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hot light beating down on me, and over all the scent of cat and fur; lions.
Domino spoke to Jean-Claude, who motioned him toward me. He came around the bed to stand in front of us. “Haven is here with most of his lions, the muscle anyway. He’s demanding to be let inside. The guards at the door won’t let him in with that much muscle.”
“I can feel them.” I shivered and Nicky held us tighter, growling in my ear, “If you would let me fight him I’d be your new Rex and he’d be dead.”
Auggie was talking again. I put the phone closer so I could hear. “I feel the lions, Anita. You and Haven need to work things out.”
“Tell that to him,” I said.
“I did,” he said.
“What the hell did you tell him to do?” I said.
“I didn’t tell him to come with all his men and challenge you.”
“What did you tell him?”
“That anything that undermines Jean-Claude’s power base right now is a bad thing. That he had to find a peace between you and him and the new lion, Nick. But you have to tame Haven, Anita. You have to make sure the lions are under your control as their master vampire.”
“I’m not a real vampire, Auggie, and I don’t have all the mad skills that I need.”
“You have them; you’re just too human to want to use them.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“It means you feel sorry for people. It means you let your heart get in the way of business.”
“And you don’t?” I said.
“I don’t,” he said.
“I’ll remember that the next time you visit us,” I said softly.
“Jean-Claude helped you roll me, Anita. Without him I would have rolled you, and our power structure would be reversed. You need him to help you control the cats.”
“I think Haven would kill us both if we tried for shared sex with him.”
“Have Jean-Claude try the new females that Haven’s recruiting for his pride. They’re not like the bimbo that he brought down there for his Regina; I think you and Jean-Claude will like them both better.”
“Did you help shop for them?”
“Yes.”
“And you were going to tell us when?”
I heard him take in a deep breath and then let it out, and I had that moment to sense how much hotter his energy could be than most vampires’. His energy could hold a warmer edge of his animal to call than any other master I’d ever met. “I feel her outside your door; just let her in. I helped shop for women I thought you might actually get along with, and women that Jean-Claude might actually like.”
“You mean like-like?” I asked.
“Jean-Claude is more Belle’s child than I am, Anita. Her power over her animals all came through sex. Let him try some of the cats and see if he gains the ability to call them. It would make him much more powerful, and it would mean he could help you control all the cat-based animal groups.”
“Did you talk to him about this?”
“My word of honor that it will be as big a surprise to Jean-Claude as it is to you.”
“Don’t go all Machiavelli on me, Auggie, I don’t like it.”
“This isn’t Machiavelli, more Cupid. Put Jean-Claude on and go tame your kittens before someone gets hurt.”
“How do I tame him?” I asked.
“Let me fight him,” Nicky growled.
Auggie said, “If you could win the fight it would tame Haven, but he’s good in a fight.”
“I can do it,” Nicky said, rubbing his face against my hair.
“How else?” I asked.
“Sex would be a temporary solution. It would smooth things over tonight.”
“So I reward his bad behavior,” I said.
“What’s your goal for tonight, Anita?”
“What do you mean?” I asked.
“What do you want to happen with the lions right this moment?”
“I want everyone to survive the night. No one dead.” I thought about it. “I’d like to make us all into a cohesive whole. We need to get our shit in order here, especially after what just happened with Mommie Dearest.”
“Then offer him sex if he sends most of the lions home. He’s Rex, so he’s entitled to keep a couple of bodyguards.”
“You really think sex with me will make him send them home?”
“Remember who’re you’re talking to, Anita. It was all I could do after sex with you and Jean-Claude not to stay in St. Louis like some sort of pet. Trust me, he’ll say yes.”
“That was Jean-Claude in charge of the metaphysical head games, Auggie. Haven won’t go for that.”
“Ask Jean-Claude what