by Cat Devon
“Great,” Zoe muttered. “So we’re living in the middle of a turf war between vampires?”
“No, things have settled down and Damon’s job is to make sure they stay that way.”
“I’d like things to stay that way, too.” Zoe finished her cupcake and dabbed at her mouth with a linen napkin printed with the Adams family monogram before asking, “How do you do it?”
“My recipes are top-secret.”
“No, I mean how do you get used to living surrounded by vampires? You said your family runs the local funeral home. Do they know about the vampires?”
“No. My brother and father have no druid blood. They are human and it’s safest for them not to know what’s going on.”
“What is going on?” Zoe asked.
“I can’t answer that. But it’s nothing that would involve you or your being a witch or a soap maker.”
Could she trust Daniella? Maybe Nick had compelled her or something. Or Damon had.
“I can’t be compelled by vampires,” Daniella said.
Zoe squirmed uneasily. “Can you read minds?”
“No.” Daniella laughed. “But I could tell by the expression on your face that you were suspicious. If I were in your shoes, I would wonder if a vampire had compelled me. That’s one of the first things Nick noticed about me. That he couldn’t compel me. They can’t compel witches, either, just in case you were wondering. Don’t take my word for it, check it out on the Internet yourself. Or with someone you trust.”
“This move to Chicago is turning out to be a lot more complicated than I thought,” Zoe admitted.
“At least you’re not here alone. You’ve got your grandmother. Oh, and a cat.”
Zoe held her breath as Bella strolled into the room. She gave the feline a warning glare about not speaking in front of Daniella. Yes, the other woman knew about Zoe being a witch, but experience had taught Zoe that hearing a cat speak was another matter entirely. She didn’t know why it always turned out badly. She just knew it always did.
“What’s your cat’s name?” Daniella asked.
“Bella,” Zoe cautiously said. “She’s very shy.” That was her way of telling Bella to get lost.
Bella responded by coming closer and jumping onto the couch beside Daniella.
“Is she looking for some milk?” Daniella asked.
“She’s looking for trouble,” Zoe muttered.
Bella nodded.
Zoe leapt to her feet to prevent Bella from making a scene. The cat had caused trouble in the past, and she couldn’t afford for her familiar to shoot off some comment like a loose cannon. She had to get rid of Daniella before that happened, even if it meant being rude. She glanced at her watch. “Look at the time.”
Daniella rose as well. “I didn’t mean to stay so long.”
“That’s okay,” Zoe said. “It’s just that we still have a lot of work to do to get settled in.”
“Uh, you might want to close the lid on the cupcake box so your cat doesn’t get into them.” Daniella pointed to Bella, who was obviously eyeing the sweets.
“Right. I’ll do that,” Zoe said as she led Daniella to the door and handed over her coat. “Thanks so much for coming. Bye now.”
* * *
Damon impatiently waited for Daniella down the street from the witch’s house. “What did you find out?” he demanded.
“That Zoe seems very nice and she loves my red velvet cupcakes.”
“That’s it?”
“Oh, and she has a cat.”
“Of course she does,” Damon said. “She’s a witch so she must have a black cat.”
“It’s gray, actually.”
“That’s it? That’s all you’ve got for me?”
“What were you expecting her to say? I just met her. And I told you I wasn’t comfortable spying for you in the first place.”
“It wasn’t spying. It was intel gathering,” Damon said.
“She was worried that you’d compelled me until I assured her that vampires can’t compel me. Or her.”
“I wish I could compel her. It would make life easier.”
“I guess you are just going to have to deal with her on an equal level.”
“No way,” Damon said. “Vampires are superior to witches.”
“Says who?”
“It’s a well-known fact.”
“To you maybe.”
Damon eyed Daniella suspiciously. “Maybe she cast a spell on you and that’s why you weren’t able to get more information out of her.”
“I doubt that.”
“I wouldn’t put it past her. She’s already put all the surveillance cameras in the house out of commission.”
Instead of sharing his outrage, Daniella said, “Did you tell her about the cameras?”
“Of course not.”
“Then how did she know about them?” Daniella asked. “I mean, they are usually pretty well hidden. And I certainly didn’t tell her about them, because I didn’t know they were even there in the first place.”
“She’s a witch,” Damon growled. “She knows things.” He turned on his heel and started walking away.
Daniella followed him, stopping him with a hand on his arm. “Where are you going?”
“To go talk to her myself,” Damon said.
“She might not let you in.”
“Oh, she’ll let me in all right.”
“Don’t be a bully. Do not upset her.”
“Right. Do not upset the witch,” he said sarcastically. “Got it.”
Damon removed her hand from his arm and walked away from her.
“Be nice,” she called after him.
“Like that’s going to happen,” he muttered under his breath before taking the steps to Zoe’s front door two at a time. Nice was not in his vocabulary. Nice didn’t get you anywhere. It certainly didn’t get you turned into a vampire or help you survive the torturous transformation.
Damon was all set to bang on Zoe’s front door, but it opened before he could raise his hand. Zoe stood there wearing the same clothes she’d had on a few hours earlier at the bar and looking surprisingly good despite the startled look in those weird bicolored eyes of hers.
“How did you know I was out here?” he demanded.
“I didn’t,” Zoe said. “Daniella left her scarf. I was going to run after her to give it to her.”
“There’s no need.” He grabbed it out of her hand. “I’ll give it to her.”
“Okay.”
Zoe was about to swing the door shut when he put his foot out to prevent it. “Aren’t you going to invite me in?”
“Why?”
“Because it’s the polite thing to do.”
“Says the rude vampire who doesn’t want me here.”
“You don’t want to aggravate me,” he warned.
“Ditto,” she shot back. “Vampires can’t cross a threshold unless they are invited in.” She’d read that somewhere.
“Damon, how nice to see you again,” Gram called out from the stairway. “Do come in.”
Damon quickly moved inside before Zoe could slam the door in his face.
“Sorry I can’t stay and chat but I’ve got more unpacking to do,” Gram said. “You two sit down and have some tea.”
Gram turned and made her way upstairs, leaving Zoe looking more pissed off than nervous.
“I can’t imagine you drinking tea,” Zoe told him. “It’s not a vampire thing, is it?”
Instead of answering, Damon surveyed the room, noting the location of the hidden camera. It was still there in the corner of the crown molding. He also noted that the room contained a hell of a lot more furniture than it had in the earlier video coming in over the feed. In fact the room had been empty but now it had several large pieces of furniture in it, including a weird chair with writing all over it. It had a modern edge that was at odds with the rest of the place.
Well, maybe not. He was no expert on home decorating but even he could see that the heavy Victoria
n armoire looked weird compared with the rustic denim couch, which overpowered the dainty table with a teapot and two cups. There was a zebra rug in front of the stone fireplace.
“It’s not real,” Zoe said. “I don’t believe in hurting animals.”
“I hope you’re not expecting me to make the same claim,” he said sarcastically.
“I’m not expecting you to do anything.”
“Oh, I plan on doing something, all right. Do you recall telling me that you aren’t practicing magic anymore? That you and your grandmother wouldn’t make any trouble?”
She nodded. For the first time this visit, a trace of nervousness flashed in her eyes before it was gone. He could hear her heart beat faster. Vampires had ultra-sensitive hearing. When he concentrated he could practically hear the swish-swish of her blood rushing through her veins. He saw the slight tremble of her fingers.
Good. Damon wanted her scared.
But he wanted more than that. He wanted her lush mouth covered by his. He wanted her nude body beneath his. Which were only two of the hundred reasons he wanted her gone.
Chapter Four
Zoe refused to allow Damon to intimidate her. Not in her own home. They were on her turf now.
Okay, so it was only a rental turf, but still …
And yes, they weren’t paying rent, but that didn’t mean surly vampires could walk in and glare at her. She’d had enough fangy angst for one day.
She raised her hands in the air in a mocking motion of surrender. “I get it. You don’t want me here. No need to keep pounding it home. Message received loud and clear.” She lowered her hands to place them on her hips. “But I’m not going anywhere, so get over it.”
“It would be easier to get over it if you were half as trustworthy as you claim to be.”
“I don’t know what your problem is—”
“My problem is you,” he said, interrupting her. “You’re not even here twelve hours and already you’re spinning spells.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Don’t play dumb with me. You disabled the cameras with your magic so no one could see what you were up to.”
“Cameras?” She looked around the room. “You’re spying on us?”
“Most places in Vamptown have surveillance cameras.”
“Why?” she demanded.
“For security reasons.”
She didn’t like his answer and neither did Gram’s cat Morticia, who jumped onto the arm of the denim couch and hissed at him.
“That your cat?” he asked.
“Morticia is my grandmother’s cat. That’s my cat,” she said as she hurried to scoot Bella from the creamer she’d been sticking her paw in. Scooping Bella into her arms, Zoe glared at him. “I can’t believe you had the nerve to plant cameras in here. There has to be a law against that. Were you hoping to get some kind of kick out of watching the video?”
“I don’t watch the video,” Damon said. “Someone else does.”
“And that’s supposed to make me feel better?”
“I don’t care how you feel,” Damon said.
Morticia growled at him. Bella merely yawned. Zoe was well aware that her grandmother’s familiar was being more protective than her own.
“What I care about is getting those camera feeds back online,” Damon continued.
“Online? You mean you’re posting them on YouTube or something?”
“They are linked to our neighborhood security system.”
Zoe hugged Bella closer for protection. “I don’t like it.”
“I don’t care.”
“Does Nick know about this?”
“Yes.”
“What about Daniella?” Zoe asked. “Does she know, too?” Something made her add, “And what’s going on with the funeral parlor?”
Moving with vamp speed, Damon pinned her and her cat against the wall. “What do you know about the funeral parlor?” he growled with clear menace.
“Everything okay down here?” Gram asked from the stairway before joining them. “I see you met my cat Morticia.” She moved closer to run her fingers over the calico cat’s head.
Damon stepped away from Zoe and turned to face Gram.
“Wise move,” Bella muttered.
He instantly turned to face Zoe. “What did you say?”
“Nothing.” Leaning down, she whispered in Bella’s ear, “Behave.” She didn’t want Damon knowing that Bella could speak. Zoe’s general philosophy was that the less outsiders knew about her, the better. And that went double for vampires. Triple for Damon, in particular.
“I expect you’re here about the cameras.” Gram sighed.
Damon once again turned to face her. “What do you know about them?”
“Don’t answer him, Gram,” Zoe said before stepping between them to protect her grandmother from any possible vamp wrath.
“I’m assuming he already knows they’re not working at the moment,” Gram said.
“And I want that rectified,” Damon said.
“Haven’t you learned that you can’t always get what you want?” Zoe countered.
Damon’s smile was sardonic. “Haven’t you learned that vampires always get what they want?”
“No.”
“Then consider this lesson number one,” Damon said. “I want those cameras working again right now, so remove whatever damn spell you put on them.”
“It’s not that easy,” Gram said.
“I still don’t know why you have cameras all over Vamptown. Are they in bathrooms, too? Bedrooms?” Zoe demanded.
“That’s none of your business.”
“Considering they might be in my bathroom or bedroom, I’d say it certainly is my business.”
“We witches value our privacy,” Gram said. “That’s why I disabled the cameras as soon as I detected them. My decision. I’m sure you understand, Damon.”
“I don’t give a damn that you value your privacy,” he said. “If you want to stay here, you will abide by our rules.”
“And how many other outrageous rules are you going to come up with in your pitiful attempt to make us leave?” Zoe challenged him.
“As many as it takes. Now get those cameras working again.”
“I’m not sure I recall how to do that.” Gram sounded flustered as Damon towered over them both ominously.
“Stop bullying her.” Zoe set Bella on the couch, where she curled up and watched them with an amused gleam in her eyes.
“Or what? You’ll sic your cat on me?” Damon mocked.
Uh-oh. Bella did not like being mocked. In fact, it was one of the things sure to push her feline familiar buttons. Zoe saw the meltdown coming. Bella’s eyes began to glow brilliantly. All sign of amusement was gone as the cat sat up and focused her attention on Damon.
“I know spells to make a vampire’s privates shrivel up and fall off,” Bella announced.
“That didn’t come from me,” Gram hurriedly said.
Damon went straight to Zoe. “Then it came from you.”
Zoe wasn’t sure what to say in answer to that. She glanced nervously at Bella.
Seeing that, Damon’s sardonic smile returned. “Are you worried about your dainty feline? You should be. I eat cats for breakfast.”
“Not this cat,” Bella said. “Not if you value your privates.”
Damon’s anger flared. “Is this some kind of trick? A spell to make me think your cat talks? Do you think I’m so stupid I’d fall for that?”
“I think you are stupider than that,” Bella said. “You’re a vampire. You’ve been around a long time. You’ve never heard a cat talk?”
Understanding dawned in Damon’s dark blue eyes. “It’s not the growling cat. It’s you. You’re Zoe’s familiar.”
“A very powerful familiar,” Bella said. “I don’t want to brag but I have dealt with Russians, so vampires do not scare me.”
“Then you are a stupid cat. Vampires are much tougher than the Russian mob.”
&nb
sp; “I’m talking about the Russian aristocracy. We all have our pasts and our demons, don’t we? Mine go back to the court of Catherine the Great. What about you, Damon?”
“I am not talking to a cat,” Damon stated coldly.
“You’ve already been talking to her,” Zoe pointed out.
“I will give you thirty minutes to get the cameras working,” Damon said. “If not, I will be back.”
“And we will bear the full brunt of your wrath,” Bella mocked.
He lunged forward as if to grab the cat. Zoe instantly moved to protect Bella but she had already put up a protection shield.
“Thirty minutes.” Damon’s voice reflected his frustrated fury before he stormed out.
“What happened to not upsetting the vampire?” Zoe asked Bella.
“He started it,” Bella said.
Zoe was afraid he was going to end it as well.
* * *
Damon entered the All Nighter Bar and Grill and headed for the premium bottle of blood kept in the refrigerated section beneath the bar. He tossed back a glassful and immediately poured another.
He’d just been bested by a witch and her cat. Her freaking talking cat. That was unacceptable.
The bar was empty aside from the owner, who looked up from the steak he was finishing off. Nick’s mating with Daniella the half druid had resulted in Nick being able to consume food, but he tended not to do so in front of other vamps.
Damon knew all about Nick’s situation. Having sex with Daniella had changed Nick’s world forever, and not in some sappy sentimental way but in a matter-of-fact immortal life-changing way.
Damon couldn’t imagine what he would have done in Nick’s place. Would he be willing to increase his powers but decrease his life span? Because the reason Nick could eat that steak was that he was no longer immortal.
Sure, Nick would live longer than most mortals, as would Daniella. But he was forever changed.
Damon valued his own immortality. Would he have made the choice that Nick had? Doubtful. Very doubtful, as in no way.
Damon rarely paused long enough to think about things like this. He preferred action to introspection. He always had.
Did he miss being human? Not really. Did he miss eating a steak? Yes, but it wasn’t worth the trade-off in his opinion.