Gedeon had hoped she’d share his kitchen, but if she wanted a kitchen and that would get her to stay in the house with him, he’d get a kitchen put in for her. “I told you, anything you want up there to make the space yours. You would have the entire floor. If you go up and check it out, you could decide how best to design it. Once you do, let me know and I’ll get the workers to start as soon as possible.” In the meantime, he was going to find ways to keep her close to him.
She stiffened. “Someone just entered the house.” She made as if to get up.
He tightened his hold on her thigh. “That’s Rene. Just relax.”
She wasn’t relaxing. If anything, she had pulled out a gun and put it in the chair beside her where it wasn’t showing.
Gedeon’s leopard knew and even tolerated Rene’s presence. The cat was intelligent. Rene looked out for them, seeing to their everyday needs and providing security to their home base when they were away. They needed him. Gedeon’s leopard, Slayer, although increasingly vicious, had refrained from trying to break free around Rene. For some strange reason, that didn’t seem to be the case now. The male had awakened with a vengeance, catching Gedeon by surprise. The big male slashed and clawed for freedom, trying to tear free as if he needed to protect Gedeon and Meiling from Rene and his male leopard.
It took a moment to fight back and show the leopard he wasn’t putting up with his crap. “What’s wrong with you?” he muttered aloud.
“I’m sorry?” Meiling sounded genuinely puzzled.
“My damn leopard is losing his mind. Slayer knows Rene. He tolerates him as a rule. Right now he’s acting like Rene is the enemy.”
“Maybe he knows something you don’t. I told you, you’re too complacent.” She swiveled in her chair, so she was facing the door. “Slayer? You named your leopard Slayer? No wonder he’s vicious. He knows you’re expecting him to rip everyone apart. You need a different name for him. I’m not calling him Slayer.”
Once again, he wished he could see her expression. “What do you have in mind?” Despite his leopard giving him hell, he couldn’t keep the amusement out of his voice.
“Gedeon?” a man’s voice with a decided Cajun accent called out.
Slayer reacted again, raking at him, leaping toward the surface as if he could break through and take over their form. Gedeon fought him back. It took a minute. The leopard was in a fury. He had to breathe deeply and really reprimand the cat.
We need him. What’s wrong with you? Is he coming to kill us? Is he secretly turning on us? What is he doing that is causing you to act this way?
I don’t trust him with her.
That brought Gedeon up short. He didn’t necessarily want Rene—or anyone else—around Meiling until he had his eyesight back and he could watch over her himself. Was he influencing his leopard to feel the same way? Or was his leopard influencing him?
“Gedeon?” Rene’s voice was closer. More insistent. A trace of worry in it.
“In the bedroom,” Gedeon answered.
Meiling was silent. Very still. She didn’t seem to want Rene around any more than Slayer did. He smelled Rene before the door opened. Rene had the scent of the swamp. Earthy and raw. He was homegrown. The scent was very subtle, but it clung to his skin.
There was a short silence. “You have company.”
“I told you I did. This is Meiling. She saved my life.”
“Meiling.” Rene came closer. “I didn’t realize you were here.”
“I wouldn’t leave him alone and unprotected.” She spoke very quietly, her tone strictly neutral. She didn’t have her sass. But she did have just a hint of censure.
Rene wouldn’t like that. He was leopard. Arrogant. And he’d been Gedeon’s right-hand man for many years.
“Did you find an eye doctor?” Gedeon interrupted before Rene could respond.
“Yes, Dr. Bouet will be here in half an hour. Drake recommended him. He’s been scrupulously vetted. He’s a shifter and Drake’s people had him checked out years ago. Doc Eloi is on his way as well to take a look at your leg.”
“Thanks, Rene. That was fast. I need you to stock the house. I’ll be here awhile.”
“Taken care of.”
“Meiling will be moving in with me.”
There was silence. Rene cleared his throat. “There seems to be a bit of a disagreement about that, Gedeon. The young lady is shaking her head.”
“Gedeon, I said I’d think about your offer.”
“You also said you’d stay until I had my vision back. I don’t have it back.”
Rene laughed. “She’s making a face. A cute face.”
“It’s not cute. He’s annoying me. He pushes and pushes until he gets his way.”
Gedeon found he didn’t like the exchange between the two. He should have wanted them to get along. When Rene first entered and the tension had risen between the two, he hadn’t been happy, but now he really wasn’t happy, and he didn’t know why. He put it down to not being able to see and feeling left out even though both were including him. His leopard was still raging. That also could be making him edgy.