Page 6 of Devoted in the Midlife

She emerged from the living room, eyes wide with alarm. I saw Kendra and Adalinda behind her, heads turning toward my dramatic entrance.

"Luke? What's wro?—"

"It's not her," I gasped out, grabbing Hailey's arms. Saying it out loud made it real, the horrible truth crashing over me. "It's not Janice. There's something...someone...at Wade's house pretending to be her."

I watched my sickening dread reflected at me in Hailey's eyes as the implications sank in. We stared at each other, the silence heavy with all the unspoken fears suddenly howling to life.

Not-Janice's smile flashed through my mind again, a mockery of my friend's warmth. A shudder worked through me. Whatever was happening, we were in far deeper trouble than any of us had realized. The monster, it seemed, was already inside the house.

Hailey's living room suddenly felt claustrophobic, too many bodies radiating confusion and doubt. I paced between the coffee table and the couch, my hands gesturing in sharp, agitated motions as I tried to explain what I'd seen, what I'd felt. Kendra and Adalinda exchanged skeptical glances, their expressions shifting from surprised concern to something bordering on pity. I could practically hear their thoughts - poor Luke, cracking under the strain of recent events.

"Listen to me." I put a hard edge in my voice. "That was not Janice at Wade's house. It looked like her, sounded like her, but it wasn't her. I could feel it using a charm power, trying to influence me."

"A charm power? Like yours?" Hailey's brow furrowed. "I thought you were one of the only vamps who could do that."

"I thought so too," I said grimly. "But this was like nothing I've ever experienced. We have to do something, now, before-"

"Okay, okay, just slow down." Kendra stood, laying a placating hand on my shoulder. "You've been under a lot of stress, Luke. Is it possible that maybe you misinterpreted..."

I shrugged off her touch, stung by the gentle condescension in her tone. They didn't believe me. That meant they were under the charm Not-Janice was using. My jaw clenched as I looked from one doubtful face to the next. Fine. I'd find someone who would.

I turned on my heel and stalked out, ignoring Hailey calling after me. Blood pounded in my ears as I climbed the stairs to Jax's office. He was the one person who might listen without instantly questioning my sanity.

I burst through the door without knocking. Jax glanced up from his desk, one eyebrow raised. His hazel eyes were a stormy grey in the lamplight.

"Luke? What-"

The words poured out of me again, tripping over each other in my haste. I leaned over Jax's desk as I told him about Not-Janice, my knuckles white against the dark wood. Surely he would understand the gravity of the situation.

But as I spoke, I watched the frown lines deepen between Jax's eyes, his mouth turning down at the corners. He sighed and stood, coming around the desk to stand in front of me. He gripped my shoulders, his expression serious but tinged with something infuriatingly like sympathy.

"Luke, I just talked to Janice, and she seemed fine to me. Are you feeling well? Maybe your powers are acting out again."

This was not about my wonky charm magic. The unspoken implication hung heavy in the air between us. I stared at Jax, feeling like I'd been gutted. He didn't believe me either.

Brushing past him, I fled the suffocating confines of the office. My feet carried me out the back door and into the sprawling shelter of the backyard. The scents of damp earth and decaying leaves enveloped me as I gulped the crisp night air.

A high-pitched yip drew my gaze to the far end of the yard. Izora crouched on the grass, playfully growling as Courage danced just out of reach, his little tail wagging furiously. They looked like an idyllic picture of a girl and her dog, never mind that the girl was an ancient vampire, and the dog had a taste for the supernatural.

"Izora!" The name tore from my throat, raw and desperate.

She glanced up, her expression vaguely curious. I stumbled toward her, the words tumbling out yet again, ragged with urgency. She stood and squared her shoulders as I approached, absently brushing grass from her jeans. Courage circled her feet, growling uncertainly at my agitation.

"... and no one believes me, but I know what I saw, what I felt. We have to do something, we can't just..."

"Luke." Izora's voice was flat, almost bored. "You're hysterical. Calm down before you strain something."

I gaped at her, my mouth working soundlessly. Izora, blunt and boldly honest Izora, thought I was being hysterical. A near-hysterical laugh bubbled up in my throat. Maybe I was losing it after all.

Without another word, I spun away from her and Courage's wary gaze. My legs ate up the ground as I crossed the yard and street to my house, to my last hope for someone to believe the threat we were facing.

"Young man! Young man, I'm speaking to you!"

Mildred’s reedy voice pierced my consciousness. I turned to see her glaring at me from the sidewalk, clutching her little poodle to her polyester-clad bosom. The dog, which had been recently dyed a truly unfortunate shade of lavender, squirmed in her grip.

"You nearly ran us down, charging across the street like that! You and your hooligan friends are getting out of hand. Why, I have half a mind to call the police about the drug deals I'm sure go on in that house."

I stared at her, uncomprehending. The absurdity of being lectured about road safety and accused of drug trafficking whenan evil doppelganger of my friend was doing God knew what in this very neighborhood almost made me laugh out loud.