Coffin Girls (Elegantly Undead: Book 1 of the Coffin Girls Witch Vampire Series) (10 page)

“Everything? How?” Anais was dumbstruck.

At the look on her face, Marie grinned, “Anais, it’s been
too long for you. You’ve forgotten that as vampires we hear very well. If I can
hear that crocodile swimming lazily in the river below,” Marie pointed towards
the Mississippi at the end of the alley, “then I can hear your love noises down
the hall.”

Anais blushed harder, V’s lips were twitching while she
struggled to keep her laughter contained and Sneaky Sam was rolling around the
bed in mirth. Anais groaned, “Love noises?”

The silly term had them all laughing from the belly. “Oh
God,” Anais wiped her eyes careful not to smudge her mascara, “love noises. I
had forgotten about those - God, it has been too long.”

“It’s got you all tied and twisted. Why didn’t you go for
it?” Marie asked.

Anais tilted her head to consider possibilities, “I will
admit that as tempting as it is to throw caution to the wind and just jump his
tasty bones,” She licked her lips in appreciation, lips curving in response to
V’s own, “I won’t because of our friendship and our family and that is not
worth a fling.”

“You deserve happiness with a man, something you have never
had,” Marie interjected, “even if it is a bit of boning.”

“Jeez, Marie!” Anais looked at her friend and the grinning
ghost next to her. “Crass much?”

“I’m just saying,” Marie shrugged, “not getting any ain’t
healthy.”

V cleared her throat, “And it would be nice if you got love
and happiness along with the hot sex.”

“I’d like that happiness. I think every woman wants that
happiness. But that happiness often comes with the risk of heartbreak for both
or one. If my heart broke, it would mend. I’ve had to mend it before but if
he’s heart broke; I don’t think my heart would heal. I wouldn’t live knowing
I’d hurt him like I’ve been hurt before.” Anais conceded with a nod at her
friend in appreciation.

“You are not Louis and you are not Yves.” V looked at her
friend in empathy, understanding filtering through.

Anais acknowledged the statement with a noncommittal shrug,
displaying a false outward appearance of nonchalance, “I know, that’s why I
won’t start anything with him.”

Marie commented, “You have a hunger for our wolf – they type
that won’t easily go away and his as stubborn as you are – he’ll keep at it.”

Sobering, Anais acknowledged the truth in the statement, “I
do have a hunger for him. But that’s a hunger I’ll have to sate elsewhere.”

“So,” V picked up where Anais was at, “You’re going to take
someone else as a lover and hope that he’ll realize that there can’t be
anything between you and look elsewhere.”

“Would this lover be one of the witches perhaps?” Marie
asked, brows raised speculatively. “I did notice some the start of a fire
taking off between you and that yummy Conall. Wouldn’t mind taking a bit out of
him myself. You could do worse to quieten down your lust.”

“You could,” nodded V, “and it might sate your general lust.
Whether or not it will sate your hunger for Raulf is unknown and whether he’ll
fall for your bluff is a risk. Our Raulf’s not lacking in the grey matter.” V
tapped her head.

Sam sneaked up behind Anais, making her jump and reinforcing
the nickname he’d earned. “God, Sam don’t do that. If I wasn’t undead already,
you’d have killed me just now.”

“Anais, if I flesh and a boner, I’d be willing to sate your
hunger anytime.” He laughed and zoomed to the corner of the roof when Anais
playfully swatted at him - he was incorrigible.

Anais looked at her friends knowing that the nosiness came
from concern, “I don’t know if I’ll take a lover or whom that would be –
there’s too much going on for me to worry about that now.” She picked up her
bag, ignoring the shaking heads of her friends and headed for the door, “Now,
our guests are going to get itchy. Let’s go.”

V stopped Anais in her tracks, ”One thing before you go,” V
stopped Anais in her tracks. “That’s what Marie and I came to warn you about.”

 Anais motioned for V to continue. “Well…” V was
stalling, “Raulf insists that he acts as an extra guard.” V held up a hand,
stopping Anais’ protest, “He’s going with Marie and I so we’ll be there to
buffer anything that might crop up and frankly, I could do with his alpha by my
side tonight. We’re going into the den of the Vampire Council, even if it is
temporarily set up in our Quarter house. Given what happened or nearly happened
between you two, I think that he’s offering a white flag, a truce. I suggest
you accept it.”

Darn, thought Anais, she’s right. What a fucking mess!

--------

The French Quarter was alive with excitement, frivolity and
a bit of naughty; enough to make anyone walking its legendary streets giddy in
response. Despite the trial of the dinner with the Vampire Council and Raulf’s
sulks, Anais felt herself respond to the unique magic of New Orleans’ oldest
soul. She’d even loosened up enough to take Conall’s offered arm in supportive
escort, a living crutch for what will soon be aching feet from the walk. Thank
God vampires healed quickly and any woman worth her salt would even secretively
admit to having succumbed to the excruciatingly painful condition of not being
able to step on her own feet after a night in heels.

All in all, the night was going better than expected. She
did a quick evaluation of everyone. Raulf was still sulking, walking next to V
much like someone walking behind a casket. Marie was chatting away amicably to
Niul and though the Irish witch had a glint in his eye, indicating his amusement,
she was the one doing most of the talking. She undoubtedly mistook his silence
as participating in the conversation. Marie was far to accustomed to conversing
with the less participative dead. Like V, Sylvain was walking silently, taking
in everything around them with an eagle eye. There was a hint of mischief in
his glance whenever he spotted some silly behavior, which made her slightly
apprehensive. There was definitely something to him, more than what met the
eye. That reminded her; she needed to grill Conall, who was calmly and silently
walking beside her too.

Leaning over to Conall, she whispered, “We look like we’re
attending a wake. I’m not sure about witches, but vampires need to blend in.
How about we loosen up a bit?” She flicked her head back towards their
entourage. “And we better tell them to do the same.”

Clearing his throat, Conall forced himself to gain a bit
more composure. He had no difficulty in wanting to loosen up as Anais bluntly
put it. He wanted nothing more than to loosen up into her and the unbroken
underlying current of risqué in the Quarter’s atmosphere wasn’t helping his
growing arousal. Having her hang onto his arm, his blasted own stupid idea, was
making it near impossible not to devour her right there.

“Good idea. Let me chat to the guys?” He didn’t wait for her
response and let her go, relishing the relief that came with her not attached
to him, and waved his pseudo-guards over.

Anais followed Conall’s lead and did the same with Raulf, V
and Marie.

Raulf was uncooperative and sulking in an unreasonable
manner that was a far cry from the controlled man he was earlier in the day.
“I’m not going to act like an idiot. No self-respecting Cajun would act like a
tourist here. It’s bad enough that I have to put up with you making doe-eyes at
Mr Fabulous over there but now you’re asking too much.”

“I’m not asking you anything that I’m not asking them.”
Anais stated softly, irritation evident in her tone as she waved her arms in V
and Marie’s direction.

“That’s apparent, Anais. We’re as friendly as you are with
them.” Raulf’s bit out the words.

“Well, you said you didn’t want to act like an idiot and
you’re failing. You’re not only acting like an idiot, you’re acting like a
childish jerk!” Anais wanted to scream and slap him. Of all fucking times to
throw a goddamn tantrum, he had to do it now. She grabbed him by the collar of
his shirt and whispered softly enough that only his wolf picked up what she
said. “We are on a mission, one which you volunteered for, by the way, and now
you’re jeopardizing it!” She took a deep breath, temper striking and getting
the better of her as she shoved him away from her. “Grow the fuck up!” She spat
the words at him, making him flinch. Anais hardly ever swore at them.

“Jeesh! Calm down. Your eyes are glowing and you’ll draw
more attention to yourself than us not acting like tourists will.” She dragged
a hand through her hair, making it splay over her shoulders and doing nothing
to calm his raging libido, despite her anger.

“Just go home, Raulf.”

Her tone was so resigned with frustration that it pulled at
the soft spot he’d always carried for her. His voice still held an aggravated
hint of steel though, “Think of me what you like but I’m not the type of man to
leave women alone with men they don’t know and don’t trust.”

“Get over yourself, Rambo, we’re fucking vampires. We’ve
been taking care of ourselves long before you knew how to use the toilet!”
Anais’s voice dropped to a barely audible whisper but she knew that his
extra-sensitive alpha hearing would pick up the words and the aggravation.

“Cut it out you two.” V stepped closer to them, followed by
Marie. “You’re drawing attention to yourselves and you’re acting like
toddlers.” She turned to Raulf, eyes beseeching, “Please go home. I appreciate your
loyalty and your help but in the mood you’re in, the two of you are bound to
blow up soon and we can’t risk that type of exposure in public or in front of
the witches.” She placed a hand on his arm and let the warmth of her air power
caress him like a balmy tropical breeze, cooling him off. “Please,” she
pleaded. “Whatever is going on between the two of you isn’t worth the risk to
all of us. Go home and let her finish tonight’s witch-sitting. Marie and I are
here and if things get out of hand, I can always call some of the guards at
Papillion House, which we’ve just been too and you know it is quick ground for
a vampire to cover to wherever we are in the Quarter.”

Accepting but not liking the request, Raulf narrowed his eyes,
staring intently at first Anais and then V. “You promise you’ll stay in the
Quarter and then come straight home?”

V nodded in agreement, “I promise.”

Raulf nodded at them in farewell and then walked up to the
witches, “I have to go. Family emergency. You take care of them or I’ll whip
your asses. Understood?” When the dumbstruck witches just nodded in agreement,
he turned around and stormed off to hail a taxi for the ride home.

“The sting of unrequited love I presume?” Conall raised a
questioning brow at Anais when she re-joined his side for their walk.

“What makes you think that?” She asked sharply, too sharply.

Conall nodded knowingly, “Your response just confirmed it.
You certainly do have a way of attracting men to you, Anais. I also noticed that
Yves seemed markedly fond of you tonight. Tell me, is it unrequited love with
him too or were you lovers?”

It wasn’t what he said that had her that picked at her
already frazzled nerves; it was the censure in his tone. Why the hell were the
men surrounding her suddenly becoming dictatorial jackasses? She retorted, her
voice taunt with irritation. “I had no idea that my love life or lack thereof
had anything to do with vampire-witch relations. I also had no idea that your
mamma raised you to have the manners of a swamp rat!” Anais had had enough of
ill-mannered, arrogant men for one night!

Conall blanched, visibly. What had come over him? She was
entirely correct and within her rights to be irritated with him. As witch
royalty, he’d been raised to have impeccable manners and unfailing courtesy to
his hosts. He was obviously failing at that dismally now.  Wanting her and
seeing the competition so to speak was making him irrational. “I apologize.
That was uncalled for.”

“Then why did you say it?” Anais wasn’t about to let go. She
had a bone to pick with the men and if he was the unlucky recipient that she
could live with that. He did after all, contribute to her irritation. “If it
was uncalled for, what was your motivation? Are you really supportive of the vampire-witch
alliance? Is it vampires you have something against or is it vampire women?
What is your problem? I know what Raulf’s is and Yves’ is. What’s yours?”

The strain of the last few days was getting to her and she
was precariously close to erupting. Added to that, she hadn’t had her meal yet
and the lure of the occasional sinner’s blood that they passed by was
increasingly hard to resist. Conall’s blood was hard to resist too. Conall’s
wasn’t a sinner; she could smell the purity of his blood but that vampire
elixir promised a sinful experience. Equally alluring was the way he looked
tonight. He’d also gone for casual chic in dark grey and a deep blue to match
his gorgeous eyes. Anais appreciated a well-groomed man even though she wanted
to rip the grey pants off his well-shaped butt and run her fingers along the
buttons of his shirt until they popped off. Fuck – she was a mental slut –
she’d wanted to do that to Raulf too just a few seconds ago even though they’d
been arguing. Men and hormones were perplexing and driving her nuts -
literally! She beat out that frustration by turning it towards him and poking a
finger into him, strength unrestrained, relishing in his grimaces as she poked
him, vampire-hard.

She was perilously close to a few truths, so he offered the
least threatening of them, better to cause himself discomfort than create a
situation that threatened the witch species. “You’re my problem,” he stated
quietly. Seeing her about to huff once more, he grasped her arm, drawing her
closer, under the balcony that hung over the sidewalk. He lowered his head so
that her face was adjacent to his and drank in the startled beauty. Dramatics
would not endear him to the current situation.