Rogue Darkness by Dianne Duvall

She shrugged. “Habit, I suppose. Plus, Gershom always exuded so much power that the little things we could do seemed inconsequential.”

Seth sighed. “At least we may have that in our favor. If they thought capturing an immortal would enable them to gain eternal youth and special powers…”

Zach grunted. “They’d cause as much trouble as the mercenary outfits did.”

And the mercenary outfits had caused mountains of trouble, all in a quest to create an invincible army they could hire out to the highest bidder for billions.

“Our primary lead,” Seth continued, “is Becca.”

And Chris seemed set against Nick posing as her.

“Then I’ll continue my ruse,” Nicole said.

“No,” Sean insisted. “If Nick can’t do it, let another shape-shifter do it.”

Though she was loath to admit it, Nicole didn’t trust Nick not to screw up again and kill their only lead. That had completely caught them off guard.

“I can do it,” Aidan volunteered. “But I’ll need to spend a week with Becca first to get her appearance, voice, and mannerisms down.”

A week? Nicole glanced around the table. “Can we afford that kind of delay? If the vampires go missing for a few days, the bad guys might blame it on insanity. But if Becca disappears for a week, they may suspect we’re onto them and become even more covert in their actions. If we can’t identify and track them now, how much harder will it be if they go dark?”

“I agree,” Seth said.

“As do I,” David added. “But if Nicole continues to pose as Becca, she should only do so until Aidan can replace her.”

“Why can’t Aidan replace her now?” Sean protested, and glanced at the Celtic immortal. “You’re an ancient. Would it really be that hard for you to pretend to be Becca?”

“Harder than you might think,” Aidan responded honestly. “I usually shift into the form of animals. I haven’t assumed the form of another person in”—he thought on it a moment—“at least a couple thousand years.”

Seth nodded. “If Becca were a man, it would be easier. Aidan wouldn’t have to alter his height as much. Adopting and maintaining a smaller form for long periods is always more challenging than going bigger. He also wouldn’t have to speak in a higher voice, conceal his accent, or walk like a woman.”

Sean’s brow furrowed. “Could you do it? Or Zach?”

Seth shook his head. “We’re needed elsewhere too often.”

Leah chimed in. “I would do it if I were better at shape-shifting. I wouldn’t have to change my accent or my walk. And speaking in a higher voice wouldn’t be a stretch. But this is all still new to me, and I haven’t had enough practice. Most of my attempts to impersonate others are hilarious.”

Seth grinned. “She has difficulty holding the shape, so her features often fluctuate.”

Leah laughed. “It’s creepy as hell. Like something out of a horror movie.”

“Then I’ll do it,” Nicole repeated. “I’ll pose as Becca again.” When Sean immediately opened his mouth, she turned to him and held up a hand. “It’s just temporary. Last time, it took two weeks for them to attempt another snatch-and-grab. So I doubt anything will happen before Aidan replaces me.”

Tight-lipped, he stared at her for a long moment before turning to Seth. “She’s not doing it unless I pose as her boyfriend.”



Nicole scowled at him. “What?”

Sean didn’t care. She had just volunteered to place herself in danger. Again. “You heard me.”

“How can you pose as Becca’s boyfriend? You already pretended to be mine the night I took Becca to the bar.”

“And Reed was the only one who saw me with you.”

“That you know of.”

“I don’t care. I’m not letting you do this alone, even if I have to dye my hair blond and get real tattoos this time.”

Melanie held up a finger. “Just a note. Immortals can’t get tattoos. The virus views the ink as a chemical foreign to the body and pushes it back out.”

Everyone stared at her.

“Seriously?” Sean asked.

“Yes.”

“She’s right,” Aidan inserted. “I learned that firsthand. The only time the virus doesn’t rid you of tattoos is if you already have them when you transform.”

Melanie nodded. “It’s the same with dental fillings.”

“Fine,” Sean stated. “I’ll just buy more temporary tattoos.”

Tessa leaned forward. “Sean can be her boyfriend, and I can be Becca’s new roommate. That way, we can keep Nicole safe until Aidan’s ready.”

Sean could go with that. Two protectors would be better than one. And Tessa fought with the speed and strength of an elder.

But Nicole frowned. “Now, wait a minute. Seth didn’t even say Sean could do it with me.” She sent Sean a narrow-eyed look. “And don’t say ba-dum-tish.”

He laughed. How did she do that—aggravate him one second and make him laugh the next?

Nicole merely arched a brow. “And when Aidan takes my place? Are you going to make out with him, too?”

Ummm…

Sheldon perked up. “You two made out?”