lh.narcissusinchains-第112部分

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f　contentment。　The　purr　vibrated　against　my　back。　Nathaniel　started　to　cry；　and　I　heard　myself　say；　〃We're　here；　Nathaniel；　we're　here。〃　We're　here。　Pressed　into　the　rich　vanilla　of　Nathaniel's　skin；　Micah's　purr　thrumming　against　my　body；　the　feel　of　both　their　bodies　so　solid；　so　real；　and　I　did　cry。　I　held　Nathaniel；　Micah　held　both　of　us；　we　cried；　and　it　was　okay。
　
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　SOMEONE　CLEARED　THEIR　throat　loudly　from　the　doorway。　I　blinked　through　the　soft　tears　and　found　Zane　standing　there。　〃Sorry　to　interrupt；　but　we've　got　a　crowd　out　here。〃
　〃What　do　you　mean？〃　Micah　asked。
　〃The　swan　king；　his　swanmanes；　and　pretty　much　at　least　one　representative　from　every　other　wereanimal　in　the　city；　as　far　as　I　can　tell。〃
　Nathaniel　and　Micah　pulled　away　from　me。　We　all　rubbed　at　our　faces；　even　Micah　had　been　crying。　I　wasn't　sure　why；　maybe　he　was　just　an　emotional　kind　of　guy。　〃What　do　they　want？〃　I　asked。
　〃To　see　you；　Anita。〃
　〃Why？〃
　Zane　shrugged。　〃The　swan　king　won't　talk　to　us　flunkies。　He　insists　that　he　talk　to　Anita；　and　her　Nimir…Raj；　if　she　pleases。〃
　Micah　and　I　exchanged　glances。　We　both　looked　as　puzzled　as　I　felt。　〃Tell　Reece　that　I　need　a　bit　more　info　before　I　grant　an　interview。　I'm　a　little　preoccupied。〃
　Zane　grinned　wide　enough　to　flash　his　upper　and　lower　cat　fangs。　〃We　deny　him　entrance　to　the　house　until　he　tells　us　peons　what　he　wants。　I　like　it；　but　he　won't。〃
　I　sighed。　〃I　don't　want　to　start　a　fight　just　because　he　shows　up　without　calling。　Shit。〃　I　started　to　walk　out；　but　Micah　caught　my　hand　as　I　went　by。　I　turned　back　to　look　at　him。
　〃May　your　Nimir…Raj　acpany　you？〃
　I　smiled；　partly　because　he'd　asked；　rather　than　assumed；　and　partly　because　looking　at　him　made　me　smile。　I　squeezed　his　hand；　and　his　hand　closed　around　mine；　pressing　back。　What　I　wanted　to　say　was；　〃I'd　love　the　pany；〃　what　came　out　was；　〃Sure。〃
　He　smiled；　and　for　the　first　time　it　wasn't　mixed；　it　was　just　a　smile。　He　raised　my　hand　to　his　lips　and　pressed　his　mouth　against　my　knuckles。　The　gesture　reminded　me　of　Jean…Claude。　How　was　it　going　to　be　to　have　Micah　and　Jean…Claude　in　the　same　room　at　the　same　time　with　me？
　Micah　frowned。　〃You　don't　look　happy　now。　Did　I　do　something　wrong？〃
　I　shook　my　head；　squeezed　his　hand；　and　led　him　towards　the　living　room。　He　pulled　me　back　towards　him。　〃No；　you　thought　of　something　that　bothered　you。　What　was　it？〃
　I　sighed。　〃Truth？〃
　He　nodded。　〃Truth。〃
　〃Just　wondering　how　awkward　it's　going　to　be　when　you　and　I　are　in　the　same　room　with　Jean…Claude。〃
　He　pulled　on　my　hand；　drawing　me　against　him。　I　put　a　hand　up　to　keep　our　bodies　from　touching　pletely；　and　found　his　heartbeat　under　the　palm　of　my　hand。　Even　through　the　cotton　shirt；　I　could　feel　the　thud　of　his　body；　as　if　his　heart　were　naked　in　my　hand。　I　had　to　raise　my　head　just　a　little　to　meet　the　green　gold　depths　of　his　eyes。
　His　voice　came　out　a　little　breathy。　〃I　told　you；　I　want　to　be　your　Nimir…Raj；　whatever　that　means；　whatever　it　takes。〃
　My　own　voice　wasn't　doing　much　better　than　his。　〃Even　if　that　means　sharing　me　with　someone　else？〃
　〃I　knew　that　ing　in。〃
　I　felt　a　frown　forming　between　my　eyes。　〃You　know　what　they　say　about　things　that　are　too　good　to　be　true；　don't　you？〃
　He　touched　his　fingertips　to　my　face　and　bent　towards　me；　speaking　softly　as　he　moved。　〃Am　I　too　good　to　be　true；　Anita？〃　He　whispered　my　name　against　my　lips；　and　we　kissed。　Gentle；　soft；　wet。　His　heart　was　beating　so　fast　under　my　hand；　my　pulse　was　in　my　throat；　and　I　think　I'd　forgotten　to　breathe。
　He　drew　back　first。　I　was　breathless　and　a　little　disoriented。　There　was　a　look　on　his　face　　delight；　I　think　　with　the　effect　the　kiss　had　had　on　me。
　It　took　me　two　tries　to　find　my　voice。　〃Too　good　to　be　true；　oh；　yeah　definitely。〃
　He　laughed　then；　and　I　wasn't　sure　I'd　ever　heard　him　laugh　before。　It　was　a　good　sound。　〃I　can't　tell　you　how　much　it　means　to　see　that　look　in　your　eyes。〃
　〃What　look？〃
　He　smiled；　and　he　was　suddenly　all　male；　pride；　pleased　with　himself；　and　something　else　　almost　embarrassed。　He　touched　my　face。　〃I　love　the　way　you　look　at　me。〃
　It　made　me　lower　my　eyes；　and　I　blushed；　even　though　I　wasn't　thinking　a　damn　thing　that　was　sexual。
　He　laughed　again；　a　surprised　burst　of　sound　that　held　so　much　joy。　He　laughed　the　way　children　laugh　before　they　learn　to　hide　how　they　feel。　He　picked　me　up　around　the　waist　and　swung　me　around　the　kitchen。
　I　would　have　told　him　to　put　me　down；　but　I　was　laughing　too　hard。
　〃I　hate　to　interrupt；〃　Donovan　Reece；　the　swan　king；　said　from　the　doorway；　〃but　I　told　them　you'd　help　us。〃　He　frowned　at　us；　his　pale；　pale　skin；　showing　almost　no　lines；　as　if　his　skin　was　like　the　water　that　his　alter　form　swam　upon。　He　had　obviously　decided　not　to　wait　outside。
　I　asked；　still　held　above　the　ground　in　Micah's　arms；　〃Help　you　do　what？〃
　He　shrugged。　〃Nothing　important；　just　find　some　missing　alphas　and　try　to　convince　the　Kadru　of　the　werecobras　that　her　Kashyapa；　her　mate；　isn't　dead；　just　missing　with　the　rest。　Trouble　is；〃　Reece　said；　〃I　think　she's　right。　I　think　he's　dead。〃
　Micah　let　me　slide　back　to　the　ground。　I　wondered　if　my　face　looked　as　grim　as　his。　Marianne　tells　me　that　the　universe/deity　loves　me　and　wants　me　to　be　happy。　So　why　is　it　that　every　time　I　get　a　little　happy　all　hell　breaks　loose？　The　message　seems　clear；　and　it's　not　about　love。
　
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　DONOVAN　REECE　HAD　curled　up　on　the　far　end　of　my　white　couch。　He　was　dressed　in　blue　jeans　so　faded　they　were　almost　white。　His　pale　pink　shirt　brought　out　the　natural　pink　and　blue　undertones　of　his　near　translucent　skin。　He　was　beautiful；　but　not　in　the　way　a　man　or　woman　is　beautiful；　in　the　way　a　statue　or　a　painting　is　beautiful；　as　if　he　wasn't　quite　real。　Maybe　it　was　because　I　knew　that　he　had　baby　swan　feathers　on　his　chest；　but　of　all　the　people　in　the　room　he　seemed　the　most　surrealistic。
　A　tall　woman　with　hair　almost　as　white　as　his　sat　on　the　arm　of　the　couch　by　him。　Her　pants　were　black　leather；　her　loose…fitting　blouse　a　pink　that　matched　his　shirt；　almost。　I'm　not　sure　I　would　have　remembered　the　woman　if　the　other　two　hadn't　been　kneeling　on　the　floor　at　their　feet。　The　second　blond's　hair　was　pale　yellow　and　matched　her　long　summer　dress。　The　brunette's　hair　fell　like　a　curtain　around　a　navy　blue　dress　with　tiny　white　daisies　all　over　it。　The　swanmanes　that　we'd　saved　from　the　club　were　all　looking　at　me　with　large；　almost　fearful　eyes。
　I　only　recognized　one　person　other　than　the　swan　king　and　his　entourage。　I'd　met　Christine　for　the　first　time　at　the　Lunatic　Cafe　back　when　Raina　still　owned　it；　and　Marcus；　her　Ulfric；　was　still　trying　to　control　all　the　other　wereanimals　in　town　and　make　himself　high　supreme　mander；　whether　everyone　else　agreed　or　not。　Christine's　hair　was　still　blond；　short；　professional。　She　was　dressed　in　a　navy　business　suit。　Her　powder　blue　shirt　was　partially　unbuttoned；　as　if　she'd　removed　a　tie；　though　I　don't　think　she　had。　She　was　perched　on　the　other　end　of　the　couch　from　Donovan；　her　sensible　navy　pumps　still　on。　Almost　everyone　else　had　gotten　casual。　There　were　a　pile　of　shoes　near　my　front　door。
　〃Hi；　Christine；　it's　been　a　while；〃　I　said。
　She　looked　up　at　me；　and　it　wasn't　a　friendly　look。　〃I'm　impressed　you　remembered　my　name。〃
　〃I　tend　to　remember　people　I　meet　under　stressful　situations。〃
　I　got　the　tiniest　smile　out　of　her。　〃Well；　we　do　seem　to　meet　under　less　than　pleasant　circumstances；〃　she　said。
　Donovan　took　over　then；　introducing　me　to　the　man　and　woman　sitting　between　them。　They　were　both　dark…plected。　Their　bone　structure　was　pure　middle　America；　nothing　special；　but　their　eyes　were　too　big；　too　dark；　the　hair　truly　black。　There　was　something　exotic　about　them　that　straight　European　just　doesn't　give　you。　They　also　looked　amazingly　alike；　like　male　and　female　versions　of　each　other。　They　were　Ethan　and　Olivia　MacNair；　respectively。
　The　man　in　my　white　chair　was　bulky；　not　muscled；　or　fat；　just　big。　He　had　the　fullest　beard　I'd　ever　seen。　The　thick　hair　covered　most　of　his　face　and　neck。　He　was　introduced　as　Boone；　and　the　moment　he　turned　small　dark　eyes　to　me；　I　knew　he　w