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Micah and his pard。 He'd left a number at the shapeshifter hospital； and I'd called for it。 I almost didn't call； but we needed backup tonight。 My embarrassment was a small price to pay。 If I had been in contact with Jean…Claude and Richard for the last half year； I probably could have talked Richard out of doing all the shit he'd done to his pack。 I'd e home to try and reestablish a relationship； or two； but I was mostly cleaning up the mess that my absence had made。 Richard might be dead at the full moon； and Jacob； Ulfric。 Damian might be permanently crazy and have to be destroyed。 The couple that had hit him with their car would have been alive if I'd known what the hell my magic was doing。
I'd avoided a lot of Marianne's teachings because it was too much like pure witchcraft for my monotheistic beliefs； but I knew now that I had to understand how my powers worked。 I couldn't afford to be squeamish。 God kept telling me I was okay with Him。 I wasn't evil。 But at some level I didn't believe it。 At some level I thought that witchcraft； raising the dead； wasn't very Christian。 If God was okay with me doing it； then what was my problem？ I'd prayed about it often enough and gotten the answer more than once。 The answer was to do it； that this was what I needed to be doing。 If God was for it； then who was I to question it？ Look where my arrogance had gotten us。 Two dead； one crazy； and if Richard lost the pack 。。。 there'd be a lot more dead。
I felt a quietness inside me as I drove。 Usually the touch of God is golden and warm； but sometimes when I've been really slow and not picked up on what He's wanted for me； I get this kind of quiet sadness； like a parent watching a child learn a necessary hard lesson。 I'd never once prayed to God about Richard and Jean…Claude not about who to choose anyway。 It just hadn't seemed right to ask God to help me choose a lover； especially when I thought I knew who He'd pick。 I mean vampires are evil； right？
But driving through the falling darkness； feeling His soft presence fill the car； I realized that I hadn't asked because I'd been afraid of the answer。 I drove and I prayed； and I didn't get an answer； but I knew He heard me。
20
IT WAS FULL dark when we pulled up in front of my house。 Almost every light in the house was on； like I was giving a party and no one had bothered to tell me。 The driveway was full and overflowing onto the road。 One of the reasons I'd rented the house was because I had no near neighbors to get caught up in whatever crisis I was having。 My crises usually involved gunfire； so no neighbors to get hurt had been my primary requisite in a house。 There was no one around to peek out a window and wonder what the hell was going on next door。 Just trees and the lonely road； neither of which cared what I did。 Or at least I didn't think the trees cared； though Marianne might tell me I'm wrong on that one。 You never know。
I ended up parking quite a ways down from the house； with nothing but trees on either side of the road。 I turned off the engine； and Nathaniel and I sat in the dark； listening to the engine tick。 He hadn't said much since I came back out of the bathroom at Jean…Claude's nothing at all on the forty…minute drive here。 But then； neither had I。
I'd left Jean…Claude in a huff with a firm date to e back tomorrow night and get Damian out of hock。 It wasn't just Damian locked away all these months that made me not want to be with Jean…Claude； it was that he had finally changed me into one of the monsters。 I already knew that sex with him bound the marks closer； but now that the marks were married 。。。 what would sex do to us now？ How much closer could the marks bind us all？ Was it just changes with Jean…Claude； or did I have mystical surprises ing up tonight with Richard； too？ Chances were likely； and Jean…Claude really had no clue what the surprises might be。 He didn't know what he was doing。 He really didn't。 Since I didn't know what the hell I was doing either； and Richard had no clue。 That left us in a bad place。 I'd call Marianne tomorrow on the theory that one magic is much like another； but until then I was on my own。 Big surprise。
Of course； I wasn't exactly alone。 I looked across the front seat at Nathaniel。 He looked back at me； face peaceful； hands in his lap； seat belt still in place。 He'd pulled his hair back into a thick braid； leaving his face very plain and unadorned。 In the moonlight his eyes looked pale gray； instead of their usual vibrant violet。 Without the hair or the eyes showing； he looked closer to normal than I'd ever seen him。 He was suddenly a person sitting across from me； and I realized with a shock that I didn't really think of Nathaniel as a person。 Not as a grown…up separate human being kind of person anyway。 He was more a burden than a person to me。 Someone to be rescued； helped。 He was a cause； a project； but not a person。
The heat began to press in around the Jeep。 If we sat here much longer I'd have to turn the air conditioning back on。 If Jean…Claude was right； then I'd had sex with Nathaniel earlier tonight。 I was hoping Jean…Claude wasn't right； because I still considered Nathaniel a child； an abused child。 You took care of them； you did not have sex with them； not even if they wanted you to。
My breast was aching； faintly； from his teeth marks。 We'd shared a bed so often that it felt odd when he wasn't beside me。 But I still didn't see him as a grown…up。 Sad； but true。
〃Jean…Claude is pretty sure that the ardeur is well fed enough that it won't be an issue for the rest of the night；〃 I said。
Nathaniel nodded。 〃You won't need to feed again until you've slept for a few hours。 Jean…Claude explained it to me； a little。〃
That pissed me off。 〃He did； did he？〃
He shook his head。 〃Anita； he's worried about you。〃
〃I'll bet。〃
〃You really aren't going to sleep at the Circus tonight； are you？〃
〃No；〃 I said。 I was sitting back in the seat with my arms crossed over my stomach。 I'm sure I looked as stubborn as I felt。
〃And when you get up tomorrow； what then？〃 His voice was very soft in the hot； dark car。
〃I don't know what you mean。〃
〃Yes； you do；〃 he said。
I sighed。 〃I don't want to do this； Nathaniel。 I don't want to have Jean…Claude's incubus inside me。 I'd rather be Nimir…Ra for real than have to feed off of others。〃
〃And if you're both？〃 he asked； voice even softer。
I shrugged； arms still crossed； but hugging me more than being stubborn now。 〃I don't know。〃
〃I'll be there for you； Anita。〃
〃Be where？〃 I looked at him。
〃Tomorrow； when you wake。〃
〃What else did Jean…Claude tell you while I was running around trying to find out about Damian？〃
Nathaniel's gaze never wavered； never changed。 He wasn't embarrassed or bothered in the least about the conversation。 〃That he wouldn't hold a grudge if you had real sex with me。〃
I studied his face。 〃You don't consider what we did today sex？〃 I made it half…question； half…statement。
〃No；〃 he said。
〃I don't either； but 。。。 〃 I was glad it was dark； because I was blushing； but damn it I wanted someone else to answer this question。 〃I know why I don't think today was actual sex； but why don't you？〃
He smiled and d