“Oh, hello, Mistress.”
“Mistress?” I stared at him and then lookedat Corbin. “Since when am I known as ‘Mistress'?”
He shrugged. “You are my consort. It’s atitle of respect.”
“Whatever.” I sighed and looked at thelittle vamp who was glancing back and forth between us like we wereplaying a particularly confusing tennis match. “Well, what do youwant?” I asked him.
“Oh, er…I actually had a message for myMaster.” He gave Corbin a little head-bobbing bow. “I wanted totell you that the were is here."
Corbin frowned. “Victor is here already? Didyou show him in to the small studio?”
“I did.” The little vamp nodded. “I offeredhim refreshments but he just, er, growled at me. Forgive me,Master, but I don’t think he’s very happy to be here.”
“I wouldn’t expect him to be,” Corbin saidblandly. “Still, he is in my debt and he is obligated to pay.”
“The deal was to pay back the money ininstallments—not to call the whole fucking debt in at once,” a low,growling voice announced.
I looked up in surprise. And up…and up. Thedoorway was suddenly filled with a huge, angry man with black hairthat curled around the edges and dark brown eyes. He was somewherebetween being scruffy and having an outright beard and he was sixfoot six if he was an inch. Even if the little vampire hadn’t saidso, I would have known he was a werewolf just by looking at him—hehad that animalistic energy that only the really strong weres seemto carry around them like a cloud.
By the way he was dressed— in a blackwife-beater that showed off his muscular arms, worn jeans andscuffed work boots—it was clear he didn’t give a damn about makinga good impression in a vampire establishment. That was par for thecourse for a were—they hate vamps. But he still lookedreally out of place in Under the Fang.
The glam club was mostly an upscale place,despite Corbin’s tendency to walk around in jeans and t-shirts halfthe time. Tonight, as he had been the night before, the blondvampire was wearing a beautifully tailored suit. I had stepped upmy own outfit as well and was wearing a little black dress Iusually saved for cocktail parties and Christmas with my family,when I couldn’t get out of it. It wasn’t that I wanted to look nicefor Corbin, I told myself—more like I didn’t want to be forced intochanging again.
“Victor, what a pleasant surprise. I wasunder the impression that you were waiting in the other room.”Corbin shot his assistant a look of extreme displeasure and thelittle vamp turned white with fright. Well, whiter than usual,anyway.
“Yeah, he put me in there but I’m in no moodto wait. We need to talk now,” the other man growled. “Whatthe hell do you think you’re doing, calling in my debt all at once?That wasn’t the fucking agreement and you know it.”
“What if I told you that you could pay backthe entire debt without giving me another penny?” Corbin asked.
The big were frowned.
“I’m not killing anybody—I’m not a damnassassin for hire.”
Corbin showed his fangs with an irritatedhiss.
“Don’t be foolish, Victor—I do my ownkilling. No, what I need from you is entirely different.” He lookedthe other man up and down, frowning. “Although I must say, you arerather underdressed for it.”
“Underdressed for what?” Victordemanded impatiently.
“Why, for your wedding, my friend.” Corbingave him a smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes. “For yourwedding.”
“My what?” Victor shook his head,obviously not understanding. “Sorry, I think I heard you wrong. Itsounded like you said something about me getting married.”
“That is precisely what I said.” Corbin rosesmoothly from behind his desk and was suddenly standing beside thebig were. “I have a female that needs protection outside thevampire sphere. And you, Victor, are as far outside it as it ispossible to get.”
“Wait a minute. Wait a minute.” Itook a step forward, looking up at both of them. “Corbin, you’renot actually thinking what I think you’re thinking—are you?”
“I don’t know, darling,” he said, raising aneyebrow. “What exactly do you imagine I am thinking? Please doelaborate because so far you have done so well at guessingwhat is in my mind.”
I decided to ignore the sarcasm and getstraight to the point.
“Tell me you’re not trying to marry Tayloroff to this…this Neanderthal.” I gestured at the big were whofrowned at me in obvious irritation.
“Taylor? Who’s that?”
“My best friend who also happens to be avampire,” I said tartly.
“What? A vampire?” He turned to Corbin. “Youwant me to marry a fanger?”
“That is exactly what I want, minusthe slurs.” Corbin gave him a level stare. “And unless you have thefifty thousand dollars you owe me in your pocket at this moment,you will do it without question.”
“Look, I know I owe you a lot of money butthere’s no fucking way I’m marrying a vampire,” Victor growled.
“And there’s no way Taylor is marryinganyone like him,” I put in. “You know what she’s beenthrough recently, Corbin—why would you even suggest it?”
“To make her unavailable to Roderick, ofcourse.” He sounded exasperated. “Now that you have made an issueof him wanting her, he will not be deterred from claiming herunless she is completely out of his reach.”
“And you think this is the best answer?” Idemanded.
“It is the only answer,” Corbinsnapped. “And you should be grateful I am willing to bring itabout. It is costing me a considerable amount of money to ensurethe safety of your incompetent little friend.”
“I said, I don’t care how much I owe you,”Victor growled at Corbin, his eyes flashing gold. “I’m notmarrying a fucking fanger.”
“Hello? Can I come in?” We all looked up andsaw Taylor standing there, framed in the doorway.
She was wearing a sleek, cream-colored gownthat clung to her curves in all the right places and a crown ofwhite rosebuds in her long dark hair. Her big blue eyes were widewith uncertainty as she took in the scene in Corbin’s office. Ithought she looked beautiful.
“Taylor,” I said quickly, going to take herhand. “Don’t worry, hon, it’s not going to happen.”
Victor had been staring silently at her, hiseyes still glowing gold and his mouth open. He tore his
