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Asher nodded. “Exactly; he fears her now.”

“His human servant, Nikki, could have enabled the wards just like I did,” I said.

“I believe,” Asher said, “that if his servant had power so similiar to your own, she would not have merely warned him.”

“She’d have tried to keep me from setting the magic free,” I said.

“Yes,” Asher said.

“She lied,” I said.

Asher smiled and touched my cheek. “How can you be so cynical and be surprised when people lie?”

To that, there was no answer. What I’d done was just beginning to sink in then. Now, in the light of midday, not morning—we’d managed to sleep the morning away—I was cold with the knowledge that what I’d done last night hadn’t used power from either Richard or Jean-Claude. What I’d done last night had been all me. I’d have been able to do it without a single vampire mark or a drop of extra power.

I hated it when I did something so inhuman and couldn’t blame anyone else for it. Made me feel like a freak.

Jason touched my shoulder. I looked at him. There must have been something in my face, because the grin faded from his. His eyes held that world-weary sorrow that peeked through every once in awhile.

“What’s wrong?” he asked.

I shook my head. “You saw what I did last night. I did it. Not Jean-Claude. Not Richard. Me. Just little old me.”

He put his hands on my shoulders and turned me to look at him full face. “You saved me last night, Anita. You put yourself between me and those things. I’ll never forget that, ever.”

I tried to look away, and he shook me gently until I looked at him. We were exactly the same height, so it wasn’t like looking up at him, just at him. All the teasing was gone. What was left behind was something more serious, more grown-up, less Jason. “You killed to save us last night. None of us will forget that. Verne and his wolves won’t forget that.”

“Colin won’t forget it, either,” I said. “He’ll come after us.”

Jason shook his head. “Asher and Jamil are right. He’s scared shitless of you now. He won’t come near you.”

I grabbed his arms, letting the quilt slide to the floor. “But he’ll hurt the rest of you. He’ll try and take you, Jason. He’ll give you to Barnaby. He’ll break you just to hurt me.”

“Or he’ll kill Asher,” Jason said. “I know.” He smiled, and it was almost his usual grin. “Why do you think we both stayed in here with you last night? I, for one, wanted your protection.”

“You know you have it,” I said.

The smile softened. “I know.” He touched my face gently. “What’s wrong? I mean really wrong? Why do you look so . . . tormented today?”

“What I did last night wasn’t very human, Jason. I felt Richard’s horror. I felt him think of me as a monster, and he’s right.”

Jason hugged me. I stiffened at first, and he started to let me go, then I relaxed against him. I let him hold me, wrapping my own arms around his back. I buried my face against his neck and had a horrible urge to cry.

There was a soft sound from behind us. I raised my head to look. The wereleopards were climbing off the bed, gliding towards us on human feet but moving as if there were muscles in their legs and hips and torsos that didn’t exist in mine. Zane and Cherry writhed and glided, nearly naked, towards us. Cherry held Nathaniel’s hand, leading him like a child. But he didn’t look like a child as he padded towards us, naked. Undies would have hurt the upper thigh wound. Now, as he came towards us, it was clear that he wasn’t completely unhappy to see me. Or maybe it was waking up next to Cherry, or maybe it was just a guy thing. Either way, I didn’t like it.

I pushed away from Jason. He didn’t fight it, just stepped back. He watched the wereleopards come, but I don’t think he was worried about it. In fact, I could feel his energy prickle along my skin. Strong emotions like lust will make a shapeshifter’s energy rise. The moment I thought it, I looked without thinking. Jason was happy to see Cherry, very happy.

I looked away, blushing. I turned my back on all of them, arms hugging my sides.

Someone touched my shoulder. I flinched.

“It’s me, Anita,” Jason