He blinked. “No.”
Disappointment crashed through her, but she struggled to smile. He’d promised her life and had given it to her. She shouldn’t want for more and should be grateful. Even though she was finding her own way in life, she sometimes still felt beholden to him. Yet the more she learned and lived, the more she felt a spirit of independence awakening inside her. “What is this hunting job, Athan?” He never wanted to talk about it, but she deserved some answers.
He sighed. “There are more than vampires out there, darlin’. Our enemy, the Kurjans, have been creating werewolves out of shifters.”
Shifters? “Excuse me?”
“Shifters can change from human form to animal, and they’re our allies—well, usually.” He pulled off his destroyed shirt to reveal a broad and muscular chest.
Her lungs stuttered, and heat flared in her face. “They become animals?”
“Yes. But werewolves are pure animal—no humanity and no conscience. We’ve hunted them for centuries because Maxwells have an instinct for them, which doesn’t speak well of us. But we’re the best at hunting and killing them.” He reached out and ran his thumb along her jawline. “The Kurjans are trying to create the monsters in a quantity that could harm the population on this planet.”
On this planet? Were there others? “I don’t understand.”
“I know.” His hand dropped, and her skin felt chilled. “It’s hard to explain, but three prison worlds were created far away from this one, and that imbalance has allowed more werewolves to be born and bred. Until those worlds fall, and this one gets back in alignment, I hunt killers every day.”
None of that made a bit of sense, but she believed him. “Perhaps you need somebody by your side,” she murmured, wanting to ease his torment.
He leaned over and kissed her gently on the nose. “Anybody by my side gets bloody and most likely dead. I appreciate the offer, and I admire your kind spirit. But this is just a short stopover before my next fight.” He leaned away, taking his warmth with him. “I am getting weaker, though. We’ll need to meet twice a year now.”
It was embarrassing how much pleasure that thought gave her. Twice a year? She’d never admit it, but she lived for these moments of brief intimacy. It was sad, actually.
Leah jerked Ivy back to the present and pulled her to stand. “Everyone is done and clearing out. Are we finished admiring what’s left of your life here?” she muttered.
Ivy shushed her and turned to walk down the center aisle, leaving the intricate urn behind. Somebody was supposed to bury it the next day, but she was finished with this life. “Knock it off. This is fun. We spent all day at your funeral, if I remember right.”
Leah nodded. “True, but at least I had a full band so people could dance.” For a moment, she lost the gaiety always present in her eyes. “It’s hard to see everybody we know die. Right?”
Ivy nodded. “Yeah, but at least this time, I waited to pass on until all my friends had. It was nice growing old with them…well, kind of.” She’d only pretended to grow old when they truly had. If nothing else, she’d always have Leah, who was also mated to one of the Maxwell jackasses but somehow seemed to stay off their radar. Ivy usually kept Athan informed of her whereabouts. However, she was keeping her new venture under wraps, and another deadline loomed.
Several people stopped her to express their condolences.
Leah let out a fake sob.
Ivy barely kept from rolling her eyes. “I’m not surprised to see you here, Leah, but we have to be more careful.” They had strict instructions to stay away from each other because the last thing they wanted to do was bring notice to any Maxwell mates. There were enemies out there who would like nothing more than getting their hands on either of the women.
Leah shrugged. “Eh. We can handle it. It’s not like we haven’t spent the last century learning to fight.”
Actually, Leah was a pretty good fighter. Ivy had never mastered the movements necessary to really inflict damage on somebody. She didn’t have Leah’s grace, but she had a darn good brain, and she knew this was stupid. “Let’s go. We can grab dinner and then fly to Buffalo.”
Truth be told, she would miss California—or perhaps she wouldn’t. The crime had gotten ridiculous, and the cost of living was astronomical. She was quite looking forward to relocating to Nashville after they’d finished the op in Buffalo. It was a much friendlier business town; plus, she loved music. It would be lovely to be surrounded by it again as she and Leah finally started making a difference and taking some chances. She was ready.
Leah leaned closer. “So, after we enjoy the lives we just set up for maybe a hundred years, where should we go? I think it’s time we left this continent and went to another one.”
Ivy nodded. She’d been thinking the same thing. Maybe she’d live one more lifetime in the States and then go somewhere else with a new identity. “We have a lot of good to do first.” So long as the Maxwell family didn’t discover they were taking chances and working together. The risk was well worth it, though.
A chill skittered down her spine as they walked out into a heated day. Almost on instinct, she turned toward the other side of the street to see a tall and broad figure lounging against a light post, his gaze blue and piercing.
“Whoa,” Leah breathed. “Guess your mate came to your funeral.”
Chapter Two
Athan Maxwell watched as his wayward mate sashayed out of her own funeral wearing an adorable tight black dress with a sassy black hat partially covering her long, reddish-blond hair. Even across the distance, he saw the crystal-clear green of her eyes. Once again, the sight of her jolted him, landing hard in his solar plexus. She’d only become lovelier through the years as she gained both her independence and a startling penchant for finding trouble.
She appeared nearly brilliant in business, but she took chances in her personal life that he couldn’t allow any longer. The enemy drew near, and while he’d tried to protect her for the last century and a half, it was time for her to take precautions. He rubbed the green ribbon in his pocket as he mulled over the situation.
His gaze caught on the woman next to her, and he frowned. Wait a minute. Was that...? He straightened, pushing away from the street light.
Leah Ferry took one look at him, leaned up, whispered something to Ivy, and turned to hustle down the road. He moved to intercept her when she jumped into a waiting black Town Car. The vehicle immediately sped away from the curb and him. He lowered his chin, irritation crackling down his spine. Pausing to make sure no cars flattened him, he strode across the street while pulling his phone from his back pocket and making a quick call.
“Hey, brother,” Jasper answered. “What’s going on? Did you find him?”
“Not yet,” Athan said grimly. The Kurjan scientist who’d just figured out how to mass produce the virus that turned shifters into werewolves was more difficult to draw out than he’d anticipated, but he was on the scent and would find the asshole before plans got put into motion. “But I did find your mate.”
Silence pounded across the line for a moment. “Where are you? I thought you were going to Los Angeles.”