by Ashlyn Chase
Brandee snorted. “How on earth would I let ‘My boyfriend is a werewolf’ slip into any conversation?”
Anthony smiled. “I guess you have a point.”
Nick began to strip. “Last chance to change your mind, hon.”
She sucked in a breath. “What are you doing?”
“If I’m dressed when I shift, I’ll tear my clothes.”
She turned to Anthony. “Have you seen him shift before?”
Anthony shook his head.
“What about Nick’s dignity? If he has to gear down to his birthday suit, maybe you should look away.”
Nick rolled his eyes. “There’s nothing dignified about this process, Brandee. In fact, I should warn you—it’s a little painful.”
“How painful?”
“I imagine it’s similar to childbirth. I’ll be fine afterward.”
“Really? It’s that bad?”
“Well, not quite. It only lasts a minute or so. Considering labor can go on for hours or days, in that way I’m lucky, I guess.”
He continued to undress, swiveling so his back was to them before removing his underwear. As soon as he was naked, Brandee heard some cracking sounds. He fell to his hands and knees. Nick’s spine seemed to rise, becoming more visible just under his skin.
Dear God! It’s just like a horror movie.
Hair sprouted all over, filling in slowly. A few popping noises accompanied a change to his legs and arms. He shivered.
“Stop!” It had to be painful. More painful than he had let on. She grabbed Anthony’s arm and shook it. “Stop him. I-I don’t want him to go through this anymore.”
“I don’t know if he can,” Anthony said.
A buff-colored tail sprouted from Nick’s coccyx. At last, he seemed fully formed. He turned to face them and sat on his haunches. A moment later, he sported what looked like a grin, with his tongue lolling out over one side of his powerful jaw, and he panted as if he’d just run around the block.
She’d never seen a wolf up close. He was magnificent. His coat was a beige color with dark brown markings on his head and around his eyes.
“Are you frickin’ kidding me?” Brandee whispered.
“He can hear you, you know. In fact, his hearing is better now than in his human form.”
Nick lifted himself to all fours and slowly approached her.
“He—he knows who I am, right?” Then she remembered Nick could hear everything she said and addressed him directly. “You won’t take a chunk out of me, will you, boy?”
He shook his head.
“Okay…”
The beautiful wolf moved closer. At last, Brandee reached out a shaky hand and patted his soft fur.
“I’m sure he knows you. You’re his mate.”
“Yeah, so I heard. He said he chose me.” But why didn’t I get a choice?
“Then you’re a lucky woman.”
The jury is still out on that.
Chapter 15
The following day Brandee didn’t have to work. Ordinarily she’d spend her day off taking pictures or setting up her bathroom as a makeshift darkroom, then experimenting with new artistic techniques. But today, everything had changed. She had no desire to tackle her passion. She needed time to let the recent turn of events sink in. And she needed a change of scenery.
She had explained that to Nick, and he seemed to understand. He suggested she talk to his sister-in-law and gave Roz’s phone number to her. Then he promised to leave her alone for twenty-four hours.
Part of her wanted to get away—permanently. Just skip town and live on a beach somewhere down south. But avoidance wouldn’t help in the long run. Besides, she loved Nick.
She stared at the phone number in her hand and wondered what kind of woman would knowingly marry a werewolf. Moreover, she had to figure out if she was that kind of woman—not that Nick had proposed or anything. Apparently, he knew better than to do that. But this marking thing…wasn’t that similar?
She had too many questions and not enough confidants. She took a deep breath and sighed. At least if she talked to this Roz person, she might come away with a little more insight.
Brandee lifted her cell phone and dialed the number she’d been given. After two rings, a woman answered.
“H’lo?”
“Um—hi. My name is Brandee. I’m looking for Roz Wolfensen.”
“You’ve got her.”
“Oh. Hi, Roz. I’m your brother-in-law Nick’s friend. He suggested I call you.”
After a brief hesitation, the woman asked, “You’re just his friend?”
“Well, no. I’m his girlfriend—I guess.”
“He said you might call and need to talk. Feeling a bit confused?”
Brandee plopped onto her couch. “Man, am I ever.”
“Are you okay?”
“Um…”
“Oh, boy,” Roz said. “Maybe we should talk in person. Are you free this afternoon?”
“I’m available all day.”
“Good. I have an appointment this morning, but we could meet for coffee around one. Do you want to come here?”
“Sure.” That’s one way to get out of town and face this predicament at the same time.
“Good. Do you know how to get to Riverside on the T?” Roz asked.
“That’s like the last stop on the Green Line, right?”
“Yup. I’ll meet you there.”
“I’ll aim for one, but with the subway, you never know. If I’m a few minutes late, I’ll be there shortly.”
Roz chuckled. “Good. I’m glad you said that. If you were late, I might have wondered if you’d just decided to blow town instead.”
How did she know what I was thinking? “Yeah, I kind of considered that already.”
“So did I. If it’s any consolation, I’m very glad I stayed. It gets better.”
I hope so.
***
Nick was having the worst time concentrating. Not good, considering he was about to meet Konrad’s old neighbor, Sly—a vampire. Why the hell had he marked Brandee so soon?
He spotted the beautiful brownstone on Beacon Street in which Sly and his new wife, Morgaine, lived. He took the steps two at a time and located the buzzer, but before he pressed it, a woman spoke over the intercom.
“Nick? Is that you?”
“Yeah. How did you know?”
“I’m psychic. Oh, and your brother called ahead. Come on up. When you get to the third floor, we’re the door on your right.”
The buzzer sounded, and he yanked open the heavy wood-and-glass door. The familiar lobby of white marble and dark mahogany crown molding greeted him. He hadn’t been there often, preferring to meet Konrad at obscure restaurants.
His brother had to keep a low profile back in those days for a number of reasons. He had been kicked out of their pack and didn’t want anyone to know where he’d gone. But more importantly, he was breaking into Boston businesses so Nick could come in the next day and sell the frightened owners a security system. That was the business Nick had alluded to when Brandee asked how he could afford such a nice place.
Since Konrad had met Roz, the woman who inspired him to “go straight,” Nick’s leads had dried up. That was fine, though. Now that he was with Brandee, having the extra time to spend with her was more important than money.
Nick took the elevator and found the apartment with 3B in brass letters on the door to the right. He had just raised his fist to knock when a pretty blond opened the door.
Her eyes widened. “My, oh my. You look just like him.”
“Konrad and I are identical twins.”
“Cool. I’m Morgaine—one of a kind.” She chuckled. “Come in. Sly will be up in a moment.”
“Oh, I didn’t know he was asleep. Don’t wake him.”
&nb
sp; Morgaine laughed. “I meant he’ll be coming upstairs. He’s in the basement right now.”
Nick followed her inside the small but tidy apartment.
“Have a seat. Can I get you something to drink?”
Nick spotted a bottle of red wine. “I don’t suppose you could spare a glass of wine.”
Morgaine wrinkled her nose. “You don’t want that kind. It has blood in it.”
Blood wouldn’t bother a carnivore like him, but he supposed it must be their food. He’d survive until he got to a coffee shop. “Are you a vampire too?” he asked.
“Yes.” She smiled. “Sly turned me shortly before our handfasting…at my request. He had already grieved for one wife. I didn’t want him to go through it again.”
“Handfasting? Are you witches too?”
“I am. Sly’s Catholic. Can you imagine that? A Catholic vampire?”
Nick had to admit these vampires defied all the stereotypes. “So are all vampires capable of being awake during the day?”
“No. There’s a secret ingredient in our wine that makes it possible. It also slakes the bloodlust. As long as we get some of it each day, we’re almost normal.”
“Who’s normal?” asked a pale, dark-haired man in the doorway.
“Oh, Sly. This is Nick, Konrad’s twin brother.”
“No kidding,” Sly said. “I could have easily mistaken you for Konrad. How is our old friend, anyway?”
“He’s great. He and Roz got married recently.”
“We heard. Actually, they invited us to the wedding, but we didn’t want to make anyone uncomfortable. I guess some werewolves are still very antivampire.”
“I know, and that’s so foolish. If you two are interested, you should stop by the bar where my girlfriend works. It’s on Charles Street. The place is called Boston Uncommon. It’s a safe place for paranormals of all kinds to socialize.”
Sly gave her a sideways glance. “It would be good for both of us to get out together.”
She folded her hands in her lap and gazed at them.
There’s something they’re not saying. “Oh, well. The place is always there if you decide to give it a try.”
“Yes. Thank you for bringing it to our attention,” Sly said.
Nick cleared his throat. “Well, on to the reason I’m here. I’m a private investigator working on a case that involves a paranormal perpetrator—possibly a vampire.”
“I’m intrigued,” Sly said. “How can I help?”
“The perp robs banks while the vault is open and only while it’s open. No one sees a thing. I slowed down some video footage and saw a dark gray blur. I thought because vampires can run at speeds that essentially make them invisible, perhaps that’s what we were dealing with.”
Sly raised his eyebrows. “Did you think I might be able to test this theory?”
Nick took in a deep breath and hoped for the best. “Yes.”
“Wow.” Sly scratched his head and his brows knit. “I haven’t flown that often. I’d be willing to try it, as long as everything is arranged ahead of time and I won’t get arrested.”
“Don’t worry. We have the cooperation of the police force. A test will be set up for a Sunday when you’re free, not during business hours. Can you do it?”
He shrugged. “Like I said, I can try.”
“How about tomorrow?”
“Sure. I’m available.”
Morgaine put a hand on his knee. “I don’t know, hon. This sounds impossible.” She focused on Nick. “How would the thief manage to get in and out of the building without being seen? I can’t imagine no one would notice the door opening by itself.”
“Good point,” Sly said. “Has your video footage captured anything that would account for that?”
“No. That’s why I need to test the full theory. I can only imagine he slips in as a customer opens the door, then makes a grab and runs around the perimeter until another customer opens the door.”
“I’m sorry, but that sounds crazy,” Morgaine said. “I doubt either of us could pull that off.”
“Unless he had an accomplice,” Sly said. “Someone to open the door and stand out of the way at the precise time the vampire needed to enter, then to reopen it when the vampire needed to leave.”
Nick shook his head. “We ruled that out. None of the cameras captured a consistent person at each of the heists.”
Sly rose and paced. “If I were to pull this off, I might mesmerize a random customer in the parking lot to open the door at precise times.”
Nick sighed. “We thought of that too. The cops set up long-distance cameras covering all angles outside. They didn’t capture anything like that in the parking lots.”
Sly paused in his pacing. “Did any of the customers look mesmerized?”
“We checked. It’s hard to detect a non-blinking person on a video. That’s the only telltale sign I could think of.”
Sly smiled at Morgaine. “Remember when I tried to mesmerize you and couldn’t?”
She chuckled. “Yeah. I wondered what was wrong with you. You kept staring at me and your eyes changed colors. It was bizarre.”
“I already knew you were special. I just didn’t know it meant you were my beloved.”
Morgaine grinned back at him. “In more ways than one.”
Nick glanced from one to the other. “Your beloved? You say that like it’s a special thing, like werewolf mates.”
“It is.”
“I’ve never heard that term. What does it mean?”
Sly settled next to Morgaine again and squeezed her knee. “There’s one special woman for every vampire. Some are never lucky enough to find that person. When it happens, it means, ‘Look no further. You’ve found your equal.’”
“Kind of like a werewolf finding his one true mate.”
“Exactly,” Sly said.
Nick nodded. “I get it. Konrad and Roz are perfect examples. They can even communicate telepathically.”
“So can we,” Morgaine said. “Don’t worry. We try not to do it when we’re with other people unless it’s absolutely necessary. It’s kind of rude, like whispering behind someone’s back.”
Nick frowned. “I wish I could communicate with Brandee that way. I don’t know why we can’t.”
After a brief silence, Sly asked, “Are you sure she’s your mate?”
Morgaine raised her eyebrows and shot Sly an intense stare. Nick imagined her telling him to keep his big mouth shut.
Sly quickly added, “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said anything. I know nothing about you two.”
Nick leaned back in his chair. “Don’t worry about it. I asked myself the same question. Telepathy is a rare thing among my kind, so I’m not worried just because it hasn’t happened to us. I knew Brandee was my mate the first time I kissed her.” And now I’ve marked her as my life-mate, and I won’t find another. If she dumps me, I’m screwed.
Nick rose. “Well, I should get going. Are you still willing to do the dry run of a bank robbery tomorrow?”
Sly chuckled. “I’d be happy to. It sounds like fun. I’ve never robbed a bank before.” He rose and strolled to the door. “Just let me know when and where.”
“I’ll call with the details. Morgaine, you’re welcome to try it too.”
She rose but didn’t join them by the door. “No. If Sly can’t do it, I certainly can’t. I’ve never flown before. A vampire’s powers increase with age.”
Nick straightened. “You mean if we’re dealing with a very old vampire, he might be able to pull it off, even if Sly can’t?”
Morgaine stared at her beloved. “I suppose so.”
Shit. Was all this for nothing?
“Look, just so you know, I doubt any vampire could pull this off,” Sly said.
And if that’s the case, it’s bac
k to the drawing board.
Chapter 16
Roz seemed like a wonderful woman. Smart, levelheaded, put together…all words Brandee wouldn’t use to describe herself. But to be fair, Roz had adjusted to the idea of werewolves a while ago, and Brandee’d had less than a day.
“I’m glad you came.” Roz opened the door and led her into a cozy apartment.
Roz offered her a seat in the living room and asked if she could get her some coffee or tea.
“Either one is fine, but no milk or cream, please.”
“I’ll make some tea, then. Are you still freaking out?”
Brandee nodded.
Roz held up one finger. “I’ll be back in a flash.”
“It’s not like you can’t take your eyes off me. I’m not going to do anything crazy.”
Roz laughed. “I’m sorry. I’m not laughing at you. I’m laughing at myself. You seem to be handling this better than I did.”
Brandee stared at her. “Seriously? I feel like a mangled mess of nerves right now.”
“I was so not handling it well when I first found out. In fact, I was dissolving in big puddles of tears. But that was then; this is now, as they say.” She smiled. “I’ll get the tea started. Feel free to look around.”
Glad Roz had shared that initial reaction, Brandee almost leaped to her feet. She needed to pace, and the wall-to-wall bookshelves seemed like a good place to do that while pretending to look at titles.
Her first impression of the apartment was neat and tidy, but there was more to it than that. A grouping of comfortable furniture surrounded a fireplace, which was clean, but not too clean. The blackened surround meant it had obviously been used, and split wood was stacked in the grate, as if just waiting for a chilly evening.
The book collection seemed well cared for and even loved. The volumes were grouped according to size. A special vase or statue broke up the volumes occasionally. Many were hardcovers, and their creased spines meant all had been read at least once. A few were leather-bound classics. Some she had read, but most she had to admit she’d only heard of. War and Peace? Who actually read that?
Apparently these folks did.
Roz returned with a tray of bone china cups and saucers, plus a plate of scones. The kind with clotted cream and jam Brandee loved but rarely treated herself to.