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She lay there and healed； and cursed me； and told me how weak I was。 I shot her in the chest again。 She writhed and jerked； and the pool of blood just grew wider underneath her body。
I let the ammo clip fall into my hand from the gun； put it in my other pocket and got my main clip back in the gun。 〃Silver now； Elizabeth。 Any more smart remarks？〃 I waited until she had healed enough to talk。 〃Answer me； Elizabeth。〃
She stared up at me； and there was something in her eyes； something that said we finally had an understanding。 She was afraid of me； and sometimes that's the best you can do with people。 I'd tried kindness。 I'd tried friendship。 I'd tried respect。 But when all else fails； fear will do the job。
〃Good； Elizabeth； I'm glad we understand each other。〃 I turned to the others。 They were staring at me like I'd sprouted a second head a nasty one。 Micah held out my clothes to me； and I slipped the shoulder holster off and the clothes on。 No one said anything while I dressed。
When everything was back in place； I said； 〃Shall we go to the house now？
Caleb looked positively ill。 Micah looked pleased。 So did Merle； and Gina； and all my leopards。
〃You will not be allowed guns tonight in the lupanar；〃 Merle said。
〃That's what the knives are for；〃 I said。
He looked at me as if he wasn't sure whether I was serious or not。
〃Smile； Merle； she'll heal。〃
〃I'm beginning to agree with what the wererats said。〃
〃And what was that？〃
〃That you were scary enough all on your own without being Nimir…Ra。〃
〃This isn't even close to as scary as I get；〃 I said。
He raised his eyebrows at me。 〃Really？〃
It was Nathaniel who said； 〃Really。〃 My other cats echoed him； nodding。
〃Then why aren't you afraid of her？〃 Gina asked。
〃Because she doesn't try to be scary to us；〃 Zane said。 He looked down at Elizabeth on the ground； still unable to move much。 〃Of course； maybe the rules have changed。〃
〃Only for bad little leopards；〃 I said； 〃Let's get to the rats and go see the wolves。〃
〃And the swans；〃 Micah said。
〃Swans？〃 I asked。
He smiled。 〃You just keep making conquests； Anita； even when you don't mean to do it。〃 He held his hand out to me。 I hesitated； then； slowly； I took it。 Our fingers interlaced； and we walked together hand…in…hand down the road； and it felt good； and right； like I'd found a piece of myself that was missing。 I left Zane behind to make sure Elizabeth didn't get run over by a car。 We'd send Dr。 Lillian back for her。 The rest of the leopards followed behind Micah and me； and for the first time since I'd inherited the cats； I felt like I really was Nimir…Ra。 And maybe； just maybe； I wouldn't fail them。
21
RAFAEL THE RAT king had a black limo。 He'd never struck me as a limo kind of guy； and I said as much。 He said； 〃Marcus and Raina used to put on quite a show for things like this。 I and my rats are not willing to make a spectacle of ourselves； so the limo。〃
〃Hey； I wore makeup；〃 I said。 That had made him smile。
We were riding in the back of the limo； with one of his wererats driving。 Merle and Zane were in the front with the driver。 Merle； because he'd objected to us all being split up among people he didn't know； and Zane； because I just didn't pletely trust Merle yet。 Though I had no illusions about which of them would win the fight； if it came to that。 Richard had a werewolf or two that I would have bet on against Merle； but there was something downright scary about Micah's head bodyguard； a 〃something〃 that all of my leopards lacked。 Not ruthlessness； more an ultimate practicality。 You just knew Merle would do whatever needed to be done； no hesitation； no sympathy； just business。 When that's pretty much how you operate yourself； you begin to recognize it in other people； and you watch them closely。
All the leaders got to ride in the back of the limo； which smacked of elitism to me； but it did allow us all to talk together； and no one else seemed to have a problem with it。 I wasn't sure why it bugged me； but it did。
Rafael was tall； dark； handsome； and strongly Mexican。 He spoke with no trace of an accent； or rather he sounded like he was from Missouri。 He sat facing us。 Yes； us。 Micah and I sat across from him。 We were not holding hands。 We were not casting longing glances at each other。 In fact； strangely once I was away from the other leopards； I was unfortable around him。 Maybe it was my usual disfort that always set in after intimacy。 But I wasn't sure； it felt different。 Or maybe it was the closer we got to seeing Richard； the more I wondered what the hell I was doing。 Was I really going to tell Richard that I'd taken a lover； another shapeshifter？ We'd broken up before and gotten back together； but if Richard thought I'd taken a permanent lover besides Jean…Claude； it was over。 I didn't want it to be over； though part of me wasn't at all sure that dating Richard was healthy for either of us。 We weren't really good for each other。 Love is like that sometimes。
I pushed away serious thoughts and looked at the last member of our little party。 Donovan Reece was the new swan king in town。 He was about six feet tall； though it was hard to tell exactly while he was sitting down。 His skin was that flawless milk and cream plexion that the beauty aids promise when tan is out for a year or two； but Donovan's was the real deal。 He was whiter than I was； as white as Jean…Claude； but there was a slight pink flush to Donovan's cheeks； like perfectly applied blush。 You could almost see the blood flowing under his skin； as if it were nearly translucent。 He not only looked alive； but very alive； as if he'd be hot to the touch。
His eyes were a pale blue…gray that shifted with his moods like a summer sky that couldn't make up its mind whether it wanted to be peaceful with fluffy white clouds or rain all over your head。 He was handsome in a clean…cut； preppy sort of way； as if he should have been on a college campus somewhere pledging to a frat and chugging beers。 Instead he was going with us into a gathering of werewolves where he would be the only nonpredator there。 That didn't sound like a good idea to me。
〃You saved my swanmanes； Ms。 Blake。 You nearly got yourself killed doing it。 I couldn't risk the girls ing； they are not 。。。 〃 He looked down at his folded hands； then raised those changeable eyes to me。 〃They are like your Nathaniel victims。〃
〃Nathaniel is driving my Jeep with the rest of my people in it；〃 I said。
Reece nodded。 〃Yes； but the shape of his beast is a predator。 My girls are not。 If they lost control and changed during the meeting； they would be meat。〃
〃I agree with you； Mr。 Reece； but doesn't the same logic apply to you？〃
〃I am a swan king； Ms。 Blake； I will not change shape unless I will it so。〃
Will it so。 I'd never heard anyone put it quite that way。 Donovan Reece had a bad case of arrogance。 I wasn't going to talk him out of this。 Rafael had been trying to before I arrived。 Micah never offered。 He'd been very good about letting me do all the talking。 I liked that in a man。
〃Can you fight？〃 I asked。
〃I will not be a burden； Ms。 Blake； don't worry。〃
I was worried； because I could smell the blood just under his skin。