“What’s so funny?” Shane asked, feeling a tad annoyed at the czar’s reaction.
“You know that his real name is Fred and that Rat is his nickname, right?”
“Yes.”
“Well”—she grinned, showing her bright, white fangs—“I’m the one who gave him the nickname.”
Chapter 7
When Maya woke up, still not quite sure that the incident with Horace had been real, her sisters told her she was being sent away. Maya could barely look them in the eyes and wondered if she’d ever be able to again. Trixie and Sadie were helping her pack a duffel bag in silence. Though neither of them had said more than a few words to her, Maya was relatively certain they were telepathing to one another.
Standing in only her bra and panties, she picked up the sentry uniform that Olivia sent over and tears pricked the back of her eyes. The tears fell silently as she rubbed the smooth, protective fabric between her fingers. This was the clothing of a vampire warrior, a sentry, the elite of all vampires. Maya knew she had no business wearing it, so she wasn’t sure why Olivia sent it over. Olivia must have been furious with her because she didn’t even come to say good-bye.
Not that Maya could blame her.
Maya knew her actions had been stupid, selfish, thoughtless, and childish, and she wouldn’t blame Olivia—let alone Shane—if they never spoke to her again. Maya swiped at the tears and turned her back on her sisters, who had averted their eyes. They must hate me too, she thought.
They don’t hate you, youngling. Shane’s voice, gentle but firm, entered her mind like a caress. Quite the contrary, but please hurry up.
You’re still speaking to me? Maya asked with a sideways glance at her sisters.
It would seem so. Silence lingered for a moment before Shane continued. We must leave right away. I am waiting for you in the living room…the very pink living room. I do hope that when we acquire a home of our own, after this nonsense has passed, you will not insist on bathing the entire space in shades of bubble gum.
Maya stilled and nibbled her lower lip. Their own apartment? Together? A home with him? The idea wasn’t unpleasant but it was…unexpected. I’ll be out in just a minute, she responded quietly.
She pulled on the leather-Lycra catsuit and slipped on the knee-high black boots that went with it. She made quick work of slicking her blond hair back into a tight ponytail, and when she turned around to face her sisters, they gaped at her in stunned silence. She adjusted her necklace with the gesture that never failed to reassure her and nestled the stone against her chest.
“What is it?” Maya asked in a barely audible voice. “It looks ridiculous on me, doesn’t it? I probably look like Dominatrix Barbie, and I know I don’t deserve to wear this but—”
“That’s not it,” Trixie said with a wide grin. “It actually looks so right on you, it’s scary.”
“The only one who thinks you’re unworthy of this, or anything else, is you.” Sadie grabbed the black duffel bag and closed the distance between them. “You’re not the first one to fuck up, and you won’t be the last.”
“I don’t know what happened.” Maya looked down at her hands clasped tightly in front of her, and shame washed over her. “Horace made that comment about Shane keeping me on a leash, and then the next thing I knew, I was in the limo with him. But that wasn’t the worst part.”
“Go on.” Sadie tossed the bag on the bed and Trixie moved in next to her, eager to hear the rest. “Keep talking.”
“I’m glad Olivia is sending me away.” Maya looked at her sisters through wide, frightened eyes. “My body or my gut—something deep inside me—was pulling me to Horace and the rest of the wolves,” she whispered. “It scares the hell out of me. My head and my heart were screaming to get away, but…it was like a magnetic pull that I could feel right here.” Maya made a fist and held it over her stomach. “When I was in that suite with them, my senses went on overload or something and I passed out.”
“Did you tell Shane this yet?” Trixie asked. “Or Olivia?”
Maya shook her head. “She hates me and I don’t blame her. That’s why she’s sending me away. She can’t stand the sight of me.”
“I never thought you were a dumb blond,” Trixie said.
“Trixie,” Sadie warned.
“No, seriously. She thinks Olivia hates her?” Trixie swatted Maya playfully on the side of the head. “Hello? Anybody home? Shit, Maya. Olivia is sending you away for your own safety, not just because of the fight with Horace, but also because of the whole bloodmate thing.”
“You know?” It was like a punch in the gut. “He told you?”
“Well, we figured it out once we realized you couldn’t telepath with us anymore, but then Shane told Olivia and Doug.”
“How do you feel about it?” Sadie asked. She picked the bag up off the bed and handed it to Maya. “I know Olivia’s a little worried about how the supernaturals will react to another bloodmate couple. I don’t think anyone’s bothered to ask you or Shane how you guys feel about it.”
Before Maya could answer her, an impatient knock at the door interrupted them. It was just as well because Maya had no idea how she felt about it, other than confused.
“We have to go, Maya.” Shane’s voice boomed from the other side. “The sun has been up for over an hour, and we still need to go see Xavier.”
“She’s coming, Quesada,” Trixie barked. “Keep your fangs on.”
Maya slung the bag over her shoulder just as her sisters gathered her up in a big, weepy hug. Even Trixie shed a tear, but Maya didn’t point it out because her sister would only deny it. They each gave her a quick kiss on the cheek, and when she opened the bedroom door, Shane was there, impatiently waiting. Once again dressed in the black, leather sentry gear, he looked like the fiercest warrior she’d ever seen and some of her fear ebbed. If nothing else, Maya knew she was safe with Shane.
He gestured toward the open front door, and staring into those dark, hypnotic eyes, Maya realized her world had changed forever. Walking side by side with Shane, she wondered if she’d be able to change with it.
They flew through the tunnels beneath the city streets as quickly as possible, and even though the dank, smelly conditions in the sewer tunnels grossed her out, she refrained from complaining. How could she possibly complain after everything that had happened? Maya flicked a glance at Shane whisking along beside her, and guilt swamped her. He was being forced to leave the job he loved because of her. He wouldn’t even have been in the situation with Horace if she hadn’t been such a stubborn ass and gone with the werewolves.
This entire stupid mess was her fault.
His jaw was set and his fiercely intense gaze remained focused on the path ahead of them. Maya fought the urge to cry and turned her attention on the tunnels ahead, vowing to make it better. Somehow, some way she was going to make things right and straighten this mess out. No one had to tell Maya how fucked up she was, and nobody wanted her to get her shit together more than she herself. She was tired of being afraid.
They skidded to a halt at the entrance of the Presidium, and she silently followed Shane through the secret doorway and into the brightly lit hallway. He pressed his thumb to the flat panel by the enormous wooden door and it swung open, immediately allowing them access to the stone hallways of the Presidium’s underground facility.
When Maya glanced up at the iron light fixtures that dangled from the ceilings between massive stone archways, she couldn’t help but feel like she’d stepped back in time. The intricate network of hallways and rooms that sat beneath The Cloisters and Fort Tryon Park had been there for centuries and made Maya feel small.