Vampire Trouble (30 page)

The world wavered and Shane steeled his strength before taking a shot at Horace. The bullet bounced off the edge of the building, missing his target completely. Horace's bullet, however, did not. Two more rounds of silver penetrated Shane's torso and sent him to the ground in a useless heap. He landed next to Maya and could feel whatever life he had draining from him along with the blood. With his last bit of strength, Shane turned his head so that the last sight he would see on this earth would be the woman he loved.

***

Blistering pain seared through Maya's body from the silver burning her flesh, but nothing wounded her more than watching Shane get shot. She watched the life began to fade from his eyes and the sight turned her pain to rage. Her fangs erupted and she screamed with pure, unadulterated fury, which only elicited a laugh from Horace. Tugging on the chains at her wrists and with pain shooting up her arms, Maya screamed against the pain and kept trying to break free.

“I think I'm going to fuck you quick before I go,” Horace said in an almost matter-of-fact voice.

He placed the gun on the ground and began to undo his pants while he stood over Maya. She flicked her gaze down to see that he was fully aroused. He shed the rest of his clothing and tossed it aside. Dropping to his knees, he kissed her cheek and looked at Shane while Maya continued to pull against the chains.

“I bet you like to watch.” Horace scraped his fingers over Maya's arms.

With his unwelcome touch and his disgusting erection pressing against her hip, every ounce of anger inside of Maya erupted. With a primal scream, she pulled the restraints out of the roof and rammed her hands onto Horace's chest. A massive surge of energy, just like the one that night in the bayou, gathered in her chest, shot up her arms, and blasted into Horace. The look of shock on his face was almost as satisfying as watching him fly naked through the air and slam against the building chimney. He tumbled to the tar roof in a pathetic heap before pushing himself to a sitting position. A look of terror covered his face while he pressed his hands to his chest.

“What the fuck?” Horace whimpered. He ran his hands over his hairy torso, as though looking for something he lost. “You fucking gypsy whore. What did you do to me?”

Shuddering with pain, adrenaline, and fury, Maya ignored his babbling and pulled the silver off her wrists and ankles, not even feeling the burns to her fingers. Frantic, she looked at the sky blazing orange along the horizon and she knew she had to get Sadie inside. Weakened from the silver burns, Sadie wouldn't survive even the smallest amount of sunlight.

Doug landed on the roof next to Maya just before Killian came bounding up the steps and burst through the door. Maya whimpered with relief at Doug's arrival and crawled over to sit by Shane.

“She took my wolf, Killian,” Horace babbled from the other side of the roof. “That gypsy vampire bitch made me mortal.”

“You took his wolf,” Killian murmured, looking from Horace to Maya. “The magic wasn't in the necklace at all…it's you.”

“We can figure that out later,” Maya said quickly. “We have to help them.”

“Holy shit cakes,” Doug blurted out while running a hand over his short blond hair. Wasting no time, he went over to Sadie and, with gloved hands, yanked the silver off her wrists and ankles. “We've got to get her inside. The sun is coming up fast. Watch him, Killian.” Pointing at Horace, he said, “Better yet, just get him the fuck out of my city.”

“He's no longer one of us,” Killian said with a voice edged in sadness. “But perhaps he never was.”

“What do you mean I'm not one of you?” Horace spat. “I'm your fucking brother.”

“You are an embarrassment,” Killian said tightly.

Maya cradled Shane's head in her lap and encouraged him to drink from her. Killian stood by and watched the two of them, which was probably why he didn't notice Horace had picked up the discarded gun. Screaming with blind fury, Horace squeezed off two rounds as he charged across the roof stark naked, but neither hit their marks.

The gun jammed and before Horace could shoot again, Killian shifted into an enormous black and brown wolf. With a rumbling growl, he leaped onto his brother's chest. Horace flailed helplessly while Killian snapped his neck with a sickening crunch. Blood sprayed through the air, and Killian lifted his head and let out a mournful howl that ricocheted around the Manhattan skyline.

“Fuckin' A, Killian,” Dakota grunted. Stumbling through the door, he grimaced in pain before leaning against the wall and sliding down to the floor. “Remind me never to piss you off, man.”

“Come on, you gotta get up, kid,” Doug shouted to Dakota. He had Sadie, moaning in pain, draped over his shoulder and was pulling Dakota to his feet with his other hand. “I have to get them inside. Maya, I'll be right back for you and Shane.” He gave a concerned glance toward the brightening sky. “Just sit tight.”

Still in his wolf form, Killian whined and lowered his blood-covered muzzle before trotting over to Shane and Maya. In a shimmer of light, he shifted back to his human form, snagged his ripped jeans, and pulled them on before kneeling next to Shane and Maya. He held his wrist out and nodded. “Here.”

“Are you sure?” Maya asked through a choking sob. She knew it was against the law to feed from a werewolf, but with the amount of silver in his body, Shane could die without it, and saving him was all that mattered.

“It's the least I can do,” Killian said somberly. “After all the trouble my brother has caused.”

“Thank you,” she whispered.

Maya took Killian's wrist in her hand and made a small incision before holding it to Shane's mouth. Eyes closed and starving once the blood touched his lips, Shane grabbed Killian's arm and drank ferociously. Maya watched with fascination when the three bullets emerged and tumbled to the ground, the bleeding slowed, and the wounds closed. After a few minutes, Maya gently pulled Killian's arm from Shane's grasp and licked the wound on his wrist closed.

“Am I dreaming?” Shane's eyes fluttered open and he locked gazes with Maya. He reached up and cradled her face in his hand. “Or have I died and gone to heaven?”

“Nope. But that's a really cheesy pickup line. Sure sounds like New York to me.” Smiling, she leaned down and captured his lips with hers, kissing him tenderly. When she broke the kiss, she ran her thumb over the beard scruff on his cheek as he sat up slowly to face her. “So, I thought you couldn't love me.”

“I've been a fool, Maya,” Shane said flatly. He winced, leaning one hand on the roof to keep himself in a sitting position. “But I promise that for the rest of eternity, I will make it my full-time job to make it up to you. I do love you, Maya. I am hopelessly, uncontrollably, irrevocably in love with you. Can you forgive an old vampire for his foolishness?”

“I knew it.” She leaned in and kissed him again, reveling in the taste of him. Her hand fluttered over his shoulder, and Maya stilled when she realized that they were bathed in the bright, warm, golden light of the morning sun. “Shane,” she whispered in awe, holding her up hand in a ray of sunshine. “We're daywalkers.”

“Bloodmate legend or not…” Shane murmured. He placed a kiss at the corner of her mouth and rested his forehead against hers. “Walking in the sun or an eternity of darkness, if I have you by my side…I will walk anywhere.”

“I was wondering when you two were going to notice that,” Doug said from the doorway of the stairwell. “Looks like this pesky bloodmate legend is more than just some fluke. Welcome to the club, kids.”

“Two more daywalkers are now in the vampire ranks.” Sitting on the ledge, Killian was staring at his brother's body with an expression that Maya couldn't quite decipher. He flicked his serious gaze to Maya. “I will have to let my father know about the latest…developments.”

Maya scrambled to her feet with Shane at her side and snuggled against him, looking from Killian to Doug. Killian may have dealt the deathblow, but Maya was the one who took Horace's wolf and rendered him mortal. She recalled what the king had done to the necklace, and studying Horace's broken body, Maya wondered if a similar fate awaited her.

“I would never use my power except in self-defense, Killian,” Maya said adamantly. “I swear it!”

“What power?” Killian rose to his feet and looked at his brother's dead body before giving Maya a sad smile. “My brother challenged me to a fight, and when an alpha is challenged, it is a fight to the death. That is what I will be reporting. That and nothing else.”

“How can we be sure that you won't suddenly regain your memory?” Doug asked. He came out into the sunlight and stood next to Shane and Maya. “Not to sound ungrateful or anything but you know…shit happens.”

“He can be trusted,” Shane murmured with a steady stare at Killian. Maya looked between the two men and saw a glimmer of respect for Killian in Shane's eyes, one she hadn't seen before. He bowed his head in deference to the werewolf prince. “Thank you, Your Highness. You are a man of duty and honor. If you are ever in need of my assistance, you need only ask.”

“I thought you were gonna be in Europe protecting the Eurotrash,” Doug said with a pointed glance at Shane.

“I will remain here in New York—if you have no objections, that is.”

“Me?” Doug shrugged. “I got no objections, but now Olivia is gonna have to redo a bunch of paperwork, and that is a bitch. So in exchange, you and Maya owe us some babysitting time.”

Shane opened his mouth to protest, but Maya wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed the thought right out of him.

***

Emily gurgled happily in Shane's lap, and Maya could swear her ovaries actually buzzed with excitement. What was it about the sight of a big, strong man going gaga over a baby that was such a turn-on? Emily had one pudgy hand wrapped around Shane's index finger while he bounced her on his knee and sang her “This Is the Way the Horses Ride” for the eight hundredth time. Her big blue eyes smiled at him, and her soft, red curls bounced while he pretended to gallop with her.

The Christmas tree in the corner was decorated with red bows and twinkling lights, and though Christmas was still a few days away, presents were piled high underneath. Most were for her and Shane, but there were several for baby Emily too. Other than spending time with Shane, there was nothing Maya enjoyed more than spoiling that cute little girl. Though Emily was only a year old, Maya had a hard time remembering what life was like without her…or Shane.

She knew the likelihood of getting pregnant like Olivia did probably was nonexistent but, hey, a girl could dream. Olivia and Doug were under the impression that Doug's angel bloodline was the key to Emily's conception. She could eat both human food and vampire fare, but she seemed to be partial to human food—Cheerios in particular.

Maya finished cleaning the dishes in the sink of their newly renovated apartment. Gone was the tapestry of pink. It had been replaced with cool tones of green and blue. Now that they were daywalkers, she and Shane could have found an apartment in a regular apartment building but Maya liked being here—with her family.

She smiled wistfully. Funny how just a year ago she was crawling the walls, and now there was nowhere else on earth she would rather be.

Life had changed significantly over the past year. Not only were she and Shane fully bonded and daywalkers, but her power had grown significantly. So much so that she could sense a werewolf within two miles. The only reason she'd figured that out was because Killian and some of his pack had moved to New York.

Killian told Olivia and Doug he wanted to expand his business on the East Coast, but they were convinced he wanted to keep an eye on Maya. Killian may not have told anyone else about Maya's power, but the knowledge of it clearly haunted him. Maya wondered if he secretly blamed her for his brother's death.

A few minutes later, Olivia and Doug swept into the apartment, both dressed elegantly from a night out at the theater. Emily laughed and clapped when Olivia gathered her daughter up in a flurry of hugs and kisses. That left Shane looking mildly dejected. He rose to his feet and shook hands with Doug before walking them to the door. After a few minutes of chitchat—all about Emily, of course—the czars left with their tiny charge giggling all the way out the door.

Maya waved and let out a sound of contentment as she went back to the sink. Shane's arms linked around her waist, preventing her from doing more work, and he nibbled kisses down the length of her neck. She let out a sound of pleasure when he ran his hands down her arms and tangled their fingers together.

“Just what do you think you're doing?” Maya murmured.

“I'm trying to get fresh,” Shane said between kisses. Spinning her around, he hoisted her onto the edge of the sink. “But you seem oddly preoccupied with the dishes.”

“Well, perhaps I could be persuaded,” she said with a smile. “But…there's something else I'd like to do first.”

With a wicked grin, Maya pushed Shane back, the muscles of his chest flexing beneath her fingers, and she slipped off the counter. “Come with me.”

Flying through the crisp night sky hand in hand, Maya giggled and Shane kept bugging her to tell him where they were going. When they approached Midtown, the series of lit-up snowflakes that lined Fifth Avenue came into view. Moments later, Rockefeller Center came into view and the massive tree twinkled brightly at the center of it all.

It was three in the morning and this part of the city was oddly quiet, which was exactly what Maya needed for what she wanted to do. They landed on the ice in the skating rink at the center of Rockefeller Center, and Shane looked around with more than a little curiosity.

“What are we doing here, youngling?” he asked. He linked his fingers with hers and tugged her body against him. “There are many things I would like to do with you and to you, but this place is rather…public.”