“Since Maya can no longer confront him in the physical plane, the dreamscape is her only option.” He unbuttoned the cuffs of his shirt and rolled up his sleeves as he spoke. “I will continue to go to her in the dreamscape until she is the one to save herself. Not me. When we are finished and she has an opportunity to sleep, I plan to go to her again.”
“Interesting,” Olivia murmured. “Let her save herself in the dream so that she regains her power and feels safe again.”
“I’m impressed, Quesada.” Doug made a face of approval and nodded. “That’s smart, a little new-agey for a guy from the sixteenth century, but smart.”
“With nothing but time on our hands, evolution is inevitable.” Shane flicked a glance to Olivia’s swollen belly. “A concept you’re both familiar with.”
“You really feel something for her, don’t you?” Olivia asked. “It’s not just the bloodmate bond, is it?”
“I have felt several things for Maya.” Shane smirked. “If and when I’m able to decipher exactly what those emotions are, I’ll be sure to let you know.”
“I’m not the one you should tell.” Olivia smiled.
Silence hung between them momentarily before being interrupted by the shrill chirp of a text message on Doug’s cell phone. He snagged it from the pocket of his leather coat and frowned when he read the message scrolled across the screen.
“What is it?” Olivia took his hand in hers. “What’s going on?”
“It’s Suzie.” Doug turned his serious gaze to Shane. “Horace just called the office. It looks like he and his pack are looking for a meeting.”
“How diplomatic of him,” Olivia said with a roll of her eyes. “I don’t want them in the underground offices. Have them meet us in the gardens of The Cloisters, tonight after dark when it’s closed to the public. You and I can withstand the sunlight, but we’re still stronger at night.”
“I will be there as well,” Shane added.
“No.” Olivia rose to her feet, shook her head, and held up one hand when Shane opened his mouth to protest. “Doug and I can handle it, with a little help from Xavier and some of his weapons. In addition to Sadie and Trixie, we’ll have Damien. He is the club’s bouncer, after all. I’ll even ask Pete to make an appearance. We’ll have plenty of backup, loads of firepower, and the home-field advantage. Your presence would only crank up the tension. In fact, given everything you’ve told us, we think it would be best if you left town for a while.”
Shane flinched. It was like a kick in the gut, and he stared at Olivia and Doug with shock.
“Hang on.” Doug held up one hand and wrapped his other arm around his mate. “It’s not what you’re thinking. We’re not banishing you or anything.”
“Funny, that’s exactly how it feels.”
“Shane,” Olivia began, “you and Maya are now the second vamp couple to discover that you are bloodmates. In a couple of days, every leader in the supernatural community is meeting in Geneva, Switzerland.” The lines in her face deepened and her hands rested protectively on her stomach. “There’s already nervousness, uneasiness about what being bloodmates will mean for our race and for the rest of the world. What do you think will happen when they hear about yet another pairing? For all we know, Maya could get pregnant too.”
Shane must have made a face because Doug laughed out loud before quickly recovering. “Shit, I didn’t think you could get any paler, but you looked like you were going to faint for a second.”
“I thought it was Doug’s angel bloodline that allowed you to get pregnant.” Shane folded his arms over his chest and tried to act like he wasn’t terrified at the idea of Maya getting pregnant. “As you know, I am not descended from that lineage.”
“That’s what we suspect.” Olivia shrugged. “The truth is that we just don’t know. I don’t even know when the baby will arrive. I feel like my stomach grew visibly bigger over the past few days, and I can’t stop craving human food. We’re all flying blind on this. The entire bloodmate thing comes with a giant question mark. One pairing was weird enough, but now with you two…”
“Add that to what happened with Horace,” Doug chimed in, “and that uneasiness can get ugly real quick. People, regardless of whatever supernatural whammy they possess, can be panicky assholes. When I was a cop, I saw it all the time. Nobody knows what the long-term ramifications are of being bloodmates, and that unknown element is making people uncomfortable.”
“I will leave immediately.” Shane nodded grimly because they were absolutely right. “But I’m taking Maya with me.”
“Agreed. We’ll tell everyone that you and Maya ran off, and as far as we’re concerned, you simply vanished.” Olivia elbowed Doug who quickly pulled out his phone and began to type something on the keypad with the ease of a human familiar with technology. Shane had a phone so he could communicate when needed, but he hated it. “Doug is going to send you an address for a safe house in Louisiana. Lottie Fogg is an old friend of mine. She’s a gypsy woman who lives in the bayou. She’s helped me out in the past, and she’s good at being discreet.”
“A gypsy?”
Shane was more than a little surprised. The gypsies existed off the grid of both the human and supernatural worlds and were known for their unwillingness to get involved in any society other than their own. Shane had tangled with a gypsy or two in his time, and he knew they were not individuals to mess with. Their magic was ancient and powerful and capable of bone-chilling darkness.
The bottom line: Don’t fuck with a gypsy.
“The gypsies are unreliable nomads who care for nothing other than themselves and their own kind. I find it difficult to believe there is one who would be willing to help us.”
“Well, believe it, and if you know what’s good for you, you’ll keep your opinion about gypsies to yourself. Lottie isn’t exactly a fan of the vamps—or any other supernaturals, for that matter—but she is my friend.”
“Of course.” Shane bowed his head in an apologetic gesture. “I apologize if I seemed ungrateful, but this is surprising.”
“Yeah,” Olivia said with a laugh. “I’m full of those. Keep in mind it also means it’s unlikely that anyone, wolf or vampire, would go looking for you at a gypsy’s house. You and Maya can hide out there for a bit while we smooth things over with the wolves. This will also give the two of you time to…work things out.”
“There.” Doug stuck the phone back in his pocket, and a second later, the one in Shane’s pocket buzzed. “I sent Lottie’s address to you. While you have Maya’s undivided attention down there in the bayou, might I suggest some fight training? Something tells me she’s going to need it.”
“I was thinking the same thing.” Shane nodded. “If it’s alright with you, Olivia, I’d like to pay Xavier a visit before we leave and get Maya fitted for some weapons.”
“Done.” Olivia took Doug’s hand and headed toward the door. “You should head out before nightfall. Take the tunnels to the outskirts of the city until sundown, and then if you fly all night, you can make it there before sunrise. Let me know when you get there.”
“I will.” Shane watched the czars and marveled at their comfort level with one another. They acted like they’d been together for centuries, as opposed to months. “Olivia?”
“Yes?”
“Be careful. I suspect that Rat is more involved with the wolves than he is letting on. In fact, the more I think about it, the more I think this visit wasn’t a surprise to him at all. He can’t be trusted.”
Olivia smiled and laughed.