Growling low in his throat—and yes, Pavel was proud of having taught him that—Arwen turned and leaned on the balcony railing. “Silver is loyal to family. She’d die to protect us. Payal, as far as I know, has no deep family connections.”

“Her fault?”

Arwen took a moment before shrugging. “I don’t know. It’s not my job in the family to keep track of stuff like that.” He sighed. “I have to apologize to Silver for being so smug—I can’t stop worrying, either, now that it’s real. She’s so dangerous, Pasha.”

Shifting to lean on the railing beside him, but facing the house, Pavel said, “Canto can take care of himself, you know. Man’s a cardinal and as tough as any bear.” He watched the wind riffle its fingers through Arwen’s hair, and his fingers itched to do the same.

Later, he promised himself.

“You don’t understand.” Arwen’s fingers tightened on the railing. “Canto’s about to hit thirty-nine, and the only people he’s ever trusted are family—and family adjacent, like you.” Shoulders tense, he stood to his full height. “I just … I don’t know if he understands the power of emotion. I don’t know if he understands that it can be used to manipulate.”

“I gotta disagree, Arwen. Canto’s about as un-Psy a Psy I’ve ever met.” Grumpy, open, generous. “I say you should worry about Payal. Is she good at emotions?”

Arwen hesitated, then reached over to pull Pavel’s phone out of his back jeans pocket and did a search. They both watched the video that came up—an interview with Payal in relation to a recent merger.

Afterward, Pavel raised an eyebrow. “Payal Rao has no fucking idea how to deal with a sneaky Mercant.”

“Canto isn’t sneaky,” Arwen muttered. “He’s a straight arrow.”

Chuckling, Pavel slid his hand around the back of Arwen’s neck. “Sneaky is in your blood,” he said against his lover’s lips. “You can’t help it.” Then, as his bear stirred against the inside of his skin, its fur rich and luxuriant, he kissed the man who held his wild changeling heart.

And he wished Payal Rao luck.

She’d need it with her Mercant.

Chapter 28

Trust is a fragile glass bird. Drop it once, and it will shatter into shards innumerable.

—Inshara Rao, essayist (1892)

CANTO WOKE TO the awareness that he wasn’t alone. His telepathic senses had scanned out automatically on waking, a security measure he’d built into his brain in childhood. It had been a way to control what was happening to him.

He hit a changeling mind he couldn’t read, then a Psy one that was open enough to Canto to tell him it was Arwen. Which, given the current proximity of the two minds, meant the other one had to be Pavel.

The final proximate mind was Psy and locked against intrusion in a way that sang “anchor” to him.

Payal.

No response to his attempt at telepathic contact, though when he checked in the Substrate, he found her zone calm and controlled. So was the rest of the Net. The situation had been contained.

Not bothering to throw water on his face or pull a pair of sweatpants over his boxer briefs, he got in his chair and made his way to her. He couldn’t see Pavel and Arwen, which meant they were probably downstairs. Pavel’s keen hearing would’ve caught his movements—if the two younger men were smart, they’d fade discreetly away.

He found Payal asleep on his couch. Her breathing was even and she seemed to be in a genuine resting state. His fingers flexed, wanting to touch, but he wouldn’t steal touch. Not from Payal, this woman who was so careful about intimacy of any kind.

Heading to the elevator, he made it downstairs just in time to catch sight of a laughing Pavel tugging Arwen into the trees in the distance. Canto’s cousin wasn’t exactly fighting, and the fact he was wearing a suit in the early-morning fog told Canto he must’ve kept Pavel company overnight.

Tell your bear thanks, Canto telepathed.

He’s not my bear, Arwen replied utterly unconvincingly. But he says you’re welcome. Does Grandmother know about Payal?

Canto didn’t answer to anyone but Ena, but he couldn’t ignore the open concern in Arwen’s tone. Empath. Always caring so much, always trying to make sure the family was happy. Yes. So you can stop worrying, little old man. A childhood nickname given in affection.

Payal … you’ll be careful? She’s ruthless.

So is Grandmother.

That made Arwen go quiet for several long seconds. When he did reply, he sounded peeved. I made the mistake of telling Pasha what you said, and he’s rolling around on the forest floor laughing so hard he can’t talk.

Canto understood the bear’s amusement. The men in our family don’t go for weak, Arwen. Have you not figured that out? Especially since he was tangled up with a bear lieutenant.

But she’s like a razor-sharp knife at the throat. A bit extreme.

Go ask Valentin about Silver Fucking Mercant. Those were the exact words the bear alpha had been known to yell in pride about his mate.

You’re grumpy when you wake up, Arwen muttered. I’m going to go find some cold water to throw on Pasha.

Meanwhile, Canto sat there and realized he’d just talked about Mercant men and the lovers they fell for; yeah, he’d gone well past friendship based on his and Payal’s shared past. But as with Arwen and his laughing bear, this would not be a fast courtship.

Courtship.

More bear influence.

Psy didn’t court each other.

But Valentin had courted Silver and won her. Pavel was courting Arwen with what appeared to be slow but joyous success. Psy could be courted. The question was, Did Canto know how to do it?

“I’m very good at research,” he muttered to himself, and went back upstairs to get cleaned up.

After drying off following his shower, he put on a pair of gray sweatpants and a faded olive green tee that hugged his biceps—he’d seen Payal’s eyes go to his arms more than once, and the first rule of Mercant life was to use every advantage. His jaw was stubbled, but Payal didn’t seem to mind that, so he left it, and his hair was short enough to require nothing but a quick comb with his fingers.

He didn’t bother with socks or shoes.

Ready, he hit the kitchen and made himself a sandwich. He was just finishing it off when he heard stirring in the lounge. “Payal,” he said out loud as he wheeled himself to her.