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She was avoiding him.
That infuriating little thief had kissed him until he'd felt like he was losing his mind. Until he was drunk on the taste of her, the feel of her lithe little body pressed against his. Until he'd been ready to beg her not to stop.
Then she'd disappeared before he could do more than suck in a lungful of much needed air, leaving him alone in the alley below his apartment.
Rhône sighed heavily from where he sat sprawled in the comfortable wooden chair at the back of the workshop and toyed with one of the saws strewn across the desk.
"The sighing is becoming distracting," Briar grumbled from where he stood over an intricately carved headboard that had been commissioned a few weeks ago.
"I'm allowed to sigh on occasion."
"Yes, but not every thirty seconds." Scowling, Rhône contemplated sighing again just to be petulant when his friend continued, "I assume your mood has something to do with why I haven't seen Kali around much?"
Tossing the saw away, Rhône relaxed more deeply into the chair, trying to convince himself that his annoyance had more to do with the fact that without any more bodies or recovered information, they were forced to wait. And without Kali to annoy and flirt with, he was becoming more and more impatient.
"So what'd you do?" Briar said with a note of teasing in his voice.
"I didn't do anythi—" Rhône started to protest before cutting himself off. Begrudgingly, he muttered, "I may have indicated I was interested in her."
Briar's head snapped up and a wide grin spread across his cheeks, "About time."
He narrowed his eyes at the knowing expression on his friend's face, "What do you mean by that?"
"Just that the two of you have been driving everyone crazy with the constant bickering and heated looks when you think the other isn't looking. By the Cauldron, even Juno and Freya know you're interested in each other," Briar said conversationally as his shaggy head bent once more to his work. Freya gave a lazy thump of her tail from where she was sprawled beside his chair but didn't lift her head.
Had Kali been checking him out when he wasn't watching? Rhône's cheeks creased in a smug smile that faded when he remembered that she'd run at the first sign of romantic intent from him. "I think she's avoiding me now," he said, surprised by the hurt he felt just in admitting that.
The sound of Briar's tool stopped as the other male directed his full attention to him, "Why would she do that?"
With a burst of energy Rhône stood and raked his fingers through his hair, dislodging the tie he'd used to keep it out of his face that morning. "I don't know! She stays out late each night and sneaks in whenever I'm asleep. In the morning, she's still asleep when I leave to go to the palace so I haven't been able to talk to her at all," he bit out, frustration evident. "I haven't spoken to her in three days."
He'd even taken to hanging around near the windows of the shop just in case he caught her walking by. Thrace and Delorea had sent him several invitations to gatherings at the palace, but he ignored them. Rhône had no interest in Delorea—not after getting a taste of the glorious wildness of Kali.
Whatever Briar was going to say was cut off by the sound of the front door chime going off as someone entered the shop. Rhône told himself he didn't feel disappointed when Noelle pranced around the corner to place a kiss on Briar's cheek before smiling at the two of them. "What have you two been up to today?" she asked.
"Rhône was just telling me about how Kali is avoiding him," Briar said lightly, reaching out to snag one burly arm around Noelle's waist to pull her into his side.
"She's not—"
"That's strange," Noelle replied over his weak protest, "she didn't say anything about that at lunch."
Rhône's eyes focus on her with a crackling intensity. "You saw her?"
Noelle nodded, gesturing vaguely towards the door, "Yes, she said she was going to check on a few things in the city before heading back. We talked a little about the kiss but—"
He felt a wash of furious indignation rise in his chest, "What?"
Noelle grinned at Briar in triumph, "See? I knew they kissed."
Briar kissed her nose, "Clever girl."
Rhône glowered at the two of them before reaching for the coat he'd tossed over the back of the chair and tugging it on. The two fae watched him curiously.
"Where are you going in such a hurry?" Noelle asked.
"Did you meet for lunch at that little cafe you like?" he asked hurriedly, whistling for Freya and Juno. The wolves jumped up from where they'd been napping and came to his side, shaking off the wood shavings that had tangled into their white coats. He considered them for a moment before gesturing for them to lay back down; it would be easier to talk to her without Freya begging for pets every few minutes.
Noelle nodded, "Yes, but she said she was going to look for something."
Rhône moved with controlled speed for the door. She must be searching for more murder victims—which meant she'd be going to the Warrens. Stryker knew everything that went on in the city. All he had to do was look through the bars and taverns in the Warrens until he figured out who she was going to for information.
His thief wasn't getting away from him so easily this time. His fingers itches with the need to wrap around that infuriating female's neck—in caress or in anger he wasn't sure, but he could feel the thrill of the chase pounding in his bones now.
He was going to claim his thief no matter how long it took. This was the last time she left him alone in the dark.