Night Play (Dark-Hunter #6)(6)
Author: Sherrilyn Kenyon

The Peltiers even had an Arcadian Sentinel who watched over the place and that was the greatest feat of all. Arcadians were the Were-Hunters who had human hearts and they were mortal enemies to the Katagaria, who had animal hearts. In fact, the two species had been at war with each other for thousands of years.

The Arcadians were supposedly the kinder branch of Vane’s people, but his experience said that was wishful thinking on their part. He’d much sooner trust a Katagaria with an animal heart than an Arcadian with a human heart any day. At least the animals attacked you openly. They weren’t nearly as treacherous as a human.

But then, no Katagaria female had ever held him the way Bride had. None had ever made him feel this strange protectiveness that wanted nothing more than to go back to the restaurant where he’d left her, take her into his arms and carry her home with him.

It didn’t make a bit of sense.

He strode through the saloon doors to find Dev Peltier sitting on a tall barstool at the entrance. Dev was one of Mama Bear’s quadruplets. Even though they were identical in looks, each of the quads had a very distinct personality and carriage.

Dev was easygoing and slow to anger. He exuded an air of powerful grace and moved methodically like most bearsas if he had all the time in the world. But Vane knew the bear could be damned near as quick to move as any wolf.

The first time he had seen Dev lunge at his younger brother Serre in a play fight, he’d developed a healthy respect for the bear’s abilities.

Tonight, Dev wore a black T-shirt that didn’t quite cover up the Artemis bow mark on his biceps that he had as a goof on the Daimons and Apollites who occasionally ventured inside the bar. He was playing five-card draw with Rudy, one of the human employees who had no idea that half the "people" in the bar were really animals walking on two legs.

Rudy had straight black hair pulled back into a ponytail, and a rough face that showed every sign of how hard the ex-con’s life had been. He had a full black beard and every inch of exposed skin was covered with some kind of colorful tattoo.

The man was truly grimy and, unlike the Were-Hunters who made this their home, he wasn’t attractive. In fact, that was the easiest way to tell the humans from the animals. Since Vane’s people valued beauty above all else, it was rare to find an unattractive Were-Hunter.

Like his brothers’, Dev’s curly blond hair fell all the way down his back. As always, he wore it loose. He had on a pair of tight, faded jeans and black boots.

Dev acknowledged him with a tilt of his head. "Hey, wolf, you okay?"

Vane shrugged as he neared them. "Just tired."

"Maybe you should cop a nap at the house," Dev said as he reached for two more cards.

Peltier House was adjacent to the bar. It was there that they could assume their animal forms without fear of discovery. The Peltiers had more alarm systems than Fort Knox and at least two members of the family were on guard at all times against any intruder, human or otherwise.

"It’s all right," Vane said. He earned his keep and Fang’s. The last thing he wanted was for anyone to accuse him of taking charity from the Bear clan, so he worked an average of ten hours a day, every day, for the Peltiers. "I told Nicolette I’d relieve Cherise at the bar tonight."

"Yeah," Rudy said as he took a drag on his cigarette, then adjusted his cards.

"Cherise is dying to go home early. Nick is going to take her to Antoine’s for her birthday."

Vane had forgotten it was the human’s birthday. For some reason, those were special to humans. Probably because they had so few of them.

Vane excused himself and headed toward the bar. He passed the tables where Wren, a rare white leopard Katagaria, was clearing them. Marvin the monkey (the only animal at Sanctuary that couldn’t take human form) sat on the leopard’s shoulder and held tight to Wren’s blond hair.

Those two had a strange relationship. Much like Vane and Fang, Wren had come to the Peltiers as an exile. He kept to himself and seldom spoke to anyone other than Marvin. Even so, there was something lethal about the leopard’s eyes that told everyone to leave him alone if they valued their lives.

Wren looked up at Vane as he passed the tables Wren was cleaning, but said nothing. "Hey, Vane!" Cherise Gautier said, her face beaming as she caught sight of him. She was a beautiful blond woman in her early forties. Her ever-ready smile and warm heart could win over just about anyone. "You okay, honey? You look tired."

It still amazed him just how intuitive Cherise was for a human. Vane lifted the back section of the bar’s countertop and let himself into the serving area.

"I’m fine," he said, even though he didn’t feel that way.

He felt as if something were missing. As if he should go back to Bride.

How stupid was that?

"You sure?" she asked.

He could sense her concern. And that made him extremely uncomfortable.

No one other than his brother and sister had ever given a damn about him.

Cherise was a strange human.

She flipped the white towel she’d been cleaning the bar with over her shoulder.

"You know, my son is your age"

Vane fought the urge to laugh at that. Nick Gautier was twenty-six in human years while Vane was four hundred and sixty. But of course, Cherise had no idea of Vane’s true age. Any more than she knew her son was working for the Dark-Hunters, who were all immortal vampire slayers.

"And I know how you guys burn yourselves out. You need to take better care of yourself, sweetie. I swear you haven’t had a day off since Mama hired you.

Why don’t you take the night off for once and go have some fun?"

"It’s all right," he said quietly as he took the towel from her shoulder. "I’ve got it. Besides, Rudy said it was your birthday."

She blew him a raspberry. "I’m too old for birthdays. I’d rather see you enjoy your youth while you still have it."

"Yeah," Kyle Peltier, the youngest of the bears, said as he joined them from the back room with a large rack of clean glasses. Just Nick’s age, Kyle was barely out of puberty since Were-Hunters didn’t mature until their twenties. "Why don’t you enjoy the six seconds you have left of your youth, Vane?"

Vane flipped him off, then urged Cherise toward her purse. "Go home, Cherise."

"But"

"Go," Vane growled, "and have a good birthday."

She sighed, then patted him on the arm. "All right." She grabbed her sweater and purse from under the bar.

"I’ll punch you out," Kyle said, lifting the bar counter for her so that she could step out.

"Thanks."

Vane started pulling the glasses out of the rack and putting them away while Kyle went to help Wren bus the tables.

Colt Theodorakopolus sauntered up to the bar. The Ursulan Arcadian stood even in height with Vane, who felt an instant dislike for the were-bear. Though, to be honest, Colt seemed decent enough. His mother’s mate had been killed while his mother was pregnant with him. Knowing she would die as soon as her cub was born, she’d come to Sanctuary and begged the Peltiers to raise her son for her.

To Vane’s knowledge, Colt had never met another Arcadian bear member.

As a Sentinel, Colt should have one side of his face covered by Sentinel markingsstrange, geometric designs that appeared as a birthmark once the Sentinel reached maturity. But Colt, like many Sentinels who lived outside of

their clans or in seclusion, chose to hide them, along with his powers.

No one knew how powerful Colt was until they crossed him. Then it was too late.

A hiding Sentinel was a most dangerous thing.

Unlike the other bears, Colt had short black hair and looked remarkably clean-cut.

"Give me whisky," Colt said to Vane. "And hold the human hair."

Vane nodded at the phrase that meant Colt wanted the hard liquor that would completely inebriate a human with one shot. Since their kind had a higher metabolism, they could handle a lot more alcohol.

He poured a large shot glass, then placed it on the bar in front of Colt. The instant he pulled his hand back, he felt a strange burning sensation.

Hissing, Vane blew across his palm. He moved to one of the bar lamps to see what he’d done to it.

As he looked, a strange scrolling design seared itself onto his skin.

"Oh shit," he breathed as he saw it take form.

Colt ducked under the bar and came up behind him. His jaw went slack.

"You’re mated?" he asked incredulously. "Who’s the lucky she-wolf?"

Vane couldn’t breathe as he saw the marking. How could this be?

"It’s impossible."

Colt laughed. "Yeah, right, you sound like Serre when he got mated. Trust me, it happens to the best of us."

"No," Vane said, meeting the bear’s gaze. "She’s human. I’m a wolf. I can’t be mated to a human. It’s not possible."

The color faded from Colt’s face as the full impact of Vane’s situation hit him.

"You unlucky bastard. It’s not often that an Arcadian mates to a human, but it does happen."

"I’m not Arcadian," Vane snarled. There was nothing human in him.

Nothing.

Colt grabbed his hand and held it up to Vane’s line of sight. "Argue with this all you want to. But face it, Vane. Your three weeks are ticking. Either you claim the human or you’ll live out the rest of your life without ever feeling another female’s touch."

"Ow!" Bride snapped as her hand started burning. She pressed it up against her glass of water.

"What’s wrong?" Mina asked as she picked out another oyster to eat.

"I don’t know," Bride said. "My hand just started hurting."

Tabitha touched Bride’s plate. "Nothing’s hot. Did you cut your hand on an oyster shell?"

"No," Bride said, pulling her hand back to look at it. There was a beautiful design on her palm. It reminded her of some ancient Greek design. "What on earth?"

Mina frowned as she looked at it. "Did you get a henna tattoo?"

"No. I didn’t do anything. I swear. It wasn’t there five seconds ago."

Tabitha leaned over to look at it. "How weird," she said. "And coming from me, that means something."

That was very true. Tabitha Devereaux was the epitome of odd.

"You’ve never seen anything like this?" Bride asked Tabitha.

"Nope. Maybe we’re all delusional. Maybe it’s like Plato’s theory and there’s nothing there but skin. Maybe we’re just seeing what we want to see."

Mina snorted as she poured Tabasco sauce on her oyster. "Just because you live in a constant state of insanity, Tabby, doesn’t mean the rest of us do."

Bride laughed at them.

She traced the design on her palm and wondered what on earth could have placed it there.

Colt gave Vane a hard stare. "Look, I know you can’t stand me. But I’ve got your back. Go see your woman and I’ll cover here in the bar."

"I don’t need you to"

"Stop being so damned stubborn," Colt said from between clenched teeth.

"You have a mate out there, Vane, and whether you’re Arcadian or Katagaria, you know the one law that governs us all. Your mate’s safet