“Not at all.”
Smiling, he shrugged his broad shoulders. “All right then.”
Adira giggled with glee and bounced on Leah’s hip.
Laughing, Leah led Seth to the area she’d cleared for storytime.
Seth waited for Leah to sit on the bench, then seated himself beside her, his muscled arm brushing her shoulder.
It did not surprise Leah at all when the mothers all opted to sit in a close circle with the children today instead of milling about the store or chatting softly by the coffee machine. What did surprise her was Seth himself. He was a fantastic storyteller! In the past, the parents who had gamely read stories with her had been pretty stilted readers. Seth, on the other hand, read Raccoon’s dialogue with such character and humor, his facial expressions as entertaining as his voice, that the two of them soon had even the parents laughing, enthralled by the story.
He must read to Adira a lot at home.
The thought made Leah smile. What a great guy.
And that great guy seemed oblivious to the way the other women in the store devoured him with their eyes. When storytime ended, Seth quietly guided Adira over to the stuffed animals.
Leah headed for the cash register.
But Mandy was already ringing people up and refused to step back. Widening her eyes, she jerked her head in Seth’s direction. “Are you crazy?” she whispered. “Get over there.”
Clearly she was of the same mind as Brittney and thought that Leah should pounce on him. Leah would’ve disabused her of that notion if she hadn’t noticed Mandy’s customer watching them both with interest.
Shaking her head, she made her way over to Seth and Adira. “Anyone catch her eye today?” she asked cheerfully.
Seth smiled. “I suspect a black-footed ferret will be going home with us this time.”
Adira turned away from the stuffed animals. Grabbing Leah’s hand, she placed it in Seth’s, then returned her attention to the stuffies.
When Seth opened his mouth to apologize, Leah held up her free hand. “It’s fine. I don’t mind. I still think it’s cute.” She narrowed her eyes playfully. “Or is this how you pick up women—by having Adira woo them for you?”
He laughed. “I’m afraid I’m not that clever.”
She suspected he was very clever indeed but knew he was innocent of the laughable charge.
Adira picked up the black-footed ferret and hugged it to her chest.
Seth smiled down at her and ran his free hand over her bright curls. “Anything else?”
Grinning, the toddler shook her head.
A tinny version of Skillet’s “Monster” suddenly competed with the murmurings of customers.
Frowning, Seth reached into a back pocket and drew out his cell phone. “I’m sorry. It’s work. I have to take this.”
“Okay.”
“Yes?” he answered.
Leah wondered if she should slip away or—
Seth stiffened. “How many?” His brows drew down. “Where’s Zach?”
Adira’s little face sobered as though she too sensed something was wrong.
“All right,” Seth said brusquely. “We’ll leave now. It’ll take me a few minutes, so tell him to just sit on them until I get there.” He pocketed his phone. “I’m sorry. An emergency has arisen at work. We have to go.”
“No problem. Do you still want the ferret? I can either hold it for you for later or open the second register and check you out faster.”
“We’ll take it now,” he said. But his mind clearly lay on whatever work crisis had arisen.
Sorry to see him leave so soon, Leah hurried to the unoccupied register and rang up his purchase.
As soon as Seth deposited Adira in Marcus’s arms, he called Felix and teleported to his location in Perth.
A beep sounded.
Seth turned in a half circle. His eyebrows rose when he located the Aussie immortal.
Felix sat cross-legged atop three vampires he had stacked on top of each other. The bottom two were unconscious, most likely tranqed. The top one spewed out a steady stream of curses.
Unaffected, Felix continued to stare at his cell phone.
What was he doing—reading an e-book?
Seth shook his head, amusement rising. “When I told Darnell I wanted you to sit on them until I got here, I didn’t mean literally.”
Felix looked up with a grin and tucked his phone away. “Sorry about that. I wanted to finish the chapter.” Rising, he stood atop the vamps and stretched.
The vampire under his feet expelled several more epithets.
Chuckling, Seth strolled forward. “Which one did you think you recognized from the missing immortals’ pictures?”
Felix nudged the complainer with a boot. “This drongo here. He’s American and has our hair and eye color. I thought he might be the bloke from California.”
Seth studied the furious man. “No. He’s a vampire.”
Felix grunted. “I can kill him then?”
The vampire’s eyes widened.
Seth gave the vamp’s mind a quick scan, then nodded. “Yes. He was an asshole before he was infected with the virus and isn’t fighting the madness at all. He’s embracing it.”
Felix snorted in contempt. “I was hoping he wasn’t an immortal. Two minutes in his company and I already wanted to kick his ass.”
“Where is Aari?”
“Off taking a piss.”
A twig snapped in the distance, far enough away that even Felix couldn’t hear it.
But Seth could and arched a brow. “Are you sure?”
“Deadset. Why?”
“You’ll know in a moment.” Drawing his katanas, he turned to the trees that lay to the east.
Seconds later, Felix swore, stepped off the vampires, and drew his own weapons.
Judging by the oncoming clamor, Aari was racing back toward them with several vampires in hot pursuit.
Aari burst from the surrounding foliage. “Incoming!” he shouted.
Over a dozen vampires followed, eyes glowing, teeth bared, weapons raised.
Seth leapt forward to meet them and swung both swords.
Only a couple of these were newly turned. The rest were off their fucking nut, reeking of sweat and the blood of their victims. Many victims.
Seth read each mind before he ended each life. None were worth saving. None had fought the insanity the virus spawned as it damaged their brains. All had embraced it willingly, eager to use their new strength and speed to terrorize and torture any unfortunate human they captured.
Aari and Felix fought by Seth’s side, slaying as many as Seth did.
When the last vampire fell, so did silence.
Even the insects remained quiet for a time.
“Crikey,” Felix breathed.
Aari nodded. “I don’t know where the hell they came from.”
Seth pointed his sword at the so-called drongo, who had gained his feet during the melee only to be run through by one of his cronies. “That one texted them.”
Aari grimaced. “Fucking cell phones. Hunting vampires was a hell of a lot less complicated before they came along.”
Seth shrugged. “But they’ve made it easier for you to contact me when you need help.”
“True.” Aari studied the disintegrating vampire. “I’m guessing he wasn’t a missing immortal?”
“No.” Seth wiped his blades clean and sheathed them.
“Anyone else have any luck finding one?” Felix asked.
“Not yet.”
A heavy pall blanketed them.
“Monster” broke it. Seth glanced at the screen. “Duty calls, gentlemen.”
Both nodded.
As soon as the immortal on the other end of the call requested his aid, Seth teleported away. The next ten hours or so proceeded the way most did now. Seth teleported from place to place, aiding Immortal Guardians who—thanks to Gershom’s sorry ass—found themselves fighting an unusually high number of vampires. He healed immortals,
healed Seconds, and aided a network division head in cleaning up a mess when police arrived on the scene of a battle before the network’s cleanup crew could get there. That had taken some time. Neither of the two immortals on the scene had been telepaths, and the police officers hadn’t believed the cover story they concocted. One officer called for backup seconds before Seth arrived. Seth had to alter the policemen’s memories, clean up the scene, and help with purging any reference to the incident from all reports, recordings, and files.
Modern technology could really put a crimp in things.
He stopped in at David’s shortly after nine p.m. North Carolina time for another shower. Hunger gnawed at him. He hadn’t eaten anything since breakfast and had expended a lot of energy teleporting all over the world and leaping into one battle after another. As soon as he was dressed, he headed for the kitchen and grabbed a sandwich from the fridge. He didn’t even take time to sit at the table, he just stood over the sink and wolfed it down while he waited for his phone to ring again.
Marcus poked his head in the kitchen. “Hey, Seth?”
Mouth full, Seth raised his eyebrows.
“You haven’t by any chance seen Adira’s favorite unicorn toy, have you?”
He swallowed. “The little pink one?”
“Yeah.”
“No.”
Marcus swore.
“Where was the last place you saw it?” Maybe he would have enough time to help look for it before the next call came in.
“I clipped it to her Doc McStuffins backpack right before you took Adira to storytime.”
“It wasn’t there when I brought her back?”
“I don’t know. I didn’t notice. But I’ve looked all over the house and can’t find it.”
Zach strolled into the kitchen, his stride loose and languid. A smile toyed with the edges of his lips.
Seth arched a brow. “You look very pleased with yourself.”
He smiled. “I am.” Opening the refrigerator, he took two foot-long sandwiches off the pile Sheldon had prepared and left for anyone who wanted one. “I got bloody on my last foray to aid your Immortal Guardians and Lisette just kindly helped me wash it off.”
Seth grunted as he took another bite. Clearly the two had done more than soap each other up. “Can you take my calls for a couple of minutes?”
“Sure. What’s up?”
“I think Adira’s unicorn toy might have fallen off her backpack during our outing earlier. I want to retrace our steps and see if I can find it.”
“No problem. Want me to tell Darnell?”
Seth shook his head as he swallowed the last of his sandwich. “It shouldn’t take me long. Let’s just exchange phones.”
“Thanks, Seth,” Marcus said.
Nodding, Seth teleported to an alley near Little Gifts, then walked the rest of the way in case anyone was still out and about. All was quiet, however, the street deserted. Apparently the businesses in the area shut down early on weeknights.
Had Little Gifts already done so, too?
Seth hesitated when he reached the front of the store. It did indeed appear closed.
Stepping back into the shadows, he stared through the front window.
Leah was working diligently as usual, her back to him as music played over the speakers inside. Seth didn’t recognize the tune. Something with a snappy beat that fell under the category of pop music, he supposed. Not really to his liking… until Leah began to move to it. Singing under her breath, she hung several dresses up on one of the racks adorning the wall between the dressing rooms. Her head started to nod, her hips to move.
Then the volume abruptly increased, all but drowning out her voice.
Seconds later, her assistant danced out of the back room, mouthing the words, bouncing on her toes, first one leg then the other while she flipped her hair from side to side in a way he remembered teenaged girls doing in the eighties. Or was it the sixties?
Hell, he couldn’t remember. When you were thousands of years old, the decades tended to blend together.
Leah laughed as Brittney danced over to her. Then Leah set the dresses down and started mimicking her.
Seth’s lips stretched in a wide smile as he watched the women dance and laugh and twirl and goof around, each trying to outdo the other. How carefree they seemed. He envied them that.
The song ended and another began.
“Why are you so chipper tonight?” Leah asked, nearly yelling to be heard over the music.
“I have a hot date!” Brittney called back. “And I mean hoooooot!” She sang out the last word like an opera singer.
Laughing, Leah shook her head and shooed her away. “Go have fun. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
Brittney blew her a kiss and waved as she dug some keys out of the purse he hadn’t noticed hanging from one shoulder. Unlocking the door, she stepped outside, locked it with her keys, and turned.
Glancing up, she gasped and stopped short. Her eyes flew wide. “Shit! You scared the crap out of me!”
Seth tucked his hands in his pockets, something he often did to try to put mortals at ease, and offered her a slight bow. “My apologies. I didn’t mean to startle you.”
Frowning, she adjusted the purse strap on her shoulder. “What are you doing out here, lurking in the shadows? You aren’t a creepy stalker, are you?”
He smiled. “No. Adira’s favorite unicorn toy has gone missing. The last time I saw it, it was attached to the backpack we brought to storytime earlier, so I’ve been retracing my steps in hopes of finding it.”
Her expression cleared. “Oh. Well, why didn’t you knock? The music was loud, but we would’ve still heard you.”
He shrugged and offered her a sheepish smile. “The two of you were dancing and having such a nice time. I hated to intrude.”
She glanced back at the store.
Seth followed her gaze. Leah danced slightly in place to the next tune, her hips swaying as she hung up some dresses. Though the movements were more subdued, she was no less appealing.
Brittney returned her attention to Seth and gave him a sly smile. “She’s hot, isn’t she?”
“Yes, she is.” He saw no reason to deny it.
“She’s single, too. You should totally hit that.”
His smile vanished. He frowned. “I don’t hit women.” And was insulted that she would believe he did.
Her mouth fell open. “Oh my gosh,” she said in hushed tones of amazement as a huge smile dawned. “You don’t know what that means. That’s so cute! You guys are perfect for each other.”
His scowl deepened.
She laughed. “By hit that, I meant sleep with her. Or seduce her. But in a good way, not an asshole kind of way.”
I wish, he thought, then went still inside. He hadn’t so much as wanted to hold hands with a woman since he’d lost his wife, and he’d been celibate for thousands of years.
He looked at Leah. He had definitely enjoyed holding Leah’s hand the other night though. And earlier today, too. But… “I don’t think that’s in the cards.”
Her smile dimmed. “If it’s because she’s older than you—”
“It isn’t,” he assured her. Like Leah, Brittney believed he was as young as he looked, which was around thirty years old.
“Then what’s stopping you?” She wasn’t one to let a subject drop, was she?
“I’m not currently looking to enter into a relationship,” Seth recited automatically, surprised by how much the words felt like a lie. What was wrong with him tonight?
Brittney tilted her head to one side. “Yeah. Neither is Leah. But I’ve seen you two together. There’s something there that’s worth exploring… even if you just end up being friends with benefits.”
That term he knew.
Her expression darkening, the younger woman closed the distance between them and craned her neck to look up at him. “But,” she warned ominously, “if you hurt her, I will fucking kill you. Leah is good people.” Tough words belied by the an
xious racing of her pulse as she awaited his response.
Seth admired both her devotion to Leah and her courage. Most people were nervous around him. Some outright feared him at a glance. Even the women who had boldly offered themselves to him over the many long years had often done so because fear excited them. It was one of the reasons he had empathized with Lord Dillon so many centuries ago.
And it was one of the reasons Seth liked Leah. She seemed completely unfazed by the leashed power everyone else sensed and steered clear of. “I know she is,” he told Brittney. “I have no desire to hurt her.” And hoped Leah’s association with Ami and Adira would not inspire Gershom to attempt to do so.
Brittney stared at him long and hard, then smiled and stepped back. “Okay then.” Her keys jingled as she leaned over and unlocked the door for him. “Have a nice night.”
Again he bowed. “Thank you. You, too.”
Her heels clacked as she strolled up the sidewalk, turned a corner, and left his sight.
Seth stood a moment longer, watching Leah through one of the large front windows of her shop. His preternaturally sharp senses allowed him to hear her humming along with the tune she danced to, singing softly when she remembered the lyrics. This one he recognized as a Stevie Wonder song: “Faith.”
She had a lovely voice, staying on pitch as she sang along with the female singer, though Leah sang an octave lower than the other woman. And she moved like she was born to dance. Seth couldn’t keep his gaze from traveling down her back to her narrow waist and the hips that rocked and swayed to the music as her feet moved.
Almost of their own volition, his feet carried him to the door.
Chapter Four
Seth entered Little Gifts, using telekinesis to silence the bell overhead so it wouldn’t ding and alert Leah to his presence.
Her back still to him, she stretched up to hang some little blouses on another rack. As she lowered her hands, she drew them down her sides in a sensual stroke and began to move more to the music, believing herself alone.
Seth crossed his arms over his chest, leaned against the wall, and just enjoyed watching her. She wore a pink T-shirt that hugged her hourglass figure. Every time she raised her hands to hang more garments, his gaze went to the breasts he could glimpse the sides of as she twisted and rocked to the beat. Full breasts he’d brushed his arm against. Twice. Full breasts that would fit perfectly in his hands.
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