At her five-year anniversary, Max must relive the most traumatic moment in her life, her Turning Night.

Max has lived as the Abomination for five years and this week is her anniversary. Like all vampires, she has to return to the point at which she was turned and relive her original attack and transformation. Max is prepared, but there is a little errand she must run for Gregori before the big night.

A panther shifter has asked for a bodyguard for his sister, and Max agrees to watch the woman as long as she can bring two friends.

Raven Dexter and Hellebore arrive in time to help the very pregnant shifter through a difficult labour while midnight elves wait to take the baby for their own.

After that, Max’s Turning Night is a bit of an anticlimax.

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Turning Night

Copyright © 2013 Viola Grace

ISBN: 978-1-77111-710-4

Cover art by Martine Jardin

All rights reserved. Except for use in any review, the reproduction or utilization of this work in whole or in part in any form by any electronic, mechanical or other means, now known or hereafter invented, is forbidden without the written permission of the publisher.

Published by Devine Destinies

An imprint of eXtasy Books

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Turning Night

A Nexus Chronicle

By

Viola Grace

Chapter One

Max sat at her desk and pondered the calendar. Five years. It was as clear as the nose on the goblin rep’s face; it had been five years since she had been turned into the Abomination. She wondered if they made a greeting card for that.

Fifth anniversary, wood and silverware. She grinned as she imagined that party with a bunch of vampires. Two things traditionally used to kill them and they were obligated to offer them to her. Part of Max was delighted and part dreaded the party in two days.

Anthony knocked on the doorframe. “Apprentice, the Guild Master requests your presence.”

She grinned and got to her feet. “I really doubt that. Any news from Xander and Abby?”

“They are doing well and have renewed their offer of a gnome to call your own.”

Laughter bubbled up. “No, I think I will have to decline that offer. Gregori would probably try and eat it if it irritated him.”

“I do not think that try would be involved.” Anthony sighed and his ears turned pink.

“Is he whistling for me again?”

The Guild Master’s Major Domo nodded with a pained expression.

With a regretful sigh, Max pulled her earplugs out and tucked them in her desk. Her enhanced hearing was part and parcel of being the Abomination. The earplugs helped when Gregori was feeling particularly vocal.

She passed Anthony and patted his shoulder. “It is almost time for some meal.”

He nodded with relief and headed for the kitchen. It was the most soundproofed portion of the Guild Master’s estate.

The windows were being opened to let in the sunset. Gregori had only mild sensitivity to light and Max had none at all.

“Max!”

“Coming, Guild Master.” She wrinkled her nose at the etiquette that she had to obey. He was meeting with a panther shifter with a rather primitive attitude toward women. This was not where she wanted to be right now.

He quieted, so she knew he had heard her. He would have continued bellowing if she hadn’t answered.

Calling this huge place home had taken some getting used to, but now, she navigated easily through the halls to the formal audience chamber.

She paused in the doorway and inclined her head. “You called, Guild Master?”

He was seated at the round table with the shifter. “You took your time, Max.”

“I was not prepared for your summons.”

The panther snorted. He looked like he ate nails for breakfast and he had been in at least two territory disputes that had scarred his face. “Apparently. I thought she had all the strengths of a vampire, including her hearing.”

Max didn’t respond. She looked to Gregori.

“She tends to use earplugs to block me out, Rithak. She needs moments to herself and tries to keep her use of the plugs to daylight hours.” His lips twisted in amusement.

Rithak looked her over from head to toe. “She has been changed, but can she still breed?”

That was it; Max was going to smack him. She moved in a blur of fury and was caught and held against Gregori an inch before she would have added to the claw marks on the panther’s face.

“Calm, Max. Rithak wanted to see how fast you were.”

“Fine.” She turned in Gregori’s arms, kissed his cheek, whirled and flicked Rithak out of his chair and onto his butt.

Gregori tightened his arms again. “I apologize for her, Rithak. She has a temper.”

She kept her face hostile while she glared at the interloper in her territory.

“It is my apology that is needed, Guild Master. I should not have pushed that particular button.” Rithak got back to his feet and bowed toward Max. “Forgive me, Abomination?”

She sighed. It was really a name she needed removed from her stationery. “Forgiven, Rithak.”

She didn’t ask him to call her Max. Gregori was very protective of her name. Only the Guild Master’s household and Max’s personal friends were allowed to use it. All the emissaries addressed her as Apprentice or Abomination. It had taken getting used to, but five years into it, she hardly winced anymore.

Gregori wisely kept her in his arms, which was her favourite place to be. “Rithak has asked for your assistance in a matter of some urgency.”

Rithak rubbed his hand along the short-cropped black hair that covered his skull. “My sister is pregnant, very pregnant, and I have to attend a matter at Hotel Spectre. I do not wish to leave her alone and taking her out of her territory is impossible. I have asked the Guild Master for your services as bodyguard for the next thirty-six hours.”

Max looked up at Gregori. He wasn’t happy, but he was letting her make the decision.

“If he believes it would benefit his cause, I will do it without hesitation, but Rithak, I must ask one thing.”

The panther was so relieved, he said, “Name it and it’s yours.”

“I want to have a friend over while I babysit.” Max grinned and her sharpened teeth showed.

“Is that friend a vampire?”

Max shook her head. “Nope. Straight flesh and blood human with knowledge of the supernatural realms. Will you agree?”

“She might be in danger. Raila is a little unstable right now.”

“I will protect them both, from each other if need be. Now, give me the address, and I will make some calls.” She wiggled her fingers and Gregori released her arm.

Rithak quickly dug in his back pocket and handed her a card. “Thank you. Give her this card, and she will know I have sent you.”

“Does Raila know you are trying to send someone to her?”

“She knows, she just doesn’t think she needs protection.” He sighed. “The father of her child believes that he has the right to it. His clan is the problem.”

She narrowed her eyes. “What kind of clan?”

“Midnight elves. Dark, violent and positive that their way is the only way.”

Max sighed. “It sounds like most species I have met. Right. I will need one more person if we might run into midnight elves. She is magical, of a sort. Don’t worry, we will bring our own food.”

“I do not know if she will let that many strangers into her house.”

“Oh, she will.”

Gregori placed his lips against the curve of her ear. “I believe he wishes to know who your friends are, dearest.”

The endearment melted her against him; it always did. “Raven and Hellebore. Hell can help me on defence and Raven…well you know what she does.”

“Good choices. Shall I have Anthony make the arrangements?”

Max shook her head, reached into the side of the fitted vest that she wore and pulled her phone out of the left side of her bra. She felt rather than heard Gregori’s deep sigh.

She stepped out of her lover’s arms and crossed the room, speaking quickly to Raven and then answering questions for Hellebore. Since both women were invited to her anniversary gala, a little adventure two days earlier wasn’t difficult to fit into their schedule.

Max finished her calls and turned to the two men who were waiting. “Well, I suppose I should be on my way.”

With a quick kiss from Gregori and effusive thanks from Rithak, she left her home to babysit a pregnant feline who didn’t know she was coming. This was going to be tricky.

Chapter Two

Max arrived in her car and Raven was standing next to her guardian, boyfriend and transporter. He didn’t look happy about leaving her there.

Max walked up to them. “Hiya, Raven, hi, Eyleno. Leave her with me, Eyleno. She will be fine, and I will call if anything arises.”

He scowled, “You will keep your phone on?”

“I will. If she is needed elsewhere, you need only call.”

A motorcycle roared out of the woods. Hellebore grinned at Max as she removed her helmet. “That transporter was definitely eager to launch me here. What did you say to him?”

“Anthony called him. I am sure that threats of some kind were involved. Now, are you ready to meet our charge?”

The light was still bright enough to illuminate a lovely house, immaculate gardens and thriving roses. Max straightened and walked up to the door, ringing the bell and waiting.

A woman with huge pansy-coloured eyes and midnight hair opened the door a crack. She sniffed slightly.

Max extended the card to her. “Raila, my name is Max, and your brother sent me. This is Raven and this is Hellebore.”

It wasn’t the right situation to stand on ceremony. Max could smell her fear. She could also smell something else and hear another adult heartbeat.

“Raila, are you alone?”

As silently as she could, Raila moved the chain lock from the door. “Of course. Without Rithak here, who else could possibly be here?”

Damn. Max moved fast and slid past Raila with as little disturbance as she could manage. She scented the air and followed the smell of damp leaves to the kitchen. The door slammed, and she hissed, running after her prey into the woods. He was hiding and she smelled fear.

Hellebore called out, and Max abandoned her hunt. She used speed to return her to the house, and she locked up securely as she closed the door.

“What is it, Hells?” Max spoke softly.

Raven was next to Raila, holding her and with her other hand on the woman’s belly.

Hellebore spoke softly. “Raila is in labour. That man was the father’s cousin. He was here to claim the child. He tricked her into drinking spiked tea, and it started her contractions.”

Max nodded and swiftly locked the front door. It wouldn’t keep out a determined shifter but that is why Hellebore was here.

“Can you sing us a ward?”

“Warning only. I can’t put that kind of power into a place I don’t live.”

“Anything is good. I will carry her upstairs.”

Raven looked at her with amusement in her red eyes. “She is pregnant, not crippled. She can and should walk around as much as she is able. Gravity is a helpful tool for labour.”

Max bit her lip. “I don’t know much, but I will help where I can.”

Raven beckoned her over. “Get the supplies from the car. She doesn’t have a midwife, so I will do what I would under normal circumstances.”

Max nodded and exited the house with all haste. She grabbed the duffels from the car and returned to the neatly appointed home before the door had finished swinging shut.

Raven had been precise on the phone. A good medical kit, foil blankets, lots of gloves and gauze and plenty of canned soup and tea. Surprisingly, Anthony had had most of it on hand.

Max locked the house again and followed the scent of human and panther up the stairs. Hellebore was still humming wards around all the doors and windows.

Max hauled the food into the kitchen before she took the medical bag upstairs. Rithak had struck a nerve. With whatever caused vampirism in her bloodstream, she was well and truly out of the gene pool. A child with Gregori’s dark hair and darker eyes haunted her dreams, but it was just that, a haunt. It was the ghost of an idea that had started when her cousin Tabby had had her first child. Gregori had held her while she cried as the truth sank home. Abominations couldn’t have babies, nor could vampires. They might live fairly indefinitely together, but it would be them alone.

Raila was pacing and Raven was prepping the bed. She discretely went into the bag and grabbed one of the thermal blankets, slipping it between the sheets and mattress. Max caught on that it was to minimize the mess. That she knew. Birth was a messy process.

Raila came over to Max, sweat beading her brow. “Thank you for bringing the midwife. How did you know?”

“It was a precaution. Rithak made it clear that you were very, very pregnant, and I am not equipped to handle a birth on the fly. That and Raven is a good friend. It was an excuse to hang out together.” Max was honest.

“Well, thank you for having a friend who is incorruptible by charms. I was terrified that I would be stuck with Henhin and that he would steal my baby.” Raila flinched and gripped her belly. “Gotta walk.”

“You keep walking. I can hear you anywhere in the house.”

“What is your other friend doing?”

“Hellebore is a siren of sorts. She controls magic with her voice. She is setting up a perimeter that will slow down intruders. It will give me enough time to get to them while she tunes up for battle.” Max sat out of the way in a chair in the corner.

“You are ready for an attack?”

“I am ready for almost anything. Anyone who says they are ready for anything is a liar. It may be indelicate, but why is the father suddenly obsessed with obtaining the child?”

Raila wrinkled her nose. “It was a one-night stand to try something new. I had never been with an elf before, never mind a midnight elf. You can see and feel the stars on their skin, you know.”

“I didn’t know. They are fast and hard to catch. That I do know.”

Raila laughed and gasped.

Max counted in her mind. The contractions were two minutes apart.

“Well, it was a one-night thing for him too until he heard I was pregnant. I guess they have a smaller birthrate then my kind do, so he suddenly wanted the child. The problem was I want it too.”

“That isn’t a problem; you are the child’s mother.”

Raven cleared her throat. “That isn’t precisely true. Midnight elves aren’t really elves at all. They are spirits. They reproduce by finding a suitable host for a piece of themselves and implanting it in that host.”

“Implanting?”

“Sex.” Raven brushed her snow-white braid over one shoulder. “I will explain how sex works later, Max.”

Hellebore came in. “Is Max asking about sex again? I thought you were going to have that talk with her, Raven.”

Max drummed her fingers while Raila giggled.

Raila stroked her belly and sighed. “Right, so I knew that the baby would be a midnight elf, but I want a child. This might be my only chance, so I took it. I told Hulorn that I was keeping it and he could get bent. That is when they started stalking me.”

Max narrowed her eyes. “So, just to confirm, you knew you were an incubator?”

“I did. This child will be named Danlorn, after my father and its father.”

Raven moved around, but there was a worried pucker between her eyes.

Raila kept pacing and her water broke. Raven checked on the progress, and before Max knew it, it was time for Raila to focus on bringing a new life into the world.

Max sensed a shift in the energy outside the house. Something powerful was approaching.

She beckoned to Hellebore. “Can I get through your wards without wrecking them?”

“Sure. I cheated; it is a gender-specific restriction. I did that so I could put more power into it.”

Max smiled to the room at large. “I will be right back. This isn’t really my thing.” She headed downstairs and out the back door, closing it carefully behind her.

A handsome man made of dark skin and starlight stood there. “Hulorn I presume?”

“Has my child arrived?”

“I don’t know. I am not a courier. It is her child as well.”

He waved that off. “It is mine, and we both know it.”

“Yes, but I know nothing of the kind, and I will tear a hole in you if you set one foot near that house.”

He crossed his arms over his bare chest. It was a little unseasonably cold to be wearing only trousers, but he pulled it off.

“Someone must have told you what I am and how I reproduce.”

“Yes, but no one told her body that. It has been nurturing, caring for and supporting a baby all this time. If the baby is taken, her body will mourn it and that can be fatal. She has no mate to comfort her. The loss would be great.”

He narrowed his starlight eyes. “What are you telling me?”

“Either court her or leave the child with her until it is an adult. You can train it once it is old enough to learn the differences between her people and yours.”

“That will not work. She lives and operates in the human world.”

Max inclined her head, “Then, make her an offer. Provide for her and her child. Allow her access to her own people and you can have unlimited access to your child. It is up to you. I will return before dawn to hear your decision.”

Hulorn inclined his head. “You are very wise, Abomination. Gregori was right to take you as his apprentice. It seems you have learned much.”

Max moved with blurring speed and was back inside the house with the door locked before the shocking knowledge that he knew who she was seeped through.

As shocked as she was, she still felt the tiny ripple of power when tiny, little Danlorn entered the world. She also heard Raven’s, “Holy crap!”

Max was up the stairs in seconds. She saw a beaming Raila holding a squalling infant with pale skin and midnight hair. His ears were pointed, but his body was chubby and the pink and white of a newborn.

“He is a shifter, like me.” Raila smiled happily.

Max went over and sniffed near the child. There was a lot going on in the room, but it was the same scent that she had just been talking to outside. “He might be, but he is still Hulorn’s son.”

As if to confirm her words, the infant opened his eyes in a squint and there were stars flowing in a sea of midnight blue.

Max could smell both parents in the child, wilderness and ancient magic. “I think this was a natural and not a supernatural conception. I believe that those can and do happen.”

Raven was still tidying up, but she agreed. “I have delivered more than a few freaky occurrences.”

Hellebore was still staring at the spot where the baby had emerged, and she didn’t say anything. She was startlingly pale though.

“Hells, sit down. You came into the world the same way; we all did. Deal with it.”

Max took Hellebore by the hand and steered her to the chair that she had used earlier.

Without being asked, Max fetched a glass of water and stayed there while she drank it. She kept her senses on high alert. This was a very vulnerable time for Raila and Raven.

When Raven had finished the tidying, she gestured for Max to help her. “Lift her please.”

Max carefully lifted the shifter and her infant and held them tightly while Raven changed the bedding with Hellebore’s help. Max looked down at Raila. “Huh. It really does take a village.”

Hellebore grinned, “To make a bed?”

“To have a baby. And make a bed, I suppose, I don’t know. I leave the bed and it is made again by the time I get back to it.”

Raven laughed, “Eyleno is a neat freak as well. He is probably waxing the floor as I speak. He has been wanting to get to it for weeks.”

Raila smiled sleepily. “Thank you for being here.”

“Thank your brother for asking for help. If Rithak hadn’t negotiated with the Guild Master, I shudder to think what would have happened.” Max tried to be solemn, but the little guy was looking at her with those starry eyes. She puffed her cheeks and made a face.

“I still can’t believe that you are the infamous Abomination.” Raila winced a little as Max tucked her into the crisp sheets and fluffy duvet.

“I can’t believe that I came here as a bodyguard and happened to bring along a midwife.”

Raven was sitting and rubbing lotion into her hands. “Me neither. That was freaky, Max.”

Max finished tucking her charges in. “It was only prudent. She was pregnant and I had no experience with that. Well, that, and I have a project for my Turning Night that I want to complete before the party. For that, I needed you with me, so it was a logical turn of events to invite you along.”

Hellebore winked, “What about me?”

“Well, you are just fun to have around, and I love making the transporters send you.”

Hellebore snorted and stroked the baby’s thick fuzz of black hair.

“Well, I suppose we are to take shifts.” Hellebore raised her brows.

Max shook her head. “We are all staying up until dawn. I have a negotiation to attend.”

Raila blinked drowsily. “Negotiation?”

“If he is the father, he has the right to visitation, but he will have to pay for it. Supporting you and the child is the way he will do it. When the child is an adult, it will have to choose the society it wishes to live in. There is no doubt about that. I will talk to him before dawn.”

Max fished her camera out and took a picture of mother and son. “I will need this as proof. I don’t want to carry him with me. Hellebore, stay in this room, stay with Raila and Danlorn.”

She left and headed for the main floor. She was positive that the father was not going to return alone.

Chapter Three

Away from the smells of blood and birth, Max breathed easier.

She could feel the living beings upstairs, but it was the ones outside that she was concerned about. There was a dark gathering of power, and it was intense.

Max quickly called the house. When Anthony replied, she spoke quickly. “I need Tonho, and I need him fast.”

“How fast?”

“I will deal with Gregori later fast.”

She heard him crack his knuckles. “Oy, Tonho. The Apprentice needs you.”

“What?”

There was a crackling of power, and Anthony announced. “He is in the front yard.”

“You are a champ.”

“I am aware.”

She hung up and slipped out the door into the front yard. A confused troll was standing next to some begonias.

“Tonho. I need your help around back. What do you know about midnight elves?”

“Spirits in elven form. Why?”

“Because, by my count, there are a dozen of them on their way through the woods. We have Raven, Hellebore, a shifter and a newborn in the house. They can’t come in.”

He nodded and lumbered around back without further explanation. Trolls were great once they knew what you wanted them to do.

She retreated through the house, checking for any possible breach sites. The house was secure, and the living, breathing women upstairs were safe.

Max waited in the kitchen and made a pot of tea while Tonho settled down on his haunches and stared at the woods. He was one of her best friends at home and had a focus on protection that was admirable in the extreme.

She brought him a mug of peach tea and settled down next to him. “Here you go.”

“What are they waiting for?”

“The hour before dawn. We have a few minutes.”

Tonho sipped at the tea. “Huh. Good blend.”

“She has a lot of herbal tea, but I know you like peaches.”

“Thanks, Max. Why are they waiting?”

“Because, I told the baby’s father that that is the time I would negotiate. Now, I find that he is holding less cards than he thinks.”

Hulorn appeared out of the forest that backed the yard. “What do you mean?”

“Do you have exposure to modern tech?” It was a fair question. Many of the modern magical creatures ignored technology as beneath them.

“I do.”

“Good. Your child is not what you think it is. It is a splice of your body and Raila’s.” Max brought out her phone and showed him the picture. “This is your son. Danlorn.”

Hulorn blinked his star-bright eyes. “It isn’t possible.”

“It is more than possible. It is what has happened. The baby has his mother’s skin, his father’s hair and eyes. Well, his eyes are deep blue with stars in them; they are lovely.”

He looked at the image of Raila and the infant. As he touched the screen, the image of the baby expanded until its chubby face filled the screen.

“He isn’t a midnight elf.”

“No, he isn’t, but the question is, do you want to have anything to do with him, or do you and the rest of your clan just retreat back into the woods.”

He gave her a slow look. “You know that they are there?”

“I didn’t come out just to give my companion some tea.”

Tonho rose to his feet, barring any entrance to the home.

“You brought a troll?” Hulorn looked shocked. “They eat children.”

Max scowled at him. “And midnight elves steal them in the middle of the night. Myth can often hide the full truth. It is truth but hardly the full story.”

Max had looked into trolls when she first started hanging out with one. Trolls ate their dead. It wasn’t pleasant, but it was part of their culture. A rotting troll carcass could cause disease to spread in an area faster than any other pathogen. Burning that much meat would be a waste in lean times, but it was now commonplace when food was plentiful and sanitation of the corpse disposal could be assured.

Funerals had taken the part of feasts, but the foods served at the feasts had names that harkened to the ancient traditions. That was far grimmer than the current state of the troll nation. They were bodyguards, hired muscle in forestry, shipping, anywhere where lifting a lot of weight was an asset.

Hulorn nodded. “Point taken. I simply do not like one of his so near my son.”

Tonho snorted. “I hate the scent of wet leaves that your kind brings in, so we are even.”

The midnight elf may have been taunting him to distract him, but when one of the elves made a try for the house, Tonho stopped him with a meaty hand to his forehead, gripped him and hurled him away.

The elf skidded along and fetched up against a tree.

Max winced. “Well, that isn’t good. Now, Hulorn, will you tell them to stand down so you can tell me what you are willing to offer the child and its mother?”

They stood in the fading darkness and spoke softly, negotiating until they had reached an agreement. Max finally called a halt when the sun came out. “I will make the offer to Raila. If she agrees, she will come out with the baby at sunset so that you can meet your son.”

Hulorn fidgeted. “What if she does not agree?”

“You will have to petition the shifter’s council for visitation. They abide by bloodlines, though your lack of an actual relationship will hurt your cause. Your urge for access to your son will be taken into account.”

“But you believe there is a good chance she will agree.”

Max sighed. “Bring me a flower, right now. Find one quickly that does not grow on her property.”

“Why?”

Tonho snorted. “Idiot.”

Her troll friend had brought his hood up, and she grinned at him.

Hulorn disappeared into the forest.

Tonho jerked his head. “I will be in the shed, keeping watch. Get some sleep, Max; you look like hell.”

“Ah, Tonho, you know I don’t sleep well when I am not with him.”

“Try. The mother and child will need you at your best.”

Max couldn’t fight that one.

Just as she was about to go into the house, Hulorn appeared with a bouquet of flowers in his hand. The roses were white with silver edges and the dew gleamed like stars. He pulled a few strands of long black hair from his head and wound it around the collection of stems. “Bring this to her. I mean her no harm and would like to begin anew if I may.”

He was sincere; Max could read it in his bright eyes. The sun made him squint, but he still stood there while she debated his gift.

Max took the roses and made sure not to touch the thorns. “I will bring these to her. Find another gift for this evening. We will see you at sundown.”

“Whatever happens, thank you for your efforts.” He inclined his head and disappeared into the woods again.

Max entered the house while Tonho guarded her back. Her carrying the roses over the threshold allowed Hulorn to come into the house itself. She knew what the hair had meant, and she had allowed him to do it.

With the doors locked and the sun up, they were as safe as they were going to be. When Max entered, it was to find all four of her charges fast asleep. Danlorn must have sensed that she was there, because he began fussing the moment she came in the door.

Max looked at the flowers and smiled. “Blood calls to blood. I know that better than most.”

Raila was asleep, curled around her son. Max put the flowers down next to Raven and picked up the little squirming bundle.

She didn’t need enhanced senses to tell her that he needed a diaper change. Max took him and held him snugly to her as she went exploring the other rooms. A nursery was ready and waiting for him. Max trotted out babysitting skills from high school, and soon, he was leaning against her shoulder, snuffling softly.

She paced with him, keeping him close while the others slept. When he fussed and squalled, Max brought him in to Raila.

She smiled and sat up, reaching for him. Raila winced as her infant latched on and fed.

Max sat at the edge of her bed and spoke softly. “I have spoken to Hulorn. He wishes to arrange visitation, and he will not take your child from you. He offers you this bouquet, but he has allowed himself to cross your threshold by giving it to me.”

Raila smiled down at her son. “Let him come. The bond between us is strong. I can follow my son wherever he goes.”

“And he can feel Hulorn. He woke up when I brought in the flowers.”

Max reached over and took the roses from where they had been resting next to Raven.

Raila took the flowers with her free hand. “I love roses.”

She inhaled deeply and a soft smile played around her lips. Hulorn’s scent mingled with the flowers, and Max guessed that there was a bit of a flashback in action. Apparently, the one-night stand had left a few memories in addition to the new life.

“What drew you to him?” Max asked softly.

“He was smart, fearless and he smiled anytime someone spoke to him. He was the first genuinely friendly midnight elf I had ever met. We danced, listened to the songs, and I invited him to my room at the hotel. When I woke, he was gone, and it wasn’t until two months later that I had proof of our excellent timing.”

Max chuckled. “Good. I was hoping that there had been mutual attraction and not magic going on. I am guessing that this was at the annual gathering at Hotel Spectre?”

“That’s correct. I saw you there with the Guild Master. There was a lot of yelling going on.”

Max laughed. “There usually is. He is a big sweetheart, though. He has been the most supportive thing in my life to date.”

In a shy whisper, Raila asked, “Does he drink from you?”

“When he has to or during sex. Neither of us needs to consume much, but biting one’s mate in the heat of passion is…satisfying.”

Raila blushed and looked around. “For shifters too.”

Hellebore sat up, “I heard that. Anyone else for breakfast?”

Max yawned, and her fangs slipped past her lips. Raila looked surprised and Hellebore was fascinated.

Raven sat up and brushed her hair out of her eyes. “Did someone say breakfast? Geez, Max, put those away. There are kids present.”

Max snapped her jaws shut and got to her feet. “I need a bit of shuteye. Hellebore, wake me if there is so much as a sneeze on the wards. Oh, and Tonho is in your shed, Raila; he might need a sandwich or dozen.”

Hellebore nodded, “I will bring something out to him.”

“I would prefer if Raven does it. He knows her, and she can move through the wards without ruffling them.” Max yawned again.

Raven nodded. “You look like hell. Go and sleep.”

Raila agreed. “My spare room is at the end of the hall.”

Max smiled her thanks and headed for the room. “Ah, full sunlight, how wonderful.”

The bed smelled like Rithak, so Max looked underneath. Raila may be pregnant, but she was an excellent housekeeper. There was enough room under the bed for her, and she grabbed a spare blanket from the cupboard along with a pillow and crept into her hiding place. She had never been able to sleep in a sunny room, even when she was fully human.

The heartbeats of the house’s inhabitants lulled her to sleep.

Chapter Four

Max opened her eyes and met Raven’s red gaze. “What time is it?”

“Just after four. Tonho insisted that you eat before he does. Have a sandwich.”

A ham and cheese on rye was waggled at her.

Max snatched it and crawled out from under the bed without her normal grace. “Thanks.”

“Why didn’t you sleep in the bed?”

“Too much light. Messes up my REM cycle.” She munched away. “How is everyone doing?”

“Hellebore is singing lullabies and honing her targeting on midnight elves. Raila isn’t pleased, but Danlorn doesn’t mind. He is napping and gurgling away.”

The tray sitting on the dresser had a stack of ten sandwiches. “I will take those out to Tonho.”

“Thanks. Though I have delivered their babies, trolls still make me uncomfortable.” Raven sighed. “They are just so damned big.”

Max didn’t comment on it, she merely took the tray and headed down the stairs. Gregori was nearly as tall as Tonho, though not as broad. She supposed it was a matter of taste.

She knocked on the shed door, and Tonho opened it. “You shouldn’t have refused the food.”

“You need to eat too, Max. If you are not feeding from the Guild Master, you need to take in food.” He stuffed a sandwich in and kept talking. “How will you deal with him when you return?”

“For stealing you? I don’t know. I suspect that lingerie will be involved for a few minutes.” Max smiled. “Once Rithak is back, we can both return home. Gregori’s revenge will have to wait a while. We are going to get back just in time to prep for my anniversary.”

“It is going to be quite a gala. Even my people have been invited. My mother is excited to meet you.”

Max smiled. “Gregori has been very secretive about his plans. I know my part in it and that is why I wanted Raven and Hellebore with me. I can’t have you, but they can pass for human.”

He continued eating until there was nothing left on the tray. “Two hours to sunset.”

“I can feel it. They are going to be here in force. If Hulorn wants to come in, let him pass.”

“I will be ready, now go brush your hair.”

She laughed, picked up the tray and headed back to the house. She washed her face, brushed her hair and held the baby for a few minutes, watching his serious little face take her in.

The moment his teeny fist grabbed her hair and yanked, she was smitten.

Raila laughed and paused as she got dressed. “Just pull your hair away.”

Max wrinkled her nose and played tug of war, gently, with the infant.

When she felt the heartbeats of the crowd gathering in the woods, she let Raila take the baby back. “It’s show time. Let’s see what he does.”

En masse, they went to the main floor and sat around the butcher-block table. Hellebore made tea, and they waited for the knock on the door.

Danlorn was in a bassinet next to his mom, and the ladies simply waited.

Max smiled when the knock came. She got to her feet and answered the door. “Come in.”

Hulorn came in with a rainbow bouquet of wildflowers.

Raila got to her feet and smiled. “Are those for me?”

“Yes. It is good to see you looking so beautiful.”

Max blinked at the awkward compliment but kept her mouth shut. This was no longer her operation. Raila was in charge of what happened next.

“Would you like to meet your son?”

The three guardians moved aside so that Hulorn could meet the little one with his eyes. The baby didn’t cry, didn’t squawk, nothing. Danlorn merely looked up at his father and sucked on his fist.

“He really is mine.” The wonder in his voice was apparent.

Raila laughed. “He really is. Don’t worry, he surprised me too.”

They smiled, and he held his son with one arm and took her hand with his. It was a private moment, but Max had to take care of the door.

The couple spoke quietly and two hours passed. When they were sitting with their hands twined and silence between them, Max stepped up. “Why so many of your people?”

He jerked. “They did not believe your report or the description of the photo. They want to see him.”

Raila suddenly became nervous. “How many are there?”

Max did a quick count. “Thirty-one heartbeats. We can take them.”

Hellebore nodded. “Not an issue. They won’t do anything to your baby, Raila.”

Hulorn agreed. “They will not hurt you or Danlorn. I swear it. I will not take him; they will not take him.”

Raila swallowed. “Fine. I will just feed and change him, and we will go out.”

They waited while she tended to her son. It was normal for the ladies, but Hulorn was fascinated. Raila took that opportunity to show him how to change a diaper. He took to it with intense focus.

Danlorn waved his arms when his butt was all clean and powdered, and Hulorn cradled him against his chest, the gleaming white onesie stood out against his skin.

Raila took Hulorn’s hand and nodded to Max. “Open it up.”

Max opened the door; she led the way down the porch and into the yard.

Tonho was standing in the centre, glaring at the midnight elves crowding against the tree line.

A male with the weight of age pressing on him came forward. “This is your son?”

“Danlorn. This is my son; this is his mother, Raila.”

The old male looked at the infant and stroked his cheek.

From her vantage point, Max could see the baby’s eyes open and the man jerked back in surprise.

The old male stared at the baby, then Hulorn and finally Raila. “Congratulations on your son.”

Hulorn sighed and the crowd stirred.

Tonho shifted to an at-ease stance and that let Max relax.

What followed was a ritual that left Max’s skin tingling and Hellebore humming under her breath. Each of the attending midnight elves gave energy to those who had brought the new member of their clan into the world.

Tonho was given his share, and his skin crackled with power.

Once the formal greeting had rendered little Danlorn unconscious, their party returned to the house so that the guest of honour could get some sleep.

Hulorn and Raila tucked their son into the nursery before retiring to her room to talk.

Max could hear their discussion but sat in the living room with her exhausted friends.

Tonho was still outside, but he had a thermos of tea to keep him entertained along with a joint of ham. He was fine for the night.

At two o’clock in the morning, she heard Rithak return. Max exited the house and met him in the front yard, explaining the situation as clearly as she could.

“Your sister and Hulorn are asleep in her room. Leave them alone for the night. They aren’t doing anything but sleeping.”

His features were shifting with shock. “He is here? She allowed him in her house?”

“He is and she did. He wishes to be in the child’s life, and he also seems to be inclined to get to know Raila better.”

She smiled and clapped him on the shoulder. “Come in and meet your nephew. He is just waking up.”

Her friends were passed out on the couch like demented bookends.

He gave them a curious look but followed her up the stairs.

She opened the room to the nursery and scooped up the little fella. “Danlorn, this is your uncle, Rithak. He sent me here to keep an eye on your mother, and then, you popped out.”

He sucked on his fist and stared up at her.

She turned and held him out to Rithak.

He took the child carefully, his huge hands creating a platform that the baby wriggled on. “He is so tiny.”

“Don’t mention that to your sister. He had to come out the same way he got in.” Max chuckled.

The door creaked and opened further behind them. Raila was standing there clad in a thin robe.

She whispered. “Rithak, you are back!”

He blinked. “I have a nephew.”

Raila went up on her toes and kissed his scarred cheek. “You do. He might also be a shifter. We won’t know for years.”

“He will always be welcome in our family. Congratulations on a healthy boy, Rai.”

The boy wailed, and Raila took him. She sat in the corner and discretely began to feed her son without turning the lights on.

Hulorn appeared in the doorway, his eyes lighting the room with an eerie glow. “Rithak. It is my pleasure to meet you again.”

Rithak stared at the half-dressed elf for a moment before he extended his hand. “Welcome to the family, in whatever capacity Raila decides you deserve.”

“I will take what she gives me and be glad of it.”

Rithak smiled, his sharp teeth gleaming in the light of Hulorn’s eyes. “That was the right answer.”

Max smiled. “Well, I believe we will be on our way. Raila, I am inviting you and your family to my Turning Night anniversary. I will have my secretary call with details, but I will understand if your new obligations hinder your ability to attend.”

Raila smiled. “I will see what I can arrange. Our clan was already invited and now that I have met the Abomination, I am eager to celebrate your entry into our world.”

Max blushed, kissed Raila on the cheek, Danlorn on the top of his fuzzy head and she shook Rithak and Hulorn’s hands.

She crept downstairs and shook Raven’s shoulder. “Raven. Put your shoes on, we are at grandma’s house.”

Raven blinked sleepily and scowled.

Hellebore got the same joke.

Max went around back and got Tonho, allowing him to take up the entire back seat. Hellebore rode her cycle and Raven nodded off in the passenger seat as Max drove them home.

Tonho called ahead and warned Anthony that there would be living guests.

Max stopped at the gates of the Guild house and let the troll on duty examine the contents of her car while warning the troll that Hellebore was on her way. Once she was cleared, she headed up to the main house and woke her passengers.

Anthony greeted them, perfectly attired, as always, in his impeccable suit and ponytail. “Glad to see you back in one piece.”

“Glad to be back. Where is he?”

“In the audience room. He isn’t expecting you.”

“Show Raven to a room, give Tonho a joint of mutton and Hellebore is coming up the drive. She needs a place to rest as well.”

“At once, Abomination.”

She made a face and headed off to the audience chamber. It was just past one A.M. so the visitor was probably a vampire.

Max entered the audience chamber and gave the formal nod required by her station. “Guild Master.”

Gregori froze mid-sentence and got to his feet.

With a blur of movement, he took her in his arms and his kiss was bordering on violent. He parted from her for a moment. “I had no idea what I was sending you into.”

She cupped his jaw. “It is fine. I managed.”

“You should not have been in danger.”

“I was only nervous when the baby showed up.” Max smiled. “That scared me.”

He blinked. “There was a baby?”

“Rithak’s sister gave birth and a custody issue arose. Nothing that I couldn’t handle and then run away from.”

Her lover and boss smoothed his hands down her spine. “You smell like elves and shifters.”

“Only where it doesn’t count. I am going to take a shower and get some restful sleep. The accommodations left a little something to be desired.” She patted his cheek. “Permission to be dismissed, Guild Master?”

“Granted. Get some rest. I will have Anthony bring you a snack.”

He set her on her feet and gently patted her ass. She sashayed out of the room without looking at his guest. She could deal with the rudeness reprimand in the morning.

Tonight, a hot shower loomed in her destiny.

Chapter Five

A silky gown with a matching robe fitted her curves and let her slide through the sheets with ease. It was like wearing Teflon to bed.

She had her hair up on her head in a loose bun with a dozen gemstone-studded pins. It kept it from getting rolled on if she was alone, and it was one of Gregori’s favourite toys when he was with her. He loved releasing her hair, one pin at a time.

She settled into bed and relaxed. The bed smelled like Max and Gregori, as it should. She inhaled deeply before she snuggled into the sheets and let sleep take her off.

Hands slid along the silk, waking her body. When she moaned and twisted, he started on the hairpins until the soft mass was held against his face and he inhaled deeply. “I missed you.”

“I missed you too. It was far too quiet over there.” She laughed and turned in his arms, her lips an inch from his.

He didn’t need urging; he closed the distance between them and tumbled her to her back. They fought, clawed and finally rocked together until Gregori bit her and she returned the favour.

After the storm, he cuddled her against him, stroking his hands over her body as if learning her again.

For five years, they had slept in the same bed every morning, and the day apart seemed to have shaken Gregori. He held her tight, his lips pressed to her neck. He stilled, and she could feel the day begin outside. He only needed to doze during the day, and he could stay awake if needed. Max smiled and let sleep creep in on her. She still needed her regular naps. Now, was as good a time as any.

At noon, she levered herself out of his embrace and took a shower. She used the second exit to the bathing room and entered her walk-in closet. Tights, high-heeled sandals and a long belted tunic with the pattern of a forest with silvery trees on it.

She twisted her hair up into a loose bun and pinned it in place with long silver spikes. With a swing her in step, she headed out of her closet and down the stairs. She found Raven and Hellebore easily. They were sitting together in the dining room with Anthony on duty.

“Morning, ladies.”

Raven smiled. “Morning, Max. I have called Eyleno. He will be here this afternoon.”

“Excellent.”

“He’s bringing my dress.”

Hellebore chuckled. “I am falling on the mercy of my hostess.”

“Not an issue, Hells, Galfor has left a few gowns for just such an occasion, but if you would come with me this afternoon, I have a few places I would like to visit.”

The ladies looked surprised, but they nodded. “Sure.”

Raven smiled, “Happy Turning Day.”

Hellebore blinked, “That’s right. Happy Turning Day.”

“Thank you, but apparently, it doesn’t kick in until after the moment at which I was bitten. So, at nine P.M., it is Turning Night.” She shrugged. “Vampire rules. It isn’t like I was actually turned after all.”

Raven smiled. “You became something else. That counts as a turning in my book.”

Max sat down and Anthony brought her her normal breakfast of eggs, toast, bacon, sausage and a cupcake.

Hellebore giggled, “You get cupcakes for breakfast?”

“Just seeing it improves my mood. Anthony picked up on that and now the rest of the staff chips in to get me one every morning.” Max smiled; the cupcakes were actually high-fibre muffins dressed up to look more attractive, but there was no reason to share that tidbit. The staff at the Guild Master’s residence always had her back.

Raven sipped at her coffee. “What is on the agenda today?”

“At four in the afternoon, we are going to return to the place this whole mess started. From there, we will follow my path until I ended up here.”

“Do we get to head into the desert?” Raven smirked.

“No, we are going to stop at the point where I was offered a chance at my life versus heading into the wilds in search of Gregori.”

Hellebore snorted. “Pity. I have always wanted to perform at Burning Man.”

“Get there on your own time, Hells.” Max wrinkled her nose.

They finished breakfast, and Anthony brought them each a change of clothing. A wardrobe for visiting shifters was always kept on hand. With his trained eye, Anthony could always find something appropriate for the visitors.

Raven turned the burgundy leather over in her hands. “Really?”

Max finished her meal and laughed, “It matches your eyes.”

Hellebore had a pile of clothing in blue and scarlet. It would be eye catching to say the least.

Anthony cleared his throat. “Mistress Galfor has just arrived, Apprentice. She wishes to do a final fitting for this evening.”

Max sighed. “Fine. Ladies, Anthony will get you anything that you need, and I believe that Galfor has brought a few extra gowns, with lacing, Raven.”

Raven grimaced. “Sometimes, just sometimes, I wish that I had a tolerance for magic, and then there is a baby that comes out breathing magical fire and I am very glad I don’t.”

Hellebore just drank her coffee.

“Please excuse me, ladies. I will conclude my business as soon as I can.” Max followed Anthony’s second, an eager young elf named Keeting. He was chronically nervous around her, but he did his duties with alacrity.

“This way, Abomination.” He said it without the sneer that many folk used. Why not? It was her title after all.

Mistress Galfor, the spider goblin, was waiting for her. A quick fit of the corset and long flowing skirts and Max was dismissed until it was time to get dressed.

“Galfor, is there a chance you can fit something to Raven and Hellebore?”

The goblin grinned, showing frightening teeth. “Of course.” She snapped her fingers and her assistant pulled out swathes of fabric that were truly lovely and well suited to the guests.

“Manual lacing and unenchanted fabric for Raven?”

“Of course. Anthony warned me what you would need.” Galfor smiled again.

Max patted Galfor on the shoulder. “He’s good like that. Thank you again for your assistance.”

“Any time. The Guild Master pays his bills promptly. This is my second favourite account.”

Max knew who her favourite account was. Everyone did. The Nexus paid her bills in raw magic and there was nothing more valuable to a goblin than raw magic.

With her fitting completed and her clothes back on, Max was free to attend to the minor matters of owning Club Nyt.

Renovations had been completed and the new DJ was packing in the crowds. When Max stopped Donnatha from killing Gregori by intercepting the curse she was flinging, it made her the recipient of all of Donnatha’s holdings. She had to wrangle them from a distance for the most part, but she made surprise visits twice a year to all of them, usually with Gregori looming behind her.

Liquor licenses, payroll, cleaning staff and security measures were all carefully screened and authorized. She sat and tapped her finger on her desk as she went through the new reports. Max made notes and scowled. She was going to have to visit Club Knight in the next few weeks. There was a distinct leak in the liquor numbers.

Donnatha had not had much of an imagination. She had had six clubs, all with a twist on the word night.

Max’s phone chirped, and she got to her feet. It was time to collect her friends and begin the evening’s rituals.

Raven and Hellebore were playing billiards in the game room. Max didn’t mention to them how many times that table had been used for other pursuits. It was a bit of a given.

“Ladies. Anthony has prepared tea for us out on the terrace.”

Hellebore made a face. “I am not much for tea.”

Max whispered, “Don’t tell him that. He does so look forward to my friends coming by. Most other supernaturals don’t like teeny sandwiches.”

Hellebore sighed, “If I must.”

Max led the way to the wide, sunny stone patio that prefaced the stone steps into the garden. The stone Donnatha knelt at the base of the path, a chilling reminder that picking a fight with the Abomination was not wise.

Anthony brought out tiered trays of sandwiches and tiny hamburgers.

Hellebore dove into them with delight. Apparently, she liked tea with the right bait.

Raven asked, “So, what is our quest?”

Max nibbled at a sandwich and sipped at the Lap Seng Souchon tea that Anthony poured. The smoky taste was delightful and the cucumber sandwich was refreshing.

“On my fifth anniversary as a turned being, I have to go and try to get in touch with pieces of my soul assumed to be lost in the transition. This is the point where I would leave my parent vampire and go off on my own. If I were a vampire, that is.”

Raven blinked, “You still have to do it?”

“The Guild doesn’t have a separate rule for Abominations. They weren’t expecting one to actually turn up. Any that have occurred in the past have been destroyed by their maker.”

Hellebore mumbled around a tiny bacon cheeseburger. “There actually have been more?”

“A few throughout vampire history, but none of the makers would admit to how their abomination came to be.” Max laughed, “It was pretty much a mystery until I blew the whole thing wide open.”

“So, where do we start?” Hellebore kept working her way through the sandwiches.

“I thought you didn’t like taking tea.” Max chuckled.

“I didn’t think I did. Usually, it is nasty, damp sandwiches and stale scones. My hat’s off to Anthony.”

The elf in question returned with a smile. “Thank you for the compliment.”

“You deserve it. I hadn’t realized how hungry maintaining those wards had made me.”

Max winced. “Sorry about that. I forgot how much effort wards take. It is easy enough for me. I just ask other people to do it.”

“It isn’t a problem. I was happy to do it. I rarely get a chance to do something other than entertain.” Hellebore finally slowed in her consumption.

Max and Raven were already working on the desserts. Raven had a thing for lemon tarts, and she wasn’t shy about claiming them all on her plate.

Max ate an éclair carefully; she enjoyed them so much that her teeth extended a little when she bit down on one. “We have to go through all the motions of my turning night, ending with my appearance at the Guild Hall. Once that is done, we can change and the party begins.”

Raven arched her brow. “Just like that?”

“Well, the guild members who don’t like me will have the opportunity to try and kill me, but that shouldn’t be too difficult, should it?” Max raised her brows, and her friends stared at her slack-jawed.

While they were distracted, she went in for another éclair. It took effort to maintain her figure, and as long as Gregori was fascinated by it, she would keep the curves that he enjoyed. His enjoyment translated to hers, after all.

Chapter Six

She drove to Club Nyt without too many twists and turns. Raven looked nervous and Hellebore was humming.

“I swear, there is no danger to you. They just want to kill me, and I am ready for it.” Max shrugged. When she had learned of this particular event, she had been less than sanguine, but now that the day was here, she put on her big-girl panties and was ready for anything. At least the early start meant that she would engage in the first leg of her journey without vampire interference.

The club was closed, but she opened the door with her master key. It was a switch from the first night, being hauled along in the wake of her cousin. Tabby neither knew nor cared that Max was now a business owner. Tabby merely enjoyed her new life and new babies.

She escorted her friends inside, flicking the lights on as she went. The position of the booths was still the same, and she settled in. “This is where it started.”

Music started to play, and all three of them looked toward the DJ booth. No one was there, but the music was pounding.

Max got to her feet and used her senses. No one but her two friends was there. No sliding mind of a vampire and no heartbeats either.

“This is weird.”

As she blinked, the lights dimmed and a spectral re-enactment of that night five years ago began.

Raven whispered, “What is going on?”

Hellebore answered, “I have seen this spell once before. It is a turning-points spell. This is huge.”

“I can’t see anything.” Raven drummed her fingers on the table.

Hellebore began to describe the goings on.

Max sat and watched her cousin walk through the door with herself of five years ago right behind her. It was amazing how buttoned down she looked, but the choker showed her wild side peeking out.

“Wow. That takes me back.” Max watched herself walk in and take a seat at the booth that she was standing next to. It was all very confusing.

She watched the rest of their party arrive, the whole time Hellebore kept up a visual-impairment description for Raven. It was solid magic moving around and the midwife couldn’t see it.

They watched, and Max couldn’t move until Tabby was dancing with the vampire and phantom-Max got to her feet. They overlapped for a moment and Max felt a joining inside her. Emotion that she had not felt in years rippled through her. She was wary, afraid for Tabby and horribly unsure as to what was going on.

She followed phantom Tabby and Steve out into the back alley. Hellebore and Raven followed her, but she couldn’t focus on them. Tabby was in danger, and someone had to do something.

She saw the man and heard Tabby squeak. She grabbed a chunk of wood. “Oy, jackass, get your face off my cousin!”

The phantom stranger had his mouth on Tabby’s neck and the whites of her eyes were showing with the pain. He didn’t move and Tabby whined softly.

With her hands clenched on the wood, Max swung at his shoulder and knocked him three feet away from her cousin.

“What do you think you are doing, cow?” His snarl displayed bloody lips and teeth that glowed eerily in the darkness.

“Getting you away from her, ass hat.” Max held the wood like a broadsword.

“You don’t want to do that.” His eyes glowed a creepy green, and she felt a tugging, like she didn’t actually want to do whatever she was thinking about.

Before she could track his movement, he grabbed her and shoved her up against the wall, his fangs gleaming in the darkness. Fangs? What the hell? His hand covered her mouth as he swooped in to bite her neck, and she did what came naturally.

With all her power, she closed her teeth on his hand and tore a chunk of skin off his palm. Blood spilled into Max’s mouth, and her jaw was held so tightly, she couldn’t spit. He was gnawing at her neck, but he couldn’t do more than scratch the surface, her choker prevented him from getting a solid grip.

Strength born from fear and fury helped her push him off, but the damage was done. He had tasted her blood, and she had gulped his. With a snarl, he ran down the alley, leaving Max bent over, trying to wretch, her phantom cousin sitting nearby with her hand pressed to her neck.

“Tabby, are you all right?”

“He bit me. He really bit me.”

Max groaned and reached for Tabby. She disappeared; the phantom inside Max evaporated as well. With her legs shaking, Max leaned on the wall. “What the hell was that?”

Hellebore said, “Raven, it’s over now. Max has seen the first step in what she has become. Now, we need to get to the next place that she was that night.”

Max blinked. “I brought Tabby to the hospital. He had savaged her.”

“Then, we are bound for the hospital. Do you remember what you were feeling at the time?”

“Nausea and worry. Tabby was bleeding everywhere.” Max felt the memory of that urgency.

Raven took her keys. “I will drive. I won’t be affected by whatever happens next.”

Max knew a good idea when she heard one. She took the passenger side, and Hellebore sat in the back. They were a tense group as they drove to the hospital. If this was a scavenger hunt, Max was dreading the final prize.

Hellebore whispered, “Where were you?”

“In that exam room. That is where I heard my first heartbeats, and where Miklos convinced my cousin that she fell on a board with a nail in it.”

“Then, that is where you need to be.” Hellebore sang under her breath and the humans went around them in a wave.

Max slipped past them and into the exam room. It was mercifully empty. She stepped into the exact spot she had been in, felt the fear of her body changing, the panic at hearing heartbeats everywhere and the anger as she heard someone lying to her cousin. She had to slip past him and out into the hall. She needed to escape.

Raven grabbed her arm and the fear and panic receded. “Where do you need to go?”

“I have to get away. They are right behind me.” Max’s logical mind was swamped with that day so long ago.

“Where do you want me to take you?”

Max looked behind her and the phantom of the vampire was there. “Reverse hard, he is right behind us.”

Raven did as requested and soon was pulling smoothly out of the parking lot.

Hellebore was quiet but attentive.

“Turn right, then left, then right again.” Max bit her lip. “One of them is police. I can’t go home. It won’t be safe.”

Hellebore asked, “Where is safe?”

“The park. He didn’t like wood. His eyes were fixed on it. There are always bits of hardwood in the fire pit. I can use one to defend myself. I have to get to the park.”

Raven nodded. “To the park it is. Just tell me where to turn.”

Max muttered directions and kept an eye out behind them. She knew she was being followed, but she couldn’t see the car.

Raven brought her to the park, and the moment the car was stopped, Max jumped out. She ran to the fire pit near the covered picnic area and sorted through the wood, her hands covered with ash.

The creepy man from the alley was suddenly in front of her, and moving faster than she ever had in her life, she thrust backward before she knew where he was going to be and buried the wood in his chest. Fire exploded in her memory.

Max shouted and clutched at her temples. Pain and a rushing of cold ran through her psyche. She was untethered from the man who had begun a tenuous hold on her. Knowing the vampires as she did, she recognized that he had been driving her fear.

Hellebore made a soothing noise but stayed clear. “What do you see now?”

“A police officer. He can’t believe I killed the creep.”

“What happens next?”

“He lifts me and shakes me. He threatens me and tells me I am going to the tribunal. I get in the back of the car and he drives.”

Hellebore whispered, “Max, I really need you to join reality now.”

Max blinked several times and brushed her hands on her jeans. Her real senses picked up on the slithering minds of the vampires. They were using this moment to attack. Well, shit.

Chapter Seven

Fuzzy with memory, she pulled herself together. The attackers blurred and lunged at her, using their speed to approach her before she could respond.

She fended them off, and they retreated to a safe distance of fifty feet away.

It was Robert and his two offspring, Neil and Ricky. Who could take a vampire named Neil seriously?

Robert had wished to be tapped as Gregori’s apprentice, and it hadn’t worked out that way.

“Ladies, get to the car. They can’t hurt you or they will risk the death penalty.”

Hellebore nodded and hustled Raven back to the car. Hellebore was fast but no match for a vampire if one of them decided to break the rules.

Max looked down and was happy that she was wearing jeans but wishing that she had been more practical in her footwear. Killing vampires while in wedges lacked a certain gravitas.

The moon was out, and it spilled over them as they squared off in the open field.

“Robert, you are out of your league.”

“You are vulnerable, Abomination. Your mind is split, and you are no longer in possession of your impressive abilities.” His sneer was full of confidence.

Max laughed, “Who told you that?”

She opened their minds and found out who had misinformed them. She was going to grab that elf’s ears and make a wish.

Robert sent Neil in as the first attacker.

Max waited until he was close then stepped forward and clotheslined him. His neck snapped the moment she struck him. She knelt and shoved her hand into his chest. He burst into flames, and she started to walk toward her attackers.

Robert’s confidence was shaken; Max could feel it through the empty shell of his mind. He was no more than a puppet in a larger game, so it was almost a pity that she had to kill him. Almost. His mind was a sewer of screaming victims. He liked to play with his food.

Ricky’s control broke, and he came at her directly, screaming epithets. Max sidestepped him, punched him in the gut, bent him backward and used her hand to rip his throat out.

“You know, I had never appreciated how five years changes a person. It is peculiar, Robert. If your little attack hadn’t snapped me back to reality, I might have been stuck in that moment between then and now forever. Losing your maker is a painful process, even if the transformation wasn’t complete.”

He blinked as she started toward him. The two flash burns of his offspring probably lit her with an evil glow.

She tilted her head. “Did you feel them go?”

Robert was backing up slowly. “How can you be this strong? He said you would be weak and confused.”

“He didn’t know. No Abomination has ever been in this position before. He guessed based on vampire tradition where you try and fan the gratitude that they need to feel five years later. My maker is dead. I am grateful only to myself.”

Robert started to run but that wasn’t in the cards. She caught him with her mind and set him aflame. The living torch stumbled three steps before he collapsed in a heap of smouldering ash.

Whistling and feeling much more like herself, Max went to the water fountain and washed her hands. Once the dark blood was off and she made sure that no traces were left on the steel and porcelain, she returned to the car.

“The Guild house please, Raven.”

Raven blinked and started the car. “That was exceptionally creepy, Max.”

Hellebore nodded. “Even for vampires, that was odd.”

Max smiled. “Well, the attack part is over. Now, I have to pledge allegiance to Gregori and the party can commence.”

Hellebore was sensitive to nuance. “What else is going to happen?”

“Oh, I am going to point out a traitor in the household and see what Gregori wants me to do.”

The occupants of the car fell silent. In the supernatural world, there was one fate for traitors. Another person was going to die.

Hellebore cleared her throat just as they entered the drive to the Guild Master’s home. “Why didn’t Miklos participate?”

Max wrinkled her nose. “Because knowing what I can do now, he wouldn’t have gotten me this far.”

Raven swallowed and parked the car. “Well, we made it. Now, for the final steps and then the celebration.”

“Thank you two, again. I know that the last few days have been rough. At least it will all be over tonight.” Max smiled at them as they exited.

When they all faced the door, Raven quickly hugged Max. “You did well.”

Hellebore echoed the hug. “You did extremely well. Now, go and face the Guild Master.”

It was the final stage of her turning night before the party, and Max had never been one to delay a party.

Vampires were the only faces in evidence, but the heartbeats in the backyard let Max know that her friends were on the grounds. This was Guild business. Vampires only.

She walked the path that she had been dragged through in chains five years earlier.

In the audience room, instead of the tribunal, there was only Gregori. The courtiers were watching from the sidelines, but none of the household staff was in evidence.

Gregori’s forehead relaxed. It was the easiest tell when he was worried about her. He got a vertical line in the centre from knitting his brows.

She walked to the position designated by protocol and knelt.

“Speak.”

“My name is Maxine Munroe, and this night I have been changed into an Abomination. I have killed my maker and my heart still beats.”

He leaned forward. “This is a grave statement. What shall I do with you?”

“I offer to serve the vampire guild for as long as I live. My growing power is at your disposal, as is my ability to read the minds of other vampires.” She bit her lip.

“If I demand your destruction?”

She blinked and smiled grimly. “You will have a fight on your hands.”

He sat back. “Is that a threat?”

“I value my life. I will defend it no matter its form.”

He nodded. “I have come to a decision.”

She remained silent.

“I will take you on as my apprentice as no other suitable candidate has come forward.” He looked around and there was challenge in his eyes.

The courtiers shifted but remained silent. Max could feel their nervousness and inability to contradict his decision.

“I gladly accept the appointment.”

A room full of people, who didn’t need to breathe except to speak, all exhaled in relief.

Gregori stood and opened his arms. “Welcome back, Max. Your party awaits.”

She laughed and ran to him, hugging him tightly. It had only been a few hours, but it felt like those years had all passed between them, keeping them apart.

“I had to destroy Robert and his offspring.”

Gregori stroked her hair. “I could smell them on you. The scent may have stopped those who were planning a final attempt.”

She chuckled. “No doubt.”

He ran his hand down her back. “You need to get changed.”

“I know. But tomorrow, we need to address a little matter of someone who was prodding Robert along.” She looked up at him, and he kissed her quickly.

“Tomorrow, Max. Today, we have an entire herd of the living, and they need you to defend their honour.”

Max nodded and headed to her changing room. Her dress was on a dummy, and Raven and Hellebore were already halfway into theirs. They both smiled with huge grins when she entered the room set aside for them.

Max peeled out of her clothing, down to the skin. The dress went up and over her head and then came the tugging to get it down around her hips. It was always easier with Galfor there, but since she was down with the rest of the party, Max was on her own.

The moment she got her hands free, it became easier. The corset bodice almost snapped in place when she got it into position. She expertly laced the corset with pulls from top to bottom and back again. When it was cinched, her breasts were supported and on display, her stomach was flat and the curve of her waist was exaggerated. Perfect.

She sat at the dressing table, cleared her skin with the waiting wipes and applied careful and precise makeup. Her hair was a lost cause, so she brushed it and left it loose.

Raven and Hellebore were already joining the party.

A knock at the door and Keeting delivered a box full of jewellery.

He was eager and chipper, but she wasn’t up to altering her mood to accommodate him. She took the box and looked at it once she had closed the door.

Gregori, did you just send me a box of gems?

No. Why?

Sigh. Never mind. That domestic matter may come sooner rather than later.

Who betrayed you?

Keeting. He actively encouraged Robert to attack me and just brought me a pile of cursed jewellery.

I will rip him in two.

Not before you tell Anthony. Elves deal with their own, just as we do.

I will still rip him in two.

You don’t need to. His clan leader is here tonight. Just tell Joffray, and he will take care of it. Once he knows that there will be a price on Keeting’s head, he will extract him, and you will never need to see him again.

That is too civilized.

Tough. The Abomination has spoken. Now, I am ready. I am coming down.

I await your radiance eagerly.

She would have been lying if her stomach didn’t do a little flip at the warmth in his mental tone. Max took a deep breath and left her changing room.

Time to join her party already in progress.

Chapter Eight

Subtle music was playing as Max passed through the ranks of vampires and headed to the garden for her party.

Gregori greeted her at the doors and kissed her cheek before taking her hand and leading her down into the party. “You look lovely.”

“Galfor’s best work, I think.”

“Possibly, but it is you that brings it to life.”

“Flatterer.”

“I have had practice. Now, come to the receiving line.”

Max blinked, “But everyone is here.”

“And they all have gifts for your turning night. You must receive them and thank them one by one.”

Max paused, “This is going to be worse than what I did this afternoon.”

He laughed, “But now, I can remain at your side.”

There were two chairs at the far edge of the garden, and he led her through the smiling crowd until they were standing at the edge of the platform that held the chairs.

Abby and Xander were the first to come to them. Four of her gnomes surrounded her and a flight of pixies alternately landed and took off from her shoulders and Xander’s head.

Abby went up on her toes and pressed a kiss to Max’s cheek. “Well done, Max. You managed beautifully.”

“Thanks, Abby. But, how did you know?”

The Nexus turned and waved her hand. An orb rose out of the fountain and began replaying Max’s evening from the beginning. “Spectral television.”

“That is a little bit embarrassing.”

“Hey, you didn’t pick your nose or scratch your ass. Everything was done well. We even were able to see what you saw when you looked into Robert’s mind.”

Max winced and looked at Gregori, “You knew about…”

“He is already gone. Anthony beat the shit out of him and handed him over to the trolls until a transport could be arranged. Keeting was a little limp when he left.” The bloody satisfaction in Gregori’s features was unmistakable.

Max sighed. “Thank you. Did the vampires watch the video?”

Abby nodded. “They were peering down from the upper windows, cloaked in shadow.”

Xander had a pixie dangling from his nose. “The gift, Abby. The line is growing. You two can talk later, after formalities have been observed.”

Abby blinked and smiled. “Of course. Silly me. Apprentice and Abomination, I offer you blood of the Nexus.”

A gasp rang through the assembled gathering as Abby lifted her forearm.

Max felt Gregori’s hand at the base of her back, urging her to take the gift.

As delicately as she could, she leaned down and took Abby’s arm in her teeth. The blood surged forward and a few drops landed in Max’s mouth, sweet and powerful like honey coated with acid.

Gregori held her arm and stabilized her.

She released Abby’s arm and licked the wound closed.

Abby looked, “Huh, I have had worse paper cuts. Thank you for your care.”

Max licked her lips. “Thank you for your gift.”

Xander grabbed one of the pixies from the cloud around them and handed it over. “Here. Take this as well. Please.”

Abby giggled and grabbed her husband’s hand. “He keeps trying to give them away; they keep coming back.”

Max nodded. “I understand. Let me try something.”

She extended her palm upward and used the Nexus’s blood to call a pixie. When she felt tiny feet on her palm, she lowered it and smiled. Dressed in black and covered in starlight, the dark-haired creature winked up at her with red eyes. “Hello, pretty one. Would you like to stay with me?”

The pixie looked at her with a serious face before flying up and sitting on her shoulder, wrapping tendrils of hair around her and chirping happily.

Xander was amazed; Abby was amused. “One down, Xander.”

A guest behind them cleared his throat.

Max kissed Abby on the cheek, took the small box that Xander promised was a curse-repelling charm and tucked it in her corset.

Gregori whispered, “We have a table for that.”

“If it is curse repellent, I want it on me.”

He laughed, Abby and Xander laughed and the gnomes on guard duty hustled them away.

The other inhabitants of Oak Point Way came in and offered their gifts, and after that, wave after wave of presents and well-wishers.

Max was overwhelmed with the variety of species that wished her well. When the midnight elves contingent bowed before her, they offered her a tiara made of glittering moonlight-catching stones.

“For your efforts on behalf of Hulorn and his offspring.” The midnight elf nodded briskly as if he couldn’t believe he was here at the vampire guild offering a precious gift to the Abomination.

“Are they here?” Max was almost hoping that they were.

“The child is deemed too frail for a gathering such as this.”

Max sighed in acknowledgement and continued accepting gifts from strangers until the party was waiting for her.

“Thank you all for coming. Five years ago tonight, something happened that changed the course of my life forever. My evening ended here but that was only the beginning of an adventure that has continued until this day. Thank you for coming here to help me celebrate it. I would like to begin the festivities by asking the Guild Master for a dance.”

Gregori took her hand, and she found the handhold in her skirt that allowed her to lift it out of the way.

Music began, and as he held her with one huge arm around her waist, his hand covered almost the entirety of her back. With him, she felt delicate, feminine and nearly normal. It was the greatest gift he could give her, and he gave it without knowing or planning. He wanted her for her and that was her favourite thing about him.

Once their first dance was complete, it was the sign for the rest of the gathering to join in. Food, drink and laughter flowed freely as creatures who only got together once a year had another excuse to talk on friendly terms.

Max was delighted to be the reason for the party and intended to enjoy every minute of it.

Her feet throbbed in the elegant pumps, and her calves ached from all the dancing. Those trolls could really cut a rug when they were of a mind to.

Max dropped into the chair set aside for her and held out her finger. The pixie was a little dizzy, but she was still hanging on.

Abby wandered over and sat on the platform with a thud. “Melorabeth is her name. She likes you very much.”

“Thanks so much for coming, Abby. I know you are busy with…everything.”

Abby laughed. “This is exactly what days off should be used for, to be with friends and family.”

Xander was off with Anthony, heads lowered and ears pointed. Gregori was talking with Terric the Black, and Tonho was introducing his mother to everyone.

“You have it right, Abby. I guess that is what this day was for, to teach me where I finally fit.”

Abby laughed. “You don’t have to look so appalled. It is the same for me. Stepping from the mundane to the supernatural was the final piece to the puzzle. I had the moment blooming inside me, but you came upon it and chewed your way into this world.”

Max laughed. “That is poetic. I should embroider it on a cushion or something.”

“I will have Mitsy do it. She has taken to needlework in the worst way.” Abby sighed.

“Any new creations in the offing?” Max smiled. She knew the answer. There were two heartbeats in that body.

Abby patted her belly. “I know that you knew. It was why you were so careful in biting me.”

“I will have you know, I always eat neatly. Any idea what your gift will do?”

Abby shrugged. “Not a clue. It just seemed like the strongest possible hint to the other guilds and races that I have your back.”

Melorabeth sat tall and chirped.

“And Melorabeth has your back as well. If you ever need us, tell her, and she will bring her family in a moment. We will be right behind.”

Max sighed. “Just for one night I don’t want to think about politics, machinations or assassins. I want peace, harmony and a calm moment.”

“Oh, you are chasing the dream there. I think I have had two of those since this whole thing began.”

“I imagine that the gnomes cut down on peace and quiet.”

“Rather, but I wouldn’t have it any other way.” Abby sighed and smiled. “This is nice.”

They sat and watched the party.

Raven and Hellebore joined them, both carrying drinks. Raven smiled when she handed one to Abby. “Fruit juice.”

“Is it that obvious?”

“Occupational hazard.” Raven sat back. “I hope you will consult me when the time comes.”

“You know I will. I was just waiting until Turning Night was over. I didn’t want to steal Max’s thunder.”

Max laughed. “You needn’t have worried. I must say that this party feels more like a wedding than an anniversary.”

Abby turned and blinked at her. “Didn’t Gregori tell you? Basically, you two are now bound for life or afterlife. Whatever it is that vampires have. This was the equivalent of a wedding.”

Max narrowed her eyes. “I am going to kill him.”

Hellebore laughed, “He didn’t tell you?”

“No.”

“It was one of the reasons for the elaborate Turning Night. You had to be sure of your past before you could begin your future.” Hellebore smiled. “It was very romantic.”

Max snorted. “Very romantic. Now, if you will excuse me, I am going to dance with Mr. Romance. He has some explaining to do.”

She pulled herself upright and strode through the crowd, power fluttering around her. Abby had given her a precious gift, you could only drink from a Nexus with permission, without permission, her blood was toxic and you would die as it burned from the inside out. The gift had spread through her bloodstream, and it was energizing her with every step.

She put her hand on the arm of the oldest dragon and inclined her head. “Excuse me, Terric. I need to speak with the Guild Master.”

Gregori turned toward her, “Is anything wrong?”

“Dance with me.”

He led her to the floor, and they started to move together.

“What is it, Max, is something wrong?”

“When were you going to tell me?”

“Tell you what, dearest?”

She sighed and looked up into his dark eyes. “When were you going to tell me that this was less of an anniversary and more of a reception?”

He grinned. “The moment that you figured it out. You are mine for all eternity or as long as we wish.”

She opened her mouth to give him a scathing retort, but he kissed her on the middle of the dance floor and being irritated became second place to enjoying his touch and swaying to the music.

Why was I so mad again?

Chapter Nine

After the big party, there was the small matter of getting the vampires to swear loyalty to her. It was the hardest part of the night.

The vampires stood in front of her and offered her a drop of blood. Max wasn’t a big fan of tasting strangers, but it bound them all to her so that she could hold sway over them and their offspring. It was very ghoulish.

At the end of the night, she was queasy from the blood and her mind was dealing with the memories that weren’t hers. Blood magic was some of the oldest in the world, and it had not lost any of its power over the eons.

When dawn approached, Anthony offered their cellars to those who could not make it home or those who did not wish to use the services of the transporter. Vampires were distrustful of living magic.

“And so, dearest Apprentice, your Turning Night is over and you are now viceroy of the vampire guild. Shall we retire?”

She slipped her hand in his, and they passed the exhausted Anthony as they went.

“Good night, Anthony.”

“Good night, Viceroy.” He inclined his head and smiled. “Congratulations.”

“Thank you, Anthony.” So, Max now had a new name to go with Apprentice, Abomination and Max. Viceroy was on the list, and she had to admit, it sounded impressive.

Gregori had his arm around her, and she leaned against him. With a sweeping move, he lifted her in his arms, and he carried her up the stairs at a speed so rapid, it blew the pixie out of her hair.

Inside their bedroom, he slowly lowered her to the bed. The sweet scent of flowers spilled outward.

Rose petals and honeysuckle blossoms filled the room. Sprigs of mint were in vases with roses on every flat surface.

“Viceroy, will you be mine, gladly and freely?” Gregori had her pinned between his hands and was looming over her.

“Guild Master, I will be yours, gladly and freely. Will you be mine?”

“I have always been yours.” He kissed her and crushed her back into the rose petals.

She twined her limbs around him and held on as he proved his devotion over and over.

Around their third coupling, he unlaced her corset, and without the threat of blackout, the morning took on a very pleasurable note. By mid-morning, they were tangled in each other’s arms and sleeping as the sun climbed high.

Max felt a tapping on her nose, and when she flipped up the clock, it was five P.M.. “Hello, Melorabeth. I am guessing it is time to get up?”

The pixie nodded and pulled on Max’s hair.

The room was filled with flower petals, swaths of fabric and the brisk smell of mint. Vampires used it to mask the smell of blood.

Max touched her neck and stroked her hands down her body, every place that Gregori had nibbled and gnawed the morning before. The mint was a sound precaution.

A shower took care of the streaks of blood that Gregori had missed and refreshed her considerably.

Max got dressed in a fitted shirt, jeans and some more high-heeled wedges. Her pixie parked on her head and hung on while Max headed downstairs for something to eat.

Hellebore was waiting at the dining room table.

Max was surprised. “Good afternoon. How are you doing today?”

Hellebore scowled. “One of the trolls sat on my bike. It is in the shop, so I am stuck here.”

“A transporter could send you home.”

“Without my bike I am stuck. So, if you don’t mind, I am going to wait for it.”

“Of course. I am delighted to have you.” Max grinned.

“I feel like I am intruding on your honeymoon.”

Max snorted. “It is more like a blood moon.”

“Ew.”

“I guess you had to be there.”

Anthony arrived with his hair only slightly dishevelled. “Ladies, I apologize for my absence, but the party took it out of me.”

Max grinned, “It is fine, Anthony. I will take Hellebore for some takeout.”

Anthony looked scandalized.

Hellebore grinned, “That sounds wonderful. We can even eat out somewhere if you like.”

Max laughed. “Lovely. I just have to run up and dig out my wallet. I don’t use money much anymore.”

“I will wait here.”

Anthony looked befuddled by the goings on. “This is most unexpected.”

Max clapped him on the shoulder. “Unexpected is what keeps us getting up in the morning or afternoon or evening. We will be back in a few hours, oh, and Anthony?”

“Yes, Viceroy?”

“Can you keep an eye on my pixie for me? I don’t think she is up for public appearances.”

Melorabeth flittered over to Anthony’s shoulder, and Max zipped upstairs to get her wallet. Everything was getting back to as normal as it ever was.

Fries and gravy and a cheeseburger made Max grin. “Anthony would skin me for this. He has a decidedly healthy view of what I should be eating.”

“How have you adapted to living in a vampire household?” Hellebore asked quietly.

“It was pretty easy. Gregori and I have an understanding. He only commands my presence when protocol requires it, and aside from that, I am free to pursue my own interests. I have a transporter at my disposal and accounts for whatever I need. It is pretty sweet.”

“How did you deal with…I mean Gregori is a pretty big guy.” Hellebore was blushing.

Max blinked, and then, she answered seriously, because there was something in Hellebore’s manner that was desperate for understanding.

“He takes his time. No rush. By the time anything happens, I am as desperate for him as he is for me. Only at that point does anything dangerous occur.”

“So, he is the factor that makes it good.”

Max smiled. “Yes. He wasn’t my first, but he will be my last. Why all the questions?”

“There is someone that I have been flirting with at events, and he is a little off scale for me. I…” She ran her hands through her hair. “I don’t know. I think I need a vacation from all this paranormal stuff. Somewhere quiet and decidedly mundane.”

Max sipped at her soda and forked a fry. “I can’t help you there. I hate to say this, but Anthony might be able to help you. He knows everything and everyone. If there is a place to hide from magic, he knows it.”

“Would you mind me asking him when we get back?”

“Of course not. He is a dear soul. If he doesn’t know, he will certainly be aware of who does.”

Hellebore sighed in relief. “The band has taken the next six months off while our drummer finishes his PhD. I really want this sorted out by the holidays.”

“Do you like public singing?”

“It pays the bills.”

“It must be difficult.”

“Only when it comes to collecting the cheque. Despite the best performances of our lives, when it comes for those who hired us to pay out, they can come up with a thousand and one excuses why they didn’t get precisely what they asked for. That is when I have to persuade them, and then, I feel uncomfortable.”

“Sucks.”

“It does rather. If I didn’t love the music so, I would give it up in a heartbeat.”

Max nodded. “That, I understand.”

Hellebore rubbed the back of her neck. “I want to settle down and live happily ever after, but I don’t know which direction to lean in. Do I want security or do I want passion? It is doubtful that I will find both, but the scales are weighted in either direction.”

“You have a candidate in mind for security?”

“Oh, I do. He is strong, quiet and lives a life of the mind.” Hellebore got a wistful expression on her features.

“It seems he has physical attributes as well as mental ones.”

“He has some giant blood, shifter blood and a combination of other species in him. I would love to consider him, but he never makes a move.” She sighed in disgust.

Max laughed. “Have you considered making the first move?”

“It wouldn’t be suitable. My family has enough trouble with me without my breaking tradition to stalk a mate.”

Max nodded. “Families can be awkward. Mine doesn’t know what I do, what I am or how I have managed to snag a man, but they don’t bother asking. It means I have nothing to hide. If no one asks the question, there can never be an answer.”

Hellebore blinked and a slow smile crept across her face. “That is the best advice I have gotten to date.”

“Good. Eat your pie.”

It took them two hours to find their way back to the Guild Master’s home, and Anthony was nearly fuming when she described her meal to him in detail.

After she had been duly chastised, she sat in the living room with Hellebore. “You weren’t kidding. He really does watch what you eat.”

Max wrinkled her nose. “The actual reason for it is that Gregori can taste what I eat through my blood. He has certain preferences, and Anthony attempts to meet them, via my snacks.”

“That is—”

“Something you get used to.” Max shrugged as the Guild Master in question came in.

“I hear we have a guest.”

Max was sitting in a wingback chair, and he stood behind her, bending over and kissing her lower lip with both of his. His kiss extended her neck, and he caressed it slowly with both hands.

Hellebore’s heartbeat sped up, so Max broke the very erotic kiss. “Let’s not be rude. Yes, one of the trolls sat on her bike. Anthony says it will be ready tomorrow.”

Gregori sighed. “Rude is something else entirely, mate.”

She got a series of images that sent her own heart galloping. “Right, well, those would definitely be rude.”

He laughed and took one of the open wingback chairs.

The conversation turned into a discussion of the events of the previous day. For a vampire stronghold, it was decidedly normal.

At eleven, they wished Hellebore a good evening and Gregori let the visiting vampires out of the cellars. They were a little upset by their previous restriction, but the Guild Master didn’t explain and let those who wished to depart leave immediately.

The rest were given animal blood for a meal, and while they ate, Viceroy Max went to check the daily reports from her property.

Life went on in its own peculiar way, and once she was done with her paperwork, she spoke to Anthony about Hellebore’s desire for a holiday. Her pixie was enjoying riding on the elf’s head, so Max decided not to remind him that it was there. It was fun to watch her wave her little arms around, punctuating everything he said. Max wondered if it would ever get old.

At dawn, Gregori came to collect her, and he carried her up to bed once again. More flowers, more mint and more time to revel in their newly strengthened bond.

It was a day to remember, and Max was going to remember it for as long as she could.

Author’s Note

This book follows Chubby is the Night, the first book of Max the Abomination. Max has more adventures for me to record, but it will be a while before I get them out.

Hellebore’s Holiday is the next book in the Nexus Chronicles. Hellebore heads out to clear her mind, decide on what she truly wants in life and she runs afoul of the human holiday season. Will the season of giving allow her to take what she wants from a man she can’t have? Will I stop being so cryptic? Tune in for Hellebore’s Holiday and find out.

Viola Grace

http://www.violagrace.com

viola@violagrace.com

About the Author

Viola Grace was born in Manitoba, Canada where she still resides today. She really likes it there. She has no pets and can barely keep sea monkeys alive for a reasonable amount of time. Her line of day job tends to be analytical which leaves her mind hopping to weave stories. No co-worker is safe from her character analysis. In keeping with busy hands are happy hands, her hobbies have included cross-stitch, needlepoint, quilting, costuming, cake decorating, baking, cooking, metal work, beading, sculpting, painting, doll making, henna tattoos, chain mail, and a few others that have been forgotten. It is quite often that these hobbies make their way into her tales.

Viola’s fetishes include boots and corsetry, and her greatest weakness is her uncontrollable blush. Her writing actively pursues the Happily Ever After that so rarely occurs in nature. It is an admirable thing and something that we should all strive for. To find one that we truly like, as well as love.