strode off down the corridor.
I called after him. “Are you leaving Ethan here?”
“He is a guard; he will do his duty.”
“Even knowing that if you don’t get back in time I’ll feed on him, you’ll still leave him here?” I said.
“He is a good guard, but he is not pure.”
“What does the fact that he’s mixed tiger heritage have to do with anything?” I asked.
Ethan answered, “He means I’m not worth protecting.”
Edward turned so that we could both look at the other man. “Not worth protecting from what?” I asked.
Ethan shrugged. “Much of anything, but in this case, you. You stole away the loyalty of some of the few remaining pure red tigers when they visited you in St. Louis; that’s why I’m guarding you, because if you bewitch me it won’t damage the clan. It won’t cost them more pure-blooded red babies.” He said it with only the slightest edge of bitterness in his voice.
“That’s cold,” I said.
“That’s the truth,” Ethan said.
I looked at Donny standing there watching us. “So you leave him here to guard us or be the sacrificial lamb, and you don’t much care which.”
Donny glanced at me, then at Ethan, and even at Edward. “I will go tell Queen Cho Chun what you have demanded.” His eyes flicked to me, then to Ethan, and I realized Donny was nervous. I think my stating so bluntly that he was leaving Ethan to be food had bothered him a little. A lot of people can do awful things as long as they don’t have to look at it too clearly. Lying to yourself doesn’t work if the truth is clear enough.
He turned without another word and walked away. His black clothing melded into the dark corridor within a few yards. They needed more light down here.
We were left standing in the dim corridor in a strangely thick silence. I felt my red tiger stir like a streak of fire called to life from cold wood. It made me close my eyes, take a deep breath, but that was a mistake, because I’d moved closer to Ethan without meaning to, and he didn’t just smell like red tiger. White tiger came out of the shadows where the beasts lived inside me. I knew there were no shadows inside me, or tall ancient trees, that it was just the landscape my mind created to help me cope with the beasts being inside me.
I was standing in front of Ethan staring up into those soft, gray eyes.
“Step back, Anita,” Edward said. I felt his hand hover over my shoulder.
I said, “Don’t touch me right now, Edward.”
He didn’t argue, just dropped his hand. I felt the heat of it get farther away when he stepped back. “Is theardeur rising?”
“It’s trying to, but it’s more . . .” I stepped in close to Ethan. A good guard would have moved back, but he didn’t. I was careful not to touch him, but my face was just above his bare arm, just above the skin; I breathed in the scent of him, deep.
Then another scent and my blue tigress rose and began to pace with the others.
“I thought we had the only blue tiger male alive today, but that’s where the gray curls and eyes come from. The white tiger paled you out, but you’re blue.”
“My grandmother was blue, but you do have the only pure blue tiger male. I’m so mixed up, I’m no color.”
“You’re not just red, or blue, or even white, you’re . . .” I didn’t say it out loud, because the Harlequin were trying to kill all the gold tigers; so far they’d missed them, but here was one that held a touch of that rich, golden power.
“I’m what?” he asked, and just looking up into his face I was almost certain he didn’t know that he held some of that precious bloodline. Interesting.
“How many forms do you have?” It came out as a whisper, with my mouth almost touching the skin of his arm.
“Three,” he said, and his voice was already deepening. I couldn’t tell if it was tiger, or just male reaction.
I wanted to ask, “Not four?” but I didn’t. The weretigers intermarried for genetic diversity, and most of
I called after him. “Are you leaving Ethan here?”
“He is a guard; he will do his duty.”
“Even knowing that if you don’t get back in time I’ll feed on him, you’ll still leave him here?” I said.
“He is a good guard, but he is not pure.”
“What does the fact that he’s mixed tiger heritage have to do with anything?” I asked.
Ethan answered, “He means I’m not worth protecting.”
Edward turned so that we could both look at the other man. “Not worth protecting from what?” I asked.
Ethan shrugged. “Much of anything, but in this case, you. You stole away the loyalty of some of the few remaining pure red tigers when they visited you in St. Louis; that’s why I’m guarding you, because if you bewitch me it won’t damage the clan. It won’t cost them more pure-blooded red babies.” He said it with only the slightest edge of bitterness in his voice.
“That’s cold,” I said.
“That’s the truth,” Ethan said.
I looked at Donny standing there watching us. “So you leave him here to guard us or be the sacrificial lamb, and you don’t much care which.”
Donny glanced at me, then at Ethan, and even at Edward. “I will go tell Queen Cho Chun what you have demanded.” His eyes flicked to me, then to Ethan, and I realized Donny was nervous. I think my stating so bluntly that he was leaving Ethan to be food had bothered him a little. A lot of people can do awful things as long as they don’t have to look at it too clearly. Lying to yourself doesn’t work if the truth is clear enough.
He turned without another word and walked away. His black clothing melded into the dark corridor within a few yards. They needed more light down here.
We were left standing in the dim corridor in a strangely thick silence. I felt my red tiger stir like a streak of fire called to life from cold wood. It made me close my eyes, take a deep breath, but that was a mistake, because I’d moved closer to Ethan without meaning to, and he didn’t just smell like red tiger. White tiger came out of the shadows where the beasts lived inside me. I knew there were no shadows inside me, or tall ancient trees, that it was just the landscape my mind created to help me cope with the beasts being inside me.
I was standing in front of Ethan staring up into those soft, gray eyes.
“Step back, Anita,” Edward said. I felt his hand hover over my shoulder.
I said, “Don’t touch me right now, Edward.”
He didn’t argue, just dropped his hand. I felt the heat of it get farther away when he stepped back. “Is theardeur rising?”
“It’s trying to, but it’s more . . .” I stepped in close to Ethan. A good guard would have moved back, but he didn’t. I was careful not to touch him, but my face was just above his bare arm, just above the skin; I breathed in the scent of him, deep.
Then another scent and my blue tigress rose and began to pace with the others.
“I thought we had the only blue tiger male alive today, but that’s where the gray curls and eyes come from. The white tiger paled you out, but you’re blue.”
“My grandmother was blue, but you do have the only pure blue tiger male. I’m so mixed up, I’m no color.”
“You’re not just red, or blue, or even white, you’re . . .” I didn’t say it out loud, because the Harlequin were trying to kill all the gold tigers; so far they’d missed them, but here was one that held a touch of that rich, golden power.
“I’m what?” he asked, and just looking up into his face I was almost certain he didn’t know that he held some of that precious bloodline. Interesting.
“How many forms do you have?” It came out as a whisper, with my mouth almost touching the skin of his arm.
“Three,” he said, and his voice was already deepening. I couldn’t tell if it was tiger, or just male reaction.
I wanted to ask, “Not four?” but I didn’t. The weretigers intermarried for genetic diversity, and most of
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