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.
“The water will be ready in a minute,” Roz said. She set the tray on the ottoman and sat on the sofa. When Brandee didn’t move, Roz patted the empty cushion beside her.
Brandee strolled over and took the seat offered. “Your place is lovely.”
“Thank you. Because my husband is the dean of the school next door, we lucked out and were given this place as part of the whole package.”
“You must really enjoy reading.”
“It’s my husband’s obsession, but I’m getting into it more and more. We like to curl up—but never mind that. I’m getting off the topic again. We’re here to talk about you and Nick.”
“Yes. I can’t thank you enough for taking the time to discuss this, uh…situation.”
“You must be pretty confused.”
“You can say that again. I’d never have believed him if he hadn’t showed me.”
Roz’s jaw dropped. “He transformed—in front of you?”
“I-I asked him to.”
“Wait a minute. Back up,” Roz said.
Suddenly the teapot whistled.
“Crap. Hold that thought.” Roz raced to the kitchen. A couple seconds later, she returned with the teapot and poured hot water into the teacups.
“How did you know what he was? Did he just come out and tell you?”
“No.” Brandee remembered the circumstances of being marked and her face began to heat. Would Roz know they’d been making love at the time? Oh well, it’s not as if I have anyone else to talk to about this. A little embarrassment might be worth the insight.
Roz filled the silent void. “I knew there was a big secret Konrad wasn’t telling me, and as I became more and more suspicious, I demanded he tell me what it was.”
Brandee snorted. “I didn’t have a clue.”
Roz scratched her head. “Now I’m the one who’s confused.”
Brandee worried her lower lip. “If I tell you, promise not to tell anyone else.”
“I won’t keep secrets from my husband. If he asks, I’ll have to tell the truth. But other than that, I promise.”
That’s reasonable, I guess. I’d ask for the same exception if I was married. “Okay, but if he doesn’t ask…”
“I won’t offer.”
“Good enough.” Brandee took a deep breath and blurted it out. “We were making love, and he bit me. I thought it was weird, so I asked him why he did it and he told me. He said I’m his mate.”
Roz gasped and jumped to her feet. “He marked you?”
“Yes. That’s what he called it.”
Roz slapped her forehead and reeled back. “He didn’t tell you what he was about to do and get your permission? He just did it?”
Brandee nodded. “He said something about not being able to control himself. He said it was instinct.”
Roz balled her fists. “Wait until I see my brother-in-law again—”
“No! You said you wouldn’t.”
Her shoulders slumped. “Damn. I did, didn’t I?”
At that moment, a key rattled in the door lock and an exact replica of Nick walked in. The only reason Brandee suspected it wasn’t Nick was because the man wore a conservative suit and didn’t seem to recognize her.
“Oh, hello. I didn’t know we had company,” he said.
Roz strolled over to him and gave him a kiss. “This is Brandee, Konrad. Nick’s mate.”
Konrad’s eyebrows shot up. “Did you just inadvertently tell her?”
“Nope. He told her.”
“Already?”
Roz frowned. “He marked her already.”
Konrad’s big body thumped into the armchair nearest him. “Holy shit.”
“He marked her and he shifted in front of her.”
“You weren’t supposed to tell…” Brandee hoped Nick wouldn’t get in trouble for doing things out of order or for something he apparently did wrong.
Roz sat on the armrest next to her husband. “I told you that Konrad is the only one I’d ever tell. And he needs to know this.”
“Why? What did Nick do wrong?”
Konrad gazed at the ceiling. “Everything.”
Brandee rose, intending to leave. “I’m sorry I said anything.”
“No. Don’t be. We—we’re just surprised,” Roz said.
“Why? Because he was supposed to keep the big, bad secret from me until I got so suspicious I broke up with him?” Raising her voice, she asked, “Is that what he did wrong?”
The Wolfensens must have been speechless. They just sat there with their mouths open.
“Look, he’s not perfect, but I love him and forgave him…not only for biting me, but also for hiding what he was. I imagine the two of you love him too. And if I can forgive him, then I expect you can too.” Dang, I didn’t realize I’d get angry. Even so, yes, she’d forgiven him for everything. If yelling at his family made her realize that, it was worth it.
Konrad recovered first. A smile slowly turned into a grin. “You’re defending him. That’s a good sign. As his mate, you can be assured that he’ll defend you too.”
“Well, duh. He told me the truth. I don’t like it, but I can’t change it. And it’s not like I’m perfect.”
“Yeah? What’s wrong with you?” Konrad asked outright.
“Konrad!” Roz slapped his arm.
“It’s okay,” Brandee said. “Well, for one thing, I’m severely lactose intolerant. You shouldn’t offer me scones with clotted cream. I love them enough to suffer the consequences even though I know what they’re going to do to me.”
Roz regained her sense of humor, at last, and giggled. “Go ahead. Eat a lot of them. It’ll serve Nick right.”
***
Nick waited to meet Sly and Morgaine at the bar the next afternoon. He had hoped he’d have time to talk to Brandee first, but she was busy with a table full of tourists who wanted to chat. Just as she finished up with them, the mysterious daytime vampires entered and spotted him in the booth at the back.
They strode over. Sly removed Morgaine’s purple jacket and his long, black coat and tossed them over one of the hooks on the wall. Then they slid into the booth across from Nick.
Sly smiled. “I can’t get over how much you and your brother look alike. I almost called you Konrad.”
“I’m glad you brought your lovely bride, Sly. I didn’t think you were going to come, Morgaine.”
Morgaine squirmed. “I might as well confess. I have agoraphobia, although it’s getting better. I’ve been going out short distances with Sly or my cousin, but today will be a major step for me.”
“Really? How?”
“I plan to wait here by myself until Sly returns.”
Sly glanced around. “This place is cozy enough. She should be okay. Especially knowing this is a safe place for our kind. Trust is a big part of overcoming her fears.”
“Fears?” He probably shouldn’t have said anything, but he was fascinated by the thought of a phobic vampire. So much for the bad-ass stereotype.
“I also have nyctophobia,” Morgaine said. “Fear of the dark.”
Nick raised his eyebrows. “Are you going to be all right after we leave? It’s late afternoon. The sun might set before we’re back.”
“I’m fine in a lighted room.” She smiled at her husband. “And I’m fine even outside at night as long as I’m with Sly.”
Brandee strode up beside them and smiled. “Hello, everyone. Can I get you anything from the bar?”
Nick rose and gathered Brandee into a side squeeze. “Sly, Morgaine, this is my girlfriend, Brandee.”
Sly rose and shook her hand. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Brandee.”
Morgaine stayed seated but reached out and shook her hand too. “Likewise.”
“Nice to meet you both.” When Nick gave her another squeeze, Brandee whispered, “I’m working,” and squirmed a bit until Nick reluctantly let her go.
He knew she could whisper all she wanted and the vampires would still hear every word, but she didn’t know that. He was slightly embarrassed that she hadn’t acted as proud to be with him as he was to be with her.
Perhaps Anthony had some sort of unwritten rule about fraternizing with the customers. He didn’t know that for sure, but perhaps it was frowned upon.
“So…drinks?” she asked.
“Nothing for me,” Sly said.
“Are you sure?” Nick returned to his seat. “How about a nice Bloody Mary?”
Sly rolled his eyes and put an arm around Morgaine’s shoulder. “No. I’m all set. How about you, hon?”
“No thanks. We just had a couple glasses of wine before leaving the apartment. Maybe later.”
Wine before going to a bar? Maybe that’s necessary for her to relax a bit and leave the apartment. I’m glad Brandee doesn’t have any phobias—that I know of. He turned to Brandee. “In that case, sweetheart, one butt wiggle as you walk away is all I need.”
“You’re incorrigible.” She winked at him and left.
“She seems like a nice girl,” Sly said.
“She is. Talented too. She went to art school but waits tables to pay the bills.”
“Oh. That’s too bad,” Morgaine said. “Too many artists are undervalued. That’s where the term ‘starving artist’ comes from, I guess.”
Nick eyed Brandee’s retreating backside. “She won’t be starving for long. She’s very talented.”
Sly twisted to look behind himself, then faced Nick again. “So this is the bar, eh? Who here is paranormal? I can’t tell just by looking.”
“Neither can I.”
A tall man with sandy brown hair sporting a bright yellow streak walked through the front door and glanced around.
“Take the guy who just walked in, for instance. I can tell there’s something different about him, but I don’t know what it is. I’ve never seen him before.”
Sly eyed the same guy and nodded. “I guess you’d have to ask him. Is that how it works here?”
Nick shook his head. “It’s not that simple. Sometimes my sense of smell will tip me off. But we get to know each other first, by striking up a conversation like in any other bar. Eventually, when we build a little trust, we reveal what we are. So far, it’s worked out well.”
“So, do you know anyone that well here?”
Nick pointed out Kurt and Tory, who were leaning on the end of the bar, talking to Angie. “See those two? One’s a shapeshifting coyote and one’s a wizard.”
“No kidding,” Sly said.
Morgaine’s eyes rounded. “I’ve never met any wizards. I was a witch before Sly turned me, and now I’m both witch and vampire. Our building is full of shifters but no coyotes.”
“I think you’d like them. Want me to call them over?” Nick asked.
“Not yet. I-I need to settle in first.”
“You know who you really ought to talk to is that lady over there.” He pointed to Sadie. “She’s our resident psychic.”
Morgaine grinned. “I sensed another psychic in the room. How exciting. Would it be all right if I just go up to her and introduce myself?”
“I’m sure she’d be very receptive. But let her know you just want to talk psychic to psychic. She makes patrons pay a one-drink minimum for readings.”
Morgaine laughed. “Now there’s a good business move. Is she human?”
“Yes.”
“And how about your girlfriend?” Sly asked. “Is she?”
“Yes. Most of the staff are completely mortal human beings.”
Sly interrupted. “If you know an older vampire, why didn’t you ask him to do this dry run robbery for you?”
“Excellent question,” Morgaine echoed.
“He has to stay neutral. If other vampires were to find out he was helping a werewolf catch a vampire, for whatever reason, it could ruin his and his bar’s image. He wants this to be a little piece of Switzerland in the middle of Boston.”
“I can understand that,” Sly said.
Morgaine rose. “I’d like to meet Sadie while you’re both still here.”
“That’s my girl.” Sly grinned and slid out of the booth, allowing her to leave them. He watched as she sashayed over to the booth closer to the middle of the long wall. “Whew. I’m glad she seems comfortable here. Now, let’s take care of business.”
Nick cleared his throat. “I should warn you that the two cops you’ll meet today are typical weres. They might not be as friendly to vampires as the patrons here are.”
“Is there anything I should do or not do while I’m around them?”
“Chances are it won’t matter. Prejudice is one of those words that perfectly describes itself. You’ll be prejudged. Don’t bother trying to change minds that have been made up for centuries.”
“Then should I go through with this at all? If I’m unsuccessful, won’t they think I’m just trying to throw them off to cover for a fellow vampire?”
“Maybe. But you’re not doing this for them. You’re doing it as a favor to me. And as I understand it, my brother saved your life once. I can explain that to them.”
“Right,” Sly said. “I guess they’ll see it as an ‘I owe you’ kind of thing. What they don’t realize is I used to catch crooks as a regular thing.”
“I seem to remember Konrad saying something about that. He called you the Vigilante Vampire.”
Sly chuckled. “It was the only way I could slake my bloodlust and make myself useful at the same time.” He glanced over at his wife and smiled. “But those were the days before Morgaine. I had only darkness inside before I met that girl.”
“Well, we should get going.”
“Yes. I don’t want to leave Morgaine too long.”
“Give me a minute to talk to Brandee. I’ll meet you outside.”
“No problem.” Sly rose, grasped his jacket, and headed for the door. He stopped to kiss his wife on the way.
Nick watched them and couldn’t help being a bit envious. Morgaine had allowed her husband to turn her into a vampire so they could be together forever. In fact, according to her, she begged him to.
Would Brandee ever agree to be turned? Somehow he doubted it. If she didn’t like the bite that marked her, she really wouldn’t care for the deeper wound needed to turn her.
Nick grabbed his leather jacket from the peg where he’d tossed it. Brandee was waiting at the bar for an order, so he strolled over to her.
“I have to go, sweetheart. Would you keep an eye on Sly’s wife? She’s a little skittish. Call me if you need us to come back.”
“Huh? Why would we need you to come back?”
“It’s not my right to reveal someone else’s, uh, limitations. Let’s just say she doesn’t get out much. This is kind of a test for her today.”
Brandee looked confused. “Okaaay.” She glanced over her shoulder to where Morgaine sat. “She looks perfectly happy talking to Sadie.”
Nick took a look at the two psychics who seemed to be having an animated, friendly conversation. “She does seem fine right now. But if Sadie gets busy, she might have to move to another table and that would leave Morgaine all alone.”
“Well, whatever her problem is, don’t worry. I’ll do my best to make her feel at home and comfortable.”
Nick smoothed a stray lock of red hair behind her ear. “I know you will, babe. Just be your charming self.” He tipped up her chin to kiss her. “I’ll be back soon.”
She gave him a quick peck. “I hope so.”
***
When Nick and Sly ambled up to the closed bank, the captain and a lieutenant were already there, leaning against a Range Rover. They were wearing plain clothes and waiting with arms crossed…stern expressions on their faces. The parking lot was illuminated by streetlights, and the shadows cast made the cops’ faces seem even more severe.
“Sly, this is Captain Hunter and Lieutenant Lupo,” Nick said, hoping for the best.
Sly extended his hand. “Gentlemen.”
The two large cops ignored him and focused on Nick.
“Are you sure he’s trustworthy?” the captain asked.
Nick knew he’d have to bluster to get through to his captain. Hands on his hips, Nick practically growled, “He’s not associated with any vamps other than his wife. He’s willing to stick his neck out for absolutely no reward. He owes my brother his life, so he didn’t even hesitate when I asked for his help. Is that trustworthy enough for you?”
He spoke to Hunter as he’d been spoken to anytime the captain wanted to make a point. It felt strange being in a position to do so. Maybe being a “civilian” wasn’t all that bad.
Captain Hunter’s bushy eyebrows jumped up, then settled as he smiled slowly. “Good enough.” He extended his hand toward Sly. “Thank you for your willingness to help us.”
Sly nodded and shook the captain’s hand.
Lieutenant Lupo didn’t offer his hand, and Sly didn’t bother waiting for him to. However, the two nodded to each other.
“Is this bank ready to go?” Sly asked. “No alarms are going to go off, right?”
“The bank manager left the door keys in my care but can’t be here for obvious reasons. Naturally we don’t have access to the vault, but we’ve stashed something just outside of it. The cameras are active, and we’ll take the footage with us when we leave.”
“So you want me to do this as if I were the real thief? Move fast enough to avoid detection by the cameras?”
“If you can.” Lupo smirked at him.
Sly glanced around the parking lot. “Are cameras covering the outside as well as the inside?”
“We’ve got a few extras,” Hunter said. Sly noted that he wasn’t told where they were. He took a deep breath. “I’d like a guarantee in writing that I won’t be arrested or prosecuted for what I’m about to do.”
Lupo snorted. “Talk about trust—or lack of it.”
Hunter held up a hand. “I don’t blame you for being suspicious. But you have my word.”
Sly pulled a contract from his inner coat pocket. “Just sign this and I’ll be good to go.”
The three werewolves all stared at each other.
Nick cleared his throat. “He doesn’t know we’re always good to our word. Just sign—”
“Give me the damn thing,” Captain Hunter said as he ripped it from Sly’s grasp.
As soon as Hunter had signed the promise, Sly tucked it in his coat pocket and said, “Thanks.” Then he took off his coat and handed it to Nick.
“One of you will need to open the door, and I’ll try to get around you without touching you. If you were ordinary-sized people, I’d probably fly over your heads, but I don’t want to take the chance of accidentally giving you whiplash.”
“I’ll do it,” Nick said.
“You realize there’s more than one door to go through, right? The first one just leads to the ATM. I’ll need two of you opening both doors at the same time.”
“I’ll take the other one,” Lupo added. “But what are the chances of a vamp waiting for two customers opening the doors at the same time?”
“Pretty good, actually,” Nick said. “People tend to hold a door open rather than let it slam in the face of someone who’s entering right behind them.”
“True.” The captain nodded. “Okay, let’s do this as if Lupo’s going in first and holding the door for Wolfensen.”
The weres all approached the unlocked doors and opened them. Nick kept an eye on Sly. Suddenly he disappeared and Nick felt a slight wind rush past him. Then another. He could have blamed the first on a breeze, but the second was more like a gust of wind. That’s odd. He couldn’t have moved so fast that he’d be in and out already, could he?
Sly suddenly reappeared in the parking lot, but he wasn’t alone. He was lying atop a flapping body, which held a linen sack.
“Get off of me, you jerk.”
Nick couldn’t believe his eyes. A rail-thin body covered in gray fur lay pinned to the pavement. Its voice sounded like a woman who’d been smoking for forty years.
“What is it?” Lupo asked.
“I have no idea,” Hunter answered. “In my twenty years on the force, I’ve never seen anything like it.”
“It’s strong,” Sly said, as the stick figure struggled.
“For f*ck’s sake, I’m not an ‘it.’”
“What are you?” Nick asked.
The figure let out a defeated sigh and after a long pause answered, “I’m a whirling dervish.”
“A whirling what?” all three werewolves asked at once.
“Whirling. Dervish,” the figure enunciated.
“I thought that was some kind of Turkish dance,” Sly said.
“The dance was named after us. We’re not well-known in this part of the world.”
“No shit,” Lupo said.
Sly glanced up at the captain. “So what should I do with him? Or are you a her?” he asked the dervish.
“I’m a female, and you should let me go.”
“Why were you robbing the bank?” Nick asked.
“What else am I going to do to get money?” she asked. “There aren’t many jobs for blenders with fur.”
“Why do you need money?” Sly asked.
“I just want to go home. I was captured back in Turkey. We live in some pretty inhospitable mountains, but a group of determined hunters managed to sneak up on us. They caught me and shipped me in a crate to this—this place. I was in some kind of a lab, but I escaped. Now I need the money to ship a crate home—with me in it.”
“How did you know the bank would be open? It’s a Sunday,” Captain Hunter said.
“I didn’t. I was hiding up there.” She pointed to a stand of leafy trees that would have provided cover. “And I was waiting for the bank to open. It had to sometime, right? And what’s a Sunday?”
Nick couldn’t help feeling sorry for the poor dervish. How frightening it must have been to wind up in a crate and be shipped across an ocean. He shuddered to think about what the lab was going to do to her.
“How did you learn to speak English?” Captain Hunter asked.
“The night lab technician taught me. He seemed different from the rest of them. Kinder. It was as if he knew I was someone, not something. The others were classifying me as some new kind of animal.”
Each wolf glanced at the others, probably all thinking along similar lines. They had been treating a fellow paranormal creature as a human would have treated them, if the unthinkable happened and they’d been captured in their alternate form.
After a long silence, Sly cleared his throat. “I hate to repeat my question, but what are we going to do with her? I can’t spend days or weeks lying on top of her while someone decides.”
“I guess we’ll have to help her get home,” Captain Hunter said.
Nick thought he heard Sly let out a sigh of relief.
“But how will we do that?” Lupo asked. “And what if she escapes again the minute the vamp stands up?”
“The ‘vamp,’” Sly said tensely, “will tackle her again. But I doubt she’ll take off if she knows she’s going home and not just back to the lab.”
“We can’t afford to have a paranormal being in a human lab,” Hunter said. “If they discover what she really is, we’re all at risk.”
“Hello? I’m right here,” the dervish interrupted. “Do I get to voice an opinion?”
“Of course,” Nick said quickly. He was well aware of the way cops thought. They might not even listen to her if they believed they knew what to do. The plain truth was that no one knew exactly what to do. Five minutes ago they didn’t even know what she was, but together they might come up with a viable plan.
“The guy on top of me is right. If one of you big lugs will help me get home, I’ll be more than happy to cooperate.”
After a brief hesitation, Captain Hunter said, “You can get up, Sly. We’ll help the lady get home to the Turkish mountains safely.”
“Glad to hear it.” Sly rose gingerly and then extended a hand to the hairy, thin female. She rose to her full height of about five feet and brushed herself off.
“Lupo and I will take her to my place,” Hunter said. “From there we can find her a crate and some food. What do you eat?”
“Goats,” she said. “Goat’s milk and goat cheese will do, I guess. Anything will be better than the nuts and berries they tried to feed me at the lab.”
“Sly, would you mind coming along just in case?” Hunter looked at the whirling dervish apologetically. “We don’t really know you yet. I’d feel better if we have someone who can keep up with you if you run.”
She shrugged. “You’ll learn.”
“Sure,” Sly said. “But I can’t stay. As soon as she’s safe, I have to fly. Literally.” He chuckled.
“I’m sorry to hear that,” Hunter said. “I have another problem I was hoping you could help me with. We have a woman in custody for shoplifting. She put up quite a fight last night. I’m pretty sure she’s a vamp.”
“Really? Was she conscious during the day today?”
“No. That’s another reason we suspected it. I have to hold her until we can get the store to drop charges. Right now she’s in solitary with only paranormal cops watching her.”
“She’ll be up soon. I guess I can talk to her. What’s her name?” Sly asked.
“Ruxandra.”
Ruxandra? Shit. Anthony’s ex-girlfriend? “Don’t worry about your wife, Sly,” Nick said. “I’ll make sure she’s okay.”
“Thanks. In that case, captain, I’ll help you out for a short time. I still need to get back quickly, though.”
“Much appreciated.”
Sly waved, and just as they were about to walk away, the captain called out, “Hey, Nick.”
He halted. “Yeah?”
“I spoke to a friend of mine at NYPD. He’ll try to help you ID the perps you were looking for. Maybe they can lead you to the guy who hired them.”
“Great! Thanks. Can you call me with the details?”
“I’ll email them. There’s no confidential information. Just his name and the department’s phone number.”
“Does he know about our unique qualities?” He didn’t have to talk in code since everyone within earshot was either a werewolf or a vampire. But it was a good habit to keep just the same.
“Nope. He’s completely, um, normal, so don’t mention anything about a paranormal aspect.”
“Thanks. Good to know.”