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h was my usual sleep attire。 Though pajamas may have been too big a word for the emerald green camisole and matching short…shorts。 There was a floor…length robe in the same vibrant green； so everything was covered； but Nathaniel knew I hadn't dressed up for him。 Or at least I hoped he did。
He watched me pacing the room with careful eyes。 We had crossed a line； he and I； and the mark on his chest just kept reminding me of it。 I didn't think that Richard would tolerate Nathaniel and me sharing the bed alone； not that I really expected the three of us to bunk together； either。 Oh； hell； I didn't know what I expected。 I had expected Richard to e to me after his shower。 But he was a no…show； and it was dawn； and I was tired。
There was a firm knock on the door。 I said； 〃e in；〃 with my heart beating a little too fast。 Merle opened the door； and I hoped my disappointment didn't show on my face。 His own face registered nothing； so I couldn't judge what he saw on mine。
〃The Ulfric is in the kitchen。〃 He did look unfortable then。 〃He is crying。〃
I felt my eyes widen。 〃Excuse me？〃
Merle looked down； then up； almost defiant。 〃He has ordered his bodyguard out of the room； and he is crying。 I do not know why。〃
I sighed。 Although I was tired； I was excited at the thought of Richard being in the house； of him ing to me； maybe。 Instead of sex we were going to have another session of hand…holding； and shoulder…crying。 Damn it。
I felt my shoulders slump and forced myself to stand upright again。 I didn't have to ask why Merle had told me。 Who else would Richard take fort from？ I wasn't even a hundred percent sure he'd take fort from me。
I went for the door。 Merle held it open for me； and I walked under his arm without having to duck。 〃Thanks for telling me； Merle；〃 I muttered as I went out into the darkened living room。
Shang…Da was leaning against the wall by the open doorway that led into the kitchen。 He looked as unfortable as I'd ever seen him。 He wouldn't meet my eyes。 What was going on？
Caleb was settled on the couch with a blanket and an extra pillow。 He was sitting up； the blanket bunched in his lap。 He was nude from the waist up and probably nude from the waist down if no one had made him wear jammies。 I hoped someone had remembered to put a sheet on the couch。 He watched me walk across the room； and even in the dim light from the kitchen I didn't like the way his eyes followed me。
〃Nice robe；〃 he said。
I ignored him and went for the doorway。 Richard sat at the kitchen table； opened all the curtains so that the room was filled with the soft light of dawn。 His shoulder…length hair had been blow…dried to a soft； fluffy mass。 I could never blow…dry my hair without it turning to something thick and awful…looking。 The early morning light made his hair look more golden than normal； less brown。 He looked up； and I realized the gold glow was a halo effect of the rising sun。 It painted a nimbus of shining gold around him； leaving his hair light brown around his face； making the skin at the center of his body look even darker than it was； almost like it was in shadow。
I had a moment to see the shine of tears on his shadowed face； then he lowered his head and twisted in his chair so I couldn't see。 The movement placed more of his body in the burning golden light； but the illusion of halos and shadow was gone。
I walked to the table； stood close enough to touch his bare shoulder； not sure if I should。 〃Richard； what's wrong？〃
He shook his head； still not looking at me。
I reached out； touched the smoothness of his shoulder gently。 He didn't tell me to go away； and he didn't pull away。 Okay。 I touched the tears on the cheek closest to me； smoothed them away with my hand。 It reminded me of forting Nathaniel earlier。
I touched Richard's chin； turned his face to me； and dried the tears on his other cheek with the sleeve of my robe。 〃Talk to me； Richard； please。〃
He smiled。 Maybe it was the 〃please。〃 I didn't use that word often。 〃I've never seen this before。〃 He touched the sleeve very gently。
I wasn't going to be distracted； not even by him noticing what I'd worn with him in mind。 〃You have to be as tired as I am； Richard。 What's keeping you up？〃
He looked down； then up； and there was such sorrow in his dark eyes； that I almost said； no； don't； but he needed to talk。 〃Louisa is in jail； and Guy is dead。〃
I frowned。 〃I don't know the names。〃
〃Louisa is one of our newest wolves。〃 He looked down again； not meeting my eyes。 〃Guy is her fiance 。。。 husband。 Was her husband。〃 He covered his face with his hands； shaking his head over and over and over。
I held his wrists； lowered his hands so I could see his eyes。 〃Richard； talk to me。〃
His hands turned in my grip； holding my hands。 We held hands while I watched the pain in his eyes spill out in words。 〃Louisa killed Guy on their honeymoon； yesterday。 I got the call just before I came here。〃
〃I still don't understand。 It's awful； tragic； but 。。。 〃 I said。
〃I was her sponsor。 I trained her to control her beast； and she lost that control on her honeymoon in the middle of 。。。 〃 He lowered his head； and raised my hands so that his forehead rested against the back of my hands。
〃She lost control in the middle of sex；〃 I finished for him。
He nodded； his face still pressed to my hands。 〃Losing her virginity；〃 he said； voice muffled； low。
〃Did you say virginity？〃
He pulled away from me then； dropped his hands in his lap； and I noticed for the first time that he was wearing a towel knotted at his waist。 〃Yes。〃
〃You mean she'd never tried to control her beast during intercourse？〃 I asked。
He shook his head。 〃They'd been engaged for more than two years before Louisa was attacked and became one of us。 They both wanted to wait for the wedding night。〃
〃mendable；〃 I said。 〃And orgasm； to a certain extent； is orgasm。 If she could control herself during nonintercourse orgasm； then she should have been able to control herself during intercourse； too。〃 I touched his shoulder again。 〃You did all you could for her。〃
He jerked away as if I'd burned him； ing to his feet so suddenly that the chair crashed back against the kitchen island； then the floor。 I sensed rather than saw people in the doorway。 I said； 〃We're alright。〃 I turned to see Shang…Da； Merle； and the two wererats； still hesitating in the doorway。 〃We're alright； go away。〃 They all pulled back； but I knew now that we had an audience； because they wouldn't go far。
Richard stood in the middle of my kitchen wearing nothing but a towel and the golden first light of dawn。 Normally it would have distracted me from anything reasonable； but not this morning。 The pain in his face was more important than his body right now。 Looking at him； standing there so defiant； so hurt； I had an idea； an awful idea。
〃Please tell me you don't mean she wanted to wait for any sexual contact until the honeymoon？〃
His chin raised； and that arrogance tried to slide over him。 But it was a mask； and I saw through it now。 Underneath he was scared and guilty。 〃I taught her to control the beast during anger； sadness； fear； pain； every extreme of emotion； but not sex。 I respected her convictions。〃
I stared at him。 It was so something Richard would do。 Theoretically； I even approved； but theory and practice aren't the same。 In real life it had been a bad idea； and Richard should have known that better than I did。
I felt my face go blank； empty。 It was a good cop face。 I didn't want anything I was thinking to show for this。 〃So this Louisa shifted in the middle of sex and killed her husband； and the cops caught her。〃 I didn't add that I was surprised they hadn't shot her on sight。 Finding the big bad wolf eating the body of the nice little human would be cause enough for shooting to kill。
〃Louisa turned herself in。 I think if she didn't think suicide was a sin； she'd have killed herself。〃 He turned my way walking to the sliding glass doors； leaning his forehead against the glass； as if he was tired。
I wished I could have said it wasn't his fault； but it was。 He was her sponsor； the one who was supposed to teach her how to be a shapeshifter。 I'd learned from dealing with the wereleopards； and Richard； and Verne's pack in Tennessee that orgasm of any kind was one of the true tests of their control。 Orgasm was supposed to be a release； but to truly give up all control meant shifting form； and that was the ultimate nightmare when you had a human lover。 Richard had lectured me often enough when we were dating that he didn't trust himself the night of the full moon； or even the day before。 He didn't fear losing control and killing me； just losing control and scaring me to death。 Or more honestly； grossing me out。 He had shifted on top of me once； and that had had nothing to do with sex。 And that one experience had sent me running to Jean Claude。 Well； Richard changing on top of me and seeing him eat someone。
I didn't know what to say。 All I knew was that I had to say something； that silence was almost worse than anything。
He spoke without turning around。 〃Go ahead； Anita； tell me I'm a fool。 Tell me I sacrificed both of them on the altar of my ideals。〃 His voice was bitter enough to choke on； just hearing the pain in it。
〃Louisa and her husband wanted to hold true to who they were。 You wanted to help them do that。 It's perfectly； logically you。〃 My voice was empty； but at least it wasn't reproachful。 It was the best I could do。 Because it was a waste； a waste because Richard and the girl and her fiance had been more worried about appearance than reality。 Or maybe I'm just cynical； and tired； oh； so tired。
It was like any really good tragedy entirely dependent on the personalities of the people involved。 If Richard had been more practical and less idealistic； if Louisa and her late husband had been less religious； less pure； hell； if the husband really brought her to orgasm with just intercourse； then if he'd only been less talented。 So many things had gone into making all the good intentions go horribly wrong。
〃Yes； it was perfectly； logically me； and I was wrong。 I should have at least forced her to have her first experience with Guy where the pack could oversee it； save him。 But Louisa was so 。。。 delicate about it。 I just couldn't insist。 I just couldn't make her strip down in front of strangers and have her most intimate moment witnessed。 I just couldn't do it。〃
I didn't know what to say。 I did the only thing I could think of to fort him。 I went to him and put my arms around his waist； put my cheek against the smooth firmness of his back； and held him。 〃I am so sorry； Richard； so very sorry。〃
His body started to shake； and I realized he was crying again； still soundlessly； but not gently。 Great racking sobs shook his body； but the only sound he allowed himself was the harsh shaking of his breath as he gasped； trying to get enough air。
He slid slowly to his knees； his hands making harsh sounds down the glass of the door； as if he were taking skin off as his hand slid down the glass。 I stayed standing； leaning over him； cradling his head against my body； my hands on his shoulders and chest； trying to hold him。
He fell backwards； and I was suddenly trying to hold all his weight as he went for the floor。 I tripped on the hem of the robe； and we ended in a heap on the floor； with his head and shoulders in my lap and me struggling to sit up。 The knot on the towel had loosened； and a long； uninterrupted line of his body showed from his waist down his hip to his foot。 The towel was still in place； but it was losing the battle。
His mouth opened in a soundless cry； then suddenly there was sound。 He gave one ragged； tear…choked scream； and the sound seemed to free something inside him。 Because the sobbing was suddenly loud； full of small； awful； painful sounds。 He sobbed； and whimpered； and screamed； and clutched at my arms； enough that I knew I'd be bruised。 And all I could do was hold on； touch him； rock him； until he quieted。 He finally lay on his side； his upper body as far into my lap as he would fit； the rest of him curled up so that one thigh covered him。 The towel formed a heap on the floor underneath him。 I didn't even know when the towel had fallen away。 I was sort of proud of that； bec