Claiming Shayla (7 page)

“Yeah. Don’t go in the basement,” Shannon said, her expression as serious as Shayla had ever seen.

“What’s down there, the boogeyman?”

Kiesha and Mary Elizabeth laughed. Shannon did not.

“Something like that,” Shannon agreed.

“We’d better go before the guys come looking for us,” Kiesha interrupted.

Shayla trailed behind the others, curiosity working overtime. First chance she got, she’d have to take a little look in the basement. That’s what Shannon wanted her to do, right? She had to know telling Shay not to do something was like waving a red flag at a bull. The results were almost guaranteed.

As she neared the opening to the pool, she noticed a tall, lean figure standing in the shadows that was vaguely familiar. Shay thought she knew him, and that in and of itself was enough to capture her attention since she didn’t know many folks in Refuge. In actuality the only people she knew were in the wedding party, which meant this guy wasn’t from here. Why was he lurking, and how was it that no one—werewolves and vamps included—noticed his presence?

No time like the present to find out.

She detoured away from the others and headed straight for him. If he noticed her approach, it didn’t send him running. As she drew near, recognition struck like lightning. “
Conor!
Dude, you’re here! Why are you hiding in the shadows? Come on out.” She launched herself at him, grinning and hugging him tight.

This Indian was a favorite of hers. Kiesha had thought him old and senile in a harmless sort of way. Shay thought Conor was a hoot and he told the best stories.

He hugged her back, his grip strong. “Shayla Nei, I see you’ve found your mate. Pregnancy becomes you. You glow.”

Shay didn’t even question how he knew. Back in Pirate’s Cove he’d always done things like that, just popped out with some bit of knowledge. Used to freak Kiesha out, but of the two of them, her cousin had always been the doubter. If Kee didn’t believe in it, it couldn’t exist, and there was a lot of stuff she didn’t believe in. Or there used to be before she’d ended up mated to a werewolf.

“Nice job, by the way, what you did for Kee,” she complimented him as she gazed up at him from within his loose embrace. Conor was responsible for Kiesha meeting Alex.

He grinned, and she caught a glimpse of his slightly crooked front tooth. “She was the catalyst. Look at all that’s happened since she’s arrived.”

“While I’m happy for Kiesha and Mary Elizabeth, I think you went a little too far with the matchmaking when you threw me into the mix,” she groused, not truly angry.

He threw back his head and laughed, causing his silver-streaked black hair to float around his shoulders and the fine wrinkles around his eyes in his deeply tanned face to scrunch. He really was a stunningly attractive male, even if he was at least as old as her father. “You are just what that red wolf needs. The Creator makes no mistakes.”

“He might need me, but what am I getting out of the exchange?”

Conor gazed down at her, his black eyes deep and mysterious. “Someone who loves you totally and completely, just the way you are. Never forget that, Shayla Nei, no matter how rough things get. It will all be worth it in the end.”

Hearing the warning, she asked, “What’s coming?”

His eyes seemed to lose focus. “You must fight to hold on to what is yours. Treachery surrounds you. Only by uniting together will you be victorious.” His gaze drilled into hers with laserlike precision. “Show no mercy. Your daughters’ safety depends on the decisions you make now.”

Before she could press for more details, she was snatched back against a hard, muscular chest and strong arms wrapped securely around her from behind. Rory. She’d know that chest rumble anywhere. With a wave of her hand, she introduced them. “Rory, meet Conor, the man responsible for Kiesha and Alex and, consequently, you and I meeting.”

The growling stopped, and a stunned silence followed. “
The
Conor?”

She leaned to the side and glanced up at him. “Alex told you about him?”

He looked down at her, eyes still rounded in shock. “Uh…Conor’s a legend among our kind. Until Alex told me differently, I didn’t think he was real.”

“A legend? Come on,” she scoffed. Turning to Conor, she said, “Don’t get me wrong. You’re one of my favorite peeps in the world, but a legend?” She shook her head and chuckled.

The grin he gave her in return said Conor shared her amusement.

“Shay, who are you talking…Conor!”

She reached out and slapped her cousin’s arm. “Kee, why didn’t you tell me he was coming?”

“I didn’t know. I didn’t even know he knew I was engaged. We didn’t see him in Pirate’s Cove when Alex and I returned to pack up my condo.” Kiesha appeared totally bemused.

“
This
is Conor?” Alex asked. Startlement gave way to the same awe Shayla saw on Rory’s face.

“Oh, not you too.” Shay rolled her eyes. “What is it with you people? He’s a man, not God. What’s with all the astonishment?”

Conor’s features seemed to shimmer and blur. In a matter of seconds his slightly hunched shoulders straightened, his graying hair turned black and curled, and his attractively wrinkled face unlined, becoming youthful. The end result was a man so devastatingly handsome it made Shay’s mouth drop open. “Okaaay, I didn’t know he could do
that
!”

“Damn,” Kiesha muttered, equally surprised.

On second thought Shay wasn’t sure why she was stunned. If the man had teleported Kiesha five states away in the middle of the night to meet her mate, as Kiesha suspected, neither of them really should be astonished at Conor magically altering his appearance.

Mary Elizabeth, who’d just walked up with Hugh close behind, said under her breath, “Hubba, hubba,” and fanned her face.

Shay was distracted from her own shock by Nikolai. He strode up to Conor, went down on one knee, placed his fist on his chest, and bowed his head respectfully. “Sire.”

“Nikolai!” Conor said with a big grin and held out a hand to him. Nikolai stood, and the two clasped forearms.

“Sire as in
king
?” Shay asked.

“No, as in progenitor,” Nikolai stated.

“This is your
father
?” Shannon asked, voice faint.

“Oh hell,” Rory said. “He’s a bloody
vamp
.”

By now they had the attention of everyone in the room. Even the musicians had stopped playing and gathered. There were angry mutters all around. Shay began to giggle. Oh, this was just too good. Their revered matchmaker was a vampire?

Conor smiled, and Shay swore she heard a few moans from some of the females in the room. “I’m more like his great-grandsire.”

“We all know Nik, being a vampire, is older than dirt. Just how old are you?” Shay asked.

“Shay!” Kiesha scolded.

“What! You know it’s true and that we’re wondering. Hell, who can tell how old any of these guys are? They’re all disgustingly healthy and age really well. I’ll bet even Alex is older than he looks. He’s what? Sixty?”

“No, I am not sixty,” Alex denied sharply.

“What about you?” She pointed at a male shifter in a police uniform standing nearby. “You look young. Bet you’re at least fifty.”

Rory popped Shay on her ass—hard. The sound echoed over hastily muffled laughter as she spun around to confront him. “You
want
your ass kicked, don’t you?”

“Quit instigating,” he demanded.

“You’re giving me orders?” she questioned, hands on her hips. “Do I look like a dog? Oh wait! That’s
you
.” She snapped her fingers. “Here, boy. Here, boy. That’s a good boy.”

Rory growled, and she swore she saw a hint of fang.

“Thanks, Shayla Nei, but I don’t need you deflecting attention away from me. I’m more than capable of protecting myself from these pups,” Conor stated.

Shay jumped. Damn, Conor read her like an open book. Actually she really was curious, but she had better manners than to ask someone their age. Her real purpose had been to protect him. She hadn’t liked either the growing crowd or the way the male shifters in the room glared at Conor when they’d realized what their idol was.

When she looked in Conor’s direction, he bared his teeth at her. Shay stared in horrified fascination as they began to change. There were fangs, but nothing like she’d ever seen. These chops would have done a saber-toothed tiger proud. She felt movement and noticed quite a few of the people backing away.

“
What the hell is he
?” someone asked.

Nikolai took up position in front of Conor. “He’s one of the ancients, a rare breed. Breeds like him are the reason for the vamp-shifter wars of old.”

Conor did something else, something that caused the noses of those gathered to twitch.

“He smells like a shifter,” someone muttered.

“How can that be? He’s a vamp!” someone else said.

Rory pushed Shay behind him. She tried to shove him out of the way, but he held her in place. Pinching him on his side, she scolded, “Quit that. Conor’s a friend.”

“I don’t know what the hell he is, but until I do, you’re staying where it’s safe.”

Shay sighed. “Again with the commands.”

“Why don’t we all sit down while Nikolai—or Conor—explains,” Alex suggested. The ones Shay identified as pack immediately complied.

Rory led Shay to the table, giving Conor a wide berth. Shay looked over her shoulder and winked at Conor. When she noticed Nikolai watching, she crossed her eyes and stuck out her tongue at him. Nikolai was so dignified and formal in his old-world way, Shay couldn’t help but try to loosen him up. Shannon burst into laughter when she saw.

“What are you doing?” Rory asked.

“Nothing,” Shay responded innocently. “You know since he and Nik are family, that means Conor’s related to you as well, don’t you?”

“Shay…not another word.”

“I’m just saying…”

“Shay!”

She hummed the theme to
The Addams Family
under her breath, smiling wickedly when Rory’s chest rumbled with a low growl. He pulled out a chair, sat, and tumbled her into his lap, snarling when she tried to scoot into the empty seat next to him. Figuring she’d done enough for the moment, she subsided. Besides, he smelled really good. Shay turned her nose into his neck and inhaled, then licked the skin for good measure. Rory was instantly hard beneath her hip.

“Shayla, behave,
please
.” Rory sighed. “I’d like to hear this.”

She muttered under her breath but settled down. Now that her belly was full and bladder empty, another need was making itself known. She felt her sex clench. This Conor thing better not take too long.

When only Conor remained standing, he asked Alex, “What is it you would like to know?”

“How is it that you’re able to identify potential true mates?” Alex asked.

“And why do you smell like a wolf-shifter when you’re a vamp?” Rory added.

“He was talking to Alex, not you,” Shay couldn’t resist pointing out.

The man shushed her. Shay would have commented, but Kiesha was glaring at her. Okay, so this whole thing might be a little important. She could tangle with Rory later. Shay wrapped an arm around his neck and leaned against him, squirming as she tried to get comfortable. Sitting on Rory was like sitting on concrete. There was no give, no softness in his body. He shifted until she was held securely in his arms with her back against his chest, and she sighed. She wasn’t completely satisfied with her position, but this was as good as it got.

RORY EXAMINED CONOR as he stood before them. The man was an enigma, and he didn’t like puzzles. Even his wolf senses couldn’t detect exactly what Conor was. It didn’t help that his scent kept changing.

“My mother was a wolf-shifter, my father a vampire.”

Conor’s words caused an explosive reaction. Furious outbursts and heated denials filled the room. Even Shay quit her squirming, sat up, and took notice. A vamp and a shifter breeding? Impossible. His da had been well versed in the old ways and he’d never mentioned it being possible, but if it were…

His gaze shifted to rest on Shannon.

One voice rose above the rest. “Vampire and shifter matings are forbidden.”

“Aye and there’s a reason that is so,” Conor said quietly. “I, and others like myself, are the reason it was forbidden. Imagine a being with the combined strength of a vampire and shifter and none of the weaknesses.”

A weighty silence filled the room. That would be one damn powerful being, Rory thought.

Conor looked Rory in the eye. “You’ve the right of it. A damn powerful being indeed,” he said. “Such matings were rare. Offspring even rarer, but it happened. Like shifters, vampires mostly kept to their own kind. Then the plague hit, annihilating humans and decimating our old, females, and young. No species was exempt from the carnage.”

A gloom settled over the room. Even the lighting seemed to dim.