How Nina Got Her Fang Back: Accidental Quickie (Accidentally Paranormal Series Book 13) (5 page)

And then everyone was silent; no sounds but the distant sirens and the electrical hum of the streetlight.

When Nina finally spoke, she did so with a harsh tone, her chin lifted in indignant defiance. “So let me get this shit straight. Because of this twatwaffle, the entire vampire clan wants
me
gone?
Me
. Going to see you wasn’t about me getting my mental health tweaked; it’s about collecting fucking proof to find me unfit to be a part of the clan?”

Galen’s jaw tightened as he looked at his watch, but January nodded her head, ready to answer any questions the three women had. Though, if Galen didn’t check back in with Artem soon, they’d notice he was missing.

Nina’s eyes went wide as she cornered them, her face just inches from January’s. “And you fucking went along with this? What the frig kind of doctor
are
you? I should kick your ass from here to goddamn Sunday!”

But Galen interfered, stepping in front of January protectively, his gnarled hand planted between them. “I wouldn’t—or you’ll lose more than your vampirism,” he said, low and menacing

But Nina—being Nina—flipped a hand upward, palm facing forward, right in Galen’s face. “You didn’t just threaten me, did you, moron? I know you didn’t, because I won’t just kick your skinny girlfriend’s PHD right outta her, I’ll kick your dentures out, too. Feel me,
Grampire
?”

“Nina!” Wanda grabbed at her arm and swung her around. “Stop! Let’s just listen to them. Please. We don’t have time for you to posture and beat your chest. Dr. Malone didn’t have to tell you what she’s told you, but she did. You’re in danger, my friend. We have to find out what’s happening and how we can get this taken care of before it gets out of control.”

Marty slid her arm through Nina’s and tucked her friend to her side. “Breathe, you beast.” Then she looked to January, who was peering over Galen’s slumped shoulder. “Your note was brief. You said you needed our help. But you weren’t clear about what was happening other than Nina’s life was in danger.”

Licking her dry lips, she set Galen behind her, feeling the tension of his body even in his undercover state. “First and foremost, I’m a doctor. Despite Artem and the clan and their shenanigans, I
do
want to help you with your struggle, Nina. I know you’re struggling being a human again. Second, I fully admit I have ulterior motives for agreeing to take your case—”

“
Forced
is the word I believe you’re looking for, honey. Forced to take this case,” Galen said.

She sighed, a ragged, rattling sigh. “Okay, yes. I was forced to take Nina on as a client. But I admit, wanting to help you isn’t just because I don’t want to see you booted from the clan. And that’s what I’m here to confess. But please, make no mistake: I don’t want to see you shunned, Nina. I read your file thoroughly and I’m all for the challenges you’ve taken on with OOPS. I believe in what you’ve all accomplished. I hate that the clan was so easily fooled, and I
hate
the idea that they’ll shun you when you’ve done nothing but good. It’s wrong.”

“The motherfuckers, all looking me right in the eye and telling me it was no big deal I wasn’t a vampire anymore. Lying pieces of shit!” Nina said on a growl.

But Wanda pressed her finger to Nina’s lips. “Hush. Let’s work this out.”

Nina jabbed a finger in the air. “See, Doc? This is exactly what I mean right here. Wanda wants to work it out—talk, fix, maybe even barbecue and bake cakes. I just wanna kill all those traitorous blood lovers, roast their old asses over an open fire, and be done with it.”

“Don’t you see?” January hissed, pulling the shawl covering her hair tighter under her chin. “That’s exactly how they—how
he
wants you to behave, Nina! They want you to cause more trouble, because the kind of trouble you cause is the kind they find so offensive. It’s loud and out in the open and without censor. They want me to prove you’re a danger to the clan’s exposure. They want you all to give up this OOPS thing you have going and stop helping people. They want your website gone, they want everything you’ve done
gone
. But what they really want most is Nina shunned.
Forever
.”

Marty’s slender hand clung to Nina’s, her voice shaky when she asked, “Have they brought this to the paranormal council of elders?”

“Wait, is that the bunch of hags who represent each species?” Nina asked, her jaw tight.

Now Marty licked her lips, tucking her hair behind her ear as a bead of sweat popped up along her upper lip. “Yes, Nina. I’ve told you about them. Each faction of species has a council elder, or the highest-ranking official of their group. If what Dr. Malone says is true, this isn’t just clan business anymore. Now it’s interspecies business, and if there’s anything a bunch of paranormals from the twelfth century don’t want, it’s to be found out. To even
consider
they might be found out—and they think we’ve encouraged that. That
you’ve
encouraged that.”

Nina’s eyes searched her friend’s, glittering in the dark, hard as black granite. “Did you know about this?”

Giving Nina’s hand a hard shake, Marty shook her head, eyes wide. “Don’t be ridiculous, Faux-Vamp. Don’t you know me well enough by now to know that I’d tell you something this important? Something this vital to what we do? Yes, I’ve heard rumblings from Keegan about the people we help. I’ve heard him talk with Sloan and the others in the pack from time to time about the risk we’re taking by helping our accidental clients. Especially after Teddy and the Russians. But I’ve never heard a summit of the paranormal minds was underway. I’d venture to guess none of our better halves have heard anything about it either, based on their positions within the paranormal community. If all this was going on right under their noses and not behind their backs, don’t you think they’d have said something? Done something?”

Nina’s lips went thin, her body language stiff. “So this is a big deal. Shit.”

“
Yes
,” January said, her tone somber. “It’s a very big deal. It isn’t often all the leaders of each species gather their most prominent members, but they have been known to do so when they fear exposure is imminent.”

January observed Nina’s reaction, knowing precisely what would come next.

She shook off Marty’s hand and took a step back from the group. “Then there’s only one thing to do. You bitches need to giddy-up and go. No way am I letting you two take the fall because of my mistake. I should have listened when you told me to lay low with that shit with Teddy, but that freak was goddamn gonna kill you, Marty. I couldn’t—
wouldn’t
let that happen while I stood around like some limp dick and fucking watched. I won’t apologize for that and they can behead me, or fucking lock me up forever, or whatever they wanna do, but fuck ’em. I knew the risk. I’ll take the heat.”

Wanda was in front of Nina in a blur of motion. She cupped her chin, forcing her friend to look at her. “Ride or die, Nina. If you go, we all go. Not even a conversation.”

Nina shrugged Wanda off, her impatience clear. “Fuck that, Wanda! Fuck that to hell and back. It’s why I wouldn’t let any of you turn me back. Because you’ll pay if the clan gets wind of that shit. They’d shun you, Wanda, and the pack’ll lock you up forever, Princess. Better I cough it up than you two. I’ll be damned if I’m going to let you leave your lives and your mates because I fucked up and caught this council of paranormal interspecies whateverthefuck’s attention. The hell I’ll live with that.”

“No,” Marty said, her voice tight and stern. “Fuck
you,
Nina. No way do you go down
for
us or
without
us. We’re as much a part of this as you are. We’ve all been a part of one crisis or another with OOPS and we’ve been just as loud and proud—”

“Not a chance I’ve been as loud,” Wanda teased, pinching Nina’s lean cheek before dropping a kiss on the tip of her nose.

“So we’re in for a penny, in for a pound,” Marty said, her hand on Nina’s shoulder. “Till the end.
Always
.”

Wanda brushed her hands together as though she were shaking them free of all their troubles and said with a smile, “Now that that’s settled, what’s
your
dilemma, Dr. Malone?”

Taking deep breaths, January captured Wanda’s eyes and held them. “The leader of Galen’s clan Artem Casteel. I don’t know if you’re familiar with who he is or what he stands for, but I do know you’re all aware each clan has a sire. Artem is Galen’s sire—”

“And he’s a hardcore asshole,” Galen said, his face a hard mask beneath the multitude of wrinkles.

“He is that, indeed,” January agreed. “As you also know, each branch of a clan, pack, and coven has its own rules. Rather like religions and their different rules. They vary from clan to clan, pack to pack. Some are more stringent than others. To make a long story short, Artem believes in vampire supremacy. He believes no one should breed outside their species and he’s staunchly against crossbreeding—”

“Ahhh,” Nina interrupted, her tone dripping with sarcasm. “I get it. This Artem fuck is your man’s head honcho. Your main dude’s a vampire and you’re a witch, and he doesn’t like you two doin’ the do, right? Probably in the same way he doesn’t like that I was once human and I’m now a human again.”

January swallowed hard, tucking her arms under her breasts, her fingers chilly despite the warm temperature. “Yes. That’s exactly it. But he doesn’t know we’re doing anything at this point. After the first time he found out about Galen and I, and he forbid Galen to see me again, he’s mostly left us alone.”

“And obviously, you ignored his bullshit rules,” Nina said. “I like you more and more, Doc. Hate your fucking therapy sessions, but you and your clangers? You’re all right.” Then she grinned.

“But there’s more,” January cautioned.

“We’ve also crossbred,” Galen said, his words clipped and tight. “Neither of us knows how it happened, because as you know, I’m not supposed to be able to breed, but it did, and we’ve kept it a secret for almost seven months now.”

Wanda’s mouth fell open as she tucked her purse protectively under her arm. “You two have a child?”

“And by white witch law, we’re also married,” January added with a wince. They hadn’t just gone halfway, they’d gone all the way when they’d found out they were expecting a baby.

“If this guy’s all up in your shiz, how the fruit loops did you hide a pregnancy?” Nina asked, jamming her hands into the front pocket of her hoodie.

January’s chest tightened with guilt. She’s used all manner of spells and even some voodoo to hide it, and along with the help of her familiar Farley, she’d pulled it off. “Magic. I hid the pregnancy with magic. It goes against everything we’re taught to use our magic for, and it wasn’t easy, but I did it—and I’d do it again.”

Galen’s arm went around her shoulders protectively. “She did what she had to in order to protect our child. I won’t apologize for that, but if Artem got wind of the fact that we had a baby—”

January put her finger to his mouth. “Don’t,” she whispered. “Please don’t.”

“So you’re sure this Artem doesn’t know about the baby?” Marty asked, fear lacing her tone. “Because if he’s threatened the baby, ever, you have to tell us. I’ll kill him myself, and I won’t give rodent’s ass about the consequences when I do it.”

January shook her head vehemently. The fear that notion wrought made her knees weak. “Positive. She hasn’t been with us since I had her. She’s…hidden. Hidden well, with the person I trust most in this world. When Artem caught us together and banned us from seeing one another, we made it a point to stay away from each other. Well, in public, anyway. We don’t even dare look at each other at the office for the most part.”

Nina slapped Galen on the back and grinned. “So the secret lover thing. A little Romeo and Juliet, huh? Can be pretty sexy, I’d bet.”

But Galen frowned, not amused. “There’s nothing sexy about always hiding,” he gritted out.

Wanda’s eyes glittered with concern. “So this Artem blackmailed you into taking Nina as a client or…what? I have a bad feeling I know what, but I need to hear you say it, Dr. Malone.”

“He said if I didn’t do this, if I didn’t give him solid proof Nina was unfit to stay in the clan so he could present it at council, he’d…” Goddess. The words wouldn’t even come out of her mouth.

But Galen took care of it for her. “Kill me. He’ll have me extinguished for breaking clan law if she doesn’t do as he asks.”

“
A
w. This freak Artem’s a real peach among vampires, eh?” Nina crowed with a sarcastic edge to her tone. “Swear to Christ, if I had my vampire powers, I’d drain that fuck until his eyeballs crossed and his black heart turned to ash.”

“Don’t think I haven’t thought about that very thing,” Galen said between clenched teeth. “But he’s got plenty of other freaks like him in our clan, eons ahead of me in rank, and they’d just take up the torch in his stead.”

As the swoosh of wind in the alleyway began to pick up, blowing around the trash from a nearby Dumpster, everyone was silent for a moment.

Until Wanda asked, “Does he have proof you two dated or whatever? How can he utilize his clan law if he has no proof?”

January sighed, wrapping her fingers around Galen’s forearm. “Pictures from another clan member. He took them and brought them to Artem in order to gain favor.”

“Fucking rat-bastard snitches.” Nina hissed her disgust.

“Do your people know about this? Your coven, I mean?” Marty asked January, her voice strained when she broke her silence.

“They don’t know about the blackmail, no. But Artem made his threat clear. If I told anyone, alerted any of my officials, he’d expunge Galen without looking back. To make matters worse, my coven and its elders are too caught up in the prestige of one of their own being asked to handle such a big case. A case that could set precedent—not to mention, I’m almost certain they wouldn’t risk the clan’s wrath. A white witch’s goal is peace for all. We’re not known for our uprisings with other species. And even if my coven elders
could
do something, their one vote, when Artem has a whole council in a complete panic with his propaganda, won’t make much of a difference, will it? We need to prove he’s out of his mind and power hungry. That his goal is to take over completely and keep not just vampires, but everyone under his thumb until he can rid the world of any other species but his own.”