All my worrying about how to get out of the obligation, and I could have avoided it just by hearing her out when she'd first asked to talk to me.

BEFORE I could try to summon the children, a guard called my name. I stashed my kit under a bush, and turned the corner to see Jeremy on the patio with a guard, Grady and Claudia.

"Maybe we should go find her," the guard was saying.

"She's fine," Jeremy said. "She doesn't like to be disturbed when she's meditating. If she doesn't answer, I'll wait-" He saw me. "Ah, here she comes."

He nodded and murmured a good morning. I studied his face. It was as inscrutable as ever. He turned to answer something Grady was asking.

Okay, this wasn't the greeting I'd hoped for. Was he upset about last night? Or hoping I'd forgotten? I brushed off regrets. I'd known that once the thrill of the Change wore off, he might reconsider. But if that adrenaline rush had been the only thing driving him last night, then it was a good thing we'd waited. Or so I told myself.

As I drew closer, Jeremy lifted his hands, a steaming mug in each, the smell of fresh coffee wafting my way.

"Thank you."

Another nod. "I trust you had a good night?"

I bit back a smile, but when I met his gaze, I saw no twinkle, no sign that his words were anything more than a polite inquiry.

He continued, "Were you meditating? I could wait here-"

"Nonsense," Grady said. "If Jaime's busy, join us for breakfast."

Claudia seconded the invitation. Jeremy glanced at me, as if he didn't care one way or the other and I wanted to scream that I'd been up since six-thirty waiting for him. But I certainly wasn't going to give him that satisfaction. So I settled for a shrug and a "Your choice."

"If I won't be in the way, I'll join you."

I had to look up and follow his gaze to see whom he was talking to. His eyes were on me.

"Sure," I said, voice as neutral as I could make it. "Come along."

He stayed at my side as I wended my way back to my summoning spot. When we rounded the third corner, he reached over and, without a word, took my coffee and laid both mugs on the garden retaining wall. Then he swept me up in a kiss that left me gasping.

My relief must have shown, because he smiled and said, "You weren't worried, were you?"

I smacked his arm. "Bastard."

A brow arch. "I don't think anyone's ever called me that before."

"Keep pulling stunts like that and you'd better get used to it."

He moved in for another kiss. I studied his gaze, trying to see whether any hesitation lingered. I couldn't tell, and I wasn't taking chances. Even if he'd made up his mind, there was something to be said for making him wait a little longer…

So I kissed him lightly, then hopped off the wall and headed into the garden to do what I'd come out here for.

I RECOVERED my necromancy bag, then sat beside him on a bench and sipped my coffee as I listened to the bird calls and the whispers of the children, felt the wind ruffle my hair, felt the children's fingertips brushing me.

Once I'd reestablished contact with the children, and reassured them I was back, I spoke to Jeremy.

"I was thinking about the kids. About the families." I put my hand out and felt small fingers tickle mine. I tried to close my hand around them, to hold on, but caught only air. "Whether I do the raising or not, I think we should find a way to alert the authorities, even if it's after this is over, so they can find the bodies and give the parents closure."

He nodded.

"Or maybe just, I don't know, give them graves. Headstones. Something to say they were here. From what you said, the parents probably don't care."

"I didn't say that. The children may have been taken from the street. Or kidnapped from families or neighborhoods where the police would presume they'd gone to the street. That's safest. Minimizes the search. But it doesn't mean no one cared. However bad things are for a child, someone usually cares."

His gaze moved out across the garden.

"You're thinking of Clay. His family."

A small look of surprise. Then he nodded.

"There was nothing to be done, though, right?" I moved to sit beside him. "You didn't kidnap him. Elena says he'd run away after he was bitten, was on the street for a year, maybe more, before you found him. You couldn't take him back to his family and say, 'Here's your son. By the way, he's a werewolf.' "

"No. I couldn't."

"Did he ever ask about them?"

"Never. That used to worry me. At first, I thought he wasn't asking because he didn't want to upset me. When he was young, I'd find ways to bring up the subject of mothers, fathers, siblings. He never nibbled. Later, he pretended he'd forgotten everything that happened before he was bitten. He tells Elena he can't remember."

"But he does?"

"I think so. Before Elena became pregnant, he asked me if there was a way to check on his medical history."

"Look for any hereditary conditions. Something he might pass on to a baby."

"Yes. I found his family. It was easy enough. There was some media coverage when he disappeared. I'd always assumed there was, but I'd never looked before." He went quiet for a moment, as if thinking about that. "Paige helped me get medical records. She never asked what they were for, but she probably knew. I didn't find anything significant, medically."