Driving home from the park, she thought about Rhys. He had lived alone for centuries. When you had no family, no one to share your life with, what was the point in living at all?
Overcome by a sudden longing to hear her mother’s voice, Megan called her parents when she reached home. She felt better as soon as she heard her mother’s “hello.”
“Hi, Mom, it’s me.”
“Megan! Is something wrong?”
“No, of course not. I know I haven’t called in a while. I’m sorry. I just wanted to say hi and see how you are.”
“We’re fine,” her mother said, relief evident in her tone. “Your dad’s been very busy with the Boy’s Club. It’s fund-raising time, you know. We’ve hardly been home at all this last month or so.” Megan’s father was Ways and Means Chairman of a local organization that supported a homeless shelter for teenage boys. “So, how are you doing, Meg?”
“I’m good. Busy at work, as usual.”
“How’s Shirl?”
Megan hesitated before saying, “She’s fine.”
“Tell her hello for me. Listen, sweetie, I hate to cut this short, but your dad’s waiting for me out in the car. We were just leaving.”
“That’s okay, Mom. I didn’t want anything special. I just wanted to say hi. Give my love to Dad.”
“I will. Come see us when you can. We miss you.”
“I miss you, too. Love you.”
“Love you more, sweetie. Bye.”
Megan sighed as she closed her phone. She really needed to call home more often. It grounded her in a way nothing else could, reminded her that, no matter what other craziness was going on in her life, there were two people in the world who loved her unconditionally.
It was near dusk when Megan’s cell phone rang. Caller ID showed it was Shirl. After taking a deep breath, Megan answered.
“So,” Shirl asked, getting right to the point. “What have you decided?”
Memories of good times, shared times, flashed through Megan’s mind. “Why don’t you come over later? Say around seven thirty?”
“Sounds good! I’ll see you then.”
Doubts assailed Megan as soon as she ended the call. Was she making a mistake? How could she trust Shirl as long as Villagrande was in the picture? Still, she felt she owed it to Shirl and the friendship they had once shared to give her friend one more chance.
She managed to shake off her melancholy mood before Rhys arrived that evening. As always, when she knew he was coming, she dressed with care. Tonight, she wore a pair of slinky black pants and a hot pink, off-the-shoulder blouse.
Rhys whistled softly when he saw her. “If you’re trying to seduce me, babe, you wore the right thing.”
“Maybe later,” Megan said. “Shirl’s coming over in a few minutes.”
“I can wait,” he said with a wicked grin. “Just don’t make me wait too long.”
The gleam in his eyes sent a rush of heat to every nerve ending in her body, then the fire pooled low in her belly. She went willingly into his arms, lifting her face for his kiss, a long, slow kiss that left her senses reeling.
He kissed her again, then jerked his chin toward the stairs. “I’ll be up there.”
“You don’t have to hide. I mean, Shirl will know you’re here, won’t she? Can’t you sense each other?”
Rhys shook his head. “I can shield my presence from her.”
“More vampire magick?” Megan muttered.
With a grin, he chucked her under the chin. “She’s here.” Rhys kissed Megan on the cheek, then went up the stairs, moving so fast he was little more than a blur.
A moment later, the doorbell rang.
Megan took a deep breath. When she had talked to Shirl on the phone earlier, inviting her over had seemed like a good idea.
Now, she wasn’t so sure.
Chapter 38
Forcing a smile she was far from feeling, Megan invited Shirl inside.
As she followed Megan into the living room, Shirl asked, “Is Rhys here?”
“Why do you ask?”
Shirl made a vague gesture with her hand. “His scent…I can smell it.”
“I’m not surprised.” Megan sat on the sofa and crossed her legs. “He’s here every night. He’ll probably come by later.”
Shirl dropped into the chair across from the sofa. Megan fought off a twinge of envy. Shirl looked radiant. She wore a strapless white sundress and three-inch heels. Her pale complexion made her blue eyes and pink lips seem more pronounced; her luxurious silver-blond hair fell over her shoulders in a riot of waves.
Amazing what vampire blood could do, Megan thought. Too bad you had to become one of the Undead to enjoy the benefits.
Shirl smoothed a nonexistent wrinkle from her skirt with one pale hand. “Has Rhys said anything about my being with Tomás?”
“Why should he?”
“Well, it’s customary for fledglings to stay with their makers, so…” She shrugged. “I just wondered how he felt about my leaving.” Shirl leaned forward, her gaze intense. “I really wish you’d join us, Meggie. I would have done this years ago if I could have,” she said exuberantly, and then laughed softly. “Of course, I didn’t know vampires really existed back then. It’s so amazing! It’s a high unlike anything you can imagine. I can have any man I want.”
“I guess you don’t want Greg anymore.”
“Mortals and vampires don’t mix. You’ll never understand Rhys, or truly be his, until you’re one of us. Greg was nice, and we had fun together, but now I can have as many men as I like.”
“Nothing new about that,” Megan remarked. Men had always flocked around Shirl. What man over puberty and still breathing could resist a gorgeous cover model?
“It’s different now. It’s part of being a vampire. We all have it. It’s some kind of supernatural glamour that makes us irresistible to mortals. When I see a man I want, all I have to do is call him, and he comes running.”
Part of being a vampire, Megan thought. They all have it. Was that why she was so attracted to Rhys? Had he worked some kind of vampire mojo on her? Was she really in love with him, or was he manipulating her emotions for his own amusement? And how would she ever truly know?
“You’re not thinking of turning Greg, are you?” Megan asked.
Shirl’s brow narrowed in a frown, and then she shook her head. “No, I don’t think he’d make a good vampire. He’s too…oh, I don’t know, too moral. Too rigid. Maybe you and Rhys and me and Tomás could get together some time,” she said, brightening.