TORCH: Underground Encounters 9

by Carlisle, Lisa

  She’d moved to the area this past summer to meet her father for the first time. Lucan, Elise, and Marguerite were now all living together here in Salem, where Marguerite attended a school for witches and Elise worked in a women’s health center run by a witch.

  One big happy family. Something Mattias lacked. Maybe that was part of what was missing in his life. He didn’t care for somebody the way that his brothers cared for their mates, and nobody cared for him in return.

  No, that wasn’t it. He wasn’t searching for a mate. How could he when he didn’t even know what he wanted out of his life? That meant he was too screwed up to be a partner. He had to figure that out first before he even considered committing to another person.

  Marguerite peppered him with questions about where he was going. He kept his answers vague since he didn’t know the answers.

  “When are you leaving?” she asked.

  “I was thinking of tonight, but Danton’s working and I need to say goodbye.”

  “Wait until tomorrow and we’ll give you a proper send-off at Vamps,” Lucan added.

  “Why not,” Mattias agreed. “One more night at Vamps won’t change anything.”

  * * *

  The next night, Mattias flew to the club. The moon was almost full, yet muted as wisps of clouds wafted by. One more night and the moon would spread her wings. Although the brightness would help light his way, the summer’s breeze whispered as if in warning.

  About what?

  Enough of that. Tonight wasn’t for more brooding. It was a night of celebration. He’d say goodbye to his brothers, their mates, and staff before he embarked on his next venture. The bright moon would light his way.

  “Marguerite isn’t happy about you leaving,” Lucan said.

  “She’s going to miss you,” Elise added.

  Mattias would miss her, too, as well as his brothers. “I know, but I have to go.”

  He didn’t provide any other explanation. No sense in getting into the details. They’d seen his increasing despondency. After the initial elation at his freedom after the curse was broken, a strange gnawing followed. He had his life back. He should do something with it. What good was his freedom if he didn’t accomplish anything?

  But what?

  Danton said, “We understand. I hope you come back soon. After all, we’re brothers. Family.”

  “And we’ve been through a lot together,” Lucan added.

  Maybe that was part of it. Mattias had been with his brothers his entire life. It was time to seek meaning on his own.

  “Maybe when I sort all this junk out, I’ll return.” He pointed to his head.

  “We’re going to miss you.” Tracy, Danton’s mate, poured them shots of whiskey.

  Danton raised his shot glass. “May you find what you’re searching for.”

  They raised their glasses. Mattias poured back the shot. The burn of the alcohol slid down his throat. It wouldn’t do much, however. Gargoyle shifters could drink vast amounts of alcohol before it affected them.

  Mattias had indulged in many shots in recent weeks, trying to smother that feeling of emptiness. Seeking oblivion only increased the gnawing inside. Soon, the void would engulf him. He had to do something before he sunk into a chasm, as devoid as a shadow that floated across the earth.

  After he downed a shot of whiskey, he slammed the glass on the bar with more force than he’d intended. From the corner of his eyes, he sensed a woman who’d entered the club. It was Rachel. His heartbeat quickened. He tracked her movements as she made her way to the bar. She wore black leggings and a wrap that covered her body, concealing any curves.

  She found an empty bar stool and sat with perfect posture on a bar stool, a straight rod in comparison to those around her with more relaxed positions. She tapped her fingers on the bar with rhythmic repetition. Unease radiated from her like the last time he’d seen her here. Why would she return to some place that made her uncomfortable?

  Should he go say hello? If she rejected him with a frosty reply as painful as a kick to the testicles, what would it matter? He was leaving town tonight.

  She ordered a drink from Tracy. Then Rachel spun halfway around on her stool and took in the scene. When her gaze met his, his brain shifted into an erratic state. Thoughts darted across the brain waves with half-formed thoughts and questions. His body heated up.

  What was wrong with him?

  “Go talk to her,” Lucan said.

  He broke eye contact, pulling his attention to his brother. “What?”

  “You haven’t heard anything we’ve said while your eyes have been glued to that woman. The same one as last month, right?”

  Mattias attempted to sort his thoughts to answer his brother. “Right.” He stood. “I’m just surprised to see her here again.”

  As he walked over, his heart hammered faster than the thumping of the bass. She shifted her focus to the dance floor and didn’t see him approach. He wiped his clammy hands on his pants.

  Man up. He cleared his throat. “Hello, Rachel.”

  She turned to him. Her eyes widened, flickering with what looked like surprise.

  “Mattias.” Her voice came out with a breathy edge.

  “How have you been?”

  She studied him with a bit of a wondrous look before replying. What was that about?

  “Fine. You?”

  “Good.” Were they going to dance around with awkward small talk? “Can I buy you a drink?” Oh, how original. He was going to sweep her off her feet with his smooth talk.

  Tracy came over with a glass of a red-tinged concoction.

  Rachel thanked Tracy and handed her some money. She smiled at Mattias. “I’m good for now. Thanks.”

  He stifled a groan. Was she brushing him off?

  Why the hell did he come over here again—to make an ass of himself? He never had a problem talking to women, and had entertained many since being freed from stone.

  He took a focused breath and tried again. “It’s good to see you again. I almost thought it wouldn’t happen.”

  “Why not?”

  “I haven’t seen you here.”

  She took her straw and swirled it in her glass, sending the ice cubes spiraling. “This is only my second time.”

  He smiled. “What inspired this return visit?” Could he hope that she had an inkling to see him again?

  Only her profile was visible as she stared into her glass, but the tightness in her muscles was apparent. What had he said that bothered her?

  In the next second, she faced him with a small smile. “I’m meeting my friend.”

  Shit. The same one as last time? Or a guy? That was a likely option.

  “Oh.” He motioned down the bar. “I’m here with my brothers and their ma—girlfriends.” He’d almost said mates. That was not a human term, and it was one she wouldn’t understand. “You’re welcome to join us.”

  She bit her lip. “Thank you, but not tonight.”

  His gut tightened. What did that mean? Not tonight left hope that another night might be a possibility. Women weren’t typically so difficult to read. They were either interested or not. They’d flirt or brush him off. They weren’t so stiff as this woman—one who seemed world-wary. Maybe he should just take the cue and leave.

  “It was good to see you again.” He raised his glass in cheers and turned to walk away.

  “Wait,” she said.

  He turned with surprise. “Yes?”

  “How about a raincheck on the drink?”

  His insides lit with smoldering hope. “Tomorrow night?”

  Shadows haunted her eyes. She closed them and rolled her shoulders back as if a yoke had weighted her soul. When she reopened her eyes, she forced a smile. “Tomorrow night doesn’t work for me. How about the night after?”

  What was with her reaction? It was nothing he’d experienced before. While encumbered by a stone cage, he’d watched countless interactions between men and women. Nothing quite fit this pattern.

 
Yet, what was he complaining about? She’d agreed to see him in two nights. “That sounds good.”

  “I’ll meet you here at nine,” she said.

  “Looking forward to it.” It would be her third night at Vamps, would he finally work his charm? Before he screwed up their date by saying something else that might bother her, he decided to part while he was ahead. “See you then.”

  He returned to his companions. “How did it go?” Lucan asked.

  Mattias’s lips curled into a smile. “I have a date for Saturday.”

  “Saturday?” Danton said. “I thought you were leaving tonight.”

  True, but it could wait. He couldn’t leave town without seeing what would happen with this woman who intrigued him.

  He couldn’t resist grinning. “Plans have changed.”

  Chapter 6

  The sun’s trajectory passed far too slowly on Saturday. The anticipation of seeing Rachel that evening again led Mattias to track the sun’s progress, and it took far too long to begin its descent. If he wasn’t in stone, he would have paced the earth or fidgeted as he waited for the hours to pass.

  What was the reason for this excitement? She wasn’t the first woman he’d dated. He shouldn’t get so wrapped up like a jittery teenage boy on his first date.

  At last, the sun began to descend. Mattias shifted to human form, basking in the dwindling glow from above. He flew to his apartment. After showering, he went upstairs to visit Marguerite.

  “I’m so glad you didn’t leave, Uncle Matt,” Marguerite said.

  “I still plan to,” he replied. “Just delayed my departure.”

  “I heard it’s about a woman,” she replied with a sassy grin.

  “Who told you that?”

  “My dad and Elise were talking. Said you were smitten by a woman you’d met.”

  Mattias groaned. Smitten? He hardly knew Rachel. And he certainly wasn’t planning on changing his life to work around his interest in her. Sure, he might be attracted to her, and his anticipation might be more heightened than normal, but that didn’t mean anything that would affect his life in the long term.

  “They might have taken their interpretation a little too far.” He gave her a doubtful laugh. “They’re newly in love and project it everywhere they look.”

  “Maybe,” Marguerite agreed. “But, why don’t you have a girlfriend? You’re not bad looking for an old guy.”

  Mattias groaned aloud this time. “Gee, thanks.”

  “I mean older guy.”

  “I’m in my thirties. To you, that makes me ancient.” He laughed.

  “You’re not that old, I guess.”

  “Now I’m feeling quite spry! Maybe I’ll oil up my rusty old wings and see if they’ll hold up.”

  Marguerite tilted her head. “Will she be your girlfriend?” Her voice lilted.

  Mattias laughed. “Let’s not get ahead of ourselves here. I haven’t even taken her on a date yet.”

  “What’s her name?”

  He hesitated before answering. Something about telling his niece about the woman who interested him made it seem more than a date. “Rachel.”

  “Rachel,” Marguerite repeated. “If she does become your girlfriend, I want to meet her. Make sure she’s good enough for you and all.”

  Mattias grinned. “I know better than to mess with a witch.”

  Marguerite was half-gargoyle shifter as well, but he’d teased her about her witch nature in the past. Humor seemed to be the best way to deal with the situation after having been under a witch’s control for so many years.

  “Don’t worry,” Marguerite said in a sweet voice. “I won’t make her hair turn to snakes or anything like that if I don’t like her.”

  Mattias ruffled her hair and laughed. “You’re never meeting her now.”

  He returned to his studio and dressed in a pair of black pants, a button-down black shirt, and black boots. Vamps had a strict dress code. If it wasn’t outlandish, it better at least be black. He didn’t have many clothes, but had bought a number of black garments for that reason.

  He studied himself in the mirror. It was foolish to take such care of his clothing when he’d remove them before flight, but he wanted to look good for Rachel.

  Then he left the apartment and shed his clothes and folded them carefully before placing them in a pack. No point in wrinkling them up.

  Then he shifted to winged form and flew to Caterina’s Cove. Much of the moon was concealed by a wispy cloud. If he hadn’t spoken to Rachel, he would have embarked on his new journey by now. It was funny how a brief interaction between two people could have such an impact on his life.

  Sometimes lasting. Mattias groaned when he thought of Lucan crossing paths with Marguerite’s mother, Veronique. Their brief liaison had ended with the lives of three brothers altered for over a decade and a child they hadn’t known existed.

  When he arrived in the warehouse district, he reversed the process with shifting, dressing, and uncloaking himself. On entering Vamps, the familiar odd twinge returned. It was a sense that this part of his life was over. A new path lay ahead. Only what that meant was still murky.

  He greeted the staff. Mistress Mona was DJ’ing tonight, playing a remix of “Hard Way” by Funker Vogt. The tone was reminiscent of when they’d first started guarding at Vamps, going back to its original vibe. After a fire had damaged the club, and it was sold, the new owner added live bands and theme nights.

  He sat at the bar down where Lucan was tending to a patron. Then, he searched for Rachel. No signs of her yet, but he was half an hour early.

  Lucan brought Mattias a pint. “I thought you had a date tonight.”

  “I’m meeting her here.” If she showed. After the many nights he’d searched for her here, and her wariness the times he had seen her here, he wouldn’t be surprised if she’d changed her mind.

  If she didn’t show, well, he’d be a fool. He’d deserve to be laughed at. He took long sips of his cold beer in between his surveillance of the club. Some habits could never rest.

  Danton joined them. In a low tone, he said, “A woman was killed last night.”

  “Where?” Mattias asked.

  “Over the border, near Hampton Beach. Her throat was torn, body slashed,” Danton said.

  “By a human?” Mattias asked.

  “Doubtful. More like tooth and claws.”

  Which meant a supe was likely to blame. Vampire. Shifter. Demon…

  “Should we patrol up there?” Mattias asked.

  Danton shook his head. “The wolf shifters up north are investigating it. They’ll pull us in if they find cause.”

  After the brothers had been freed, they’d discovered a small clan of wolf shifters while soaring north to New Hampshire one night.

  “We flew north to speak with them earlier today,” Lucan added.

  Mattias furrowed his brows. “You both went? Why didn’t you ask me to go?”

  “You’ve got a date tonight. No need to pull you into something that might interfere,” Danton said.

  Lucan drummed on the bar and raised his brows. “Enjoy it.”

  Mattias nodded and calculated the distance where the murder took place. It was far enough to subdue a sense of an imminent threat. Still, he didn’t like the idea of any danger encroaching in, circling too close.

  As his brothers returned to their duties, the DJ mixed into the intro of “The Darkness” by Zombie Girl, one of his favorites. He drummed his fingers on his thigh and tapped one foot. Right. He could take one night off from being a silent protector of the earth and spend it with a woman.

  How wonderful it was to be able to move his body with free will—even something as small as moving his fingers was something he’d never again take for granted.

  His attention was drawn to the main entryway. It wasn’t a noise or a flash that compelled him to turn, but some inner sense. Rachel entered wearing a long black dress and heels. He sucked in a breath. She was even more radiant than the last time he’d s
een her.

  This slinky number with the long slit up one thigh drew attention to the flash of the pale skin of her thigh. He wasn’t the only one to notice. Men turned to look at her and he shot them warning glares, but not for long. He couldn’t keep his gaze off her. She searched as she navigated through the club.

  When she caught his eyes, the club’s surroundings seemed to disappear into a blur. The pounding music faded in comparison to the echoing of his drumming heartbeat.

  Despite what he’d told himself about Rachel being just another woman, his body’s reaction indicated otherwise. His skin flushed, fingers itched, and body almost trembled. Something was different. What the hell did it mean?

  * * *

  Rachel rubbed her hands along the seams on the sides of her dress. The music echoed around her. A woman sang about how no one would save her. What a reminder of Rachel’s situation. She turned to flee.

  No. Not tonight.

  She’d promised herself that tonight was different. For one night, she wouldn’t be a chemistry professor seeking to control the untimely symptoms with the onset of the moon. She’d be a woman meeting a man she desired. And so she’d chosen to dress the part. She’d gone out shopping to hunt for the perfect dress, one she would never dare wear in her everyday life. When she’d tried on this slinky number that teased with glimpses of skin revealed in slits in the sleeves and one long one up to her thigh, she stared in the mirror. This wasn’t her. It was the sexiest article of clothing she’d ever worn on her body. And, the perfect one for the role she wanted to play for one night.

  Yet here in the club, her fantasy took a hit. The music pounded loud and hard, like a tribal drum beat. Eyes perused her. Too many eyes. Men scanned her head to toe. She thought she could handle this.

  She was wrong.

  Her resolve crumbled inward, ready to collapse.

  And then she saw Mattias.

  While the other stares skeeved her, his smoldering gaze and slight gape inspired confidence. She looked the role she wanted to play for him tonight. If she could convince him of it, maybe she could persuade herself, as well.