Page 33 of Brushed By Moonlight

Silence fell and stretched for several heart-thumping moments.

Finally, Henrik relented, grumbling, “Nothing will happen.” Then he motioned angrily. “Not as far as I’m concerned. But I’m speaking for myself, not for these cretins.”

“Cretins?” Roux bristled.

“You’re the one who punched her.”

I rolled my eyes — er, eye.Here we go again.I lowered my pounding head back to my hands.

“Cut it out, ladies,” Bene interrupted, putting a hand on my shoulder. “You’re not exactly making a convincing argument.”

Bene was close enough for me to whiff his scent, and it was nice and fresh, with a hint of lilac. I inhaled, trying to recall Mystery Man’s scent. Did it match Bene’s?

Steps sounded, and Marius stormed into the room. Even without looking, I knew it was him just by the sound and electrified sensation. He stopped abruptly, and I could feel his eyes burning into me. Then the steps resumed, moving in my direction.

“Jesus,” he muttered, squatting down before me.

I covered my eyes, but his hands took mine and moved them gently aside.

When I opened my eye, my heart nearly stopped. Those hands…the gentle touch…theearth after a summer rain showerscent…

Mystery Man was Marius?

I gulped, staring into his eyes.

A soft glow lit them from within, and his breath caught.

I barely moved — barely breathed — as it all came back to me. The careful movements, like I might break. The soft reassurances. Thethis is homefeeling I’d had snuggled up against his chest.

My heart thumped so hard, I was sure everyone could hear it.

A moment later, he spun around and stormed toward Roux.

“Wait!” I cried, an instant too late.

His fist was already flying at Roux.

Crack!Roux’s head snapped back, and he staggered. Bene grabbed Marius, and Henrik, to my surprise, stood between the two combatants.

Roux straightened slowly, holding a hand over his right eye. Slowly, his fangs extended, and his eyes took on a scary yellow hue. Any second now, my dining room would be crowded by a tiger and a dragon.

“Don’t even think about it,” Bene warned them.

Marius rose to his full height, keeping his fists tightly balled.

Roux cursed, then sighed, and just like that, the tension broke.

“I deserved that,” he grumbled.

“Yes, you did.” Marius’s voice was a glacier grinding over boulders.

“True,” Bene agreed. “Are you even now?” He looked between them.

“We’re even,” Roux muttered, the model of fair play, at least in a world where fists solved problems.

But Marius wasn’t so forgiving.

“I don’t know. Are we?” He made a half turn, asking me while keeping his eyes pinned on Roux.