Page 12 of The Wentworth Vampire

He wore the cloak of his Master and roamed the twenty-second floor. No one noticed him; all they saw was a shift in the sunlight and a change in the air current. He moved with ease and privilege. When Master Hadden came to their door, he tried to attach and ride him into the apartment, but he was too powerful and his presence too much for this one to tolerate. The limit of his abilities became apparent, so he called his Master.

“This place is like a fortress, and the leadership is formidable. I can’t even get close to the Master, and moving around has become difficult. The protections they have in place are many." The Master was not pleased.

“You are my representative, Rex; you have the abilities you need. Carry out the assignment as given and don’t you dare call me again until you have the Black Wand in your grasp.” His Master screamed and then closed the call.

He decided that dividing and conquering was his best chance at success. When he entered the Hadden Coven, he'd been full of himself, confident in his success and holding a distinct sense of superiority. But the Center was protected, and it was bathed in light, which was making him weak and indecisive.He needed to get out of the building and regroup, but first, he would lay down a trap for the vampire and his Fae lover.

“Teo called and would like us to accompany him and Thayer to Baltimore tomorrow," Mateo stated and took a seat on the couch in the living room. Pascal had fond memories of being bent over that couch, and the memories made him smile. He poured them both a whiskey, and then he sat down next to his beloved.

“If you’re up to it," Pascal interjected, afraid that his beloved might be pushing himself too hard.

"I'm ready, and I need to address my people." Mateo smiled, and his understanding of Pascal's feelings was reflected in those lovely, soft gray eyes. “I’m okay.” He assured him. “Being with you has healed everything that needed healing.” He took Pascal’s hand and squeezed it lovingly. “It will be good for us to go to Baltimore and start settling in.” Mateo turned toward Pascal.

“I know you value your membership here and you respect Master Hadden . . ." He began, but Pascal cut him off before he could finish.

“My place is with you. I go where you go.” Pascal stated flatly and then continued. “The Hadden Coven gave me the escape I needed. Master Hadden gave me back my sense of self and belonging, but now it is time for me to move on.”

"I want you to be happy," Mateo answered.

“If you’re by my side, I am happy. I need nothing more than that.”

Pascal cupped Mateo's face in his hands, and their eyes locked, conveying so much in those few seconds before Pascaltook his lips in a hard kiss that sealed their bond, their commitment, and their love.

CHAPTER SEVEN

“It’s a chameleon.” Nik Hadden erupted when bursting into Josef's office. "Maybe one, maybe more." The shock was apparent when Josef was struck silent as he took in the news.

“Mateo’s memory came back to him, and he recognized the man who bought him as a chameleon.” Nik was frustrated and angry. “One more fucking magic to deal with. Why is it impossible for me to rid my city of these twisted fuckers once and for all?" He shouted, and Nik rarely shouted; his anger was palatable. He paced the room for a few seconds and then sat down heavily on the cushioned chair next to Josef’s desk.

“Every time I stop one menace, a new strain pops up, and now we have a chameleon in our midst.” Nik took a deep breath and forced a calm that he really wasn’t feeling.

“There hasn’t been a chameleon created in centuries. The Council made the punishment so dire that no one would risk it.” Josef was shocked. “Louis DuCane isn’t going to be happy when he hears about it.” He added with a shake of his head.

“Louis eradicated that disease from the earth nearly eight hundred years ago and was instrumental in getting the Councilto make the punishment for creating such creatures so terrible that no one would ever dare do it again," Nik added.

“And here we are again.” Josef sighed. “We have to find the creator and every one of his monsters. This could get out of hand very fast."

“As you say, here we are again.” Nik took out his phone and contacted Marek.

Pascal offered to take Mateo to lunch at the Sienna Restaurant on the main floor, and he was excited to get back to normal life. “Going out for lunch, such a normal thing for normal people to do.” He said with a big smile. The minute they opened the door and stepped out into the hallway, the smile abruptly dropped, and they stood there taking in the area and repeatedly glancing over at one another.

“It smells of sickness and rot," Pascal said softly while raising his hand and threading his fingers through the air current carrying the stench. “It’s the same.” Pascal recognized the scent from the abandoned building and from the mansion.

"We need to follow this," Mateo stated and headed down the hallway to the elevator. "They were at our door.” He uttered in disbelief.

“It’s not the chameleon. He has his scent due to borrowing his power, but this is not him." Pascal informed them as they got onto the elevator and rode it to the ground floor, where they once again picked up his scent.

"He's followed me here," Mateo commented. Pascal stopped and looked around the lobby, feeling the sickness well and shift hanging in the air as if placed there purposefully.

"He may be leading us," Pascal responded and stepped close to Mateo’s side. “This could be a trap.” Pascal motioned to two guards at the door, and they came forward. He explained what was taking place and asked them to notify Josef and security. One stayed with them while the other started making calls and rushed back across the lobby, rallying the guards and security present on the floor.

Pascal and Mateo headed out the doors and into the Grand Plaza. The guard stayed by their side, with another coming up to flank them on the opposite side. The scent grew stronger the closer they got to the center of the Plaza, a clear space with benches and tables. Thankfully, no one was there, but the stench was thick and the tension was building.

"Let me go first," Mateo stated and stepped in front of Pascal. "They want me, Pascal, let me draw them out.” Pascal’s first instinct was to forbid it, but that's not the relationship they had. Mateo was Master Wentworth and well able to take care of himself, so it was out of the question to talk down in such a way. But still, he could not let him go alone.

“I will go with you." He stated and did not wait for permission but rather fell into step beside him. He instructed the guards to hang back as they surrounded the Plaza center. Feeling the pressure and the evil forming around them, Pascal reached into his jacket and pulled out the Black Wand.

The air around them suddenly turned hazy, not a fog but a pall of distortion. Pascal cut through it with his wand, opening it like a fragile curtain, and when it fell away, two men stood there, cloaked in a crawling darkness with black eyes that stared out from a sunken face. The one closest to Mateo flung his right arm out, casting a dusty substance in Mateo's direction, but Pascal jumped in front of him and absorbed the contact.

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