Seven Days (2 page)

“Kerry, please tell me you’re not still packing,” Xavier said. I could hear the smile in his voice.

“Stuff it, buddy. I’m a girl. We take longer to make decisions because we actually think about things.”

He laughed. “Yeah, there is that,” he said. “Anyway, Gram wanted to know if there’d be room in the car for her so she could go to the airport with us. She’s changed her mind again.”

Elise had been changing her mind about going to the airport with us for two weeks. It was kind of freaky, actually, since Elise was one of the most decisive people I’d ever met. Xavier liked to say she was hard-headed, but I’d always assumed that whatever link Elise had to the metaphysical world gave her clear information. Armed with such a clear path, Elise simply didn’t feel the need to deviate from her decisions, regardless of what others might think. Her vacillation on joining us for the trip to the airport was so far out of character I didn’t know how to handle it and I felt my anxiety crank up another notch.

“Um,” I said, silently calculating the number of people, plus luggage and cursing. “If we ask you know who if we can use the monster SUV, yeah. Should I call Maire?” The only vehicle I could think of which would accommodate all of us and our bags was Alfred’s SUV. Xavier didn’t care for Mathias‘ friend Alfred and the older vampire had been pretty clear about not liking the panthers either. Actually, I was pretty sure Mairin didn’t like the old vamp either. They kind of glared at each other when they thought Mathias wasn’t watching. Their animosity didn’t make a whole lot of sense though, since it had been Alfred who arranged for all the doctors and stuff when Mairin had come home from England. I always thought his care for her health implied some sort of care between the two of them. But the few times I'd seen Alfred since Mairin had come home from England, their interactions had bordered on hostile. Apparently I didn’t understand vampire politics or etiquette and Mairin wasn’t explaining them to me. Actually, she tried to keep me as far from the vampires as she could without her attempts being too obvious.

“No, I’ll do it,” Xavier said. “I wanted to talk to her about the number of vamps staying at vamp central right now anyway. Of course, she could always just order him. Hell, I might even stop over just so I can watch the fireworks.”

“I really wish you wouldn’t egg him on, Xavier,” I said. “You know Alfred hates the whole ordering thing almost as much as Mairin does.”

“Yeah, that’s why I love it,” Xavier said, laughing. “The leech ought to feel bad about things from time to time.”

Xavier wasn’t usually so gleeful in his dislike of Alfred. “What happened?” I asked. The combination of Xavier’s joy in needling Alfred and his desire to talk to Mairin made me nervous. The last time Xavier had pushed Alfred and tried to get information out of Mairin, a vampire had been killing men in East Hampton.

“Nothing, Kerr. Really. He just annoys me.” Xavier’s tone was irritated, but I could tell he was hiding something.

I knew he was lying, but I didn’t know how to get the truth out of him. Xavier was often pretty tight lipped about pride business, especially if it had anything to do with the vampires. I sometimes thought the pride saw me as a threat to their security. Mairin’s closeness with the vampires and my relationship with my sister put me in a position to pass on pride secrets or business to the enemy either intentionally or accidentally. The truth was, I would tell Mairin anything I thought she needed to know, but she’d be more likely to hold onto any secrets I shared with her as long as Mathias or anyone in our family wasn’t in any direct danger. My sister had always kept things close and rarely let herself slip. I’d never once found out what my Christmas gifts were before she gave them to me.

I decided to let whatever Xavier didn’t want to tell me go. “Well,” I said, “if I’m ever going to be ready to go, I can’t gab with you on the phone all day, Xavier.”

“Right. Love you.”

“Love you, too.”

It was hard for me to be neutral when it came to the panthers and the vampires. On one hand, I knew the evil the vampires could do and the damage they’d done to my own family. That put me squarely in the same camp as the panthers when it came to exterminating any vampires who were a threat to the people of East Hampton and Highland Home. On the other hand, I saw Mathias with my sister. The kind of love they had was terrifying in its intensity. I knew Mairin wouldn’t survive if the panthers killed Mathias and I was unwilling to lose my sister. The panthers tolerated Mathias because of Mairin and me, but I could see how much that tolerance cost them every time I sat with Xavier during a pride meeting. The subject of the vampires in Highland Home came up regularly and the tension in the room was enough to make me want to run screaming. I hoped someday the two groups could find common ground and stop fighting, but I knew that the essential nature of vampires and werepanthers were so different than my hopes were unlikely to be fulfilled. I’d probably die standing between the two groups, trying to keep them from killing each other.

I finished packing, finally choosing mostly cute summer outfits and tucking a couple of dresses that would hang out quickly into the corner of my suitcase. The vampires and panthers would still be here when I got back from Florida. For now, I wanted to focus on a week away from the metaphysical mess that seemed to follow my family. I wanted to think about nothing more complicated than what to wear to the pond where Xavier swam as a child and what kind of soda to drink when I got hot. I wanted a week away from Highland Home, East Hampton, panthers and vampires. I wanted a week with Xavier.

The wall of heat and moisture that greeted our arrival in Florida took my breath away. The heat waves rising from the tarmac gave the walk from the plane to the terminal feel like a stroll past the gates of hell. I took the deepest breath I could manage in the heavy air and sighed. The fresh ocean scent that had always meant home to me was definitely missing in the muggy mess these Floridians called air. I missed the sea and home already.

“Welcome to Florida, babe,” Xavier said, taking my hand and leading me to the tiny door set into the base of the terminal building.
Sweat ran down my back and I struggled to breathe in the heavy, water-soaked atmosphere.

“You didn’t tell me I’d need gills to breathe here, jerko,” I said.

Xavier laughed. “It’s not that bad. You’re just spoiled.”

“Because I believe breathing should take less energy than running a marathon?” I asked.

“Yep,” he smiled and kissed me. Sweat drops ran down the sides of my face and I cursed under my breath. So much for looking fresh and pretty when I met Xavier’s parents. I'd be lucky if all my makeup hadn't melted permanently into my skin by the time we reached the air conditioning the foggy windows of the terminal promised awaited us.

The blast of arctic air which hit us as the door to the terminal opened was nearly as painful as the sub-tropical surprise that had awaited us as we disembarked from the plane. I went from sweating the shivering in under a minute. Xavier put his arm around my shoulder and kissed my temple. I clung to his warmth, almost missing the large group of shouting people and the neon "Happy Birthday Xavier" sign which awaited our arrival on the far side of the security barriers.

Xavier had spent half of the flight from Highland Home to Florida obsessing over how much his family would embarrass him in front of me. I had assured him that no matter what they did, I would still love him. What I hadn't done, however, was promise not to rub it in if the opportunity presented itself. From the look of the size of the crowd and the neon paint on the sign, the embarrassment was going to be epic and I was going to enjoy every moment of it.

“And you thought they’d forget,” I teased. “I’m glad to see Elise isn’t the only subtle member of your family.” Xavier’s complexion, usually dark from the time he spent in the sun, went decidedly purple with embarrassment and I couldn’t resist kissing his hot cheek. "I love you," I said, clinging to his hand.

"I love you, too," he said, pushing forward into the throng of waiting family.

While Xavier was consumed with hugging and kissing various members of his family, I remembered the strange way Elise had behaved as we'd been leaving for the trip. She had changed her mind three times that morning about whether or not she was going to the airport with us. When we'd been about to head through security and make our way to the gate, she'd cornered me and Xavier and insisted on talking with us privately. We let her pull us away from my family, despite the strange and worried looks from both Tawnya and Mairin.

“I know you two don’t get too far from each other anyway,” she said, “but on this trip, I don’t want you two to be separated. There’s something dark in Florida waiting for you, Xavier.” She’d looked at Xavier, who nodded.

“I’ll keep Kerry safe, Gram, you know that.”

“I know you’ll do your best, Xavier,” she’d said, “but I know if you two don’t stay together, something awful is going to happen. We all know what happened the last time you wandered off alone while you were in Florida.”

I knew Elise could only be referring to the attack that had left Xavier a werepanther. It hadn’t occurred to me to worry that there might be reason to worry about a werepanther attack while we were in Florida. The pride was so protective of me, they made me forget that the reason they were panthers and a pride was because a lone panther had attacked each of them at some point in their lives. The loners were dangerous, murderous in some cases. It was easy to forget that not all werepanthers were like the members of the pride when the pride where the only panthers I saw.

I caught Mairin's look over Elise's shoulder. I wondered, suddenly, if she had dreamed of other panthers and just hadn't wanted to worry me. I knew she trusted Xavier to keep me safe, but even I had to admit that at one time, he'd been the victim of a vicious attack. Somewhere in the swamps near his parents' home lived a loner werepanther with a vendetta against Xavier's family. It wouldn't be good for me to forget again.

Elise took Xavier's hands and put mine in his before clasping her own around ours. “Promise me you’ll stick together, no matter what.”

"Gram, I promise. You know I long ago gave up the idea of finding the bastard who did this to me. I certainly wouldn't go looking for that kind of fight while Kerry is with me."

"I know what has happened in the past, Xavier. I just feel that you might change your mind in the future. I ask only that you promise not to go looking for the panther who changed you while you're in Florida."

"I promise, Gram. I'll bring Kerry home safe. If I don't, all holy hell would break lose between the pride and the leeches and I won't bring that down on our family."

Shock made me tremble as it dawned on me that Xavier was right. My safety was not just a matter of his personal feelings for me. If I were harmed, the vamps at Mathias' house would likely break the tenuous truce they had with the panthers. Mairin would surely find a way to beat Xavier into a bloody pulp, probably with Mathias' help. Highland Home and East Hampton could easily be lost to a metaphysical battle of epic proportions and all because one teenaged girl got hurt while she was on vacation with her boyfriend. I knew I couldn't allow that to happen.

"Elise, I can promise you that even when Xavier's hotter head might want to overrule his good sense, I'll keep him from losing it. We'll stay together and come home safe. I promise."

Elise hugged us both and let us go back to where the rest of the family waited for us. She'd stood a little separate from us all, watching and not joining in with the irreverent ribbing or solemn warnings shared by the family. I knew she was uncomfortable near Mathias, but something else was on her mind today. Each time I caught her watching me and Xavier, I'd smiled, but nothing I did seemed to reassure her that we'd be find in Florida with Xavier's mother and father. I wanted to chock it up to normal worry for the young man she loved as a son, but I couldn't. I was worried, too.

"What is Elise so worried about?" I asked after we'd passed through the security and left our family behind.

"I'm not sure. She's been hinting for a couple of weeks that she didn't really want to let me go to Florida this year, but she never said why."

"Well, at least what she wants from us is easy." I linked my arm with Xavier's. "I'd rather not leave your side anyway."

Xavier's kiss curled my toes and he led us through the terminal to the gate where our plane waited to whisk us away from everything I was comfortable with.

Now I dragged him toward the rest of his not so subtle and currently shouting family members. It was good to know that while my family might be steeped in weird, Xavier’s family made up for being relatively normal by being loud and brash. I loved them before we even made it across the terminal.

“Xavier, you look so good,” a pretty blonde woman said, hugging him. “Too thin, but good.”

“Mom, jeez. I’m not five anymore,” Xavier said. “Don’t you want to meet Kerry before you embarrass me to death?”

I stepped forward and extended my hand. “It’s very nice to meet you, Mrs. Meyers,” I said.

“Call me Dot. Everyone does.” She shook my hand and looked me over. “Xavier has been kind of closed-lipped about you, Kerry. You’ll have to ride with me and tell me all about yourself.”

“Mom, please,” Xavier pleaded. “You’re killing me.”

“Oh please, Xavier. You won’t die because your mother loves you,” Dorothy said.

“Xavier thinks he’s way cooler than he is,” I said. “And he thinks I won’t get even with him for all the times he’s embarrassed me in front of my mother and her partner.” I smiled as Xavier groaned. “I love you,” I said and hooked my arm through Dorothy’s offered elbow. “I want to see all the baby pictures he’s hidden from me at home. Even Elise won't show them to me.”

Xavier threw up his hands and stomped off to the baggage claim to get our bags. I was laughing with Dorothy, but still watching Xavier. I was rarely able to look away from him when we were together, so watching him do mundane things like wait for our bags was normal for me. It wasn’t until I saw him pause that I followed his gaze and saw an older man with sandy hair and light eyes duck behind a pillar. I wondered fleetingly why the man appeared to be hiding from Xavier’s family, but I didn’t have the chance to think anything more of the man’s strange behavior before the rest of Xavier’s family descended on me.

“So Kerry, Xavier tells us that you’re much smarter than he is,” a young woman said. “How come you’re with him if you’re so smart?”

I laughed and felt the heat rise in my cheeks. There was not subtle and then there was conversing using a baseball bat. Xavier’s family seemed to be leaning toward the more extreme end of the scale. “He’s irresistible,” I admitted.

“Oh, Shelli knows that,” a large blonde man who bore a striking resemblance to Dorothy said. “She’s had half a crush on Xavier for most of her life.”

“Dad!”

“Tell the truth and shame the devil, honey.” he smiled at me. “I’m Danny Vargas, Dot’s big brother,” he said, holding out his hand. “This one is my daughter, Shelli.”

“Pleased to meet you both,” I said. Xavier was lugging our bags across the floor, heading for a tall, dark-haired man. I could tell by his resemblance to Elise that this man was Xavier’s father, Tyler. Xavier gestured to where the sandy-haired man had been and his father shook his head. I realized that appearance-wise, Xavier looked far more like the sandy-haired stranger than anyone else in his family. A seed of dread planted itself in my soul as I watched Tyler and Xavier exchange words and glance toward where the sandy-haired man had disappeared. I wanted to ask who the sandy-haired man had been and why Xavier and Tyler both looked concerned, but Dorothy had other plans for us.

“Come on, everyone,” Dorothy said. “The fire pit should be ready when we get back and the whole neighborhood is waiting to see the birthday boy.” She pulled me toward Xavier and his father. “Tyler, you haven’t met Xavier’s young lady,” Dorothy said, placing a hand on her husband’s arm. Tyler turned and smiled at me.

“Pleased to meet you, finally, Kerry. I’m Tyler, Xavier’s dad.”

“I’m glad to meet you, too, sir,” I said.

“No, no. Call me Tyler, hon,” he said. “I’m sure if what Xavier’s said is true, you’ll be around long enough to start calling me dad soon enough.” Tyler smiled and ducked the punch Xavier playfully threw his way.

“You want me to just melt through the floor in embarrassment, don’t you?” Xavier joked. “First mom tells Kerry I haven’t said anything about her, and then you tell her you expect her to marry me. I’ll be in the car.” He grabbed the bags and headed toward the door. I could tell by the way he walked that Xavier wasn’t really upset with his parents. He just wasn’t used to anyone giving him such a hard time. At home, the panthers all deferred to Xavier as the leader of the pride. He was used to being in charge, not being the little boy his parents obviously still saw him as. I thought the whole thing was highly amusing, which, of course, made Xavier even more conscious of not being the big cat he was in East Hampton.

I hefted Mairin's backpack higher on my shoulder and followed Xavier to the car, taking the opportunity to ask, “Xavier, who was the man by the baggage claim?”

“I don’t know,” he said. I could see he was concerned, but trying to hide it. “I asked Dad, but he said he didn’t see the guy.”

“Do you think it’s someone you knew when you were a kid?” I asked.

“No, I didn’t recognize him at all,” Xavier said. “The only reason I noticed him was because he was staring at me and then ducked away when I looked at him.”

We stopped at a large SUV and Xavier dropped the bags by the rear end. While we waited for the rest of the family to catch up to us, Xavier grabbed me and kissed me hard, laughing when he released me. Xavier was like most teenaged boys, reserved in front of adults and a little handsy in private and this was the first time I could recall him ever having kissed me with such passion where anyone could see us.

“What was that for?” I was breathless.

“Because I love you,” Xavier said. “And because it’ll give the cousins something to talk about the whole way to the house.”