Vampire King of New York (21 page)

They landed again on the head behind the crown. As soon as Max released her, she sat down and looked around. He sat beside her.

“It’s beautiful. So peaceful. And just a little bit surreal.” She moved closer to Max. “Before we were interrupted, you were telling me how you escaped from the evil vampire queen bitch.”

He chuckled. “You do share some unique similarities to your sister.”

“Come on, tell me.”

He took her hand and stared down at the heavy silver wolf’s head ring on her finger.

“Where did you get this ring?”

“A little shop in Bucharest, when my family and I were vacationing. I saw it in a shop window and pointed it out to my husband. He thought it was ugly and walked away. But the moment I saw it, I wanted it. I went in and bought it. The whole thing was weird though.”

“How so?”

“I never went against Jack before. He didn’t want me to ‘waste my money’ on the ring, but I bought it anyway.”

Max kissed her hand. “I’m glad you did. You see, this ring was once mine.”

“Oh.” She tugged on the band to take it off.

“No, I love that you found it and enjoy wearing it. I had given it to my wife to give to my son. Something must have happened to the line for you to find it in a shop.”

“I’m sorry.”

He brought her hand to his lips and brushed a kiss against her knuckles. “Don’t be. But it is time I tell you something that no vampire knows. When I was young, but old enough to understand, my father told me a secret. We were shapeshifters. He made that ring for me after I chose my favorite form.”

“The wolf?”

His lips curved upward. “Yes.”

“But I thought all vampires could change form?”

“No, it’s a learned ability. I was born with the gift to change at will and frequently did. When I got older, I controlled it in front of others.”

“Did you tell your wife?”

“No, I don’t know why, but I didn’t.”

“But you’re telling me.”

“Is it too hard for you to know this?” He gazed deeply into her eyes but there was no attempt to mesmerize her, just an honest search for an answer.

“No. Wait a minute, if you’re a shapeshifter, you could have escaped from the evil vampire queen bitch. You could have shrunk smaller and slipped right out of the chains.”

“I could have, if I hadn’t lost the power for years.”

“Damn.”

“Yes, but I didn’t give up hope. After seven years of being her slave, one day when she left me alone, I tried again, even though I had tried a thousand times before without success. Then I shifted and I was a mouse. I crept out of her house and the village and into the woods, where I took the form of a wolf and ran until reaching the land’s end. Then I became a hawk and flew into the north.

“When I got home I learned my wife had remarried, there was nothing I could do. I didn’t want to endanger them. She deserved happiness, so I hid in the forest and lived as the wolf watching and loving her from a distance.”

Evelyn leaned her face against Max’s chest and cried heartbreaking, convulsing sobs. He patted her on the back, rubbing gently, leaning into her.

“Evelyn, I didn’t mean to make you cry.”

She wiped her face with” her hands.

He helped. “We should talk about cheerful things instead, like your reunion with your sister.”

Evelyn shook her head. “That was hardly cheerful. My husband and son had died in a car crash. The police officer asked if there was anyone I could call. All I could think of was my father. His cell phone didn’t work. He’d left the number of his best friend in case I couldn’t reach him. He said David Hilliard would always be able to reach him, and I called.”

She rubbed her temple. “My dad came to help me arrange the funeral and told me a strange story of how he met David, who was really a vampire, but a good guy type. He explained how David pulled my sister out of the East River and made her a vampire. It was love at first sight.”

“You believed his story?”

“Of course, I did. I come from New Orleans. You live any part of your life in that city and you believe all kinds of strange stuff. Anyway, my dad went on to tell me that David and Laura might come late to the funeral, so I shouldn’t be frightened.”

“Were you frightened when you saw her again?”

She poked him playfully. “You’re getting ahead of the story.”

“It was late afternoon in the cemetery. People had drifted away leaving only my dad and me. I had noticed this couple standing by a grave uphill from us. She was blond and he dark haired. They wore the long black coats that the vampires in Manhattan favor. They always kept their faces turned away from us. I was hoping it was them, but when they made no move toward us, I went with my dad in the opposite direction to the car. We were almost there, when I turned and saw them standing by my son’s grave. I ran toward them, but they turned and walked away. Every step closer I came to them, the farther they seemed to get.”

“I screamed, ‘Laura, please, forgive me for throwing the holy water on you. Please, stop. Laura, I need you. I need my sister.’” They stopped and turned. Tears streamed down Laura’s face. Mine too. We hugged. I invited them back to the house.”

“It was weird. They had a cooler with them with little pink take-out containers filled with animal blood. They were standing in my kitchen sipping blood from my glasses, when I asked them to prove they were vampires. Laura smiled and I saw her fangs slowly descend. Then David, who was standing behind her with his arms around her waist, smiled and his fangs descended. I was astounded. I asked them what else they could do. Laura said David could pull a rabbit out of a hat and do card tricks. Then I knew they were making fun of me, and we all had a good laugh. They asked me to stay with them in New York, until I felt myself again, until I could bear being part of the world. I said yes and the rest is history.”

“I’m glad you said yes.”

Evelyn looked out over the horizon toward the sea. “Max, the night is fading fast. We should leave.”

He stood and helped her to her feet. Wrapping his arms around her waist, he held her so she melded with his body. Evelyn placed her arms around his neck.

He kissed her deeply, breathlessly, until she nearly collapsed from the fiery intensity of his passion. Then they lifted off.

Max didn’t return to the yacht. Evelyn was enjoying the sweet scent in the air, her eyes on the creeping sunrise. When she turned, the city was almost upon them. They landed on the front step of a stately gray stone townhouse on the edge of Battery Park.

“Where are we?”

“My house.”

A butler opened the door before Max could touch the doorknob. “Good morning, Sir.”

“Good morning, Booker. This is our guest, Ms. Evelyn Cordelais.”

“Good morning, Ma’am. This way, please.” They followed him into the dining room, where they were seated.

One servant brought Max a glass of blood. Another brought Evelyn pancakes with syrup and orange juice.

She took a bite, and it was yummy. “Max, I love this. How did you know I had a thing for pancakes?”

“I asked your sister.”

He had some pancakes, too. When they were finished, he took her on a grand tour of the house. When they got upstairs, he showed her the guest bedrooms, his office, the library, and his bedroom.

Evelyn stood staring at the very large bed with its red and black satin sheets, blood red comforter, and variety of red and black pillows.

“I was hoping you’d agree to spend the day with me. I mean, we have already slept together at your place and on the yacht. I thought it might be a nice change to sleep together in my house, my bed.”

“Um.” Evelyn’s hands couldn’t stop shaking. There was something about this she did not like at all. His bed? It sounded final.

He walked up to her and they kissed, her lips parted for him. “I guess we could.”

Before she knew it, Max was completely undressed and obviously aroused. Aroused was a bit of an understatement.

She couldn’t catch her breath. Max was a glorious man or an amazing vampire or both. She couldn’t decide. Evelyn knew from the pain in her chest that she would have to decide. Something snapped. My house. My bed. She ran out of the room, grabbing her purse from the bureau as she went. Evelyn barely flew downstairs into the kitchen where Vincent was drinking a glass of blood.

“Vincent. Vincent, please, take me home right now.”

He put the glass down.

“Oh, please, finish.”

Vincent took the glass and drank it down in one gulp. Handing the glass to the cook, he said, “Come this way, Ma’am.”

He led her through the door and downstairs to the garage. It was a bit eerie, but Evelyn was determined to go home. They reached the limo, and Vincent opened the door for her. She climbed in. There was a moment of hesitation on her part.

Behind the wheel, he asked, “Where to, Ms. Cordelais?”

“David’s.”

Vincent drove to face a wall and suddenly they were moving up. Another wall opened up, and they were facing the street.

It only took minutes to get home. She rushed out of the limo and into the house. When she reached the door of the apartment, it opened and she fell into Laura’s arms sobbing.

“What’s happened?” Her sister helped her into the kitchen and sat her down. Laura took a chair facing her. “What did Max do?”

Evelyn couldn’t help it. Her mind was fixated on the bed, and Max looking at her with desire and standing there naked with his engorged manhood. That’s the image she held in her mind, and that’s what her sister saw.

“You left Max naked in his bedroom?” Laura covered her mouth to prevent the laugh, but wasn’t successful.

“You did what?” David yelled.

“Laura, put a bell on him. I didn’t hear him come into the room.”

Now her sister was in stitches of uncontrollable laughter.

“Laura, it isn’t funny,” scolded David.

“No, it isn’t. I’ve ruined everything with Max, and I know I love him. He’s wonderful. Did you know he can change form?”

“A lot of vampires can shapeshift, especially the ancients.”

“But can they keep their powers twenty-four-seven?”

The two looked at her. “Max, can do that?”

“Yes. Max is some kind of super vampire. He’s powerful, rich, kind, funny, warm, passionate.” She broke down again. “And I’ve ruined everything. He’ll never want to see me again.”

“Why did you run away from him?” David asked.

She shook her head. “I can make love to Max anywhere. But when he took me to his house and his bed, I just couldn’t. I kept having this feeling that if I made love to him there, I was making a commitment to be his forever. I’m not ready for that. I don’t know if I’ll ever be ready.”

David put his hand to his head. “Wait a minute. Did Max ask you to be his forever?”

“No, but I knew what he was feeling, and earlier in the evening, he did want to mark me as his mate. I don’t know what to do. I’ve ruined everything with Max, but he’s going so fast I can’t keep up.”

A strange faraway look passed over David’s face. He bent down to kiss Laura. “Honey, I have to go out for a while.” Then he was gone.

Evelyn put her head down on the table and cried. “Maybe I’m not meant to know love. I’m not blessed with the power, and I’m not blessed with love.”

David walked into the bar. Moah locked the door behind him. Then he waved to Max and went into the back room.

Max was at his usual booth in the back, far from shaded windows that opened up on a city rising to work. The King of New York sat with his head in his hands staring at the full glass of blood mixed with vodka that sat on the table in front of him.

David joined him in the booth. “What’s up?”

“I think you know what’s up. Did she tell Laura?”

David tried to keep a poker face. “Well, Laura and Evelyn can mindtalk and they usually use pictures, and I have a …”

“Oh, my gods! You saw.”

“Yes, Laura and I mindtalk and she mostly transmits pictures.”

Max shook his head.
How humiliating!

“Look at it this way. At least the Arnhem Knights don’t know.”

Max frowned at David, who grinned like the cat that ate the snake that slithered down its gullet. Then the two burst out laughing. In the end though, Max sighed. He felt sad and defeated.

“I rushed her, and she ran away from me. Why am I such an idiot?”

“I don’t know. Why are you?”

Max stood up ready to punch David, but then thought better of it and sat back down. “You’re right. I am an idiot, and I’ve ruined everything.”

“Evelyn was afraid you were trying to elicit a commitment from her.”

“I was.”

“Stop it. Slow down.”

Max nodded.

“She thinks you’re wonderful, but her last commitment hurt her. Max, I’ve told you this before. She’s not like us. Humans take longer to get over emotional pain.”

“Oh.” Though he knew David meant Evelyn’s late husband, he couldn’t help remembering when Evelyn, then Svenna, wept and begged him not to go on his last raid. She’d had a dark dream and was afraid for him. He left her standing in the surf with tears on her face, watching the longship leave. “I’ve ruined everything.” He did then and he was doing it again now.

David held out his cell phone. “Call her. You still have a chance. Take it.”

Max hesitated. What if it was better to leave now and let Evelyn find love in the mortal world? Encased in ice. Lay out in the sun. What did it matter! The pain of existing without her would be unbearable.

David frowned. “Those are all bad ideas. Being that she’s your lifemate, think of the hell that you would be putting her through in living without you. Call her!”

Max took the phone, punched in the number, and waited.

“Hello.”

“Evelyn, this is Max. I’m sorry.”

“No, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have …”

“You had every right to. I will not rush you into anything. I promise.”

“Thank you for understanding. David’s there, isn’t he?”

“Yes. Evelyn, would you go out with me tonight?”

“Yes, I will.”

Relief soothed Max’s entire body. “I was wondering if I could come over there now and stay with you.”

Her silence was deafening. Finally she replied, “Max, I need the day for myself to think. I hope you understand.”