it hadn't fazed him, or if it had, it didn't show. In that moment I loved him, in a guy-buddy sort of way. He'd never fail me, or fuck with me, and I loved him for it.
"Which animal group?" I asked.
"The swans," he said.
I gave him surprised face. "Say again?"
He smiled, that cold smile, but it was a real smile; he was amused. "I take it the swan king is not your buddy."
"Not in that way. He and all the heads of the animal groups have been over to the house for dinner, but..." I shook my head and swallowed past that feeling of something in my throat that wasn't there, like a phantom pain. "I've never thought of him in that way, and there are larger, more powerful groups in St. Louis than the swans."
"You knocked most of the wererats cold when you fed on their king," Edward said.
"I did what?"
"You heard me."
I remembered Jean-Claude's voice in my head, saying no when I went back for that last bit of energy from Rafael. "I didn't mean to," I said.
Lillian peered around Edward's shoulder. "You're just lucky I was one of the few who didn't go down."
"Why didn't you?"
She looked thoughtful, and sad, and then shook her head. "I don't know."
"We don't have time to worry about the why," Edward said.
"Agreed," Lillian said.
I just nodded.
"The wererats still aren't a hundred percent, Anita. You did a real number on them. We can't afford for you to do the same to the werehyenas."
"Not a problem. Narcissus is sooo not on my to-do list."
His lips twitched, almost a smile, and then he gave in and laughed. "I've met him now, and..." He just shook his head, and said, "I wouldn't want to do him either, but he did come through for us. He let us have all the werehyenas that we asked for."
A thought occurred to me. "If most of our muscle were knocked out, why didn't the Harlequin attack us?"
He nodded. "I don't know why they didn't attack."
"They're supposed to be this uber-fighting team. Sort of you as a vampire - they should have attacked."
"Asher and the other vampires have speculated a lot why the Harlequin didn't push the advantage. I'll tell you all of it later, but right now..." He made a movement as if he'd take my hand, and then his hands fell back. "Do you trust me?" he asked.
I frowned at him. "You know I do."
"Then I've got the defenses covered, Anita. But only you can channel enough energy to Jean-Claude to keep the little vampires alive."
I wanted to ask so many things, but he was right. I had to trust Edward to do his job, and I did, but... "There aren't that many swanmanes in the city," I said.
"We asked the werelions first, but their Rex refused."
"Joseph refused to help us?" I was shocked, and let it show.
"Yes."
"We've bent over backward for the lions. Hell, I saved his life once, or twice."
"His wife said he wasn't having sex with anyone but her."
"This isn't about sex, Edward."
He shrugged.
"The lions would let the vampires die." I said it out loud, because I needed to hear it. I couldn't quite believe it.
"That's how I'd take it," he said.
We looked at each other, and I felt my eyes go as cold as his. I think we were thinking the same thing. The lions would suffer for this. Ungrateful bastards.
"Less than two hours, Anita," he said.
I nodded. "Which means we don't have time to be wrong, Edward. Are the swans enough energy?"
"Donovan Reece is the king of every swanmane in this country."
"I know. He has to travel from group to group, looking in on them, settling problems. He's also begun talking to other cities about how well our furry coalition is doing here. He's not trying to start another coalition, just talking about it. We've actually had some phone calls from other cities, wanting details about how it works."
"A politician," Edward said.
I nodded. "Being swan king is an inborn power; I think you actually do come with the skills you need. Donovan says that usually a swan queen is born in the same generation, so they rule together, but for whatever reason there was no baby born with the birthmark, or the power to help him. It means he has double the duty."
"He says that he leaves his swan maidens in the care of your leopards when he's gone for a while."
I nodded. "There's only three of them in town."
"They've stayed over at