Then I realized that he was taking people who were my friends, or more, and I thought about them being in danger. Fuck.

'What now?' he asked.

This time I just answered the question. 'I just realized that means that anyone who travels out of town with you is maybe in as much danger as you are. I should have known that.'

'You mean I should have told you, or you should have known?'

'Both, maybe, I don't know, but, Micah, you're my size; most animal groups are led by the biggest, baddest motherfucker they've got. How have you been winning so many fights? I've seen you in practice and you're good, but you're like me; we just don't have the reach. Most taller people have longer arms and legs; they can just hit us before we can hit them, unless we're lucky, or they aren't good at fighting, but to fight your way to the top of a pack, or a pride, you have to be good.'

'Usually, I do something utterly ruthless and very abrupt before they're expecting it. Leopards are fast, faster than most lions, or tigers; I just have to make the first blow count.'

'You mean kill them with the first blow,' I said softly.

'Yes,' he said, and studied my face. 'Does that bother you?'

I thought about the fact that he had been killing people fairly casually for years and I hadn't known. I didn't like that part, but I knew without a doubt that if he hadn't killed them, they would have killed him. I wanted him alive and in my life more than I wanted some humane ideal of the world.

'No, I don't think it does. If anything bothers me it's the fact that we're heading into their territories and forcing ourselves on them.'

'It started with invitations from groups that wanted to hear about the Coalition. They wanted to join, and then we had a few groups that attacked the ones that had joined us, because one of the things they agree to do is not to make war. We're trying to make a no-war rule that sticks like the Vampire Council did with the vampires, but lycanthropes don't have centuries of obeying a central government. Some of them want to keep their independence or simply think that werelions are better than werewolves, so they don't want to be in a mixed animal group, which is the whole idea of the Coalition.'

'Lions are the most aggressive. I'm assuming that you were able to persuade a lot of the hyena groups through sex since they're matriarchal.'

He grinned. 'Most of them, but honestly some of the animal groups prefer their own animal, so sometimes the guards help. I don't always like sex as rough as the hyenas do, or the lions for that matter. Some of the guards are happy to help out.'

'I'll bet they are,' I said.

He smiled. 'And if the leader has a reputation for being a very good and very ruthless fighter, then sometimes I kill lesser dominants in the group for insulting me; by most group rules, being disrespectful to a visiting leader can either start a war or I'm within my rights to do it. Watching me use the claws like switchblades unnerves other shapeshifters, and knowing I'm willing to kill over something small makes them afraid of what I'll do in an official fight.'

'I know that a lot of alphas can partially change their hands to claws, but yours are more like switchblades, neat and clean, and you might miss it if you blink. You are the best I've ever seen at it.'

'Thank you, I do my best.'

'But you scare the leaders into negotiating instead of fighting,' I said.

'It doesn't scare them, Anita, or not like you mean. Our culture is different from straight human culture; we value aggression and ruthlessness to a degree that most humans don't. It's not just that I'm willing to kill to get them to do what I want, it's that if they join with us they now know that I'll do whatever it takes to protect them.'

'You said you do use champions when you can; who usually?' I asked.

'Bram and ... Ares did it when they could.'

'You won't have Ares to help you fight now,' I said, and my chest felt tight. I wasn't sure if it was mourning Ares, or the thought that I'd also killed someone who was keeping Micah safe in more ways than I'd known. I felt stupid and slow and like they'd all been keeping secrets from me.

Micah took my hands again. 'Don't do that to yourself, Anita.'

'Do what?'

'Don't beat yourself up about Ares. You did what you had to do.'

I nodded. 'If I had to do it over again, the only difference would be I'd shoot him when he first asked me to, before he shifted forms. If I'd done that the other cops would be alive and unhurt.'

He squeezed my hands and pulled me toward him, as he leaned over in his chair. He kissed me, and tried for it to be more than just lips, but I pulled back. He frowned at me.

'What's wrong? I thought we weren't going to fight.'

'I had a breath mint, but I threw up in the bathroom here. I think before we tongue-kiss you might want me to brush my teeth.'

He laughed and pulled me into a hug. 'God, I love you so much.'

It made me laugh, too. 'I love you more,' I said.

He pulled back enough to see my face. 'They sell toothbrushes in the gift shop.'

'Are you saying you want to kiss me more?'

'I want to kiss you as thoroughly as possible before you have to go back to work.'

I grinned. 'Okay, but first you need to eat and get some water in you.'

He frowned. 'How did you know I hadn't eaten?'

'Because your mother hadn't, and I think you're both neglecting the basics?'

The smile faded around the edges. 'I don't know what she and Ty are going to do without Dad. I keep thinking what I'd do if something happened to Nathaniel.'

I hugged him to me, putting my face against the braid that our other boy had done for him, and I realized that I was mad at him for not sharing information, but I had some serious info I hadn't shared yet. 'You know how you said that if you could you'd marry us both?'

I felt him nod, still cuddled into the hug.

'Jean-Claude proposed.'

He drew back, so he could see my face. He looked startled. 'When?'

'At the hospital.'

'What did you say?' he asked.

'I said yes.'

His face went very still, very careful. 'That's wonderful.'

I frowned at him. 'I know there's a lot to figure out, but if anyone can do it we can.'

He nodded. 'Of course you can.'

I frowned harder. 'Micah, you do understand that he and I talked about a group ceremony, not just Jean-Claude and me.'

'He is our master, Anita; even if there weren't Nathaniel he would never let you marry someone else.'