Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter Colletion_ Books 6-10 - Laurell K. Hamilton [529]
Cherry moved up a little behind me. Zane appeared in the doorway and flanked her. They stood to either side and a little back like bodyguards. They’d do their best, but I didn’t want to test them against Roland and Ben. I was pretty sure who would win, and it wouldn’t be us.
“I am sorry that I marked Verne,” I said.
“Lies,” Roxanne said.
“I truly didn’t mean to do it.”
She took a trembling step forward. I didn’t step back, but maybe I should have. She was too damn close. At this range, I might get the Browning out, but if I did, I’d have to use it, because she’d be on top of me in seconds.
“Can someone please explain why she’s so pissed, and what we can do about it that won’t end with one of us dead?”
Marianne stood slowly. Roxanne’s head pivoted, and the intensity in that gaze, even turned to another, made my skin jump. Marianne held her hands palm out and advanced slowly around the table towards her lupa.
“Roxanne sees the marking as an insult to Verne and the entire pack,” Marianne said.
“I got that,” I said. “I didn’t mean it to be insulting. I didn’t mean to do it at all.”
Roxanne’s head turned slowly until she was staring at me. Her eyes bled from brown to a rich, startling yellow while I watched.
I put my hand on the butt of the Browning. “Ease down, wolf-girl.”
A low, rumbling growl crawled out of that slender throat.
Marianne said, “If you truly didn’t mean to be insulting, then would you be willing to make amends?”
I kept my gaze on Roxanne but answered, “How would I make amends?”
“We could fight,” Roxanne said.
I looked into her nearly glowing yellow eyes. “I don’t think so.”
Marianne was standing sort of between us without actually standing between us. “You could offer your neck to Roxanne in a public ceremony.”
My eyes slid to Marianne, then back to the werewolf. “I am not letting her near my neck in public or private, not on purpose.”
“You don’t trust me,” Roxanne said.
“Nope.”
She took another painfully slow step forward. Marianne did step between us then. If Roxanne moved forward another inch, her shoulder would bump Marianne.
“There is another ceremony,” Marianne said.
“I am not offering Roxanne my neck,” I said.
“No neck offering, but you do exchange blows.”
I felt my eyes widen. I stared at the nearly snarling woman across from me. “You must be joking. She’d kill me.”
“I’ll let you hit me first,” Roxanne said.
“I’ve read this story. No thanks.”
Roxanne frowned. “Story?”
“Sir Gawain and the Green Knight,” I said. She still looked puzzled. “The Green Knight lets Sir Gawain have the first blow. Gawain cuts off his head. The Green Knight picks up his head under one arm and says, ‘My turn, a year from now!’”
“Haven’t read it,” she said.
“It’s not top twenty reading list, I guess. Anyway, the point is the same. I can hit you as hard as I can, and it won’t hurt you. You can flick your fingers in my direction and break my neck.”
“Then we fight,” she said.
My hand was still resting on the Browning. “I’ll kill you, Roxanne, but I won’t fight you.”
“Coward!”
“You bet,” I said.
I felt Richard brush over me, through me, like wind. He’d recognized Roxanne’s car and was letting me know he was about to bring a human into the mess. A human who didn’t know who the monsters were.
I looked away to see his shape outside the kitchen door, and I shouldn’t have. I didn’t so much see Roxanne’s fist as sense the movement. My hand was already on the Browning, only seconds to pull it, but that blur of movement caught me in the chin. I had the sensation of falling, but I didn’t remember hitting the floor or didn’t feel it.
I was on the floor looking up at the white ceiling. Marianne was beside me. Her lips were moving, but no sound came out. Sound finally came through with an almost audible pop like a small sonic boom.
Screaming. Everyone was screaming. I heard Richard’s voice and Roxanne’s and others. I tried to sit up and couldn’t.
Marianne touched my shoulder. “Don