my phone!”
“I’m learning to deal with disappointment! This is an important stage in my life! You’ll notice I didn’t then attack someone with the pieces.”
Analie kicked at him and he did a frantic dance to keep his shins out of the way. After Tony hung up on him, Christoph had snapped the phone in two and thrown it against Analie’s door. When she came to investigate and saw the pieces on the floor, she went on the attack. Thanks to her new moon sickness, it wasn’t very effective.
“Calm down! Do you want to wake up the entire first floor?” Christoph hissed.
Once he got a good grip, he spun her around and trapped her arms and head in a simple lock. He still had to dodge her legs.
“I’m going to freaking kill you!”
“Shut up! Would you calm down for half a second?”
“Grrrrraaaargh!”
Christoph snorted, trying to hold back a laugh. “Wow, you can’t even growl properly.”
“Son of a leprous--”
“Language!”
* * *
Mouse didn’t pay much mind to Ashi once they exited Jessica’s apartment. Why Clarisse had agreed to take him on as a donor, she’d never figure out. Worry about Thad kept her preoccupied while she returned to her post as day guard. Lisa would take her place in an hour.
Christoph was (temporarily) stronger than Analie, but he didn’t fancy standing there all day with a packmate in a headlock.
“Thad got stabbed,” he commented.
Analie stopped struggling. “Is that what happened? Is he okay?”
“He’s fine.”
“Did you see who was with him? I saw someone out in the hallway, but I didn’t recognize her.”
“I dunno. Jessica, Mouse, some guy.”
“Huh.” Analie squirmed. “Let me go, you goon.”
Christoph let her go and three seconds later was curled up in the middle of the living room, hands between his legs.
“You’re lucky I didn’t kick you when I had Were strength,” Analie muttered, storming to her room.
Mouse entered shortly after Analie rushed out, not really noticing that Christoph was in the fetal position at first. There was blood all over her from having dealt with Thad.
She dumped the red-stained strips of skirt in the trash and rinsed off her hands in the kitchen sink, not outwardly bothered by the blood. Though it didn’t show, the sight and scent of so much had sparked some hunger. She wasn’t about to fall on somebody to feed, but she’d do something about it after nightfall.
After washing her hands and arms free of as much of Thad’s blood as she could, she paused on the way to her room to see what was wrong with Christoph.
“I’m totally fine,” Christoph wheezed, slowly getting to his his feet. “I was—ow—leaving. How’s Thad doing?”
Mouse regarded him dubiously, wondering what was wrong. She went to the coffee table and scribbled off a note.
He’ll be okay. Resting now. What happened to you?
“I broke Analie’s phone and got kicked,” Christoph said, trying to stand straight. “I’m glad Thad’s okay. Is anyone going after the bastards who stabbed him?”
Mouse blinked and then, unthinking, her gaze shot down to his crotch, realizing what Analie had done.
If she was still alive, she would’ve flushed with embarrassment.
Instead, she rapidly shook her head, covered her eyes with a hand, turned around, and fled to her room.
She needed to change anyway.
Yeah, that’s it. Change of clothes.
Right.
Christoph sighed and picked his way out of the room. The stairs were going to be loads of fun.
* * *
Mouse emerged some time later. She was both relieved and disappointed that Christoph had gone. Too wound up to take her day’s rest, she paced in the living room, worrying over whether she could protect the humans in the building. She didn’t trust Lisa to do her job well. Not as well as Mouse could.
That, and over whether Christoph had noticed that she’d checked out his package. God, how embarrassing.
* * *
Analie wasn’t very comfortable leaving her room in her current condition. Even at home with Gavin, she would refuse to leave her room while she had new moon sickness. Still, Thad getting stabbed was a pretty big deal—humans were fragile and took ages to heal.
Like she needed that reminder right now.
She quietly opened her door and peeked out into the living room. There was a woman there she didn’t recognized, in jeans and a comfy T-shirt. Analie blinked. She hadn’t heard talking, and the lady looked agitated. Maybe she was looking for Mouse.
“Uh... hi?” Analie said.
Mouse, though preoccupied, paused in her pacing to glance at Analie. She gave a half-hearted wave before running her hands raggedly through her hair