“Say hello to everyone for me,” Mina said.
Gen waved at each of us. “I will.”
Marius piped up from the background. “Tell those assholes they’d better be on their best behavior.”
“Marius sends hugs,” Mina said cheerfully.
I barely bit back a snort.
Bene blew a kiss at the phone, and Gen relayed, “Big hugs from everyone here too.”
Henrik looked ill. I didn’t relish the thought either. Mina had hugged me once, at her wedding, and that was okay. But anything more than a thump on the arm from Marius, Bene, or Henrik would cross a red line.
“Okay, good night. Thanks for calling… Take care…” Gen went on and on.
Bene stirred the air with his hand and mouthed,Women!
“You too. And Marius. Oh, and don’t forget to bring us something!” Gen continued.
I had a sister too, and we got along well, but Christ. We could have held an entire conversation in the time it took Gen and Mina to say goodbye.
Henrik stalked out of the room, mouthingSee you in the morningas they went on and on.
“Okay. You too. Be good…”
I lowered my head and closed my eyes, listening to the crackle of the fire — and to Gen’s voice, which was just as soothing, for reasons I couldn’t explain. My body ached, but the fire was warm, and now that everything was okay…
“Love you,” Gen said, though her voice seemed a hundred miles away.
A bleary corner of my mind captured those words and held them close.
Then I drifted off into a deep, peaceful sleep.
Chapter Seven
GENEVIÈVE
Needless to say, I didn’t sleep well. In fact, I didn’t sleep at all. I just stared at the ceiling, thinking about Roux.
Was he all right? Had I missed a venom-filled wound? And did all tigers have such beautiful eyes or just him?
At some point, I glanced at the clock. Two a.m.
I stared at the ceiling, then threw back the blankets. A minute later, I was padding down the long hallway in my robe and my grandmother’s fluffy pink house shoes. I went all the way through the central section of the house then to the west wing, where Roux and Bene lived.
I quietly thanked the shifter ancestors I inherited my night vision from — and cursed them for not passing down much else. Fur would be nice. Wings, even.
Stripes,the back of my mind threw in.Claws. Impressive teeth.
But, no. I was just plain old me.
The door to Roux’s room was open, and I paused, listening.
And, whew. I heard soft, steady, peaceful breathing.
I glanced around, identifying the main points of the room — the bed, a chair, and a pile of blankets on the bed. A human-shaped pile, thank goodness.
My heart rate settled, but a sense of sorrow replaced my concern. No curtains on the windows. No family photos, no mementos. Nothing to make the space feel homey.
