Around me was the soft breathing of two people and a very big dog. I vaguely remembered being carried in, wavering on passing out but never quite managing it, hard as I tried. I could tell by the smell of my perfumes that Keasley had put me in my room, and the pillow under my head had a familiar, comfortable feel. The heavy weight of the afghan I kept at the foot of my bed was draped over me. I was alive. Go figure.

Ceri lifted the damp washcloth from me, and despite her warning, I cracked my lids. “Ow…” I moaned as the light from a candle on the dresser seemed to pierce my eyes, going all the way to the back of my skull and ricocheting. My headache tripled.

“She told you to keep your eyes shut,” Jenks said sardonically, but the relief in his voice was obvious. The click of David’s nails intruded, shortly followed by a warm snuff in my ear.

“She’s fine,” Ceri said softly, and he retreated.

Fine? I thought, concentrating on my breathing until the light bouncing around in my head lost momentum and died. This was fine?

The throbbing in my head retreated to a mild agony, and when I heard a soft puff of breath and the biting scent of blown-out candle reached me, I opened my eyes again.

In the streetlight leaking past my curtains, I could see Ceri on a kitchen chair beside my bed. A pan of water was on her lap, and I cringed when she set it on Ivy’s vampire dating guide, out where everyone could see it. On my other side stood Keasley, a hunched shadow. Perched on the bedpost, Jenks glowed a dull amber, and lurking in the background was David taking up half the floorspace with his wolf bulk.

“I think we’re back in Kansas, Toto,” I murmured, and Keasley harrumphed.

My face was damp and cold, and a draft from the broken door mixed with the musty smell of the heater blowing from the vent. “Jenks!” I croaked when I remembered the wash of winter air that had hit him. “Are your kids all right?”

“Yeah, they’re fine,” he said, and I slumped back to the pillow. My hand crept up to hold my throat. It felt as if it was bleeding inside.

“David?” I questioned softer. “How about you?”

His panting increased as he pushed Keasley out of the way to snuff warm and moist in my ear. His jaws opened. Ceri gasped when David gripped my entire face in his mouth.

Adrenaline cut through the pain. “Hey!” I exclaimed, struggling as he gave me a gentle shake and let go. Heart pounding, I froze at the soft growl rumbling up and the wet nose nudging my cheek. Making a doggie huff, he padded into the hall.

“What in hell does that mean?” I said, heart jackhammering against my chest.