The back of my throat turned rough and dry. I made a sort of hrmph noise, clearing it, and Anna

glanced at me again, this time amused. Don’t you look at him that way, I wanted to say—and I

probably would have, if I hadn’t had to keep my mouth shut.

Because my teeth were tingling. I felt the subtle crackling in my upper jaw as my canines extended.

Call them fangs, Dru. That’s what they are.

But I couldn’t. I could just stand there, keeping my mouth closed tight so nobody around me would

see teeth turning into sharp little points. The warm-oil feeling of the aspect didn’t slide down my

skin, though. I hoped my hair wasn’t doing anything weird, decided it didn’t matter. Because nobody was looking at me. Every eye in the room, including my own pair, was on Anna.

She swept by, sliding past motionless Hiro with a half-mocking little pirouette, her skirt brushing

his knee. I heard her murmur something at the door. Footsteps going away—probably she and the

djamphir in the shoulder holster and red T-shirt.

Did he put that on to match her? Jeez. And I thought “I’m with Stupid” shirts were pathetic. I

breathed deeply, searching for calm.

The crackling in the air went away. Now all the touch could bring me was a complex, hot wash of

feeling from Kir. I couldn’t even name it, it was so messed up. He coughed and pushed himself up

from his chair. “So.”

“Orientation.” Hiro folded his arms. “I think it’s best I tag along. You don’t have any objection, do

you, Kir?”

The redheaded djamphir smiled. It was an animal’s baring of teeth, and I almost took a step back.

“Of course not, brother.”

Whoa, wait a second. “You’re related?” I blurted out, and I sounded totally horrified. Graves exhaled another long stream of cigarette smoke. It touched my hair, and I made a face, too.

“No.” Kir’s face wrinkled up again, like he tasted something sour. “It is the traditional mode of address between Kouroi. To remind us that we are all—”

“—connected,” Hiro interrupted smoothly. “And all equally at risk of being murdered by nosferatu.

Some do tend to forget it.”

“No shit,” I muttered and stuffed my sweating hands in my pockets. I suddenly resolved never to be

in a room alone with Kir if I could help it. “Can I just go look around on my own?”

“You may if you wish. But the loup-garou may not, and before you attend classes you will have to

endure orientation in our company.” Hiro folded his arms, as if I was Being Difficult. “Milady.”

This time he said it like the syllables meant please.

I wanted to figure out how he did that.

“It was a rhetorical question. So what’s first?” I rubbed my palms, trying to get the dampness off,