by R. E. Carr
“If you want to go, I can take you—”
“No, I want to get Kayleigh down there for a bit, and I don’t want anyone to know that she’s down there,” Paige said. “Can you do that?”
“Pip, I am pretty sure that the hospitality of my dad doesn’t include letting a werewolf hacker into his inner sanctum,” Steve said. “He was pretty clear that the redhead twins needed to stay topside, the Russian too.”
Paige gave him a pleading look. “It’s important,” she pleaded.
“Come on, what could be so damn important you want to sneak down there?”
“Can you just trust me?” she asked. “I know it’s a lot, but I have a terrible feeling we need to stick together, and you are the only vampire I trust, Steve.”
“I promised your mom that we’d stick together, Pipsqueak,” Steve sighed. “I’ll see what I can do.”
She gave him another big hug. He let out a groan. “You have to help me, though, Kiddo,” he said with a defeated look.
“What?” she asked, suspiciously.
“You know Morgan better than just about anyone around here, right?” he asked.
Paige let out a deep sigh. “What?” she asked again.
“What are the odds that the bean counter is gonna rip my face off when he finds out I slept with his sister? Furthermore, that I’m going to marry her pretty much against her will. Just give me the rough over-under here.”
“He doesn’t kill, so you have that going for you,” she said with a pathetic smile. “Wait a sec, you, and Georgia?”
“Yeah, she was the girlfriend who left me for Ren. It was a pretty awkward breakup, and I never really got over her . . . and she knows that . . . and she is still convinced that this arrangement is somehow my idea. Yeah, she can hold a grudge and has a werewolf for a brother. I’m doomed.”
“We’re all doomed, unless you help, Great-Grandpa,” Paige muttered.
“OK,” he acquiesced. “I’ll sneak our ancient enemies into our stronghold, but you have to talk to Georgia for me. Maybe she’ll listen to someone, anyone, who isn’t me.”
“Well, let’s get to it then. I’ll talk to Kayleigh and meet you in an hour downstairs. If anyone asks we can just be visiting Lorcan. Then . . . then I’ll go try and find Georgia. She is really good at avoiding people, you know.”
“It’s a deal, partner,” Steve said, sticking out his hand. “Later, you will tell me what all this is about, right?”
“It’s a deal,” Paige replied. “And yeah, but right now—”
“The less I know, the better.”
10
“Yeah, I can see how this helps,” Georgia said as she slammed her fist into one of the punching bags. The taller, broader girl holding the bag gave Georgia a smile.
“It’s good to let out your aggression and frustration in a positive manner,” Nadia replied. The girls switched places and Georgia held the bag. Despite the violet-haired woman only tossing out jabs, the bag went flying and Georgia could barely hold on.
“Sorry,” Nadia said. “Little pent up from being on the boat still.”
“I get that,” Georgia muttered. “Where’s your usual partner in here?”
“Helping her brother,” Nadia replied. “Here, let me show you how to throw a punch.”
“I thought I knew,” Georgia said as Nadia corrected her form. After a few solid hits, Georgia stared at her fist in wonder. “Then again, maybe I didn’t.”
“I am sorry you were dragged into this,” Nadia said.
“I think I was already a part of whatever this is,” Georgia said. “How did you get involved?”
“Lorcan rescued me from a Siberian research facility, and then took me in as his own after he burned the place down and killed the mad scientists,” Nadia said.
“And you say that without a hint of irony, wow.”
“It’s a Russian thing. Come on, I’ll show you a few more self-defense moves. You’ve got the basics, but it’s good to practice.”
The two of them practiced in the dojo until Georgia was sweaty and tired. Nadia seemed as fresh as when she started.
“So, you’re a werewolf?” Georgia asked weakly. “A girl werewolf.”
“Yes,” Nadia said with a smile. “We do exist. I’ve been a werewolf since I was born.”
“That must have made for terrible tantrums when you were a toddler.”
Nadia snickered. “You don’t change until puberty, even if you were born this way. I will say, the hormones sucked, but I got by. Anything else you’re curious about?”
“Um, if your dad was a werewolf, wouldn’t you be born a werewolf too? You know, kinda like Teen Wolf?”
“It doesn’t work that way. Your mom would have to be the werewolf or your dad would have to bite you or give you blood. You know, you could ask Morgan about this. He would probably love a chance to connect with you,” Nadia said, starting a round of what looked like Tai-Chi katas.
“I’m still trying to figure out how to, um, connect with anyone,” Georgia confessed. “So why aren’t you visiting Lorcan?”
“I’d be in the way. My job always has been and always will be making sure the pack is safe. I know that’s what he’d wish. There are way too many vampires around here,” Nadia said as she sniffed the air.
“Tell me about it,” Georgia quipped. She watched just how fluidly Nadia moved between the poses. “Well, I think I’m going to shower and stuff. It was nice to really talk to you, Nadia. Maybe you could show me some more . . . tomorrow?”
“Of course,” Nadia replied with a warm smile. “Connections take time, Georgia, but I’m here any time you need to talk.”
Georgia took her shower then wandered into the kitchen where she ended up helping Maria and Estella roll pasta while they watched American TV dubbed in Italian. A few glasses of wine and some garlic knots later and Georgia Sutherland was downright cheerful. She made the mistake, however, of stretching and asking the universe, “How are you going to mess with me now?”
“Paige!” Maria called as the littlest of the werewolf pack padded into the kitchen. Paige stopped as she saw Georgia sitting in front of the counter. Georgia gave her a little wine-soaked wave and smile.
“I smelled . . . food,” Paige confessed.
“You could always smell my red sauce a mile away, even before you were a werewolf,” Maria said with a laugh. “Sit, sit, and I’ll get you some wine.”
“Water actually. Feeling a bit dehydrated,” Paige replied a little too quickly. She gave a quick glance over to Georgia. Georgia just smiled.
A few minutes later the fruits of Georgia’s labors were set in front of her, while a larger, meat-laden platter was plopped in front of Paige. The girls soon became transfixed in watching some ridiculous game show, while the older women still puttered in the kitchen.
“Oh, is there enough for the twins and Nads?” Paige asked innocently. “I’m sure they would die for some of your pasta.”
“Cooking for your friends is worse than catering for a party of twenty,” Maria said with a laugh. “I even have enough for Morgan packed away.”
Estella wiped her hands on her apron and excused herself. “The master and the honored guests need their meals as well,” she said sweetly. She stopped short and pulled her phone out of her pocket. “That’s odd,” was all she said before hustling to the servant’s stairs.
“I hope dinner didn’t run away,” Georgia said with a sly smile. “Sorry, bad vampire servant humor.”
Paige and Georgia went back to eating, until finally Paige leaned over and asked, “I know this might be awkward, but my Great-Grandpa Steve said something—”
Georgia gulped the last of her wine. “Great-Grandpa Steve, yeah. We have history.”
“Oh?” Maria asked while refilling all the glasses. “You have a history with my grandfather?”
“Well, this is awkward,” Georgia said with a little laugh. “Yeah, I dated your grandfather, your great-grandfather, for a while. We met at a party, and h
e wouldn’t take no for an answer.”
“Well . . . I dated your brother,” Paige said. All three women stared at each other before the laughter slowly trickled out of each of them.
“Did you know he was a vampire?” Maria asked.
“Yes, I knew he was a vampire,” Georgia sighed. She turned to Paige. “Did you know my brother was a werewolf?”
“Oh yeah,” Paige said, turning adorably pink. “Mom, please, please, don’t try to trump this.”
“I just married a guy that believed in aliens. That’s all I got,” Maria said.
“Aliens?” Georgia asked while consuming even more wine.
“Dr. Dexter Carmichael,” Maria confessed before taking a gulp of her own wine. “From—”
“Alien Abductions and Mysteries!” Georgia finished. “Oh my god, I loved that show. Dr. Carmichael is your dad, Paige?”
“Yeah, well, he was not quite as nice in real life as he was on the show,” Paige said. “Hey, you want to take a walk, stretch the legs, and maybe walk off some carbs?”
Georgia gave Paige a confused smile. “You’re a werewolf,” she replied.
“She’s trying to escape before I rope her into the dishes,” Maria said with an exasperated sigh. “You two get out of my way for now, but if you want to join us in the lounge later, Pablo has promised darts, beer, and the football match on the big screen. You haven’t lived until you’ve seen Italians watch soccer, gals.”
“Sounds fun,” Georgia said.
“Yeah, I’ll stop by, Mom,” Paige said as she led Georgia to the courtyard. Once the pair was out of earshot, Paige gave Georgia an awkward smile. “Thanks for not saying anything.”
“Yeah, you asked me to buy a pregnancy test and now you’re drinking water,” Georgia said. “I’m not saying anything, but, um . . . yeah.”
“I threw up on your towel too, and you never said a word. I was really hoping it was a false alarm, but . . .” Paige said. “Only you and Kyle know, OK. I’d like to keep it that way for a while.”
“Kyle, the redhead, huh?” Georgia asked. “He’s huge.”
“He’s my doctor, not the dad,” Paige said, shuffling along the path.
“Hey, it’s really none of my business,” Georgia demurred.
“It’s OK, I’m about to really butt into your business, so ask whatever you want,” Paige said weakly. “I made a promise that I’d talk to you.”
“Does this have anything to do with your great-grandfather? I should have brought the wine,” Georgia sighed. “I wonder if that whiskey is still lying around in the garden.”
She stared hopefully at the bench area, but sadly saw nothing but fallen petals on the ground. “Did Steve send you . . . because he knows I won’t listen to him?”
“Yes, actually,” Paige replied. “I got the whole story… well, his side of it. I watched his vampire dad show him a contract where Steve’s supposed to marry you.”
“I don’t have a choice in the matter,” Georgia said. She stopped and shrugged. “I guess you of all people can understand that.”
“Thanks,” Paige said wistfully. They paced for a while. “Steve is an idiot sometimes, but he means well. He’s just as forced into this mess as you.”
“He’s your great-grandpa,” Georgia said. “I’m pretty sure you’d believe whatever bullshit he tells you. I’m sorry, but he just benefits way too much—”
“Oh yeah, he benefits, right?” Paige said dryly. “He gets you hating him, the other vampires laughing at him, and a target on his back if the Pendragon family gets pissed.”
“Yeah, well Arthur doesn’t remember me, so that argument is moot,” Georgia replied bitterly. “I appreciate the effort, but I’m not quite ready to turn the other cheek, but you can tell Steve . . . you can tell him that I don’t hate him. I’m just numb, and I’m frustrated, and angry . . . and he’s the easiest target right now. I’m simply not that good a person. Maybe one day I will be.”
Paige tilted her head and stared at the moon. Georgia gave her a bit of the side-eye, waiting for her to howl or transform or something, but instead the little werewolf just shrugged.
“I’ll think about what you said. After all, Steve isn’t smart enough or devious enough to pull a stunt like this, right?” Georgia offered. “How about a nice quiet night of darts and football? You know, one little bit of normalcy in a world full of vampires and werewolves?”
“Yeah,” Paige said. “I could really use that right now.”
The ended up hanging out in the lounge until close to midnight, laughing with the servants and mocking the overzealous commentators. Just as Georgia finally relaxed and sank into the sofa with a big glass of wine and some biscotti, a massive chime rang from the front of the house.
“Who could it be at this hour?” Maria asked. The fine young gentleman she was lounging against, Pablo, made a reassuring gesture and slipped away from her.
Georgia noticed Paige breathe a sigh of relief as her mom and the younger man were separated. “Awkward,” Georgia muttered. Just as she was taking a sip, she saw a flicker in the shadows of the lounge. A pair of concerned-looking aqua eyes stared from the shadows.
Georgia excused herself and slipped in the hall. As soon as she was alone, a tattooed hand grabbed her arm. “Bob!” she hissed. “What is—?”
“We have company,” he said, trying to drag her toward her room. “You need to get out of sight, now.”
“You,” Georgia heard Paige growl behind her. “Let go of her.”
“Hide, now!” Bam-Yin hissed. Paige sniffed the air and the amber in her irises soon expanded across her eyes. Georgia gasped as she saw ten claws pop out.
“Get out of sight, woman,” Bam-Yin warned again. He then started dragging Georgia again. Paige made a beeline for the stairs.
“What is going on?” Georgia asked as Bam-Yin unceremoniously dumped her in her room.
“Unexpected guests. Please, Florida, just stay here, and don’t make a sound. I’m begging you,” Bam-Yin said with an urgency Georgia had never seen before. She nodded and sat on her bed.
“I asked, didn’t I?” Georgia whispered as she waited. “I dared to ask.”
After about an hour of terrible silence, there was a tiny tap on her door. “It’s just Estella,” Georgia heard.
Georgia let out a deep sigh of relief. “Is everything OK?” she called back.
“Yes, the master wished me to summon you,” she said. “Everything is fine.”
Georgia quickly straightened her hair and T-shirt. Estella smiled as she led Georgia toward the wing with Klaus’s study and offices.
“The master is waiting in the upstairs library,” Estella said, not looking Georgia’s way. Her voice quivered slightly. “Please, go on ahead while I find the others.”
“Are you OK?” Georgia asked, but Estella had already wandered off. Georgia let out a deep breath and muttered, “What could Klaus possibly need now?”
She pushed her way into the library. A pair of shocked brown eyes stared at her. “Steve?” she mouthed. Her head swirled as she saw a man with salt and pepper hair sitting on the little loveseat in the room. She held her breath as she saw a rather unsettled Bam-Yin Lung standing in one corner. Klaus rose to his feet from behind the desk.
“You summoned me?” Georgia asked, she turned her gaze to the other figure seated on the loveseat. Her jaw quivered as she saw a thick, black ponytail and an impeccable suit collar.
“Actually, I did,” a soft, British-accented voice said. The man with the ponytail rose to his feet and turned to show off his heartbreakingly familiar face and now inhumanly bright green eyes. “I asked for the former servant that is being harbored here. I assume you have the others hiding about, Old Friend.”
“Ren,” Georgia whispered. She stared at his suit, the long hair and the ancient Roman sword strapped to his hip. “Arthur.”
“Lord Arthur Pendragon, King of the Britons,” he said genially. He looked Georgia up and down. His smile turned slightly snide.
“Nice hair.”
“Really, must we endure a human?” The Jaeger asked dryly. “Unless you want refreshment, of course.”
“Oh, brother, stop being so old-fashioned. Humans are entertaining,” Arthur said. He extended his hand toward Georgia. “I’m judging by your accent that you’re American, but you should still have the manners to introduce yourself.”
“G-Georgia . . . Sutherland,” she stammered out. “I served Mr. Lambley for a while.”
“Yes, he speaks of you often, Miss Sutherland. It’s hard to believe that you would simply abandon him. It’s funny - Geoffrey insists that I know you, but I’m sure I’d remember a girl like you. You must have . . . not left much of an impression. Perhaps that awful hair is a good idea.”
“Very nice to meet you. Now if you will excuse me,” Georgia said, fighting the tears in her eyes.
“Stop!” Arthur commanded, but Georgia ran for the door. She had made it halfway through the courtyard when she heard a more insistent, “I ordered you to stop, woman.”
Georgia whirled around. Arthur raised an eyebrow.
“That’s better,” he said. “I wasn’t done talking to you.”
“I was done talking to you,” Georgia snapped instinctively. Arthur narrowed his eyes.
“You know, there are some vampires who would strike you down for such insolence, woman. You are lucky I am in a merciful mood, and that I am grateful for all you did to help my grandson.”
“The others—” Georgia said.
“I ordered the others to stay. Unlike you, they understand what a command means,” Arthur sighed. “It is strange though, I’m not used to people defying me. It’s almost refreshing.”
“Why are you . . . um, may I ask why you are here, your highness?” Georgia asked, trying her best to soften her breaking voice.
“You seem so upset to see me, woman,” he said, taking a step toward her.
“My name is Georgia.”
“I’ll call you what I like, woman,” he said, a dangerous twinkle in his eye. “A little birdy told me that my dear friend and ally was hosting a party with a few vampire lords. I thought I’d drop by, especially after rumors that the young master Jaeger had shown up. The last time that I saw him, he was leaving with my enemies. I heard that you went with him. This is very alarming. Young Geoffrey has been beside himself. You didn’t say goodbye. So tell me, why are you here, woman?”