“I can’t sleep.”

Beth heard that complaint from Donny, but didn’t open her eyes. She was exhausted and had been dozing in her seat before Donny’s words had drawn her back from the edge of slumber. Besides, she didn’t think he was addressing her anyway, as was proven by his next words.

“I don’t know how Beth can sleep.”

“Exhaustion,” Scotty said softly. “She didn’t sleep at the house.”

Beth barely kept from blinking her eyes open with surprise. Not because he knew she hadn’t slept at the Enforcer house. She supposed Sam had told him that. She was surprised because his tone had almost been affectionate. Affection was not something she would’ve connected with Scotty’s attitude toward her. This was new and just plain confusing.

“She must’ve had an interesting life,” Donny commented, and then in a wry voice added, “You probably both have.”

“Aye,” Scotty said. “Living a long time tends to make fer at least a few interestin’ interludes.”

“Yeah, I suppose so,” Donny murmured, and then gave a soft chuckle and said, “Or maybe it’s being immortal. It’s certainly brought about some interesting events in my life.”

Scotty merely grunted at the comment, and silence reigned for a moment before Donny asked, “Do you ever wonder about them?”

“About who, lad?” Scotty asked mildly.

“The Atlanteans.”

“Not really,” Scotty said dismissively.

“I do,” Donny told him.

“And what do ye wonder about them?” Scotty asked indulgently.

“Well, what if Atlantis never fell? I mean, do you think their scientists would have fixed the flaw?”

“What flaw is that?”

“You know, the flaw in the programming of the nanos that keeps them from disintegrating and allowing us to be normal again.”

Beth almost sat up and put in her two cents’ worth then, but was too tired to bother, so simply stayed put and listened. She couldn’t help thinking, though, that if the people of Atlantis were anything like modern people, she didn’t imagine they were too upset with the results of that flaw. It was a scientific fountain of youth. Humans reached their peak somewhere between twenty-five and twenty-eight depending on the person, and so that was the state nanos ensured their hosts were returned to and stayed at . . . basically forever, as far as she could tell. Well, barring a beheading or burning up. It was one heck of a flaw.

“Or,” Donny continued, “do you think any of those scientists at Argeneau Enterprises might ever find a way to reverse the flaw or something? Reprogram the nanos or whatever?”

Beth waited curiously for Scotty’s answer, but he merely asked solemnly, “What do you think, lad?”

“I think they’ve been working with those nanos an awfully long time and not figured out anything,” he answered. “And I think even though they know it’s the natural order, maybe people are mostly afraid to die . . . including the scientists. So, maybe they don’t really want to find the fix for the flaw in the nanos.”

“And I think I was right before. Ye are a cannie lad, boyo,” Scotty said, sounding impressed.

“So, that would be a no?” Donny asked in a wry tone. “No, they won’t find the way to fix the flaw?”

“Would ye mind if they did no’?” Scotty queried, sounding curious.

“You’re asking if I’d mind staying young and strong forever?” he said on a laugh. “Of course not.”

They were both silent for a minute and then Donny added solemnly, “I do miss having family, though. I mean, mine weren’t the greatest, but they were family.”

“I ken family is usually thought o’ as forged by blood, lad, but blood does no’ always make fer good family. Just look at Cain and Abel, or Constantine. Sometimes a better family can be forged through friendship and time.” He paused, apparently to let that sink in, and then added, “Once ye’re a full-blown hunter, ye’ll find yer partner and coworkers becoming family to ye. Immortals ken the importance o’ family and recognize that ye have none now and will adopt ye into theirs.”

“Maybe.” Donny sounded dubious.

“I’m surprised Leigh and Lucian have no’ pulled ye into their family already,” Scotty commented.

“So you were awake for that part of the ride back to the house too, were you?” Donny asked on a chuckle. Scotty didn’t respond, at least not verbally. He must have nodded or something, though, because Donny grunted, and then said, “As for Leigh and Lucian, they kind of have tried to include me in their family, I think. I mean, Leigh invites me for every holiday and tries to get me to come out, but . . .”

“But ye’re no’ comfortable with them?” Scotty guessed. “Mayhap ye still feel some guilt for Leigh’s getting turned because o’ ye?”

“Yeah,” Donny said on a sigh. “And then there’s the fact that I don’t think Lucian likes me much.”

“Really? Why would that be?” Scotty asked with interest, and then must have read his mind because he said with certainty, “Ye still ha’e a crush on Leigh.”

“Well, sure,” Donny said as if that should be a given. “I mean, Leigh’s beautiful, and smart and awesome and—”

“I do no’ think Lucian does no’ like ye,” Scotty interrupted dryly.

“Really? Why? Has he said something to you about me?” Donny asked eagerly.

“Nay.”

“Then why?” he asked with confusion.

“Because if he’s read the thoughts in yer mind about his Leigh and has no’ yet beat ye to a pulp, then he must like ye a great deal. He also has more patience than I ever credited him with,” Scotty said dryly.

“Oh,” Donny muttered, sounding embarrassed.

“Oh, is right,” Scotty said with disgust. “Did ye have such X-rated thoughts about my life mate, ye’d no’ be long fer this world. At the very least ye’d get a sound thrashin’.” He paused briefly to let that sink in and then added, “Ye ha’e to learn to control yer thoughts, lad. Ye must remember any immortal older than ye can read every thought out o’ yer head.”

“Right,” Donny said on a dejected sigh.

“Ye need to learn to not think except in private.”

“Not think?” Donny echoed with disbelief. “That’s not even possible!”

“O’ course it is,” Scotty assured him. “Ye just pay attention to everything around ye and cut out the commentary in yer head until ye’re alone.”

“The commentary?” Donny asked uncertainly.

“Aye, that voice in yer head that says, ‘Hot damn, those candy-apple-red shoes are fine. I want to strip off every bit o’ clothing she has on, licking her from top to bottom as I do, and then, once she’s left in only those shoes, back her up against the wall and screw her slow and hard.’”

Beth blinked her eyes open and gawked briefly at the two men before catching herself and closing them again. She couldn’t believe those were the words in Donny’s head . . . and about Leigh too! Damn, he was lucky Lucian hadn’t killed him. That amazed her, but no more than how hot the young man’s thoughts were! Especially when spoken in Scotty’s deep, sexy voice. She’d actually envisioned all that happening as he spoke the words . . . only to her, wearing her candy-apple-red shoes. And it hadn’t been Donny but Scotty doing the stripping, licking, and slow screwing.

Damn, Beth knew what she’d be fantasizing in bed tonight. It was just a shame she couldn’t actually act it out with Scotty for real. But the man was over eight hundred years old. Unmated immortals started losing interest in food and sex and things like that sometime after their first hundred years as an immortal. By their two hundredth year they were usually pretty much off both, and they stayed that way until they met their life mate.

Beth had been an immortal for nearly a hundred and twenty-five years now, but hadn’t found her hungers waning at all yet. She loved food, all kinds of it, and she enjoyed sex . . . most of the time . . . well, maybe half the time. The truth was, she hadn’t really been fussy on sex while mortal, but that probably had more to do with her situation than anything. Since the turn, though, she’d wanted sex, but was most often left feeling unsatisfied by it. Beth had no idea why. It wasn’t like she didn’t have orgasms or anything. She did. It was just . . . the best way she could think to describe it was that it was like when you were craving cherry pie, but had only apple. It could be the most amazing apple pie in the world, but still wasn’t the cherry pie you were really yearning for, and you were left feeling slightly dissatisfied. That’s how Beth found sex since the turn. Like it was good, but it just wasn’t quite measuring up. Weird.

“But how do you cut out the commentary?” Donny asked now with frustration. “It just comes out. I don’t know how to not think.”

“Ye do. Ye just ne’er try to censor yourself because ye’re used to thinking yer thoughts are yer own,” Scotty said firmly. “I’ll no’ lie, it’ll be hard and ’twill take some time fer ye to learn, but ye can do it. We all had to. And ’tis better to make yerself do it ere a stray thought has an older immortal thrash ye, or worse.”

“Or worse?” Donny asked warily.

“I ken o’ immortals who ha’e been killed fer stray thoughts they did no’ control,” he said solemnly. “And I’d no’ like to see ye added to that list.”

“Neither would I,” Donny said unhappily.

“I’ll do what I can to help ye with it.”

“Thank you. I’d appreciate that,” Donny said sincerely.

Another brief silence fell and then Donny asked, “Your life mate?”

“What?” Scotty sounded confused.

“Earlier you said, ‘Did ye have such X-rated thoughts about my life mate, ye’d no’ be long fer this world.’” Donny reminded him. “So? You do have a life mate?”

“Nay. Well, aye, I do,” he confessed. “But I have no’ claimed her.”

“What! Why?” Donny asked with an amazement shared by Beth.

“’Tis a . . . delicate situation,” Scotty said uncomfortably.

“Delicate how?” Donny prodded.

Beth half expected Scotty to tell the boy to mind his own business. Instead, he muttered, “She was no’ ready yet.”

Donny was silent for a minute, and Beth could almost hear his brain ticking as he tried to work that out. And then he said, “Like she’s not ready because she’s too young? A kid?”

“Something like that,” Scotty muttered evasively.

“How young?” Donny asked with obvious curiosity.

“It does no’ matter,” Scotty said shortly, and ended the conversation by saying, “I did no’ sleep well last night. I’m going to get some shut-eye.”

Beth lay awake for a while. At first she was hoping Donny would get Scotty to say more, but then she got to thinking about the fact that Scotty had met his life mate. It might be the reason for his suddenly being nice to her. After all, that would make anyone happy. Of course, his not being able to claim his life mate because she was too young was a wrinkle. Especially since, having met his life mate, all of his hungers would now be reawakened. He’d have a taste for food again . . . and sex. Food wasn’t a problem, but if his life mate was too young to claim, he would have no way to sate his reawakened urges for sex other than to look elsewhere.

For a moment, Beth briefly toyed with the idea that he might be open to an affair with her. The idea of actually having real sex with the man instead of the fantasies and dreams she’d been enjoying for over a century was not something she’d ever even considered. Now she did, and just the thought of it set her body tingling.

It wouldn’t be like cheating for him either, she assured herself. After all, if his life mate was too young, and he hadn’t yet claimed her, they weren’t a couple. That sounded reasonable to her.

The stumbling block was that Scotty had never seemed to like her very much. And still might not, she considered. His behavior toward her had been pleasant enough so far, but it wasn’t like they’d had much of a chance to talk. No, she was probably the last person he’d be interested in bedding. Which might be a good thing, she decided. After over a century of sexual fantasies about the man . . . well, it wasn’t likely that he’d be able to live up to the Scotty of her dreams. That would be terribly disappointing.

Sighing, Beth let the brief idea go and allowed herself to finally drift off to sleep.

“I don’t see anybody,” Donny said. “Do you see anybody?”

Beth stifled a yawn as she glanced around the small airfield where they’d landed. It was made up of a long strip of tarmac, at the end of which was a large hangar, and a small building with huge glass windows making up the wall that overlooked the landing strip. Not spotting the standard black SUV either parked or driving toward them, she shrugged and suggested, “Maybe they’re a little late.”

“Maybe,” Donny allowed. “Or maybe Mortimer wasn’t able to get a hold of anyone. He said to call him if no one was waiting here for us. I better call.”

“Be my guest,” Beth said wearily. Once she’d fallen asleep, she’d fallen hard and hadn’t woken again until Scotty had shaken her awake to let her know they’d landed. She still wasn’t quite awake. She needed a coffee. Her gaze focused speculatively on the small building next to the hangar, and then she headed for it. They might have a coffee machine or something. Maybe. Hopefully.

“Wait!” Donny said, lowering his phone when she started away. “Where are you going?”

“I’m going to see if they have any coffee inside. Do you want one too?”

“But—Scotty’s still talking to the pilot. Shouldn’t we wait for him?”

Scotty had taken on the duty of retrieving the envelope Mortimer had mentioned from the pilot. Beth had been too tired to be annoyed at his taking over again and had merely headed out of the plane to see if their ride was here. Now she paused and turned back to say, “Yeah, and you can do that. I’m getting coffee and coming right back. Again, do you want anything?”

“Uh . . .”

Shaking her head, Beth turned to walk away, saying, “One regular coffee coming up.”

“A hazelnut latte if they have them,” Donny called after her. “With skim milk, and sweetener.”

Beth just shook her head and kept walking. What did he think? Was he expecting there to be a fancy café inside serving lattes, cappuccinos and biscotti? And . . . really? A hazelnut latte with skim milk and sweetener?

“Dear Lord, he’s a girl in disguise,” Beth muttered to herself as she reached the building. Opening the door, she stepped inside and cast a quick glance around the small, empty waiting area. It wasn’t very impressive. The floor was a dull gray tile, the walls a muddy cream. A single row of six upholstered seats sat on a supporting beam that was bolted into the floor facing the windows, but the faux leather of the seats was torn in several places and marked with graffiti. Beth noted two doors on her right—a men’s room and ladies’ room—and then focused wholly on the vending machines along the wall on the left. She headed for the one with a picture of a cup of coffee on the top and another picture, this time of coffee beans, on the bottom.

Much to Beth’s surprise, the machine offered more than standard coffee, and she had her choice of coffee, cappuccino, mocha, Americano, espresso, hot chocolate, tea, apple cider, and yes, even a latte. However, it was just a straight latte, not a flavored one, and she was quite sure it was made with a flavor packet and hot water, not milk of any kind.

“Donny’s going to be so disappointed,” she murmured with amusement, digging in her pocket for change.

“Who is Donny?”

Beth glanced around with a start to see a tall, good-looking and slender dark-haired man crossing the waiting area toward her. He’d obviously just come out of the men’s room. The door was still closing behind him. She stared at him blankly for a minute, surprise battling with recognition, and then whirled around squealing, “Oh my God, Matias!”

Before she’d fully turned, he had crossed the room. Grabbing her by the waist, he whirled her around, laughing.

“Is good to see you, Beth. You are beautiful as ever,” he said warmly, pulling her into a bear hug as he stopped turning.

“You too,” Beth said with a smile, and then pulled back to look at him. “How long has it been? Two years?”

“Sí, so long,” he groaned, hugging her tightly again and this time lifting her off the ground. “I think about you all the time. And I miss you every day.”

Beth chuckled at his words, then wrapped her legs around his waist and used the position to force her upper body back so she could look him in the eyes. She did hate dangling in the air like a child. “I think about you often too, Matias,” she assured him solemnly. “Spain just wasn’t the same after you left.”

“And so you followed me here to Canada, sí?” he teased with a grin.

“Actually, I followed Drina,” she said almost apologetically.

“Ah, sí, I heard she found her life mate here,” he said seriously. “I am very happy for her. But for me,” he added, the solemnity falling away to be replaced by a wide grin, “I am happy because you are here.”

“And I’d be happy if someone’d explain just who in the bloody blazes ye are.”

Beth blinked in surprise at those words in a deep growl, and turned her head to see Scotty standing just inside the door to the terminal, scowling at her like she was a misbehaving child. Her eyes widened slightly, but she merely smiled and said politely, “Scotty, this is Matias Argenis. My cousin.”

“Your cousin,” he echoed dubiously.

“Sí, she was adopted by the Argenises as a sister to Drina, and family to all,” Matias said with a wide smile. “And we are the kissing cousins.”

Beth grinned when he kissed her nose, and then leaned forward to kiss his nose back. “Now you’d best put me down ere Scotty has a conniption fit on the spot. I think he believes our behavior is inappropriate.”

“Hmm.” Matias eyed Scotty’s furious face briefly and then turned back to her and raised one eyebrow. “He is English, no?”

“Scottish,” she corrected him.

Matias shrugged, the action jostling her up and down slightly. “Is the same thing. English, Scottish, they are all the cold fish.”

Beth grinned in response, but she also unhooked her legs from around his waist, and pushed at his chest until he set her back on the ground. Straightening her clothes, she asked, “Did Mortimer send you to collect us?”

“Sí. Mortimer, he is a slave driver. Do this, do that. Collect the beautiful Beth from the airport, take her back to the house, massage her feet, make the mad love to her.”

“Idiot! He didn’t say that,” she protested with a laugh.

“No, but he would have did he know of my great passion for you,” he assured her.

Shaking her head, Beth moved around him, muttering, “I need a coffee.”

“Coffee is good,” Matias said, turning to watch her drag change out of her pocket and pop it in the machine.

“Coffee is bad,” Scotty countered. “It affects certain immortals like speed.”

“Fortunately, I’m not affected by it,” she assured him, and then added honestly, “much.”

“Neither am I,” Matias announced.

“Hey! Hey! Beth! Scotty!” Donny cried excitedly, rushing into the building with his phone in hand. “Mortimer says he did get a hold of the guy from the satellite house out here. His name is Matias and he should be here somewhere, but I—This is the guy, isn’t it?” Donny interrupted himself to say, his gaze sliding between Matias, Beth and Scotty.

“Yes,” Beth said with a smile. “Donny, meet Matias Argenis. Our ride, my cousin, and apparently our host here.” She watched the men nod to each other in greeting and then turned back to select Americano coffee as she asked, “How did you end up working for the hunters here, Matias? I thought you left Spain to go to college.”

“I did,” Matias assured her. “I am in school here, but I am a poor student, and needed somewhere to live, so Papa called Lucian, and he said I could stay at the Enforcer house. All I have to do is the odd chore once in a while like collect beautiful ladies from the airport, supply them with a bed, feed them amazing takeout pizza and ply them with Sweet Ecstasy.”

“You’re not getting me to drink Sweet Ecstasy,” she assured him dryly, and then raised her eyebrows and asked, “Takeout pizza?”

“You know I cannot cook,” he said with a shrug. “But the pizza is amazing. It is nothing like I have ever tasted. You will love it.”

“And the reason Mortimer had trouble getting a hold of you?” she asked with a grin as she waited for the machine to make her coffee. “Her name would be?”

“Ah, Justine,” he said, clutching his heart and rolling his eyes. “She is the most beautiful girl, but not as beautiful as you,” he assured her. “And she is so greedy. She hid my phone and pants and would not let me leave. Naughty girl!”

“Oh, Matias, you’re incorrigible,” Beth reprimanded him with a shake of the head as she retrieved the steaming cup.

“I merely live up to my name, my beautiful cousin,” Matias protested. “I cannot disappoint the ladies.”

Turning to Donny, Beth noted his curious expression and explained, “Matias means God’s gift. But,” she pointed out, turning back to Matias, “nowhere in the description does it include to women.”

“It doesn’t need to be said,” Matias said with a shrug. “Who else would a man such as I be a gift to?”

“Your mother?” she suggested.

“Sí, her too. I am the best son.”

“I think your brothers would argue that point,” Beth said on a laugh.

“My brothers would be wrong then,” he assured her.

“Of course they would,” she said dryly and then glanced to Scotty to note that he was frowning over the exchange.

Turning abruptly to Donny, he asked, “Where’s the luggage? Ye were supposed to be watching it.”

“I stacked it on a cart thingy and rolled it to the building. It’s just there,” Donny said, pointing toward the windows, where a luggage cart stacked with their bags could clearly be seen just outside the door. “I thought we’d be picked up out there so didn’t want to bring it inside.”

“I am in the parking area in front of the building,” Matias announced. “They do not like vehicles on the airfield. I will go fetch the SUV and pull up to the door now, though,” he said and turned to hurry away.

“Is that for me?”

Beth turned from watching Matias go and followed Donny’s gaze to the drink in her hand. “Oh, no. Sorry, they don’t have hazelnut lattes, so I wasn’t sure what to get you.”

Nodding, Donny turned to the machine, his eyes lighting up as he saw the selections. “Oh, hot chocolate, and mocha and—”

“I’ll fetch the baggage cart then, shall I?” Scotty said dryly.

Beth raised her eyebrows at his sarcastic tone, and then smiled and said, “Good idea.”

“Right,” Scotty spun on his heel.

Enjoying his irritation, Beth took a sip of her coffee and promptly spat it out. “Ugh,” she said with disgust and tossed the drink in the garbage can. “Save your money, Donny. That’s the worst instant coffee I’ve ever had.”

“Ooooh, but they have mocha! I haven’t had that since I was mortal.”

Beth turned back to the younger man and raised her eyebrows. “You’ve had coffee, though, right?”

“No. I’ve been in training since I was turned,” Donny explained, digging in his own pocket for change. “Lucian sent me to this place in Winnipeg for proper training and they’re pretty strict. No pizza, no sweets, no pop, no caffeine. It’s all steamed veggies, rice, water, and constant lectures about how your body is your temple and eating junk means a need for more blood and stuff,” he said with a grimace as he popped change into the machine. “Well, that and weapons training and martial arts, and classes on how to approach a rogue.”

“Oh,” Beth murmured as she watched him press the Mocha button. She and Dree had gone to a special camp in Spain for training as Rogue Hunters too. But it hadn’t been anything like what Donny was describing. Mind you, this was a hundred years ago. There had been no pizza then. At least, they hadn’t heard of it there, and there’d been no packaged sweets like they had now. They’d also been encouraged to try things like coffee to see what effect it would have on them while they were in a safe environment.

For some reason, caffeine was one drug nanos did not immediately work to flush out of the system. They didn’t seem to recognize it as a drug. Or perhaps they didn’t see it as detrimental to the system. Whatever the case, they just let it be, which was weird because it seemed to have a heightened effect on immortals compared to mortals. At least for some. Some didn’t feel any effects from it at all. For instance, with Beth it merely woke her up and made her a bit hyper. Drina had done okay with it too. But there had been immortals they’d trained with who had been badly affected by caffeine. Apparently they wouldn’t find out today if Donny was one of them, she decided with amusement as he spat the sip of mocha he’d just taken back into the cup.

“Disgusting,” he agreed, and tossed the drink into the garbage as she had done. But then he turned to put more change in the machine.

“You are not going to waste more money on that machine, are you?” she asked with exasperation, and then suggested, “You might want to wait until we’re at the house to try more coffee.”

“I’m thirsty,” Donny complained. “I’ll just try the cider this time. That can’t possibly be as bad as the other stuff. But I do want to try an espresso later. You have to promise me I can.”

“Promise you can what?” Scotty asked, rolling the baggage cart up to them.

“Try an espresso,” Beth explained as she watched the machine produce a steaming cup of what looked like urine. Seriously, the man must be truly thirsty if he was even willing to try that after how horrible her drink and, she imagined, his drink had been. Apparently he was that thirsty, she decided when he blew on the steaming liquid and then took a large gulp.

“Well?” she asked.

“Eh,” Donny said with a shrug, but took another sip.

Shaking her head, Beth turned to glance out the front windows. Spotting the SUV pulling up in front of the building, she headed toward the doors. “Come on. Matias is out front.”

“So,” Matias said as soon as they had stowed their gear in the back and joined him in the SUV. “I will take you to the university. You can be done with your business. And then we relax and enjoy your stay until the plane arrives to take you away.”

Beth glanced to Matias with surprise. “I thought Kira was out of town until tomorrow night?”

Matias shook his head. “Mortimer, he had the dates wrong. Tomorrow is the party she is attending in California. Today she is home.”

“It’s after eleven thirty, though. If she has morning classes, this would be kind of late to go see her, don’t you think?” Beth asked after glancing at her watch to note the time. When she’d asked Mortimer why they weren’t talking to the girl tonight, she hadn’t considered that attending the university as she was, the girl had probably had to modify her hours to match those that mortals kept. She’d thought of that only on the plane. And apparently she’d thought wrong, because Matias snorted with disbelief.

“Eleven thirty is not late,” he scoffed. “Besides, you are still on Toronto time. Is only eight thirty-seven here.” He tapped on the dashboard clock as proof and then added, “As for the morning classes, Kira is immortal. She will have mostly evening classes and some afternoon classes that were not available at night,” he assured her. “In fact, she probably does not even have the classes on Friday. Most students try to avoid the classes on Friday.”

“Why?” she asked with curiosity.

“Because then they can start to party on Thursday nights,” he explained with a grin.

Beth frowned. “So she probably won’t even be there?”

“Oh, sí, she will,” he assured her. “The bars and dance clubs, they do not get busy until eleven o’clock or midnight. Before that, everyone is getting ready and drinking in their rooms or homes. It is cheaper. Drinks at the bars and clubs are very expensive, so most students get ‘half cut’ before they hit the bars. She will not have gone out yet.”

“Hmm,” Beth murmured and then smiled and shrugged. “Then I guess we’re going to the university.”