Page 9 of Total Eclipse of the Moon
"I’m going to be better at the helm than you. The demon infecting my brain is a problem I still must resolve, but it gives me some extra abilities. I had a vision about your Alliance a few weeks ago. I knew an offer was coming. I’ve already seen the Alliance’s potential." This could also help his brothers stay safe from afar and remain "dead."
"Your brothers, I understand, but you I don’t get. You used to be about honor and loyalty, but then you got possessed, faked your death, and dumped them." The centuries-old vampire was intimidated by Shane’s unpredictability and his power. "Should I trust you?"
"Probably not." Shane bit back a laugh. "What kind of idiot asks a question like that, anyway?"
Antonio’s eyebrows drew inward in what could be a frown, but his face was so otherworldly wrinkle-free, as if he injected Botox into every inch of skin, that any expression was tough to read. It was the same for the whole species. "Your brothers think you’re dead. They're still fucked up about it. Are you losing it up…" He tapped his forehead.
"I wasn’t an asset to them, not with the demon inside. But I didn’t desert them. I’m going to get us free of the curse. Why else would I be after that particular witch?" Step one was to control this thing in his head, possibly with Madeline's help. Without this control, he wasn’t worth much to anyone.
Antonio perused Madeline’s note again but kept its contents secret. "Tell me about this witch who's a part of your get-free plan."
"We won't speak about her."What we share is mine. Mine to finish what we started. Mine to know what’s between us now and in the future. Mine to get revenge on for cursing me after I figure out who’s hunting her."Show me the note."
Antonio held it up. "I’ll show it to you, but someday you will talk to me about her. It’s inevitable."
It read:It’s a promise spell.
He tried a few promises in his head.I promise to make good choices.
Okay, that was stupid and didn’t work.
I promise not to kill this vampire.
Of course, that didn’t work.
I promise not to seek Madeline again.
That one sounded good. Didn’t work. Because she wanted him to seek her out. She’d made sure he would find her by the vague promise of helping him separate from the demon.
His chin dropped. He knew what she wanted and respected her for doing this. "I swear on my soul I won’t intentionally hurt her for as long as I live."
The cuffs clicked open.
He snatched the note from Antonio. The previous words disappeared, and new ones appeared:Puerto Vallarta in a fortnight. Come alone.
Chapter Four
So many touristsin Puerto Vallarta. A true nightmare for Shane. He chose a table at the outdoor cafe in the shadows out of public view, but still people stared his way. Moving amongst humans unnoticed had never been easy. When over six feet tall, in much better shape than over ninety percent of men, and with the barely concealed aura of a predator, humans tended to gawk. Their sixth sense recognized him as a threat. He used a glamour to shield most of the hunter side of his nature. Without it in place, humans panicked, peed themselves, and fled or went into complete mental shutdown.
Ocean waves resonated in the distance, but monstrous resorts hogged his view of the sunset and water. He stared at the menu, craving his brother's ceviche, which would be far better than the one served by the restaurant.
The threat of the full moon, expected tomorrow, made him melancholy. It was the night once a month when his family gathered at one of the many secret homes his mother owned. There, they could stay safe from the influence of the moon and its maddening drive to mate. The hormone suppression injections to control the craving to find a female faded faster these days, which meant more frequent injections or else the smoldering desire for sex on full moons couldn't be ignored.
Cripes, here came a human woman.
Shane ducked his head and tried to scoot his chair further into the shadows. The woman in a skimpy bathing suit and floral coverup slid into the chair across from him.
"You look like you need company." The brunette with the French accent leaned toward him on purpose to give him an unobstructed view of her breasts. They were a tribute to exceptional plastic surgery—perfectly symmetrical and too large for her small frame.
"Humans are so annoying,"Baku complained. "Kill her or let me. We're here to see that witch and figure out if she is the dragon healer."
"We're here for you and me to get a divorce. I don't care about dragon baloney."
"You think the witch is here yet?"Baku's excitement to see Madeline had kept the demon giddy for days. This had to do with her being a dragon healer, but the demon wouldn't say why it mattered to him or what it meant to be this healer.
"I get that you like her, but you're a demon. She's real. You're not. When she sees me, she seesme,not you."
Baku emitted a derisive snort."I think she likes you because of me but I don't want sex with her. I want to figure out if she helps dragons. Deal with this human before your otherworldly sexiness drives her to do something ridiculous. The last girl who ripped off her shirt and stuffed her tits in your face was nauseating."
