Page 8 of Smolder (Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter 29)

“You’re here to work out with us, right?” Milligan said.

Peter nodded.

“We’ll teach you how to manage your new strength and speed, and how to hide it.”

“Yeah, that, too. I mean, if I moved like that in the dojo they’d all know.”

“You were fast, kid, but not as fast as we are,” Craven said.

Peter looked at him. “Are you serious?”

Craven smiled that smile that big, athletic men have been smiling since the first one realized he was bigger and stronger than everyone else.

“They are serious,” Asher said, “and please remember that when Kane comes to, he will take this as a grave insult.”

“Is that a threat?” Edward asked.

“No, it is a warning. As I become healthier and less prone to being what Anita calls a shit stirrer, Kane is getting worse. He’s only here today for my fitting because he didn’t trust me out of his sight.”

“The jealousy issues are that much worse?” I asked.

“I fear so.”

“How much worse, since we’re supposed to be keeping everyone safe?” Craven asked.

Milligan answered, “You haven’t been around Kane much, but he’ll probably try and tear the kid up next time he sees him.”

Asher lowered his head, putting his hands in front of his face like he might weep or didn’t want to see Kane lying on the floor. He shoved his hands back through his hair so it pulled back completely, exposing the scars on the left side of his face. It let me know how upset he was, because he would never have done that in front of so many people if he’d been thinking about it.

Peter gasped.

Asher froze and then very slowly moved his hands so his hair would fall back like a dark golden curtain to hide behind again. He spoke with his face still hidden. “If Kane wakes and the young man is still here, he will attack him. He can take such an insult to his honor from Anita and others at the apex of our power structure, but he is too insecure to take it from anyone he perceives as less able.” He never moved his head at all while he spoke, so his hair was all we could see of his face. He didn’t even show us the unmarked side of his face, which meant all his issues had been hit hard by that one small sound.

“If everyone is okay with it, we’ll just send Kane to the medical area at the Circus of the Damned so he can wake up there,” Milligan said.

“Fine with me,” I said.

“Yes,” Asher said, still unmoving as if he was afraid to give Peter a second look at his face.

I walked over to Asher as Milligan picked Kane up like a sack of potatoes, putting him in a fireman’s carry over one of his shoulders.

“What if he has a spinal injury?” Peter asked.

“Kid, if his spine was injured he’d either be dead or it’ll heal no matter what,” Milligan said, and then he walked out while Craven held the curtain for him.

He hesitated in the doorway and said, “We’re not supposed to leave you without someone to watch your back.”

“We’ve got her back,” Edward said. I was a little uncomfortable with Peter being part of thatwe, but he had earned the right to be included.

Milligan yelled back, “If Forrester says he has her, he has her. Now let’s get the werehyena to medical before he comes to.”

Craven almost saluted, remembered in time, and hurried to catch up with Milligan.

I tried to stand in front of Asher, but he moved just enough so that his hair was between me and seeing any of his face. I hadn’t seen him this insecure in maybe ever. Damn it. I reached up to touch his hair, but he moved just out of reach, so I dropped my hand to his arm. Which he let me hold, but he was immobile under my touch like he was trying not to be there.

“Asher, please,” I said.

“I’m sorry,” Peter said.

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