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eyes crinkled. She smiled broadly. “He’ll begin teething sometime between two and nine months of age. Front teeth first, like humans. When his milk fangs come in, then he can start weaning to blood and solid foods like a big boy.” The female bustled with blankets and bags as she not so quietly made her exit. I thought that Theresa needed to sleep?
    That stuff with the baby teeth sounded complicated. Xander was glad not to have things like that to worry about. He was barely aware of Brayden’s hand squeezing his shoulder again but he looked up, and their stares bored into each other again.
    He would never, from this moment on, think of Brayden as mild-mannered.
    The doctor glanced pointedly down at the baby, over to the closed bedroom door, and then back at Xander. “I’m not going to call Blood Service,” he hissed. “It should be somebody she knows. She deserves that much.” Brayden pulled his hand away, reaching for his coat and his bag. “You’ve been here on guard duty. You’ve kept her company since Eamon’s death. Better than anyone else, you can relate to what she’s feeling. I think it would be best if you were the one to give her blood. If you can’t manage it, I’ll do it.”
    The bundle in Xander’s hands twitched and made a cranky whine in its sleep. So much upheaval from such a little thing. He shook his head, even as he tucked the child closer to his body. He placed one too-large hand on the baby’s chest, and it rose and fell with each breath the infant took. “I’ll do it,” he said.
    ***
    â€œGoing somewhere?”
    When Tyra teleported into Anton’s room at the shelter, his back was turned. He froze mid-action, like a kid caught with porn. He released the red handles of the black garbage bag into which he’d been tossing a few meager items and turned around.
    â€œNice luggage,” Tyra said. Hell, she was as incensed that he was packing to leave as she was surprised that he wasn’t gone yet. Her intended short power nap? Turned out her body had needed some serious refueling, even after the long hibernation there in Anton’s room. She’d wound up sleeping an entire day and night. Tyra was stronger than most vampires, but the flip side of her strength and her multiple powers was that she burned through her energy more easily as well.
    She studied his face. The time and distance she’d been gone had allowed uncertainty to creep in. Mistrust. A debriefing from Lee revealed that during her extended power nap he’d been hunting down Anton’s father himself. Some sort of tip that he’d been cagey about going into the details of. As they’d always suspected, there had been traps, tricks, and decoys once Lee had finally found what he’d thought was the actual wizard hidey-hole. The news had been a heavy splash of cold water for Tyra—another reminder that she couldn’t afford to take Anton at face value. She’d shown up here wondering if the next time they crossed paths she might be forced to erase his memory or kill him.
    Anton shrugged. “You know how it is. They don’t exactly bust out the good stuff for you around here. Some older lady—Beverly, I think her name was—felt bad about kicking me out and rustled up some spare clothes.”
    Wait. “ What? ” She cringed. That had come out much louder than intended. Tyra checked the door lock. Dropping her voice, she said, “What do you mean they’re kicking you out? I was the volunteer who checked you in. You should have more time.”
    He shrugged again. Males and their noncommittal gestures. “That Beverly woman came and said someone else was scheduled to move into this room today. In fact…” The flannel sleeve of his shirt slid down when he pointed up to the wire-covered clock on the wall. Why was he wearing a watch with a smashed face?
    â€œShe said I had until