Daryl took a step forward.
Mavis froze.
“There are pictures of me with her in there,” he snapped. “I don’t want those out in the world. She’s a devil creature, and I don’t want any association with her anymore.”
He snatched for the book.
Suddenly—too fast for Mavis to properly see what had happened—Wilson was standing between Mavis and Daryl.
Daryl started backwards in surprise, but his anger wasn’t letting up. After he collected himself, he just glared at Wilson.
“What do you think you’re doing? Getting between a man and his wife like that.”
Wilson’s face darkened in anger.
“You aren’t married any longer. And even if you were, you forfeited the right to any marital bond when you betrayed your family,” he gritted out. “You have no right to be near her. And you never had any right to lay hands on her without her permission. No man does.”
“How dare you tell me what I can and can’t do?” Daryl snarled. “Who do you think you are?”
“I apologize, Daryl.” Mavis summoned up her firmest tones. “I didn’t fully introduce you. This is Colonel Wilson Hanes of the Marine Corps. From now on, if you want to deal with me, you’ll be dealing with both of us.”
“That’s right,” said Wilson. Softly, but with a thrum of danger beneath the words.
Mavis felt like she was setting down the truth of her own words, even as she spoke. Any lingering doubts about what the future might hold were disappearing.
Because here, now, Daryl was opening and closing his mouth, surprised into silence, while Wilson stood solid as a rock between him and Mavis.
“You should stop hounding me about Nina,” Mavis told him. “I don’t believe she’s some kind of evil creature, and I never will. And if you had some kind of crazy idea about us getting back together—”
“You listen to me,” Daryl snarled, coming forward again.
This time, though, before he’d gone one step, Wilson’s form shivered, shifted, and changed.
And standing between them, right in the kitchen like some kind of magic had come out of nowhere into this old house, was a snow leopard.
Mavis’ first thought, completely removed from the situation, was that he was beautiful.
Powerful muscles rippled under a coat of silky-soft-looking fur, which was a shining silvery-white dappled with black spots. A thick, strong-looking tail lashed back and forth as he paced gracefully around Daryl.
Sharp silver-gray eyes looked over at her, and Mavis knew somehow that he was checking to see if she was all right, if he needed to intimidate Daryl away from her.
Daryl, on the other hand, had frozen in place, his eyes wide enough to show white all around the pupil, his hands clenching and unclenching spasmodically.
"That—he—" he sputtered, and then pulled himself together enough to say, "That man's a creature too! Mavis, how could you possibly—I suppose I almost understand being loyal to Nina, even though I know you're wrong, but how could you let a monster like that touch you?" His face was twisted in disgust.
"That's enough," Mavis snapped.
She didn't know if she'd ever talked to Daryl quite like that before, and he stared at her, surprised.
"You need to stop talking.” For so many years, she’d wanted to say this to him. "Every time you open your mouth, hateful vitriol comes out. I had to listen because I wanted to be here in case Nina came back. But I don't have to any longer.”
“How dare you,” he started furiously, but she interrupted. Her voice sounded like steel to her own ears.
“No. I will not listen to another word. I'm going to finish collecting my things, and then I'm going to leave. Any future communication you have with me should come through my lawyer."
A growl rose in Wilson’s throat as she finished speaking, punctuating her words with a visceral threat. Daryl took a few steps back, and when the growl didn't stop, a few more.
"All—all right.” His bravado faded before her eyes. Was that all it had ever needed? A strong stand, something he couldn’t yell into silence? "All right."