with. Aesei ull Arr means 'protector of all'. Aesei Siian is 'one who dies for all'."
"Ay-say See-ahn?" I repeated, testing out the strange words.
"There are a few more, but it's been a long time since I had Nyi A'ph ." Noah took a gulp of his tea. "Um, 'the wolves' tongue'," he added.
Of course Cooper was some kind of prince. I'd suspected that he had some seriously high up connections when Ryker had gotten us out of a tight spot last summer. Still, it would have been nice to hear it from him.
Did Cooper think it would make any difference to me where he ranked in his Clan? He had to know that I didn't care about any of that crap. Someone I could respect, also great in bed, a good fighter, smart, that's what I liked in a guy. Being so good looking it made my knees melt was also a nice bonus.
"Be careful of Deg," Noah said as he got up from the table and picked up his empty plate. "He hates humans."
"No kidding." I finished off my sandwich and followed him to the sink with my dishes.
"He was captured early in the war and they say the human scientists tortured and experimented on him."
"That would certainly do it," I conceded as he filled the sink with soapy water. Though I had my doubts as to the reliability of playground gossip. Still... "See why I need my gun to feel safe?"
I pretended not to notice the sideways glance Noah gave me as he started washing our dishes. "Better to be helpless," he said, a glimpse of the man he'd turn into coming through in his tone. "It's a bad time for us right now. Everyone's on edge."
"So when Cooper, um, your Aesei said I was his to protect that kind of painted a giant bullseye on me?"
"When people are already scared, they don't like any kind of change. But I don't think anyone will try to kill you." He handed me the clean plates, so I picked up a towel from the counter and started drying. Most of my meals were out of a box or from a cheap restaurant, but I still remembered the routine from when I was little.
"It's just that...."
"Humans don't make good Were queens?" I speculated.
He passed me the mugs. "That's not it. You could never be Nuo'lenir anyway. The Aesei gave up his right to be Alpha a long time ago. Before I was even born. And as long as Alpha Ryker is alive, there's no law against the Aesei having a human companion."
Though that didn't seem to stop Deg and Rosalind from holding a grudge. "Good to know," I said, hanging my dish towel on the handle of the stove and trying to figure out how I was going to keep their vengeful attitudes from spilling over onto Noah.
"He can't come here without getting invited. And he has to void getting bonded."
My mouth went dry. I blinked at him. "Oh?" I finally choked out.
He glanced at me and grinned. "That's why Rosalind hates you."
"Um..." Had they guessed? Did I look different before they collared Cooper? Did I smell different?
"Because she can't be with him and you can."
Whew, they didn't know. And now one of my new buddy's hatred for me made more sense. "So," I said, giving him a bright smile of my own. "What do people do for fun around here and can we get there without going past the training ring?"
* * *
The atmosphere in the Bone Clan stronghold reminded me of human history when innocent lives were lost when fear got out of control. Salem witch trials, the French Revolution, World War II...seriously grim stuff. It'd be nice to think that our paranormal brothers and sisters didn't share our weaknesses, but I'd learned over the years that the four races had more in common than they wanted to believe.
As I followed Noah through the deserted halls of the second tier living quarters, it was hard to believe the place was teaming with families that lived full-time in the stronghold, plus those from surrounding farms that had chosen to come in when the mysterious disease started claiming more and more lives. Talk about a plan going wrong. We'd wanted to be here to avoid getting tangled up in vampire
"Ay-say See-ahn?" I repeated, testing out the strange words.
"There are a few more, but it's been a long time since I had Nyi A'ph ." Noah took a gulp of his tea. "Um, 'the wolves' tongue'," he added.
Of course Cooper was some kind of prince. I'd suspected that he had some seriously high up connections when Ryker had gotten us out of a tight spot last summer. Still, it would have been nice to hear it from him.
Did Cooper think it would make any difference to me where he ranked in his Clan? He had to know that I didn't care about any of that crap. Someone I could respect, also great in bed, a good fighter, smart, that's what I liked in a guy. Being so good looking it made my knees melt was also a nice bonus.
"Be careful of Deg," Noah said as he got up from the table and picked up his empty plate. "He hates humans."
"No kidding." I finished off my sandwich and followed him to the sink with my dishes.
"He was captured early in the war and they say the human scientists tortured and experimented on him."
"That would certainly do it," I conceded as he filled the sink with soapy water. Though I had my doubts as to the reliability of playground gossip. Still... "See why I need my gun to feel safe?"
I pretended not to notice the sideways glance Noah gave me as he started washing our dishes. "Better to be helpless," he said, a glimpse of the man he'd turn into coming through in his tone. "It's a bad time for us right now. Everyone's on edge."
"So when Cooper, um, your Aesei said I was his to protect that kind of painted a giant bullseye on me?"
"When people are already scared, they don't like any kind of change. But I don't think anyone will try to kill you." He handed me the clean plates, so I picked up a towel from the counter and started drying. Most of my meals were out of a box or from a cheap restaurant, but I still remembered the routine from when I was little.
"It's just that...."
"Humans don't make good Were queens?" I speculated.
He passed me the mugs. "That's not it. You could never be Nuo'lenir anyway. The Aesei gave up his right to be Alpha a long time ago. Before I was even born. And as long as Alpha Ryker is alive, there's no law against the Aesei having a human companion."
Though that didn't seem to stop Deg and Rosalind from holding a grudge. "Good to know," I said, hanging my dish towel on the handle of the stove and trying to figure out how I was going to keep their vengeful attitudes from spilling over onto Noah.
"He can't come here without getting invited. And he has to void getting bonded."
My mouth went dry. I blinked at him. "Oh?" I finally choked out.
He glanced at me and grinned. "That's why Rosalind hates you."
"Um..." Had they guessed? Did I look different before they collared Cooper? Did I smell different?
"Because she can't be with him and you can."
Whew, they didn't know. And now one of my new buddy's hatred for me made more sense. "So," I said, giving him a bright smile of my own. "What do people do for fun around here and can we get there without going past the training ring?"
* * *
The atmosphere in the Bone Clan stronghold reminded me of human history when innocent lives were lost when fear got out of control. Salem witch trials, the French Revolution, World War II...seriously grim stuff. It'd be nice to think that our paranormal brothers and sisters didn't share our weaknesses, but I'd learned over the years that the four races had more in common than they wanted to believe.
As I followed Noah through the deserted halls of the second tier living quarters, it was hard to believe the place was teaming with families that lived full-time in the stronghold, plus those from surrounding farms that had chosen to come in when the mysterious disease started claiming more and more lives. Talk about a plan going wrong. We'd wanted to be here to avoid getting tangled up in vampire
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