"I think you're beautiful as you are. But if they bother you, yeah, Kit. Draw something to ink over them. They're part of you now. Might as well make them something beautiful."
"All right," she says softly. "I'll see what I can draw."
"Good girl."
I leave her to it, knees drawn up, sketch pad in front of her, tongue peeking out as she concentrates. Cute little Kit.
I clean up the kitchen, puttering, marveling that this could be my life. Doing domestic things while a sweet little vixen waits in my bed.
My machine is blinking with a message I got just after 7 pm. I hit the play button and go back to the dishes. A rasping voice comes on, one I vaguely recognize. I freeze.
"Grizzly." A pause and the speaker breathes hard and angry. Teeth click-a vampire grinding his fangs. My hackles rise at the sound. "You got something of mine. I want it back." The message ends.
So Augustine figured out who took his pet fox. He wants her back.
"Too fucking bad," I tell the message machine. If that leech was here I'd-
A soft noise makes me whirl. Jordy stands in the kitchen entryway, wide-eyed. She meets my stare with her horrified one.
"Go back to bed," I say, without a push to make it an order. I want to go back in time and erase the message. Or better yet, to the time before her family sold her, so I could find her, seduce her and steal her away.
Too bad time doesn't work like that.
"Was that-" Her lip trembles. More than anything I want to hold her.
"Yes." I go to hit the delete button and she stays my hand. She hits replay and we both listen to the message again. This time, when I go to delete it she doesn't stop me.
"Did he have your number?"
"No. Must have got it out of the books at Toxic." I try to sound bored. My information is in the king's files, same as everyone. "It's okay. My address isn't listed."
"He'll come for me."
"He doesn't know where you are. It's okay, Kit, I got this."
I go to the door and check the locks, just in case. Making this place my den will keep a vampire from coming over the threshold, but won't keep out other thieves. Fortunately, they'll probably all be human. I'm the only shifter I know who will work with a vampire.
Humans, I can take.
When I turn back, Jordy's still by the answering machine, frozen.
"It's all right," I tell her again.
"You gotta let me go," she whispers.
"Fuck no." I cross to her and tug her to me. She squirms and I clamp down tighter. "It's not happening."
"Grizz, please." Normally I like the sound of her begging, but not now. "He knows you got me. He's not gonna stop."
"He's not getting you back-"
"He'll kill you," she blurts. Her pupils are blown. Full panic.
"He can try." I pick her up, shaking her a little. "Calm down, Kit."
"He's a vampire!"
"And I kill vampires," I snarl in her face. She stills in shock. Fuck, my secret's out. "I kill vampires," I repeat, quieter. I'm not mad at her. My hand itches a little, wanting to reach for the juice. I got enough blood and rage right now, I could fight the world, and win.
"You just said you killed one. That it was luck."
"The first one I fought I didn't kill. I got away, and that was luck," I admit. "He killed someone I loved." I swallow. I haven't told anyone but Frangelico this. And I only told him so he'd know how serious I was about our alliance.
Jordy is silent and still, waiting. Or maybe she's just trying to process what I've told her.
I carry her to the bed and sit, keeping her in my lap.
"It happened when I was a teen. Soon after I'd turned. A vampire was…hunting. He got a taste for shifters or maybe my mom just surprised him."
"And you were there?"
"Not until too late. He killed her." For a moment reality dips away. I see a galley kitchen, a wooden table, blood spilling down the wall and dripping down to the body crumpled behind the chair. "I tracked him down and barely escaped with my life. That was before I learned how to fight vampires." I hadn't killed the vampire murderer, but I had spilled his blood. Licking my wounds later, I felt the buzz, the burst of energy, and I figured out how I could have my revenge.
"I'm sorry," Jordy says softly. Her face swims into view.
"It was a long time ago. I haven't seen the bastard since."
"But you're still looking."
"Yeah. As soon as I'm done with this job, I'll go back to my hunt."
"Does…" she hesitates.
"Ask."
"Does Frangelico know you're hunting a vampire?"
"He does. That's why I partner with him. He knows my past. He supports my quest. That's why I can't own you, Kit. I gotta let you go. I'm not…I can't be in a relationship."
"So you are going to release me."
"Not yet," I growl more loudly than I mean to. "Not until I've dealt with Augustine. Punished him for what he's done to you."
"Grizz." Her small hands cup my face. "You can't keep me here."
"I'm going to keep you safe."
"He'll come after you. I don't want you to be hurt because of me. I'm not worth it," she says, sadness flaring in her scent.
"You are to me. Don't you ever say that again. You're worth everything. I wanna give you the whole world."
"Grizz." She closes her eyes.
"I'm not giving you back to that leech," I swear savagely. "He used you and abused you. He doesn't get you back. Ever."
"You can't keep me from running to him."
"The hell I can't." My bear snarling for vampire blood, I rise up and throw her over my shoulder.