"Wow. Thanks, boss. I'll do it right. I promise." Trey's eyes gleamed like this was a big deal. And it probably was with bar receipts and all the other responsibilities that go with closing a club of this size.
I glanced at Rafe. As usual it was Rafe to the rescue. His partner, Nadia, hated that he did these kinds of things for me. I started to say something but he was already in his office in front of his laptop.
"Her name?"
"Jennifer Patterson, student at the university."
"She's staying in her sorority house. Does that sound right?"
"Yes, that's her."
"Okay, got it. I know where this is. Let's go." He jumped up and I was on his heels as we headed outside and around back.
We shifted into birds and in minutes were behind a large white house that was dark except for a light in one downstairs room. Penny stood outside the back door, her shoulders slumped. I nodded at Rafe and shifted by myself, landing next to my fledgling.
"Going somewhere?" I dropped my hand onto her shoulder. She turned to look at me, tears running down her face. "No. I can't do it." She leaned against me and I put my arm around her. "What the hell am I doing here at almost two in the morning on a Monday night?"
I led her away from the house before we woke up someone. Rafe had shifted and stood waiting for us on the sidewalk.
"You're a night creature now, Penny. This is prime time for you." I squeezed her shoulders. "I'm sorry, I know this is a rough thing to face." I looked at Rafe.
He pulled out a cell phone and made a call. "Come on, Penny, Glory and I'll show you how beautiful this time of night can be."
Penny looked at him, her face wet. "Beautiful? Nothing looks beautiful to me. Don't you get it? I've lost everything I ever cared about. My family, my career, you name it, I can't do it anymore." She pulled away from me. "You can't distract me with some freaky trick."
"Freaky trick?" Rafe glanced at me. "Let me clue you in, little girl. Those freaky tricks can save your immortal life. Am I right, Glory?"
"Yes. Took me long enough, but I learned that lesson." I shook my head. "I know you're angry and frustrated, Penny. But you haven't lost your career or your family. Not yet, anyway. We'll figure out a way for you to stay in touch with them."
"Sure you will. Until it's obvious that I'm not aging and they are. Then what am I supposed to do? Just disappear? How would that make them feel?" Penny looked around, wild-eyed, like she wanted to scream or maybe hit somebody.
"We need to move out. Here comes our ride." Rafe nodded as a black SUV pulled up. A shifter got out, left the motor running, then walked away with a nod. "Let's go."
"Where are you taking me?" Penny dug in her heels when I pulled her toward the car.
"What difference does it make?" I wasn't about to let her get away from me again. "Get in the freakin' car, Penny." A light had come on in an upstairs room in the house. "Now." I shoved her into the backseat, hopped in the front passenger side, and Rafe hit the gas pedal. We were out of there just as the back porch light came on.
Penny looked back. "Guess they heard the noise. Damn it, I can't do anything right."
"Spare us the pity party." Rafe drove and I didn't bother to ask where we were going. "Glory, I hope the council is paying you for this mentoring responsibility."
"They should. I'll check with Damian." I smiled back at Penny. "Come on, vamp girl, lighten up. You're going to have to learn to deal with your new reality and there are some cool perks. Trust me on that."
"Yeah, right. Trust you. Like vampires are so trustworthy. I'm the undead proof of that." Penny kept staring back toward the sorority house.
I decided to let that one go. She needed time. I got that.
Penny finally turned around to frown at me. "So far this 'new reality' sucks and I don't understand half of it. I was offered a teaching assistant's job for the fall. Forget that now. Not unless they gave me all night classes." She slumped in her seat.
"Sounds like a drag. Grading papers, trying to make bored college kids pay attention to someone younger than they are." I reached back to pat