Black Dog(107)

Ethan, surprised, actually laughed, and Natividad, relieved, smiled back. Really, she still didn’t exactly like him, but he wasn’t so totally unpleasant once he got used to you.

Then Cassie Pearson snarled. It was the first sound she had made: a low singing sound of hatred. Natividad flinched and headed for the stairs without waiting for the others. But they were right behind her. Maybe the shifter’s malevolence didn’t bother them, but it really was an awful room. Natividad glanced over her shoulder and said, “Somebody should put her back in the other room.”

This time, even Ethan nodded in agreement. “In the morning.”

While Ethan went to tell the other black dogs about the meeting, Natividad and Alejandro found Miguel. He was hard to find, since he was over in the east wing of the house, explaining the subtleties of black dog manners to an interested group of townspeople, including Father McClanahan.

“Grayson wants to see you,” Natividad told her twin, trying not to sound worried, and Alejandro demanded, “What did you do?”

“Nothing!” Miguel said defensively. “He probably just wants me there because I’m your brother.”

Alejandro scowled. “I think you are not afraid enough of Grayson, Miguel – of any of the Dimilioc wolves. That’s alright for Natividad, but for you it’s different. You’ve put yourself forward too much. Of course he noticed you! Who knows what he noticed!”

“I’m safe,” Miguel said reasonably. “I’m Natividad’s brother.” He stood with his hands at his sides and his gaze cast down, showing Alejandro a soft stubbornness that didn’t give black dog anger anything to get hold of.

“We’ll be alright,” Natividad said, anxious. “Miguel’s right.” Which she wasn’t sure of, actually, but she was sure they had better get moving if they didn’t want to be late.



The meeting was in some ways an echo of the first time Natividad and her brothers had been brought before Grayson Lanning and the rest of the Dimilioc wolves, to hear what their fate would be. This time, though, the curtains had been drawn over the wide windows, shutting out the dark. That seemed sort of symbolic, though Natividad doubted anybody had meant it that way.

Grayson held court from his customary chair. His shadow, so dense that even to Natividad it almost seemed to have physical body and depth, lay beneath his chair like a hole in the firelight. The absence of the other two wolves of the Master’s triumvirate was shocking. Zachariah Korte and Harrison Lanning should have been settled near Grayson, supporting the Master. Now only Ezekiel leaned against the back of the Master’s chair. She was glad he was there, at least. Poor Grayson.

Ezekiel showed nothing of the exhaustion and grief that Natividad knew was dragging at him. He was not smiling, but his customary amused disdain showed in the tilt of his head and the crook of his thin mouth.

Keziah had curled herself into another of the heavy chairs, not too close to the Master. Despite her youth, she radiated dominance as well as unmistakable sexuality. Amira might almost have fitted into the same chair right along with her sister, but instead had tucked herself down on the floor beside Keziah’s chair. Her arms were crossed over her small breasts as though for protection against the world, and she did not quite look at anyone. Natividad almost sort of liked Keziah, maybe, and she felt sorry for Amira, and she was glad they had both survived the battle – she really was. But the two Saudi girls seemed very poor substitutes for the lost Dimilioc wolves.

Thaddeus Williams had placed himself equidistant between Grayson and Keziah. Natividad was far less attuned to black dog posturing than Alejandro, but she guessed Thaddeus hadn’t yet decided whether he was really inside Dimilioc or still outside. That would be a problem for Keziah, too. That was something else she had to do: work on pulling the new Dimilioc together. Mamá would have been good at it. Natividad sighed.

Despite the solidity of the chairs, the one Thaddeus occupied seemed barely large enough to support him. He did not exactly look comfortable, but he was leaning back, an elbow propped on one arm of the chair in a semblance of relaxation. DeAnn perched on the other arm of his chair, one hand moving in slow circles across his back. Natividad envied DeAnn’s secure relationship with her husband.

Ethan, coming in right after Natividad and her brothers, flung himself into a chair that flanked Grayson’s and sprawled there, trying, Natividad thought, for Ezekiel’s easy disdain. He could not quite pull it off. Alejandro hesitated a beat longer than Ethan before also moving to a chair near Grayson. Natividad saw how he avoided looking at Keziah. The Saudi girl didn’t look at him, either, but sort of gazed at the blank air, sexy and scornful.