Now, that is a question that a few short days ago would have had me rolling on the floor in hysterical laughter. But life had changed since Drake and I had resolved (most of) our problems. Now it didn’t look nearly so ridiculous.

“My family is going to have a collective heart attack if they find out I’m shacked up with you for any length of time without marrying you. So although I don’t want to run out today and get married, I think that ultimately, we’re going to have to talk it over.”

“You understand that being a mate is much more binding than a human legal convenience which can be unmade so easily?”

“Yes, I understand, although I’d like to point out that you yourself mentioned I can be ... er... de-mated, I guess.”

I swear flames flickered in the depths of his lovely green eyes. “Not easily,” he growled, his fingers sharp against my flesh. With a polished move, he whipped my underwear off my body without unseating me, grabbing my hips and pulling me forward to the very edge of the desk. I was pressed so tightly against him, I could feel the thud of his heart. “You are mine, and you will stay mine.”

I melted against him, my fingers dancing along the swells of his chest as I nibbled on his sweet lower lip. “Sounds good to me. Only”—I sighed and released his lip—”we can’t now, Drake. Oh, don’t look at me like that; I want to just as badly as you do.” I squirmed against his fingers. “As you can tell for yourself. But we can’t. Everyone is waiting for us.”

As if on cue, the door to the library opened. “There you are. You are engaging in intercourse again? Has the woman been tested for diseases?”

Drake sighed into my mouth, gave me a little taste of his fire that had me mentally damning any circumspection, and reluctantly pulled himself away from me to face his mother.

“In the future, you will knock before entering this room.”

“Don’t be ridiculous. This house was mine. I do not knock in my own home.” Catalina swept into the room, pausing a moment to frown at my underwear lying on the floor at my feet. “That is obscene. Tell your woman to remove it from my view.”

I started to slide off the desk to retrieve my undies— not because she ordered me to, but because I wasn’t comfortable having them lying around as an objet d’art—but Drake wrapped an arm around me and pulled me close.

“This house is mine now, and you will knock when you enter my private rooms. In addition, you will address Aisling by her name and refrain from giving her orders.”

Catalina smiled and sank gracefully into the nearest chair, crossing one leg over the other to show off a pair of elegant and no doubt extremely pricey shoes. “I am thirsty. Have your woman bring me wine. Spanish, not French.”

Drake’s face darkened with anger, his eyes flashing a warning. “Mother, I have just told you—”

“You know what? I’m going to let you two argue this out in private while I go grab a late lunch.” I kissed the tip of Drake’s nose just because I knew it would annoy Catalina, and picked up my underwear. “We can finish this discussion later, Drake. Maybe while you’re showing me the pool?”

“Yes. Later,” he said, his eyes filled with desire.

I smiled to myself as I left the room. Water was the green dragons’ element, and they had a special affinity for baths and pools. A large sunken bathtub filled with warm, scented water was one of Drake’s favorite places to make love, and I had to admit that I was very much looking forward to seeing the lap pool he’d told me was located in the basement of the house.

“Aisling? Telephone.” Pal handed me a cordless phone as I left the library.

“Thanks. Hello?”

“Bonjour, Aisling, it is Amelie here.”

The tense tone in her voice, so different from her cheery self when I had called her earlier, signaled that all was not well. I leaned against the wall and idly watched the people walk by on the street below. “I’d say it’s nice to hear from you, but I have a horrible feeling I’m not going to like what you have to say.”

“Non. You are not. The situation here is very bad; very bad indeed. It is without a doubt that Peter Burke has his origins in the dark powers. No one knows where he has come from. No one knows who he is. He simply showed up after the Venediger’s death and stated his intentions to take the position. We cannot tolerate such a being as he in control of the L’au-dela.”

My spirits fell. “Dammit. Any idea why he’s trying to get me in the position of Venediger?”

“No, but I must tell you—the feeling here is very warm toward you. People are saying that you are a Guardian, thus you will be able to control him. Banish him, even.”

I banged my head a couple of times on the wall. Pal, sitting in the next room, leaned sideways to look at me. I waved and walked to the other end of the hall. “Did you tell them I’m not interested? That there’s no way whatsoever I can do the job?”

“Yes, but they do not care. Aisling, I must tell you—I know you do not wish for this to be thrust upon you, but I, too, will vote for you over this dark one.”

I groaned. “This is not happening. This is just not happening.”

“Perhaps if you could agree to be Venediger as a temporary situation only,” Amelie suggested. “Only until another person, one more suitable, could take the job?”

“No. Not happening. I’m sorry, but it’s just not going to happen.”

“Then we are all doomed,” Amelie said sadly, and after a few more minutes of discussion, she hung up. I struggled with a vague sense of guilt that I should be doing something to help, but I honestly didn’t see what I could do without taking on yet another massive responsibility.

I straightened my shoulders, put the problem on my mental back burner, and went to get some lunch.

“Wow,” Jim said, glancing from its plate to the clock as I entered a small, sunny dining room. “That was fast. Drake losing his touch?”

“Drake will never lose his touch, not that it’s any of your business.” I stopped in front of the demon, my hands on my hips. “What on earth is that?”

“Your panties, I think,” it answered, squinting at my hip. “Doesn’t it look like panties to you, Rene?”

“Oui. Very much so. Satin?”