She spoke again with a husky tone that sent vibrations directly to a part of his body that needed no more attention. “Together, we can take him down.”
Mack moved away. “What did you say?”
“You feel how our powers meld, don’t you? I have so much more to show you, to tell you. I’ve been experimenting.”
Was that how it was with her? She needed him for her experiments and seduction was simply part of her arsenal? He swallowed hard and took another step away, his barriers in place once more. “Would you tell the others to meet on the roof in five?”
She looked confused. “Is something wrong?”
“Not at all. We’ll talk tomorrow. I have appointments lined up for today.” He was attempting to sound normal, but his blood had chilled.
“I’m going out with Gene tonight.”
“Good. You’ll have fun with him.” A small smile was all he could manage. Her gaze was curious, but she followed his orders, leaving with a bounce in her step.
Mack turned around, clutching at the railing, pretending to look at the two sturdy tugboats heading back to their slips. His erection was shrinking as if he’d dunked himself into the icy harbor, which was just as well. It would’ve made him uncomfortable for the troupe to know he’d fallen for her charms. No, he wouldn’t endanger the troupe so she could experiment with their powers. Not even for a chance to share her bed.
Her scent was on his shirt, wafting up in the slight breeze off the water. He stared down at the murky dark, finding it hard to refocus. For those few minutes, he’d believed in something more. It would be difficult for him to forgive her for that or to forgive himself for becoming vulnerable. It’s true they had a strange connection, but it didn’t mean they were soul mates or any fucking garbage like that.
He closed his eyes and pulled in some power, relieved to find that he was able to regain his center. This next script was going to be tougher. He straightened his back and walked into the main room, plastering on a pleasant smile.
A few minutes later, they were on the roof gearing up for another rehearsal. The new script was read and discussed and Ingrid asked a question. “Would anyone mind if I tried an experiment? This is only a rehearsal and I have some fun stuff I want to work on.”
“What kind of experiment, exactly?” Diane looked leery.
“It would only involve Gene and Sam and me—as far as the projections go. Everyone else would be doing what they always do.”
“No.” Mack had overheard.
“Why?” she asked, looking surprised.
“I’m game,” Sam spoke up. He seemed excited.
“Me too.” Gene gave her a thumbs-up.
“Great.” Ingrid found herself grinning.
“How can you be sure it’s safe?” Mack’s gut told him Ingrid wouldn't consciously do anything dangerous, but these actors were his to protect.
“I'm sure.” She stepped closer, a challenge in her tone. “Don’t you want to see what I’ve really got, before we step out onto an actual stage?” Their gaze locked for a heartbeat, but when he added a touch of power, she turned away first. He was her boss. She needed to learn that quickly. “I thought you didn’t throw your weight around to get your way,” she mumbled, looking hurt.
“I’m not the only one throwing their weight around.”
She changed gears. “I’m sorry. Please. Rehearsals are the place to work things out, right?”
“C’mon Mack. We’ll be fine,” Gene urged.
Even Staci got in the act. “We’ve worked on new ways to improve our performances before. I trust Ingrid’s judgment.”
“Fine, but I’m pulling out if I think there’s a problem.”
Ingrid smiled, snapping into business mode. “Thanks. I need Dave or Diane to be an audience member. Otherwise we won’t know if it works the way I think it will.” Neither one volunteered. “It’ll be a slightly more intense experience than it normally is.”
Diane rolled her eyes and sighed. “Okay, I’ll be your audience. Let's see what you can do.”
“Perfect.” Ingrid’s face glowed with excitement.
Mack was very familiar with this particular script, a difficult scenario because of the quick scene and character changes. After being hunted through dark streets, the young virgin male and female fae were taken to the nest to be drained and re-infused with the master's blood. Because they’d retained their fae abilities, the newbie vampires led the ancient master and his nest into Faerie, allowing them to feed on the nobles of the court until sated, gaining strength with every sip. Chaos continued on through the end of the script.
Staci would project the fae nobles; Dave the rest of the vampire nest and Sam would create the master vampire, the key role.
When Alan called places, a nervous tension electrified the air. Ingrid faced Gene and Sam with a gleam in her eye, whispering, “When I tell you to hold onto me, you and Sam better hold on tight. Don’t let go until I say it's okay. And keep dancing, no matter what happens."
“I’ll be stuck on you like a sweet gum ball.” Gene kissed her on the nose, his accent rising to the top like cream.
Mack's jaw was clenched tight enough to make his head throb. Shit. He couldn’t actually be jealous, could he? Thetas weren't territorial like vamps and wolves. They were controlled. Focused. Cerebral. They didn't get raging hard-ons when a female looked at them with enormous aqua blue eyes or want to fucking rip apart another male for kissing said female on the nose.
Mack watched in horror as Ingrid turned to Sam, praying Sam wouldn't kiss her too. She spoke softly; the husky sound had him swallowing down a groan. "Pull in some extra energy and you'll be fine." Sam nodded and smiled. Gene was practically jumping up and down with excitement.
Using every ounce of control he'd developed through years of intense training, Mack left thoughts of Ingrid behind and readied his mind for the job before him.
They spun, twisted, and pulled up their psy-magic, as he shared his axis, Alan doing his part by adding scene-setting music and gloomy surroundings. Gene and Ingrid brushed together softly as the fae maiden and her betrothed crept through garbage-strewn alleyways and urine-scented streets, the odors more foul than usual.
Off to the side, Diane, who’d connected to Ingrid’s mind as an audience member would, made a disgusted sound when the stench hit her nose, then cried out in fright as the fae were captured and dragged to the mansion that housed the master vampire and his nest. The real work began when the trio danced an intricate pattern, clutching at each other, as both men fought to own the female. As she was drained and turned, they heard Diane sobbing, crying out, “No! Please!"
At the very moment Ingrid's fae female transformed into vampire, her projection solidified, looking as real as anyone you'd pass on the street. Ingrid had lifted her hands above her head, her body now spinning without effort in Sam's arms. Mack felt it first as heat rushing at him from her direction, drawing his senses and sucking more power from his axis. Her true body seemed to glow with a pale energy, light enough to wash away the late afternoon shadows in the rehearsal space. Sam’s contact with her body brought another sheen of light, and when Gene partnered her for his portion of the dance, their turns impossibly fast, his glow added a third layer of light.
Shocked at the sight, Mack almost lost focus, but he managed to move past the distraction and hold on, automatically adding more axis energy to help them create their incredible magic. Ingrid's projection had taken on the sickly sweet scent of vampire and for a moment, he believed a female vamp had somehow broken in the downstairs door and stolen up to the roof of the building.
“Lift me higher," Ingrid whispered to Sam, who complied without protest, holding her up with a single hand and tossing her to Gene. He caught her effortlessly and the dance progressed with a grace and strength incredible, and yet disturbing for Mack to watch. Before today, he would have sworn these leaps, spins, and throws could only have been accomplished in a lower gravity environment, but here on a roof in New York
City, he was witnessing true magic.
Diane growled, hissing out the feral noises of a newly made vampire. She crouched on the ground, sniffing the air.
Mack stopped the rehearsal right there; gently slowing his power share, then cutting it off when he knew no one would be injured by the aborted energy.
CHAPTER NINE
“We…weren’t…finished.” Ingrid knew Mack had tried to be gentle, not like what Mack Stone had done in Atlanta, but it hadn’t been pleasant.
“You were more than finished. That kind of power is over the limit. Someone could have been injured.”
“That's bullshit. Think about who made up those limits. Not thetas, that’s for sure. Why can’t we change the limits? You should be encouraging us to use our full potential.”
Gene took Ingrid's hand and spun her toward him, grinning like a chimp. “That was fucking incredible. How did you learn to do that?” He grabbed her forcefully at the waist, lifting her and spinning them around. He let her slide down along his chest, obviously aiming to kiss her on the cheek.
If she hadn’t been angry with Mack, she would have pushed Gene away with a laugh, but she’d planned to show them more, and Mack had stopped the rehearsal for no good reason.
She leaned her body into Gene's and put her hands around his neck, kissing his mouth with passion. Gene must have known she was doing it to piss off Mack, but he didn't push her away. At the same time, he didn't kiss her back, which was fine with her, since she was managing to make it look good without his help. When they pulled apart, the rest of the troupe was quiet, waiting for Mack’s reaction.
His face showed no emotion, which pissed her off even more. She realized with irritation that she’d wanted him to give a shit that she'd kissed Gene. Well, fine. She wouldn’t allow herself to care about this guy. She needed his axis power to do what had to be done and that was that.
She’d wipe those precious moments of closeness they’d shared on the terrace from her memory immediately, or at least as soon as she could convince her heart that she didn’t want to hold him in her arms again.
Mack said, “I think we’ve rehearsed enough for this afternoon." He looked straight at Gene, ignoring Ingrid completely. "I’ve arranged for security if you two are going out this evening. Let Alan know, and please morph. It’s safer."
Gene nodded, looking slightly uncomfortable about the kiss. “Sure, boss.” Maybe that kiss hadn’t been one of her better ideas.
Mack's expression grew concerned as he looked at Diane. "Are you all right, Diane?”
Her face was flushed. “I’m fine. It was...it was astonishing. I was sure it was real. I thought I was truly a vampire for a minute or two. I completely forgot there was a script." She glanced at Ingrid, her respectful tone surprising. "If we were able to give an audience that kind of experience, The Director could double the ticket prices.”
"I didn't do it for The Director." Celeste turned away from the group, staring at the cityscape, unwilling to meet his gaze.
Mack shook his head. "I’m calling a production meeting for tomorrow afternoon at three. Ingrid, I'd like to meet with you tomorrow morning at eleven. We have things to discuss.” She nodded. I have an appointment tonight, so I’ll see you all at breakfast. Try not to oversleep, Dave.” Mack moved quickly through the door and down the stairs.
Ingrid winced, watching him leave. Staci’s expression said it all, kind of a you are pond scum look. A small part of her felt like pond scum. Her anger was always getting her into trouble.
She sighed in frustration. "I'm an idiot." She hadn't meant for everyone to hear, but it was only fair. She’d gone off on Mack Harbor in front of the troupe, the nicest most reasonable Mack she’d worked with yet. And did he rage back? No, he'd handled it with class. However, she didn't hold out hope that she’d remain in the troupe for much longer.
Gene took her hand in his. "Why is it so important to you—all this experimenting with using more power? What are you really trying to do?"
She knew Gene would figure it out on his own soon enough, his perceptive brain always spinning on high cycle. She told a half-truth, hoping it would satisfy them.
"I want to make our lives better, that's all. Show the world that we’re more than slaves.”
The drive back to the house was quieter. Alan drove while Sam, having the longest legs, rode shotgun. Gene, Staci and Ingrid sat in the back. Diane and Dave were driving back in the other car.
Sam twisted around to look at her. "I've never experienced anything like what we did this afternoon, but I'm not sure it's for every audience. You saw Diane. However, I'm extremely impressed by the control you exhibit when channeling such enormous amounts of power. Your focus is extraordinary, especially at such a young age. I understand why The Director puts up with you."
He didn't mean it as an insult, so she laughed. "You're as strong as I am, Sam. That's why I chose you to play the master vamp. It's hard to hold back when you know you can do so much more, isn't it?"
Staci touched her shoulder to get her attention. "It could have gone badly. You could have hurt Di.”
If they lived in a different world, and thetas had been able to have kids, Staci would've made a great mom. “I've been practicing at higher levels for four years now, although this afternoon was mind blowing, even for me. But I also noticed you've been using extra power, maybe not quite as much as me, but still over the limit, according to the rules. You manage to mask it better than I do."
Staci shrugged and smiled sweetly, not denying a thing.
"Could you teach me?" Gene had wrapped an arm over her shoulder, pulling her closer and resting his head on top of hers. He smelled like citrus: fresh and clean.
Sam laughed as Ingrid poked Gene in the ribs, saying, "Your projections shimmer with emotion. I bet all the females in the audience weep when you die and moan with lust when you have sex. If they're connected to your Ingrid, they probably come screaming your name. Why do you think you have such a huge following?"
"I thought it was because I was so adorable." He played with her hair, twisting it around his finger.
"Adorable dynamite," Staci whispered.
"You got all that from one rehearsal?" Alan sounded skeptical, a typical techie.
"This troupe is the strongest I've seen." And hopefully they'd be getting stronger, as long as Mack could be convinced that her theory might actually work to free them.
Gene and Ingrid changed clothes and went out late that afternoon, as planned. They'd morphed into model-types, dressed in the latest fashions, eating their sushi and drinking their sake with enthusiasm.
Gene flirted playfully the entire evening, pulling out his southern accent, affectionate in a non-pushy way. They danced almost every dance the band played, Gene entertaining the other customers with his sense of fun. Once in a while, he’d pull an unsuspecting female onto the floor, someone who might never have had the nerve to dance in front of other people. He made her look flawless; leaving the shy girl with a memory she’d hold in her heart forever.
Ingrid wondered if he'd make a serious pass when they got back to the house, but true to his word, Gene gallantly said goodnight at Ingrid's bedroom door, kissing her on the cheek, tipsy and very charming.
Ingrid woke at nine, got herself some breakfast, and went back upstairs to her room at 10:15 to take a shower and wait for her boss. She’d been tempted to start packing, thinking that he’d be firing her this morning, but had held off. At eleven sharp, he knocked on the door.
Mack's eyes widened as he took in her usual attire: shorts and a tank top. His gaze flitted to the bed. Was he nervous to be in here alone with her? That was kind of sweet.
“Why don’t we go for a walk?” she suggested, trying not to smile.
He looked relieved. “Good idea. We’ll get some exercise and check out the neighborhood. There are some beautiful pre-steal homes in the area.”
To mark the time their world was turned upside down, the human population had started calling the da
y the archdemons had shown up on earth to wreak havoc as the steal, always left in lowercase as a sign of disrespect. Before then, the other supernatural races had been content to stay in the shadows and allow humans to take care of running the world. But with the appearance of The Director and his siblings, the werewolves, vampires and others were forced to step up. The phrase had become part of the vernacular, and was now used by all races—all except for The Director, of course. He called their sudden appearance, the enlightenment.
Walking behind Mack down the stairs, Ingrid couldn't help but appreciate the very fine view. She wondered what he’d do or say if she grabbed his ass. Probably freak out, citing some rule or other. After having seen how shaken Diane looked after the rehearsal, she’d forgiven him his energy pullout, but she wasn’t sure if he was in the same forgiving mood.
She’d never thought of walking as being a way to get exercise, and after seeing Mack at her bedroom door, had actually started hoping for a slightly different form of exercise this morning. Thetas had super-charged sex drives, and the only intimate company she'd had during the last month was with her own hand and a few favorite battery operated toys. Last night, she'd actually called up a fantasy with Mack as the leading player, and if he looked anything like she'd imagined him…well, wow.
They walked in silence for the first half block, but the quiet was making her antsy. She plunged in, trying to break the tension. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have kissed Gene like that in front of you. I was angry and it was childish. I shouldn’t have yelled at you in front of the others, either. You’ve been nothing but nice to me.”
He shrugged. "Kissing Gene was not a problem. Not respecting me in front of the others was, even though I understand that you were stressed because of the energy withdrawal. Tell me it won’t happen again and we’re good.”
“I’ll try.”
“Ingrid…”
“I react strongly, sometimes inappropriately, but I have good reasons.”
“You can’t use your past as an excuse forever.”
Playing with Passion Theta Series Book 1 Page 8