Chapter 6
CHAPTER 6
The door to the tradesmen entrance which opened to a narrow path leading along Quinn’s house stood open, and two men were carrying heavy metal rods through the walkway.
The moment the sun had set, Oliver had walked the short distance from Samson’s Nob Hill house to Quinn’s mansion in Russian Hill. He’d not taken the car to Samson’s, because there was no extra parking in the garage, and parking on the streets of Nob Hill was virtually impossible.
Oliver followed the workers through the narrow walkway that led into the garden, curious to see how far they’d gotten.
When he reached the garden, he looked around. Several men were busy, connecting metal rods to build a scaffold that would eventually be draped with huge canvas panels to create a tent that covered the entire backyard and connected seamlessly to the back of the house and its back entrance. A sliver of it would also drape around the other side of the house to lead to the French doors in the living room so that the guests wouldn’t have to trek through the kitchen or the dirty tradesmen entrance to get to the tent.
Things seemed to be moving at a swift pace, but Oliver knew it would take a good two days until the tent was operable. Only then could other things be brought in, like tables, chairs and decorations.
Oliver turned away from the workers and walked through the open door into the kitchen.
Wesley stood over the kitchen counter, munching on a sandwich.
“Hey!” Oliver greeted him.
The wannabe witch lifted his hand in greeting, his mouth too full to speak.
“Where is everybody?”
Wesley swallowed before he answered. “I suppose with ‘everybody’ you mean Ursula?”
Was he indeed that transparent? At any other time he would have denied it, but he missed the woman who would soon be his wife and his mate, and he couldn’t care less whether Wesley wanted to tease him about it.
“So? Where is she?”
“Out shopping with her mother.”
“Do you know when they’ll be back?”
Wesley shrugged. “I heard something about bridesmaid’s dresses. That’s when I tuned out.”
“And Ursula’s father?”
“Probably still upstairs. He wanted to lie down and rest. I think the whole racket down here seems to have tired him out.” Wes set down his half-eaten sandwich and walked to the door that led into the hallway, peered outside for a moment, then closed it again and turned back. “So while we’re alone, I wanted to ask you for a favor.”
Oliver lifted an eyebrow, always suspicious when Wesley wanted something because whatever it was, it generally led to a minor disaster. “What kind of favor?”
Wesley rubbed his neck. “Well, you heard about the puppies, right?”
“Haven’s Labrador puppies that you once turned into piglets with your magic?”
A sheepish grin spread over Wesley’s face. “Yeah, it’s just, I’ve been trying to turn them back into dogs, but it hasn’t worked.”
Surprised, Oliver couldn’t suppress the chuckle that built in his chest. “Are you telling me that they are still pigs?”
“Haven is none too happy about it either. So, I hit the books and came across this spell that should work. Only thing is, I need a few drops of vampire blood to?—”
“No way!” Oliver interrupted. “Go hit up your brother!”
Wesley made a grimace. “He’s already turned me down. So I figured maybe you’d wanna help out.”
Oliver narrowed his eyes. “Is that why you volunteered to help out with the wedding preparations, so you can get me to give you some of my blood?”
Wesley huffed, outraged. “As if I would do that! I’m helping out because I want to. I thought we were friends.”
“You’re totally transparent, Wes!”
He shrugged. “So? Come on. It’s just a few drops. I brought a little vial. You won’t even feel it. It’s just a pinprick. And it’s all for the greater good. If I can’t turn those pigs back into dogs, they’ll eventually turn into bacon and sausage.”
Oliver rolled his eyes. “Which I believe are the nicknames Blake gave them.”
He knew Wes all too well. He would nag and be a total pest until he’d gotten what he wanted. It was better to get it over with. Besides, Wes was right. Giving him a few drops of vampire blood wouldn’t hurt, nor would it be harmful to anybody. After all, vampire blood had great healing properties.
“Fine. But you owe me one and don’t think I won’t collect! Only a few drops. And it’ll be the only time,” he conceded.
Wesley beamed. “I swear!” He pulled a small glass vial just big enough for one fluid ounce from his pocket. “Here, just half-full is fine.”
Still shaking his head, Oliver elongated his fangs, bringing them to full length. Instantly, he felt power surge through him, a result of his vampire side emerging. The lingering scent of Ursula drifted to his nostrils and cocooned him. If she were in the kitchen now, while his fangs were extended, he didn’t think he could resist biting her. The bottled blood he’d consumed at Samson’s had nourished him yet not truly satisfied him. The only thing that could truly satisfy his hunger was Ursula’s blood and her body writhing beneath his.
“Uh, Oliver,” Wesley prompted him, pulling him from his thoughts.
Swiftly he brought his thumb to his lips and pricked it with one of his fangs. He held the vial under his bleeding digit and let it drip into it, watching as the level quickly rose to midway.
“Oh, Oliver, you’re here.”
Oliver’s head snapped to the door leading into the hallway. Ursula’s father stood there, looking somewhat pale.
When their gazes met, Yao Bang’s eyes widened in shock and disbelief. “Oh, no!” he pressed out. “That can’t be!”
Oliver’s forehead furrowed, while Wesley ground out low under his breath, “Your fangs!”
“Shit!” Oliver cursed, but it was too late.
He hadn’t retracted his fangs, and his future father-in-law had seen them. He made a move toward him and noticed him shrink back toward the door. At the same time, Wesley snatched the open vial that Oliver still held in his hand.
Oliver tossed Wes an angry glare. Because of him, he’d exposed himself.
Wesley shrugged. “Wipe his memory then.”
Yao Bang’s mouth opened for a scream, but Oliver was on him before it could leave his throat, clamping his hand over his mouth and preventing him from escaping by clutching him to his body. At the same time, he reached out his mind to the older man and sent his thoughts to him.
You saw nothing. You came into the kitchen for a snack and saw me and Wesley making sandwiches. That’s all you saw. You never saw my fangs. You never saw any blood.
Yao Bang’s eyes went blank, the fear in them wiped away. Relieved, Oliver released him and stepped back.
“Oliver,” Yao Bang murmured, before he staggered a few steps forward, reaching out his arms to grasp for support.
Oliver grabbed hold of him before he could fall, then felt him go slack in his arms. He was unconscious.
“Crap!”
“What did you do now?” Wesley asked.
“I didn’t do anything!” Wiping somebody’s memory didn’t have that kind of effect on humans. Nobody had ever fainted after he’d wiped his memory. This was not right. Something had gone wrong. “Shit, shit, shit!” Ursula could never find out about this. “Call Maya! Now! Get her here as fast as she can. Tell her to take the side entrance so Ursula won’t see her when she comes back.”
Wesley pulled out his cell phone and dialed.
Oliver gently lowered his future father-in-law onto the ground and checked his vital signs, when his sensitive hearing picked up the opening of the front door. He inhaled sharply. Shit! Ursula and her mother were coming back. Panicked, he looked around the kitchen, wondering what to do.
“Why don’t you bring all the dresses upstairs into my room, Wei Ling? I’ll make some tea,” Ursula’s mother said from the hallway, her voice coming closer as she walked in the direction of the kitchen.
“Okay, Mom.” He heard Ursula’s reply, accompanied by footsteps on the stairs.
The kitchen door opened before Oliver could make a decision as to what to do with Yao Bang and how to explain his unconsciousness.
“Oh my god! Yao Bang!” Hui Lian said, running to where he lay on the floor. She stroked her hand over his head. Then her eyes shot to Oliver.
An inadequate excuse already sat on his lips, but he didn’t get to utter it.
“We can’t tell Ursula about this. Promise me.” Her eyes pleaded with Oliver.
Surprised, Oliver pulled back. What did she know? Did she have an inkling that he was an immortal creature and knew what he’d done to her husband? But how?
“He has these fainting spells. The doctors think it’s maybe anemia. But we didn’t have time for more tests before the trip. Oh God, I hoped this wouldn’t happen.”
“Maya is on her way,” Wesley interrupted.
“Maya?” Hui Lian asked, her eyebrows pulling together in confusion.
Oliver put a reassuring hand on her forearm. “She’s a doctor. She’ll check him out. He’ll be fine.” Relief washed through Oliver. Wiping Yao Bang’s memory hadn’t done this to him. He’d looked pale the moment he’d stepped into the kitchen. He’d probably been about to faint even if he hadn’t seen Oliver’s fangs. Still, Oliver felt responsible for what had happened.
“But we can’t have Ursula see the doctor arrive. She’ll be worried. She doesn’t need this in the week she’s getting married,” her mother claimed.
“I’ll distract her and keep her upstairs until Maya is gone again.”
Hui Lian gave him a grateful smile. “Thank you so much. You’re a good man.”
For a moment their eyes locked, and for the first time, Oliver felt affection for Ursula’s mother. She wanted only the best for her daughter and didn’t want to destroy Ursula’s happiness even if that meant keeping things from her. That’s what they had in common. They would both keep secrets from Ursula if that meant she would be happy.