Chaz (VLG #15)

Chapter Sixteen

Chaz paced his hotel room. Hours had passed since dinner. All he could think about was Shoni. He wondered if she was okay. It was smart of Garson to send her to stay with her cousin, but he didn’t know where Ember lived. Even from a distance, the urge to see Shoni rode him hard.

“It’s best this way,” he muttered, knowing he’d said the same thing over a dozen times.

He took a seat on the bed and removed his boots, deciding it was best to go to sleep. He’d wake up in the morning, drive back to his uncle’s territory, and spend some time with the pack. Fray would probably be all over him to talk about Shoni. It would be annoying, but he’d get through it.

One thing was for certain. He wouldn’t be returning to Alaska with his twin and Lenore. Chaz planned to keep his promise to check in on Shoni. She’d return home by then, and he’d spy on her for a few weeks from a distance.

He’d call Garson to find out if he’d left out the memory of the flaw in her alarm system. He could cut the power to sneak into her condo at night while she slept to make sure the condoms had worked. The idea of Shoni’s scent changing…

“Fuck!” He felt the fear of becoming a father, something he wasn’t prepared for, but he also identified longing. Shoni being pregnant meant she’d need him to protect her and their child. His blood would safeguard her pregnancy going well so their youngling grew strong. He’d need to take her back to the cliffs.

He lay back on the bed, not bothering to strip off his clothes or even turn off the light. It wasn’t like he felt he’d fall asleep. Too many things were on his mind. Shoni would hate living inside a huge mountain of caves in Alaska.

Nice caves , he mentally defended. With electricity, running water, and even satellite access for the internet. Fray had made sure both of their side-by-side homes had large-screen televisions, and they had streaming services to watch movies. It’s not like she’d have to piss in a pot and live by candlelight . I have a toilet and shower . He loudly sighed, raising his arm to drape it over his closed eyes.

He went over the cons as well as the amenities they did have. Shoni would probably hate being cut off from seeing and talking to Ember. They are like sisters. She’ll grow to resent me over the loss. I’d feel that way if anyone ever took me away from Fray. Damn. He figured she’d also not like most of his clan. Some of them could be jerks around humans. He’d kick the ass of anyone who ever made Shoni feel inferior.

A knock on his door startled Chaz. He threw his arm off his face and sat up, glaring at the door. He reached for his sunglasses and put them on.

“Room service,” a woman loudly called out.

Irritation hit Chaz. They had the wrong room. He hadn’t ordered anything. There was also the ‘do not disturb’ sign he’d put on the exterior door handle. He’d done it so no one would bother him. He strode to the door, unlocked it, and threw it open. He didn’t even care if he frightened whatever human waited there. His mood was shit.

The woman standing there lunged forward, to his shock, and shoved him back. He instantly recognized her as he stumbled. His attention left her face to stare at the large handgun she had aimed at his chest. Ember kicked the door shut behind her, leaning against it.

“Move, and I’ll empty this fucking clip into your heart. You’re going to answer my questions or die,” Ember threatened. “Filling you full of bullets won’t kill you, I know, but it will drop you if I severely damage your heart and put you down long enough for me to take your damn head before you recover.”

He was too stunned to do anything but gape at Shoni’s cousin. Ember used her other hand to reach back, shrugging off a backpack. It dropped to the floor. The top was open, and she yanked out a small hatchet.

“Head off, game over, you bloodsucking, mind-screwing bastard. Now tell me what in the hell you did to Shoni before I blow your heart to bits. I’ll have at least a minute to kill your ass before you can get up. And don’t think I won’t do it. What in the fuck did you do to Shoni?”

Chaz recovered, taking in her words. “You know about Vampires?”

“I sure as shit do.” Her hand holding the gun at him remained steady, and the expression on Ember’s face told him she was serious. “Talk, or I’ll kill you. Be thankful I want answers, or I’d have opened fire the second I saw you.”

“I’m not a Vampire.” Chaz kept his tone calm. “I would never hurt Shoni.”

“Bullshit. You fucked with her head. I went to her place expecting to find you there. I figured it had to be you. You’re the only man who has been around her, and she wasn’t screwed up the last time I saw her at breakfast with our family.”

“Screwed up?” Chaz wanted to snarl but resisted. “What’s wrong with Shoni?”

“You programmed her not to go home for a few days. She’s like one of those parrot birds that keeps repeating that same thing. You weren’t at her condo, so I figured this hotel was your hunting spot. I was right. Here you are, bloodsucker. You’re not the only one who can hunt. Who are you? What did you do to Shoni? Tell me, or I will empty this clip into your heart.”

“I’m not a Vampire,” Chaz firmly stated, relieved Shoni wasn’t hurt. “You saw me at that breakfast. The sun was up.”

“I did. Inside. You Vampy bastards can move around during the day as long as you don’t take an outdoor stroll. Was Shoni just a meal to you? I can let that go since I know your kind need blood to survive. But if you are planning on stealing from her since you are keeping her from her condo… you and I are going to have issues.”

“I am not a Vampire,” he repeated. “I’m something else.” It was tempting to shell his skin and take the gun from her. The only problem was Ember might get a shot off before he could. The noise would draw attention. A stray bullet might go into another room and hurt a human. He didn’t want to risk that.

“I don’t care if you claim to be a troll on vacation from living under a bridge,” Ember ground out. “What did you do to Shoni, and why have you programmed her not to go home for a few days? She loves her condo. I’m not letting you steal it from her or fuck up her home in any way. She put her heart into making it as nice as it is after our grandma died. It helped her get through her grief.”

“Can I take off my sunglasses to prove I’m not a Vampire? I’ll move slowly. Please don’t fire your gun. Humans will hear it, and the police will be called. Neither one of us wants that to happen.”

Ember glared at him, her eyes narrowing. “I’m immune, asshole. You can’t take control of me and turn me into your meat puppet. That’s how I know about Vampires. Answer my questions. My finger is getting twitchy.”

“Do you know what a GarLycan is? That means half Gargoyle and Lycan. You might be more familiar with the term Werewolf. I would never hurt Shoni. I had a friend with Vampire traits tell her to stay away from her home for a few days because she wasn’t safe there.”

“Gargoyle? Prove it,” Ember adjusted her hold on the hatchet. “Slowly. You come at me, and I’ll make swiss cheese out of your heart.”

“Fine. Don’t be alarmed. My skin is about to change color. I’d withdraw my wings to show you I have a pair, but I’m wearing a shirt.” Chaz slowly started to shell his skin to a dark gray.

Ember’s eyes widened, but she held steady, not even a tremor showing in her hand aiming the gun at him. Her courage impressed him. He slowly reached up and took off his sunglasses, allowing her to see his eyes.

“Fuck,” she muttered. Ember darted a look at his exposed arms before holding his gaze again. “You aren’t a Werewolf.”

“No. My mother was one, but I take after my Gargoyle father. Your bullets won’t penetrate my skin, but they could go through the walls, ceiling, or floor to harm other humans when they ricochet off my body. Please put the gun down. I won’t hurt you. Shoni loves you like a sister. I’m going to back up and take a seat on the bed. We’ll talk. I won’t go near you. You have my word.”

Ember licked her lips and moved her finger off the trigger. She didn’t lower the gun. “Go ahead and sit on the bed. You come at me, and I’m going to find out if you’re telling the truth about you being bulletproof.”

Chaz backed up until he sat on the edge of the bed. Every move he made was slow enough not to startle Shoni’s cousin. He put his sunglasses down on the nightstand and rested his hands on his thighs, making sure that Ember could see them.

She took a few steps deeper inside the room and stopped at the dresser, never taking her attention off him. Ember kept both weapons in her hands. The gun was still pointed at him, but her finger remained about an inch from the trigger.

“I came here to stop a Lycan pack from declaring war on another one. Remember when I walked up to your table after hearing how Shoni was being verbally abused by her father’s wife? The pack had sent spies to the hotel. They saw me kissing Shoni and believed she was my mate. Then the idiots kidnapped her to use against me. I killed the ones responsible and got Shoni out of there, but she saw too much. I swore to keep her safe until those memories could be erased so she could resume her life like normal.”

Ember scowled, her green eyes narrowing.

“GarLycans are sent out when trouble happens that might spill over enough that humans could learn about what they shouldn’t. Think of us like peacekeepers most of the time. We protect innocent people from harm. Shoni was in danger, so I’ve been protecting her. You know about Vampires. May I ask how?”

“I worked at an animal rescue in Arizona.” She paused. “One night, this truck pulled up to the front gate, blaring their horn. They’d witnessed a car hit a wolf in the road. It was still alive, and they knew we had a resident veterinarian on-site around the clock, so they brought it to us. Spoiler alert. It turned out to be a Werewolf. We knew it wasn’t a gray wolf or any other breed known to roam in that area. The vet believed it was some mixed breed of domestic canine and wolf.”

Chaz suddenly smiled.

“You think that’s amusing? It wasn’t. We were working on the damn animal, trying to get X-rays of the pelvis and hind legs to see how many bones were broken and cleaning out the massive gash it had taken to the hip, when three Vampires arrived.”

“I smiled because you said spoiler alert. Shoni says the same thing. Go on.”

Ember’s scowl deepened. “Long story short, they took over everyone but me in the room, ordering us to continue working on Belner. That’s the one who got hit. He was a mess. My friends became their meat puppets. The Vampires gave up their blood to heal Belner as soon as we could piece all his broken bones back into place. He shifted afterward and walked out of our clinic without a scratch.”

“The Vampires realized that you were immune?”

“Look, I love animals. That’s what Belner was when he was our patient. A seriously injured one. I freaked out on the inside when I realized what was going on, but my priority was saving his life. The Vampires there also freaked when they realized they couldn’t control me. I told them to talk about killing me after we got Belner stabilized. I swore to keep their secrets. They believed me, and I got to live.”

“That’s against our laws.”

She put her finger back on the trigger of her gun. “Try to kill me. See how that works out for you. I’ve kept my word by never speaking about what happened that night until just this moment. I never even told my best friend. That would be Shoni. My loyalty to the safety of animals is one hundred percent, and that includes Werewolves. People suck. I’ve seen how humans can abuse animals. I shudder to think of what they’d think up to do to someone who is both. Now let’s get back to Shoni.”

Chaz was fine with that. “The local pack alpha wanted to kill her after he dragged her into his territory to use against me. I killed him instead and those who were a threat to her. Shoni is safe now that her memories have been erased from learning about other kinds. Garson, the one with the ability to make her forget, told her to stay with you for a few more days since he had to leave town while I was busy stabilizing the pack.”

Ember removed her finger from the trigger. “You aren’t supposed to fraternize with humans. Isn’t that one of your laws? Why’d you break it by even talking to Shoni? You put her in danger.”

“It’s not a law.” He sighed. “It’s recommended that we only have necessary interaction with humans. Shoni is… special.”

“You’ve got that right. She is. So, Shoni learned what you really are and about the Werewolves?”

“Yes.”

“How did she take it?”

“Remarkably well. She…”

“What? Continue.”

“I greatly admire her,” Chaz admitted. “She’s amazing.”

Ember lowered the gun to her side, slightly tilting her head as she stared at him. “You like her.”

Chaz inclined his head. “It’s impossible not to.”

“Did she agree to have her mind fucked with, or did you just do it?”

“She agreed once I explained why it needed to be done.”

“I believe that. Shoni is practical as hell.” Ember put the hatchet down on top of the dresser. “So this pack isn’t going to screw with her or try to kill her now? Is it safe for her to return to her condo?”

“Yes, but Marco hasn’t been dealt with yet. I need to find him before Shoni goes home. Garson was supposed to have a mind chat with him so he would never bother Shoni again.”

“Garson is a Vampire?”

“VampLycan.”

Ember sighed. “Let me guess. Does that mean half Vampire and Werewolf? I thought Vampires couldn’t have babies.”

“It’s a long story that I won’t share.”

“Whatever. When is this Garson coming back from wherever he went?”

“He doesn’t live in this area. I’ll find a local Vampire to take care of Marco.”

“What are you going to do?” Ember leaned her hip against the dresser. “Because I wouldn’t mind if you gave him to a nest. Marco is an asshole. Just make sure Shoni isn’t a suspect in his disappearance or if his body turns up one day. I’ll be fucking pissed if the cops try to pin that on her.”

Chaz gaped at her.

Ember rolled her eyes. “Fine. That was a terrible thing to say, but I hate Marco for what he did to my cousin and how he made her feel lower than dirt. Sue me for liking the idea of some nest making him their blood slave. Shoni doesn’t even know what he pulled yesterday. The prick went to the hotel to pick up their wedding gifts. After learning I’d already done that, he called me, demanding I meet up with him and hand over at least half. He was planning to sell them to make money. The moron didn’t realize it was customary to return the gifts when a wedding doesn’t happen. I told him the only thing I’d give him was free neutering if I ever saw him again.”

Chaz resisted the urge to place his hand protectively over his balls. He believed Ember meant the threat. Shoni had said that her cousin worked for a veterinarian. “I plan to have Marco move away and never contact Shoni again.”

“That will work. A Vampire will mess with Marco’s mind for you?”

“Yes.” Chaz unshelled his skin, feeling secure that he wasn’t in danger of being shot anymore.

Ember watched him. “You really have wings?”

“Yes.”

“Do they work?”

“I can fly if that’s what you’re asking. I’m not going to show you to prove it.”

“Cool. I don’t want to see you fly. I was just curious if you could.” She stared at him for long seconds. “So you didn’t hurt Shoni? Swear it.”

“I swear. I’d never hurt her.”

“Fine. I’ll take your word for it. You better not be lying, though, because I found you once.”

“How did you find me?”

“You met Shoni here. I thought you were a Vampire, and this is where you picked up your blood meals. The hotel is classier than some of the places I’ve seen your kind using to hunt for food. When you weren’t at Shoni’s condo, I came here.” She waved her free hand at him. “All I had to do was bribe an employee and give a description of you to get your room number. You kind of stick out, and women remember you.”

Chaz was irritated over how easily he’d been found, but he focused on the important part. “You’ve seen Vampires in town?”

“There’s two dive nightclubs they seem to frequent.” She gave him the names of those locations.

“I’ll have Marco taken care of. Do you have an address for him?”

Ember turned away, taking her attention off him to pull a cell phone from one of the pockets of the backpack she’d dropped by the door. “Yes. Do you want me to text it to you, or are you going to type it into your phone yourself?” She straightened up and faced him again.

Chaz usually didn’t give his number to humans, but Ember was a link to Shoni. He didn’t have her phone number, thinking he wouldn’t need it since they had been spending all their time together. “Text it to me.” He shared his contact info.

He heard his phone ding from the charger on the nightstand. He reached over to look at it to make sure the text was from her. He added her name to identify the number. Chaz looked up when he was done to find her packing away her gun, phone, and the hatchet inside the backpack.

“I’m going back to my apartment now. I’ll keep Shoni with me for the next two nights. I have an overnight shift after that. I’d try to switch off with a coworker to cover, but he’s going out of town celebrating his parent’s thirtieth wedding anniversary.” Ember put on her backpack. “Take care of Marco before then. I don’t want him showing up at her condo to upset Shoni again.”

Chaz slowly stood. “How is Shoni doing?”

Ember silently studied him.

Chaz felt worried. “Is she okay?” He knew his voice came out harsher than intended.

“You care about her.”

“Of course. Shoni is special.”

Ember tilted her head a little and chewed on her bottom lip. Her eyes suddenly widened. “Did you screw her?”

“That’s none of your business.”

“Bullshit! Tell me. Did Shoni let you fuck her? This is important.”

“We took precautions to prevent pregnancy. She told me about her friend from high school. I’m going to stick around to make sure there were no consequences.”

Anger twisted up the human’s face. “Goddamn it. You made her fall in love with you.”

Chaz’s entire body tensed. “That’s―”

Ember cut him off by storming closer, her hands fisted. “Accurate. She wouldn’t let you fuck her unless she had deep feelings for you. I know Shoni better than she knows herself. You got her to fall for you, seduced her, and then you had her mind fucked with so she wouldn’t remember. You men are all alike, even if you aren’t human.”

“Shoni isn’t in love with me.” Chaz’s heart pounded inside his chest. Her cousin even saying that left him shaken.

Ember stopped, glaring up at him with only a few feet between them. “You’re also as dense as normal men are. So much for you guys being better than humans because of your superior genetics. Shoni wouldn’t risk ending up in a Brenda situation unless she was in love with your stupid ass. And consequences? You avoided those by having her mind screwed with. How nice for you. You get to walk away without the guilt of knowing you broke her heart. You’re an asshole. She can’t tell you that, but I sure as hell can. Ass. Hole!”

Chaz felt anger, too. “I care about Shoni, but I’m not ready to take a mate.”

“Oh. You’re not ready.” Ember curled her upper lip, giving him a look of disgust. “Well, how nice for you. I had a few interactions with Belner’s pack before I left Arizona. He asked me to take a look at some of their elders. They were suffering from joint pain and other age-related discomforts. Their healers didn’t do shit for them, so he wanted to see if animal medications would work on them. Spoiler alert. They did. Want to know what I learned? They were, like, five hundred years old. So what you’re saying is that by the time you grow up enough to realize how lucky you were to have her love, Shoni will be living in a nursing home or buried next to our grandmother at the cemetery. Ass. Hole!”

Ember turned, storming toward the door. “You stay the fuck away from her. Go back to Alaska like she thinks you already did. I’ll turn your black heart into swiss cheese if I see you near her again.”

Chaz moved fast, grabbing Ember. He spun her but was careful of her fragile bones. He didn’t want to hurt Shoni’s cousin. It’s why he let her go just as fast. “I gave Shoni my word to stick around to make sure she didn’t get pregnant. That’s what I’m going to do.”

Ember shoved brutally at his chest with her fists. He didn’t budge. It felt more like she had tapped him.

“No, you aren’t. You gave her up when you had her memories taken away by letting some prick screw with her head. I’ll take care of Shoni. That’s what people who love her back do. Stay the fuck away. I see you, and I’ll figure out how to kill your ass. Got me?”

Chaz had to fight the urge to grab her again, wanting to shake her and yell that no one was going to keep him away from Shoni. He stiffened his entire body to stay still.

Ember smirked at him. “You don’t like that. Too fucking bad. She wasn’t good enough for you to keep, so go back to wherever the hell you came from.” She spun away, walking back toward the door.

“I’d have taken her home with me if I mated her,” he ground out. “I did right by Shoni when I let her go. It would have broken her heart to lose you.”

Ember suddenly looked over her shoulder as she gripped the door handle. “You wouldn’t know right if it fucked you in the ass. I’d have gone with Shoni if you needed to take her back to live with your people, like you assholes do, to make sure you’re safe from humans discovering that you’re real. Shoni is worth uprooting my life for and doing whatever is necessary to stick with her. Too bad you’re too stupid to feel the same. She’s a thousand times too good for you. Your excuse for what you’ve done doesn’t fly, even if you say you can.”

She sailed out of his room then, slamming the door behind her. Chaz stood there, his emotions switching between anger and surprise. He put the extra lock on the door before returning to sit on his bed.

“Fuck!”