Twilight's Dawn

She rocked her hips, brushing against him. “And some part of the ‘something special’ usually involves you being deliciously naked.”
    The world narrowed to his need to make love with her—to play and seduce and savor until they were both boneless and satisfied. His arms tightened around her, and just as his mouth touched hers . . .
    *Daemon!*
    * daemondaemondaemondaemondaemon. *
    He raised his head, snarling. *Go away!* One Sceltie might be cowed by the snarl traveling along the psychic link, especially when he made no effort to hide that he was aroused and wanted to mate. But cowing three of them? Wouldn’t happen.
    *Daemon!*
    * daemondaemondaemondaemondaemon. *
    “I like Shuveen,” Daemon growled as he stepped away from Jaenelle, “but why can’t we send Boyd and Floyd back to Scelt for more . . . seasoning?”
    “Ladvarian is staying here with us for a while and wanted those two with him for extra training.” She looked toward the door and frowned. “They seem upset.”
    “They probably got in trouble with Mrs. Beale again.” And wouldn’t sorting that out be a fun way to end the evening?
    *Daemon!* Shuveen called.
    Boyd and Floyd began barking outside the door.
    Swearing, Daemon strode to the door. He would tolerate them interrupting him when he was in his study working. After all, they were young, and living with him and Jaenelle was part of their training to become a working member of a household. But he wouldn’t tolerate their intrusion when he was about to make love to his wife, and that was something they also needed to learn.
    Then Ladvarian passed through the wall and said, *Sylvia told Tildee to run.*
    *Daemon!* Shuveen shouted.
    * daemondaemondaemondaemondaemon ,* Boyd and Floyd yapped.
    Daemon rose to the killing edge in a heartbeat. Telling a Sceltie to run was the code Jaenelle had established between the Scelties living in Dhemlan and their human families. It meant life-threatening danger, and the dog’s task was to grab the special human friend—usually the child—and get them both out of harm’s way.
    *Daemon!*
    * daemondaemondaemondaemondaemon. *
    He used Craft to open the door. Letting the young Scelties in was the only way to shut them up.
    “Sylvia isn’t in Halaway,” Jaenelle said. “Or if she is, she’s not able to respond to a psychic call.”
    *She is far,* Ladvarian said. *They are visiting. Tildee isn’t sure where.*
    “Tildee has Mikal?” Jaenelle asked.
    *Yes.*
    *Far far far,* the youngsters yapped.
    “How far can Tildee reach on a psychic thread?” Daemon asked Jaenelle.
    “Not that far,” she replied.
    Ladvarian said, *Tildee called. Other Scelties answered, then called to me.*
    Daemon swore softly, straining to keep his temper leashed. Upsetting the youngsters wouldn’t get him the information he needed. If that call for help had traveled from Sceltie to Sceltie, Sylvia and her boys could be anywhere in Dhemlan. “Where were the other Scelties? Could you tell?”
    All four Scelties spun to face the same direction.
    “South,” Daemon snarled. He moved swiftly, out of the room and down the corridors. *Beale, I need a Coach on the landing web, and a driver to come with us.*
    “If Tildee is running, someone is going to need a Healer,” Jaenelle said when she caught up to him.
    *Rainier!* Daemon called.
    *Prince?*
    *Contact Sylvia’s Master of the Guard. I want to know exactly where she is and who is with her. There’s trouble. We need to find her.*
    *Can you wait for Surreal?*
    *Only if she can get to the Hall by the time you have the information. If not, you’ll have to tell her where to meet us.*
    *We were on our way home, so I’ll stop at the Master’s house and she’ll come up to the Hall.*
    When Daemon and Jaenelle reached the great hall, Beale and Holt were waiting, holding their winter coats.
    “The driver will bring the Coach around in another minute or so,” Beale said. He helped Daemon into his coat while Holt helped Jaenelle into hers.
    Daemon wanted to snap at the delay. There had been time to bring the Coach around to the landing web in front of the Hall. But he held his tongue. Once they caught the Winds, they would be out of touch, so they couldn’t leave until Rainier found out where Sylvia went.
    “There are blankets and winter boots in the Coach,” Beale said. “Mrs. Beale is putting together a basket of food and jugs of water.”
    We aren’t going on a picnic, Daemon thought. On the other hand, Tildee was