To Love a Shifter: A Paranormal Romance Boxed Set (134 page)

The first time I had performed live with this kind of crowd was in Berlin; that had been five and a half months ago, and it was the first leg of Hailey’s concert. I had come a long way since then. Sure, I was still nervous, but now I got to enjoy the experience, too. There was just something enlivening when you were dancing your heart out and thousands of people were cheering you on.

Well, okay, they were really cheering for Hailey, but I was sure they noticed us, too.

          I hit the last step of our set then struck a pose while the b-boys strutted their stuff. Remembering Dana’s words, I scanned the crowd for Varthan but couldn’t find anyone familiar. Then again, it was hard to see against all those blazing lights.

          The concert lasted for two hours and afterwards, the backstage was filled with cheers. Champagne and booze flowed endlessly and everyone was exchanging hugs and kisses, some more than that. I hugged my fellow breakdancers, tears stinging my eyes because this
had
been my first official job as a professional dancer. I was glad I had made it to the end without any major blunders.

          “
Dazzle
.”

         
Mmm…
that sounded familiar. I turned, searching the crowd.

          “Dazzle.” Exasperated this time. “I’m right here, woman.”

          No freaking way!

My gaze went back, slowly this time. I stilled. Gulped. Stared.

He was tall – I always knew that, but he seemed even taller and more powerful now that I had seen how, umm,
buffed
he was. Seriously – he made the B-boys I hung out with – and they were ripped, too – look emasculated. His to-die-for Armani suit covered him from head to toe, but it was such an amazing fit it only made him look hotter.

My eyes lifted to his face.
Lilac
eyes. How was that possible? And golden blond hair, thick, shiny, the kind that made him glow like an angel under the glittering lights of the concert venue.

          “
Varthan
?” I just had to be sure it was him.

          He smirked but his voice was gently chiding when he spoke. “I did tell you what you saw was not my original form, did I not?”

         
Showoff.
That was what I wanted to say but couldn’t because my throat still wasn’t working properly. Hawt. Hawt, hawt, hawt! I had never been tempted to make out with a guy – any guy – before, but Varthan was just so hot he made me want to haul him to the nearest broom closet and finally get a taste of that unique kind of pleasure only sex is supposedly capable of giving.

          He nodded towards the stage. “I have watched you perform.” His gaze traveled over my appearance and I tried not to fidget when he lingered on the parts where I exposed more skin than was normal.

          I had a feeling he was waiting for me to speak.

          Well, he could wait forever.

          Who knew zombies could be this hot?

“Dazzle?”

          “Yeah?” I mumbled, my gaze skittering away from his.
A zombie.
He had been a freaking zombie. And now he looked more than hot enough to give Prince William a run for his money. If this was the work of cosmetic surgery, I was going to sell my soul right this minute and turn myself into Blake Lively.

          He bent forward.

My breath caught. Was he going to kiss me?

He patted my head with an approving smile.

Oh.

“You have done well, woman. Congratulations.”

          I was not disappointed. I was
not
. “Umm, thank you.”

His smile vanished and his tone became serious. “You have done your job. I have done what I have promised. Now, it is your turn.” His lilac eyes had a teasing light to it when he offered his hand and said, “We must leave for
Zombie Island.
”

I blinked. “But I have to go home. My stepmom---”

“We can do that after. Your life is
still
in danger and the only way to save it is for us to go to where the Goddess lives.”

****

“Woman.” Varthan was exasperated. “It is still me.” We sat across each other, the only passengers of a private jet belonging to Elsine Corporation.

          Varthan had acclimated all right, and he had done it with panache.

          “I
know
.” I squirmed in my seat and restlessly played with my seatbelt, pulling then letting it snap back and doing it over and over. He was right, of course. He was still the same. I shouldn’t be tongue-tied, but I was. I knew it was shallow of me, but I couldn’t help it. Talking to a zombie? It made my heart go wild with fear. Talking to a zombie who turned out to be a gorgeous god? My heart still went wild, but for a very different reason.

“You must be comfortable with me,” he commanded.

That made me smile. Did he think he only had to issue a command and it would be done? “I’m trying,” I told him honestly. “But it’s not something you can just order and expect to happen.” I changed the subject hurriedly before he could ask me
why
I couldn’t be comfortable with him. “Tell me more about yourself. You were born in the 12
^th
century, right? What was your life like back then? When you were human, I mean.”

“I was a warrior.”

He said it so simply it made me want to smile. No modern Joe could call himself a warrior these days. Soldier, killer, secret agent, sure. But a warrior? Not even Rambo could say that with a straight face. “What kind of warrior? Like a knight? A crusader? Or---” What was the polite term for mercenary anyway?

“I am from Scandinavia,” he said like that explained it all.

And because I was a nerd, it actually did. “A Viking,” I breathed, impressed to death.

He rolled his eyes. “It is nothing out of the ordinary, woman.”

“Dazzle.”

“
Skat
.”

“That’s even worse.” I was unable to control my blush. If someone as good-looking as Varthan called you ‘treasure’, you’d blush, too. I changed the subject again. “What’s being a Draugar like? I know you’re immortal, you turn into a zombie, you’re super strong and all…anything else I have to know?”

I considered him thoughtfully. “Better yet, maybe you could tell me how a human being turns into a Draugar. You told me something about the Goddess making a choice, right?”

“You have an excellent memory,
skat
.”

“Just one of my extraordinary abilities as a nerd,” I quipped.

He shook his head. “You are more than that.”

That shocked me. “A few hours ago, you didn’t know what an elevator was and now, you know what a
nerd
is?”

“I, too, have an extraordinary, nerdy ability of assimilating facts.”

I made a face. “Very funny.”

“Would it be easier for you to believe me if I told you I was able to understand your world by spending half the day watching 90210, Survivor, and The Simpsons?”

I did my best not to grin but failed. Gorgeous
and
funny. What a deadly combination. Oh, Dazzle White, you are in danger with a capital D. Not from zombies, not from goblins, but from falling in love at first sight.

Well, first sight after I had my 20/20 vision back, that was.

His answering smile was unexpected and made him ten times more gorgeous. It had a bad effect on my respiratory system, something that I tried to hide by coughing. “You are comfortable again,” he said, his voice velvety with satisfaction. “That is good. It is better this way, is it not? It is safer, too, because you will not be prone to keeping secrets from me.” His lilac gaze suddenly turned serious, pinning me to my seat. “There must be honesty between us, you understand? I cannot fully protect you if there are lies between us.”

His words gave me something to mull over. “I just don’t get it,” I confessed. “How am I a treasure? I’m broke. Flat broke. I’ve got a trust fund, but it’s also common knowledge that I can’t touch it till I turn twenty-one. And that’s three freaking long years from now.”

“It is not about money. It never is. The treasure we as Draugar guard are of a different nature and of greater value. But I cannot tell you more. We must go to
Zombie Island
---”

I groaned. “You’re not going to let me forget that, are you?”

“Tell me,” he teased. “Now that you see how I look like, are you still against dating one who is not from your own species?”

God, he was arrogant. But stupid nerdy me, I found him even sexier because of it. Not that I’d ever admit it. “Yes,” I lied. “I’m the monogamous sort, you see.”

Varthan, who had been lounging back like an idle tiger, shot up in his seat. “Are you saying you are committed to someone?” he demanded.

“N-no.” His frown suggested anger and frustration, both of which completely confounded me. What was he worked up so much about? He couldn’t actually be
jealous
…could he? Considering what he was and how he looked – when he wasn’t in zombie mode – the idea was simply laughable.

But still, my naïve un-nerdy heart hoped otherwise.

“Then---” His gaze was possessive and accusing.

          WHAT THE HECK WAS HAPPENING? AGAIN?

          It didn’t make sense, the way his eyes claimed me as if I was his. But even though it was a complete absurdity, I still couldn’t help gulping, couldn’t keep my heart from racing.

“You are telling me perhaps that you like someone?” he demanded.

“I guess so. I mean, yes, I am.” I
liked
Quinn. Didn’t I?

He settled back on his chair with a grunt. “Human, no doubt?”

My lips twitched. “Contrary to what you might think, I don’t normally hang out with Draugar and goblins. A few vampires, sure---”

The last remnants of his frown disappeared and he was smiling at me again. “Be careful of your words, woman. There are vampires---”

I winced. “I get your point.”
Vampires.
A lot of girls had romanticized ideas about them, but not me. I didn’t have the time to watch Twilight so the only vampire I was familiar with was Dracula, and
that
guy had not been gorgeous, nice, or vegetarian.

He glanced out of the windows. “Just a few minutes more and we will finally reach your Zombie Island.”