19
The Vampire
Z ephyr rubbed his eyes. He’d been staring at the damn computer for hours and he still hadn’t found the cloud account for the recorder. At one point, he thought he’d done it, but it hadn’t worked. He needed a break. Looking at his watch, he realized it was almost time for the interview with Ms. Lane.
He turned off the monitors and stretched. It sounded like every vertebra in his back popped. Exiting the lab, he engaged the deadbolt system and alarm then hot-footed it to the boat house. Bodhi and Demas had forgotten he needed the boat today, but luckily Colten had brought it back earlier. Of course, he couldn’t resist playing with fire by spying on Evie from the lab roof in his gargoyle form. If Colten thought Evie was pissed about today’s test, Zephyr couldn’t imagine the shit fit she’d throw when she found out about Colten’s stony persona. She would accept Colten, of course, but hiding it from her and spying on her, they were learning, was a big no-no.
He gunned the engine, headed to the restaurant near the water in Alexandria Bay. Thankfully, there were no big boats in the area to make him late. He hated to be late.
The waitress had just set a beer in front of Zephyr when a short, large woman with silver hair gathered in a tidy bun walked up to the outdoor table. Zephyr looked her over from head to toe, noting her large, 1980s tinted eyeglasses, enormous bosom and sturdy shoes. She was dressed in a below-the-knee plaid skirt in purples and greens with a sage green blouse. If he didn’t know better, he would think Mrs. Doubtfire had applied for the job. He sure hoped there wasn’t a man under there.
Zephyr stood and reached out to shake her hand. “Ms. Lane, I presume?”
“Yes, yes, dear boy.”
“Please join me.” He glanced at the waitress who just stood there ogling him. “Would you like something to eat or drink?”
“A Bloody Mary for me, thanks.”
Zephyr’s eyebrows rose in surprise. Not so much that she drank, but that she either felt comfortable or had the guts to drink during an interview. As far as he was concerned, it was a good sign.
“So, tell me about yourself, Ms. Lane. I’ve read your file, but I’d like to hear from you,” Zephyr said as he retook his seat, the wind blowing his dark hair.
“As you know, then, I’ve recently moved into this area. I needed to be close to my family. To me, nothing is more important than family and I always want to be there for them,” Ms. Lane answered.
“You realize this is a live-in situation, because our home is on a nearby island, correct?”
“Oh, yes. Although I want to be close to family, I refuse to smother them. This situation is perfect for me. It will keep me busy, taking care of your home and feeding you all, being of service. At the same time, I will be near when my family has need of me.”
“There are confidentiality agreements you have to agree to and sign. We do sensitive work for the Supernatural Society and if a whisper ever makes it to your ears and you repeat even one word, the consequences will be severe. Not only that, but we have a unique living situation….”
“Don’t worry, dear boy. The agency explained your living situation and roommates. Rest assured, I may look old-fashioned, but as long as love is involved, I say more power to you. I have to draw a line at orgies, though—participating in them, that is.”
Zephyr choked and sputtered, having just taken a drink of his beer. He didn’t think he’d ever blushed since becoming a vampire, but he could feel heat flooding his face. The waitress chose that moment to set Ms. Lane’s drink down. Her eyes huge, she scooted away fast. He figured she wondered why he was discussing orgies with a granny. Hadn’t he heard of that kind of porn once? He shuddered just thinking about it.
Ms. Lane patted his hand. “Anyway, the agency told me a bit about your work, too, nothing specific of course. I’ve experience working in similar situations. Nothing to fear.”
Between the vetting by the agency and his short interview, Zephyr didn’t see why he shouldn’t go ahead and offer the job to her. Just to be prudent, he excused himself to send a quick text to Demas and Bodhi. He walked out to the nearby dock for privacy and sent the text to both his bosses.
Demas sent a thumbs up in response, but Bodhi called him.
“Already, Z? Wasn’t this a little quick? Did everything check out?” Bodhi demanded, without any greeting whatsoever.
“Boss, you know I’ve been working on this for a couple of weeks. You saw the report from the agency. What do you think?” Zephyr asked.
Bodhi blew out a breath. “She looks good on paper. What’s she like in person?”
“Mrs. Doubtfire. Oh, and she’s fine with our living situation as long as we don’t include her in any orgies.”
Bodhi cracked out a laugh. “Are you kidding me? Sounds like she’ll fit in.”
“That’s what I thought. Okay, I’ll proceed and get her to the house soon. Have you seen the inside of the refrigerator? It’s disgusting. How are things over there? Evie?”
“Yeah, about that, did she really sneak away without you noticing?”
“Ugh, yes, don’t lecture me. You know how I get pulled in when trying to decipher something on the computer. I’d swear it was only a minute or two, but it was almost thirty.”
“Dude, this is Evie. I’ll kick your ass if you ever let her get away like that again. The interviews have been shit so far.”
“How’d Evie do?”
“She made it all the way inside Maggie’s room. Broke through Eleutian’s wards like they were nothing. This is six months in. How the hell are we going to protect her at the rate she’s going?”
“Hell! All right, I need to go.”
“Later, brother.”
Zephyr scanned his email quickly and saw he had one from the school. It seemed they were having an assembly tomorrow before his first day. Shit. He thought those ended with high school.
Zephyr texted Evie to see if she’d seen the email sent by the academy administration and to tell her that he’d hired a housekeeper. He was curious to see how she acted since she ditched him in the lab. At least Colten had sent the 911 that she was pissed about the pool of bets placed on her performance. They would have to tread lightly and do something nice for her as soon as they solved the case.
He took off at vamp speed to save a couple of minutes since he’d been away longer than planned.
“Ms. Lane, I’m so sorry I was gone so long.” He noticed her Bloody Mary glass was empty. That was fast. She just waved her hand. “I’d like to formally offer the job to you, assuming you sign the confidentiality agreements.”
Ms. Lane clapped her hands. “Oh, thank you, dear boy. I accept including all conditions set forth by you and the tracker team.”
Zephyr slid the documents over. “One binds you with secrecy for our business and by signing you acknowledge the penalties that will be incurred by you. The other is a personal non-disclosure agreement. You may never take pictures or talk about us or our personal lives with family, friends, or social media of any kind without the same severe penalties as the other agreement. When can you start? We really need help. I’m sorry to say the fridge is a mess and lacking in food.”
Ms. Lane signed both documents without taking any time to read them. “I can meet you at the island in a couple of hours if that’s acceptable. That will give me time to pick up my belongings and do some grocery shopping.” She smiled.
20
Midnight Witch
I was the first to arrive via the portal around dinner time. Delicious smells emanated from the kitchen and I headed that way, following my nose. The first thing I noticed was that the room was spotless. Did the housekeeper start already? I wandered to the fridge and opened the door. To my delight, it was stocked with fresh veggies and fruit along with a new carton of cream for coffee. I wasn’t sure how the new housekeeper knew my preferences; maybe Zephyr had told her. Shutting the door, I flipped the oven light on and peeked in the window. Inside was some type of casserole topped with bubb
ling cheese.
I went to my room to change clothes; it wasn’t necessary to look stealthy any longer and I wasn’t sure it had been necessary in the first place. I was still a little pissed at everyone. Looking through my closet, I changed into a long, flowy paisley printed skirt and a Zeppelin tee shirt, cute, but comfortable. It’d been warmer today. Maybe we could eat dinner outside at the table by the pool, lighting the citronella torches to keep the mosquitoes away.
I heard the boys returning by the sound of heavy feet pounding throughout the house. There was a knock on my door.
Opening the door, I found Z leaning against the frame all casual. I flushed, sure my face was red as a tomato, based on how hot I felt.
“So…” Zephyr started.
“I’m sorry for ditching you, but I’m still pissed at all of you. A freaking bet! Is this a game to you?” I did my best to divert attention off me by attacking.
His eyes narrowed and he stepped into the room, shoving me back as he pulled the door shut behind him. “You know full well you took advantage of one of my flaws. You know I go down the proverbial rabbit hole when I’m working on a computer problem or puzzle.” As he stepped forward, I stepped back. His nostrils flared, looking angry. “You have a great deal of freedom for someone so new to the supernatural world. What do we ask of you? Well?”
O-kay! Maybe attacking wasn’t such a smart move. On second thought, I was a damn adult. “You tell me that one of you needs to know my location at all times. I’m an adult. I don’t need babysitters.” My anger reignited.
“Don’t act like a child, then. We’re just trying to keep you safe, Evie! There are creatures in our world that you know nothing about. You can’t run rampant through our world without endangering yourself.”
“I was at school! Just like I’ve been for the last three months. You all don’t follow me around every damn day, so why is today different?”
Zephyr looked away, then turned back. “We love you.”
He knew I would buckle under that comment, not fair, but true.
“Dammit, Z! I love you all too.” I lost the wind in my sails. “It doesn’t mean I don’t have a reason to be mad. How am I going to make sure of my abilities if you are all trying to catch me before I fall?”
“You do have a point. It’s just hard for alphas to risk any harm coming to you.”
“Well, at least you can see what I’m talking about. That’s a step in the right direction.” I crooked my finger at him.
Zephyr bent down to kiss me. “Do we get to have make-up sex now?”
I snorted. “We’ll see. Did the housekeeper start, or did you turn into Alfred from Batman?”
“Very funny.”
He chased me to the living room until I ran smack dab into Bodhi who threw me over his shoulder in a firemen’s carry.
“Hey! Put me down, caveman.” I started to beat my fists on his rock-hard ass.
“Or what?”
Before I could answer, he deposited me in a chair outside. A grand candelabra glowed with lit candles in the center of the round table with china and crystal place settings rounding out the look. The torches surrounded us in a protective circle. The sun was still out but was sliding to the west.
“Did you guys do this?” I asked the four men standing around looking uncomfortable.
“Yes, but we had help from Ms. Lane,” Demas said.
Bodhi wrapped an arm around my shoulders. “It’s their way of apologizing for betting on you. I didn’t participate.”
I think I heard a couple of ‘asshole’ comments from the peanut gallery.
I glared at Z. “What was that showdown in my room, then?”
He pulled at his collar like it was a constriction, not possible with a polo. “It was a distraction to finish the set-up. That doesn’t mean it didn’t have its merits.” He put his hands up. “On both sides.”
I nodded, deciding to let it go. The guys all blew out their breath like they were relieved the battle was over. “It’s beautiful out here. Thank you.”
“So, Evie, did you see my text earlier today?” Zephyr asked as he and the others all sat down.
“Oh, about the assembly email. Yeah, sorry I didn’t answer. I forgot.”
“What’s it for?” Demas asked.
“It’s to discuss a vigil or something. I imagine they’ll offer counseling services for anyone in need. Not that anyone should need it,” I said.
“I don’t understand any of that touchy feely shit, but do you need or want counseling, Midnight?” Colten asked. “After all, you were friends.”
“You guys are all the therapy I need,” I said.
“Physical,” Bodhi coughed into his hand.
“That, too,” I said with a smile. “The assembly is tomorrow afternoon. It’s odd they’re having it on a Sunday. Maybe it’s because of Maggie’s death.” I shrugged my shoulders.
“We should work out a plan or at least a loose framework if you have to go back tomorrow,” Demas said, before taking a sip of wine.
I cut into my eggplant lasagna. “What kind of plan?”
“Well, Zephyr, you need to get in close to the clique. Maybe start with Marigold’s sister, Giselle. You may need to flirt or more,” Demas said.
I choked on a bite. “Excuse me?”
“Don’t worry Evie, he’ll just be pretending,” Bodhi said as he slapped Zephyr on the back. “Isn’t that right?”
“No. No way! You’re mine. All of you. I. Do. Not. Share,” I said through gritted teeth, trying to control the fear that spiked in me. What if they didn’t want me anymore after being with someone else? They said they loved me, and I believed them. My self-image needed some work and I guess the fact that I realized that was a step in the right direction. One thing I knew I would never tolerate was cheating. It might be selfish of me, since I had my five ex-hellhounds and Grimm, but too bad, ladies and gentlemen.
I finally looked up to see four shocked faces. Their open mouths slowly morphed into pleased smiles.
Bodhi leaned over and kissed my temple. On my other side, Colten’s face softened before he kissed my cheek.
“Honey, first off, we would never cheat on you. You are ours as well. So, get that thought out of your head right now,” Zephyr said. “Secondly, Demas didn’t mean sex. For the job, we might kiss someone on the cheek to get close, but that’s it. We aren’t like human men. You are it for us —forever,” Zephyr continued.
I took a sip of wine, willing away the tears burning my eyes. I looked at my boys and they all nodded. I lost the battle with the tears. I think this was the first moment I realized they were my home, no matter where we might be in the world.
I wiped my tears away with the snowy white linen napkin in my lap, unfortunately smearing mascara on it. Oh dear. I cleared my throat. “Is that homemade bread? I’ve been craving it lately.” Demas buttered a slice the way I liked and reaching in front of Bodhi set it in front of me.
“Has anyone heard from Grimm or Eleutian?” Colten asked.
A phone dinged.
“Well, speak of the devil, I mean demon,” Demas looked at the text. “Shit! Grimm says they need us down there, Bodhi.”
21
Professor Werewolf
D emas and Bodhi arrived through the portal at the New Orleans campus a couple of hours later and headed down the maze of underground hallways to Demas’ office.
“Where the hell, is he?” Bodhi asked.
“Who? Grimm? I don’t know. Let me text him.”
Michael Meyers’ theme music from Halloween played, albeit muted. Bodhi snickered as he followed the sound. Pulling the phone from the pocket of a suitcase parked in the shadow of a burgundy leather wingback chair.
“Yuk it up, asshole. His ringtone for you is Uptown Girl,” Demas said, with a smile.
Bodhi scowled. He fisted the phone. Demas raised his eyebrow. “Let’s check the morgue. I know he wanted to view the body, and check for magic.”
They took the stairs down two fl
ights and entered the dimly lit hallway. Why didn’t they keep all the lights illuminated on this level? It was creepy enough without shadows everywhere. Just as they reached for the door to the morgue. A barefooted Grimm, in nothing but green scrubs shot by them.
“Where did they go?” Grimm shouted the question as he ran straight ahead.
“Who? Grimm!” Bodhi yelled and ran after him.
Grimm stopped at the end of the hallway, looking in every direction.
“What the hell is going on, Grimm?” Demas raised his voice as he jogged to where they stood. Demas noted that Grimm looked flustered.
Hands on his hips, Grimm dropped his chin to his chest. “This is a mess. We need to find the intruder—”
“What intruder?” Bodhi asked.
“The intruder I just chased out of the morgue,” Grimm replied.
“Shit.” Demas pulled his phone out and called security. “There’s been a breach. We need this facility searched immediately. They were wearing…” Demas paused to look at Grimm who simply shrugged. “…Ugh, apparently, we don’t have a description. Just look for anyone who shouldn’t be in headquarters. Yes, I know how large the building is.
“Okay, Grimm, what happened?”
“Come with me.”
Bodhi and Demas followed him inside the morgue where he held the door open. The acrid burn of disinfectant strong in his nose. Demas shielded his eyes from the bright lights blazing in the large rectangular room. As his eyes adjusted, he scanned and saw twelve silver-colored refrigerated drawers, gleaming in the light. Three high by four across. One door in particular was ajar.
“Shit, I knew it. That’s the drawer Maggie’s body is stored in.” Grimm walked to it with Demas and Bodhi on his heels.
“So, what happened?” Bodhi asked.
He pointed to the only dim area in the far-left back corner of the room. “I’d just opened the drawer and pulled down the sheet to check Maggie’s remains for magical residue when something spooked me.
“What was it?” Bodhi asked.
“I don’t know. A sound, I guess. I tossed the sheet back over her corpse, closed the drawer and ran into the supply closet where I’d grabbed scrubs from earlier.” He pointed to a door beyond the large metal sinks. “I left it open a crack and saw a beam from a flashlight ricocheting off the stainless steel.” Grimm continued. “Then when I heard one of the refrigerated doors being opened, I just knew someone was trying to steal more evidence.”
Sticks & Stones Spell Werewolf Bones: A Why Choose Academy Romance Page 12