Sweeter Than Wine (21 page)

Betina’s smile was cunning. “Ah, so it’s true. You see what cannot be seen?”

Cameron stepped forward. “That she does. Tested her myself.”

“Listen well.” The older woman’s demeanor changed and Christy perked up. “This skill and others will be key in the confrontation to come. It will take all of you, working together, to defeat this evil.”

“You always did have strong sight, Bette,” Cameron commented, breaking the somber mood.

“And you always were a loudmouth, Cam.” Betina smiled and her entire face lit up.

She winked, softening her words and Cameron obliged by bowing his head as he smiled.

“Guilty as charged, milady.”

“So how are you all getting along down there?” Tim, the more serious of the twins asked. “Any cross-species problems we can help clear up?”

“Because,” the other twin spoke up, “we’re all going to have to learn to work together to get this job done. It’s not
were
or vamp anymore, it’s good versus evil. Plain and simple. We’re either working together or we’re all sunk.”

“I couldn’t have said it better myself, Alpha.” Marc endorsed the
were
wolf’s words.

“As for my region, I’ve sent out the word to those under my dominion. As far as I’m concerned, we have an alliance against the
Venifucus
. As long as you’re in agreement?”

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Both men nodded. Rafe spoke first. “We’ve sent out the word to all our Alphas. Our governing structure is a little different than yours, but few will contradict us in this, I think, and those who do will be given a chance to reconsider before more serious action is taken. This fight is too important.”

“The cougar clan is the largest in your area and you’ve got the Redstones on board, so you shouldn’t have too much trouble with any of the other tribes, packs or clans.” Tim spoke with calm certainty. “Hastings, I assume the raptors are in line with this?”

“Yes, Alpha.” Raised eyebrows met Hastings’ reply since none of the vampires had known the man was that high up the
were
food chain to be able to speak for the entire group of birds of prey.

“Let us know if you run into any problems. We’ll do what we can,” Tim said.

“Thank you, Alpha,” Marc said, “we appreciate the endorsement and I want to assure you, for my part, my brotherhood is fully aware of our understanding. If any of mine cause problems, they will be dealt with. They have been warned.”

The men talked a bit more about logistics and passed along some rather innocuous-sounding information about Mario’s habits and phone records while Christy listened. She was fascinated by the women on the other end of the videoconference. Both shone with a slight glow of energy, but it was more pronounced around the older one. They were alike, yet different somehow.

“When this is all over,” the younger one spoke as the men began to draw the meeting to a close, “I’d like to meet you in person, Christy. Maybe you and your mate could come visit us?”

“Yes.” The older woman nodded. “You two are sisters under the skin. More alike than you know—a vampire with
were
blood and a priestess with
were
genetics. Both of you have your feet in two worlds. You have much in common.”

Christy nodded politely. “I’d like that. Thank you for the invitation.”

“Some time in the country might be just the ticket, Christy, after what you’re embarking on.” The younger woman’s smile was friendly, almost teasing, as if she knew 164

more than she was saying. And perhaps she did. These women were strange…and powerful. Christy could see that, even over a video screen.

They ended the call after a few more minutes and the men settled around a large table to go over reports and data. Hiro came into the room sometime later and offered to take the ladies to the
dojo
for a little self-defense class.

Christy hadn’t had so much fun in ages. She’d almost forgotten what it was like to laugh, hang out and have fun with her old college friends. Hiro was good natured about all their fumbles and even joined in some of the jokes himself. Christy hadn’t known about his mischievous side, but she was charmed by his wit and earthy humor.

He even talked her into doing an advanced
kata
with him in front of her friends.

Normally not one to seek the spotlight, Christy thrilled to the approval in her friends’

eyes when she finished the form with a flourish.

“Where in the world did you learn how to do that?” Kelly seemed astonished as she walked over and took Christy’s hand. “Chris, that was amazing!”

“Sensei Hiro has been a big help.” Christy blushed a little while Hiro stood back, taking no credit.

“I bet all that
were
blood didn’t hurt either,” Lissa said with a knowing grin. “Atticus told me what
were
blood can do to our kind.”

“Christy!” Kelly looked shocked. “You’ve been biting
weres
? And they let you? Or rather, Sebastian let you?” She chuckled at her own words.

“Just one
were
, actually,” Christy moved toward the bench against the wall, wanting to escape the good natured interrogation. This was embarrassing. “And it was before Sebastian and I…”

“Sebastian was your maker.” Kelly appeared to be thinking through the sequence of events. “So you mean to tell me, he brought in a
were
for you to bite before he even claimed you? From the way you can jump, it’d have to be a
were
cat. Holy crap! You’ve been biting Matt Redstone?”

Christy gulped, caught. “Now how did you arrive at that conclusion?”

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“Well, he’s a cougar, and he’s one of Sebastian’s closest friends.” Kelly dropped down onto the bench next to her. “Marc always seemed a little perplexed about the friendship. He likes Matt. Respects him.” Kelly turned to her with a wicked gleam in her eyes. “And
I
think Matt’s totally hot!” She pressed forward a bit. “So tell me, have you done it with him? I mean, before you joined with Sebastian. I don’t see Sebastian sharing.” Christy’s blush deepened as she squirmed. “Holy crap! You did them both? At the same time? Details! Girl, I want details!”

“Kel, you’re embarrassing her.” Lissa sat on Christy’s other side, offering support.

She’d always been the mother of the group. “Of course, I want to know too, but she can tell us later…in private.” Lissa’s eyes gestured comically to where Hiro stood across the room, trying hard not to laugh. Lissa’s eyes turned speculative. “But it would explain what Atticus said, about you two being joined to Matt. Seems Matt was the only one who took time to explain to everyone else what was going on at our house last night when my husband and Sebastian took off. Handy, that.”

Hiro came over and crouched down in front of Christy, commanding the attention of all three women. “Matt and Sebastian gave you a gift, Christy. You need never feel embarrassed or shamed by it. Your life is different now. Our customs are different. That’s something I had to learn when I was first changed. In time, you’ll come to understand it too, but it takes a while. So—” he looked pointedly at Kelly and Lissa, gentle humor in his dark eyes, “—give her a break, ladies. Okay?”

“Taking a break?” Sebastian asked from the doorway. Atticus and Marc were visible over his broad shoulders.

Christy stood, jumping nimbly around Hiro as she went to Sebastian, glad for the distraction. He pulled her into his arms and just held her, cuddling her head under his chin.

Hiro stood. “I think that concludes the lesson for today. You did very well, ladies.”

The other women thanked Hiro, as did the men, but Christy and Sebastian were lost in their own little moment of time. It felt so good to be in his arms. So safe. So warm. It was like a slice of heaven on earth.

166

“I think we’ll leave you two lovebirds alone.” Atticus’s tone was teasing as Christy looked up at him. He had Lissa tucked under one of his muscular arms as he headed for the hallway.

Marc took his leave as well and Christy waved to Kelly as she headed out with her husband. Christy knew they’d be going to their own home for the day. Hiro cleared out a moment later with a nod in their direction.

“Did their teasing really bother you?” Sebastian looked down into her eyes.

Christy felt the heat rise to her cheeks as she remembered. “I was never one to kiss and tell, Sebastian, even in college. Those guys always enjoyed torturing me the day after a date, so this is nothing new.” She shook her head, smiling. “I
should
be used to it, but darnit, I’m just not, and they know it.”

“But you know they love you.” Sebastian’s voice was soft, almost wistful. “Which is why they’re not going to like the plan we’ve come up with.”

Christy pulled back to look up at him. “What are you guys up to now?”

“You don’t know how rare it is for one of my kind to find his One. After so many years, I’d almost given up hope.” He stroked her hair back, with loving attention.

“Atticus had. I know that for a fact. He told me his life was empty before he met Lissa.

He was ready to die. He welcomed it. But finding her changed that. Just like Kelly did for Marc. I convinced them to take their mates far away, where they’ll be safe until all this is over.”

Christy thought about that for a moment. “I can’t imagine those men are too pleased to stand down from a fight.”

Sebastian nodded, smiling. “You’ve got that right, but for their ladies, they’ll do anything. I’m more concerned that Lissa and Kelly will balk at leaving you, but they’re only fledglings and have no real control over their abilities yet.”

She chuckled. “Yeah, they won’t like it at all. But I’m glad they’ll be safe.” She rested her head against his shoulder, snuggling close again. “I don’t want to see any of them hurt. We’ve got a lot of help between the
were
and the others, right? I’d hate to see our newlywed friends torn apart by any of this. They deserve a little happiness.”

167

Sebastian stroked his big hands over her back. “You are a miracle of understanding, my love, and you’re braver than any person I have ever known.”

168

Marc and Kelly left for safety the next night. Atticus and Lissa went with them after taking their leave of Christy and Sebastian. One of Hastings’ kin had been attacked and all evidence led to Mario as the perp. He’d left the youngster alive—just barely. He would recover, but it would take a very long time, and he’d never be quite the same again. A bird shifter, the
Venifucus
operative had seemed to take pleasure in maiming him so he would never fly again.

The attack was a message. Mario knew something was going on, and he knew Hastings was part of the team surrounding Sebastian and his mate. The attack upped the ante in a terrible way, driving home the necessity for the mated couples to go to safety.

None of them liked it, but they saw the sense in taking precautions.

After Lissa and Atticus left Sebastian’s house, Christy seemed more alone. Sebastian held her and offered reassurance, but there was little he could do. Christy wasn’t alone, but they were in a very bad situation that was likely to get worse before it got any better.

If it got better at all.

So it was a somber couple that entered the media room that night to greet their
were
guardians and friends. Matt waited for them, seeming to know without being told, that Christy’s spirits were low. He slipped a brotherly arm around her shoulders and hugged her close while he and Sebastian shared a concerned look. The three seemed to communicate on an unspoken level that didn’t go unnoticed by the others in the room.

Such communion between
were
and vampire was abnormal, to say the least, but each person who saw them felt a tug at their emotions. These three were closer than mere friends. They were family.

Seeing their intense feelings for one another made this operation more personal, somehow. Even Steel felt a sort of kinship with these supernaturals. They felt sorrow and fear, happiness and pain, just like everyone else, he realized in those moments. For too 169

long he’d been in awe of the abilities of these creatures. He’d missed the realization that almost every vampire he tracked had once been human, and every
were
creature had family and friends, living and mixing within human society. Sure, they were different, but they weren’t entirely alien.

He remembered that when they sat down to discuss the events of the day, while their hosts had been asleep. Mario Gonzalez had raised the stakes and they would answer.

“We can’t wait any longer,” Sebastian said decisively. The entire team was gathered around. Steel and Cameron sat together. Matt sat between Christina and Hastings. “With Marc and Atticus safely away, this is up to us now. Gonzalez has to be stopped here. By us. Before he goes after anyone else.”

“I agree,” Cameron said easily. “By hurting the boy today, he was sending us a message. He knows more than we gave him credit for, I’ll wager. At least about us.”

Cameron’s crafty eyes shifted to the mortal at his side. “But I don’t think he has a clue about you, Steel. You might be our ace in the hole
⎯
if you’re willing.”

The former SEAL shifted in his chair. “I hope you’re right. And of course, I’ll help in whatever way I can.”

“All right then.” Sebastian took control once more. “Let’s do this simply. Steel, I want you to call Mario. Get him to meet you at a warehouse I own downtown. Tell him you’ve got a lead on Christina. There’s a caretaker’s cottage attached to the guard house on the property of the warehouse. You can say she’s been hiding out there since the run-in with her husband.”

“Sounds plausible.” Steel nodded.

“We’ll be lying in wait, though Christina will have to be exposed more than I like to get him to take the bait.” Sebastian reached out to cover her hand with his. “I’ll be with her. When Mario comes, he’ll find us together. Cam, at this point, I hope you’ll be nearby.”

“Wild horses couldn’t keep me away,” the fey warrior confirmed.

170

Sebastian turned sad eyes to the
were
hawk. “Your people have already taken enough casualties in this battle, but we need backup, in case Mario doesn’t do as we expect.”

“This is personal now,” Hastings said. “He’s hurt my people. We’ll be there. I’ll have operatives at every perimeter point. Gonzalez won’t escape, no matter what happens inside the warehouse compound.”

“Good.” Sebastian nodded. “So that leaves Steel outside near the target, with Christina, myself, and Cameron inside the warehouse.”

“And me.” Matt spoke for the first time, his voice strong and clear, as if he expected an argument.

“No, Matt.” Sebastian didn’t make him wait. “You can watch our backs well enough from the perimeter.”

“I beg to differ.” Matt’s voice was firm. “Look, you, Steel and Christy have got to be out in the open. Gonzalez is expecting you, but Cam will be hidden, biding his time for the right moment to spring the trap. I propose to do the same. If Gonzalez zigs when Cam expects him to zag, I want to be close enough to redirect the bastard. We can’t wait for him to hit the perimeter. We need at least one other person hidden on the inside of the compound to help steer the man in the right direction for Cam to do his thing.”

“The lad has a point.” Cameron scratched his chin thoughtfully.

“I don’t like it.” Sebastian bit out the words.

“There is also the fact that I’m connected to you two.” Matt clinched the deal. “If something goes wrong, you can communicate with me without anyone—and I mean
anyone
—being the wiser.”

The plan worked like a charm. Up to a point.

Mario Gonzalez seemed normal on the phone. Steel called him in for backup, as he had many times before. Mario responded as always with cold efficiency. No hesitation.

No questions. Just as it had always been.

171

Why then, Steel asked himself as they waited within the empty warehouse compound in a desolate part of town, did the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end. Something wasn’t quite right, though he couldn’t place his finger on exactly what it was.

“He’s coming.” Steel flipped his phone shut and looked at the assembled players.

Sebastian and Christy stood arm in arm, Matt hovering nearby. Cameron watched all with a discerning eye and Hastings, as always, looked ready to move. He was finalizing his team on the perimeter and would join them shortly.

“What’s wrong?” Cameron asked quietly.

Steel shook his head. “Maybe nothing, but I’ve got this spooky feeling.”

“You think Gonzalez knows something?”

“At this point, I wouldn’t put anything past the man,” Steel said grimly. “I can’t believe he fooled me for so long and frankly, I don’t trust my own judgment when it comes to him.”

“A wise course when dealing with
Venifucus
.” Cam’s eyes darkened. “It’s good to listen to your inner voice. What is yours telling you now, Benjamin?”

Steel was silent for a moment. “Trouble,” he finally said. “There’s something bad on the way and my hunch says Mario knows more than we want him to.”

“There’s no way to stop the wheels we’ve put into motion now,” Cameron said with a sigh. “Best we make the most of this opportunity. It will not come again.”

“I’ll hit the perimeter now.” Hastings began moving away. “Unless there’s trouble, I’ll keep my team out of sight until you signal.”

Sebastian nodded. “The rest of you had better go too. Get in position and wait for all hell to break loose.”

“I’ll be outside the gate.” Steel turned to go, walking to his agreed-upon position outside, looking in, as if he’d been conducting surveillance. He had a view of them all as he left.

Cameron took off for the concealment of a stack of crates on the other side of the yard. Matt hugged both Christy and Sebastian before trotting off after Cameron. Steel 172

watched them go as he took his position outside, moving around a bit to make it look as if he’d been in the area for a while.

Steel had his senses fully extended, hoping to catch some glimmer from Gonzalez, but when the man appeared at his side about twenty minutes later, he didn’t feel even the faintest hint of magic around him. It was unsettling. For the briefest moment, doubt crossed his mind, but then he thought of the people he’d gotten to know over the past few days. He knew them now. He’d witnessed the very real love between the mated pairs and the decency of the other folk. Now way could all of them be deceiving him. He’d been able to sense the magic in the air around them. They had nothing to hide.

Unlike Mario Gonzalez.

“What’s up?” the man asked, eyeing the warehouse compound through the fence.

“Christina Kinsey. This is where she went to ground. I checked around and this land is owned by a shell corporation. Ultimately, the owner is a vamp. He’s in there with her now.”

“Convenient,” was Mario’s reply. It set the hackles on the back of Steel’s neck to tingling.

Current
Altor Custodis
policy was to have two eyewitness accounts to any supernatural surveillance, hence the need for a backup man in the vicinity when Steel was actively investigating. Mario was here to document Steel’s observations, and then, if all went as it should, they’d both leave and move on to the next case.

He’d been sent to check out Kelly LaTour’s friends, of which Christina Kinsey was one. This lead had panned out and now they knew she was, at the very least, under the protection of a vampire and the facts would be filed with the AC hierarchy. That was supposed to be the extent of his work. Others would be sent to keep tabs on the couple from time to time, now that they’d been identified.

But in the case of the others he’d tagged with Mario as witness, normal procedure flew out the window shortly after Steel left the scene. Mario—if all the evidence was to be believed—had left a bloody trail in Steel’s wake from one end of the country to the other.

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It would stop here. Tonight.

They watched for a few minutes until Sebastian came out of the small cottage with Christy following behind. He went to his car, removed a few shopping bags and stopped to give Christy a quick kiss before they both headed back inside.

“Looks like they’re a couple now. This guy moves fast. Good collar, my friend.”

Mario lowered his binoculars. “What do you sense from them?”

“Vamp,” Steel said shortly. “Not too old. The guy…maybe a few centuries. The girl is new though. A lot of unfocused energy around that one.”

Mario gave him a sharp look, but didn’t say a word. They went through the motions of signing the paperwork Steel had prepared. If he sent it in to his superiors at the AC, it would net him a hefty bounty, but this particular file would never see the light of day. It would be destroyed tonight, before anyone else was killed because of his work for the AC.

“So, you want to grab a beer?” Steel asked, as he usually did after they’d finished a job. Mario always refused and this time was no different.

This was it then. Steel had done his part, but he couldn’t leave the others to face Mario on their own. Plus, there was still a small part of him that needed to see the proof of Mario’s treachery with his own eyes. Steel took his leave of the other man, but didn’t go far. He would wait in the wings, just in case.

“Soon now.” Cameron spoke in a low voice to Matt. They’d used Matt’s ability to communicate with Christy and Sebastian to good advantage already. Cameron sensed the slight stir of energy when Mario showed up and was able to stage the scene, alerting Sebastian and Christy. They’d done their part, traipsing out to the car and back, letting Gonzalez get a good look at them. “Tell them to prepare. Steel just left, but he didn’t go far.”

The things Cam could sense amazed Matt while he played go-between for the fey and the couple inside the small cottage. This was tough on Christy, Matt knew. He could feel the echoes of her fear in his mind. The poor woman had been through a lot and 174

though she’d stood strong through it all, at some point, Matt was afraid she was going to break. No one suffered through years of abuse without residual effects of some kind.

“Cam says Steel just took off, but he didn’t go far,”
Matt relayed the message.

“Gonzalez is still hanging around. Cam thinks it won’t be long before he makes his
move.”

“I hope Steel knows what he’s doing.”
Christy’s worried tones came back to Matt.

“Don’t worry about him, Chris. He’s a SEAL, and not the shifter kind either. Those
boys know how to take care of themselves. My brother has some spec ops friends who
work for us from time to time and to a man, they’re every bit as resourceful as the
were
,
even though they lack our native abilities. For mortals, they’re damn ingenious.”

“Watch now, the sorcerer is making his move. Tell them to be on guard.” Cam’s voice came to Matt’s sensitive ears in the merest whisper. “Our boy just jumped the fence in a single bound. Nice trick, that, for a mortal mage.” Cameron sounded suspicious, but continued to give Matt the other man’s track.

“He’s coming,”
Matt passed on the details as Cam relayed them.