Page 35 of Rafael (Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter 28)

“He’s threatened it,” Asher said.

“Jesus, when were you going to tell me about all this?”

“I just heard about it myself. I told Jean-Claude because I saw him first, and now I am telling you. I will leave it up to the two of you who else needs to know.”

“Micah needs to know,” I said.

“We will tell everyone when they arrive,” Jean-Claude said.

“We can’t let Narcissus bully us like this, not with another vampire trying to move in on us,” I said.

“We are all in agreement,ma petite. We will begin to discuss our options when our others arrive.”

“I am sorry for my part in the problems with Narcissus,” Asher said.

“Your part, your part? It’s all your fault.”

Asher took in a breath big enough that I could watch his chest rise and fall, which since he didn’t have to breathe at all meant it was a very big sigh. “My anger wants to deny it, to find excuses to say that it was the vacuum of power after Raina and Marcus died when Richard took over the werewolves that allowed Narcissus to grow the hyenas into a force to rival both thewerewolves and the wererats. That if Richard had policed them as tightly as Marcus had, Narcissus would not have the power to threaten us now.”

Some of my own anger faded. “Fine, fine, you’re right on that one. Richard has been working on his issues, but not in time to fix it all.”

“Richard began working on his issues before I did. I made fun of him for it and I am ashamed that I, what is the phrase, threw him under the bus, to try to save myself.”

“You weren’t wrong,” I said.

“No, but it doesn’t lessen my larger part in the current crisis.”

“Come join us,ma petite.” Jean-Claude patted the bed between them.

“Why do you keep offering when I’ve already said no?” I asked.

“Because you are frightened and want comfort.”

“I’m not frightened,” I said automatically as if Jean-Claude couldn’t sense my feelings.

“Ma petite, once I would have let the lie go, but as others in our life have learned to control their issues, I have learned to reach out and ask of you what I need rather than taking crumbs from the table of your love.” He patted the bed again.

“What does that even mean right now?”

“Can you not feel what I am feeling?”

“No, you’re shielding too tight.”

“And you are not,” he said.

“If I shield hard enough to keep you out that far, I cut off everyone and I risk cutting Nathaniel and Damian off so much that they start to die.”

“Then trust me,ma petite, when I say that it would make me incredibly happy if you would give this inch and join us.”

I crossed my arms as much as the shoulder holster would let me and scowled at him.

“I am not asking you to have sex with us here and now,ma petite, just let us hold you. Let us offer you the comfort that you crave, that we crave to give you, while we wait for the others. When they arrive, we will have our war council, but until then we may hold each other and gain comfort before the war begins.”

“You don’t mean Narcissus starting a war, do you?”

“Non, ma petite, a master vampire has crept into this country when I am supposed to be the king of us all. My power is supposed to be absolute; even if we weather this threat and keep the wererats, the other vampires will learn that one of them found a chink in my armor, and just as Rafael cannot appear weak without bringing more challengers to his throne, so with my own. If I do not make an example of this vampire, then others will search for weakness and they will find it, because no one is unassailable.”

“You’re afraid, too,” I said.

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