Part 12 (2/2)
”Have Jean-Claude try the new females that Haven's recruiting for his pride. They're not like the bimbo that he brought down there for his Regina; I think you and Jean-Claude will like them both better.”
”Did you help shop for them?”
”Yes.”
”And you were going to tell us when?”
I heard him take in a deep breath and then let it out, and I had that moment to sense how much hotter his energy could be than most vampires'. His energy could hold a warmer edge of his animal to call than any other master I'd ever met. ”I feel her outside your door; just let her in. I helped shop for women I thought you might actually get along with, and women that Jean-Claude might actually like.”
”You mean like-like?” I asked.
”Jean-Claude is more Belle's child than I am, Anita. Her power over her animals all came through s.e.x. Let him try some of the cats and see if he gains the ability to call them. It would make him much more powerful, and it would mean he could help you control all the cat-based animal groups.”
”Did you talk to him about this?”
”My word of honor that it will be as big a surprise to Jean-Claude as it is to you.”
”Don't go all Machiavelli on me, Auggie, I don't like it.”
”This isn't Machiavelli, more Cupid. Put Jean-Claude on and go tame your kittens before someone gets hurt.”
”How do I tame him?” I asked.
”Let me fight him,” Nicky growled.
Auggie said, ”If you could win the fight it would tame Haven, but he's good in a fight.”
”I can do it,” Nicky said, rubbing his face against my hair.
”How else?” I asked.
”s.e.x would be a temporary solution. It would smooth things over tonight.”
”So I reward his bad behavior,” I said.
”What's your goal for tonight, Anita?”
”What do you mean?” I asked.
”What do you want to happen with the lions right this moment?”
”I want everyone to survive the night. No one dead.” I thought about it. ”I'd like to make us all into a cohesive whole. We need to get our s.h.i.+t in order here, especially after what just happened with Mommie Dearest.”
”Then offer him s.e.x if he sends most of the lions home. He's Rex, so he's ent.i.tled to keep a couple of bodyguards.”
”You really think s.e.x with me will make him send them home?”
”Remember who're you're talking to, Anita. It was all I could do after s.e.x with you and Jean-Claude not to stay in St. Louis like some sort of pet. Trust me, he'll say yes.”
”That was Jean-Claude in charge of the metaphysical head games, Auggie. Haven won't go for that.”
”Ask Jean-Claude what he could do to help the head games with hands off Haven. Besides, you completely rolled the other werelion. He's a f.u.c.king Bride of Anita, or I guess Groom, but whatever, you can do this if you get out of your own way.”
”What's that supposed to mean?”
”It means you feel bad about what you did to the other werelion.”
”I took his free will, Auggie; no one has that right.”
”I won't argue right and wrong with you, kiddo, but I will point out that if Haven was as enthralled with you as this Nick is, then you wouldn't have a horde of angry werelions about to storm your battlements.”
I didn't know what to say to that as Nicky hugged us all tighter.
”h.e.l.l, Anita, if you had just taken him as your Rex the way you did your Nimir-Raj, he'd be more manageable. I wouldn't have sent him to you if I thought you were going to hesitate. He's too dangerous to keep waffling. You need to either keep him or kill him, Anita.”
”Could I send him back home to you?”
”No, he's been a Rex; if you send him back my Rex will kill him.” I heard cloth move on the phone as he s.h.i.+fted position. ”Now if you want to send him here so we kill him for you, I can get behind that.”
”No.”
”It would be easier on that conscience of yours,” he said.
”If you think that's true, then you don't understand my conscience at all, Auggie.”
”It's been so many centuries since I had one of my own that I don't quite understand them in anyone.”
”It would not make me feel better to send him home to certain death.”
”Then what will you do?” he asked.
”I do my own killing.”
”Then do it, Anita. Do it before he tears your house apart.”
”I don't want to kill him.”
”Kill him, f.u.c.k him, make him your Rex the way you did Micah, make him your animal to call like Nathaniel, make him your Groom like Nick, but you are going to have to do something.”
Domino's phone rang again. He turned around to take it, but the set of his shoulders let me know that the news hadn't improved.
”Thanks for the pep talk, Auggie.”
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