Vampires Need Not…Apply? (Accidentally Yours #4)(22)
Author: Mimi Jean Pamfiloff

“No. It makes him selfish. He can’t stand the thought of letting someone else save the day because he wants the glory all for himself.”

Silence.

“I would have found a way,” Zac said, “not to hurt you and to do my job. My brother is a blind fool for letting you go. And regardless of if he wakes up, he will always hurt you again because he will never put you first.”

Ouch. He’s going for Penelope’s jugular, Ixtab thought, unable to believe Zac’s cruelty.

“I can’t help how I feel, Zac. I just can’t.”

“Yes, you can. Look at me,” Zac commanded.

Uh-oh…

“What are you doing, Zac?” Penelope whimpered.

“You will forget him, Penelope. You want to be with m—”

Ixtab burst through the door. “Zac, stop.”

Zac’s turquoise eyes broke with Penelope’s absent gaze and then fixed on Ixtab.

“What the hell are you doing?” Ixtab growled.

He looked at Penelope and released her. “We were talking.”

“Like hell you were.” Ixtab stormed between the two, careful not to touch Penelope. She removed her veil to stare up into her brother’s irate face. “You were using your gift on her, weren’t you?”

“No. It’s okay, Ixtab,” Penelope said from behind.

Zac was a good foot taller and infinitely stronger, but Ixtab had other gifts. Ones her brothers and sisters knew not to mess with. And she didn’t mean knitting.

Ignoring Penelope, Ixtab stood on her tiptoes. “You weren’t just talking, and we both know it.”

Zac made a little shrug and crossed his arms over his chest.

“How long have you known your gift?” Ixtab asked.

He smiled and his eyes twinkled. No wonder Penelope couldn’t resist him. His smell. His body. He was like honey and human women were like bees. How could they, the gods, have missed it? Zac’s attractiveness and magnetism were ten times that of any normal deity, which said a lot considering how humans threw themselves at the gods. But Zac, he had an extra helping of irresistibility.

“Zac, go home. Now!” Ixtab commanded.

“I’m not leaving without Penelope. I love her, and she’s mine,” he said.

“No. You want to possess her. That’s not love. And if you try to take her, then you’ll have to go through me, and it won’t be pretty.” Ixtab raised her hands, and Zac backed away.

“Then you’ll go down with me if you use your powers against my will,” he said smugly.

Ixtab shrugged. “Ask me if I give a rat’s ass. Remember, I’ve got nothing to lose, and I hate my role. Let them banish me and take away my powers. It would be the vacay I’ve been praying for.”

To prove her point, she swiped at Zac’s chest.

Zac jumped back and growled as he turned for the front door. “This isn’t over, Ixtab.” He slammed the door behind him.

Ixtab swiped her veil and covered her head before turning to Penelope. “You okay?”

Penelope shook her head and placed her hand over her stomach. “I don’t know. I don’t feel… right.”

“It’ll wear off in a few hours.” Ixtab turned and glared at the front door.

Idiot. She’d have to bring this up at the next summit. Zac had gone too far. Not only had he known his gift and not told the others, but he used it on Penelope without permission. This was a violation of their most sacred law. Yep, right up there with no time travel. And wearing pants at the summit table. Okay, maybe that last one isn’t sacred, but it should be.

Penelope turned and headed for the door. “I need to go after him. I need to talk to Zac—”

“Penelope, it’s not real. Zac used his powers on you and likely has been doing it for a while.”

Penelope reached the door, ignoring Ixtab, and pulled the handle.

“Zac isn’t the God of Love as we suspected, he’s the God of Temptation,” Ixtab blurted out. “And I’d bet my best pair of flip-flops, he compelled Kinich to want your blood more than anything on the planet.”

* * *

“I did what you asked, Cimil. And not only didn’t it work, but Ixtab discovered us.” Zac stared out the tinted window from the back of the limo at the passing cars, talking into his phone.

“Hmmm. That does sound like a furry pickle,” Cimil replied.

“This isn’t a f**king joke! I’ve lost her. And I’ll be tried for treason. This is all your f**king fault. Why the hell did I listen to you?”

“Roberto! The microwave is beeping!” Cimil cleared her throat. “Sorry, Zac, my potpie is ready. Where was I?”

Cimil was so damned lucky he didn’t know where she was. Otherwise, he’d go there now and squeeze the life right out of her.

“Let me think. I’ve lost the only woman I’ve ever loved!” Zac bellowed. “That’s where we f**king were! And after seventy thousand years, I finally discovered my gift only to face banishment. Oh yeah. And they’ll strip away my powers!”

“Banishment? Strip power? That sounds awful. What the heck did you do?” she asked.

She was going to play the “I’m Stupid” game, was she? “I’m going to kill you, Cimil. And then, when you get a new body, I’ll kill you again.”

“Now, now, brother. Calm down. You don’t see Minky getting in a tizzy when things don’t go her way.”

“Minky is a unicorn.” Strangle, strangle, strangle her…

“Shhhh… She might hear you. Minky thinks she’s a vampire who turns into a bat. How else would she be able to fly? Anyhooooo, the truth is that I didn’t want to tell you.”

“Tell me what?” he asked.

“The truth. I didn’t want to tell you the truth.”

“Which is?” he asked reluctantly.

“Roberto! Potpie! Now!” Cimil barked and then returned to her conversation. “You think a vampire with that sort of hearing would get that the microwave’s beckoning him to bring me my savory snack.”

“Cimiiil? Truth!” Zac growled.

“Truth? Truth? Oh, shucks. Where did I put it this time? Hold on, brother. Now let me see… Oh, look! I found an original bionic man doll!”

Zac heard clanks and crashing in the background.

“Where the hell are you, Cimil?”

“Popping tags with Roberto,” she replied.

“Popping what?” he asked.