Her expression turned sly. “By some standards, you making me sleep in a closet makes you a poor hostess.”
“Church insults don’t work on me. Besides, a host is a willing giver. I’m not willing and you’retakingmy hospitality. I’m more a hostage in my own home.”
“You’re smarter than you act sometimes. Will you eat my soul while I sleep?”
“I don’t eat souls. The land does. So don’t sleep outside where it can get you. Meanwhile, I put a pile of quilts and a hammer, nails, and hooks on the bed and you can hang a quilt to cover the closet doors. I suggest you cover the windows with quilts too and sleep wrapped in more of them.”
At my feet the cats were everywhere, twining, making those indignant sounds they made when they wanted out. I walked around her and opened the front door, figuring they were feeling Occam coming. Cherry bopped my leg and trotted out after them.
Yummy frowned, staring at the stairway to the second floor. “You’re enjoying this, aren’t you?”
“I admit to a certain amount of satisfaction at the thought of you sleeping in a closet. Shower is at the top of the stairs.”
Yummy walked up the stairs. I heard the shower come on, and I went back to the stove, where I sniffed Occam’s coffee and poured hot water from the kettle over my strainer and leaves into the teapot. I scrambled a dozen eggs.
Occam knocked before he opened the door. He had a key. He had his space for his clothes in our bedroom closet, but I had a feeling that even after we married, he’d still always knock, so I would never be shocked and turn around to see a man in my house and have a sudden start of fear. He was thoughtful that way. “Morning, Nell, sugar. You look pretty as a picture.”
I may have flushed a little with pleasure. “Morning, cat-man. I made us breakfast.”
He pulled a long-sleeved sweatshirt off the hook near the door, covering up his scars and providing warmth. He stood on one foot at a time and tugged on socks, sliding his feet into slippers, all with that cat grace that sometimes made me feel clumsy. Even with the stove heating the place up and the new backup electric heater running on stored solar power, it was usually chilly in winter and layers were smart, even for cat-people.
Occam gently hugged me and kissed my temple. Such a strange sensation, that gentleness from a man. I leaned into him a moment, and then stood straight and dished up our meal. As I set the table, he poured coffee and my tea. I still wasn’t used to a man helping around the house. It felt unnatural.
We ate in silence long enough for his hunger to fade. Were-creatures used the moon power to change shape, but there was still some energy spent in a shift. They were always needing protein.
The shower went off and hammering echoed down the stairsas Yummy secured her day lair. Occam chuckled softly at the sound. From upstairs Yummy yelled down, “Don’t you laugh, you, you, youcat!” Which only made Occam laugh louder.
I was nearly done eating and he was scraping his plate clean with a crust of toast when he looked up the stairs and then outside to check the position of the sun. With the sun up, we knew Yummy was in her closet lair and sleeping.
Quietly, Occam said, “I talked to Yummy.”
“Why didn’t you ever call her by her name?” T. Laine would have said it was a random question, but it mattered. “You dated her and yet you called her Yummy, same way I do.”
“She told me her name was Abella. And then ChristyLu. And then something else, I don’t remember. But when vamps challenge someone they use their true names.”
“What happened after, when Ming put her hand on Yummy’s head and gave her the stuff out of the loser’s pockets and his jewelry?” And someone took pictures, and used them to tie me to Yummy.Dagnabbit.
Occam popped the toast corner into his mouth and considered my questions. I hadn’t been with PsyLED long. I didn’t know much about vampires. Yet. And it seemed they may have changed from what they used to be into something new, so this was different. Everything was different.
“Because of the challenge, his belongings were hers when he died.” He tilted his head back and forth, considering. “From what Rick said, all the vamps killed last night were wearing jewelry. Rings. Necklaces. Probably had cash and other valuables on them.”
I remembered the tingle of magic from the necklace Yummy had been wearing when she hugged me.
“Ming gave her own winnings to Yummy. That was a sign of respect and status,” he said.
“It’s part of the reason she can buy a house in Oliver Springs, according to Yummy.”
“Ming’s hand on her head was either a demand or a kind of blessing. Rick probably heard what she said. If he didn’t put it in the record last night, it’s probably there by now. But I’m sure her original intent was to abduct you and use you against her enemies and against Unit Eighteen. Which is why Rick and Ayawere with you. They thought she would have ulterior motives, and if I went instead of them, I’d just kill her and be done with her. Which could have set off a paranormal war.” He shrugged.
“I should have used one of my boons to keep us safe from the get-go. Okay. I’ll check the records. Go on. You talked to Yummy.”
“She’s fascinated with your land. Said to keep Ming off it if possible. And if Ming tries to claim the land, or challenges you for it in some way, you better make sure she’s dead first.”
I laughed. “I’ll take the advice of a vampire into consideration. But I do see her point.”
Occam leaned in again and kissed me, this time on the lips, so sweet and tender it mighta made my toes curl up just a bit, his hand stroking along my jaw. “I love you to the full moon and back,” he murmured.
“I love you too,” I whispered, “deep as the roots, high as the tallest tree, with the full moon held in its branches.” I snuggled into his arms, closing my eyes.
