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“She’s responding to your anger, and your beast,” Micah said.

“I know that,” Richard said, a hint of a growl in his voice.

She swayed in her chair.

“Richard,” Dr. Lillian said, “you have better control than this.”

He just nodded.

Lillian sighed. “If there was a way to heal your arm before Monday, your secret would be safe.”

“No,” Richard said.

It took me a moment to get the hint. “If you’re suggesting what I think you’re suggesting, not only no, but hell no.”

She put her hands on her hips and actually stamped her foot. “You are both being childish.”

We said no simultaneously.

“Fine, then I’ve done all I can for your arm. I will stay until we are certain that the vampire isn’t going to rise and cause more havoc.”

“His name is Damian,” I said.

She nodded. “Damian, then, but if you won’t let her help you, then I think you and Clair need to go to your house. I would suggest that you take her to the room in your basement, before you shift. She seems very swayed by your power.” She said the last as if she wanted to say something different, but thought better of it.

“I’ll stay until Damian is down for the day.”

“I think you’ve done your part,” Lillian said.

“They needed my help before,” he said.

I couldn’t argue that, but . . “How did you happen to be Johnny-on-the-spot this morning?”

“Gregory couldn’t get anyone here to pick him up. He got worried. On his way over, his car broke down. I was next on the list at the coalition help line.”

I hadn’t actually known Richard was helping staff the emergency calls. “Why didn’t he call AAA?”

“He was more worried about why no one was answering your phone than his car.”

“I didn’t think Gregory cared that much.”

Fredo said, “All your leopards are very serious about your and Micah’s safety.”

I looked at him. “I wasn’t aware of that.”

He grinned, a brief flash of teeth in his dark face. “You don’t like being babied. They know that.” The smile faded. “You are their safe harbor; they value that.”

I don’t know what I would have said to that, but Lillian interrupted and saved me.

“You need to go home, Richard.”

“Micah is here now, and Fredo,” she said, “I think you can leave it to us.”

He started to shake his head again and stopped in mid-motion. “I’ll stay until we’re sure.”

She sighed and shrugged. “You are a very stubborn man. Fine, stay, stay and be in pain.” Then she turned to me. “Is there coffee to spare?”

I had to smile. “I think Nathaniel can fix you up.”

“I’ll just bet he can,” she said, and did a polite leer.

Nathaniel took it in stride, with a laugh.

I don’t know what the look on my face was, but it caused Lillian to say, “I’m over fifty, Anita, not dead.”

“No, it wasn’t that.” I wasn’t sure how to put it into words, but it was more like you didn’t say things like that about someone’s boyfriend, not in front of them, anyway. There was that word boyfriend again in my head, with Nathaniel attached to it.

She was looking at me, sort of narrowly. “By the look on your face, I stepped in something. Is he more than just a member of your pard?”

I said, “yes,” and Richard said, “no.” Which left the two of us looking at each other. “I don’t think you get to answer questions like that for me, Richard.”

“You’re right, I’m sorry, but he’s not your lover, or your boyfriend.”

“No, he’s my pomme de sang.”

Richard shook his head and had to stop again. I don’t think he knew how often he made that motion until today. “I thought, we all thought, he was your live-in, but now I know he’s not.”

“He does live with me,” I said.

Richard started to shake his head, but actually caught himself before he’d begun the movement. “I know that, but he’s not your live-in lover.”

“And that matters, how?”

“Alright, children,” Doc Lillian said, “I made a careless remark. I didn’t understand what a pomme de sang means to its, his . . . owner, master.” She sighed. “I didn’t mean to offend anyone, let’s just leave it at that.”

“You didn’t offend me,” Nathaniel said, and handed her coffee in one of the colored mugs he’d purchased