of Death kept trying to force the power into eating each other, killing each other. Jean-Claude kept the power going to sex and healing.”
“So it was meant to bleed us to death?” Nathaniel said.
I nodded, then winced, because whoever had bitten my neck hadn’t been gentle. Apparently the major healing had gone into the two werelions in front of me, because the bites still hurt. I had bandages on the inner-thigh ones to keep them from rubbing on my jeans.
Noel’s hand had moved from my wrist and I realized I’d been holding his hand for a little while, or he was holding mine. I had one of those moments where I debated: Did I let go of his hand or keep holding it? I’d had metaphysical sex with him and saved his life; how much hand holding did I owe him?
Nathaniel held out my phone to me. “I’ll keep looking for the gun and the last knife, but at least we found your phone.”
I took the phone, which gave me an excuse to stop holding Noel’s hand. Travis asked, “What are you looking for?” Nathaniel explained, and the two of them started searching the far side of the room. Noel stayed by me as if he didn’t know why, but he didn’t want to leave me, either. I didn’t know if he was afraid to leave my side, or if there was some metaphysical reason for it. I’d ask Jean-Claude later and hope he had an answer.
Noel stroked his fingers down my arm. “Is everything all right?”
I didn’t like that he kept touching me. It wasn’t that it felt bad, in fact it felt nice, but I did not need to have adopted another lion. I had too many lions already.
As if on cue, Haven came striding back into the room. He was nude, as all the wereanimals preferred to be, but he had his gun in its holster in one hand and a towel in the other. He was still rubbing at his short blue hair with it. Was he handsome? Yes. But all the muscles and being well-endowed didn’t make up for faults of character. Sometimes you’ve just got to say no.
Noel moved closer to me, and behind me. He wasn’t being subtle; he was hiding behind me. He touched me and I moved back, closing the small distance between us. He took that as the invitation it was and put his arm around my waist. I could feel him shaking, and even though he was nude, there was nothing sexy about it. He was terrified of the handsome man, and just the feel of Noel’s fear made Haven less handsome to me. Pretty is as pretty does, and what he’d done to Noel and Travis hadn’t been pretty.
Haven scowled at us. His blue eyes, made even bluer by the wet, richer blues of his hair, were instantly angry. “I thought I made myself clear, but I guess not. That’s okay, I can be more clear.”
My pulse and breathing rate sped. I could feel Noel’s heart pounding against my back. Travis came to stand near us; he wouldn’t hide behind me like Noel, but he came closer to me. I was the only other dominant in the room. The guards were either still unconscious or in the many showers and baths deeper underground.
I’d found the Browning but it had lead in it, not silver, which meant I could wound him, but I couldn’t kill him. I had one wrist sheath blade and the big knife. They were silver, but if I had to start using blades on Haven I had few illusions. I’d seen him fight and he was trained. His arm reach was nearly twice mine and his legs more than doubled my reach. He’d demonstrated his incredible speed in the spare room.
I heard Nathaniel moving things around behind me. He said, “I’ll find it.” He was looking for my other gun with the silver bullets because he’d done the same math that I had. He’d find it if he could.
“I can’t let you hurt them, Haven,” I said, and my voice was clear and even.
He threw the towel on the ground, and stood there nude and beautiful, and deadly. “I am Rex in this city, not you, Anita. You tried to mind-fuck me last night, and the sex is a-fucking-mazing when we have it, but even for that I won’t let you pussy-whip me. I can’t.”
“Then we have a problem,” I said. Noel hid his face