The words came out flat, as if he were reporting a lab result instead of confessing to the most unprofessional act of his career.
Sam’s expression didn’t change. “And?”
“And she’s my patient. Pregnant. Alone. Vulnerable.” His hands clenched on the railing. “And I lost control.”
“Did you hurt her?”
“What? No. I would never—” He stopped, hearing the defensive anger in his own voice, and forced himself to breathe. “No. But I could have. Hyde was—he was right there, Sam. Right at the surface. I could feel him wanting to?—”
“To what? Kiss her back?”
“To claim her.” Victor stared at the dark water. “You know what he’s like. What we’re like.”
“I know something about being a monster. About thinking you’re too dangerous for connection. Before Nina…”
“It’s different for the two of you.”
“Is it?” Sam tilted his head, water droplets sliding from his dark hair. “You don’t think I’m capable of hurting people?”
No. In full Kraken mode could be just as dangerous as Hyde, perhaps even more so. It was one of the reasons that they had developed a friendship, that and the knowledge that they were the only ones of their kind in town.
“How did you—” he began, but then a door slammed and Ben came storming out on the porch.
The big rabbit Other was practically steaming, his tall ears flicking back and forth furiously.
“Damned interfering old woman.”
“Flora,” he and Sam said simultaneously, and Ben scowled.
“Of course. You know that cottage next to my property? The one that’s been empty for a year? Flora just told me she’s renting it to someone after Christmas. To a kindergarten teacher of all things. Someone who’ll probably want to be sociable.” Ben shuddered, and despite himself, Victor’s lips twitched. The tavern owner was notoriously reluctant to . . . well, to be around other people.
“Maybe she’ll be a quiet kindergarten teacher,” Sam suggested. Ben shot him a look of pure disbelief.
“The chances of Flora finding a quiet, antisocial kindergarten teacher to rent the cottage next to my house are approximately zero.” Ben ran a hand through his thick short fur. “I swear she’s been meddling since the day she was born and she’s not going to stop until the day she dies.”
“Watch out,” Sam warned. “You keep talking about her and she’s likely to?—”
“Appear?” Flora practically skipped up onto the porch, giving them all her wide, slightly demented smile.
Tonight she was dressed all in white—a white velour tracksuit scattered with sparkly silver snowflakes that made her look like an aging snow fairy. Since there was a fairy somewhere back in her orc family tree, it seemed only fitting.
“Of course I could hear you,” she said cheerfully. “Grumbling about my meddling like you don’t all benefit from it.”
“I need another beer,” Ben muttered, turning and stomping back into the tavern. Sam just sighed and sank beneath the water.
He was quite sure that Flora knew exactly where the Kraken had gone but, unfortunately, she turned to him instead.
“Don’t think you’ve escaped,” she said to Victor. “I have something to say to you.”
His jaw tightened, the muscles along his neck going rigid. Flora undoubtedly knew about his failure and intended to berate him for it. “I know what you’re going to say.”
“Do you?” She leaned against the railing, her tone deceptively casual. “Because what I’m going to say is you need to get over yourself.”
“What?”
“You’re not your father, Victor. You’re never going to be your father, no matter how much you seem determined to torture yourself with the possibility.” Sharp black eyes saw right past his defenses. “Your father wasn’t strong enough to accept both sides of himself. And your father didn’t have a mate who sees past the beast to the man beneath,” she added gently.
“She doesn’t see anything,” he said harshly. “She doesn’t know.”
