by Cecy Robson
I shook my head. Her problem was that she never considered herself desirable. It wasn’t her fault. Her inner tigress scared anything human and made her unapproachable. That changed when a certain sexy vampire and a royal-among-werewolves crossed her path.
Too bad that royal werewolf turned into a royal douche.
Celia straightened and her face lit up when I stepped out from beneath the archway.
“Hey. What are you doing here?” she asked.
I shrugged. “Just wanted to surprise you.” Truthfully, I hadn’t called or texted because I wanted to catch her unprepared—see if she was really “all right” as she claimed. My sisters and I—and, hey, even our friends, too—were worried about Celia. Not just because of the whole Aric fiasco, but because of who she turned to during her lowest point.
Misha caught the underlying white lie beneath my half-truth. He raised an elegant brow, but didn’t call me on it. “Good afternoon, Taran,” he said, the allure in his voice sweeping along my skin to cop a feel. He took in my appearance, giving a rather long and thorough glance.
So, you’re not so enamored with Celia, are you, Drac?
No sooner did the thought cross my mind than his eyes wandered back to her. I couldn’t help my laugh, knowing that short of standing there naked I was no match for Little Miss Golden Tigress.
Misha rose, cutting Celia off when she was almost to me. Tim was suddenly there. Man, that super speed really wigged me out. “Nothing, Master,” he said.
“You’re certain?” Misha asked him.
“A full sweep was conducted. No presence of demons was detected.”
“Demons?” Celia asked, her attention flicking back to me.
I shrugged like it was no biggie, even though I struggled to keep from cringing. “We heard some flapping outside the gates. And, ah, a couple of eaten humans were discovered on the Nevada side. The weres suspect demons and such.”
Yeah. That went over well.
“It was probably a bird—an owl or something,” I offered when her tigress eyes replaced her human ones. It was a trick she’d pulled more than once, but it gave me pause every time.
Celia lulled her tigress back to sleep, her normal eyes returning once more to meet Tim’s gaze. “The vamps didn’t see or smell anything unusual?”
He waited before responding. “No. If anything was there, it’s gone now.”
“Set up patrols outside the grounds,” Misha said in a tone that sounded easy, but was packed to the gills with command.
“Yes, Master,” Tim responded.
His disappearance seemed to lift the tension the word demon had stirred. For all their power, demons and their babies avoided Tahoe’s magic like poison. And Misha’s pad had a front-and-center view of the lake. So for now, maybe it could’ve been an owl I’d heard.
Or at least I hoped it was. Nothing was like it seemed anymore.
Celia continued forward and drew me into a hug. “It’s good to see you.” She pulled away, holding me at arm’s length. “No demons, right? You didn’t see anything?”
I tilted my head. “That’s right.”
“Then why do I smell your magic?” Her nose crinkled and she knitted her brow. “And why does it smell angry?”
I flipped back my hair. “Nothing to worry about. A new vamp decided he wanted to have a taste. I decided I didn’t want to let him.”
All it took was a look from Misha and the vamps lounging near us righted themselves and swooshed past me. Within seconds, one of the kinkier ones dressed like a naughty Catholic schoolgirl returned, dragging the vamp in question by the foot and dropping him directly in front of Celia.
“Here you go, Master. Tootles.” She gave a little pinky wave and bounced away in a wild pair of killer leopard stilettos. For all I grumbled about the naughty Catholics, they had excellent taste in footwear.
Once more, Celia’s tigress eyes returned to the surface. “This him?” she asked me.
At my nod, she yanked him to his feet by the collar and hissed. She wasn’t as hostile as Tim, but I could still sense the rage. The vamp hissed back. He wasn’t afraid of Celia. But he should have been. And shit was he ever scared of Misha.
The vamp’s glare lessened in severity as he caught Misha stalking forward. Trembles racked his body hard enough to rattle his withdrawing fangs with each of his master’s encroaching steps.
“Kitten,” Misha said to Celia. “Take some time to entertain your sister. I will see to young Sal’s discipline.”
I held up a hand. “Misha, it’s not a big deal. It won’t happen again.”
Misha regarded him carefully. “You are correct. It most certainly won’t happen again.”
Whatever she sensed in Misha’s features made Celia loosen her hold. The vamp slumped to his knees, bowing before his master. Celia stepped past him to place her arm around me. “Come on. Let’s head to the guesthouse.”
Celia encouraged me to hurry with a firm press to my lower back. We stepped through the doors leading out to the terrace. She took my purse, allowing me to shrug back into my coat when a strong gust of wind blew snow from the morning’s dusting across the flat stone and around my boots. Once outside she continued to rush us ahead, down the steps and through the path leading into the garden.
“So what’s Count Hotness going to do to him?”
A bloodcurdling scream had me whipping back toward the house and stirred flickers of lightning to zap from my nails. “That,” Celia answered. She shook her head, continuing forward. “I was hoping we’d make it to the house before he killed him.”
“Misha killed Sal for trying to get a taste of me? In all fairness, I can’t blame the poor bastard for wanting a bite. I’m like a tall glass of O positive to your peeps.”
She shook her head. “Misha killed him for disobeying. We—you, me, Emme, and Shayna—are off limits. He’s made that more than clear, I assure you.”
I reached for the handle of my purse when she offered it. “But he didn’t even know who I was.”
“It doesn’t matter. He should have asked. Taran, this whole crap with the Tribe has raised the danger factor and fueled paranoia. No one’s safe. You could’ve been a threat to Misha, or his family. In failing to question you, he could have put the entire compound at risk.”
“So he deserves to, like, re-die? No time-out—no going to bed without a flaming redhead with big jugs?”
Celia’s expression split between darkness and sadness. “This is their way, Taran. I don’t condone many things that go on here. But there are practices and beliefs among the undead that have remained in place since the dawn of time. Insubordination could potentially lead to human fatality—”
“Or Misha’s ass in a sling.”
She shrugged. “That, too. Which is why discipline usually results in death, and why the exterior grounds will be watched until Misha is satisfied that no threat exists.”
“All right, I get it.” I gathered the collar of my coat around me when another gust of wind blew through the pines. I did sort of understand where the blood squad was coming from, and if I were one of them, maybe I wouldn’t have been as skeeved. But I’m not a vamp, so yeah, I was pretty creeped out. “Seems like a real cozy place to live, Ceel.”
Celia stared ahead, offering me a weak smile. “It’s not usually this violent. The vampires feed away from me, and Misha’s family is so devoted to him, he rarely needs to enforce the rules.” She prowled ahead. “But like I said, thanks to the war, nothing’s like it once was. It’s just what it needs to be.”
As the trees thinned, I caught sight of the guesthouse and the sprawling view of Tahoe. “Home sweet home, then?”
She didn’t bother to smile when she answered. “Misha has gone out of his way to make me feel welcome, yet despite his kindness and good intentions, this will never be my home.”
“Then why do you stay?” I asked.
“Because for good or for bad it’s my new life, and one I willingly chose. I know it’s hard for you to un
derstand,” she added when she caught my frown. “But I’m trying to embrace it for all the good I can do, and see it as a gift to help others.”
Celia meant what she said, yet the sadness in her voice was as palpable as the snow the wind brushed from overhanging pine branches. Regardless of her intentions, we both knew if Aric hadn’t left her, no way would she be here with Misha.
“I wish things could be different,” I told her. I meant that. I was close to all my sisters, but Celia was my best friend. Nothing was the same since she’d moved out. It was as if there was a piece of me missing. But damn, I still had Shayna and Emme. Celia had Agnes Concepción, Edith Anne, Liz, and Maria—the vamps who dressed like naughty schoolgirls and rarely wore panties.
She pushed open the door to the guesthouse and stepped through.
I quirked a brow. “You don’t lock your door?”
My comment made her laugh. “I have vamps capable of filleting beings with their fangs guarding the grounds. Trust me, they’re more effective than a deadbolt.” She kicked her old canvas sneakers off while I stomped my leather boots clean. Celia’s inner kitty made her metabolism ridiculously fast and kept her warm despite the frigid temperature. But even she had her limits. For crying out loud, she was only wearing a tank top.
She crossed the kitchen and into the small family room, slumping onto the couch perched directly in front of the fireplace. I placed my coat on a hook by the door and sat beside her. “So,” she said. “To what do I owe the pleasure?”
I didn’t realize how upset I was until I spit the words out. “Gem and I had a fight.”
She pulled out the hair band that was barely containing her long curls. They spilled over her shoulders in a cascade of loose ringlets. “About what?”
“Well, he’s hurt that I still don’t want him to claim me and upset because I don’t want to meet his parents.”
“He wants to introduce you to his parents?”
“Yeah. He does,” I admitted quietly. I lifted my head to find Celia staring back at me like I was too stupid to breathe. “What?”
She crossed her arms. “Is this the part where you expect me to feel sorry for you?”
Usually I was the pissy one, so her reaction rekindled my anger. “What’s your problem?”
Angry tears brimmed in her eyes. “No, Taran. What’s your problem? Jeez, you can be so completely selfish. Here you sit, all upset because the guy who’s madly in love with you—who treats you like angels dropped you in his arms—wants to commit to you forever.”
“Celia—”
She pointed at me. “And not only that, but he’s so proud to have you as his partner, he wants to show you off to his family.”
“But—”
She stood then. “Do you know that I would do anything to have what you have? Do you know you’re living my ultimate fantasy, but are too dense to appreciate it?”
My jaw dropped. I should have talked to Shayna and Emme rather than dumping this on Celia’s lap. Although it was close to Thanksgiving, and Aric had cut her loose almost three months ago, the pain was as raw as the day he told her goodbye. She was right. I was pretty selfish.
“Sorry,” I said, my voice cracking.
She gathered her long mane, holding it back and appearing to think things through. “I’m sorry, too. It’s hard for me to be objective. And I shouldn’t be shoving my problems onto you.” She dropped her hands and lowered herself beside me. “But it doesn’t mean I don’t care, or that your situation is any less important.”
I stared out the large picture window. Small flakes floated gently from the graying skies only to spin in the passing breeze. “It’s not that I don’t love Gemini, or that he’s not the best thing to ever walk into my life. It’s just that…” I couldn’t finish my thought. By that point, I was simply too embarrassed. Compared to what Celia was going through, my issues seemed so stupid.
“It’s just what?” Celia asked. Her husky voice had softened. She didn’t like fighting with me, either.
I gnawed on my bottom lip. “I don’t want to get hurt,” I blurted. “You know that this thing with him could crush me if it becomes too serious and it doesn’t work out.”
Her full lips formed a thin line. She knew what I meant because things hadn’t worked out with Aric the way she’s hoped. “It’s already serious, Taran.”
“Not as much as it could be,” I admitted. “I haven’t let him in all the way. My past—our past—I…The walls are up, and I prefer them that way.” I didn’t look at her as I continued. “You told Aric everything—what you went through—what it did to you. He saw how it affected you, and he knew what it must have taken for you to let him in.” I stopped right there because I knew I’d said too much.
“And he still walked away,” she finished for me.
I glanced up in time to see her heart breaking. She may have been facing me, but the distance in her expression told me she was remembering. “Yeah,” I said.
“So if you give yourself completely to him, it would hurt that much more if he left you.”
I nodded because that was all I could do then, considering the agony in her voice. “What if he doesn’t leave you?” she asked. “What if this is forever and you’re giving up the opportunity to be happy?”
“Ceel, if life has taught me anything, it’s that happiness can be ripped away in a second. Pain is raw, real, and can last forever.”
Shayna would have argued that happiness could last forever, too. But this was Celia. What happiness she’d managed was stolen from her even though she didn’t deserve the loss. For a moment, we waited in silence, the crackling flames from the fire the only sound.
When she finally spoke, she managed a small smile. “Is there someone else?”
I tilted my head, surprised she’d even ask. “Of course not.”
Her widening smile made it clear she was trying to make a point. “Do you want there to be?”
“No.”
She hugged her knees and rested her chin against them. “Then let me ask you again: What’s your problem? I get that you don’t want to get hurt. I get that you’re scared. But you have to give me a little more than that.”
“I’m not ready for marriage,” I added truthfully. My eyes stung when I caught the hurt that erased her smile. Maybe I shouldn’t have said what I did, but I couldn’t help it. “The claim, the bond it creates, in the end, it won’t mean anything if he leaves me.”
“Maybe not,” she said slowly. “But I think you owe yourself, and him, that chance.”
I locked stares with her. “This could end really badly, couldn’t it?”
She bowed her head, taking a moment to gather herself. “It could, but maybe in your case it won’t.”
I swore and rubbed my eyes. “I wish I could go through with this claim, Ceel, but I’m afraid I can’t.”
“Then don’t, Taran. If it feels this wrong, you’re clearly not ready.”
It did feel wrong, and scary, and—yeah, scary. “The thing is, I don’t think I’ll ever be ready,” I admitted.
She tilted her head as she considered me. “Maybe. Maybe not,” she said. “But I hope so, because I think a lot of good can come from it.” She leaned in closer. “The one thing I’m sure of is that if that moment comes, you’re going to know it, and you’re going to own it.”
“But if it doesn’t come, where will that leave me and my wolf?”
“Still in love,” she said, her resolve seconds from crumbling. She swiveled in the direction of the fireplace, watching the flames dance in the hearth. “Claim or not, your love will remain.”
“I’m not so sure Gemini would agree.”
She faced me then. “Taran, despite Gem’s frustrations and the needs of his beasts, he would never force you to do anything.” She watched me for a beat. “But at the very least, meet him halfway and allow him the honor of introducing you to his parents. What’s the worst that could happen?”
Maybe she was right. Relationships were all about g
ive and take. So that meant maybe I needed to give, at least when it came to his folks. I sighed. “Can I ask you something that will likely skewer your heart and roast it over the fiery pits of hell?”
She laughed despite herself. “After that setup, sure, why not?”
“If you could go back to the night Aric claimed you, would you change anything?” Like kick him in the balls when he tried?
Celia’s devastated expression met mine, but she managed a small smile. “Not a damn thing,” she said.
Chapter 5
Celia and I talked over lunch. Although she’d likely eaten a full meal with Misha, my girl knew how to put it away. Most of our conversation turned to small talk, but it was the advice she gave me that I clung to. She wanted me to meet Gemini’s parents. That much was clear. As I thought about how she looked in my rearview mirror as I pulled out of vamp camp, so physically strong but so emotionally shattered, I thought maybe girlfriend was kind of a masochist.
Loved sucked bear balls.
And Liam probably ate them.
Instead of heading back to Dollar Point, I cut left and toward the mountain. I needed to see Gemini and simply tell him I would…be honored— No, not honored. That I would love— Great, there was that word again. That I’d meet his folks. There. That was all I had to say.
Now, if only God could kill me before I actually had to say it.
My loyal Subaru trekked up the winding mountain path until I reached the Den gates. This was the only way in, at least for me. The hundred-plus acres encompassing the property were surrounded by high walls and guarded more heavily than Misha’s pad. I was allowed through without incident, but was then forced to flip off the were guard when he muttered something to his buddy about me being “the vamp tramp’s sister.”
With a poof of blue and white, I waved my flaming finger as I drove off. “Eat fleas and die, Marmaduke!” I yelled. Was it the classiest thing I could have done? Probably not. But like I mentioned, don’t mess with my family.