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"You think I don’t already?" I asked, trying to ht, a joke He’d toldit, I couldn’t hate him
He didn’t smile Maybe he didn’t even hear
"So what do you--" I cut off,my head, I breathed deep "Do you sain The clanless I’d encountered the clanless shifter several tiues, but I hadn’t seen hi his scent now? Here? I looked around, trying to decide which direction the scent was coave out
I crossed to the s, but the scent grew fainter as Ito a door that led deeper into the house Nathanial followed, his steps silent behind er in the hall, and I crept all the way to the end Was the scent here earlier? As I reached for the doorknob, Nathanial grabbed er over his lips and stepped aroundopen the door
The room beyond was dark Dust sheets covered the ht breeze made the drapes flutter An open ? In the middle of winter? In a vampire’s secret house?
Not likely
Nathanial crossed the rooht up with hiray sheet No, not soer man by the front of his coat and slah to send two fra to the floor Nathanial drew his head back, his fangs glirimyHis mouth descended on the man’s neck
"Nathanial, don’t!" I dashed across the room Nathanial fed on cri just broken into Nathanial’s house But he wasn’t just soood hand landed on Nathanial’s shoulder He’d already broken skin, I could sers, I felt the tension leak out of hiainst the wall
The clanless s in the air betrayed the fact his as close to the surface But he smiled at Nathanial, one side of his ht cheek
"I recognize you," he said as his hand lifted to his throat, which bore no ht explain a lot" His gaze uessed I’d find you here" He tilted his head forward, though being pinned to a wall liinary hat
"Clanless," I said, the word sour on an"
"What?"
"My naan" He didn’t identify what clan he’d once been part of--not that I would have expected him to
Hell, I hadn’t expected him to tell me his name at all He hadn’t offered it any of the last three times we’d run across each other
I hesitated, but finally said, "Kita" Then I turned to Nathanial "What do we do with hian--had tried to subdue me for reasons unknown the first two tioal of wanting a ue captured We also had athat he’d deal with them and me if I failed I’d dealt with them
Nathanial lowered the clanless to his feet but didn’t back off Degan was taller, but Nathanial gave off an ran his hands down the front of his worn coat Thetied, he wouldn’t get past Nathanial, but ood hand curled into a fist anyway
He seemed to reach some decision, because his shoulders rolled back, and he shoved his hands in his pockets I tensed, ready for him to pull out that daainst the wall--apulse disputed
"I picked up a strange scent But it isn’t either of you"
"Do you break into houses every ti my skepticism show in my voice All my life I’d heard that the clanless were not to be trusted but Degan had kept his word the last tiues and investigated suspicious deaths in Haven,around what he considered his territory But, regardless of his reason, he appeared to be one of the good guys Not that I’d turn e scents?" He gave me an incredulous look "When it is the same scent I found on a headless corpse? Yes I do"