Sara Humphreys - Vampire Trouble

Shane must have made a face because Doug laughed out loud before quickly recovering. “Shit, I didn’t think you could get any paler, but you looked like you were going to faint for a second.”

“I thought it was Doug’s angel bloodline that allowed you to get pregnant.” Shane folded his arms over his chest and tried to act like he wasn’t terrified at the idea of Maya getting pregnant. “As you know, I am not descended from that lineage.”

“That’s what we suspect .” Olivia shrugged. “The truth is that we just don’t know. I don’t even know when the baby will arrive. I feel like my stomach grew visibly bigger over the past few days, and I can’t stop craving human food. We’re all flying blind on this. The entire bloodmate thing comes with a giant question mark. One pairing was weird enough, but now with you two…”

“Add that to what happened with Horace,” Doug chimed in, “and that uneasiness can get ugly real quick. People, regardless of whatever supernatural whammy they possess, can be panicky assholes. When I was a cop, I saw it all the time. Nobody knows what the long-term ramifications are of being bloodmates, and that unknown element is making people uncomfortable.”

“I will leave immediately.” Shane nodded grimly because they were absolutely right. “But I’m taking Maya with me.”

“Agreed. We’ll tell everyone that you and Maya ran off, and as far as we’re concerned, you simply vanished.” Olivia elbowed Doug who quickly pulled out his phone and began to type something on the keypad with the ease of a human familiar with technology. Shane had a phone so he could communicate when needed, but he hated it. “Doug is going to send you an address for a safe house in Louisiana. Lottie Fogg is an old friend of mine. She’s a gypsy woman who lives in the bayou. She’s helped me out in the past, and she’s good at being discreet .”

“A gypsy?”

Shane was more than a little surprised. The gypsies existed off the grid of both the human and supernatural worlds and were known for their unwillingness to get involved in any society other than their own. Shane had tangled with a gypsy or two in his time, and he knew they were not individuals to mess with. Their magic was ancient and powerful and capable of bone-chilling darkness.

The bottom line: Don’t fuck with a gypsy.

“The gypsies are unreliable nomads who care for nothing other than themselves and their own kind. I find it difficult to believe there is one who would be willing to help us.”

“Well, believe it, and if you know what’s good for you, you’ll keep your opinion about gypsies to yourself. Lottie isn’t exactly a fan of the vamps—or any other supernaturals, for that matter—but she is my friend.”

“Of course.” Shane bowed his head in an apologetic gesture. “I apologize if I seemed ungrateful, but this is surprising .”

“Yeah,” Olivia said with a laugh. “I’m full of those. Keep in mind it also means it’s unlikely that anyone, wolf or vampire, would go looking for you at a gypsy’s house. You and Maya can hide out there for a bit while we smooth things over with the wolves. This will also give the two of you time to…work things out.”

“There.” Doug stuck the phone back in his pocket, and a second later, the one in Shane’s pocket buzzed. “I sent Lottie’s address to you. While you have Maya’s undivided attention down there in the bayou, might I suggest some fight training? Something tells me she’s going to need it.”

“I was thinking the same thing.” Shane nodded. “If it’s alright with you, Olivia, I’d like to pay Xavier a visit before we leave and get Maya fitted for some weapons.”

“Done.” Olivia took Doug’s hand and headed toward the door. “You should head out before nightfall. Take the tunnels to the outskirts of the city until sundown, and then if you fly all night, you can make it there before sunrise. Let me know when you get there.”

“I will.” Shane watched the czars and marveled at their comfort level with one another. They acted like they’d been together for centuries, as opposed to months. “Olivia?”

“Yes?”

“Be careful. I suspect that Rat is more involved with the wolves than he is letting on. In fact, the more I think about it, the more I think this visit wasn’t a surprise to him at all. He can’t be trusted.”

Olivia smiled and laughed.

“What’s so funny?” Shane asked, feeling a tad annoyed at the czar’s reaction.

“You know that his real name is Fred and that Rat is his nickname, right?”

“Yes.”

“Well”—she grinned, showing her bright, white fangs—“I’m the one who gave him the nickname.”

When Maya woke up, still not quite sure that the incident with Horace had been real, her sisters told her she was being sent away. Maya could barely look them in the eyes and wondered if she’d ever be able to again. Trixie and Sadie were helping her pack a duffel bag in silence. Though neither of them had said more than a few words to her, Maya was relatively certain they were telepathing to one another.

Standing in only her bra and panties, she picked up the sentry uniform that Olivia sent over and tears pricked the back of her eyes. The tears fell silently as she rubbed the smooth, protective fabric between her fingers. This was the clothing of a vampire warrior, a sentry, the elite of all vampires. Maya knew she had no business wearing it, so she wasn’t sure why Olivia sent it over. Olivia must have been furious with her because she didn’t even come to say good-bye.

Not that Maya could blame her.

Maya knew her actions had been stupid, selfish, thoughtless, and childish, and she wouldn’t blame Olivia—let alone Shane—if they never spoke to her again. Maya swiped at the tears and turned her back on her sisters, who had averted their eyes. They must hate me too , she thought.

They don’t hate you, youngling. Shane’s voice, gentle but firm, entered her mind like a caress. Quite the contrary, but please hurry up.

You’re still speaking to me? Maya asked with a sideways glance at her sisters.

It would seem so . Silence lingered for a moment before Shane continued. We must leave right away. I am waiting for you in the living room…the very pink living room. I do hope that when we acquire a home of our own, after this nonsense has passed, you will not insist on bathing the entire space in shades of bubble gum.

Maya stilled and nibbled her lower lip. Their own apartment? Together? A home with him? The idea wasn’t unpleasant but it was…unexpected. I’ll be out in just a minute , she responded quietly.

She pulled on the leather-Lycra catsuit and slipped on the knee-high black boots that went with it. She made quick work of slicking her blond hair back into a tight ponytail, and when she turned around to face her sisters, they gaped at her in stunned silence. She adjusted her necklace with the gesture that never failed to reassure her and nestled the stone against her chest.

“What is it?” Maya asked in a barely audible voice. “It looks ridiculous on me, doesn’t it? I probably look like Dominatrix Barbie, and I know I don’t deserve to wear this but—”

“That’s not it,” Trixie said with a wide grin. “It actually looks so right on you, it’s scary.”

“The only one who thinks you’re unworthy of this, or anything else, is you.” Sadie grabbed the black duffel bag and closed the distance between them. “You’re not the first one to fuck up, and you won’t be the last.”

“I don’t know what happened.” Maya looked down at her hands clasped tightly in front of her, and shame washed over her. “Horace made that comment about Shane keeping me on a leash, and then the next thing I knew, I was in the limo with him. But that wasn’t the worst part.”