Chapter 6
LACHLAN MACBETH
“You’re not fooling anyone Vlad, she asked what you were right away. So sod off, aye?” I reply, annoyed in the extreme.
Vlad wants to act like a pissy vampire, meanwhile my entire body is reacting in ways I’ve never encountered, and I’m fairly positive Elena’s the cause. One mention of how she only means to stay two weeks, and my body jumps out of its skin.
“What happened?” Whitley asks. Her dark brown brows are almost in her hairline as she walks into the room with Connor following behind.
“Ask him,” Vlad bites out.
“Elena was just telling us how long she plans to stay,” Aubrey says, eyeing me cautiously.
Her gaze darts to the back of my pants, where a heavy draft is coasting, and my palms begin to sweat. “I had an issue,” I say, and clear my throat before sitting down in my chair again.
She’s only staying for two weeks. How can I convince her to stay with me?
I’ve only two weeks to woo my lady?
“Managed to grab your luggage, and it’s waiting in your room, Elena,” Connor says.
“Thanks,” my mate manages to say, her gaze frozen and unmoving from Vlad.
“I’ll go grab you another pair of pants,” Whitley says.
“Are you okay?” Elena asks, settling back into her own seat.
“He’s fine,” Vlad snaps, like the whiny vampire he is.
“Just getting my land legs back,” I joke, propping my elbows onto the table and glare down at the table at him.
“Here you go, Lachlan,” comes Whitley’s voice at my back as she pushes another pair of jeans into my hands, bless her.
“My thanks.” I quickly get to my feet and shuck off my torn pants, praying all the while I can keep my cool and not ruin the next pair. If it happens again I may just stay in my swimmers, modesty be damned.
“Can you try to stay clothed this time?” Vlad says.
“Can you try to be nice?” Elena claps back.
“Yeah, be nice,” Aubrey says, swatting him on the arm.
“What’s happening?” Bernadette calls out from the doorway.
She strolls into the dining room, her overly large mate behind her, and pushes her glasses up her nose as she looks at me.
“Lachlan’s having some oopsies with his monster form, but Elena touching him makes it stop. Lachlan told Elena how Vlad is a vampire so now he’s low key offended,” Aubrey offers.
“I am not,” Vlad bites out, arguing.
“Is that why you’re not wearing pants?” Frank growls, reminding me of his presence.
“Yeah, he has a massive tail and—” Aubrey says.
“He has a freaking tail?” Bernadette gasps.
“I know, isn’t it cool?”
“It’s not that cool, and could you please, for the last time, put your fucking pants on,” Vlad snaps.
The women collectively shoot him glares, meanwhile Aubrey jabs him in the stomach. “Be nice,” she whispers.
I grin over the top of Elena’s head at Vlad and give him a wink.
By my calculations and the red burning in his eyes, I’ve only a few moments before the vampire loses his temper at my needling him.
“Perhaps I should just leave the pants off, aye? In case I get into a spot of trouble again,” I say, bouncing my brows and making light of the matter.
“I won’t argue, I mean what color is your tail anyway?” Aubrey asks.
“Even a hint of a tail and you’ll be asked to leave. I won’t have you destroying my home,” Vlad snaps.
His gaze is blood red, and sends a wave of triumph through me while gasps go up in the room.
“Don’t be ridiculous,” Connor says.
“You can’t make him leave,” Aubrey announces her expression, one of shock.
“You don’t know how big he gets. It’s not safe,” Vlad continues, his eyes now a normal deep brown again.
“What the hell is going on?” Frank booms.
“Lachlan’s body has been having to do a bit of adjusting, that’s all,” Whitley says. Her tone is full of anger and directed fully at the end of the table toward Vlad.
I get the feeling she wouldn’t care if I did make the castle fall around Vlad.
“I need to get to Scotland,” I say, directing my gaze at Elena.
“Will that stop what’s happening to you?” Whitley asks.
“Aye it will, but I can’t make the journey on my own. Elena, I must ask something of you,” I find myself saying, holding my power in check in a vice grip.
She nods slowly, her gaze darting back to where Frank stands in the corner, and a slight slice of jealousy goes through my middle. Soon enough I’ll have her undivided attention, or so I tell myself.
“Okay?” she says, her gaze back on me.
I hold steady, my heart pitter-pattering with hope and more longing than I can contain, and I realize my hands are shaking.
If she’ll just come with me, perhaps I can make her fall in love with me on the way and some good will come of this.
Gods know I’d do anything to keep this woman happy, and I can only pray that once this is all over, she’ll want me just as much.
“I know I told you where I’ve a spot for you to sample for your beetles, and it may be a lot to ask of you, but I need you to come with me to Scotland for another purpose.
You landing in my moat broke the spell, but if you’ll come with me, it’ll break what’s left of it and I’ll be free. Can you do it?”
Elena Pierson
“We’re heading to Bucharest first, and after that you guys should have no trouble making it to Scotland in a few hours,” the redheaded woman named Bernadette says.
She pushes a glass of champagne in my hand before tipping her own down her throat, and the smile I’ve had on my face for the last hour starts to crack.
“Oh, okay. Awesome,” I say, unsure of how I’m supposed to react to having my vacation rearranged to fit in helping one stranded merman get home, but I very much would like to see the itinerary she’s obviously scrolling through on her laptop.
She grabs for another glass, and my facial expression must give my alarm away.
“Sorry, plane rides make me nervous,” Bernadette says in a way of apology, shooting a glare over at Frank Stein.
I take a cautious sip, letting the champagne bubbles float in my mouth as I work on remaining calm while turbulence makes the cabin sway as we fly. My stomach has been gurgling off and on since we left the castle, but mostly because I don’t actually know where we’re going.
As soon as I agreed to help, everyone jumped into action. The ladies immediately started ordering the men to get the jet ready, and didn’t really allow arguments about it either. Since my luggage was ready to go, it was nothing to get on the nearby plane and board in minutes.
I managed to have time enough to change into some more comfortable clothes, a change of dark gray leggings and white blouse.
I tug at the latter while admiring the plush white leather seats of Frank Stein’s private plane, noting how it could easily hold more than a dozen people, but I’m more nervous now than I would’ve been on a bus taking the long route.
After a swift warning about not letting anyone know about what they are, (like I’m really about to start yelling monsters are real), I was given my phone back to let Natalie know how I am.
Before we left the castle, I fibbed and sent a text telling her I overslept and would catch a later bus this evening out to Budapest.
My best friend has the biggest heart of anyone I know, but she can’t keep a secret to save her life and can’t be held to keeping one unless swearing multiple oaths.
I had to make her promise on Keegan and her cat before leaving, and it’ll be a miracle if she keeps from telling Collin by next week that I’m not really in Florida visiting an old college friend.
He’s going to blow a gasket when he finds out I’m not even on the same continent anymore, but explaining to any of my brothers that the bugs I work with and what I do is important to me is like trying to explain nomadic migration habits and patterns of tourists to a hermit that just wishes people would piss off.
I left home with three weeks of vacation and I’ve got nineteen days until I have to head back to be on time for work. Initially, I was supposed to take a bus ride to Budapest then a quick flight to London before another bus ride to Scotland. But now… who knows.
If Natalie knew that I was letting someone else manage my travel plans, she’d swear I’d gotten a lobotomy and demand I call the nearest embassy.
Plus, she’ll probably try to kill me or worse when she realizes I flew in a plane with Frank Stein and his fiancée and didn’t tell her, not to mention vampires are real.
The less she calls the better.
“So, Elena. You’ve been traveling to see some sort of beetle bug?” Aubrey asks.
I meet her bright blue gaze, and notice how attentive she looks with her elbows propped on the table’s surface and her head resting over her laced fingers.
I fight against wriggling in the expensive jetliner chair and place my champagne glass down.
Most of my family and friends are bored to tears when I get to talking about my favorite subject, and I don’t want to bore her.
“Yeah, I’m researching the habitat of an aquatic beetle near the highlands that’s in the same family I sampled at your castle, except this one is way more rare,” I answer.
“Oh that’s neat. Have you traveled to see them before, or is this your first time?” she asks, smiling at me.
It strikes me how nice they’re all being, and a warm feeling washes through my middle.
It’d be stupid and reckless to have no feelings of fear when faced with the fact that the supernatural and monsters exist, but so far none of them have made the slightest attempt at anything other than getting help for their friend.
And Aubrey is so kind.
“I’ve flown a lot, actually. All over the country really. Just never left the states till now,” I tell her.
“Oh wow, and traveling all by yourself.” Her brows go up in surprise and she glances at Bernadette like this is a big deal.
Bernadette rolls her gaze to the heavens in response then quirks a brow at me. “Aubrey is scared to travel alone.”
“You would be too if your first flight alone landed you at a vampire’s castle,” she says.
“Looks like it’s working out for you so far,” Bernadette snarks back.