“What’s going on in there? And what happened to your face? Tell me!” Benedetto fired question after question, his sharp eyes scanning her.

Azzurra’s cheeks burned crimson, her embarrassment plain, but Benedetto’s mind leapt somewhere else entirely. Without hesitation, he placed Cesario into her arms and moved her aside. His claws unsheathed, ready to storm through the door but Azzurra grabbed his wrist.

“No… you can’t,” she whispered urgently, her voice ...