The Satyr really was cruising for death. I gritted my teeth and forced my beast to a dull roar, but couldn’t stop it from pushing my body into Jacques’s space.
He took one look at my face, swallowed, and backed away. Only then did I realize that rage had caused my lips to pull back, and that my canines had grown long and sharp.
Strewth.What the bloody hell was wrong with me? I had better control than this. The guy was a Satyr. They had a natural preoccupation with sex, but Anna was hardly going to jump into bed with him. Not with me right there. My beast needed to chill out.
“I want to check a couple of things with my informants,” Jacques’s voice was higher pitched than usual and suddenly lacked any French accentuation. “I will be back before it is time to leave, likely in a couple of hours. There is canned food in the kitchen if you’re hungry. Can I count on you two to stay put until I get back?”
Anna narrowed her eyes. “You aren’t going to try anything dumb, are you? Like stopping us from doing this?”
“I would love nothing more than to stop you from doing this,” Jacques waved his hands in the air, and his hair stood out from his head as though animated. “But I can see that won’t work. I want my sources to have their ears to the ground. If Cara and Sebastian arrive, they will know about it and pass it on.”
“Right,” Anna said, but she eyed him doubtfully.
I actually didn’t much care where the Satyr went, as long as it was away from Anna. He skirted me with a noticeable degree of caution and smoothed his hair with a trembling hand before vanishing back out the door.
The moment he did so, Anna rounded on me. “What is your problem?” She asked me as she stripped off her cloak and the harness, complete with sword. “You have a thorn in your paw? Or maybe in all four?”
Before I could stop myself, I opened my mouth and inserted my foot. “Are you attracted to him?” I demanded.
“What?” She regarded me with raised brows. “Why would I be attracted to him?”
“He’s a Satyr,” I explained.
“You say that like it means something other than him having horns and hooves.” She was starting to look pissed off.
I stared at her, fighting for the patience that I usually possessed. “Cara explained it to you.”
She waved a hand. “I knew that already from books and reading mythology on the internet. He’s the first one I’ve actually met. Three weeks ago, I had no idea you existed either.”
Strewth.I needed to get my big head back in charge here. She really had no idea.
“Satyrs really are sex fiends,” I began.
“Yeah, you said that,” she replied. “But I have no intention of screwing anyone tonight, let alone him.” Her eyes flashed fire.
I stifled a growl and got to the juicy bit. “He exudes pheromones that make females want to have sex with him.”
I saw it hit home. Her eyes widened. “Pheromones?”
I nodded, and added through gritted teeth, “He uses it to his advantage—it’s how he gets such great intel. Even in the human realm.”
“But—he has horns. Andhooves.”
“I have teeth, fur, and claws.”
“Not all the time!”
My lips twitched. “With his glamor, to another human, he just looks like a hairy guy.”
She stared at me. “Really?”
“Really.”
“But—surely he didn’t think I’d—I mean, you and Cara were right there!”
I shrugged. “He never gives up hope.”
“Well, he can bloody well dream on.” Anna rubbed her temple. “Are all Cryptids sex-starved maniacs?”
