Enchanted Immortals Series Box Set: Books 1-4 plus Novella

by C. J. Pinard

  Didn’t really see the point.

  Needless to say, he wouldn’t be getting a private dance for his welcome home party, but Jonathan decided he’d take him to another gentleman’s club for some fun.

  “Are you serious? We’re going in here?” Thomas groaned, looking at the sign outside the club. “I just want to go home and sleep!”

  Jonathan laughed. “Oh, come on. You can sleep when you’re dead. Come in and have a few drinks with me.”

  Thomas sighed, giving up the fight. “Okay.”

  They entered the dimly-lit club and found a seat at a back table. The waitresses were scantily clad so Thomas perked right up.

  A pretty brunette wearing a short pink skirt and a white spaghetti strap top – which was more like a piece of lingerie – stopped at their table. “Hi, boys. What can I get you?”

  “Scotch, neat,” Jonathan said.

  “Um, I’ll have whatever beer is on tap,” Thomas said.

  She smiled at Thomas. “You have an I.D., honey?”

  Thomas handed her his driver’s license. “Twenty-five, huh?” She raised an eyebrow. “Uh, okay, whateva’ you say.” She winked and handed it back to him.

  He put it back in his wallet and slunk down in his seat, folding his arms. Looking at Jonathan, he said, “Being twenty for the rest of eternity is going to blow.”

  The next day, they both woke up hung over, trying to remember the night before. Thomas woke alone in his apartment, still wearing his clothes from the night before.

  He stumbled out of bed and went into the kitchen to make some instant coffee. As he was boiling water in the shiny metal teapot, he wandered over to the front door and opened it. He walked over to Jonathan’s doorstep and stole his newspaper, making a mental note to resume his paper service since he was back in town.

  As he was reading his stolen paper and drinking his black tar-tasting coffee, someone knocked on the door.

  Thomas dragged himself up and answered it. He groaned at Jonathan’s smiling face. He was in a thin blue robe and brown house slippers.

  “How you feeling this morning? You were practically table dancing last night.”

  “What do you want?” Thomas groaned, rubbing his temples.

  Jonathan sat at Thomas’s kitchen table and grabbed the Sports section. “Well for starters, my newspaper. But I’ll let you keep it if you agree to drive me to the doctor.”

  Thomas whipped his head up. “Doctor? Why are you going to a doctor?”

  “I’m getting a vasectomy,” Jonathan replied.

  Thomas looked confused. “What’s that?”

  “It’s a new procedure they can do to make sure I will never father any more children,” Jonathan said.

  Thomas raised both eyebrows then looked at Jonathan like he was crazy.

  “So, we leave at noon,” Jonathan said, getting up from the table.

  Thomas was sitting in the sterile waiting room of the Urology office. Jonathan had only been with the doctor for about thirty minutes when he emerged, a nurse helping him walk out. He was stumbling over his feet and had a huge, stupid grin on his face.

  Thomas immediately went over to help him. “What’s the matter with him?”

  The nurse grabbed the arm that was slung around her shoulder and pulled it off her, slightly panting. “Valium. He won’t be so happy once it wears off, though.” She pulled a folded piece of paper from her pocket and handed it to Thomas. Follow these instructions. Make sure he ices the area intermittently for the next twenty-four hours.

  Thomas made a face. “Uh, okay.”

  CHAPTER 20

  ∞∞∞

  Portland, Oregon – Present Day

  Jonathan emerged from his bedroom wearing his workout clothes. He set his gym bag by the door and went to the kitchen, pulling out the blender and a jug of protein powder. As he was scooping the powder into the blender, Dr. Tyler James came out of his room and looked at Jonathan. He was holding a police scanner.

  “Hey, didn’t you say Thomas and Malina were going to Dom’s Jewels downtown?”

  “Yes, why?” Kathryn asked. She was sitting on a nearby sofa surfing the Internet on an electronic tablet.

  “Because the Portland PD just got called to that location, said there had been a shooting.”

  Jonathan looked at Kathryn, both of their eyes grew wide.

  “We need to go – now!” Jonathan yelled.

  The three of them took the stairs down as fast as they could. They jumped in the white van and broke the speed limit on their way to the jewelry store.

  ∞∞∞

  Malina stepped out of her portal and into pure chaos. Ambulances, police cars, and people were everywhere. She was so distraught, she hadn’t thought about entering through her portal into a discreet area of the store. She got a few strange looks when she appeared out of nowhere from the back of the store. Thankfully, most of the staff were too busy interviewing bystanders and treating the wounded to notice.

  She spotted Thomas on the ground and rushed over. A paramedic was working on him.

  Her eyes filled with tears. “Is he alive?” she asked the paramedic.

  He looked at her and said, “Barely. We are taking him to Providence. You family?”

  “Fiancée,” she squeaked out.

  He eyed her for a minute, then said, “Okay, no problem. You can ride in the ambulance.”

  “Thank you,” she sniffed and pointed at Dom. “Is he going to make it?”

  The paramedic looked down and shook his head. “No, unfortunately he died immediately. Shot right through the heart.”

  She sighed and shook her head.

  As they loaded Thomas onto a gurney, something shiny caught her eye. She went over to where she had been standing when all hell broke loose and spotted her ring on the floor. A small smile found her lips and she mumbled, “Next time, we use the mall.” She slipped the ring back on her finger.

  “Malina!”

  She whipped around when she saw Kathryn, who immediately ran over and hugged her.

  Kathryn could see Malina had been crying. “What happened here?”

  She sniffled again. “Vampires. Joshua and another one came in here and pointed a gun at us.”

  Jonathan and Tyler joined them. Jonathan put his arm around Malina. “Go on.”

  “Well, Pascal was coming. For some reason, Pascal was after Joshua and he panicked. He had a gun,” she broke down, then took a deep breath and continued. “He ordered me to open a portal. I didn’t refuse, but I did hesitate. Then Dom, the owner, pulled out a gun and tried to shoot Joshua, but he missed.”

  “Oh no,” Jonathan said.

  “Yeah, I think it would have been fine had he not done that.”

  “Or been a better shot,” Tyler mumbled.

  Malina grinned humorlessly. “Yeah. So Joshua panicked and shot both Dom and my poor Thomas.” Her voice hitched and the tears started again.

  Jonathan hugged her.

  “After he shot him, all I felt was pure rage. He told me to open a portal, but he didn’t tell me where. I don’t think he cared. All he could think about was getting away from Pascal. He was real panicked about that. So I opened the portal into the Indian desert.”

  Kathryn turned her head to the side. “Why there?”

  Tyler laughed. “I know why. It’s daytime in India.”

  Kathryn gasped. “Oh, my God! Freaking brilliant, Malina!”

  “Yes, well those two vampires won’t be bothering us any longer.” She held up what was left of Joshua’s shirt.

  Just then the paramedic popped his head in the store. “Miss, we’re leaving.”

  She looked at Jonathan. “I was going to ride in the ambulance, but can you give me a ride to the hospital instead?”

  “Of course,” he replied.

  She looked at the young paramedic. “I’ll get a ride, thanks,” she sniffled.

  ∞∞∞

  Brandon McAllister had only been a vampire for a few months. When he was told he had t
o give up his ‘day job’ to join the clan, he simply laughed at Pascal and told him to shove it. Since he didn’t have the sunlight allergy, the shiftwork wouldn’t be a problem and he could still work whenever he wanted.

  Brandon loved being a paramedic. He loved the rush of adrenaline, the blood, the gore, and most of all, he loved saving lives. And now, the added perk of easy accessibility to bags and bags of human blood.

  What more could a baby vamp ask for?

  Pascal was easily convinced to let Brandon keep his day job. And today, he would be even more grateful for his merciful decision.

  “Boss, a word?” Brandon said as he joined Pascal in the balcony of Night Crawlers. He was still in his paramedic uniform and boots.

  “What’s up, mate?”

  Brandon grinned. “I don’t know if this is good news or bad news, but Smith and Joshua are dead.”

  Angel overheard and joined them. “What? What happened?”

  Pascal looked at her and said, “Shut up.” He slid his eyes back to Brandon. “Continue.”

  “I heard those Immortals and that sylph talking in the jewelry store. She opened a portal into the desert and killed them both.”

  Angel sucked in a breath and covered her mouth with her hand – but knew better than to comment.

  Pascal smirked. “Well this is quite the unfortunate turn of events for Joshua.” He looked at Angel, who slunk backward. “It’s unfortunate about Smith, but I suppose he was pretty worthless anyhow.”

  “Yeah, I thought you’d want to know. That sylph was pretty crafty, she had to know it was daytime in India,” Brandon said.

  “Oh yes, that was most certainly on purpose. I’m sure she still remembers the last time she was held at gunpoint and told to open a portal.” Pascal laughed at the memory.

  “Well, I have to get back to work. Oh, and one more thing, before Joshua was killed, he put a bullet in one of those Immortals. His name is Thomas,” Brandon added.

  Pascal perked up. “Oh, is that so?”

  ∞∞∞

  San Francisco – 1951

  Thomas finished making a grilled cheese sandwich and placed it on a glass plate. Pouring a tall glass of milk, he carried it out to Jonathan’s living room, setting it on a TV tray. He went over and turned on their brand new black-and-white television.

  “Damn this hurts!” Jonathan said, squirming where he sat.

  Thomas laughed. “You’re the idiot who thought it would be neat-o to neuter yourself!” He threw an ice pack at Jonathan.

  Thomas took a seat on the sofa next to him while Jonathan sat spread-eagle, holding the ice pack between his legs.

  “Why would you do that anyway?” Thomas asked.

  Jonathan eyed him and said, “You wouldn’t understand, kid.”

  Thomas folded his arms and said, “Try me.”

  “Look, I’ve been married – twice. I’ve already fathered children. I’m tired of worrying it will happen again. I don’t want any more wives and no more kids. I am done with that aspect of life. I don’t need to meet some hot woman and then get trapped by her getting pregnant.”

  “Don’t you get lonely?” Thomas asked.

  Jonathan grinned weakly. “No. I have you.”

  “Funny,” Thomas said unenthusiastically.

  “But in all seriousness, both of my wives died while pregnant. I can’t go through that again. It was two hundred years ago and the pain is still fresh. I don’t want to face that heartache again.”

  Thomas shook his head. “But what if you meet someone and she wants children? You can’t control who you fall in love with.”

  “Oh, yes you can. Just say no, my friend. Women are trouble, especially sylphs. They’re beautiful and enchanting but they are mischievous,” Jonathan said.

  “What do you mean?” Thomas asked, thinking of Malina. He’d only met her a couple of times but thought about her a lot. He considered her the most beautiful creature he had ever seen.

  “My second wife was a sylph.”

  Thomas’s eyes got big. “She was?”

  “Yes, my beautiful, feisty red-haired Emma. Saved her from a vampire attack, just to die later from another.” Jonathan shook his head ruefully. “It was then the Immortals were born.”

  He proceeded to tell Thomas the entire story about the Immortals, the sylphs, his early life in England, his travels to America, and finally, how happy he was when he met Thomas and realized he needed a friend in life.

  The two could have never predicted the adventures they would face together.

  ∞∞∞

  Portland, Oregon – Present Day

  Thomas had survived the gunshot wound. It grazed one chamber of his heart and exited through his back. He was very critical for a few hours, but was eventually discharged from the hospital after only two days. The doctors were ‘astounded’ by his quick healing. Dr. James assured them he was a friend, and he would be well cared for at home.

  A few weeks later, Thomas and Jonathan were getting off work late and heading up to the apartment. Since the engagement, Malina had moved in to Thomas’s room, where they spent lots of happy days and passionate nights getting to know each other at every level possible.

  After Jonathan, Kathryn, Thomas, Malina, and Tyler had a quiet dinner together, they all went into their rooms for the night.

  Kathryn knocked on Jonathan’s door. It was now two a.m. and he wasn’t asleep either. He was lying on his back in the darkness with his arms behind his head, staring at the ceiling.

  “Can’t sleep?” she asked. She was wearing a white ribbed tank top and a pair of silky shorts.

  He eyed her up and down and said, “No. You?”

  “Nope. May I?” she asked, pointing to the bed.

  “Sure.”

  She lay down next to him and laid her head on his chest. “You really scared me, you know.”

  He let out a deep sigh. “I bet. I scared my own self.”

  A tear rolled down her cheek and disappeared into his shirt. “John, I don’t know what I would have done if you had died. You’ve been a part of me for so long. You’re my best friend.”

  He smiled. “I would never leave you alone on purpose. You know that, right?” He stroked her hair.

  She nodded. “Ever think about the past, John?”

  “Of course I do,” he answered huskily.

  She lifted her head and rolled over onto his chest and looked at him. “I miss it.”

  He stared at her for a minute, then pressed his mouth to hers like he knew she wanted him to. He stripped off her tank top and threw it to the floor. He then did the same with his own shirt.

  She ran her hands over his bare chest and traced kisses up his neck, nipping at it with her teeth. Making her way back up to his mouth, she kissed him again. He grabbed her and flipped her over on her back and the two fell into an old, familiar routine that suddenly felt new and exciting again.

  The next morning, as she was exiting the bathroom, Malina eyed Kathryn’s open bedroom door and saw it was empty. She had a worried expression on her face. She went into the bedroom she shared with Thomas and saw he was just waking up. She sat on his side of the bed and he looked up at her.

  “Good morning, beautiful.”

  She did not smile, but held up a small white stick. “Thomas, I’m pregnant.”

  EPILOGUE

  ∞∞∞

  San Francisco – 1946

  Jonathan was tidying up his office to leave for the weekend, thinking about his encounter with the young Thomas O’Malley. He always admired that kid when he came with deliveries. He was thrilled Thomas had accepted his job offer.

  He locked the office, whistling as he took the elevator to the ground floor. He decided to walk a few blocks to grab some dinner. As he passed by an alley, he took a quick look down it, as he always did, and did a double-take when at the end of the alley, he saw the backs of three men. They appeared to be circling a young man on a bike.

  Jonathan began to creep down the alleyway as quietl
y as possible when he stopped in his tracks. It appeared one of the men taunting the boy on the bike had grown claws.

  “Shifter,” Jonathan hissed.

  As the tallest of the group ran to the boy and knocked him from his bike, Jonathan heard a blood-curdling scream and ran to the group where he found a vampire on top of the boy. He grabbed the vampire by the back of the shirt and effortlessly hurled him into a nearby brick building. When he turned around to deliver justice to the two shifters, they had gone. He rushed over to the boy and gasped when he saw it was Thomas. Picking him up, he ran the few blocks back to the Hyde Street bank building.

  He laid Thomas down on the sofa in his office and stared at the boy. Feeling for a pulse, he let out a breath he didn’t know he was holding when he found one. Jonathan could see Thomas’s chest rising and falling as he breathed. He could also see Thomas’s head was bleeding in the back, so he fetched a towel from the restroom and placed it on the wound to slow the bleeding.

  Jonathan sat on the adjoining sofa with his elbows on his knees. He stared at the unconscious Thomas and thought long and hard about what the sylph queen had promised him so long ago, but never delivered on. A partner.

  His endless years of solitude flooded his mind. He had Kathryn; he was grateful for her friendship and she made a great business partner, and occasionally, a lover when loneliness overtook them both. But he needed a male partner; someone to spar and box with, to teach, to train, and mentor. He needed a wing-man, a sidekick… an ass-kicking partner in supernatural crime.

  When he was human, he loved nothing more than mentoring and training his younger counterparts in construction. Nothing made him happier than teaching someone else what he knew; the vast knowledge he could pass on. He missed that.

  As he studied the young man, he thought about how his plan to eventually make him an Immortal was going to have to skip a few steps. He had hoped to make him an architectural intern, develop a friendship with him, then offer him the proposition. But after what Thomas had gone through tonight, Jonathan knew there was no way that natural progression would never come to fruition. He had to act now.