Animal Attraction (19 page)

“No. No, I’m good.”

For a vampire, Wendy managed not to be as
cold and detached as most. She smiled as encouragingly as a human.
“Excellent! First and foremost, try to control your speed. Zipping
around like lightning is what’s messing you up. Think control.”

I did my best not to whine. “How? I think
‘forward’ and I’m off like a rocket. I think ‘turn’ and I give
myself whiplash. All I seem to have is two settings: supersonic and
stop. And fall. Three settings. I’ve got three.”

“Being serene helps. Think happy thoughts.”
She held up a warning finger. “Don’t you dare make a Peter Pan joke
at me.”

I snorted despite myself. Wendy had a
mischievous glint in her eye that told me she tried to lighten the
mood.

It worked. The humor helped me focus on the
task rather than my failure. I took a deep breath. “Okay. I’m
trying again.”

Wendy motioned to a familiar tree at the edge
of the field. “See that magnolia over there? It’s nice and big. Fly
to it and make a wide turn around the widest spread of the
branches. If we start with a more gradual turn, you might have
better results.”

“Got it.” I didn’t tell her me and the
magnolia were old friends in that manner.

I slowly rose, concentrating on drifting
upward rather than lifting off. I was aware of Wendy keeping close
watch.

I got about ten feet off the ground. My coach
called, “Remember, serene! Like you’re doing now. That’s great,
Brandilynn.”

I tried to hold onto that light as a feather
feeling as I rose into the air. “A little pixie dust and we’re off
to Neverland,” I muttered.

I was high enough now. I willed myself to
move forward, trying to go slow. The magnolia tree in the distance
closed on me. It was one of those that didn’t shed its leaves in
the winter. With my vampire sight I could see the veins in the dark
green foliage.

Darn it, the tree came at me faster despite
all my attempts to keep my pace gradual. The magnolia already
loomed a matter of feet away. I tried to slow down. My body jerked
and plunged towards the ground for a brief second.

“Around the tree. Around the tree,” I coaxed,
my voice rising in desperation. I jolted to one side. It wasn’t
pretty, but I avoided collision. I sailed past the magnolia, again
picking up speed.

“Slow turn, slow turn, slow turn,” I chanted,
still trying to will my power to behave. My body jerked harder than
ever, making me look like a marionette being flung about.

A surge of anger flashed at my inability to
control what came so easily to the other vampires. With the moment
of temper, I lost my tenuous power over the ability. I twisted in
the air, bringing me face to trunk with the tree. I shot straight
for it.

At the last second, I veered off to one side.
I missed the trunk but still smacked into several large branches.
Gravity took the last of my conscience influence away, and I landed
in a heap at the foot of the tree.

Pain and disappointment robbed me of my usual
abhorrence for vulgar language. I let loose with profanity that
would make a sailor proud. It was the crowning moment of my
failure.

Once I’d emptied my store of potty mouth, I
sat up. The one good thing about my situation was having an undead
body that healed quickly.

Boisterous laughter interrupted my moment of
thankfulness. Someone found my predicament funny, and that made me
mad all over again. I shot to my feet and readied to make someone
pay.

Neither Wendy nor Gerald enjoyed so much
amusement at my expense. I looked in the direction of their stares
to see Arthur Dragwald approaching us from the wooded area flanking
one side of the field. His gait was impeded by the fact he doubled
over in laughter.

Had he been watching the entire time? Why was
he here at all?

Important questions, but his hilarity over my
latest mishap eclipsed my confusion. Anger rose higher with each
rude guffaw.

“See something funny, Arthur?” My voice was
dangerous without effort.

He managed to calm enough to speak. “Oh my,
yes. Right into the tree! Ah, poor tree, do you think it will
survive?”

He drew close. As furious as I felt, I
couldn’t help but notice that funny charred smell of his. It was
strong, not quite like toast this time. The scent was different
from anyone I’d ever met, though I could have sworn I’d come across
it before. It was a vital scent, one that made me think of
jalapenos or wasabi. I thought Dragwald might be a livelier bite
than even Gerald.

Plus giving him a nice big chomp would shut
him up.

I did make the attempt to be reasonable
though I felt anything but that. “You should know laughing at a new
vampire, one with little control over her emotions, is an
invitation to trouble.”

Arthur stopped a couple of feet away. His
eyes narrowed but the mocking grin remained. “Do you want a taste,
young lady? I warn you, it could be a very bad idea.”

For him, yeah. “Keep irritating me, and
you’ll find out how bad an idea it is.”

His smug look never wavered, maybe because
Wendy and Gerald reached us just then. Wendy’s voice was cautious.
“Calm down, Brandilynn. Look, Gerald has your blood.”

The bottle waved in my face. The aroma coming
from its open top smelled old and disgusting compared to Gerald ...
and most especially Arthur. It was an insulting slap in the face to
be offered such bilge.

I smacked the bottle away and lunged for the
still-smirking interloper. I guess Gerald knew what was coming,
because he jumped in front of me to take the hit.

The next few minutes were a flurry of blood
and sex. I was aware of nothing but the throat in my mouth, blood
going down my throat, and the cock in my pussy. Orgasm hit once,
twice, and then a third time.

Little by little, the madness abated. I
returned to the real world, once more the trapped and regretful
Brandilynn.

Gerald’s blood churned in my guts, mixing in
a sickening soup with the feeling of utter failure. I dragged
myself off the gasping shifter and gave Wendy my most miserable
look.

“I hate this. I really do.”

She nodded, her expression evincing sympathy
for my plight. “I know. Are you okay now? What about you,
Gerald?”

As Gerald struggled to his feet and said,
“I’m fine,” I shamefacedly mumbled, “I’ll manage.”

The werepanther glared into the dark night.
“Where did that British bastard go? He goaded her into losing
control.”

Reminded of who had set me off, I looked
around too. Humiliation poked at my anger again, but I was well fed
now. I wouldn’t want to chew on anyone for at least half an hour,
but I thought I might take a generous bite out of Arthur
anyway.

He was nowhere to be seen. He’d vanished as
quickly as he’d shown up.

Wendy scowled at the tree line where he’d
emerged from. “I told that jerk to disappear or I’d make his
absence something permanent. He’s a smart man. He took off running
into the trees over there. Asshole.”

I didn’t protest her language. Heaven knew
I’d unloaded plenty of rudeness myself. “Augustus needs to get
better friends. Can we call the lesson done for the night?”

Wendy nodded. “That would be for the best.
You did better than you give yourself credit for though. Good
work.”

It was nice that she was so encouraging,
though probably on Tristan’s orders. No amount of supportive
cheerleading could mask the truth: I was a huge loser. I couldn’t
fly and I’d lost control of my hungers again.

Clutching the tattered remains of my clothes
and pride, I trudged across the field towards Gerald’s car. Not
even putting Armani on would make me feel better at this point.

* * * *

Dressed and somewhat refreshed, I poked my
head in at Para Central after returning to the King George. I hoped
to find Dan there. If he waited at the library, I’d have to hoof it
on foot through the tree root tangled underground remains of Old
Fulton Falls.

Fortunately for me and my designer outfit,
Dan was in the reconfigured ballroom. I also saw Taylor conversing
with Wendy, who’d gotten back well before me through her power of
flight. Patricia’s girlfriend shifted her gaze from my appearance
... but not before offering me a quick nod of acknowledgement.
Miracles do happen.

Gerald accompanied me to Para Central. He
wandered off to talk to some of his shifter pals. Dan was busy
looking over the whiteboards that detailed the important stuff to
be done by Tristan’s staff. He apparently overheard Wendy or Taylor
something about me, because he turned to look my way.

We met halfway down the aisle separating the
rows of desks. “Got a minute?” I asked.

Chocolate brown eyes warmed my soul. “How
about eternity?”

Despite being in ‘failure mode’ I had to
smile. “Smooth, big man.”

Maybe he heard the note of pathos in my tone.
Dan brushed his hand against my cheek. His ghostly touch offered
the slightest wisp of feeling.

We went to my office. We sat side by side in
the chairs Gerald and Levi had taken up earlier that night.

Dan wasted no time in guessing at what had my
mood low. “How was flying school? I heard Wendy showed up to
help.”

“She did what she could, but I have to face
the fact that I’m flight-disabled.” I sighed. “It did go a little
better than usual. The flying part, at least. I’m no winged angel,
but I had half-seconds when I didn’t careen completely out of
control.”

“I heard her talking to Taylor. She said you
showed some progress over the couple of hours you were out
there.”

“I would have said so too. Then that Arthur
showed up out of the blue. He laughed himself stupid when I crashed
into a tree.”

Dan winced in sympathy. “Ouch to body and
pride. What was he doing there?”

I made a face. “You know, I got so mad I
never thought to ask him. When I lost control over my temper, Wendy
made him leave. I tried to bite him, but Gerald stopped me.”

“Too bad. It sounds like he could have used a
good chewing. If he wasn’t a friend to Augustus, I’d wonder about
him.”

I sank into my thoughts. I thought about what
came after taking live blood. I was grateful that Gerald had jumped
in, but still...

Dan interrupted rueful realizations. “Talk to
me, sweetheart.”

I looked into his eyes. So warm, so good.
They reflected the man himself. Windows into the soul indeed. “I’m
thinking how funny it is that I’ve been afraid for so many years
about settling with one man. And how hard I found choosing between
you and Tristan. Now I’d give anything to have it just be you.”

His loving gaze never altered. “I know you’re
doing your best.”

I shook my head, hating my afterlife as I
never had before. “Every time I lose it and take it out on Gerald –
well,
after
each time that happens – I feel awful. Almost
sick inside. If I had gotten to Arthur, it would have happened with
him. How can I keep going like this?”

Dan’s hand covered mine, though I could
barely feel it. “Stop it, baby girl. You know I can’t stand to see
you hurting over me.”

“Just like I can’t stand to see you hurting
over me.”

He did his best to reassure me. “I know what
you’re up against. I’m fine, Brandilynn, I really am. You’ll get
control over this thing one day. You have to take one step forward
at a time. Especially when you feel like you’ve stumbled. We’ll get
through this. We’ll be stronger for it in the long run.”

I couldn’t understand what he saw in me. But
that’s Dan Saling ... the best person I know. “What did I ever do
to deserve you?”

“You showed up.” He grinned.

I laughed because it was that or cry. I hate
to cry. So I sat there, looking into Dan’s eyes, wishing with all
my heart that I could hold and kiss him right then. Unfortunately I
was still hours away from that privilege.

Oh well, I supposed I had to be grateful for
what I could get. At least I had each and every day with him.

The moment passed and thoughts of the world
beyond my little sphere asserted themselves. Others suffered much
worse than me, and I wanted to do something about that. Seeing a
certain someone tonight had given me an idea.

I told Dan, “I think I need a special kind of
help when it comes to this missing shifters case.”

“Name it. I’m here for you.”

Wasn’t he always? I winked at him. “Thanks,
but it’s another kind of help I need. Do you think Taylor will talk
to me?”

Dan considered. “I can see the benefit of a
clairvoyant in this matter, all right.”

Taylor’s brief nod had given me some hope of
reconciliation, at least in getting her to use her abilities to
help the para community. “Tristan’s learning to cope. Wendy was
nice to me tonight. There is a general thawing towards my
situation, I think. But Taylor and Patricia were in love, and I
don’t know if I can get her cooperation.”

Dan said, “You could always get Tristan to
relay your request, whatever it is.”

“True. It would be easier for her and me
both.” I thought about it and shook my head. “Easier, but not
necessarily better. I think she needs to face me. I think it’s
important she take this step before she runs off to Atlanta.”

Dan agreed. “It would be healthier for her.
The question is, is she ready?”

I shrugged. “The million dollar question. I
suppose the worst that can happen is that she runs away like she
always does.”

The thought of that made me sad all over
again. I hated being a pariah, especially with someone I genuinely
liked. It hurt every time Taylor fled my presence.

Dan was optimistic. “Taylor is hurting, but
she’s also a team player. Her allegiance to Tristan is
unquestionable. I think you should at least try. If it doesn’t go
well, here is my shoulder.”