I shrugged. “Perspective is everything, Aya.”
He grunted. It sounded like one of mine. And I realized I had used the shorter term.Aya. I stared into the dawning light. A few miles later Ayatas asked, “Are you going to tell me where the Sangre Duello is being held?”
“Asking as cop or brother?”
“Does it matter?”
“Yes.”
“Then I guess you won’t be telling me anything.”
“Guess not.”
“What’s the history between you and Rick LaFleur?”
Ohhh. That was a zinger from out in left field. I could ignore the question. Or I could answer it and see how he reacted. I turned in my seat, pulling one knee up, to watch his face in the glow of the dash lights as I spoke. “We were a thing. He was undercover and was seducing a wereleopard for info. He got bit. She got executed by a grindylow. He got kidnapped by werewolves and tortured. I rescued him and killed the wolves. He turned. Became a black wereleopard, despite the amount of wolfsaliva in his bites. We were still a thing. Sorta. Then he was magically seduced by a wereleopard in heat in front of dozens of people. He left with her. I should have killed her, or stopped him some other way. I didn’t protect him. I let him go because my feelings were hurt and I was embarrassed. We were no longer a thing. It’s uncomfortable and complicated.”
Aya nodded. I realized his hair was still braided and it had left a wet trail down one side of his clothes. “When you killed the wolves,” he said, “it opened a chasm that has since been filled by the Bighorn Montana Pack, with whom Leo has sworn an alliance.”
I shrugged and said nothing.
“Tell me about Rick and Kemnebi. Kemnebi attacked you?”
“Cop or brother?”
“Cop asking.” The slightest of smiles settled on his face. “This is awkward. If I had come before now, we would know one another and I wouldn’t have to be both brother and cop.”
“You screwed up.”
“Yes. And because I did, I now appear to be a top-tier jerk.”
I didn’t argue. I wasn’t going to talk to him about Kem’s demise or Rick’s elevation in status, his wives, or Clan Yellowrock. I was vamp-careful when I answered. “I’m the head of the local wereleopard clan.”
“You’re not a werecat.”
“Nope. But problems arise and have to be solved.”
“Leap of leopards,” Aya said. “Not clan.”
“Leap. I like. Anyway, Rick is now highly ranked in the leap, so he can handle things any way he wants.”
“If Rick loses control of his leopard, that could make for an awkward international incident.”
“Cop talking for sure. And I don’t care.”
Aya sighed. “I don’t know how to blend both the brother and the cop. I feel awkward and foolish and all my words are clumsy.”
“I noticed.” A small smile accompanied my words.
“Yes. Well.” He drove in silence for a while before hesighed. “I don’t have time to build a relationship with you before the Sangre Duello.”
“You may never be able to build a relationship with me.”
“This is true. But I will try. Until then, I have a job to do too.”
“Go for it.”
“As a part of that job, I have to find a way to be at the Sangre Duello.”
