transferring to the European offices as soon as possible. Like you said, King Heinrich, we all have choices.”

“It ain't exactly something you choose,” Doug said. Olivia shot him a look and he quickly added, “But I wouldn't have it any other way. Right, babe?”

“You're not going anywhere, Quesada,” Olivia said firmly. She placed both hands on Maya's arms and lowered her voice to gentler tones. “Maya? What's going on?”

“I—I didn't think they'd destroy it,” she whispered through shaking lips.

“I'm sorry,” King Heinrich said earnestly with a bow of his head. “I shouldn't have done that in front of you, Maya. It was thoughtless of me. Please accept my apologies.”

“It's fine,” Maya bit out. “I'll be fine.” She hardened her expression and looked at Shane briefly. “I'm not pregnant. Shane and I aren't daywalkers, and I'm not a werewolf hunter. I'm merely an exhausted vampire who hasn't slept in twenty-four hours, and I'd really like to go back to my apartment and get some rest.”

“You're not going back alone,” Olivia said with a quick look at Shane. “Shane will take you home.”

“No,” Maya said a bit too sharply. She shook her head and plastered on a smile, trying to laugh off her reaction. “I flew all the way back from New Orleans by myself, I think I can handle going back to the apartment.”

“Right.” Olivia kissed her warmly on the cheek. “Then humor me and let Sadie and Trixie walk you back, okay?”

Maya nodded wordlessly and cast one last glance at Shane before leaving with her sisters, but he looked away. He didn't insist on coming with her and made no attempt to telepath. A sob choked Maya when the doors closed behind them because Shane's choice was heartbreakingly clear.

Maya wanted nothing more than to sleep. To drift into the leaden slumber of a vampire and hide—but sleep wasn't coming. Clad in her favorite pink tank top and yoga pants, she lay on her bed tossing and turning but found no relief. She glanced at the clock on the nightstand and saw that it was well past one in the morning. The meeting with Horace had apparently gone off without a hitch, and according to the call she got from Olivia, the wolves were headed to Kennedy Airport for their flight back to Alaska.

There was still no word from Shane.

Grumbling, Maya kicked her blankets off and made her way out to the living room. Maybe some mindless television would help her get her mind off everything. She snagged the clicker off the couch and flopped onto the pink and white fabric. Shane's comment about not decorating their place in shades of bubble gum came roaring back. Fresh tears stung her eyes when she realized that would never happen. There would be no apartment with him…no life with him.

The ring of the telephone interrupted her thoughts and made her yelp in surprise. It was probably Olivia or one of her sisters calling to check up on her. Again. Tossing the remote on the table, she padded quietly across the hardwood floor to the kitchen and picked up the cordless phone.

It wasn't her sisters or Olivia. It was Rat.

“Is this my absentee employee?” he asked playfully.

“Rat?” Maya went back to the couch and sat down. She pulled her bare feet up under her. “Is this about work? Actually, I was going to come see you tomorrow night and let you know that I won't be working for you anymore. Since I didn't show up for the past week, I'm probably fired anyway.”

“You're not fired,” he simpered. “But I can't say I'm surprised that you quit. I heard you were back in town, and I just wanted to let you know that I have your money from the night you worked. In addition to your pay, you get a cut of the dancers' tips. I'd come by the club and give it to you, but Olivia is still sore with me for having the wolves at my place. I was only trying to be a good host but I can't win for losing, I guess.” He let out a beleaguered sigh. “So when can you come by?”

“How about tonight?” Maya asked wearily. “I can't sleep anyway, and staring at the walls isn't helping.”

“Yeah, sure. I'm here all night, but do me a favor and leave the boyfriend at home,” Rat griped. “Quesada is a fuckin' killjoy and he makes my customers nervous.”

“He's not my boyfriend, Rat,” Maya snapped. “I'll be there in a little while.”

She hung up the phone then quickly dialed Sadie's cell phone. The old Maya would have run off on her own without thinking about the consequences, but not anymore. She knew it would piss off everyone if she went out tonight by herself, so she decided to ask Sadie to come along.

***

“This really couldn't wait until tomorrow night?” Sadie asked as they strode across the street, dodging cars along the way. “You don't need the money that badly, do you?”

“No.” Maya laughed and linked her arm through Sadie's before stepping onto the cracked sidewalk in front of The Dollhouse. “I couldn't sleep so why not do something productive, right?”

“I guess,” Sadie said doubtfully. She grimaced when they approached the strip club's door. “These places gross me out. A bunch of slobbering, horny guys stuffing money in a half-naked woman's pants? No thanks.”

“Don't be such a prude,” Maya teased.

“I am not a prude,” Sadie protested. “I love sex and I've had lots of it, but this whole setup feels icky.”

“TJ, the bouncer, isn't out here,” Maya murmured. She looked around, her senses suddenly on high alert. “That's strange.”

“What?” Sadie unlinked her arm from Maya and scanned the area with her sister. “Maybe we shouldn't go in.”

“It's probably nothing,” Maya said, tugging the door open. “We'll make it quick.”

Stepping into the dark club, Maya was surprised to see that the entire club was empty. The lights were on and music was blaring, but there wasn't a customer or an employee in sight. There was, however, the pungent aroma of blood, which made Maya's fangs break free and sent her hunting instincts into overdrive.

“Do you smell that?” Sadie whispered.

Maya nodded, glanced to the left, and moved toward the bar, where the smell was strongest. There was a pile of dead bodies and the unmistakable residue of vampires who had been dusted. Something glinted in a pile of dust, and Maya squatted down to pick it up. It was a gold tooth.

“Oh my God,” Maya murmured. She showed the tooth to Sadie and rose to her feet. “Rat.”

Stepping away from the carnage, Maya felt a familiar, aching bloom in her gut, and her body shook uncontrollably. She turned her wide, frightened eyes to Sadie and whispered, “Werewolves. Run.”

“Come on,” Sadie whispered harshly and grabbed Maya's hand.

When the two women turned around, a delicate but deadly net of sterling silver drifted over them in a deceptively gentle manner. They screamed when the silver seared their exposed skin, and both women fell to the ground in a writhing heap. Maya's vision blurred from the pain, and the last image she saw before she passed out was Horace's smiling face.

***

Shane sat on top of the George Washington Bridge and watched the lights of the cars below while the humans made their way from one end to the other. The wolves were at the airport waiting for their plane back to Alaska and a war had been averted. The summit had gone remarkably well, and the Emperor had put the supernatural leaders' minds at ease regarding the changes in the vampire community.

All was right in the world.

Unless your name was Shane Quesada.

In that case, the world was turned completely on its ear and nothing made sense anymore.

After an hour of back and forth, he had finally convinced Olivia and Doug to have him transferred to Europe. Lost in his thoughts, he barely noticed the new sentry when he landed next to Shane on the bridge.

“You are supposed to be patrolling Brooklyn,” Shane said without looking at the younger vampire. “This is not Brooklyn.”

“No shit.” Dakota sat down next to Shane. “I know you're supposed to be a badass, but all you look like to me is pussy whipped.”

“What I look like is none of your concern.” Shane stilled and turned his head slowly before locking eyes with the underling. “Leave.”

“Damn,” Dakota said through a laugh. He took a lollipop out of his coat pocket, unwrapped it, and stuck it in his mouth. “Pete told me you were uptight.”

“Human candy?” Shane looked at him like he was crazy.

“What?” Dakota shrugged. “I still like how the cinnamon ones taste.”

“Do you have any reason for being here other than to irritate me?” Shane asked dryly.

“Not really,” Dakota said with a shrug. “I did a pass of Brooklyn and got bored. So I came to see where you wanted me to go next. Pete is back on paternity leave now that the wolves are headed out of town, so you are my go-to guy. So, where do I go? The sun is gonna be up in a little while.”

Before Shane could tell him to go to hell, the phone in his pocket buzzed. It was Doug's number.

“Yes?”

“We have a problem,” Doug bit out. “Horace gave his father the slip at the airport. He told him he was going to use the can, but he never came back. Killian insisted his father go home with the others, but he's staying behind to deal with his little brother. Looks like he doesn't want the old man to have any blood on his hands.”

“When?” Tension radiated up Shane's back along with an impending sense of doom.

The line was silent for a beat or two before Doug said, “Over an hour ago.” Shane swore loudly, but Doug shouted over him. “Killian just called me, man. He tried to find him on his own first but the trail went cold. He's embarrassed, and I can't say that I blame him.”

“Where is Maya?” Shane asked, leaping to his feet. Panic and fear filled him, recalling the look of outright fury on Horace's face at the bridge. He was outraged when he realized that he'd been duped and Maya wasn't coming to meet him. “Is she safe?”

“I'm heading over to the apartments now to check on her.” Doug's voice was edged with frustration. “Olivia and the baby are finally sleeping, and I'd like to get this situation handled before she has to worry about it. Got me? I have Damien standing guard at the Presidium. You and Dakota head over to Rat's place now because chances are that little shit, Horace, will try and hide out there. I told Killian to get a cab over to The Dollhouse, and I'll meet you there once I check on the girls. Even if Horace isn't there, Rat may know where he's gone.”

“Understood.” Shane hung up and stuck the phone in his pocket. He flicked his furious gaze to Dakota and ground out, “Horace is back in the city.” Shane reached inside his coat, pulled out two magazines of ammunition, and handed them to Dakota who looked at him with curiosity. “These are liquid silver bullets. They'll drop a vamp or wolf in a matter of seconds. It's a guaranteed kill shot.”

“Far out,” Dakota rasped, making quick work of refilling his guns. “Pete was right. You aren't a guy to fuck with.” He checked the mag and smirked at Shane. “This Maya broad must be somethin' else if she's got you all fired up like this.”

“She's not a broad,” Shane bit out as he stuck the guns back in the holster. His jaw clenched and he pressed his lips together when reality hit him like a lead weight. No matter where he went or what he did, Shane would love Maya. It wouldn't matter if he was in Europe or on the damn moon. Nothing he did or said would alter his feelings for her, and he felt like a Class-A fool for trying to deny it—to deny them. He only hoped that he would have the chance to make it up to her. “Maya is my mate.”

“Then I don't know what you're doin' out here on a bridge all alone holding your dick in your hand.” Dakota smacked Shane on the shoulder and snorted. “You might be old, but you could stand to learn a thing or two, brother.”

Shane shot him a doubtful look before whisking into the sky. They flew swiftly and silently through the dark Manhattan night with Shane barely able to control his burgeoning anger. Dakota at least had the good sense to keep his mouth shut and followed Shane without asking any questions.

The two men landed in the alley next to The Dollhouse, and when they slipped along the sidewalk, Shane was grateful there were few humans in the vicinity. He stopped outside the club and held up his hand to keep Dakota from moving. Leaning against the door, he closed his eyes and reached out with the finely tuned senses of a sentry. When his eyes flicked open, three distinct scents filled his head with horrifying clarity. Amid the potent stench of blood and werewolves, he detected the fresh, feminine scent of Maya, and every fiber of his being hummed with rage.

Without thinking, he flung the door open and flew inside with his gun drawn. The club was empty, but he quickly spotted the pile of dead bodies behind the bar and remnants of at least two dead vampires. Dakota stood next to Shane with his gun drawn and pointed toward the stage. Written in blood on the white wall was one word…“Roof.”

Armed to the teeth, Shane and Dakota made their way up the narrow staircase toward the roof. When they reached the rooftop door, Shane pressed his finger to his lips and gestured for Dakota to hang back.

Shane threw a prayer to the universe, turned the doorknob, and slowly pushed the creaking metal door open. The sky had brightened considerably, and though he could feel the warning pull of the sun, Shane barely felt it because all he could see was Maya.

Maya was staked to the roof by her arms and her legs with chains of silver wrapped around her wrists and ankles. Aside from being able to smell her flesh burning, he could see wisps of smoke drifting up from the wounds. Sadie was staked out the same way, and Horace sat cross-legged between them with a gun against Maya's temple. Every muscle in Shane's body hummed with barely contained violent rage, and though he wanted to shoot Horace full of liquid silver, the gun at Maya's temple gave him pause.

“If you want to live, then I suggest you let the women go,” Shane bit out.

“Let me think,” Horace said dramatically. “Nope. I took care of that scumbag, Rat, and his whore dancers. He was helpful at first but then he turned into a whiny pain in the ass, so he outlived his usefulness.”

“Shane,” Maya whimpered and winced in pain.

The sound stabbed at Shane's heart like a knife, and he flicked his attention to her tearstained face. “It will be alright, youngling.”

Dakota stepped forward, raised his gun, and fired but Horace dodged the bullet, pulled a gun with his other hand, and fired two shots. One hit Shane and the other slammed into Dakota, who was sent flying down the stairs. Shane struggled to stay on his feet, but the silver bullet remained lodged in his chest. Although it missed his heart, the damage was severe. Pain burned through his veins when the silver festered in his body. He blinked and his vision blurred, but he kept his gun trained on Horace, who was kneeling between the two women.

The sun crept higher and Shane knew their time was running short.

Shane stumbled and fell to his knees. His left arm hung uselessly at his side, and he fought to keep the gun in his right hand, focused on Horace.

“Let the women go,” Shane sputtered and bit back the bone-melting pain. “You can have me instead. I'm a sentry for the Presidium, and killing me will be a much bigger coup for you than eliminating a couple of women.”

“I'm sick of bitches like her trying to make me look stupid.” Horace rose to his feet slowly. “Besides, killing all of you will make trouble for my old man and that's fine by me. I hate the old fucker and my brother with his holier-than-thou attitude. They don't deserve to have the power of the wolf because they fucking tamed it. Men like them are holding our race back when we could be ruling the world.” He snorted. “Why am I even wasting my time talking to you?”