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He gave me a look. The real Edward began to peek out, Ted Forrester melting from the eyes outward. It was always his eyes that reverted back to real first. Sort of the way most lycanthropes shifted, interestingly enough.

“Thanks for sending Graham when you did. The shot they had was tiger. It’s their standard because it’s so rare. They’re sending for a different batch, not tiger this time.”

“Will he take the shot?”

“If you were him, what would you do?”

I thought about it. “I’m not the one to ask, Edward. I’ve been cut up a lot, and I’ve taken my chances. So far, so good.”

“But the shot didn’t exist last time. Would you have taken it?”

“I won’t make this decision for you, or for Peter. He’s not my kid.”

“The other shapeshifters make weretigers sound like the last thing you’d want to be.”

“How so?”

“Like I said, they try to force you to marry into the clan to keep everyone related. They’d find Peter and they’d offer him girls, try to lure him in. If he wouldn’t be lured, they’ve been known to abduct.”

“Illegal,” I said.

“Most of them homeschool their kids.”

“Very isolationist,” I said.

“Peter doesn’t like the sound of being a weretiger. He’s not very big on other people telling him what to do.”

“He’s sixteen,” I said. “No sixteen-year-old likes to be bossed around.”

“I don’t think he’s going to grow out of it.”

“He takes orders from you, and from Claudia.”

“He takes them from people he respects, but you have to earn it. I wouldn’t let some clan of weretigers take him, Anita.”

“They can’t force you, or Peter. Christine has lived in St. Louis for years and never been bothered that I’m aware of.”

“Apparently, there’re only four clans of tigers in the United States. They all keep to themselves. Their culture is also divided about pure-bloods, inherited lycanthropy, and attacks. Being given tiger lycanthropy is seen as a reward for a job well done. They think it’s a sin to give it to someone you don’t value.”

“Sounds sort of vampirelike,” I said. “They feel the same way about human servants and animals to call. But I’ve seen my share of both that were forced, and didn’t go willingly.”

“Were you willing?” he asked, and it was all Edward in those eyes now.

I sighed. “If I say no, are you going to do something stupid?”

“No, you love him. I see it. I don’t understand it, but I see it.”

“I don’t get you and Donna either.”

“I know.”

“I wasn’t willing at first, but somehow it just happened. Where we are now wasn’t forced on me.”

“Rumor has it that you’re the power behind the throne, the one pulling his strings.”

“Don’t believe every rumor you hear.”

“If I believed them all, I’d be too afraid to be alone with you.”

I stared at him, trying to read that face, that unreadable face. “Do I want to know what people are saying about me behind my back?”

“No,” he said.

I nodded. “Fine, get a doctor, see if I can get up and mobile.”

“It’s been ten hours, Anita, you can’t be healed.”

“Let’s find out,” I said.

“If you get out of bed this quick, some of those rumors are going to get confirmed.”

“Are the police talking to you about me?”

“Not everyone knows that we’re friends.”

“Okay, what rumors?”

“That you’re a shapeshifter.”

“Some of my best friends are shapeshifters,” I said.

“Meaning?”

“Meaning, get a doctor. I’m not going to stay in bed just to keep people from thinking what they already think. Truthfully, I’ve had actual shapeshifters think I’m one of them just from the way my energy feels.”

“Would it hurt you to stay in bed?”

“Why do you care if people think I’m a shapeshifter?”

“I care because if Peter finds out you’re already out of bed he’ll feel weak. He’ll want to be all macho, too.”

“If the doctor tells me I’m too sick to move, I’ll stay in bed. I’m not being macho.”

“No, but Peter has similar injuries to yours, and he knows how he feels.”

“His wounds aren’t healing faster than normal?” I asked.

“They don’t seem to be, why?”

“It’s not a certainty, but often if a victim is going to get lycanthropy, wounds heal more than human-fast.”

“Always?” he asked.

“No, but