JК
Danse Macabre :: Гамильтон Лорел
Страница: 356 из 427Iwas calm; Damian's touch almost guaranteed that. I was also determined that our invitation to the Master of Chicago was not going to rain bad stuff all over our local werelions.
«Most of the werelions in the Midwest owe allegiance to my pride.»
«It's not your pride,» I said, even if your animal to call is the Rex of that pride. «It's his pride, or hers.»
«His,» Auggie said.
«Fine, but that doesn't make it yours.»
Auggie glanced at Jean-Claude. «She believes that. Doesn't she know the law?»
« Ma petite knows that in the vampire world all that my servants own is mine.»
I had known it, but I hadn't made the logic jump. «It can't be your pride, because if something happened to your lion to call, then you couldn't hold the pride. If you can't hold the group without the help of someone else, then it's not yours, Auggie. Your lion dies and your hold on his pride dies with him.»
«Is that a threat?» he said, softly.
Damian squeezed my calf, and Jean-Claude squeezed my knee. Micah moved closer to me, sliding his arm across my shoulders, so that he was holding me and Jean-Claude, really. It didn't seem to bother anyone but me.
«Not yet,» I said.
Damian laid his head in my lap. Jean-Claude stroked my leg, his way of saying, Be careful . Micah was as close as he could get to me. Nathaniel just cuddled more solidly between Jean-Claude and me, wrapping his arm around my leg, but laying his head on Jean-Claude's knee. I'd never seen him do that before to the vampire. Jean-Claude petted his hair, absently, like you'd stroke a dog, as if it were very everyday. It wasn't everyday, and I realized that Nathaniel was helping us negotiate. Auggie had proved that he liked men, maybe not as much as he liked women, but still… He'd remarked on Nathaniel's hair, made a pass at Micah. Nathaniel wasn't flirting, he was lying with his body. Lying that he and Jean-Claude had a closer relationship than they did. Would it bother Auggie? And if it did, which way would it bother him? Would it disturb him because it's guy-on-guy sex, or would he be jealous? Hell, it might bother him both ways. A lot of men seemed conflicted about that sort of thing.
«Did you say that most of the prides in the Midwest owe you allegiance?» Micah said.
«Yes.»
«Vampires aren't allowed to wage war on territories that don't touch their own,» Micah said.
«I haven't done anything to any other Masters of the City. Vampire law only covers how we treat each other's animals to call.
«Most of the werelions in the Midwest owe allegiance to my pride.»
«It's not your pride,» I said, even if your animal to call is the Rex of that pride. «It's his pride, or hers.»
«His,» Auggie said.
«Fine, but that doesn't make it yours.»
Auggie glanced at Jean-Claude. «She believes that. Doesn't she know the law?»
« Ma petite knows that in the vampire world all that my servants own is mine.»
I had known it, but I hadn't made the logic jump. «It can't be your pride, because if something happened to your lion to call, then you couldn't hold the pride. If you can't hold the group without the help of someone else, then it's not yours, Auggie. Your lion dies and your hold on his pride dies with him.»
«Is that a threat?» he said, softly.
Damian squeezed my calf, and Jean-Claude squeezed my knee. Micah moved closer to me, sliding his arm across my shoulders, so that he was holding me and Jean-Claude, really. It didn't seem to bother anyone but me.
«Not yet,» I said.
Damian laid his head in my lap. Jean-Claude stroked my leg, his way of saying, Be careful . Micah was as close as he could get to me. Nathaniel just cuddled more solidly between Jean-Claude and me, wrapping his arm around my leg, but laying his head on Jean-Claude's knee. I'd never seen him do that before to the vampire. Jean-Claude petted his hair, absently, like you'd stroke a dog, as if it were very everyday. It wasn't everyday, and I realized that Nathaniel was helping us negotiate. Auggie had proved that he liked men, maybe not as much as he liked women, but still… He'd remarked on Nathaniel's hair, made a pass at Micah. Nathaniel wasn't flirting, he was lying with his body. Lying that he and Jean-Claude had a closer relationship than they did. Would it bother Auggie? And if it did, which way would it bother him? Would it disturb him because it's guy-on-guy sex, or would he be jealous? Hell, it might bother him both ways. A lot of men seemed conflicted about that sort of thing.
«Did you say that most of the prides in the Midwest owe you allegiance?» Micah said.
«Yes.»
«Vampires aren't allowed to wage war on territories that don't touch their own,» Micah said.
«I haven't done anything to any other Masters of the City. Vampire law only covers how we treat each other's animals to call.