"Nothing." She looked up, then back. "I need to get to bed."
"Where you can dream about your ordinary human boyfriend?" He advanced toward her once more, his shock that she might actually prefer a human male disappearing under the naked intensity of the emotions swirling in her eyes. "Maybe you'll imagine yourself into a safe little fantasy world where bad things never happen?"
She held up her hands as he reached her. They hit his chest, palms flat. "What's wrong with that? At least humans don't go mad - protective and tell me I'm not - " She snapped her mouth shut, but he'd heard enough.
He lifted one of those slender feminine hands and pressed his lips to each fingertip in turn, aware of her racing heartbeat, her breakable bones, her trust in him. It was the last that ripped him to pieces. "Human families can be as territorial."
She shook her head. "You predatory changelings take it to the next level. I feel as if I'm running a gauntlet."
It was an unexpected confession. The Tally he'd come to know didn't spend much time feeling sorry for herself. But, he realized with a deep wave of excruciating tenderness, she'd had a lot of shocks in a single day. "You're mine. Therefore you're perfect."
Her lips twitched. "Idiot."
"Maybe." He nibbled at her fingers. "Once accepted, you'll have the pack's strength at your back. We never leave one of ours to drown. Never."
"I won't be accepted, Clay," she whispered, shifting to lay her head against his chest, one hand still in his. "I feel like a dirty street urchin around the other women, my nose pressed to the window with you on the other side. I can't shift, I don't have Psy powers."
The image broke his heart. "Did the women say something to you?"
"Forget it." She drew back. "I was having a 'woe is me' moment. I'm over it."
He knew better. "Tally."
She pressed her lips together. He waited. She blew out a breath. "Fine! I got interrogated about my intentions toward you."
He pulled her closer, holding her with his arms around her waist. "And what are your intentions?" he murmured, leaning down to brush his lips over hers. "Are you planning to divest me of my virtue? I'll even ask nice."
Her breasts rose against him as she drew in a deep breath. "Be serious. They'll never accept me." She put her hands back on his chest, spreading out her fingers as if testing the strength of him. He liked it.
"Some of us wanted to torture Sascha at the start."
Her fingers dug into him. He liked that even better. "What? Why?" she asked.
"A Psy serial killer had murdered Dorian's sister. We thought Sascha might have information. The pack was enraged and she became the target - Dorian almost ripped out her throat. As for Faith, the first time we met, I accused her of being part of a psychopathic race."
"I never would've guessed." Her fingers straightened, petted absently - he wanted to purr. "How did Sascha and Faith become so much part of DarkRiver?"
"They've proven their loyalty."
"I have to do the same before they'll accept me." Sighing, she braced her forehead against his chest. "Is it okay for a human to bite people, too?"
He grinned, wondering if she even realized how easily she was cuddling into him. "Go to bed, Tally. You're tired and grumpy." He kissed the tip of her ear. The beast's hunger was a razor-sharp blade, but it had been soothed by this contact. Not that it mattered. Clay would not take Tally until she was ready to come to him. He never again wanted to see fear of him in her eyes. It had damn near killed him the first time around.
She rubbed her face against him. "I might be, but you don't have to point it out." But she took his advice and broke away. "See you tomorrow morning?"
"Bright and early." He waited until she was safely in her room before going downstairs and using the main communications panel to put through a call.
Vaughn's face wore a scowl when he answered, his hair sleep-tangled. "What? Something wrong?"
"I need to talk to Faith."
The other sentinel's scowl deepened. "You got me out of bed because you want to talk to my mate? There are laws against that sort of thing." A slender hand touched his bare shoulder and then Faith's face appeared on-screen beside Vaughn.
"Clay? What's the matter?"
"The matter is that I want you to leave Talin be." Tally could look after herself but that didn't mean she should have to. She'd spent too long doing exactly that. It was time for someone else to look after her.
Concern instead of insult dawned in Faith's eyes. "I'm your friend." She seemed to wrestle with her thoughts before adding, "I care."