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〃I don't care which of us is more dominant; Anita。 Those kind of games have never meant anything to me; unless people forced me to play them。〃
〃You said something about helping Gregory。 What did you mean?〃
He started working his way a little higher up my body; sliding his body along mine。 I could feel the slime from his shirt recoating my bare stomach and nearly bare chest。 My disgust must have shown on my face; because he asked; 〃What's wrong?〃
〃Your shirt is covered in slime; and I'm lying in a pool of it。 I didn't just want you to get off me to be off of me; I wanted to get up out of this mess。〃
He came to his knees; his legs on either side of mine。 I could feel our beasts stretched between us like something that should have been visible; as if each of their heads was buried in the other's chest。 He offered me a hand。 I stared up at him。
〃I know you don't need the help; Anita。 But our beasts are touching now。 It's a close connection and physical contact will help us keep it until we finish Gregory。〃
I didn't need the earnest look on his face to know he was telling the truth; the marks were still open between us。 I knew he was telling the truth。
I took his hand and he lifted me to my feet。 Standing up hurt; and either he felt it or saw it on my face。 〃I hurt you;〃 he said softly。
〃We hurt each other。〃 I could feel that he was stiff; aching; but he moved like he wasn't; and I still moved human stiff。
He raised the bottom of his shirt; still holding my hand。 〃Touch me。〃
I looked up at him; and he laughed。 〃Just keep physical contact; Anita。 I don't mean anything by it。 But I need both my hands。〃
I laid a hand on his side; very tentatively。
He shook his head。 〃I'm going to take my shirt off。〃
If you can't touch a person's hands; arms; or much of their upper body; you run out of polite places to touch。 I settled for sliding my hand under the wet shirt; touching the smooth firmness of his side。 Even his skin was damp from the shirt having molded to it。
Richard drew the shirt over his head; and I was left standing inches from him as he revealed the flat plains of his stomach; the muscular swell of his chest; and arched his back to draw the shirt over his head。 The sight of him; the pull of the lust that always came when I saw him without clothes pushed my beast against his。 I felt furred sides roll against each other; a tentative roll of power that felt like someone had taken velvet and caressed the most intimate part of me。
Richard gasped。
I concentrated hard to stop the movement; but that I'd done it without thinking brought heat in a wash up my face。 I looked at the ground; my hand was still only touching his side; just above his jeans; but the touch felt suddenly intimate。 I wanted to take my hand away; and his hand covered mine before I could move。 He pressed my hand to him; firm; but not forceful。
He touched my chin; raised my face until I had to look at him。 〃It's alright; Anita。 I love the fact that just seeing me moves you like that。〃
The blush that had been fading; blazed harder。 He laughed; soft; low; with that edge that a man's laugh gets when he's thinking intimate things。 〃I have missed you; Anita。〃
I looked up at him。 〃I missed you; too。〃
His beast moved through me in a wash of power and sensation that left me gasping。 My beast responded to his。 I couldn't seem to stop it。 Maybe I didn't want to。 Those shadow forms rolled in and out of each other; through us; until I couldn't breathe; couldn't think。 It was Richard who drew back first; and said; 〃Dear God; I never thought 。。。 〃 I felt the effort it cost him to draw back from me; to stop。 His face showed a businesslike; no…nonsense look; but I could feel the trembling of other things inside him。 His voice came out brisk。 〃I'll call Jamil's beast; the way it's supposed to be done。 Feel what I do; how I use my beast to call his。〃
My voice was a little breathy。 〃Then I'll do Gregory。〃
He nodded。 〃Or I can call Shang…Da's beast; if you need to see it one more time。〃
I nodded。 〃Okay。〃
He slid a hand around my waist; drawing me against him。 It didn't seem as intimate as the roil of our beasts inside us。 Jamil stood facing us。 He'd stripped off his shirt and shoes; but kept on his pants。 It occurred to me for the first time that I'd never seen him nude; except when he'd been injured and near death。 Jamil didn't do casual nudity。 One of the few modest shapeshifters I knew。
〃I'm ready; Ulfric。〃
After what Richard had done to Stephen I thought Jamil was being awful trusting。 But then; everyone trusted Richard; he was very trustworthy。 No; lack of trust wasn't the problem。
〃I don't need to physically touch anyone to do this; but it's easier that way; so I'll touch him; so you can understand better how it works。〃
I nodded; wrapped in the circle of his arm; the firmness of his body; the velvet roll of our beasts like another arm to hold us against each other。
Richard touched Jamil's bare shoulder; and I felt his power move outward like a warm wind。 It caressed Jamil's skin; and Richard's beast flowed with it; pulling mine along for the ride。 Richard's power teased along Jamil; coaxing; and the best analogy I could think of was like someone trying to lure a cat down out of a tree。 Beckoning; talking sweetly; promising caresses; and treats; if only it would e down。 But Jamil's beast didn't e down; it came out。 It rolled out of the center of his being like a pale golden fog; an almost shape。 I saw his beast like I'd seen Micah's earlier; for an instant; then Jamil collapsed to the deck; and his bare back began to ripple like water under a strong wind。 The wolf drew out of his back in a long wet line; and his body dissolved into that dark furred shape; so that his human body became the wolf; like flipping over a coin; heads; tails; but still the same coin。 I felt the rightness of it; the harmony of it。 Jamil embraced what he was; there was no conflict between him and his beast。 I'd never seen him in wolf form; man…wolf; but not this pony…sized black beast。 He was like Little Red Riding Hood's worst nightmare。
The wolf shook himself; and I realized that his fur was dry。 There was more of that clear goop all over the deck; but very little of it had clung to the wolf itself。 Yet another metaphysical mystery: How do werewolves stay dry when shapeshifting is such a mess?
I turned without a word; drawing Richard with me。 I went to Gregory; still sitting on the picnic table; only Cherry and Dr。 Lillian with him now。 Zane had e to see what the matter was when Richard and I started writhing on the deck。
Gregory looked at me; blue eyes silvered in the moonlight。 I smiled and touched his cheek; cupped the side of his face against my hand。 I reached for his beast; not with my hand; but with that shadowy thing that swirled through Richard and me。 I sent it shivering across Gregory's skin; and he sat up; letting the quilt fall away from his bare upper body。 Cherry moved away just enough so they wouldn't touch; as if she was afraid to touch him now。
I tried to coax his beast; to call it with sweet caresses and gentle persuasion; but it remained stubbornly just under the surface; trapped by the drugs tha