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Anger, sadness, joy.”
    “Damn, Kara. I didn’t know you two were…together. I can’t keep your love life straight.”
    “We’re not together. Not even slightly. You’d have to know Jaxon and what he’s been through to understand it, but he’s probably the best thing that’s happened to me since this all started. After he taught me how to resist soothing, he started tutoring me in other resistance techniques that worked for him when things went downhill with his last mistress.”
    “Am I supposed to know what that means?”
    “Just that I can actually be in the same room with another Demiáre now and not make a complete fool of myself.” She bit her lip and added, “For the most part.”
    His mouth opened and closed again, as if he was going to ask more but then decided against it. “So, what’s your plan? Are you going to show up in front of the council?”
    Kara looked at him as if he were crazy. “Yeah, I think I’ll go—they said they’d kill me if I didn’t. It pisses me off, though, that they gave me one whole day to respond.”
    “Abbey’s your best friend. You really think they’d try to hurt you? I doubt it. And besides, I thought you were dating the lord of a clan of demons or something?”
    Kara’s mouth pulled down at the corners, and her eyes suddenly filled. She’d had enough drama for one night. “I guess you didn’t know about Julian. He isn’t coming back. Ever.”
    “Julian? I was talking about Gavin.”
    Even Tray couldn’t miss Kara’s answering glare. “I was never dating Gavin. And besides, he took off. I haven’t heard from him in nine weeks—not that I’m counting. The week after we learned Julian wasn’t regenerating…that he’d…passed away—Gavin left. Left me. Left the clan. Left Aiden to handle everything by himself—and I don’t think Aiden’s cut out for running an island.”
    Tray thrust his hands in his pockets. “Shit. I’m sorry, Kare-bear. You’re right, I didn’t know.”
    “How could you have? We don’t talk much these days.” She squeezed his arm, trying to tell him she didn’t hold it against him. “You know what’s weird? This time a year ago, you and Abbey were crazy in love, and my worst problem was how I was going to pay the cable bill. How did it all get so screwed up so fast?”
    Tray shook his head. “I wish I knew. I’d go back and change it—all of it—if I could.”
    As Kara walked up the stairs with Tray beside her, a surge of desire wound its way up her calves and settled between her thighs. She glanced at him out of the corner of her eye. She’d never been attracted to him before. Sure, with his blond hair and surfer looks, he was attractive. But there was a difference. In her mind, he would always belong to Abbey. So she couldn’t figure out what was happening when moisture flooded her panties and her nipples peaked against the fabric of her bra.
    “You don’t need to walk me any farther,” she said.
    He glanced at her and arched a brow. “Yes, I do. You’ve had a hell of a night and besides, you said Abbey and Jaxon are at the movies, right? It’s not a problem.”
    Kara’s gaze slid over the muscles of Tray’s thick shoulders. “Yeah.”
    As she approached the door, a wave of lust hit that almost flattened her where she stood. She swallowed and walked into the apartment with Tray close behind, and suddenly, she understood where the lusty feelings were coming from. Eyes wide, she dropped the jeans from under her arm.
    Jaxon and Abbey were wrapped up in each other’s arms on the sofa, so intent on their kisses, it took them a second to realize they had company. When they looked at Kara, then at Tray, it was as if the whole world paused and sucked in a breath, waiting to see what would happen next. All four of them looked from one face to the other, simultaneously guilty and accusing.
    “Mistress…” Jaxon said first, slowly extricating his arms from around Abbey’s lower back. At least they were