"As you say." He couldn't quite manage to keep the purr of satisfaction out of his voice.

Corinne laughed. "Ri-i-ight. Okay, if she's sleeping, I'll try back another time. But let her know I called, okay? We've been trying to find a time to get together again, but she's ... ah ... had other things on her mind lately."

"I will. No, wait," he said abruptly as a thought occurred to him.

He really didn't want to wait to confront his father. It always benefited him to have the element of surprise when he had to upset his father's plans. But he didn't want to leave Saskia and chance her waking up alone in the apartment again. After their first night together, he liked to think he'd learned his lesson. He knew he could leave her a note and hope she accepted intent behind the gesture, but he thought he might have a better idea.

"Are you free now?" he asked Corinne.

"Well, yes, but that doesn't do me much good if your fiancee is sleeping. I mean, I like her, but the unconscious tend to be lousy conversationalists."

"I'd really appreciate it if you could do me a favor," he said. "I have to go out for a little while, but we promised each other a few days ago that we wouldn't disappear without letting the other one know where we were going. If Sa.s.s wakes up while I'm gone, I'd feel terrible. Especially after what she went through this morning."

As he'd hoped, the woman audibly bristled at the idea that her friend had faced some sort of trauma. "What do you mean, 'after what she went through'?"

Nic felt a surge of satisfaction. "She got a visit from her father this morning and it really upset her. She wasn't expecting him, and he didn't exactly come by just to make sure I was keeping her happy."

"Well, what the h.e.l.l did he say to her?"

"It's a long story," he neatly evaded the question. "Anyway, it would be doing me a huge favor if you would agree to come by and just hang out here to look out for Sa.s.s and make sure she doesn't wake up alone, wondering where I am. Would you do that?"

"I'll be there in half an hour."

The line went dead in his ear, and Nic smiled. Now, he thought, he could get back to business. Quietly he reentered the bedroom and headed for his closet. Time to gear up for the meeting with his father. He hoped he hadn't left his suit of armor at the cleaner's.

Eight.

"Well, good morning, Glory. Or should I say good evening?"

Saskia opened her eyes and blinked in confusion. "Corinne?"

Her friend popped up from the sofa in the sitting area and set aside the notebook she'd been scribbling in. "In the flesh. How are you feeling? You slept longer than I thought you would."

"What time is it?"

"A little after two, I think."

"Two in the afternoon?"

"Well, sure. You're not that lazy. Nic said you went down about quarter after twelve, so you got about two hours. Feel any better?"

"Just ... confused. Where's Nicolas?"

"He had to go out, which is why he asked me to come over and stay with you." Saskia pushed herself into a sitting position as Corinne hurried toward the bed, grinning when her friend had to grab the sheets to keep them from tumbling to her waist and flashing her company. "Careful there. It looks like someone forgot to put on their jammies."

Color stained Saskia's cheeks. She'd forgotten a lot of things the last time she'd been awake. Like her own name. Those little details escaped her when her mate touched her. "Where did he go?"

"He said to tell you he went to have a talk with his father, but that you shouldn't worry," Corinne recited, and perched on the edge of the bed. "He said, and I quote, 'Tell Sa.s.sy that there won't be any trouble. I'm just going to go in, tell him to mind his own business, and leave.'"

"And when did he go out?"

"About an hour ago."

Saskia's brows drew together in a frown. "Sounds like he forgot about the leaving part of that plan."

Corinne laughed. "Well, he looked like he had a few things he needed to get off his chest. I'd give him a little leeway before you start wondering why he's not back yet."

"I'm not feeling particularly generous right now."

"Probably because you slept through lunch. You hungry?"

She thought about it for a second, then nodded sheepishly. "Starving."

"Good, because I've been dying to raid that kitchen. It looks like the back of a professional restaurant in there." The reporter bounced up from the bed and headed toward the door. "Get up and get some clothes on. Your man strikes me as the possessive type. I wouldn't want to make him jealous."

She hurried down the hall, and Saskia rolled her eyes. She also rolled out of bed, though, and after using the bathroom pulled out a pair of black yoga pants, and topped them with a pale blue sweatshirt with a slight V-neck and a rolled hem. Normally, she wouldn't wear the outfit for any reason other than working out, but she felt lazy and a little boneless at the moment. Likely the by-product of amazing s.e.x.

Trailing her friend into the kitchen, Saskia looked around and spotted her half-buried in the enormous fridge. "Doing a little spelunking?" she teased.

"Dude, I totally could!" Corinne laughed and emerged with a loaf of bread and a platter of meat and cheese. "I think there might be people living in there. An entire city of very small polar bears, with their own postal service and everything. One of them tried to fight me for the roast beef. Sandwich sound good?"

"Perfect."

Corinne spread out the fixings while Saskia retrieved plates, gla.s.ses, and silverware from the cabinets.

"So, since you already know I'm nosy, I won't pretend I'm not dying of curiosity," Corinne said as she piled meat and cheese on thick slices of sourdough. "What happened with your dad? Nic told me he came over here this morning and really upset you. Did you want to talk about it?"

"You call him Nic now?" she asked, instead of answering the question.

"Sure; that's how he introduced himself. He also apparently calls you 'Sa.s.sy.' Fair warning, but I'm totally using that."

Saskia scowled but found she really didn't mind. She'd almost gotten used to the nickname over the last few days with her mate. He always said it affectionately, so it rarely occurred to her to protest.

"Does the fact that you're not answering mean you really don't want to talk about it?" Corinne prodded gently. "I don't mind being told to b.u.t.t the h.e.l.l out. I hear that from a lot of people, both personally and professionally."

Pulling out a stool, Saskia sat down with her sandwich and shook her head. "No, it's okay. I mean, it's not okay; it's a mess. But it's complicated, and I wouldn't feel right dragging you into it."

"You can't drag the willing. Believe me, I wouldn't ask if I didn't want to know. I also wouldn't be me. I always want to know. Curiosity is the besetting sin of the reporter."

"Fine. Just don't say I didn't warn you."

It took her entire sandwich to draw her friend the whole picture, from the current unrest in Tiguri society, to Saskia's visit from her father, to the plan hatched by Gregor and Stefan. Explaining Nic's reaction took slightly less time but was challenging due to her inherent discomfort with foul language. She'd been brought up to be a lady.

"Holy s.h.i.t." Corinne whistled, not bothered by the same restraints. "No wonder he looked ready to chop wood with his face when he left here. d.a.m.n. I'm glad I've never p.i.s.sed the man off."

"It isn't pleasant. But that's why I'm worried that he hasn't come back yet. The only reason to be away this long is because he's really having it out with his father. Or because he decided to go after mine, as well."

Corinne looked uneasy for a moment, then offered a rea.s.suring smile. "I'm sure it's nothing like that. His father is a busy man, right? He probably had to wait for him to get out of a meeting or something. Or maybe they decided to go out for lunch to talk. Men always talk better over food and a martini. It's like their version of side-by-side pedicure chairs."

She sounded less than convincing, but Saskia didn't argue. She was too busy worrying.

After they tidied up the kitchen, Corinne took one look at her friend's face and proclaimed that a distraction was in order. "How about a movie? With the size of that TV I noticed in the den, I'm guessing there's a DVD library the size of Guam in one of those cabinets."

They did find several drawers full of discs, including a handful of recordings by stand-up comedians, but even Eddie Izzard couldn't keep Saskia's attention from straying toward the clock or her ears from straining to hear the sound of Nic's key in the front door. Halfway through Dress to Kill, Corinne stopped the film and threw up her hands.

"Okay, that's it. I can't take it anymore," she declared, using the remote to flick off the television and dragging Saskia off the sofa. "You're driving me crazy. We have to get out of here."

"What? What are you talking about? I can't leave," Saskia protested, and her friend grasped her wrist and began hauling her toward the door. "I have to be here when Nicolas gets back."

"Honey, if you're still here when Nic gets back, you're going to be ready for a padded room. You're already losing your mind, and frankly, you're taking me along for the ride. We'll leave Nic a note. I told him that if he was delayed I might have to leave. He knew I already had plans for later tonight that I couldn't cancel."

Saskia got as far as the living room before she dug in her heels. "Well, if you have other plans feel free to go. I'm going to stay here and wait for my mate."

"Sa.s.s, don't be an idiot. If you stay here alone, you really will wind up in Bellevue before the end of the night. I warned Nic about my plans, but I also told him that if I had to leave, I'd take you with me. He knows that, and when he sees the note he'll know where to find us. If you want, you can call his cell phone and leave a message. But it's getting close to five, and I really have somewhere I need to be."

"I can't interrupt your plans. You go ahead, and I'll just-"

"You'll just get your shoes and come with me," Corinne insisted. "Tonight's plans are of the 'the more the merrier' variety. Now, go on. Get your shoes and your purse. Let's go."

"Exactly what kind of plans did you have for tonight, Corinne?"

"I'm on Baby Watch."

"Actually it's more like BELLY WATCH. In capital letters, of course. And if this were a television station, there would be a news ticker scrolling across the bottom of the screen."

For a woman who looked about as pregnant as it was possible to get, Missy Winters sounded awfully cheerful as she explained Corinne's joke to Saskia forty minutes later.

"At this point, it's like the official New York pastime to sit around and watch to see if I pop. Since I feel like a blimp, I can sort of understand the fascination."

Corinne had hustled Saskia out of her apartment and marched her along the crowded uptown sidewalks to the Upper East Side, turning her down a quiet, tree-lined street to a pair of gorgeous old town houses in the eighteenth-century tradition. They had climbed the steps to the northern half of the pair, knocked on a beautiful set of carved doors, and been greeted by the wife of the senior-most werewolf in New York. The second of the two buildings, Saskia had learned, housed the famous Vircolac club and the chambers of the Council of Others.

"Don't worry," Missy had a.s.sured them as she waved her guests inside. "They're not in session at the moment. The club's generally pretty quiet this time of day."

Empty or not, Saskia didn't want to think about what might or might not be happening in the house next door, which Missy had mentioned was connected to this one by several doors, albeit well-secured ones. Instead, Saskia concentrated on her immediate surroundings, which consisted of a cozy sitting room furnished with a mix of surprisingly comfortable antiques and a few overstuffed modern pieces that blended well with the original moldings and high plastered ceilings of the historic home.

"Usually, I sit in the kitchen. It's like my s.p.a.ce," Missy said from her perch on an old settee upholstered in burgundy velvet. "But the stools and hard chairs in there are just way too uncomfortable at the moment. I'm like Goldilocks this week. The kitchen chairs are too hard; the sofa you're sitting on is too soft." She made a face. "At the moment, this thing is working as my just right, but give me five minutes. I'm sure that will change."

In spite of her grousing, the Silverback Luna glowed with happiness. Clearly, although she felt uncomfortable so close to her due date, she adored the baby she carried. Her palm rested over her swollen belly as she spoke, and every time the conversation turned to her pregnancy she patted it with obvious affection.

Saskia wondered what it would feel like to carry her own child in her womb. She felt a surprising rush of longing. Clearing her throat, she blamed it on hormones.

"So, are you having a boy or a girl?" she asked.

"I wouldn't let them tell me."

"The betting pool is currently favoring a boy," Corinne said with a grin. "Last time I checked the odds were five-to-nine. Want in?"

Missy laughed. "Don't get suckered. I'll tell you right now it's a boy. A soccer player. Nothing else explains this level of kicking."

"Graham said she could be a future Rockette." Corinne wriggled her eyebrows.

"That's just him trying to be funny. It's a boy. Besides, can you picture Graham with a daughter? He'd convert to Catholicism before her third birthday just so he could lock her in a convent the minute she discovered boys."

Saskia couldn't help smiling, especially when she considered her own mate's reaction to a growing daughter. She bet she'd find herself attending ma.s.s pretty quickly herself.

"Anyway, Graham and I were sorry we couldn't attend your party last weekend," Missy said, focusing her attention on Saskia. With her ash-blonde hair, sweetly round face, and wide brown eyes, the human woman was as transparent as gla.s.s, and she clearly did regret their absence. "Graham will barely let me get out of bed at the moment, let alone let me leave the house. If he'd had his way, he would have checked me into the hospital the minute I started showing."

"Don't apologize," Saskia dismissed, finding Missy as irresistible as Corinne had predicted. The woman just radiated warmth and kindness. "We completely understand. Your health is more important than parties."

"Besides, if you'd gone into labor on the dance floor, it would have totally captured the spotlight," Corinne joked. "You can't do that to a sister, Miss. Total faux pas."

Missy shuddered. "G.o.d, can you just picture it? What a nightmare." She turned back to Saskia. "I really wanted to go, though. I was dying to meet you and your fiance, so I'm just tickled that Corinne was able to convince you to come see me tonight. I just wish Nicolas were with you."

Corinne rolled her eyes. "Don't we all."

"Uh-oh. Do I detect a story?"

Saskia shook her head. "A long one. Very long."

"Don't worry, Sa.s.sy. I'll fill her in. You just lie back and think of England."

The only thing Saskia could think about was Nicolas. He should have returned to their apartment hours ago. The sun had begun to set when she and Corinne arrived at Missy's house. By now, it was full dark. What could have happened to keep her mate out so long? Unless the confrontations with her father or his had taken an unexpected turn.

She shifted nervously in her seat while Corinne filled her friend in on the situation with the Tiguri and Nic's and Saskia's fathers. Tactfully the reporter left out any mention of Nicolas's recent run-in with the Council of Others, since Missy's husband happened to sit on said Council.

"Oh, my goodness, that's horrible," Missy breathed when Corinne finished the story with Nic's departure from the apartment and the women's decision to come for a visit. "You poor thing! No wonder you look like you're a bundle of nerves. It must be driving you crazy that your fiance hasn't even had the courtesy to call and give you an update on what's keeping him. If I were you, I'd be positively livid!"

"Careful, Miss Busybody," Corinne cautioned. "As far as I can tell, these two have not needed any prodding to raise their tempers with each other. They need help keeping them cool."

"Oh, I'm sorry. I just can't help imagining how I'd feel if I were in your position, Sa.s.s. I'm a worrier by nature, so I wouldn't be able to stand myself until I had heard from Graham. Of course he would be fine, just like I'm sure Nicolas is fine, but that wouldn't stop me from worrying."

Saskia cracked a smile. "I am a little tense."

"Right. We need to get your mind off your problem and keep you occupied," Missy decreed. "Corinne, it's time for Scrabble. Go get the box from the den."

Corinne groaned, but she was smiling as she pushed to her feet. "Just resign yourself, Sa.s.s. Missy doesn't take no for an answer. Plus, she's a teacher, so she thinks Scrabble is the answer to everything. She even has a Scrabble-based plan for lasting peace in the Middle East."

"It would work, too," Missy called after her friend, her voice full of laughter. "Just think of all the amazing new opportunities to use that stupid Q!"

And that was how Saskia-though since even Missy was now calling her Sa.s.s, she figured she might as well give up on her actual name-found herself playing Scrabble (her second game) when she heard the front door of Missy's house open and the sound of masculine voices on the threshold. Instinctively she stood and moved toward the door, but it wasn't her mate she saw in the front hall. It was Rafael De Santos, battered and b.l.o.o.d.y and carried carefully by two other men she knew she had never met before.