Before we could, a sleek silver 67 Mustang pulled in next to the SUV, and Darryl got out. Darryl is big in daylight, but the night hides the intelligence in his face and the beauty of his features, which can distract from his size. In the dark, he is huge, and right then he was carrying a tide of irritation that made him even scarier than usual.
I thought of the impression Zack had given me in my garage, and said, Hey, Darryl. If you could back down a bit? This guy isnt Peter, who might have been submissive but wasnt scared of anyone. This wolf is going to take one look at you and run.
Darryl gave me a tickedoff look. I am not irritated with the new wolf. Im irritated with you. You are causing me trouble, woman. Darryls voice sounded like it was coming from the bottom of a very deep barrel. It was the kind of voice I imagined a dragon might speak inif there were dragons. Which didnt exist. As far as I knew.
Id thought Darryl was mostly just grumpy, but Adam growled with intent that lent Darryls declaration more seriousness. Darryl tipped his head away from me, but that didnt make him any happier.
What did I do? I asked.
You upset Christy, and that upset Aurielewho doesnt think that leaving Christys general wellbeing to Adam is the right thing to do, he snapped. I do not enjoy being put in the middle of this.
I upset Christy? I asked. When?
This afternoon. You insisted she sleep in the groundfloor suite when she has a stalker after her. Shes just a little bit of a thing
Darryl, I said.
I dont know what you were thinking, he said, forgetting Adam entirely. Downstairs isnt safe. Shes human and in danger from a stalker who, Auriele tells me, may have already killed a man.
Darryl, I said again, then quit waiting for him to give me space to speak and just took it. I admit I thought Christy would be more comfortable in the suite where she would have her own bathroom. The windows are alarmed, and there are werewolves werewolves , Darrylin the house to hear when any stranger approacheseven on foot. I tried unsuccessfully to keep the exasperation from my voice. In any case, shes staying upstairsand I didnt object in any size, shape, or form as I wasnt even home when she got there. I was at work.
He stared down at me, and I met his gaze. He didnt look away, and I finally threw up my hands in exasperation. No. I am not thrilled by my husbands exwife moving into my house and sleeping in the bedroom next to me. But I am not making her unwelcome. I am not putting her in danger. And you know, you know that I am not lying.
Darryl inhaled. Looked away.
Ah damn, he said with less eloquence than a man with a Ph.D. who worked in a government think tank should use. Shes doing it again. Id almost forgotten.
Im doing what again? I asked. I was starting to get mad, too.
Its Christy, Mercy, said Adam. Christy is doing it again. She has a way of making people worry about her.
And thats the kindest way to put it, Darryl said, sounding poleaxed. Youd think Id have seen it. Ive had a lot of experience. Ill explain what happened to Auriele, and shell realize that she misunderstood what Christy said. Just like the last
ten times she misunderstoodit will end up being my fault because I should have realized she misunderstood what Christy told her. My only excuse is that Ive had years to forget, and Auriele is blind to the faults of people she loves. I am the most fortunate man in the world because I am the beneficiary of that blindness, but I forget that other people are beneficiaries, too.
Education and brains dont help when dealing with my exwife, Adam said, sounding amused, of all things. You arent wired to see through Christy, and neither is Auriele. Now lets go meet
I dont know how long Zack had been standing outside his hotel room listening to us, but, from the look on his face, it had been long enough. He saw me watching, and his face went blank.
Zack, I said. Let me introduce my husband, Adam Hauptman, and his second, Darryl Zao. Gentlemen, this is Zack Drummond.
Hi, he said warily. He still looked tired and too thin. Come in. Lets get this over with. Enthusiasm was notable by its absence.
Zack turned and walked through the open door of the motel room. Adam followed Zack, and Darryl gestured for me to go ahead. I stepped in and had to fight not to gag.
Maybe a humans nose wouldnt have picked up the odors in that motel room, or maybe it wouldnt have picked up all the odors. Maybe. But I didnt think even an asthma patient who hadnt smelled a scent in months could have stayed in that room for longer than ten minutes without being nauseated.
Cigar, cigarette, pipe, and every other substance anyone could smoke permeated the room, along with the smell of sex, urine, feces, and old alcohol. Ive heard people complain that there is nothing worse than the smell of stale beer, but that room proved them wrong. Stale beer was the least unpleasant scent in the room. There was also mold, mildew, and mouse. All it needed was a skunk.