"Yep." Phil was glad to be back in New York, where he could be more useful in the war against the Malcontents. He'd come earlier in the summer to help another MacKay S&I employee, Jack, rescue his fiancée, who had been kidnapped by Malcontents.
For the last year Phil's official assignment had been in Texas, where he'd served on the security team protecting Coven Master and famous fashion designer, Jean-Luc Echarpe. "I had to go back to Jean-Luc's place for a few days to take care of a problem."
"What kind of problem?" Phineas asked. "Did you have fleas, man? They make collars for that, you know."
Howard chuckled.
Phil gave them both a bland look. "It wasn't fleas. It was Billy."
"Billy?" Howard selected a bear claw from the doughnut box. "Isn't he Jean-Luc's new day guard?"
"Yes. He was the local sheriff," Phil explained, "but he retired, so he could work for MacKay S & I. I had a little trouble training him. He was sorta angry with me."
Phineas snorted. "Well, you did bite him, you know."
"He shot me first," Phil muttered.
Phineas grinned. "You looked at him funny."
"So what's the problem with Billy?" Howard munched on his bear claw. "He doesn't like being a werewolf?"
"He was shocked at first," Phil began.
"I'm sure he was." Howard stuffed the last of the bear claw in his mouth. "It can be a tough adjustment for those who become shifters as adults. It's a lot easier for us who were born into were families."
Phineas snickered. "So you had a Mama Bear and Papa Bear? Was your porridge too hot or too cold?"
"It was just right." Howard smiled as he licked the sugar off his fingertips. "So what happened with Billy?"
"After I took him out on his first hunt, he seemed okay," Phil said. "He was excited about having extra strength, superior senses, and a much longer life span. Everything was fine till about two weeks ago when Billy's girlfriend left him and he decided his life was ruined."
"Hey, I remember his girlfriend. She was hot!" Phineas sat up. "Do you have her number? She might need a little comforting from the Love Doctor, if you know what I mean."
Phil snorted. "If she rejected a werewolf, she'd probably reject a Vamp, too. Personally, I don't think she would have stayed with Billy even if he didn't go furry with the full moon. She was used to being a celebrity fashion model in New York and Paris. Life in a small town in Texas would have never suited her. I told Billy that, but he was convinced his life was over."
"What did you do?" Howard asked.
Phil had tried reasoning with Billy, but the new werewolf had sunk into a depression that logic couldn't reach. "I took him to New Mexico. I have an old friend on a Navajo reservation. Very old. And wise. He'd helped me before, so I figured he could help Billy. And he did."
"What did he help you with?" Phineas asked.
"He helped me undertake a...spiritual journey about six months ago. Hard to explain."
Phineas's brown eyes widened. "You got high, didn't you? What were you smokin', man?"
Phil crossed his arms. "I'd rather not discuss it."
Phineas snorted. "Ate some of those mushrooms, huh? Did you dream you were a giant iguana?"
Howard grinned, then cast a curious look at Phil. "I think that's when he became an Alpha."
"Cool," Phineas whispered. "Are you still keeping that Alpha stuff a secret?"
"Yes." Phil took a deep breath. "So, where did Connor go?"
"Oh, that was smooth, bro. We would have never noticed you changing the subject." Phineas motioned toward the monitors. "Connor's making the rounds."
Phil scanned the monitors and noted a blur of movement through the trees west of the parking lot. Connor was moving at vampire speed. "He's fast."
"Like the Flash, man." Phineas cocked his head. "I think he's slowing down. He must have seen something."
"There." Howard pointed at another monitor. "Someone's just teleported onto the grounds."
All three guards tensed, ready to spring into action.
Phil relaxed. "It's Jack."
Phineas lounged back in his chair. "I guess he's just getting back from Venice."
Howard helped himself to another doughnut. "You two going to his engagement party on Friday?"
"I am." Phil watched the monitors. Connor had met up with Jack in the woods.
"Me, too," Phineas added. "Man, have you noticed how many of the guys are getting lucky? Roman, Angus, Jean-Luc, Ian, and now Jack - they're all hooking up with hot-looking babes."
Phil edged behind the desk to fill a cup of coffee from the pot Howard kept on a credenza. "I'm happy for them."
"So am I, but where the hell is my hot babe?" Phineas stood and planted his fists on his hips. "I'm the Love Doctor. The chicks should be climbing all over me."
Howard shoved a small canister toward Phil. "Sugar?"
Phil shook his head.
"Not for a long time, man." Phineas paced across the room. "It's been months since I had any sugar."
Howard offered Phil a canister of Coffee-mate.
Phil shook his head. "I like it black."
"I like 'em black, too." Phineas suddenly halted. "But I'm not prejudiced, you know. I have never failed to jump a woman's bones based on her color or religion. The Love Doctor never turns a lady away."
"That's real sporting of you, Phineas." Phil took a sip of coffee. He noticed on the monitor that Jack and Connor had reached the side entrance. Connor swiped his card, then activated the hand sensor.
Phineas's shoulders slumped. "I just don't get it."
"Get what?" Howard poured himself a cup of coffee, then dumped in a huge amount of sugar.
"All the married Vamps seem really happy." Phineas resumed his pacing. "With just one woman. When there are so many hot chicks in the world, how can you settle for just one?"
"She has to be really special." And of all the women Phil had met in his twenty-seven years, it was Vanda who came to his mind. She didn't wear the facade of indifferent superiority like most Vamp women. She was raw, passionate, and painfully honest. She was in your face. She'd intrigued him from the start.
"I think it's called love," Howard said.
Phil flinched. "I wouldn't call it that. Infatuation, maybe."
Howard gave him an incredulous look. "You don't think Jack loves Lara? Or Roman loves Shanna? Or - "
"Oh, yeah." Phil realized he'd lost the trail of the conversation. "That's definitely love. I-I was thinking about...someone else."
Howard eyed him curiously. "Like who?"
Phil was saved when the buzzer sounded at the door. Connor had activated the security measures outside, causing the door to unlock. Connor and Jack walked in.
Jack smiled and shook hands as he greeted everyone. "You're all coming to the engagement party, yes? I want Lara to feel welcomed in the Vamp world."
"We're coming," Howard said.
"Where is Lara?" Phil asked.
"At her apartment," Jack answered. "I teleported her there first, so she could get some sleep. She's worn-out from sightseeing all day in Venezia."
"I'm glad ye're back." Connor stood next to the desk and folded his arms across his chest. "Phil just arrived tonight, too, so I'd like to catch everyone up to date."
"Good." Jack perched on the far corner of the desk.
Howard sat behind the desk, while Phineas and Phil took the chairs in front. When everyone was focused on Connor, he began.
"The latest information we have indicates that Casimir has moved to North America. We have no idea where he's setting up his base of operations, but we do know that he liked to visit his friend Apollo, in Maine. We're assuming he doesna know that Apollo and Athena have been killed."
Phil drank some coffee. Earlier in July he had helped Jack rescue his fiancée, Lara, who was being held captive at Apollo's Malcontent compound in Maine. Jack had killed Apollo, while Phil had teamed up with Lara to kill Athena. "We left the compound empty. Most of the mortals had their memories erased and were sent back home."
"What happened to the girl who wanted to keep her memory?" Jack asked.