The length of her gray skirt was conservative by today’s standards, stopping just three inches or so above the knee. But it had ridden up a bit and clung to her like a second skin, outlining beautiful legs that seemed to go on forever despite her diminutive height. The pale blouse above it was a little looser, but still followed the lines of her slender body closely as she moved. The shoes on her feet were . . .
He smiled.
Brightly colored sneakers. This must be the extremely efficient, ever-elusive assistant Chris raved about so much. His “right-hand man” without whom he couldn’t function. Anyone who did whatever had to be done to enable Chris to accomplish the monumental tasks for which he had become known wouldn’t be caught dead wearing high-heeled shoes. Such would’ve hampered her movement too much and—
The woman straightened suddenly, spun around, and fired a weapon at Seth.
A brief prick of pain struck.
Seth glanced down at the dart sticking out of his chest, then met the woman’s widening eyes and arched a brow.
Her full lips parted. “Oh.” She dropped her gaze to his feet and followed the long, long path up to his head. “Oh crap. I . . . I think I may have just screwed up royally.”
Seth grinned. “You must be Kate.” Striding forward, he held out his hand. “I’m Seth.”
She rounded the desk, dismay filling her hazel eyes, and clasped his hand. “I am so sorry, sir. Things have been a little crazy around here lately and . . .” She glanced around. “Can you read my mind?”
“Yes.” Right now it was full of swear words as she castigated herself for trying to tranquilize her boss’s boss.
After Aidan breached network headquarters last year, she thought to him, and broke into Mr. Reordon’s office, I started keeping a tranquilizer gun on hand. Since you guys are so fast—the vampires, too—I thought it would be best to shoot first and ask questions later if I sensed someone had snuck up behind me without making a sound.
Wise reasoning, he praised her telepathically, releasing her hand.
Thank you. I’ve been jumpier than usual since the incident with Cliff. And finding out the Other might be nearby, doing that creepy mind-control thing . . .
She knew about Gershom?
Seth forced himself not to frown. How much do you know about the Other?
She bit her lip. Everything Mr. Reordon knows, she admitted. I can’t help him nearly as much if I’m not privy to all the details. But the information stops with me.
A quick scan of her mind showed him she was completely trustworthy. And totally attracted to her boss.
Seth smiled and plucked the dart from his chest.
“Again, I’m so sorry about that,” she said aloud.
“Don’t worry about it. I’m fine. And don’t think twice about doing the same in the future.”
She nodded.
“Is Chris around?”
“No, I sent him home.”
Seth would’ve loved to have seen that. Chris Reordon didn’t take orders from anyone. Hell, sometimes he even balked at taking orders from Seth.
“He’s been getting by on naps here at the office ever since the Whetsman incident,” Kate continued, “and that just isn’t enough. He needs rest. Is there something I can help you with until he gets back?”
Seth almost laughed. Oh yeah. If Chris ever got his head out of his ass, took a break from his workaholic schedule, and realized what a prize his assistant was, the two would make a perfect match. Kate didn’t ask Seth if he’d like to teleport to Chris’s home and talk to him there. She asked if she could help Seth instead, basically warning him not to bother Chris because the man needed sleep.
“Thank you,” Seth said, “but no. I’ll wait to speak with Chris later. Would you please have him call me when he returns?”
She smiled. And Seth realized she had actually been gearing herself up for battle in case he had asked her to wake Chris or suggested he intended to teleport over there and wake him up himself. “Of course, sir.” She held out her hand. “And may I say what a pleasure it is to have finally met you? I’ve heard so much about you and am so grateful for the work you and your Immortal Guardians do.”
Seth took her hand and, instead of shaking it, brought it to his lips to press a kiss to her knuckles. “The pleasure was all mine.” In her mind, he said, Thank you for taking such good care of our boy. Chris is like family to us.
Her smile stretched into an appealing grin.
Winking, Seth released her hand and teleported to Bastien and Cliff.
The two were seated atop a building on NCCU’s campus. Seth could detect no scent of blood on them, so they must not have slain any vampires yet.
“How’s the hunt?” he asked as they rose and faced him.
“Slow night,” Bastien said, careful to let no concern for his friend enter his voice.
But Seth could see it in the British immortal’s eyes.
Cliff nodded without speaking. The young vampire had been quieter and more subdued since the incident.
“Is something up?” Bastien asked.
“We have a situation,” Seth told them. “I could use your help with it. Can you postpone tonight’s hunt for an hour or so?”
Both nodded, gazes sharpening.
Seth closed his eyes and did a quick mental search for Aidan. Once he found him, Seth touched Bastien’s and Cliff’s shoulders and teleported them to the Celt’s side.
Aidan smiled at them, a tire iron held in one hand. “I thought I felt a disturbance in the force.”
Cliff laughed.
Bastien smiled.
Seth shook his head. “What have you been doing?”
Aidan held up the tire iron. “Helping a lovely woman change a flat tire.”
Bastien arched a brow. “A lovely gifted one?”
“As it happens, yes.”
Seth sighed. “Did you flatten her tire, Aidan?”
“Yes, I did,” the nearly three-thousand-year-old immortal admitted without remorse. Seth had transferred Aidan to North Carolina a year ago when loneliness had driven the immortal to break into network headquarters, violate security protocols, and steal a list of names of female gifted ones in the area. Aidan had hoped that he might be lucky enough to arrange a chance encounter with a woman who could love him and would be willing to transform for him as Sarah had for Roland. A woman who would want to spend the rest of eternity with him.
“Give Chris her name,” Seth ordered, “so he can reimburse her for the cost of a new tire.”
“I already reimbursed her. Tucked some cash in her purse. She just doesn’t know it yet.”
Cliff raised his brows. “So? Any sparks flare?”
Cliff, Bastien, and Melanie were among the few who knew why Aidan now resided in North Carolina.
“Sadly, no,” Aidan told them. “She’s distressingly attached to the mortal man she loves. So, what can I do for you gentlemen?”
“I could use your assistance with something,” Seth said.
“If I can help you, I will.”
Seth teleported them all to Heather’s home.
Noses crinkled at the strong stench of death and decay as gazes raked the empty piles of clothing scattered about the living room floor. Blood streaked the walls and ceiling. Crimson stains marred the furniture.
Seth closed his eyes and summoned Zach.
Zach appeared at his elbow.
“We have a problem,” Seth told them.
Zach studied the room. His boots thudded on the wood floor as he crossed to a broken front window and bent to peer outside. “Any of those piles of clothing out there Ethan?”
“No,” Seth answered. “He and Heather survived the attack and are at network headquarters.”
Bastien frowned. “Isn’t Heather the mortal woman who fought vampires with Ethan a couple of weeks ago?”
“Yes.” Seth gave them a quick rundown of the two battles as he had seen them in Heather’s thoughts.
“That is a problem,” Zach pronounced.
“Why?” Cliff asked.
“Seth said Heather is telepathic,” Zach explained. “Telepaths don’t have precognitive dreams.”
Aidan’s eyes lit with interest. “She’s a gifted one?”
“Yes,” Seth said, “and she’s smitten with Ethan.”
“Lucky bastard,” Aidan muttered.
Cliff looked at Zach and Seth. “Couldn’t precognition be a latent ability that has only recently begun to manifest itself?”
Yet again, Seth wished Cliff were immortal. He hated to lose such a bright, honorable man to insanity. “No. Gifted ones generally become aware of their abilities at a very early age. They don’t suddenly acquire them as adults.”
Bastien scowled. “Then why did she have the dreams?”
Seth drew in a deep breath. “Because Gershom planted them in her subconscious mind.”
Zach swore. “You saw him in her memories?”
“No. I only saw the dreams he planted. I suspect he also orchestrated both vampire attacks. Like Ethan, I just don’t see them being a coincidence. Not out here in the sticks.”
“To what purpose?” Bastien asked.
“I don’t know.”
Heavy silence enshrouded them.
“Can you show us the battles?” Zach requested.
Nodding, Seth held out his hand, palm down. “Touch my hand.”
Zach, Bastien, and Aidan stepped forward and covered Seth’s hand with theirs.