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He looked at her and she raised her eyebrows-and Su
“That’s a good expression,” she told A
A
“He lets you drive?” Su
“I don’t like driving,” said Charles. “Brandy would be good, thank you.”
His voice was as delicious as the rest of him. Deep and slow with a hint of Welsh and something else altering the usual American accent.
Disturbed because she’d never felt like this around any of the werewolves Arthur had brought to her home before, Su
It wasn’t that she’d never looked at another man-but she’d never felt this… safe. It was an unexpected reaction to a man she knew was dangerous, and it threw her off her game.
She took down the cut-glass flask she’d purchased a few years ago in Venice -and A
“I know,” the other woman said softly. “It’s all right. You should feel it when the Marrok comes into a room of strange wolves. He’ll settle down in a moment, and it won’t hit you like that.” She looked at her mate, then pulled the stopper from the flask, and the smell of good brandy rose from it. “He’s had a bad day, and that makes it worse.”
Su
A
“-People talking about him like he isn’t here,” growled the werewolf as if driven to speak.
When Arthur sounded like that, she knew to leave him alone. His mate just gri
He took a deep breath and… he was just an exasperated man standing in the middle of her living room. He strode over and took the glass his wife handed to him, then turned his attention to Su
“My apologies,” he said, and his voice didn’t make her heart rate pick up in response. “As A
Dismissing his apology as u
A
Su
She stopped herself from saying more with difficulty. Hiding a frown behind a friendly smile, she got out the chilled bottle of her favorite white wine. She never blathered on like that. She was used to keeping secrets. Not that her travels or this condo were secrets, exactly. Still, she hadn’t meant to talk about them.
She was saved by the squeak of the stairs as Arthur came down them in an easy rush.
ANNA watched the British wolf-king descend.
“You were late,” he said by way of greeting. “I was worried something might have happened.”
“No,” said A
Su
“Di
“Collection?” A
“What I have here isn’t very valuable,” he explained. “Nor historically significant. We don’t spend much time here, and even with a security service…” He shrugged. “Still, I have some interesting things.”
“Did you bring Excalibur?” asked Charles.
Arthur’s eyebrow climbed elegantly up his forehead as he smiled a little. “Never go anywhere without her.”
“Isn’t that a little problematic?” A
“I fly privately,” he said.
“Of course,” murmured A
“Poor plebeian,” murmured Charles, and she was pretty sure she was the only one who caught the humor in his voice, because both Arthur and Su
“Arthur has trouble with commercial jet travel,” Su
“I’m sorry.” A
Charles came to the rescue. “A
“Living a long time doesn’t mean that you’ll be rich,” said Arthur with an understanding look. “But it doesn’t hurt.”
“Long-term investments give a whole new meaning to the term ‘compound interest,’ ” added Su
“Tell me about your collection,” said A
“I used to be an archaeologist,” explained Arthur. “Strictly amateur-which was acceptable to my father in a way that a profession wouldn’t have been. Digs weren’t as well regulated then, and I was excavating the grounds of an old Cornish settlement conveniently situated on a school-mate’s parents’ estate when I found her, just dug her up.”
He didn’t seem crazy-nor did he seem to mind the questions. If they weren’t talking about… about Excalibur, for Heaven’s sake, she would be fascinated by the story.
“How do you know it was Excalibur you found?”
He smiled at her. “Tell me, my dear, do you believe in reincarnation?”
No. But that wasn’t the polite answer. “I’ve never heard a convincing argument for it.”
His smile widened. “I suppose it suffices to say that I do, and that I believe I am the Once and Future King, who will return in the time of greatest need.” Then he winked at her. “I don’t insist that others buy into my eccentricities.”
If people remembered once being kitchen maids, or farmers who died of nothing more interesting than old age, I might reconsider my stance on reincarnation, A