That surprised me. I hadn't realized the healing coma had affected that part of him. "Really? Has it been helpful?" Gods, the awkwardness was killing me.
"Yeah," he said. "I've actually been able to shift a couple times."
"That's good," I said lamely. I didn't know what else to say. But if he could shift to his Dragon form, that had to be a good sign, right?
"Tanith says I can go home soon." His tone was completely neutral. No indication as to whether he considered this a good or bad thing. Whether he wanted to go or stay. No excitement. No happiness. But no sadness either.
"Great!" I forced a cheerfulness I didn't feel. "So, you really must be on the mend. Are you looking forward to going home?" When in doubt, just confront the question head-on. Even if the answer hurt like hell.
Inigo shrugged. "Guess so. It's time. Can't bum around here the rest of my life." It sounded like it was something he'd actually considered.
"So, um, when do you plan to fly back to Portland?" And were we still together? And did he still love me? But I didn't ask those questions because I really didn't want to know the answers. I had a feeling I might not like what he had to say.
"Next week."
I forced a smile. "I could pick you up at the airport."
"Sure." He didn't sound terribly enthusiastic, but I'd take what I could get.
"Fantastic. Text me with your flight info," I said, standing up. "It was good to see you."
He nodded, but didn't say he was happy to see me. I tried not to take it personally, but it was almost impossible not to. I gave him another forced smile and strode from the room, keeping my back ramrod straight. I waited until I was safely in the car with the doors locked before I let the tears fall.
Chapter Twenty
I spent the next week in a constant state of near panic. I could hardly eat. I could barely sleep. And if Kabita's snarky comments were anything to go by, I'd turned into a raving bitch. I was so anxious about Inigo's impending return to Portland, I couldn't seem to focus on anything. With Jack and Trevor off hunting Alister, and Kabita swamped with paperwork, I was left to do the usual: hunt vampires. Vamps didn't take the night off because I was feeling out of sorts.
Shortly before midnight, I pushed my way through the doors of Fringe. A visit to the nightclub popular with the supernatural set had not been in my original plan, but driving along the dark streets of Portland, I'd had the sudden inspiration to visit my friend, Cordelia. Maybe her clairvoyant talents were the key we needed to solve the puzzle of Alister.
The club was dark inside, lit only by dim red lights along the walls and the blue neon behind the bar. The occasional strobe lit up the dance floor, highlighting the writhing bodies dancing in the dark. Cordelia's alcove was on the other side of the dance floor, so I pushed my way into the heaving crowd. I had made it to the middle of the floor when I found myself being half-molested by a shape shifter. I wasn't sure what kind he was, but I was guessing some sort of cat from the way he was rubbing himself all over me. His eyes flashed gold in the next strobe, and I swear to the gods, I heard him purr. He smelled of musk and green, living things. The scent swirled around me, tangling my senses. He slid a hand down my body, coming perilously close to my lady parts.
I grabbed his hand and jerked it away with a glare that had made vampires quail. His eyes widened as he pulled free and backed away, palms toward me in the sign of universal surrender. I waved him off and pushed my way through the crowd toward the alcove where Cordelia Nightwing held court.
The shimmering silver privacy curtain was slightly open, which told me she was available. I slipped through the opening and plopped myself in the chair opposite her. She glanced up from her tarot cards with a smile, blue eyes dancing with merriment.
"I see Lothario got to you."
I snorted. "That's not seriously his name, is it?"
She laughed, her eyes crinkling at the corners. "I doubt it, but that's what everyone calls him. More than one woman has fallen under his spell." She tucked a dark lock of hair behind one ear.
"No way. You?" Cordy didn't seem the type to fall for an over-hormonal cat shifter.
"What can I say?" she said, with a slight tilt of her head. "He was amazing in bed."
"Ew. TMI. I hope you checked for fleas afterward." It was snarky and mean, but it was how I was feeling. The guy had dry-humped me in the middle of a nightclub. That shit was reserved for one man and one man only.
"Well, somebody's a cranky pants," Cordelia said as she shuffled her tarot deck. She was wearing a bright red silk kimono embroidered with gold dragons and a matching turban wrapped around her dark hair. She always claimed she dressed like that so as not to disappoint her customers, but I was pretty sure she just liked wearing kimonos.