Kissing with Fangs (10 page)

“Claudia, wait.” Anthony started to follow her.

She yanked open the door to her stairwell and said. “No. I've waited long enough.”

***

Anthony hoped Claudia wouldn't refuse to let him in. He needed to talk to her. She must be wondering what Ruxandra was babbling about when she said their relationship couldn't be broken, and he had to do damage control.

He knocked and heard Claudia mutter, “Frig,” from the other side.

He waited impatiently until he saw her hazel eye peer into the peephole. He was relieved…sort of. On one hand, he wanted to give her an explanation of why his ex-girlfriend wouldn't go away, and on the other hand, he had to walk a fine line between the literal truth and something that wouldn't expose what he was.

She opened the door slowly and peeked around it.

“She's not with me,” he said.

When Claudia opened the door wider, he added, “In any sense of the word,” and then he strode inside and closed the door behind him. When he reached for her, she took a step back.

In disappointed surprise, he let his arms drop. “What's wrong?”

“I think I'm entitled to an explanation, and I don't want to get distracted by your talented mouth and hands before I hear it.”

He smiled sadly and nodded, acknowledging the backhanded compliment.

Claudia plodded over to the armchair and gestured for him to sit on the couch. He wanted to sit closer so he could soothe her. Stroking her cheek or caressing her back might have helped, but apparently she knew his moves.

“I want to know about a number of things. First, why is she being such a pain in the ass? It can't be just because she thinks she can break us up. What did she mean by ‘what you have can't be broken'?”

Anthony let out a long sigh. The truth was about to get twisted. “In a way, we're related.”

Claudia's jaw dropped. “You're what? Wait a minute… Are you married?”

“God, no.”

“Divorced, but she won't accept it for religious reasons?”

Tempting, but he didn't even want entertain the thought.
“No.”

“Cousins? Isn't that illegal?”

“It's more distant than that.”
Hey, I turned her in the distant past.
That
counts
as
distant.

“So, distant cousins. Can't she just see you once a year at a family reunion?”

“You'd think, but for whatever reason, she wants it to be more.”

“Okay…that brings up another question. I never see you two during the day. Are you spending your days together?”

“Absolutely not!” He had already formulated an explanation using a rare genetic illness if she ever asked about the daylight thing. Now, perhaps he could use the “relatedness” to back it up. “My, er—‘family' has a rare condition, and photosensitivity is a major problem for us.”

“Really? What's the condition called?”

“Xeroderma pigmentosum.” He was proud of the fact that it rolled right off his tongue.

“Sounds made up.”

“It's very real, I assure you. Cancer is about three hundred times more likely in those who have this condition. The best defense is no sunlight at all.”

Claudia's hands flew to her cheeks. “Oh, no. How awful. I'm so sorry. Is there anything I can do to help? Should I know what symptoms to look for?”

“No. I'll be fine and you're already helping. Because of you, I was able to flip my sleep schedule to daylight hours.”

She shook her head slowly. “Oh, my God. I had no idea. I'm so sorry, Anthony. No wonder you didn't want to be bothered during the day—even with emergencies at work.” She rose and moved to sit beside him.

This
is
working
better
than
I
had
hoped.

“Does Ruxandra have it too?”

“I'm afraid so.”

“Oh, dear. Now I'm sorry I was mean to her.”

“Please, don't be.”

“But she's your relative and she has this terrible illness. I should invite her to have dinner with us sometime. Maybe just letting her know someone cares will help. She must think you're the only one who understands…and she's probably right.”

Oh, crap. That backfired.
“No. I don't want you anywhere near her. Sometimes, um, people with this condition become very volatile and violent.”

Claudia's eyes rounded. “Does that mean that you…”

“No. Not at all. I have a mild form of the condition, and as long as I avoid all sun, it won't get worse.”

“So Ruxandra's condition is severe?”

“Yes. I'm afraid so.”

Claudia placed a hand over her heart and flopped back against the sofa cushions. “I feel so awful for her. Isn't there anything we can do?”

He put on his saddest expression. “No. There's nothing. I mean, I could institutionalize her, and at some point, I might have to…”

Claudia gasped. “Oh, my God. I hope it doesn't come to that.”

“Me too. Really, the best thing you can do is stay away from her.”

“So, you're saying she won't fly into rages if she's not jealous?”

Uh-oh.
Anthony had a feeling he didn't like where this was going.

Claudia folded her hands in her lap and stared at them. “Maybe we should break up. It's the only way to make sure she stays calm.”

“No! Please don't do that. I've put my life on hold too long as it is.” He pleaded with his eyes. “I want to live before I die.”
Good
Christ. Could I have laid it on any thicker?
With every lie, he dug a deeper hole. He'd need to fix it so it wouldn't collapse and bury him. “We don't like to talk about it. I hope you can be discreet and tell no one. Don't even mention it to Ruxandra if you see her. Having this disease makes her angry. Let's not remind her of it.”

“I understand the anger. Having alcoholism made me angry at first, but talking about it at meetings really helps. You should consider letting her express her feelings.”

Shit. I should have known Claudia's compassionate side would complicate things. This bullshit has gone too far.
Fortunately he could mesmerize her and take it all out of her head. Then he'd just have to come up with some other explanation for Ruxandra's behavior…if he could figure it out himself. So far all he could gather was that she was sociopathically obsessed with him. That in itself was concerning, but he'd just have to find another way to deal with it. He was sick of the blond bombshell ruining his life.

He turned to Claudia and held her gaze.
Trying
to
mesmerize
her
before
didn't work, so I'll have to really concentrate.

“There! It happened again,” she said.

He quickly glanced behind him while his eyes returned to normal. “What? I don't see anything.”

“Your eyes. They changed color.”

He chuckled. “It must have been the light reflecting off my clothes or something.”

“Your shirt is white. Your pants are black.”

“Well, they could have been reflecting something else.”

She glanced all around. “The place is beige, but your eyes were brown, then shimmered gold, then turned purple, then blue. I've never seen anything like it.”

Damn. Why did I paint the place with neutral colors?

Anthony had talked Claudia into believing she was just very tired and ought to nap until she had to leave for her meeting. He said he'd wake her. He hoped she'd fall sound asleep and stay in for the evening. He could come up with an excuse for not waking her later.

Meanwhile, he had to research why his mesmerism wasn't working. Maybe Kurt would know. He stepped into the hall and dialed Kurt's number.

“Anthony. What's up?”

“Are you busy?”

“Kind of. I'm in Cambridge. Nick and I might be getting close to locating the lab.”

“That's great! What makes you think so?”

“We keep losing the trail over the Memorial Bridge, but at least we have a consistent direction. I believe it's a matter of following a fresher scent. We might need your help when we finally find it.”

“If it has to do with my powers of mesmerization, I might not be as helpful as you think.”

“Why not?”

“I can't mesmerize Claudia. Was it something you did in the protection spell? Maybe by protecting her from Ruxandra, you made her immune to my powers too?”

“I don't think so…at least not on purpose. I used a piece of Ruxandra's hair to represent any and all malevolent forces, but maybe one of yours wound up in the circle too. We did it in your office, after all.”

Anthony nodded absently. “Maybe. Or maybe it means I'm evil too.”

Kurt laughed. “You? Evil? You won't even kill to live. How's that chicken-blood diet, by the way?”

“Meh. But getting back to Claudia, is there any way you can fix what's happening—or rather,
not
happening?”

“Other than removing the spell and doing it all over again?”

“Yes.”

“Then, no.”

“Shit. I don't think your wizardry includes the power to erase memories, or does it? Otherwise you wouldn't have needed a vampire when all hell broke loose at the bar last year, and you wouldn't need me now.”

“Correct,” Kurt said. “I could freeze everyone in their tracks…at least all the humans. Then I need a vampire to wipe their minds.”

“Who did you use last year? Some day-walker?”

“Yeah. Nick knew him. Do you think he might be able to help?”

“Possibly. If I'm losing my touch, maybe he knows why.”

Suddenly a female voice he didn't recognize came from around the corner near the upstairs landing. “Yes. Get in touch with him. You should have a
competent
vampire handy who can erase minds, seeing as how you've become useless.”

Anthony's jaw dropped as a strange woman gracefully descended the stairs. She had long white hair and wore a full-length, filmy ivory robe belted in front with vines.

“I—I'll call you back.” He dropped his cell phone into his jacket pocket without taking his eyes off the mysterious woman.

She paused one step above him. “Do you know who I am?”

He cleared his throat. “Mother Nature, I presume.”

“Good. You've heard of me. It gets so tedious having to explain that, yes, I really do exist. I am to be called Gaia or Goddess. I watch what's happening on the earthly plain—when I feel like it,” she muttered. “Yada, yada, yada…”

“What are you doing here? I mean, why are you interested in me?”

She smirked. “I've been watching you for some time. Ever since you opened your little watering hole for paranormals.”

Anthony sucked in a breath.
She's been watching me for five years?

“Yes. I've been aware of your experiment,” she said as if she could read his mind. Now he was really unnerved.

Anthony stood his ground. “It's helped diffuse the tensions between many shifters and vampires. I'd like to continue—”

“Hush. I'm not here to talk about your tea shop. It seems harmless enough. At least tea isn't a fire accelerant.” She crossed her arms. “Is there somewhere more private where we can talk?”

“Hmmm…” He didn't want to take her to his lair. It was bad enough that she knew where he worked.

At that moment, Claudia's door opened and she stood there holding her coat and purse.

“Hey. You were supposed to wake me up.”

“Sorry. I got sidetracked.” He cast a quick glance toward Mother Nature. Suddenly she was wearing a sky-blue dress.
Weird.

The goddess folded her arms. “Aren't you going to introduce us?”

“Uh… This is Claudia. My…uh…”
How
can
I
protect
Claudia
from
a
deity's interest and keep her off Gaia's radar? Call her my tenant? My friend?

Claudia sighed deeply. “His girlfriend. Who's this, Anthony? Another ex?”

“No. Nothing like that. This is…uh…”

Mother Nature rolled her eyes. “His business partner. I saw you at the tea room, but I didn't know you were Anthony's girlfriend.”

Anthony slipped his arm around Claudia's waist. “We've been keeping things on the down-low. You know, since she's dating the boss and everything.”

A light of recognition entered Claudia's eyes. “Oh, I remember now. You were one of our first customers at our grand opening. Beautiful hat, by the way.”

“Thank you.”

An awkward moment ticked by. Anthony hoped that Mother Nature didn't spill the beans about his being a vampire or that she was a goddess or that paranormals were frequenting the tea room. He'd have to tell Claudia at some point, but he'd hoped to wait until she had more sobriety under her belt. If anything could trigger the craving for a drink…

At last, Claudia shrugged. “Well, I've got to get going, or I'll be late.” She shook Mother Nature's hand, then kissed Anthony's cheek and said, “G'night.”

“Wait. I want to go with you,” Anthony said.

Gaia jammed her hands on her hips. “You're busy. You'll see her later.”

Bloody
hell.
There wasn't much he could do. Defying a goddess was probably a bad move. He'd just have to trust Kurt's word that Claudia was protected by his spell.

Claudia turned, gave them both a confused look, then shook her head and left.

“Nice girl. So, where can we have that heart-to-heart?” Gaia asked.

Crap. If I'm in trouble with the powers that be, I might as well get it over with.
“How about the office downstairs? I can get you a nice cup of tea.”

“Darjeeling,” she said. “No sugar. Light on the milk.” Then she passed him and descended the remaining stairs.

***

I
must
be
nuts. I know Ruxandra is hot as hell, but do I really want that psycho babe transferring her obsession from Anthony to me?

Kurt looked at his watch, which wasn't a watch at all. He had changed the analog dial to act as a homing device. Soon he'd be zeroing in on Ruxandra—and dusk would be descending on Boston.

Anthony had said that if anyone could “handle” Ruxandra, it would be Kurt. Now he wondered why the challenge had seemed so irresistible. What was he trying to prove?

Suddenly his watch hands pulled together and pointed in the same direction. He was close. The second hand was slightly off, pointing toward the eleven, so he adjusted his direction accordingly. At last, all three hands lined up. He gazed directly in front of him and faced a brick building in the Beacon Flats.
Here?

How could a vampire afford to live in this part of Boston? Real estate in the Flats cost less than on the Hill, but it was still pricey for a woman who had no job.
Or
did
she?

Kurt decided to hang back and observe. The streetlamp wove shadows with a few trees and nearby bushes, affording a spot where he couldn't be seen, but that didn't mean he was safe. Ruxandra could smell him. He tested the wind and found the best place to stand where her scent would travel toward him, not the other way around. Fortunately, she wore the same perfume all the time, and he'd know it anywhere. Not that he knew the name, but the fragrance was heavy with oriental spices.

A door leading to the building's basement creaked and opened slightly. Kurt flattened himself next to the tree trunk and peered over his shoulder. A male voice said, “Thank you, mistress. Will there be anything else?”

The man came stumbling into view with Ruxandra right behind him, arm extended. It looked as if she had just pushed him toward the brick sidewalk.

“One more thing, whatever-your-name-is…”

“It's Louis.”

She rolled her eyes. “I wasn't asking for your name. I don't care who you are. Just come back tomorrow night at eight, and bring more money.”

“Yes, mistress.”

She held his gaze and said, “You will not remember anything about me or where you've been. You won't even remember my asking you to come back. You'll simply find yourself here for no explainable reason, and you will wait outside until I let you in.”

“Yes, mistress.”

“All right. You can go now.”

With that, Ruxandra swiveled him toward Charles Street and gave him a shove. He caught himself before he fell and glanced at the ground, as if wondering which cobblestone he had tripped over. Meanwhile, Ruxandra strode off in the opposite direction.

Kurt groaned inwardly. She had a thrall. That explained a few things. Where she got blood, for one thing. And it sounded like she'd found someone of means to support her too.

Now
where
is
she
off
to?

Kurt followed at a distance until she rounded a corner and he lost sight of her. Jogging to keep up, he was about twenty feet behind her when she stopped. Without turning around, she asked, “Why are you following me, Kurt?”

He slowed his pace and she pivoted, waiting until he came face to face with her.

She folded her arms. “So? Why are you following me?”

Kurt tried to charm her with his smile. “Ruxandra! I thought that might be you. Lucky for me I was able to catch up.”

“Oh? Why is that lucky?”

“I had hoped you'd consider a proposition.”

She raised one eyebrow. “Why, Kurt Morgan. You know I don't do that anymore.”

He chuckled. “I didn't mean it that way…” Then he raised a brow right back at her. “Unless you wanted me to.”

She spat out a sound of disgust and strode off in the direction she had been heading.

“I was kidding,” he called after her. She didn't stop, so he trotted until he caught up with her and they were striding side by side. “I need your help with something.”

She didn't look at him or even slow down. “You need help, all right, but I'm not qualified to give it to you. Look in the phone book under psychologists.”

“Oh, you kidder,” he said, trying to maintain his sense of humor.
This
is
harder
than
I
thought.

When she arrived at the corner of Beacon Street, she stopped momentarily before crossing the busy road.

“So, where are you going?” he asked.

“What's it to you?”

He shrugged. “Just curious how a beautiful woman spends her time.”

She stuck her hands on her hips and gazed at the oncoming cars, waiting for a break in traffic that didn't come. At last she let out a frustrated breath. She whirled on him and stared right into his eyes. “You will step out into the street and raise your hand to stop traffic. You will stay there until I cross, and then you will go back where you came from.”

He took a step back. “Why would I do that? I might get mowed down.”

Her jaw dropped.

“Were you trying to mesmerize me?”

At that moment, the light changed and traffic came to a stop. Without answering him, Ruxandra scampered across the street toward the Public Garden.

He caught up to her again. “Wait.

She broke into a run and crossed Arlington Street.

“Ruxandra. Wait up,” he called. She was fast and easily outran him.

She kept running until she turned the corner onto Newbury Street.
Ah, she's probably planning to spend that guy's money at the designer boutiques.
By the time he reached the corner, she was gone. He'd lost her to some store, café, or salon.

Kurt stuffed his hands in his pockets and slowed to a leisurely stroll. He kept his eyes open for her, but doubted he'd find her again. If she applied her vampiric speed, she could have already reached the Prudential Center.

The fact that she'd tried to mesmerize him and it hadn't worked really sparked his curiosity. Anthony had had the same trouble with Claudia
. What's going on? Are vamps losing their powers one by one?

He decided to ask Anthony about it and turned around. At least he knew where to find him. He was at Claudia's a few minutes ago, and by now he'd probably returned to the tea room. A nice, hot cup of tea and company that wouldn't run away from him sounded good. Maybe they could puzzle it out over a pot of Bombay chai and a plate of cookies.

***

Anthony sat at his desk across from Mother Nature. He steepled his fingers and waited for her to speak.

She took a sip of her tea and set it down on his desk. “Mmm. Not bad.”

Anthony didn't acknowledge the compliment, hoping she'd just get to the point and leave. “So, what's your proposition?”

“I have no business proposition for you. Not really. I just came to deliver a warning.”

He sat back and hoped he wasn't in some kind of serious trouble.

“Or maybe it
is
a business deal. Do what I say and I'll let you stay in business. How's that for a proposition?”

“I don't understand.”