Page 42 of Rafael (Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter 28)

“No, Nathaniel, and you know why,” I said.

“I can’t fight well enough,” he said.

“It’s not your strong suit,” I said.

Micah kissed the side of my neck, and I snuggled in against the side of his face. We both reached for Nathaniel at the same time, and he came to us and wrapped his arms around us both. We held each other in a three-way hug, and the rising level of leopard was like some vibrating purr of energy. It felt so right. It felt like home. They were home. If any animal energy was home, this was it.

“Do you have any animals to call that can fight well enough to go in with you tonight?” Benito asked.

“It doesn’t matter, she is my queen, so only wererats can stay at her side,” Rafael said.

“You can feel some of this energy, I know you can,” Isaid. “Do you really want me to lose this with them tonight by accident?”

Rafael took in a big breath of air and let it out slow. “No, of course not.” But I didn’t have to be a full-on shapeshifter to know he’d just lied.

“You want her to be your queen for real,” Micah said, not accusing, just as a statement.

“After the power I just felt, who would not?”

“You son of a bitch,” I said, and started to go forward, but Micah and Nathaniel held me closer. I sank into the warm, vibrating energy, but the edge of my own anger started adding to it, and it wasn’t as relaxing.

“You didn’t want me to lie, and now you do not want the truth. What do you want from me, Anita?”

“King or no king, Rafael, don’t think you will ride roughshod over me now that you’re my rat to call.”

“If I were a human or vampire servant, there would have been sacred words and an exchange of body fluids, but because I am only a beast, your power just called out to me and I answered, because I chose to answer; all your other beasts have been accidental or had no choice in the joining.”

“What’s your point, Rafael?” Micah asked.

“Anita’s power called me like you would call a dog, but I am king of the rodere and no one’s dog to call to heel.”

“We did this to keep you alive tonight, don’t make it about egos now,” I said.

“I am saying that your power may work the same on me, but I had to want the connection; perhaps that is not the only difference in our joining compared to all your other animals to call.”

Jean-Claude finally spoke from where he had been watching us all, and probably feeling the energy like a disinterested metaphysical observer. That he did that usedto bug me, but I understood now that he couldn’t sense as much if he was tangled up in it sometimes. I wanted his insight more than I wanted him in our group hug.

“Ma petitewill not go with you tonight if she cannot bring one of her othermoitié bêteswith her.”

“You said this was the best way to stop the vampire that’s trying to take over the rats,” I said.

“It is,” he said.

“If they kill Rafael, they could possess us all,” Claudia said.

“They could turn us against all of you,” Benito said.

“We will find another way to defeat the vampire that is trying to test our powers,” Jean-Claude said, his face blank and empty of emotion.

“But you will have lost the rodere as your food and as your military arm,” Rafael said.

“If you win tonight, we lose nothing.”

“Weren’t you telling me all afternoon how dangerous amoitié bêtecould be?”

“You are one now as well, Rafael. You have extra powers even ifma petiteis not beside you. We have done our part.”

“Please, Jean-Claude, don’t do this,” Claudia said.

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