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He grabbed the ends of the towel like a shawl, pressing the cloth to his nose and mouth. "It smells of the sweet scent of your skin."
I touched a strand of that heavy, gold hair. "You say the nicest things." I stared down into that face, into the frosted blue of his eyes, and felt something low in my body tighten. A sudden flexing of lust that made me catch my breath. Sometimes it happens. Sometimes it's just a gesture, a turn of the head, and you catch your breath, your body reacts on a level that you can't control. When it happens, you pretend it didn't, you hide it. Heaven forbid that the object of such instant desire should know what you're thinking. But tonight, I let it show in my eyes. I let him see how he moved me.
He took my hand and laid a gentle kiss against my skin. "Ma cherie. "
Jason came to stand near us, leaning against the nearest coffin as he'd leaned against the desk. "Damn," he said.
"What?" I asked.
"You've seen me naked, or almost. We've been up close and very personal." He sighed. "And you didn't look at me like that."
"Jealous?" I asked.
He seemed to think about that for a second, then nodded. "Yeah, I think I am."
Asher laughed and it was touchable, caressable, like a feather trailing down your skin held by a knowledgeable hand. "In that smooth, perfect body, in the full bloom of your youth, alive and breathing, and you are jealous of me. How lovely."
A knock on the door saved us from further discussion. I drew the Browning and put my back to the wall near the door. "Who is it?"
"It's Verne."
I parted the drape and looked out. He seemed to be alone. I opened the door and ushered him inside. The moment his back was to me, I pressed the gun barrel into his back and kicked the door closed.
He froze. "What's up?" he asked.
"You tell us," I said.
"Anita," Asher said.
"No, he's the Ulfric. He's supposed to have his pack under solid control."
I felt his ribs expand through the gun barrel. "I can smell the shit in the carpet, the sheets. Colin pay a visit?"
I shoved the barrel tight enough into his back to leave a bruise. "He left a present."
"He gave us one of his presents once," Verne said. "I know what I'm smelling in here because I held Erin's hand while he rotted to death."
"Why should I believe you?" I asked.
"If you have a problem with Colin's people, why pull a gun on me?"
"One of your wolves lured Nathaniel away and delivered him to the vampires."
Again I felt the movement through the gun barrel as he turned his head to look at the bed. "Why isn't he dead?"
"That's our business," I said.
He nodded. "Which of my wolves delivered your cat to Colin?"
"Mira," I said.
"Shit," he said. "I knew she was pissed that Richard had stopped seeing her, but I never thought she'd go over to the vampires."
Asher walked to us. "By rules of hospitality, you can be held responsible for the actions of your pack."
"What can I do to make up for this breach of protocol?" The words sounded way too formal for Verne's down-home drawl.
I leaned into him because the gun couldn't get any closer without going into his body. Had to make my point somehow. "How do I know you didn't tell her to do it?"
"I told you what he did to Erin. Colin said we were getting above ourselves, forgetting that vampires are more powerful than any animal. How the hell did you cure your leopard?"
"His name's Nathaniel," I said.
Verne took a deep breath, let it out slowly. "How did you cure Nathaniel?"
I flicked my eyes past Verne's body to Asher. He gave the slightest of nods, and I backed up enough steps that I'd be out of reach in case Verne was upset about the gun. But I kept the gun pointed at him, because I was still closer than ten feet. Even a normal man armed with just a knife can close that distance quicker than most people can upholster a gun.
"At great risk to ourselves," Asher said.
"How?" Verne asked. He moved towards the bed as if I was of no importance. Asher told him how we'd healed Nathaniel.
"And neither of you were poisoned by it?" Verne asked.
"Damian was affected," Asher said.
Verne searched the room. "You mean the red-haired vampire?"
Asher nodded.
"I can hear him in the bathroom. He should be dead."
"Yes, he should be," Asher said.
Verne turned and looked at me then. "Our vargamor said she felt your power tonight. Said you conjured up some sort of spell."
"I don't know the term vargamor," I said.
"A pack's wise woman or wise man, a witch usually, but not always. Sometimes just a psychic. Most packs don't bother with them anymore. How did you save the vampire once he started to rot?"
I holstered the Browning. One, I couldn't keep the gun na**d in my hands forever; two, I was beginning to believe Verne. "I'm a necromancer, Verne. Damian's a vampire. I healed him."
His eyes narrowed. "Just like that?"
I laughed. "No, not just like that. We damn near didn't save him, but we did it."
"Could you cure one of my people?"
"Did Colin do one of your people tonight?" I asked.
He shook his head. "No, but if we stand with you against him, he will."
"Why would you stand with us on this?" I asked.
"Because I hate that bloodsucking son of a bitch."
"If that's true, then Mira broke pack law," Jason said.
Verne nodded. "Normally, I'd kick her ass. She disobeyed me, but she injured you. Your grievence takes precedence." He glanced at Asher, then at me, as if he wasn't a hundred percent sure who to ask permission of. "What can my pack do to make this right between us?"
I looked at him, head to one side. I didn't like the idea that one of his wolves had betrayed Nathaniel. It made me not trust him. But I understood why Mira was pissed. Richard had dumped her. A woman scorned and all that.
"First, delay the greeting ceremony," I said. "We're going to be ass deep in vampires; there won't be time for anything else tonight."
Verne nodded. "Done."
"And I want Mira's head in a basket," I said.
"We need a place to meet Colin," Asher said.
"Our lupanar is ready for company," Verne said.
"Most generous," Asher said.
It was generous. Maybe too generous. "You understand that we aren't going to kill Colin for this. That whatever happens tonight -- unless he attacks us, forces us to defend ourselves -- we'll be leaving in a few days, and Colin will still be Master of the City."
"You mean if I help you hurt him, he may hold a grudge?" Verne said.
I nodded. "Yeah."
"Erin was a good kid. He wasn't even one of the young ones that had gone up against the vampires. They picked him because he was one of my wolves."
"Nathaniel said that Mira had been paid to bring one of our animals to Colin," I said.
"It sounds like him." Verne's hands balled into fists, and his power moved through the cabin like a line of heat. "I've wanted him to pay for what happened to Erin for ten years, but I haven't had the power to go up against him."
"You don't want him dead?" I asked, and I sounded surprised.
"Colin, for the most part, leaves us alone. But better yet, he can't call wolves. If we kill him, a new master will move in, maybe one that can control wolves. Maybe one that is a bigger, meaner son of a bitch. Dead would be great, but not until I know what it would cost my pack."
"The devil you know or the devil you don't," I said.
Verne looked at me for a second, then nodded. "Yes."
"Great," I said, "let's turn up the fire under this particular devil and roast his cojones."
For one of the few times on this trip, everyone seemed to be in agreement. I was used to killing vampires, not punishing them, because I'd learned a long time ago that you either killed monsters or left them the f**k alone. Once you pull on their tail, metaphorically speaking, you're just never quite sure how they're going to react. Sorry, cancel that. I knew exactly how Colin would react. The question was how much blood would be spilled and could we possibly pull this off without getting some of our people killed. I didn't give a damn if we killed some of Colin's people, in fact, I was sort of looking forward to it.
