“I thought working for the State of Washington would protect you under the Were Discrimination Act.”

“Yeah, so did I. Apparently they’ve found ways to get around it.”

She looked so bereft I wanted to rip the guy’s throat out, but that wouldn’t do any good. “I’m sorry. Great Mother, it’s been one hel of a day al the way around, hasn’t it?”

“That’s just wrong,” Delilah said. “I can organize a strike of government workers in the Supe Community if you like.”

Nerissa shook her head. “No. I’m tired of fighting, I’m tired of campaigning. I’m ready for a change. I just wasn’t expecting it to happen this way or this soon. But that isn’t my only news. I’m leaving the Rainier Puma Pride.”

That little announcement stopped everyone cold. Even Chase gave her a stare of disbelief.

I cleared my throat. “Are you sure you want to take that step, especial y now, without a job?”

She nodded. “I’ve thought this through. I was planning on making the break, anyway. Now seems like the right time. As an unmarried female, I’m low on the totem pole, only above unmarried males. Without Venus the Moon Child around, I might as wel be stuck in the fifties as far as my rights go. Not to mention, my lover is vampire and female.”

Delilah cleared her throat. “Yeah, that could cause some problems, al right.”

Nerissa snorted. “Oh, the Pride’s open to bisexual shamans, but they aren’t fond of the concept when it trickles down into the main population, and you guys know what they think about you three.

I get snide comments every day, and I’m sick and tired of it. This afternoon, I went back for a final look at a condo that caught my eye earlier this month. I’ve had it inspected, and it passed, so it looks like I’m buying my own place not two miles from here.”

Again, a shocker.

“How wil you afford the mortgage?” Delilah was prone to asking blunt questions, and I was glad she’d asked, not me. I wanted to support my girlfriend in any way I could but was worried she was making a mistake, maybe getting in over her head.

Nerissa flashed her a sly smile. “That’s right, you don’t know. I’m so used to keeping this a secret that I don’t tel many people.”

“What? You an heiress?” Chase said, laughing.

“You might say that.” Nerissa laughed back at him. “Two years ago, I inherited a tidy sum of money from my mother’s aunt. Great-Aunt Lucy was an FBH—she married into the Pride, but they lived in town. But she was definitely Were-friendly.”

I stared at her. “You mean I’ve got myself a rich girlfriend?” Giving her a fangy smile, I leaned back, thinking that at least Nerissa could take care of herself if need be. No wonder she’d thrown herself into a job that paid a fraction of what she was worth—she could afford to fol ow her passion.

“Wel , hardly anybody knows. I didn’t want the guys in the Pride trying to marry me just for money, and plenty of them would think of that. And I didn’t want the Council of Elders trying to arrange a marriage for me in order to get hold of my savings. With Venus gone and with Zach out of the picture, I have very few supporters left there.”

I sat back, shaking my head. Changes, changes everywhere. Then, laughing, I jumped up and planted a long kiss on her. “Now we won’t have anybody breathing down our necks about our relationship, and we’l be able to see each other more often.” I hadn’t yet told her about Roman.

With luck, that wouldn’t put a crimp in things.

With luck, that wouldn’t put a crimp in things.

“You know,” Chase said, eyeing her closely, “I have an opening for a civilian victims’ rights counselor on the FH-CSI. Duties involve helping victims of violent crimes find out what their rights are, counseling them after they’ve been assaulted—that sort of thing. Seems like it might be right up your al ey. I have leeway to appoint someone. Drop me a résumé tomorrow if you like.”

Nerissa clapped her hands. “That would be such a welcome change of pace. Maybe for once I would feel like I’m actual y making a difference. I hate being part of the bureaucracy where I’m just one more cog in the wheel, pushing paper and never real y making an impact on anybody.”

“Then come by tomorrow and we’l talk.” Chase winked at me. “Your girlfriend is the kind of material the FH-CSI needs.”

I found myself smiling at him. For once, the detective had outdone himself. I also realized that I liked him a lot more since he and Delilah cal ed it quits. It was as if both of them had calmed down and quit trying to force a square peg into a round hole.

“So, Chase, what’s your offering on the table tonight? I figure something had to bring you out this late.”

He shifted, the uncomfortable look returning. “I have a couple important tidbits. First: I asked Sharah to inspect the other victims’ foreheads before we release the bodies to the families. She did, and we found thumbprints on each. The same print, smudged in a cross formation. But there isn’t any record of the dude’s fingerprints in the system. Whoever he was, he didn’t enter the judicial system via being arrested.”

“Cross formations. Why would he be doing this?”

Camil e frowned. “Maybe he feels remorse for the kil ings.”

“Nope,” Chase said. “If he did, he wouldn’t have left their bodies displayed in such undignified postures. And he also rapes them—it’s not like he’s just a vampire experiencing angst over the drinking-blood thing.”

“Cross indicates Christian. Could be a religious psycho with a split personality who maintained it even into death? Whatever the case, we need to figure it out.”

“Wel , we can work on that al we want, but let me tel you the other part of the news. This is a bit better. I received a tip on the hotline tonight. Someone saw a vampire traveling via the sewer system in the Greenbelt Park District. They gave me the location of the manhole they saw him slip down. We have a lead to fol ow up on.” He leaned back, a smug look on his face.

“Why didn’t you tel me this when I first came home?” I sent a rubber band zinging his way.

He laughed. “Because I am not going down there tonight. I’m exhausted. I’m tired and going to sleep. We can explore tomorrow night. I know that we should now, but the fact is, the sun wil rise within a few hours, the vampire wil have to sleep, and I’d rather not rush this matter.”

I glanced at the clock. It was nearing three thirty. Camil e and Delilah looked exhausted. Chase was fal ing asleep where he sat. “Okay, I get your point. Tomorrow night, first thing after sunset, I’l meet you there. Send over directions tomorrow.”

Turning to Nerissa, I nodded. “Come on. Let’s go spend some quality time alone.” I wanted nothing more than to strip off her clothes and cover her body with kisses.

As we headed toward the parlor, Camil e snorted. “We al know what that’s a euphemism for.

Have fun. Meanwhile, I and my two darlings wil retire up to the bedroom for actual sleep.” Even though she was joking, I could tel she was worried about Smoky—and why he’d left.

Delilah and Shade pushed to their feet. “We’re heading up to bed, too.” She winced. “My ribs are stil sore, but they’re healing.”

Chase yawned, and it occurred to me he shouldn’t be on the road. “Listen, Johnson. Sprawl on the sofa. Iris wil wake you in the morning, won’t you?”

Iris, blurry eyed herself, nodded. “I’l bring you a blanket. We don’t want you causing some accident because you’re too tired to drive.”

As we headed in our different directions, it occurred to me that we probably had one of the closest families ever.

When we were alone in the parlor, I flipped on the stereo. David Bowie came blaring out with

“Sister Midnight” and, sliding into the beat, I turned to Nerissa. “Are you tired? I real y, real y want to fuck you. Now.”

She let out a low growl. “Never too tired for that, my love.” As she moved toward me, I held up my hand.

“First, I have to tel you something. Do you remember me talking about Roman?” As she nodded, I spil ed out everything that had happened. “So, I slept with him, and I have a feeling that wil happen in the future. But . . . he’s . . .”

“A man. And not me.” She softly traced her finger over my lips. “Sometimes I need a man, too, and sometimes he needs to be a Were. But that doesn’t mean he could ever replace you. I get it.

You and I are on the same page. I honestly don’t think I could ever fal in love with a man.”

“Except for Venus the Moon Child . . .” I gave her a soft smile.

“I can’t imagine not loving Venus . . . but that’s a whole different bal of wax. I love you, Menol y, and I love how our relationship works. That’s what matters—that our arrangement works for us.

And if Roman said he won’t interfere with us, then what the hel ? I hold your heart in my hands. He doesn’t.”

I pressed her hand to my heart. “That you do, my love. That you do.”

Nerissa pressed her lips to mine, crushing against me with her round breasts, with her soft curves. I circled her waist with my arms and floated up just far enough off the floor to meet her gaze. As we kissed, I closed my eyes, melting into the flow of energy. The scent of her perfume hung heavy in the air. Nerissa wore Warm Vanil a Sugar by Bath & Body Works, and it was a rich, carnal fragrance that made me both hungry and horny.

She suddenly forced my feet back to the ground, turning me around so I leaned back against her breasts. As her hands slid up my stomach, she lowered her lips to my neck. I let out a little cry as she found her way under my blouse and the smooth touch of her fingers met my skin, running lightly over the scars up to cup my breast.

Her other hand slid down toward my jeans and I quickly unbuttoned them and slid the zipper down, with her fingers fol owing. Shoving the denim down to the floor, I kicked my way out of them.

“I love that you go commando,” she whispered. “Every time I see you, I keep thinking that you’re naked under those jeans, that your pussy’s just waiting for me to slip my tongue inside.”

“You drive me nuts when you talk like that.” My fangs were descending, and I had to force them up. “I want to throw you down and slide up your body.”

She held tight to me. Nerissa loved to touch me from behind and I loved being touched by her.

With my werepuma goddess, I could push away my nature long enough to let her be the strong one, even though we both knew it was a façade. As her fingers slid down to lightly caress my clit, I covered her hand with my own, feeling her strength as she stroked me alive.

Nerissa’s lips moved lower, to suck on my neck, and once again, I felt my fangs descend and forced them back up. Memories of exchanging blood with Roman flashed through my mind, but that was him and this was Nerissa and I would never steal blood from my love.

A moment later, I couldn’t stand it and whirled out of her embrace, walking her back to the sofa where she gasped at the sight of my eyes, now bloodred with passion and fire.

Silently, I undid the zipper on her skirt, and it dropped to the floor. She was wearing a thin pair of lacy panties, and I slid two fingers beneath both sides and slowly lowered them, getting down on my knees as I did so. Her pubes, tawny hair neatly trimmed, were in front of my face and I found myself hungry for her taste, aching to plunge my tongue against her and watch her squirm.

I reached up and pushed her back onto the sofa, spreading her legs as I did so. As she let out a delicate moan, I lowered my lips to her clit and the soft, musky scent of her sex filtered through my brain. Laughing with delight, my tongue forked out and met her flesh, circling the nub of her passion, licking and nibbling as I pressed harder against her.

Nerissa clinched her knees against my sides and reached down to hold my head as I ate her out and licked her raw. She was crying out now; the harder I tongued her the louder she got, bucking against my mouth. I reached up and grabbed her waist, holding her steady so she couldn’t pul away. And then, as she let out a bark of pleasure, I pul ed back and slid inside her, circling her pussy with my questioning fingers, delighting as she thrashed against me.

I dragged her ful y down to lie flat on the sofa and slid a box out from beneath the divan. This was our place, and we kept our toys firmly tucked out of sight under the dust ruffle. Nerissa saw the box and let out another moan.

“You want it tonight?” I whispered, drawing out a large toy that was the color of amethyst, lined with ridges.

Her eyes went wide and she nodded, so I lowered my mouth to suck her nipple, feeling my own arousal heighten as I watched her body welcome in the length and girth of the dildo.

“Oh my Gods, that feels so damned good.” Her voice was hoarse but the pleasure was evident in her eyes, in the upturned corners of her mouth as she dropped her head back and slid her tongue between her teeth.

“You want it hard, baby?”

“Harder, faster . . . please . . . I need you to fuck me hard.”

I went to work, driving in and out, pressing my breasts against hers as I slid my arm beneath her shoulders, holding her close to my body. Her hips ground against my thrusts, and then she suddenly stiffened and cried out and I slid my thumb up to once again flick her clit and she screamed again, fol owed by a short, sharp burst of laughter as she crumbled into the orgasm.

A moment later, when she could breathe again, Nerissa sat up. She was glowing, vibrant, and she turned to me. “Now, my love, let me see how loud I can make you scream.”