He was her bloodmate, and without her, he would never walk in the sun. Did Shane truly care for her, or was he merely following the bloodmate trail?
Xavier pushed another button on his remote, and seconds later the back wall slid away to reveal a massive arsenal—but it didn’t stop there. Another wall covered with guns disappeared behind the neighboring panel to reveal a walk-in closet that would make any warrior drool. It was the NYC Presidium’s armory.
When Maya looked at Shane, the expression on his face was a combination of excitement and simmering aggression. He reminded her of a tiger, pacing back and forth, and waiting for the right moment to strike. Shane stepped into the cavernous armory and immediately started picking up various guns and slipping them into hidden compartments within his jacket. He handled them with absolute confidence, and while Maya watched him, the word “graceful” actually came to mind.
Shane was most definitely in his element.
Maya, however, was not, and to say she was intimidated by the space would be an understatement.
“Don’t be shy.” Xavier waved for her to come in. He flew up and stood on top of a stool at the far side of the room. “I have something here that’s perfect for you.”
Maya went over to him, although she couldn’t help but notice that Shane was watching her while he packed various items into his bag, which now had more firepower than clothing. When she finally reached Xavier, he was holding a gun out to her with both hands.
“Here.” He smiled warmly. “Give it a try. It’s not loaded, so you don’t have to worry about any accidents.”
Maya licked her lips, which suddenly felt dry. She stared at the shiny stainless-steel weapon. Slipping the bag off her shoulder, Maya placed it on the ground before tentatively taking the gun from Xavier.
She held the weapon in both hands and turned it over, carefully inspecting it. It was lighter than she expected and had a long, thin barrel with what looked like a skinny pole running along the top of it. The handle was smooth, and wrapping her fingers around it, she was surprised at how easily and naturally it fit in her hand.
“How is it?” Shane’s voice drifted over her left shoulder, making Maya jump a bit. He’d moved in behind her without a sound and stood just inches away. “Is it too heavy or cumbersome feeling?”
Maya lifted one shoulder and looked at the weapon in her hands. “I have no idea how it’s supposed to feel. I’ve never held a gun before. At least, not since I was turned,” she added quickly. “I couldn’t tell you what the hell I held or didn’t hold when I was human.”
“Well, I doubt you ever held anything like this.” Xavier pushed his glasses up onto his head and pointed one pudgy finger at the gun. “That gun takes standard silver bullet ammo and liquid silver bullets.”
“That’s new.” Shane had moved closer, but Maya did her best to focus on what Xavier was saying instead of the way her body was reacting to Shane.
“And deadly to both vamps and werewolves.” Xavier snagged two ammunition magazines from the shelf behind him and held them up. “The black mags contain the solid silver bullets. As you know, they kill only with a shot to the head or heart. The white mags have the liquid silver bullets. Once they hit the target, liquid silver is injected into the bloodstream. Given the amount, it’s almost always fatal.”
“You’re a genius, my friend.” Shane reached past Maya and took the ammunition from Xavier. “I’ll hold on to these.”
“Fine with me.” Maya shuddered. “Just being near this stuff is a little intimidating.”
“That’s not what’s frightening,” Shane said, zipping up his bag before moving in behind her again.
“Oh really?” She looked over her shoulder at him. “Then what is?”
“Like most creatures, you fear what you don’t know.”
In a blink, Shane reached out and wrapped both arms around her. Pressing his body against hers, he spun her so that she was facing the stainless steel wall and could see their combined reflections. He slid his hands along her arms until his fingers were wrapped around hers, which were curled around the gun.
“But we can remedy that.” He kissed her cheek, a featherlight brush along her flesh, making her stomach do that flip-flop thing again. Holding her stare in the mirror-like finish of the wall, he adjusted her grip on the gun and gingerly slid her finger onto the trigger with his. His flesh covered hers at every possible spot, and he nestled his head alongside hers then gently adjusted her stance.
“The trick is to be gentle.” Shane’s voice, quiet but strong, filled the room. His hands remained over hers, merely resting there like a caress, guiding her. “You don’t need to apply much pressure to make it fire.”
Maya nodded and did her best to concentrate on what Shane was talking about. Having him so close, and feeling the hard planes of his body along hers, was highly distracting. The slow burn of desire crackled and simmered through her blood when Shane’s hips pressed against her. If he kept this up, a lot more than the gun was going to fire.
“Your stance should be balanced.” He grinned and slid one boot-clad foot between hers, gently but insistently nudging her feet apart. “Shoulder width apart. And never, ever take your eye off the target.”
He added the tiniest bit of pressure against her finger on the trigger and a bright-red light beam came out of the barrel.
“Laser sighting,” Shane murmured. The scruff of his unshaven face rasped enticingly along her cheek as he spoke, creating delicious friction. His voice rumbled in his chest and vibrated through her and around her. “All you have to do is point and shoot.”
“You can’t miss,” Xavier added with a clap of his hands. Maya stiffened in Shane’s embrace, having almost forgotten they weren’t alone in the room. Xavier flew from the stool back out to the main laboratory. “Hold on, you can’t go without some silver throwing weapons.”
“Throwing weapons?” Maya asked with trepidation.
“That’s later.” Shane held her stare, his hands trailing up her arms, and she lowered the gun. “We’ll start training in hand-to-hand combat when we arrive in Louisiana.”
“Hand-to-hand combat?” Maya squeaked. Shane rested his hands on her shoulders while he peered at her intently. “I—I don’t think I can do that.”
“Yes, you can.” He squeezed her shoulders and kissed the top of her head. “But we’ll take it one step at a time. You are capable of more than you know.”
“There’s something I have to tell you, Shane,” Maya whispered. She looked away, too embarrassed to look him in the eyes. “Last night, when we were with the wolves—”
“We don’t have to discuss it right now,” he interjected. The muscle in his jaw flickered and tension settled in his shoulders. “It’s done.”
“Yes, we do. Listen, Shane. Something happened to me in that hotel.” She grabbed the pendant for reassurance and squeezed her eyes shut, remembering the bizarre sensation of being drawn to the wolves. “I-It was like my senses got totally out of whack and I couldn’t see straight. It almost felt like I got drugged.”
Before she could finish, the same fluttering sound from earlier whisked into the armory and she felt Shane’s body tense. Maya’s eyes flicked open and she found herself face-to-face with a young woman who was most definitely a ghost and had to be Isabella.
Bella looked to be no more than eighteen or twenty, and she had large, dark eyes rimmed with sadness. She floated in midair with long, black hair flowing loosely down her back, and she wore a dark-colored dress with a high neck and long sleeves. Her hands were clasped in front of her, and she was entirely transparent.