involved in the fighting, but she could. The pack probably expected her to.
I hadn’t factored that in. I hadn’t thought of it at all.
“That was great,” I said, still panting from the effort. “Good work with the chair leg. Thanks.”
She nodded jerkily, stepped in and hugged me.
I slowed my breathing, suddenly feeling dizzy.
She nuzzled against me, wolf-submissive, her spiky red hair tickling my cheek and her body trembling with adrenaline aftershock.
This was a good thing for the pack; it comforted her, reinforced the pack dynamics and fed my alpha ego. But it was more than that; it was mainlining werewolf feelgood into me. My lips pulled back in a silent snarl of pleasure and I struggled to get air into my lungs.
A good thing for the pack; not a good thing for me at the moment.
A thought bubbled up from my murky hindbrain: There might be a way of saving Olivia without any Adept magic or rituals. Make her a hybrid like me.
I felt the Athanate fangs pulse in my jaw.
She sensed my body stiffening and looked up.
“Oh.” She gulped. I could feel her willing herself to stop trembling, and very deliberately, she rested against me, head tilted back and throat exposed. What was she doing?
“I understand pack means House as well for you, and I understand about the Athanate side of things,” she said, voice strained. “I’m just nervous. I want you to know I’m cool with it.”
“Huh?”
“The Blood…and the other stuff.”
Not content with feeding me werewolf crack, she was now doing the same for the Athanate. She hadn’t been willing to share herself in the pack, but she was committed enough to my pack and House that she was willing to be kin, with all that entailed.
She was safe from me in bed. Her neck, though, maybe not so safe.
Pia was following Nick up the stairs. She could feel what was going on, and she was worried I was going to lose it and start biting.
I forced a brief laugh, and managed to put the fangs away.
“Thanks.” I kissed Olivia’s forehead. “The Blood, yes, in time. The rest? It’s not going to be like that. We’ll have to talk it through sometime.”
Bian came up the stairs as well.
She was wearing her college girl hoodie and jeans. She had a long sports bag slung over her shoulder, hiding her katana no doubt, and she carried her laptop. Prepared for anything.
“Just saw the cutest little truck take off in a hurry. Did I miss all the fun?”
“Yeah. Pack business all concluded.”
“Hmm.” Bian stood in front of me and looked thoughtfully between my face and Olivia’s. “I have the impression Olivia’s part of your House.”
“She is.”
“Then that makes it House Farrell business, Amber, and it makes it House Altau business too.”
I nodded. Yup. Complications everywhere. Nothing in isolation.
“If it hadn’t been important in the Athanate sense,” she went on, “you’d have had no grounds for delaying your talk with Naryn. It was only because I convinced Naryn it was House business that he’s not angry. Uh, let me rephrase that. Not any more angry.”
“Thanks. I guess we should hurry out to Haven then.”
“No.” Bian turned her gaze onto Nick. “Since we’re here, we might as well deal with your request for a meeting. That’s Athanate business too, I’m guessing.”
Her nose flared. “We could start with why this building smells of Matlal.”
Nick shrugged.
“It belonged to them. This is one of the places they stayed when they were in Denver itself.”
I’d expected Matlal’s troops to be somewhere more luxurious, but it was well hidden.
Of course, Nick had warned me before what he wanted to talk about with the pair of us.
I’d let him introduce it. I’d pissed Bian off enough for one day.
Chapter 8
I guessed he wanted some privacy, so I sent Pia and Olivia down to the car.
“Let’s sit down,” Nick said, and led us back into the apartment.
It was clean and tidy—no mold or scuff marks, and it smelled of
I hadn’t factored that in. I hadn’t thought of it at all.
“That was great,” I said, still panting from the effort. “Good work with the chair leg. Thanks.”
She nodded jerkily, stepped in and hugged me.
I slowed my breathing, suddenly feeling dizzy.
She nuzzled against me, wolf-submissive, her spiky red hair tickling my cheek and her body trembling with adrenaline aftershock.
This was a good thing for the pack; it comforted her, reinforced the pack dynamics and fed my alpha ego. But it was more than that; it was mainlining werewolf feelgood into me. My lips pulled back in a silent snarl of pleasure and I struggled to get air into my lungs.
A good thing for the pack; not a good thing for me at the moment.
A thought bubbled up from my murky hindbrain: There might be a way of saving Olivia without any Adept magic or rituals. Make her a hybrid like me.
I felt the Athanate fangs pulse in my jaw.
She sensed my body stiffening and looked up.
“Oh.” She gulped. I could feel her willing herself to stop trembling, and very deliberately, she rested against me, head tilted back and throat exposed. What was she doing?
“I understand pack means House as well for you, and I understand about the Athanate side of things,” she said, voice strained. “I’m just nervous. I want you to know I’m cool with it.”
“Huh?”
“The Blood…and the other stuff.”
Not content with feeding me werewolf crack, she was now doing the same for the Athanate. She hadn’t been willing to share herself in the pack, but she was committed enough to my pack and House that she was willing to be kin, with all that entailed.
She was safe from me in bed. Her neck, though, maybe not so safe.
Pia was following Nick up the stairs. She could feel what was going on, and she was worried I was going to lose it and start biting.
I forced a brief laugh, and managed to put the fangs away.
“Thanks.” I kissed Olivia’s forehead. “The Blood, yes, in time. The rest? It’s not going to be like that. We’ll have to talk it through sometime.”
Bian came up the stairs as well.
She was wearing her college girl hoodie and jeans. She had a long sports bag slung over her shoulder, hiding her katana no doubt, and she carried her laptop. Prepared for anything.
“Just saw the cutest little truck take off in a hurry. Did I miss all the fun?”
“Yeah. Pack business all concluded.”
“Hmm.” Bian stood in front of me and looked thoughtfully between my face and Olivia’s. “I have the impression Olivia’s part of your House.”
“She is.”
“Then that makes it House Farrell business, Amber, and it makes it House Altau business too.”
I nodded. Yup. Complications everywhere. Nothing in isolation.
“If it hadn’t been important in the Athanate sense,” she went on, “you’d have had no grounds for delaying your talk with Naryn. It was only because I convinced Naryn it was House business that he’s not angry. Uh, let me rephrase that. Not any more angry.”
“Thanks. I guess we should hurry out to Haven then.”
“No.” Bian turned her gaze onto Nick. “Since we’re here, we might as well deal with your request for a meeting. That’s Athanate business too, I’m guessing.”
Her nose flared. “We could start with why this building smells of Matlal.”
Nick shrugged.
“It belonged to them. This is one of the places they stayed when they were in Denver itself.”
I’d expected Matlal’s troops to be somewhere more luxurious, but it was well hidden.
Of course, Nick had warned me before what he wanted to talk about with the pair of us.
I’d let him introduce it. I’d pissed Bian off enough for one day.
Chapter 8
I guessed he wanted some privacy, so I sent Pia and Olivia down to the car.
“Let’s sit down,” Nick said, and led us back into the apartment.
It was clean and tidy—no mold or scuff marks, and it smelled of
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