Seeing Talon tense was its own reward, so Khent allowed Kraft his insolence. “One day I will cut off your head and then reanimate you.” He smiled, pleased at Kraft’s frown…and the way he subtly stepped behind his mate.
She didn’t hide her smile well enough. “He’s teasing, Kraft.”
“No, he’s not.”
“No, I’m not.”
She ignored them. “Talon, what human?”
“Valentine Darkmore,” he answered. “Khent ordered her to come here and help him. It’s been over a day, and she hasn’t come home. I want to see her.”
“If I did kill her?” Khent asked, curious. “What then, shifter?”
Talon’s expression turned flat. “Then I will end everything you know and love.”
From the tree overhead came clapping. Rolf cheered. “Nice. That sounded real. Threatening. Like he meant it.”
Kraft looked puzzled. “Why is Rolf in a tree?”
“Why does Rolf do anything he does?” Riley muttered. She cleared her throat and added, “Not that we don’t love you, Rolf.”
“Ha. Knew it. They all want me.”
“Don’t encourage him,” Kraft said.
“Yes, please don’t,” Khent added. “Talon,myhuman is fine but tired. We fought undead creatures on Tiger Mountain, and a demon blew up the mountaintop.”
“Again, nice work.” Rolf appeared next to him in the blink of an eye. Riley snarled in surprise, a sound more wolf than human.
Kraft didn’t react except to put an arm around his mate’s shoulders.
Talon stared at Khent, not appearing at all alarmed about his impending death. Such courage to threaten one Of the Bloode.
“Talon?” Valentine’s lyrical voice sounded from behind him.
Khent refused to acknowledge that he’d felt her before he’d heard or scented her. And that hadn’t been through his pets’ impressions either.
Talon looked relieved. “There you are.”
She tried to walk past Khent, but he stopped her. She glared up at him but didn’t try to break free from his grip on her wrist. “Talon, what are you doing here?”
“I got worried when you didn’t answer your phone.”
“Oh. Sorry about that.” She ran a hand through her hair, bits of the dark mass sticking up in places. “I used a lot of energy. I needed the rest, I guess. I passed out as soon as I hit the sheets.”
Talon narrowed his eyes on her. “Not from blood loss?”
“No. Stop worrying so much.”
“Yeah. It’s not like we’d try topoisonher or anything,” Riley said with a wide smile. “We’re all friends here, aren’t we?”
Instead of sticking up for her friend, Valentine crossed her arms over her chest and glared at Talon.
Talon blew out a breath. “Fine,” he snapped. “I’m sorry.For the millionth time, I’mvery, verysorry,” he apologized to Riley. “But we needed to take out that hell beast, and I knew you and your cousin were the only ones who could do it. I had no idea your vampire would get in a snit about it too.”
“Snit?” Kraft pointed to himself. “There’s no snit here. If you piss me off, I’ll just eat you. Eagle, it’s what’s for dinner.”
Rolf snickered.
