Angels of Darkness

matter of hours. As far as the outside world was concerned, Fen’s decades of service had been forgotten as soon as he was gone, his death a mere inconvenience rather than a splintering pain that had ripped apart her chest, filled her eyes.
    Later that day, she discovered that her reputation as an angel not to be crossed had in fact grown in the time she’d spent mourning her friend. “Why do I have a letter of apology from the leader of the vampires in New Orleans?” she asked Christian. “He seems to believe I’m an inch away from executing his entire kiss in a very nasty way.”
    â€œHis vampires misbehaved,” was the response. “It was taken care of.” His face, acetic and closed, told her that was all she’d get.
    Intrigued at both the defiance and the realization that Noel and Christian appeared to have reached some kind of an understanding, she finally cornered the man responsible for a political game that had, from all indications, been played with none of Fen’s subtlety—and yet garnered excellent results. “How,” she said to Noel when she discovered him in the wild southern gardens, “did you acquire the title of my enforcer?”
    He jumped up from his kneeling position with a distinctly guilty—and young—look on his face. “It sounded good.”
    When she tried to look around him, and to whatever it was that he was hiding under the shade of a bush laden with tiny blossoms of pink and white, he shifted to block her view. Scowling, she tapped the letter of apology against her legs. “What did you do in New Orleans?”
    â€œThe vampires didn’t learn their lesson the first time.” Cool eyes. “I had to get creative.”
    â€œExplain.”
    â€œHeard of the word ‘delegation’?” An unflinching stare.
    Her lips curved, the ruler in her recognizing strength of a kind that was rare . . . and that any woman would want by her side. “How are my stocks doing?”
    â€œAsk Christian. He has a computer for a brain—and I had to give him something to do.”
    Unexpected, that he’d shared power after taking it with such speed and without bloodshed. “Is there anything I need to know?”
    â€œNazarach’s hounds were nosing around about a week ago, but seems like they had to return home.” A shrug as if he’d had nothing to do with it.
    â€œI see.” And what she saw was a wonder. This strong male, who was very much a leader, had put himself in her service. Unlike Fen, Noel had intimate access to her, and yet even when she’d been at her most vulnerable, there had been no sly whispers in the sinuous dark, only a luxuriant pleasure that muted the jagged edge of loss.
    Before she could form words from the fierce cascade of emotion in her heart, she heard a distinct and inquisitive “meow.” Heart tumbling, she tried to see around those big shoulders once more, but he turned to block her view as he crouched down. “You were supposed to stay quiet,” he murmured as he rose back up and turned to face her.
    The two tiny balls of fur in his arms—comically colored in a patchwork of black and white—butted their heads against his chest, obviously aware this wolf was all bark when it came to the innocent.
    â€œOh!” She reached out to scratch one tiny head and found the kittens being poured into her arms. Squirming and twisting, they made themselves comfortable against her. “Noel, they’re gorgeous.”
    He snorted. “They’re mutts from the local shelter.” But his voice held tender amusement. “I figured you wouldn’t mind two more strays.”
    She rubbed her cheek against one kitten, laughed at the jealous grizzling of the second. Such tiny, fragile lives that could give so much joy. “Are they mine?”
    â€œDo I look like a cat man?” Pure masculine affront, arms folded across his chest. “I’m getting a dog—a really big dog. With sharp teeth.”
    Laughing, she blew him a kiss, feeling younger than she had in centuries. “Thank you.”
    His scowl faded. “Even Mr. Popinjay cracked a grin when one of them tried to claw off his shoe.”
    â€œOh, they didn’t.” Christian was so vain about those gleaming boots. “Terrible creatures.” They butted up against her chin, wanting to play. “It’ll be good to have pets around