Sara Humphreys - Vampire Trouble

“Go on.” Sadie tossed the bag on the bed and Trixie moved in next to her, eager to hear the rest. “Keep talking.”

“I’m glad Olivia is sending me away.” Maya looked at her sisters through wide, frightened eyes. “My body or my gut—something deep inside me—was pulling me to Horace and the rest of the wolves,” she whispered. “It scares the hell out of me. My head and my heart were screaming to get away, but…it was like a magnetic pull that I could feel right here.” Maya made a fist and held it over her stomach. “When I was in that suite with them, my senses went on overload or something and I passed out.”

“Did you tell Shane this yet?” Trixie asked. “Or Olivia?”

Maya shook her head. “She hates me and I don’t blame her. That’s why she’s sending me away. She can’t stand the sight of me.”

“I never thought you were a dumb blond,” Trixie said.

“Trixie,” Sadie warned.

“No, seriously. She thinks Olivia hates her?” Trixie swatted Maya playfully on the side of the head. “Hello? Anybody home? Shit, Maya. Olivia is sending you away for your own safety, not just because of the fight with Horace, but also because of the whole bloodmate thing.”

“You know?” It was like a punch in the gut. “He told you?”

“Well, we figured it out once we realized you couldn’t telepath with us anymore, but then Shane told Olivia and Doug.”

“How do you feel about it?” Sadie asked. She picked the bag up off the bed and handed it to Maya. “I know Olivia’s a little worried about how the supernaturals will react to another bloodmate couple. I don’t think anyone’s bothered to ask you or Shane how you guys feel about it.”

Before Maya could answer her, an impatient knock at the door interrupted them. It was just as well because Maya had no idea how she felt about it, other than confused.

“We have to go, Maya.” Shane’s voice boomed from the other side. “The sun has been up for over an hour, and we still need to go see Xavier.”

“She’s coming, Quesada,” Trixie barked. “Keep your fangs on.”

Maya slung the bag over her shoulder just as her sisters gathered her up in a big, weepy hug. Even Trixie shed a tear, but Maya didn’t point it out because her sister would only deny it. They each gave her a quick kiss on the cheek, and when she opened the bedroom door, Shane was there, impatiently waiting. Once again dressed in the black, leather sentry gear, he looked like the fiercest warrior she’d ever seen and some of her fear ebbed. If nothing else, Maya knew she was safe with Shane.

He gestured toward the open front door, and staring into those dark, hypnotic eyes, Maya realized her world had changed forever. Walking side by side with Shane, she wondered if she’d be able to change with it.

They flew through the tunnels beneath the city streets as quickly as possible, and even though the dank, smelly conditions in the sewer tunnels grossed her out, she refrained from complaining. How could she possibly complain after everything that had happened? Maya flicked a glance at Shane whisking along beside her, and guilt swamped her. He was being forced to leave the job he loved because of her. He wouldn’t even have been in the situation with Horace if she hadn’t been such a stubborn ass and gone with the werewolves.

This entire stupid mess was her fault.

His jaw was set and his fiercely intense gaze remained focused on the path ahead of them. Maya fought the urge to cry and turned her attention on the tunnels ahead, vowing to make it better. Somehow, some way she was going to make things right and straighten this mess out. No one had to tell Maya how fucked up she was, and nobody wanted her to get her shit together more than she herself. She was tired of being afraid.

They skidded to a halt at the entrance of the Presidium, and she silently followed Shane through the secret doorway and into the brightly lit hallway. He pressed his thumb to the flat panel by the enormous wooden door and it swung open, immediately allowing them access to the stone hallways of the Presidium’s underground facility.

When Maya glanced up at the iron light fixtures that dangled from the ceilings between massive stone archways, she couldn’t help but feel like she’d stepped back in time. The intricate network of hallways and rooms that sat beneath The Cloisters and Fort Tryon Park had been there for centuries and made Maya feel small.

She stole a quick glance at Shane when they rounded a corner, and a smile played at her lips. He towered over her by almost a foot, even with the heels on her boots, making her look small standing next to him. Her gaze skimmed over his tall, muscular form and lingered on his profile. He had a strong, square jaw, a perfectly straight nose, and a generous mouth with firm lips that curved into a lopsided smile. Maya’s eyes flicked to his, and she gasped when she realized he had caught her ogling him.

“Wait until you see the new setup in the lab,” Shane said with nod of his head. “Xavier recently had some new doors installed with a security camera, so chances are he’s going to make me buzz into the room.”

“I’ve never been in his lab before.” Maya looked away and kept walking, feeling embarrassed for staring at him so blatantly.

“Really?” Shane stopped when they reached a set of shiny steel doors and shot Maya a look of surprise. He clasped his hands in front of himself and looked her up and down. “I didn’t realize you haven’t visited the armory or the labs before. Looking at you in that sentry uniform, it’s no wonder I find it hard to believe… It suits you.”

“That’s what Trixie and Sadie said.” Maya adjusted the duffel bag on her shoulder and shrugged. “But wearing it makes me feel like a fraud.”

“Why?” Shane stepped closer and leveled a serious stare at her. “Why does it make you feel like a fraud, Maya?”

“Because I’m no warrior or badass ninja like you or Olivia. Okay?” Her voice rose, reflecting her frustration with her own inadequacies. “I’m just some dumb bartender who’s nice to look at. I’m not a fighter.”

“Well, you are partially correct.”

“Which part?” Maya asked warily.

“You are indeed lovely to look at, but contrary to what you think, that’s not the only gift you have to offer. You suffer from the misguided perception that your value lies only in your appearance, and that could not be further from the truth. You are a fighter, Maya, and buried beneath that gorgeous exterior is a strong, powerful warrior waiting to be released. Although, there is one person you beat up every day, and it needs to stop.”

“Who?” Maya asked with genuine confusion.

Shane leaned in and whispered, “Yourself.”

Holding her stare, he stepped back and rang the buzzer along the side of the stainless steel doors. It was unsettling to have someone see her so clearly, perhaps even more clearly than she saw herself, and it was far more unnerving to have him point it out. She clutched the strap of the bag as though her life depended on it and said nothing. Maya faced the door just before it swished open and revealed Xavier’s massive laboratory.

She let out a sound of pure awe and followed Shane into a cavernous space alive with motion, sounds, and lights. The far wall was stainless steel, much like the front doors, and the ceilings had to be fifteen feet high. All kinds of antique weapons dangled from the ceiling, some of which looked positively ancient. There were swords, daggers, muskets, spears, a scythe, and even a few that looked like torture devices.

Several lab tables each held different experiments. Beakers and tubes ran this way and that, and the concoctions inside looked like everything from liquid ultraviolet to some kind of witch’s brew. Maya had met Xavier and spoken with him once or twice, but she’d never seen where he worked. The place was out-of-this-world cool and full of moving parts, which made her afraid to touch anything. With her luck, she’d blow the place up.