“Dakota?” Kivani’s voice came again, louder now, edged with something that sounded like worry. “Answer me.”
Bennett’s eyes narrowed, his head tilting in a way that reminded Dakota of a predator listening for prey. “He can probably smell my scent through the door. Vampires have a particular smell to shifters. Something about blood and death that sets off their instincts.”
The door handle rattled, then the entire frame shook as something heavy hit it from the other side. Once. Twice. On the third impact, the lock gave way and the door slammed open, wood splintering around the deadbolt.
Kivani filled the doorway, and Dakota had never seen him look like this. His amber eyes were fixed on Bennett with a focus that felt dangerous, his body coiled like he was preparing to launch himself across the small space. Every muscle in his arms and shoulders stood out.
“Get your hands off him.” Kivani’s voice had dropped lower, rougher than Dakota had ever heard it. “Now.”
Bennett’s grip on Dakota’s wrist loosened but didn’t release. “We were just having a conversation. Nothing that concerns you, tiger.”
The word tiger made Dakota’s stomach lurch again. So it was true. Bennett hadn't been lying about that part. Kivani was something other than human, and Dakota had been too oblivious to notice.
Kivani took a step into the apartment, and the air seemed to thicken around him. Heat radiated from his body, making the temperature in the small space jump several degrees. “You’re in his apartment uninvited, touching him when he clearly doesn't want you to. That concerns me plenty.”
“He let me in.” Bennett’s tone stayed casual, but Dakota felt the tension in his body, the way his muscles had gone tight. “Opened the door all on his own.”
“Because you manipulated him into it.” Kivani moved closer, each step measured and controlled. “I can smell the fear on him. Can see the bruises forming on his wrist from where you’re holding him. You've got three seconds to let go before I make you let go.”
Bennett laughed, the sound wrong in the quiet apartment. “You think you can take me? You’re just a cat. I’ve been alive for over three hundred years.”
“One.” Kivani’s hands uncurled, and Dakota watched in horrified fascination as claws emerged from his fingertips. Not long, maybe an inch each, but curved and lethal looking. Real. Impossibly real.
“Two.” Canines extended from Kivani’s mouth, longer than Bennett’s had been, designed for tearing instead of piercing. His eyes stayed locked on Bennett, never wavering, and Dakota could see the promise of violence in every line of his body.
Bennett released Dakota’s wrist, hands coming up in a gesture that might have been surrender if his expression hadn't stayed smug. “Fine. No need to get violent. I was leaving anyway.”
Dakota stumbled backward, his legs hitting the couch again, and he fell back onto the cushions. His wrist throbbed where Bennett had gripped it, and he cradled it against his body automatically. The rational part of his brain kept trying to insist this wasn't happening, that claws and fangs and shifters weren't real. But the evidence was standing right in front of him, impossible to deny.
“You’re not leaving through that door.” Kivani positioned himself between Bennett and the exit, his body blocking any escape route. “You’re leaving through the window. And you’re not coming back.”
“Seriously?” Bennett glanced to his left, at the window that faced the parking lot two stories down. “That’s a bit dramatic, don’t you think?”
“Two stories won’t kill you.” Kivani took another step forward, closing the distance. “But if you try to go past me, I will. Your choice.”
Bennett’s smile finally faltered, something like genuine concern flickering across his features. He looked at Dakota, still huddled on the couch, then back at Kivani. “This isn’t over. He doesn’t belong to you.”
“Out.” Kivani’s voice had gone completely flat, empty of everything except the promise of violence. “Now.”
Bennett moved toward the window, then he unlocked it, shoving the frame up with more force than necessary. Cool night air rushed into the apartment, carrying the scent of pine trees and distant rain. He looked back one more time, his eyes finding Dakota’s. “When you’re ready to hear the truth about what he really wants from you, call me. I’ll be around.”
Then he was gone, dropping through the window without hesitation. Dakota heard the thud of him landing in the parking lot below, followed by footsteps that faded quickly into the distance.
Kivani stood at the window for a long moment. When he finally turned to face Dakota, his expression had shifted into something softer, concerned.
“Are you hurt?” Kivani stayed where he was, not approaching, like he was afraid of scaring Dakota further. “Did he do anything besides grab your wrist?”
Dakota’s mouth opened, but no sound came out. His brain had glitched, unable to process everything that had just happened. Vampires. Shifters. Kivani with claws and canines, looking every bit as dangerous as Bennett had claimed. Nothing made sense anymore.
“Dakota?” Kivani took a small step forward then stopped when Dakota flinched. “Talk to me. Please.”
“You’re a tiger.” The words came out flat, a statement instead of a question. “A Bengal tiger. Bennett said so, and you didn’t deny it.”
Kivani’s jaw tightened, his hands flexing at his sides. “Yes.”
“And you didn’t think that was something I should know?” Dakota’s voice cracked, anger finally breaking through the shock. “How long were you planning to keep that a secret? Forever?”
“I was going to tell you.” Kivani moved to the broken door, examining the splintered wood around the lock. “I just needed to find the right time. The right way to explain without scaring you.”
