Jason leaned in, sniffing my leg.
I put my coffee cup on my knee, in front of his face. "Don't even think it," I said.
Jason grinned up at me. "Can't blame a guy for trying."
"I can," Richard said softly.
Jason smiled at him and scooted back.
Neal raised his face and shook his head. "They didn't have sex."
"He said she'd protect me," Stephen said. The silence grew so thick you could have walked on it.
"Is that what you said?" Sylvie asked. She was staring at Richard like he'd done something very bad.
Richard took a deep enough breath that his shoulders shuddered. "Yes, that's what I said."
"Stephen," Sylvie said, "Did you believe she'd protect you? If Raina had come through the door, would you have trusted Anita to save you?"
Stephen looked at the floor, then up, his eyes darted to Richard, then to me. His eyes finally stopped, staring at me. "She had me sleep near the wall so she'd be in front in case anything came through the door."
And I'd thought I'd been subtle.
"What would you have done if Raina hadcome?" Sylvie asked.
Everyone was watching me, except Richard. Their eyes were very intent, and I knew the question meant more than it should have. "I'd have killed her."
"Not just shot her or wounded her?" Christine asked.
I shook my head. "She got her free pass last night. If she comes after Stephen again, I'll kill her."
"You mean that, don't you?" Sylvie said.
"Every word," I said.
There was a hum of energy in the room, almost as if they were all sharing some telepathic message. I don't think they were, but something was happening. The energy level in the room was rising, and I didn't like it. I sat the coffee mug on the floor. I wanted both my hands free.
Sylvie grabbed me around the waist and rolled us off the couch. We were on the floor with her riding my back before I could react. I went for the gun, and her hand was there first. She jerked the gun out of its holster and tossed it away. She wasn't fast, she was miraculous, and I was in deeper shit than I could get out of.
The bend of her arm was tucked under my chin like in a strangle hold, positioned just right so she could black me out without killing me. Her legs locked around my waist, as close as she could get and not climb down my shirt.
A half dozen werewolves flowed between her and Richard. He was standing, hands in fists at his side. His power poured through the room, deeper and higher, until it was like being buried alive in some kind of static charge.
"Don't," I whispered. I wasn't talking to Richard.
I felt something open inside Sylvie, a trembling, vibrating energy flowed from her skin across my body. It was almost hot, like opening the door to an oven. Where her skin touched me, I shivered. It was painful, like small electric shocks.
"What are you doing, Sylvie?" Richard asked. His voice had gone low and growling deep; it didn't sound human. I expected his eyes to be amber, but they were the same solid brown as always. Human eyes, but the look in them was not. The beast stared out of Richard's eyes. I knew in that moment that he was truly dangerous. I also knew that all that impressive power wouldn't save me if Sylvie wanted to rip my head off.
My pulse thudded against her arm like a trapped butterfly. I forced my voice calm. "What's going on?"
"I'm going to make you his mate."
"You're not contagious in human form," I said.
"Really?" she said. The arm around my throat grew warm, pulsing like a beating heart. I felt the muscles slide under her skin.
"Richard." My voice sounded high and wispy. Fear will do that to you.
Rafael and Louie were on their feet now. The werewolves that had joined Sylvie in this little protest fanned out to cover the rats, too.
I couldn't see Stephen. He was somewhere behind us, crouched on the floor, last I saw.
Jason crouched at Richard's feet, facing the other werewolves. But at least ten of them just sat there, watching, not taking sides. "You've been holding out on us," Jason said.
Sylvie flexed the arm around my neck. I had a glimpse of a long-clawed hand. "Only Raina is higher in the pack than I am, Jason."
Richard faced the werewolves. He brought his hands upward, making a soothing gesture like he'd done at the movie set. The prickling energy in the room went down a notch. He was forcing their power back.
"All it takes is a scratch, Richard," Sylvie said. "You'll never reach us in time."
"I forbid this," Richard growled. "No one is to be infected against their will. Especially Anita."
"Why?" Sylvie said. "Because if she wasn't human, you wouldn't want her? Not taking the pack to your bed is just another way of denying what you are, Richard."
Something passed over his face behind the anger and the power: uncertainty.
I knew in that moment she was right.
Sylvie whispered in my ear, her breath warm on my face. "See his face."
"Yeah," I said.
"He accuses you of not being able to sleep with him because you think he's a monster, but if I make you one of us, he won't want you. He thinks of all of us as monsters, but not good old Richard. He's better than the rest of us."
"I will hurt you, Sylvie. I'll bleed you, do you understand," Richard said.
"But you won't kill me, will you?" she said. Her arm flexed, long claws tickled down my face.
I put my hands on her arm, trying to hold it away from me, and not succeeding. "I'llkill you," I said.
She went very still against my body. "For changing you into one of us? For losing you Richard's love when he sees you monstrous and furry?"
I spoke very low, very carefully. "You hate what you are, Sylvie."
Her arm convulsed tight enough that I couldn't breathe for a second. "I don't hate what I am. I accept what I am." Her arm loosened.
I took a shaky breath and tried again. "I saw the look on your face when I accused you of being jealous. You are jealous of me being human, Sylvie. You know you are."
She held her other hand up in front of my face, letting me get a good look at the long, thin claws. The hand at my throat combed claws through my hair.
"You know that Raina has forbidden us to make you lukoi. She's afraid if you joined us, you'd be a better bitch than she is."
"How flattering," I whispered. I looked at Richard through the backs of the werewolves. His eyes had gone amber and alien. Even now, I knew, he wouldn't kill Sylvie. Even if she bled me, infected me, he wouldn't kill her. It was there in the pain on his face. The confusion replacing the fear.
Maybe Sylvie saw it. Maybe she'd made her point. Whatever, she uncurled herself from my body and stood carefully on the other side of me.
I scuttled away on all fours as fast as I could go. It wasn't pretty, it wasn't slick, but it was effective.
I crawled until I came to the far wall. I stayed sitting against it, as far away from everything in the room as I could get.
The other werewolves had faded away. Sylvie and Richard stood facing each other. Sylvie's eyes had gone a strange liquid grey, wolf eyes.
Richard flung his power outward. It ate along my skin, tore a gasp from my throat.
Sylvie stood in that flood of power and didn't flinch. "The power is impressive, Richard, but it means nothing as long as Marcus lives."
He backhanded her, in a blur of motion that was too fast to follow. Sylvie careened into the wall and slid to the floor, stunned.
"I am pack leader," Richard's voice roared, and he raised clawed hands to the sky. He fell to his knees, and I didn't go to help. I stayed huddled against the wall, wishing I'd packed an extra gun.
Richard crouched on the floor, rocking gently. He curled on his knees into a ball, and I felt him swallow the power back. I felt it drain away. He stayed crouched on the floor, hugging himself for a long time after the power vanished from the room, head down, his hair hiding his face.
Sylvie got to her knees and crawled towards him. She crouched beside him, smoothing his hair back on one side. "We would follow you anywhere if you would kill for us. She will kill for us. If your mate, your lupa, will kill for us, it might be enough."
Richard raised his head up with a shudder. "No one is to be infected against their will, that is my word, and my order." He raised back on his knees.
Sylvie stayed crouched down, face near the floor, a sign of abasement. "But you will not kill to enforce it."
"I will kill to protect Anita," Rafael said.
Everyone looked at him.
He met their eyes and didn't back down. "If anyone touches her against her will, I and mine will hunt them down."
"Rafael," Richard said, "don't do this."
He stared at Richard. "You bring a human among us, but you do not protect her. Someone has to."
I wanted to say I could protect myself, but it wasn't true. I was good, but I was just human. It wasn't enough.
"I can't let you do my dirty work for me," he said.
"I am your friend, Richard," Rafael said. "I do not mind."
Sylvie hugged the ground at Richard's feet. "Will you let the Rat King kill your pack? Is he our leader now?"
He stared down at her, and something happened to his face, not otherworldly, or wolf, but a hardness, almost a sadness passed over him. I watched it, and I didn't like it. If I'd had my gun, I might have shot Sylvie for making that look pass over his face. "I will kill anyone who breaks my word. I have spoken, and it is law."
Sylvie abased herself even lower, and the other wolves came crowding around, crawling on the floor, abasing themselves in front of him. Some of them licked his hands, touched his body. They moved around him until he was nearly hidden from sight.
Richard stood up, walking through them, their hands clinging to his legs. He bent down and picked up the Firestar from the floor and walked over to me. He looked normal enough, all the wolfish changes hidden away. He handed me the gun, butt first. "Are you all right?"
I cradled the gun in both hands. "Sure."
"I value your humanity, Anita. Sylvie's right. How can I ask you to embrace my beast, when I can't do it myself?" The pain on his face was heartrending. "I will kill to keep you safe. Does that make you happy?"
I stared up at him. "No," I said. "I thought it would, but no." I felt like Rafael, I'd kill for him. I'd kill to keep the pain out of his eyes.
I holstered the gun and raised my right hand to him. His eyes widened. He understood the gesture. He took my hand and raised me to my feet. He drew me with him towards the waiting wolves.
I hung back, pulling on his hand.
"I said I'd kill for you, Anita." His voice was soft and harsh at the same time. "Don't you believe I'd do it?"
His eyes were utterly sad. It was like something inside of him that he'd kept alive all these years was dead now. I believed the look in his eyes. He would kill to protect me, and the decision had cost him dearly.
The werewolves closed around us. I would have said they crawled around us, but that didn't cover what they were doing. Crawling wasn't graceful, or sensuous, but this was. They moved like they had muscles in places that people didn't. They circled us and rolled their eyes up at us. When I met those eyes, they looked away, all except Sylvie. She met my gaze and held it. It was a challenge, but I wasn't sure what I was supposed to do about it.
A hand touched me, and I jerked away from it. Only Richard's hand on mine kept me from going for my gun. He held both my hands in his and drew me to him, our bodies not quite touching. He met my eyes and held them. He wasn't afraid. I tried to relax, but it wasn't working.
"This is my lupa. Know her scent, know her skin. She has shed our blood, and shed her blood for us. She stands as protector for those weaker than herself. She will kill for us, if we ask. She is your alpha."
Sylvie and Neal stood up. They both moved out of the circle. They stood, staring at me, at Richard. The others crouched on the floor, watching.
"She is not dominant to me," Sylvie said.
"She is not even one of us," Neal said, "I won't bow to her. I could break her in half with one hand." He shook his head. "She isn't my alpha."
"What's happening, Richard?" I asked.
"I tried to bring you into the pack, make you one of us without contaminating you."
"Why?" I asked.
"If you're going to protect Stephen, then you deserve the protection of the pack. If you're going to take risks for us, then you deserve to have the benefits of our protection."
"No offense," I said, "but I haven't been too impressed with your protection so far." The minute I said it, I wished I hadn't. His face fell.
"You made it personal last night with Raina, Anita. You have no idea how dangerous she is. I wanted you to have everyone's protection in case something happened to me."
I looked up at him. "You will kill Marcus if he jumps you, right? No more being squeamish." I touched his arm. I studied his face. "Answer me, Richard."
He nodded, finally. "I won't let him kill me."
"You will kill him; promise me."
His jaw tightened, the muscle thrumming. "I promise."
"Well, hallelujah," Sylvie said. She stared at me. "I withdraw my challenge. You aren't dominant to me, but you can be his alpha female. You're a good influence on him." She stepped back into the circle, but didn't kneel. "Come on Neal," she said, "let it go."
He shook his head. "No, she isn't one of us. She can't be. I won't acknowledge her as alpha."
"All you have to do is prove to Neal that you're serious," Sylvie said. "You just have to make him hurt a little."
"Since he could probably survive a direct hit with a mack truck, how am I supposed to hurt him?"
She shrugged.
"I didn't think anyone would challenge you. I'm sorry," Richard said.
"You expect people to be nice, Richard. It's one of your best qualities and greatest weaknesses," I said.
"Refuse the challenge, Anita."
"If I refuse, then what?"
"It's over. You won't be a member of the pack, but I can order them to protect you from Raina. It's almost as good."
"I told you, I don't want anyone being ordered to take a bullet for me. Besides, no way am I volunteering to go one on one with a lycanthrope. I'll keep my gun, thanks anyway."
The doorbell rang. It was probably Edward. Damn. I looked at the little group, and even though they were in human form, he'd know what they were. He was better at smelling monsters than I was, at least live ones. "If you guys can tone it down a bit, I'll get the door."
"Edward?" Richard made it a question.
"Probably," I said.
He stared around at the group. "Everybody up off the floor. He's another normal."
They got to their feet, slowly, almost reluctantly. They seemed almost intoxicated, as if the power in the room had done more for them than for me.
I went for the door. I was halfway to it when Richard yelled, "No!"
I dropped to the ground, rolling, and felt the air whistling over me where Neal had swung. If he'd been any good at fighting, he'd have nailed me. The missed swing put him off balance, and I foot-swept him to the floor, but he got to his feet again before I could stand, like there were springs in his spine. It was impressive as hell.
"Stop it, Neal," Sylvie said.
"She didn't refuse the challenge. It's my right."
I scuttled backwards, still on the ground, not sure what to do. The closed drapes of the picture window were at my back if I stood up. I wasn't sure standing up was my best bet. "Give me the rules, quick," I said.
"First blood," Sylvie said. "Human form only."
"If he shapeshifts, you can shoot him," Richard said.
"Agreed," Sylvie said, others murmured their agreement.
Peachy. Neal leaped for me, leaving the ground completely, hands outstretched. I came up on one knee, grabbed his jacket, and rolled on my back, letting his amazing momentum carry us both. I shoved both feet into his stomach and pushed with everything I had. He flew over me in a near perfect arc. He'd set himself up for a textbook tomoe-nage throw.
He smashed through the window, taking the curtain with him. I rolled to my feet and stared at the gaping window. Broken shards of glass sprinkled onto the carpet and the yard beyond. Neal struggled out of the curtain, blood running down his face where the glass had cut him.
Edward was on the ground in a combat stance, gun out. He pointed it at Neal, as he struggled free of the curtain.
"Don't shoot him," I said. "I think the fight's over."
Neal stood, kicking free of the clinging curtain. "I'll kill you."
I drew the Firestar and pointed it at him. "I don't think so."
Richard stepped up beside me. "She drew first blood, Neal. The fight is over, unless you want to fight me, too."
"And me," Sylvie said. She stepped up on the other side of Richard. The rest of the pack stepped up behind us. Stephen crouched at my feet.
"She is pack now," Sylvie said. "You fight one of us, and you fight all of us."
Edward raised his eyebrows at me. "What is going on, Anita?"
"I think I've been adopted," I said.
Neal glared at me.
"Do it, Neal," Sylvie said.
Neal knelt in the glass and the curtain. The cuts were already beginning to heal on his face. Glass wasn't silver or the claws of another monster, so he healed almost magically.
"You are dominant. You are alpha." The words were dragged from his throat. "If this window hadn't been here, you couldn't have bloodied me."
"Why do you think I moved in front of it, Neal?" I asked.
His eyes squinted. "You planned this?"
I nodded and raised my gun skyward. "I'm not just another pretty face."
Richard took my left hand, squeezing it gently. "That's the God's honest truth."
I put up the Firestar.
Edward shook his head, smiling, but didn't put his gun up. He did stop pointing it at anyone. "You are the only person I know who leads a more interesting life than I do."
Jason patted me on the back. "Tomorrow night we'll take you out chasing deer."
"I thought you'd chase cars," I said.
He grinned. "What fun is that? Cars don't bleed."
I smiled, and then stopped. His eyes were as innocent as spring skies, as joyous, and staring into them, I wasn't sure if he was kidding me or not. I almost asked, but didn't. I wasn't sure I wanted to know.