Night Play (Dark-Hunter 5)

Chapter 2

His heart heavy with regret, Vane made his way through the French Quarter down to 688 Ursulines Avenue where the bar Sanctuary stood on the corner. The redbrick building had saloon-type doors with a sign outside that featured a dark motorcycle silhouetted by a full moon on a hill.

A tourist attraction, the biker bar was crowded as always with natives and tourists. There were already several motorcycles lined up on the sidewalk outside that belonged to the local biker gang who called themselves the Vieux-Doo Dogs. The first time he'd seen the gruff bikers enter the building, Vane had laughed The biker humans had no idea that Sanctuary wasn't just a place for them. It was one of the very rare true havens for his kind.

All over the world and in various time periods, certain Were-Hunter families had established places like this one where Katagaria members could hide out while running from their enemies. But of all the known animal havens, Mama Bear Peltier's Sanctuary was the most respected and renowned. Mostly because hers was one of the few establishments that welcomed Dark-Hunters, Apollites, Daimons, and gods equally. So long as you came in peace, you were allowed to leave with all body parts intact.

As the Sanctuary slogan went: Don't bite me and I won't bite you.

Anyone who breached that one rule was quickly sacrificed by one of Mama Peltier's eleven sons or her exceptionally large mate. It was a well-known fact that Papa Bear Peltier played with no one but Mama Bear.

Though Mama and her boys were bears in their native form, they welcomed all Katagaria branches: lions and tigers and hawks and wolves. There wasn't a single known group that didn't have at least one member hiding here.

Hell, there was even a drakos, and as a rule the dragons seldom made the twenty-first century their home. Due to their size, dragons had a tendency to live out their lives in past times where a smaller human population and open fields made it easier for them to hide.

The Peltiers even had an Arcadian Sentinel who watched over the place and that was the greatest feat of all. Arcadians were the Were-Hunters who had human hearts and they were mortal enemies to the Katagaria, who had animal hearts. In fact, the two species had been at war with each other for thousands of years.

The Arcadians were supposedly the kinder branch of Vane's people, but his experience said that was wishful thinking on their part. He'd much sooner trust a Katagaria with an animal heart than an Arcadian with a human heart any day. At least the animals attacked you openly. They weren't nearly as treacherous as a human.

But then, no Katagaria female had ever held him the way Bride had. None had ever made him feel this strange protectiveness that wanted nothing more than to go back to the restaurant where he'd left her, take her into his arms and carry her home with him.

It didn't make a bit of sense.

He strode through the saloon doors to find Dev Peltier sitting on a tall barstool at the entrance. Dev was one of Mama Bear's quadruplets. Even though they were identical in looks, each of the quads had a very distinct personality and carriage.

Dev was easygoing and slow to anger. He exuded an air of powerful grace and moved methodically like most bearsas if he had all the time in the world. But Vane knew the bear could be damned near as quick to move as any wolf.

The first time he had seen Dev lunge at his younger brother Serre in a play fight, he'd developed a healthy respect for the bear's abilities.

Tonight, Dev wore a black T-shirt that didn't quite cover up the Artemis bow mark on his biceps that he had as a goof on the Daimons and Apollites who occasionally ventured inside the bar. He was playing five-card draw with Rudy, one of the human employees who had no idea that half the "people" in the bar were really animals walking on two legs.

Rudy had straight black hair pulled back into a ponytail, and a rough face that showed every sign of how hard the ex-con's life had been. He had a full black beard and every inch of exposed skin was covered with some kind of colorful tattoo.

The man was truly grimy and, unlike the Were-Hunters who made this their home, he wasn't attractive. In fact, that was the easiest way to tell the humans from the animals. Since Vane's people valued beauty above all else, it was rare to find an unattractive Were-Hunter.

Like his brothers', Dev's curly blond hair fell all the way down his back. As always, he wore it loose. He had on a pair of tight, faded jeans and black boots.

Dev acknowledged him with a tilt of his head. "Hey, wolf, you okay?"

Vane shrugged as he neared them. "Just tired."

"Maybe you should cop a nap at the house," Dev said as he reached for two more cards.

Peltier House was adjacent to the bar. It was there that they could assume their animal forms without fear of discovery. The Peltiers had more alarm systems than Fort Knox and at least two members of the family were on guard at all times against any intruder, human or otherwise.

"It's all right," Vane said. He earned his keep and Fang's. The last thing he wanted was for anyone to accuse him of taking charity from the Bear clan, so he worked an average of ten hours a day, every day, for the Peltiers. "I told Nicolette I'd relieve Cherise at the bar tonight."

"Yeah," Rudy said as he took a drag on his cigarette, then adjusted his cards.

"Cherise is dying to go home early. Nick is going to take her to Antoine's for her birthday."

Vane had forgotten it was the human's birthday. For some reason, those were special to humans. Probably because they had so few of them.

Vane excused himself and headed toward the bar. He passed the tables where Wren, a rare white leopard Katagaria, was clearing them. Marvin the monkey (the only animal at Sanctuary that couldn't take human form) sat on the leopard's shoulder and held tight to Wren's blond hair.

Those two had a strange relationship. Much like Vane and Fang, Wren had come to the Peltiers as an exile. He kept to himself and seldom spoke to anyone other than Marvin. Even so, there was something lethal about the leopard's eyes that told everyone to leave him alone if they valued their lives.

Wren looked up at Vane as he passed the tables Wren was cleaning, but said nothing. "Hey, Vane!" Cherise Gautier said, her face beaming as she caught sight of him. She was a beautiful blond woman in her early forties. Her ever-ready smile and warm heart could win over just about anyone. "You okay, honey? You look tired."

It still amazed him just how intuitive Cherise was for a human. Vane lifted the back section of the bar's countertop and let himself into the serving area.

"I'm fine," he said, even though he didn't feel that way.

He felt as if something were missing. As if he should go back to Bride.

How stupid was that?

"You sure?" she asked.

He could sense her concern. And that made him extremely uncomfortable.

No one other than his brother and sister had ever given a damn about him.

Cherise was a strange human.

She flipped the white towel she'd been cleaning the bar with over her shoulder.

"You know, my son is your age"

Vane fought the urge to laugh at that. Nick Gautier was twenty-six in human years while Vane was four hundred and sixty. But of course, Cherise had no idea of Vane's true age. Any more than she knew her son was working for the Dark-Hunters, who were all immortal vampire slayers.

"And I know how you guys burn yourselves out. You need to take better care of yourself, sweetie. I swear you haven't had a day off since Mama hired you.