Vampire Trouble (27 page)

He had hurt her. He knew he had, and that wounded look on her face would likely haunt him for the rest of his days. He shoved the guilt aside and kept reminding himself that it was for the best. How could he be with Maya when he was so obviously incapable of thinking clearly whenever he was near her?

Shane's love for Maya blinded him, and that made him a liability. With all the changes that were happening in New York, with the arrival of Olivia and Doug's child, the Presidium didn't need an ineffective sentry in their midst. Neither did Maya. How could he protect her when she made him mad with worry?

After his egregious error with the wolves, Shane realized that loving Maya would mean letting her go. In the long run, she would be better off without him.

Rising to his feet, he stretched and moved his body, grateful to find all of his wounds had completely healed, although the werewolf bites left scars on both his leg and his shoulder. He caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror and made a face of disgust. His clothes were bloody and torn, and he looked downright haggard. Shane pulled the bloodstained shirt off and tossed it aside before inspecting the scar that ran along his neck and shoulder. The scars would fade and eventually be barely noticeable, but at the moment they were still red.

Shane strode out of the room and crossed the hall to the door of Maya's bedroom. He paused for moment before knocking and reached out with his senses to see if she was sleeping. Maya's distinctive energy pattern was nowhere to be found. Frowning, he opened the door and was met with an unexpected sight. The drape had been pulled down and the window was wide open. Maya's sentry uniform was gone, along with several throwing weapons, two guns, and most of the ammunition.

A feeling of dread crept up Shane's back as he ran downstairs calling her name. He burst through the front door and shouted for her but was answered only by the bullfrogs in the bayou. Flying up to the roof, he scanned the entire property, but Maya was nowhere to be seen, heard, or felt.

Shane reached out to Maya with his mind, desperately needing to feel the intimate telepathic connection that only they shared.
Maya? Maya, where are you? Answer me.
Warmth flooded his body when their minds linked, but the connection was stopped swiftly and he knew she'd severed all communication. A deep, aching void filled him from the lack of her presence. Panic. Fear. Anger. All of it flooded him viciously when he realized that she really was gone.

“She ain't here.” Lottie's voice drifted up from the kitchen window. “Get off my roof before you fall through it.”

Shane jumped from the roof and landed silently in the backyard before running up the back steps into the kitchen. Lottie, who was dressed in her fortune-teller getup for work, looked at Shane with something resembling pity.

“Like I said.” Lottie sighed. “Maya ain't here.”

“Where did she go?” Shane's fists clenched and unclenched at his sides while an overwhelming sense of inadequacy filled him. “Please,” he said, softening his tone. “Do you know where she's gone?”

“Beats the hell outta me. Don't know why you're so surprised that she took off.” Lottie grabbed her big leather bag and draped it over her chest. “I may be old, but I ain't deaf, and conversations carry through this empty old house. I heard what you told that poor girl. Why didn't you just rip her heart out and stomp on it? That probably would've hurt less.”

“I did what had to be done.” Shane's mouth set in a tight line and he folded his arms over his chest, suddenly feeling defensive.

“Don't gimme that shit. You're scared.” Lottie wagged a finger at him. “You are a big, fat fraidy cat. You love that girl. I know you do. So why the hell are you doing your damnedest to lose her?”

“It's better for everyone this way.”

“Bullshit,” Lottie shot back. “Better for who? You? I don't think so, because you look like warmed-over alligator bait. You obviously love that girl, so I don't know why you are pushing her away. The only reason I can come up with is good old-fashioned cowardice.”

“It's complicated,” Shane said tightly.

“I don't really think it is. When she showed up here with you that first day, she was a different person. Scared and unsure of herself, and in so many ways, Maya was lost. Now…well…she found herself, and I think much of that is thanks to you.”

“Maya will be fine.” Shane knew how hollow the words sounded, but he hoped if he kept telling himself that, it would eventually be true. “Her life will be better off without me in it.”

“Well, I guess she would be fine.” Lottie nodded her head and pursed her lips together and looked him up and down. “She's tough and resilient. Yes, sir, that girl finally got her past figured out, and until you threw that curveball at her, she thought her future was straightened out too.”

“Maya's future will be as it should.” Shane straightened his back and kept his gaze on Lottie. “She can go back to her life at The Coven.”

“No, she can't,” Lottie whispered. “No more than you can go back to living a solitary existence—and don't give me that shit about it's better for her. You're scared and loving her makes you feel out of control. You did this for
you
—not her.” Shane flinched at Lottie's unsettlingly perceptive observations. “That girl needs you, Shane, and you need her. She might have gypsy blood, but she's not meant for the solitary, isolated life of a gypsy like I am. Maya's got a fire in her belly about something, and based on the way she flew out of here last night, I'd say it's burning her up.”

“Last night?” Shane's chest tightened. “She left before sunrise?”

“Yes, sir.” Removing her car keys from the bag she shrugged. “Not surprised you didn't notice. You were pretty banged up from those nasty wolf bites. Anyway, yes. She flew right past my window not long before sunup. Why are you so freaked out? Can't you do that blood tracking thing to find her?”

“No.” Shane ran his hand over his jaw, wracking his brain trying to figure out where the hell Maya would have gone. “Her gypsy power hid her memories, and unfortunately, it also seems to shield her location.”

“If I had to make a bet, I'd say that stubborn girl is off to prove a point.”

Wrapped up in his own thoughts, Shane didn't even notice that Lottie had left the house. He ran up to their room and put on his sentry uniform, making quick work of arming himself with what Maya had left behind. Launching himself into the night, one thought ran through his mind.

Where
the
hell
did
she
go?

Given that there had been little darkness left when Maya flew off, he suspected she went either to Bayou Escape or The Den. She was unfamiliar with the entrances to the underground tunnels in this area, so she'd have to take refuge from the sun somewhere familiar. He checked with Lillian and Boris, but they hadn't seen or heard from Maya, which meant she must have gone to see Sebastian and Diego.

Fury and frustration filled every fiber of Shane's body, and he strode right past the hostess at Bayou Escape. He scanned the restaurant for the two men, but they weren't there. Ignoring the hostess's pleas to stop, Shane took the elevator down to the vampire club. His fangs hummed and erupted when he detected a faint but familiar scent. “Maya,” he whispered.

The smooth, seductive jazz music drifted over Shane, and memories of his time here with Maya came roaring to the forefront, which only served to heighten his level of agitation. The club was packed with vampires, but tonight everyone was dressed like they'd come straight from the Roaring Twenties. The men wore old-fashioned tuxedos, and the women were clad in flapper dresses. Sitting in the middle of it all like two proud peacocks were Sebastian and Diego.

Dressed in white ties and tails, the brothers waved him over to their table. Sipping out of crystal flutes, they snapped their fingers, which brought two scantily clad human women over to the table. Both of the women approached Shane and look disappointed when he waved them off, refusing their advances.

“That sentry uniform is not exactly in line with our theme this evening,” Diego said, watching the girls flounce away. “It's our annual Prohibition Party, and you aren't dressed for it.”

“I'm not here for the party.” Shane leveled a stern glare at the two men and didn't miss the curious stares from some of the clubgoers. “And you know it.”

“Why so grumpy?” Sebastian asked, placing his crystal flute on the table. He rolled the delicate stem between his fingers, glancing from Shane to Diego. “Lose something?”

“Cut the crap, Sebastian,” Shane growled. “I know Maya was here, so don't even try to deny it. Where is she?”

“Sorry.” Diego sighed and rose to his feet. “She asked us not to tell you, and as you know, we have a reputation for providing discreet service to our customers. We won't start breaking that rule, not even for you.”

In the blink of an eye, Shane placed both hands on the table in front of the two vampires, getting right in their faces. The club was bustling around them. Shane had no desire to make a scene, and drawing attention to himself was unwise. Wrestling for control over his temper, he kept his voice low.

“Discreet?” He leaned closer, his fangs in plain sight. “Perhaps you should have been more discreet around Otto. Would either of you happen to know how he found out where Maya and I were staying so he could send his pack of assassins after us?”

“We didn't have anything to do with that,” Sebastian said. “We'll never allow him in here again. I swear it.”

Sebastian and Diego shook their heads as they looked at Shane through wide, fearful eyes. Someone to the left moved, but Shane flicked his head in that direction and hissed a warning at one of the waiters who stopped and thought better about interrupting.

“Now, let's try this again.” Shane stood tall and folded his hands in front of himself, keeping his voice even. “When did Maya leave and where did she go?”

“She said she had to do this task on her own to complete her sentry training,” Diego sputtered. “She was adamant that we not tell you anything.”

“Well I'm adamant that you do,” Shane ground out. “Where. Is. Maya.”

“We can't tell you,” Diego pleaded.

“Oh, I think you better.” Shane lowered his voice further and flashed his fangs. “Because if anything happens to Maya, I will hold both of you personally responsible.”

“She came here looking for Otto,” Sebastian babbled, and Diego's face fell as his brother told Shane everything. “Maya called him. She said that she had what Otto wanted and that she knew who he was working for. She told him to have his boss meet her at some bridge in Central Park at midnight. Then we let her into the underground tunnels so she could start going back to the city before dark.”

“A-and she told him to come alone,” Diego added. “That's it, Shane. We swear. And I'll never let another filthy werewolf in one of our places again.”

Fear flickered up Shane's back as he realized what Maya was planning to do. She was going to meet Horace and his pack, all by herself. A knot of dread formed in his gut, and without another word, he left.

All he could think about was getting to Maya.

Riding up in the elevator, he reminded himself to be reasonable and focus on the facts. Maya was heavily armed, a naturally strong fighter, and she wore the necklace that could turn a wolf mortal. On the flip side, she'd also been flying all night and hadn't slept, which meant she'd be in a weakened state. The only reason Shane wasn't freaking out completely was because he knew Maya wasn't as fast as he was. She'd take far longer to get back to New York, especially using the lengthy and circuitous network of tunnels.

Shane had age and experience on his side, and it was nighttime. Flying at night was always faster, but he was going to need an extra edge. Stepping out onto the street, he surveyed the humans in the area and spotted a young man walking alone. That was exactly what he needed. Live feeds provided more energy than bottle feeds, and Shane needed all the help he could get.

He made eye contact with the drunkard, glamoured him, and quickly pulled him into a dark alley. Shane fed, and energy surged through his body like a jolt of lightning. Sensing he was at risk of taking too much, Shane released the man. He was a sailor on leave and intent on finding a hooker. Shane licked the wound closed and sent the sailor on his way with a fabricated memory of being pleasured by a bevy of beauties.

Shane's body hummed with the rejuvenating pulse of a live feed, and it took him a moment to realize that the cell phone in his pocket was vibrating. He yanked the phone from his coat and swore when he saw Olivia's phone number scrolled across the screen.

“Yes?” Shane answered curtly, before shooting into the sky.

“You can come home,” Olivia said. “Although you can leave that shitty attitude in New Orleans. I have a baby now, and I'm really not in the mood to placate a cranky four-hundred-year-old vampire.”

“Apologies.” Shane pressed his fingers against his eyes and struggled for patience. “I am on my way back and should be there in a few hours. There have been some new
developments
.”

“Really?” Olivia let out an ironic laugh. “Well, we've had some of our own. King Heinrich and his oldest son, Killian, arrived in the city last night. When I met with them, I tried to apologize about what happened with Horace, but the king waved it off and said he's the one who should be apologizing for his kid. I guess Horace is the black sheep of the werewolves.”

“Has King Heinrich taken control over his son?” Shane stilled, praying that by some miracle Horace was out of the picture. “Is Horace with his father now?”

“Nope. Horace and his pack are MIA. The king went to see his son last night and they had some kind of blowout. Killian tried to speak with his kid brother again this morning, but Horace had checked out of the hotel. As of right now, he's fallen off the grid. We checked out Rat's club, but so far, we can't find 'em.”