Flirting Under a Full Moon (15 page)

The following day Brandee didn’t have to work. Ordinarily she’d spend her day off taking pictures or setting up her bathroom as a makeshift darkroom, then experimenting with new artistic techniques. But today, everything had changed. She had no desire to tackle her passion. She needed time to let the recent turn of events sink in. And she needed a change of scenery.

She had explained that to Nick, and he seemed to understand. He suggested she talk to his sister-in-law and gave Roz’s phone number to her. Then he promised to leave her alone for twenty-four hours.

Part of her wanted to get away—permanently. Just skip town and live on a beach somewhere down south. But avoidance wouldn’t help in the long run. Besides, she loved Nick.

She stared at the phone number in her hand and wondered what kind of woman would knowingly marry a werewolf. Moreover, she had to figure out if
she
was that kind of woman—not that Nick had proposed or anything. Apparently, he knew better than to do that. But this marking thing…wasn’t that similar?

She had too many questions and not enough confidants. She took a deep breath and sighed. At least if she talked to this Roz person, she might come away with a little more insight.

Brandee lifted her cell phone and dialed the number she’d been given. After two rings, a woman answered.

“H’lo?”

“Um—hi. My name is Brandee. I’m looking for Roz Wolfensen.”

“You’ve got her.”

“Oh. Hi, Roz. I’m your brother-in-law Nick’s friend. He suggested I call you.”

After a brief hesitation, the woman asked, “You’re just his friend?”

“Well, no. I’m his girlfriend—I guess.”

“He said you might call and need to talk. Feeling a bit confused?”

Brandee plopped onto her couch. “Man, am I ever.”

“Are you okay?”

“Um…”

“Oh, boy,” Roz said. “Maybe we should talk in person. Are you free this afternoon?”

“I’m available all day.”

“Good. I have an appointment this morning, but we could meet for coffee around one. Do you want to come here?”

“Sure.”
That’s one way to get out of town and face this predicament at the same time.

“Good. Do you know how to get to Riverside on the T?” Roz asked.

“That’s like the last stop on the Green Line, right?”

“Yup. I’ll meet you there.”

“I’ll aim for one, but with the subway, you never know. If I’m a few minutes late, I’ll be there shortly.”

Roz chuckled. “Good. I’m glad you said that. If you were late, I might have wondered if you’d just decided to blow town instead.”

How
did
she
know
what
I
was
thinking?
“Yeah, I kind of considered that already.”

“So did I. If it’s any consolation, I’m very glad I stayed. It gets better.”

I
hope
so.

***

Nick was having the worst time concentrating. Not good, considering he was about to meet Konrad’s old neighbor, Sly—a vampire. Why the hell had he marked Brandee so soon?

He spotted the beautiful brownstone on Beacon Street in which Sly and his new wife, Morgaine, lived. He took the steps two at a time and located the buzzer, but before he pressed it, a woman spoke over the intercom.

“Nick? Is that you?”

“Yeah. How did you know?”

“I’m psychic. Oh, and your brother called ahead. Come on up. When you get to the third floor, we’re the door on your right.”

The buzzer sounded, and he yanked open the heavy wood-and-glass door. The familiar lobby of white marble and dark mahogany crown molding greeted him. He hadn’t been there often, preferring to meet Konrad at obscure restaurants.

His brother had to keep a low profile back in those days for a number of reasons. He had been kicked out of their pack and didn’t want anyone to know where he’d gone. But more importantly, he was breaking into Boston businesses so Nick could come in the next day and sell the frightened owners a security system. That was the business Nick had alluded to when Brandee asked how he could afford such a nice place.

Since Konrad had met Roz, the woman who inspired him to “go straight,” Nick’s leads had dried up. That was fine, though. Now that he was with Brandee, having the extra time to spend with her was more important than money.

Nick took the elevator and found the apartment with 3B in brass letters on the door to the right. He had just raised his fist to knock when a pretty blond opened the door.

Her eyes widened. “My, oh my. You look just like him.”

“Konrad and I are identical twins.”

“Cool. I’m Morgaine—one of a kind.” She chuckled. “Come in. Sly will be up in a moment.”

“Oh, I didn’t know he was asleep. Don’t wake him.”

Morgaine laughed. “I meant he’ll be coming upstairs. He’s in the basement right now.”

Nick followed her inside the small but tidy apartment.

“Have a seat. Can I get you something to drink?”

Nick spotted a bottle of red wine. “I don’t suppose you could spare a glass of wine.”

Morgaine wrinkled her nose. “You don’t want that kind. It has blood in it.”

Blood wouldn’t bother a carnivore like him, but he supposed it must be their food. He’d survive until he got to a coffee shop. “Are you a vampire too?” he asked.

“Yes.” She smiled. “Sly turned me shortly before our handfasting…at my request. He had already grieved for one wife. I didn’t want him to go through it again.”

“Handfasting? Are you witches too?”

“I am. Sly’s Catholic. Can you imagine that? A Catholic vampire?”

Nick had to admit these vampires defied all the stereotypes. “So are all vampires capable of being awake during the day?”

“No. There’s a secret ingredient in our wine that makes it possible. It also slakes the bloodlust. As long as we get some of it each day, we’re almost normal.”

“Who’s normal?” asked a pale, dark-haired man in the doorway.

“Oh, Sly. This is Nick, Konrad’s twin brother.”

“No kidding,” Sly said. “I could have easily mistaken you for Konrad. How is our old friend, anyway?”

“He’s great. He and Roz got married recently.”

“We heard. Actually, they invited us to the wedding, but we didn’t want to make anyone uncomfortable. I guess some werewolves are still very antivampire.”

“I know, and that’s so foolish. If you two are interested, you should stop by the bar where my girlfriend works. It’s on Charles Street. The place is called Boston Uncommon. It’s a safe place for paranormals of all kinds to socialize.”

Sly gave her a sideways glance. “It would be good for
both
of us to get out
together
.”

She folded her hands in her lap and gazed at them.

There’s something they’re not saying.
“Oh, well. The place is always there if you decide to give it a try.”

“Yes. Thank you for bringing it to our attention,” Sly said.

Nick cleared his throat. “Well, on to the reason I’m here. I’m a private investigator working on a case that involves a paranormal perpetrator—possibly a vampire.”

“I’m intrigued,” Sly said. “How can I help?”

“The perp robs banks while the vault is open and only while it’s open. No one sees a thing. I slowed down some video footage and saw a dark gray blur. I thought because vampires can run at speeds that essentially make them invisible, perhaps that’s what we were dealing with.”

Sly raised his eyebrows. “Did you think
I
might be able to test this theory?”

Nick took in a deep breath and hoped for the best. “Yes.”

“Wow.” Sly scratched his head and his brows knit. “I haven’t flown that often. I’d be willing to try it, as long as everything is arranged ahead of time and I won’t get arrested.”

“Don’t worry. We have the cooperation of the police force. A test will be set up for a Sunday when you’re free, not during business hours. Can you do it?”

He shrugged. “Like I said, I can try.”

“How about tomorrow?”

“Sure. I’m available.”

Morgaine put a hand on his knee. “I don’t know, hon. This sounds impossible.” She focused on Nick. “How would the thief manage to get in and out of the building without being seen? I can’t imagine no one would notice the door opening by itself.”

“Good point,” Sly said. “Has your video footage captured anything that would account for that?”

“No. That’s why I need to test the full theory. I can only imagine he slips in as a customer opens the door, then makes a grab and runs around the perimeter until another customer opens the door.”

“I’m sorry, but that sounds crazy,” Morgaine said. “I doubt either of us could pull that off.”

“Unless he had an accomplice,” Sly said. “Someone to open the door and stand out of the way at the precise time the vampire needed to enter, then to reopen it when the vampire needed to leave.”

Nick shook his head. “We ruled that out. None of the cameras captured a consistent person at each of the heists.”

Sly rose and paced. “If I were to pull this off, I might mesmerize a random customer in the parking lot to open the door at precise times.”

Nick sighed. “We thought of that too. The cops set up long-distance cameras covering all angles outside. They didn’t capture anything like that in the parking lots.”

Sly paused in his pacing. “Did any of the customers look mesmerized?”

“We checked. It’s hard to detect a non-blinking person on a video. That’s the only telltale sign I could think of.”

Sly smiled at Morgaine. “Remember when I tried to mesmerize you and couldn’t?”

She chuckled. “Yeah. I wondered what was wrong with you. You kept staring at me and your eyes changed colors. It was bizarre.”

“I already knew you were special. I just didn’t know it meant you were my
beloved.
”

Morgaine grinned back at him. “In more ways than one.”

Nick glanced from one to the other. “Your beloved? You say that like it’s a special
thing
, like werewolf mates.”

“It is.”

“I’ve never heard that term. What does it mean?”

Sly settled next to Morgaine again and squeezed her knee. “There’s one special woman for every vampire. Some are never lucky enough to find that person. When it happens, it means, ‘Look no further. You’ve found your equal.’”

“Kind of like a werewolf finding his one true mate.”

“Exactly,” Sly said.

Nick nodded. “I get it. Konrad and Roz are perfect examples. They can even communicate telepathically.”

“So can we,” Morgaine said. “Don’t worry. We try not to do it when we’re with other people unless it’s absolutely necessary. It’s kind of rude, like whispering behind someone’s back.”

Nick frowned. “I wish I could communicate with Brandee that way. I don’t know why we can’t.”

After a brief silence, Sly asked, “Are you sure she’s your mate?”

Morgaine raised her eyebrows and shot Sly an intense stare. Nick imagined her telling him to keep his big mouth shut.

Sly quickly added, “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said anything. I know nothing about you two.”

Nick leaned back in his chair. “Don’t worry about it. I asked myself the same question. Telepathy is a rare thing among my kind, so I’m not worried just because it hasn’t happened to us. I knew Brandee was my mate the first time I kissed her.”
And
now
I’ve marked her as my life-mate, and I won’t find another. If she dumps me, I’m screwed.

Nick rose. “Well, I should get going. Are you still willing to do the dry run of a bank robbery tomorrow?”

Sly chuckled. “I’d be happy to. It sounds like fun. I’ve never robbed a bank before.” He rose and strolled to the door. “Just let me know when and where.”

“I’ll call with the details. Morgaine, you’re welcome to try it too.”

She rose but didn’t join them by the door. “No. If Sly can’t do it, I certainly can’t. I’ve never flown before. A vampire’s powers increase with age.”

Nick straightened. “You mean if we’re dealing with a very old vampire, he might be able to pull it off, even if Sly can’t?”

Morgaine stared at her beloved. “I suppose so.”

Shit. Was all this for nothing?

“Look, just so you know, I doubt
any
vampire could pull this off,” Sly said.

And
if
that’s the case, it’s back to the drawing board.

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.”