I chuckled softly.
Christian—arms folded on the table—dipped his chin. “I am.”
“Can I see your fangs?”
Christian flashed them before I could object.
The boy scampered back into the gathering room. “I told you so!”
Christian lifted his glass. “The wee ones aren’t afraid of us like they used to be. There was a time when the sight of my fangs would make people shrink back in terror.”
“You sound disappointed,” I said.
“Little ones should be scared of monsters. They shouldn’t ignore those primal instincts.”
Viktor stroked his silver beard and cast a somber gaze into the adjacent room. “They have seen monsters—real ones.”
Switch swaggered in. His messy brown hair fell to his grey shirt, which looked like it had shrunk two sizes in the wash. “Everything’s set up. A few of them will have to share beds. I can sit at the end of the hall and make sure nobody wanders.”
“That might frighten them to see a strange man outside their door,” Viktor said, rising to his feet.
Switch furrowed his brow. “What if I shift? My wolf won’t harm children, and I think they’ll be okay with that. I’ll make sure he knows to keep them in the hall.”
Viktor rubbed his bloodshot eyes. “That is acceptable. But everyone is exhausted, and you won’t have a backup.”
I raised my hand. “If he needs a break, I’ll take over.”
Christian gave me a loaded glance. “I didn’t think you were feeling well.”
Dancing around that topic, I said, “I’m not, but that doesn’t mean I can’t stay awake. It’s not like my core energy is depleted.”
Viktor clapped his hands. “Come, little ones! It is time to sleep.”
Gem closed her book and woke some of the children. Blue lifted a toddler on one hip and a young girl on the other. Most of the kids had their eyes closed and were doing the zombie walk as they followed Gem through the dining room.
Viktor gestured for Christian to join him. “I need your help moving large furniture from upstairs. I would like each child to have their own bed for as long as they are here. I cannot do this alone.”
Christian eased out of his seat and sighed. “Perhaps you should go to bed and let me handle all the hard labor. I need something to keep my hands busy.”
“Place them in the empty rooms. Kira will put fresh linens on them tomorrow morning.”
When Christian passed by Switch, the two men locked eyes. While they were finally getting along better, I had a feeling that Christian still didn’t trust that Switch wouldn’t change his mind about me, and I suppose Switch might have felt the same about Christian.
I scooted out of the booth to head upstairs. “Is your wolf up for this, or are we going to find him sleeping on the job?”
Switch fell into step beside me. “My wolf and I have a symbiotic relationship. As long as he does what I say, he gets to come out whenever he wants. Well, almost whenever.”
“What do you get out of it?”
He gripped the stone railing as we ascended the stairs. “Nice dreams. That Chitah out there is messing with my schedule though. I don’t like him on the property.”
“Neither does Blue, but Viktor’s taking a hard pass on getting in the middle of it.”
“I can see his attraction to her. Blue’s a badass.”
We reached the second floor and strolled around to the other ascending staircase.
“You okay?” he asked.
“Tired.”
“I know I can’t ask why, but I’m pretty good at putting together puzzles. You got fifteen pieces downstairs.”
“Yeah, we just need to find them a home.”
“What’s their animal?”
“I don’t really know. I’m guessing they’re wolves.”
Switch flipped his hair back when we reached the top of the stairs. “Not many packs have that kind of room or the money. I wish I could help, but you’ll have to split them up.”
I wasn’t certain if that was a good idea, but I didn’t mention it to Switch. The kids might be related, and in any case, they’d grown up together. It didn’t seem right breaking them up.
“We’ll see,” I finally said. Pausing at a hallway entrance, I gave him a skeptical look. “Are you following me?”
“I figure your boyfriend needs help hauling that shit down.”
My lips twitched. Christian hated being referred to as a boyfriend, but he wasn’t exactly my husband or mate. “I think he can manage. He’s got superstrength, you know.”
“Maybe so, but if he doesn’t know how to pivot, he’s going to bust up those beds trying to get them through the doorways.”
I tightened the drawstring on my grey sweatpants. “Be nice to him. We’ve had a long night, and—”
“I got it.” Switch unexpectedly wrapped his arms around me. “I’m glad you’re okay. I worry about you sometimes.”
Tired, I leaned into him and accepted the hug. It felt nice to have a friend who cared about me.
“Christian’s going to a sex club,” he whispered in my ear.
Taken aback, I let go and gave him a quizzical stare. “What?”
“He also goes somewhere else, but I don’t know where,” Switch added, his voice barely above a whisper.
Knowing Christian was upstairs, I did the same. “Are you following him?”
“You can’t follow a Vampire. I was in the city one night and spotted him. Decided to see where he was going.”
I let those facts resonate for a minute. “Was it the White Owl?”
His heavy brows furrowed. “How did you know?”
“It’s not what you think. Stop following him. I mean it.”
I ventured upstairs, leaving Switch behind. He was probably anticipating a big fight, but I knew exactly what this was about.
Following the sound of wood scraping against a wall, I headed down a dark hallway and stopped by a door. “Christian, I need to ask you something.”
Holding a large bed frame over his head, he gave me an exasperated look. “Can it wait? I’m a wee bit occupied.”
I folded my arms.
“For feck’s sake.” He set the bed down and glided to the door. “I don’t care for that look you’re giving me.”
“You mind telling me why you’re hanging around the White Owl? I closed that case, remember?”
“How—” He slanted his eyes to the side, probably trying to recall where he’d made a mistake.
“It doesn’t matter how I found out. Honesty, remember?”
“Someone spiked your drink that night, and I’ll not forgive a deliberate act that put your safety in danger.”
I leaned against the doorjamb. “So why aren’t you trying to find out who buried me? Isn’t that more important than someone who slipped Sensor magic into my bottle when I wasn’t looking?”
He reached up and gripped the doorframe. “One thing at a time.”
“And what did you plan on doing once you found this person?”
“Having a wee bit of fun. Is that a crime?”
I hooked my fingers in his pants and gave them a tug. “I know your version of romance is a head on a platter, but let it go. If you want to find someone, find the person who buried me. Do I have your word you’ll drop it?”