Beauty is the Beast: Beasts Among Us - Book 1

by Jennifer Zamboni

  “Thanks, I’d sure appreciate it.”

  “No problem.” I don’t know if she suspected them of being anything but creeps. I hoped not.

  Lacey set her mug on the counter and scooted around us and out of the kitchen.

  Toni and I followed at a more leisurely pace, trying to stay as far back as possible.

  “Kern!” Lacey’s whole being lit up like Fourth of July fireworks as she fairly danced towards him.

  It was the big man, the patriarch of the New York family.

  Something was apparently looking to go down in the fae world. If the wolves were trying to pull me back into the fold, I could only guess the vamps were looking for a renewal of membership from Lacey.

  “Hello, Lacey-Marie. You remember Helvia, don’t you? And this is Motega.” Kern gestured first to the professional-looking woman who appeared to be in her late thirties but was really somewhere around 280. The other one was someone I hadn’t heard Lacey mention before, making me think he was a new convert.

  I hurried Toni out the door and into her car with locked doors. I watched as she tore down the driveway, then darted back inside. I continued closing out, but my focus was Kern.

  He turned his gaze on me, and I did my best to look busy.

  “Let’s go somewhere else to talk,” said Kern.

  “Lacey—” I started.

  “It’s all right, I’m fine. Tell Percy not to wait up for me.”

  “I’ll have her back before daybreak. Little Lacey-Marie is safe with me.” Kern held a hand out to my friend. She took it.

  Safe. Right.

  “I’ll be fine,” she repeated and walked out the door with the scariest creature I’d ever met.

  I hurried through the rest of close out not caring how accurate I was being. I separated everyone’s money into individual envelopes, then carried it all out to the library where I set the envelopes on an end table before pushing against the right side of the moose painting that hid our antique safe. It swung out on silent hinges that kept it flush against the wall. I fit the key into the lock, jimmying it a little before it turned. The safe was pretty, but a pain in the rear. I would be more than happy to pass the key over to Percy in a couple of minutes.

  I placed the envelopes on top of the stack already sitting there. Percy would go through them the next day, then make a deposit. We got paid once a week after everything was counted and logged. I closed and locked the safe, swinging the picture shut again, and pressed against the frame until the latch caught.

  Curling up in a comfy armchair, I picked up the Jane Austen novel I’d left on the table. The people contained in those pages lived lives much different from my own. It would have been nice only to have to worry about who was marrying whom and living under my father’s roof until then.

  I’d never met my father, that I know of. I really hope I hadn’t. He wouldn’t have known I was his child either, as men weren’t exactly notified if they’d gotten a good-time daisy pregnant.

  There was a gentle knock on the door as Percy peeked in. “You have a visitor.”

  She entered, followed by Doug.

  Great.

  Percy took a seat with a book she’d already started. I think she had a book going in almost every room of the house, if you counted cookbooks in the kitchen.

  I closed my novel with a snap. It wasn’t an original, but Percy certainly owned an original Austen or two, published in volumes and everything. They were all locked up behind glass with its own temperature and dehumidifier gage. If she were ever to go broke for some strange reason, she could always sell some originals and be set.

  I supposed it was kind of impossible to go broke when you’re married to Hades. The man had connections, in and out of the fae world. Which was amazing, given that he rarely stepped out of Winterland.

  Doug took a seat and clasped his hands in his lap.

  “I invited him to stay for dinner,” said Percy, glancing up from her book. “Stop chewing your claws.”

  “I came to see Hades,” said Doug, looking around the library.

  I pulled my hand away from my mouth. “Sorry.” I hadn’t even realized that I’d been doing it.

  “You’re worried.” Percy set her book aside, marking the page with a faded pink ribbon.

  “I am. She’s not back yet, and I don’t trust those vamps.”

  “Well, vamps, as a rule, are untrustworthy,” Percy pointed out.

  “And yet you hired one.”

  “I hired a werewolf as well. Call me mad, but I like you people.”

  “You’re right, you’re insane.” I couldn’t help but jump on that one with an enthusiastic nod.

  “Very witty.”

  “I try.” And fail most of the time, but that’s beside the point.

  Doug watched our exchange with a confused look on his face. “Why are they untrustworthy?”

  Oh, sheltered boy. He’d never had any real exposure to the fae. The half-breeds in the side show didn’t count.

  “Well for a long time now, vamps have wanted to come into the open. They think they’re pretty high up on the food chain, so to speak, so they think it could only help them to go public,” I explained, inspecting one gnawed black claw. I specifically kept my claws on the short side to make them less noticeable. Most people assumed I preferred an odd nail shape and black polish.

  “And werewolves?” He leaned towards me with interest.

  “We have bad tempers.”

  He nodded, deep in thought.

  I shot Percy a glance. She shrugged her shoulders, then glanced up at the wall clock above the door.

  “You’re worried too,” I said.

  “I’m worried about both of you. I’m worried about the new girl. I’m worried about what will happen when I leave for the winter.”

  That’s a whole lot of worry, I thought.

  “I worry that you and Lacey-Marie will leave me. I’m worried about someone killing Meredith,” Percy expanded.

  “It might be better if we left,” I said quietly, avoiding her eyes.

  “No, it wouldn’t.” Percy came and knelt in front of me, making me look at her. “I need you girls. You have no idea how wonderful it is to be able to be myself with someone.”

  “You have Robert and them.” I referred to the handful of fae and part fae who worked the farm.

  “Not really. Most of them don’t know what I am. I mean, they know I’m fae, but they don’t know I’m Persephone, daughter of Demeter and Zeus.”

  I hadn’t considered that. For some reason, the fact that Demeter was her mother hadn’t phased me one bit, but I hadn’t really realized that Zeus, god of gods, was her father. I honestly didn’t know much about Percy at all. I also didn’t know much about the myths she featured in.

  “Are all the major gods and goddesses really siblings?” That would be gross.

  Doug scooted forward in his chair, giving us his attention again.

  “No, dear, not all of us. I’m sure there’s inbreeding—that was excusable in the ancient world—but no, Hades isn’t my uncle.”

  “Good to know.” I leaned back again, nodding.

  Doug chuckled.

  “Yes, it is,” said Percy.

  “I don’t want to leave, you know.”

  “I know. And you’ll do whatever you have to, and I’ll accept it, but still.” She didn’t want to accept it. Neither did I, really, but I also knew that at some point I needed a pack of my own, and I would do whatever it took to achieve that.

  “That vampire didn’t look all that horrible,” she said.

  “Looks can be deceiving. You know that. Were you watching from the door?”

  “I was,” she admitted sheepishly. “Who was he?”

  “Kern, the patriarch of the New York family. The family Lacey joined after she died. He’s about 800 years old.”

  “He’s just a youngin’.” Percy smiled.

  “He was 17 when he was turned, and thanks to modern medicine, he’s had plastic surgery to age
him enough to make him a viable persona in the business world.”

  “How do you know about him?” she asked.

  “Lacey told me about him when we lived in New York.” Who knows, I may even have met him. Lacey hung out with a lot of vamps back then. She was a bit of a wild child in the eighties, less than 10 years after she’d been made.

  “Why did she move away from the city?” Doug asked. “She doesn’t seem like much of a country girl.”

  “She was looking for a change of pace, with less temptations. She got it. Plus Percy’s been a huge help to both of us.”

  I glanced at the wall clock. Time was crawling along with my skin. What could they possibly be talking about for so long? I felt somewhat like a parent waiting for her daughter to come home from a first date. What can I say? I’m protective of my friends. They’re the closest thing I’ve got to family. I knew Percy felt the same way, though I wasn’t sure about how Lacey felt.

  I called her my best friend, yes, but I never really knew what was going on in that blonde head of hers. In a normal world, we never would have been friends, but similar circumstances and cosmetology school had made us that. What had started us off as a grudging alliance turned into calling each other every night and going dancing. Funny how relationships evolve.

  I’d known Percy for less than half the time I’ve known Lacey-Marie, but I’ve grown to respect and love her during that time.

  “Tea?” Percy asked, getting up from her chair.

  “Please. Would you throw some green tea in with my usual mix?”

  “I do believe I could. Doug?” She placed a hand on the back of his chair.

  He twisted to look up at her. “Coffee?”

  Percy nodded. “I’ll be back.” She left the door open in her wake.

  I picked my book back up but was unable to keep my attention on the words. I’m not much of a reader. I owned very few books of my own and only borrowed from Percy’s vast collection on nights like the one I was experiencing, nights where I knew I wasn’t going to sleep.

  Not sleeping would make me cranky, especially with more interviews coming up the next day, but I didn’t care. I can go without sleep for several days. It just isn’t advisable.

  Percy returned carrying a tray. I made a spot for it on the table I’d set the money on earlier. She pulled the cozy off the pot she had brewed and poured it into the delicate antique tea cups that only came out for special occasions. I was a little worried that I would break one, but Percy didn’t share my fears. There was a thermos of coffee for Doug on the tray as well.

  She placed a couple gingersnap cookies on each saucer and passed us each a cup. I settled mine on the table next to the lamp I was using and snagged a cookie. The tea was too hot to drink for the time being, but perfect for dipping. I soaked the little round bit of goodness for a couple seconds, then popped it whole into my mouth and savored it. Gingersnaps are yummy and absolutely necessary for social tea consumption.

  Percy dunked hers in a more ladylike manner: one edge into her tea, nibble, dunk, take a sip of tea, dunk, nibble. It was quite the little ritual for a snack.

  It was nice, sitting quietly and eating. “We should do this more often, you know, when we’re not stressing over stuff.” I popped in another cookie, then grabbed some more from the bowl.

  “Agreed. I’m always so surprised how much I like lavender in my tea. I grow it myself. I shouldn’t be surprised. Of course I’m more accustomed to utilizing it for aromatherapy these days.”

  The aromatherapy was also for my benefit.

  “Do you think she’ll go back to New York?” She returned to the Lacey/vamp topic.

  “I don’t really know. I hope not. They don’t exactly share our lifestyle. It’s not like anyone polices them, beyond their own people.”

  Lacey and I had adopted Percy’s more conservative lifestyle when we moved in. I liked it. I felt better knowing that I was jailed once a month away from people. I’m old, but I’m still human. In fact, my morals have improved rather than declined.

  Lacey was my opposite. She’d gone from good little straight-A cheerleader to wild child. She became addicted to the lifestyle, so moving in with Percy probably had been a shock to her system, especially the no hunting policy. Blood donor bags just aren’t the same as fresh, warm, pumping blood. She’d conformed out of respect for Percy and to keep her house clean.

  Killing people is messy business. I should know. The brothel wasn’t my only kill. I tried to lock myself up over the years, but people were wild cards, and sometimes accidents happened. I didn’t just attack at random. I have to be provoked unless I was already hunting. Wolves tend to avoid humans, but sometimes we’d end up in the same territory. Here’s a hint: don’t pet strange dogs, especially if they’re actually giant wolves. Wild animals should be left alone. Hunting me wasn’t a good option either. That kinda ticks any animal off, and 400 pounds of pissed off is going to fight back.

  Percy was good with my wolf. She made herself non-threatening, not trying to pat me or get too close. She brought me food, then left, making sure I was on the other side of my cage before she opened the door. Even if I were to go spastic on her, she’s kind of powerful. She could definitely protect herself from me.

  We ate and talked until I heard a car pull up in the driveway. The sky was lightening up— not quite sunrise, but it would be within the hour.

  Percy and I set aside our tea things with clatters and rattles. We’d filled up several times, and we still manage to slosh the last dregs on the coffee table. Not that we cared. Doug, who was passed out on the couch, didn’t stir, so we left him.

  Lacey was already making her way up the stairs, then turned when she heard us coming. I was a bit startled to see she had removed her contacts. Her brilliant red eyes were truly terrifying.

  “I thought I told you guys not to stay up,” she said, crossing her arms.

  “Yeah, well, I don’t like doing what I’m told.” My own arms crossed in response to her body language.

  She was guarded, not even breathing as she stared at us.

  Percy didn’t say anything.

  “So, what did the dead guy want?” I ascended the steps until I shared one with my petite friend.

  “CPR,” said Lacey, narrowing her eyes.

  “No, really, what did Kern want?” I asked again, gripping her arms.

  “He wants me to move back to New York to be a part of the family again.”

  “And?” I pressed, trying not to shake her.

  “I said no. I like living in Isenburge, Maine just fine, thank you.”

  “Really? That little conversation took you all night?” I let go, giving her some space and following her the rest of the way up the stairs.

  “Yes. We had a lot of catching up to do. It’s been a long time.” She stopped at her door, her hand resting on the antique brass knob.

  Not that long and he could have checked up on Lacey without showing up in Maine. In fact, he could have asked her to move back over the phone. No need to cross three state lines into my territory.

  “Listen, get some sleep. He’s leaving tonight, so quit worrying.” She let herself into her room

  “Are you sure?” Percy asked, coming up behind us.

  “Everything is fine, I promise.” Lacey closed the door in our faces with a little more force than necessary.

  I took her word for it. She didn’t sound remotely worried, and I could usually read her pretty well.

  I admit, I was jealous. She talked to the vamps, and they were going home, no muss no fuss. I hung out with the wolves, and I didn’t know what to do. I was almost certain I didn’t want in on Kaine’s pack but at the same time, I did want a pack of my own.

  I stumbled down to the salon with two hours of sleep under my belt. Wild, frizzy, disheveled hair greeted me in the mirror, so I flicked the switch of my one-inch curling iron with my thumb in preparation to tame down my curls to a manageable volume.

  Toni was the first one in, and she was
wide awake. “Morning!” she called over to me as she set her coffee mug down on the front desk.

  “Ugh,” I grumbled in reply, and yanked a wide toothed comb through the mess on my head.

  She ignored me and grabbed a sip of her drink.

  Percy joined us, saving me from having to make coherent conversation on my own. I don’t know that she actually needed to sleep.

  “Here.” Percy handed me a mug of tea.

  I could smell the extra green tea in the mix. Domestic goddess, that’s what she was. Plants, food, wolf care, whatever life threw at her.

  I sipped and tested my iron with a quick tap of my fingers. The wonderful thing about professional tools is they heat up fast. I checked the dial for heavy, hot, and hell of a lot, the hairdresser standby—not recommended for everyday use, but we all did it—then ran my fingers through my curls, testing for tangles.

  “What’s happening?” Lacey asked, sipping from a covered travel mug.

  Was everyone bright-eyed and bushy-tailed? It wasn’t natural.

  “Where’s Meredith?” asked Toni, looking around for our newest recruit.

  “Here, here! Running late! Sorry!” Meredith burst in right on cue. She had bags under eyes to rival the ones I probably sported.

  “No problem, it happens,” said Percy.

  Meredith dashed around flipping switches and setting out her blades.

  I spritzed my hair with a working spray and set about making it pretty. By the time my first client sat in my chair, I looked less crazed. Looks can be deceiving.

  “Can I use your microwave?” Meredith asked, pulling a packet of oatmeal from her purse. “I didn’t get a chance to eat before I left.”

  “Of course. And that’s not a full breakfast. I’ve got some fresh strawberries from my greenhouse if you want to add them,” Percy offered.

  Mmmm, strawberries. See, I like fruit.

  “Really? Thanks!” said Meredith.

  “Follow me, and I’ll get you set.”

  I consulted with my client while this went on, then proceeded to the back room to formulate for an all over color and highlight.

  Gotta love drastic changes. They made me money. Of course, I checked and rechecked all my formulations before applying anything when I was overtired. Thankfully, it was a virgin application, so I could do everything at once with color. I love it when that happens. It would never happen again with her, so I savored the moment.