Playing with Passion Theta Series Book 1 (21 page)

Mack had decided to share the first
limo with Diane, Dave, Staci, and Sam, figuring that he was better
off keeping as far away from temptation as possible.

"Where were you, last night?” Staci
asked. “We made Sangria and barbequed up some ribs."

"I had a meeting with the local alpha
and then did some paperwork."

"Be honest. You didn't want to see the
Dynamic Duo heading upstairs together," Dave said with a slight
smirk.

Diane smiled and stroked
her partner's face. "I thought
we
were the Dynamic Duo."

"We're more the Capricious Couple."
Dave and Diane chuckled at his joke.

Staci mumbled close to Mack's ear,
"More like the Petulant Pair." When he laughed along with Sam,
Diane glared in their direction.

Mack was grateful for the next few
blocks of quiet, but Sam broke the silence, teasing him. "Did you
know she watches you, when you aren't looking?"

Dave leaned forward. "Who, Diane?
Well, Diane drools over any male. Sorry, Mack. Ow!" Diane had
elbowed him in the ribs.

Sam shook his head. "I was speaking of
Ingrid."

Dave’s eyebrows shot up. "Oh, Ingrid.
She's a challenge. Good luck with that."

The crowd was heavy outside the
theatre. Fortunately, Alan had arrived over an hour ago to organize
security so that the limousine-style shuttles could pull right up
to the dressing room door, located in a courtyard behind the
theatre.

People screamed as Johnny opened the
rear passenger door and helped Diane get out, followed by Dave.
Those two were always popular with the fans, and they smiled in
response to the enthusiastic accolades. When they emerged, Sam and
Staci got quite a few shouts and cheers as well, especially since
they were younger than most swings, only in their late
forties/early fifties and still looking very much like a hot
celebrity couple. Part of their popularity was due to the number of
personal appearances they made at charitable events. Because they
were older and considered past their prime, Swings had fewer
restrictions placed on them by The Director.

Most of the crowd was waiting to see
Gene and the new Ingrid, who were arriving separately as per the
orders of their boss. Mack had hustled the others inside and waited
at the door until he heard the sound of screaming coming from the
streets. The roar moved in a wave, until it reached the theatre's
courtyard. The white limo crawled between the lines of security
holding back the sobbing teens, parking in front of the few steps
leading to the backstage door.

The regular driver, Scott,
jumped out and ran around to open the back passenger door. Gene
stepped out first, dressed in jeans, a tee shirt and a sports
jacket, and the screams rose to a deafening roar. He grinned and
waved in his usual way, holding out his hand for his new partner,
the crowd growing quiet with anticipation. Ingrid stepped out of
the car, smiling and laughing, wearing a blue dress that made her
look innocent and sexy at the same time. She waved the way Gene had
and smiled with that glorious mouth, somehow managing to look about
eighteen. That was all it took. The mob erupted with screams
of
'Ingrid, you're beautiful!—Gene, marry
me!—Give us a fantasy!
—
Dance for us!
When Ingrid walked up
the steps and turned around to face them, they quieted down, hoping
she'd say something. She didn't disappoint them.

There were a few newscasters and
photographers in the front of the crowd, and she certainly knew how
to work them, shifting her hips in a subtle way, curling her mouth
up in a hint of a smile. One of the cameramen was having trouble
keeping the camera steady. Mack knew exactly how the guy felt. His
body was already overheating.

Her rich voice projected across the
courtyard without a problem. "Thank you so much for coming to
welcome us. I know I'm going to love New York, and I hope some of
you can come to see us perform. Gene, I, and the rest of the troupe
appreciate your support. We truly love seeing you here.” She took
Gene's hand and the crowd went crazy.

"Thank you again." Gene grinned,
surprising them all by spinning Ingrid under his arm in a graceful
move that brought squeals of delight from the audience. After one
more wave, they laughed and turned away, moving past the last
security guard.

As soon as the door shut behind the
troupe, the mood changed. They were in the theatre to do a job.
Some of these vampires had paid fifty thousand dollars for their
seats, and Mack had been reminded by his boss several times, that
this was business and not pleasure.

Alan directed the two
ingénues to their respective rooms while Mack tested his access to
the power, pleased to find that
the
source
was strong. The actors were
assigned large dressing rooms, the three women sharing one, the men
another. Private dressing rooms were available, but thetas tended
to be a communal lot before a show, choosing company rather than
solitude.

Alan had spent the last month
composing and recording the music for the next few performances on
the schedule. Different species enjoyed different styles of music,
the vampires preferring music of a more classical nature, sometimes
in a minor key. Alan was gifted musically, playing several
instruments and singing in a strong, clear voice. Mack had accepted
the fact that his musical skills were mediocre at best, so it was
lucky for the audiences that he'd been moved to production manager
at a young age.

He thought back to the former Mack
Hudson, his mentor, who'd died brutally at the hands of a master
vampire while trying to break up a fight. He’d been a patient guy
and a good teacher, always encouraging the troupe to go full out at
rehearsals, which showed in the high quality of the performances.
He’d urged them to spend some of their free time together as a
troupe, planning trips to private beaches, barbeques in the
backyard and movie nights. They’d grown to care about each other,
which made it that much harder to say goodbye to any members moving
on.

Immediately after the murder, The
Director's men came in to clear away the body and the blood.
There’d never been a funeral or a proper memorial. The troupe was
immediately sent out on tour, Alan and Mack forced to learn their
jobs on the road, none of the troupe given time to
grieve.

His mentor and friend had died at the
age of thirty-two, never knowing his real name.

“Do you know your real
name? Your parent’s names?”
Ingrid had
asked.

No. And he never would. Why did the
loss of a family he’d hardly ever thought about suddenly cut into
his gut like a saber? Perhaps because it brought with it so many
other unanswered questions. Were his parents alive? Did he have
siblings? If he’d been free to grow up normally, could he have
helped them survive? None of these questions would ever be
answered.

But there was one question that might
have an answer. Was freedom a possibility, or would their attempt
at escape end in a brutal death for all of them? The Director
wouldn't be easy to fool and practically impossible to
kill.

But could he continue to be satisfied
with half a life, when he knew so much more was possible? The
answer lay deep in his heart, a place now permanently occupied by a
determined female who had shifted his worldview so dramatically. He
was still suffering from vertigo because of her unexpected
announcement that their own powers could set them free.

He’d experienced her magic. What would
happen if he, Gene and Ingrid combined their powers?

Mack took in a deep breath
to still his radical thoughts and set to work, connecting to
the source
. The troupe
had a show to open. He would shelve her ideas and focus again on
them tomorrow.

CHAPTER
NINETEEN

“Are you nervous?” Diane asked,
adding more mascara to her already stiffened eyelashes.

“Not at all.” Ingrid’s energy was
topped up, and she was feeling positive now that Gene was on board
with her scheme.

Diane sighed. “Tonight’s script is
brutal.” Diane was playing the leading lady role, the master vamp’s
blood mate, fiercely loyal and vicious when crossed. She’d be
responsible in the fantasy for torturing Ingrid and Gene’s
characters—two young vampires from a rival nest who’d seriously
injured her mate in an attempt to kill him. They’d be chained in
silver, raped, beaten, and left to burn in the sun. This kind of
scenario was emotionally draining on everyone, so they tried to
conserve their energy as much as they could until it was
needed.

Troupe actors didn’t actually feel any
pain, but projecting the anger, the agony, and the terror would
leave its mark on their psyches for a few hours at least. Ingrid
knew she’d need the support of Gene’s friendship tonight as much as
he’d need hers.

In the car, Ingrid had
held Gene's hand and leaned against his shoulder, comforting her
troubled mind by breathing in his minty soap and citrus scent. Last
night's activities had recharged their psycores, but more
importantly, they'd begun to form a friendship not simply dictated
by their circumstances. They’d
chosen
to trust each other,
empowering themselves with that simple truth. Even though the
evening would be a tough one, she’d found herself smiling. Gene's
ability to bond on a deeply emotional level had worked its magic on
Ingrid, the same way it did his audience. And she was
so
not
complaining.

Mack called the troupe together twenty
minutes before the show was to begin.

"You're going to blow their undead
minds tonight. The troupe will get bookings for the next decade.
Relax and focus. Alan and I are here to support you." Ingrid was
surprised when Mack approached each troupe member individually,
clasping hands with the men and lightly hugging the women, offering
up some private words of encouragement. She’d never seen a PM show
such respect to his actors.

Mack hesitated when he reached her.
The rest of the troupe had already left to get into position and
pull up power. She smiled to put him at ease.

“Don’t look so worried. I’d never let
my troupe down during a performance, no matter how I felt about The
Director. I'll behave, and I appreciate your patience."

"We're all glad you've joined us."
Mack said, returning her smile with a gorgeous one of his
own.

Ingrid glanced at the group. "Some of
them, maybe."

“Give them time.” Without thought, he
leaned in to hug her, and with the barest touch of skin-on-skin,
Mack’s source-fueled axis connected to hers. Ingrid’s responded
with a wash of its own, answering his call. They slammed down their
shields at the same time, both of them looking embarrassed and
backing away.

But she was glowing inside, filled
with the confidence and hope only Mack’s energy could supply. Mack
whispered, probably hoping no one else had noticed the exchange.
"Sorry.” But he didn’t look sorry at all.

“We’re going to have to make sure our
shields are always strong when we’re around each

other.” They locked gazes for a few
moments. "You aren't doing that consciously, are you?” He shook his
head and lowered his hands, embarrassed by the obvious evidence of
his enjoyment.

"Me either." His shoulders relax
slightly. "I think some of these vamps are going to be reaping the
benefits of that power surge tonight. I only wish it could be
us."

“I want it to be. You know that,
right?”

Alan arrived before she could reply.
"Warning on ten."

"Thank you, ten." She turned away,
wanting so badly to shake some sense into this stubborn male who
wouldn’t hear her. If she, Gene, and Mack sat down together and
talked, they could begin to form a strategy. Taking another step
toward freedom.

Gene was stretching out his muscles
and warming up. He gave her a wary glance as she started a quick
version of her usual stretching routine, her expression
determined.

"You look upset. Did Mack say
anything?"

"No. Everything's fine."

"Places." Alan loped back to his
equipment, ready to begin.

Gene and Ingrid clasped hands, as did
the other two couples, each of them pulling up power and creating
their characters. When the curtain rose, there was a sprinkling of
weak applause. Most vampires considered themselves too classy to
show appreciation in such a mundane fashion.

The performance began when Mack sent
out a thrust of powerful magic, boosting the actors’ energy. Alan
added music and scenic effects to set the mood as Gene and Ingrid
sent their two young vampires into the darkness of the night and
the danger that awaited them. At the same time, hundreds of undead
minds reached out to Ingrid’s. In expert style, she connected with
each one, allowing them to experience every aspect of her fantasy
character’s brief life.

Mack's power fueled Ingrid’s body with
his magical support, allowing her to focus on the smaller details
that made the experience more realistic for the audience. The young
vampires coupled with a violent lust that had males and females
moaning in the audience. After her capture, the fantasy female's
bloody tears stained her clothes as the audience wiped at their own
faces. Later, her screams had them grabbing at their throats, their
cries loud enough to burn their vocal chords.