He looked at me, surprised and not trying to hide it. 'Some mystery is needed for love to survive, ma petite. If we knew everything about each other, surely the burden of our crimes, or doubts, would destroy us.'

'We know Asher is a perverse, cruel, sadistic bastard, but we still love him.'

'I do not think I would like you to list my faults so clearly. I think it would pain me to know you see me so clearly and so harshly.'

I smiled at him. 'You have faults, and so do I, but your good points outnumber your bad by a lot. We can't say the same for Asher.'

'He is beautiful,' Jean-Claude said.

'Very,' I said, 'and an amazing top in the dungeon. Since he was my first, I didn't really understand how hard it is to find someone who enjoys being as edgy as I like for bondage, and there's no one else sane that comes close to Nathaniel's needs in the area.'

'Our kitten can be quite frightening in his needs.'

'And that's it; it frightens you and me, we don't enjoy topping Nathaniel to a point that satisfies him, but Asher does. In fact, I'm not sure I entirely trust the two of them alone without extra rules from me or you.'

'I believe it is that edge of danger that delights them both with each other,' Jean-Claude said.

I nodded. 'Agreed.'

'So he is beautiful and good in the dungeon, but that is hardly virtue enough to offset his vices.'

'True, but he's also a fabulous lover even without the BDSM,' I said.

Jean-Claude looked away as if he had to control his face for a moment before he turned back to me. 'Yes.' It was one word, but it was enough. There was almost pain in his yes.

'You think it's a bad idea to bring him home,' I said.

'Don't you?' he asked.

We stood there looking at each other. I finally said, 'Yeah, I do.'

'Logic would dictate that we leave Asher to his fate,' Jean-Claude said.

'You mean let Dulcia kill him?'

He gave a small nod. His face was very careful as he looked at me. He showed nothing, but the very lack of emotion spoke volumes.

'You're leaving the decision up to me, aren't you?' I asked.

'I have been in thrall to his beauty and his cruelty for centuries, ma petite. I cannot rule him as he needs.'

'I can't let someone else kill him.'

His eyes widened fractionally. 'I do not like that phrasing, ma petite.'

'Me either, but when he hit Cynric hard enough to knock him out I thought he'd broken his neck, and damage to the spine can act like decapitation for both vampires and wereanimals. If he had killed Cynric even by accident I would have shot him, Jean-Claude. I would have shot him and I wouldn't have shot to wound.'

'That you are strong enough to do it, I have no doubt, but that you could live with it afterward, that I do doubt.'

'I've been thinking about that since Asher left. I know I would have done it. I know that he could still push me far enough that I would do it, but I think it would break something in me that wouldn't heal. Hell, shooting Ares knowing that I had brought him into harm's way. I practically fed him to the big bad vampire, and then I killed Ares. I loved, but I wasn't in love with Haven, but it killed a part of me to look down the barrel of a gun and shoot him.'

Jean-Claude moved toward me, but I waved him off. 'No, just no,' I said.

'What can I do, ma petite?' he asked.

'You've just told me that you believe Asher will need killing and that you can't do it. You've just told me that it's my job, if it has to be done.'

'You do not have to do it either. We can let him behave badly and simply let him be a weakness for both of us. I cannot fault you for being no stronger in the face of his cruel beauty than I myself.'

I shook my head. 'You bastard, you know I can't do that.'

'Being who you are, no,' he said, softly.

'What are we saying then, Jean-Claude?'

'Our wise leopard king says we should bring him home, because too many of us miss him.'

'He didn't just say that,' I said.

Jean-Claude smiled. 'No, he said that we either let Dulcia kill him, or we get him the hell out of her territory so he can try to salvage the goodwill he had built up with her and her hyena clan.'

'Nathaniel misses him terribly.'

'As does our Devil,' Jean-Claude said.

'Even Richard misses having someone to dominate in the bedroom. It gives him somewhere for his darkness to be aimed. He's been more moody without Asher to play with and abuse.'

'Mon lupe is surprisingly talented as a dominant.'

'He's trying to embrace all of himself, and part of him really enjoys tormenting Asher with both floggers and whips and sexual denial. Asher loves being the first guy on to deflower a heterosexual man, and Richard enjoys flaunting himself with Asher and never letting Asher touch him.'

'They do seem to fill a need in each other, as does Asher for Nathaniel, and you, ma petite.'

'And you,' I said.

'And Narcissus, our own hyena leader, pines for Asher.'

'So he fills needs that no one else fills for a lot of us,' I said.

'It would seem so,' Jean-Claude said.

'I wish we didn't love him.'

'I have wished that off and on for centuries.'

'I bet. Asher is just so ... damaged, and he won't go to therapy and work on his issues.'

'Therapy will be part of the price for his return,' Jean-Claude said.