Dark Possession

by Christine Feehan

Chapter Ten

 

  Jasmine screamed, and clapped her hand over her mouth to muffle the sound. She stumbled backward, reaching behind her to find the door of the safe room. Solange rushed the jaguar with no hesitation, gun out, firing shots as she ran at him. A second jaguar, the one Jasmine had identified as Sergio, hit Solange from behind, where he'd stalked her, unseen and unheard. He brought her down, slamming her to the floor 'and slapping the gun from her hand. The sound was loud as furniture and lamps crashed on the marble.

  They rolled, Solange partially shifting to bring jaguar strength into play, swiping at Sergio with a sharpened claw as he used his size to pin her beneath him. The attack had obviously been orchestrated, their adversaries having studied Solange's abilities. The first jaguar staggered, his sides heaving as blood dripped steadily from the two bullet wounds. He went straight for Solange to aid Sergio in restraining her. MaryAnn blasted him with the pepper spray, using short bursts, hitting him in the eyes, mouth and nose repeatedly. Jasmine followed her into the fray, slamming a lamp against his head and driving him backward.

  The first jaguar-man fell hard, landing between MaryAnn and Solange. He pawed at his face, howling, rolling back and forth and leaving blood smears on the marble.

  Solange punched Sergio's throat, hitting hard, using her body weight as well as her cat's strength. She raked up his muzzle and tore at his belly. His cat's weight crushed down on her, and his teeth sank into her throat. She went still beneath him, sides heaving, amber eyes defiant, her body rigid and tense.

  Jasmine leapt across the room after the gun where it had skittered across the floor. Before Jasmine could scoop it up, the mage was there before her, kicking the gun out of reach and shoving her against the wall so hard it knocked the wind out of her.

  Jasmine's leap had taken her over the huge males just as another male burst into the room, fully changed, fierce, eyes glittering. He swerved around Jasmine and knocked Sergio off Solange. The two males reared up, slamming together so hard they rocked the walls.

  The wounded jaguar roared with rage, swiping at MaryAnn's leg, and she gasped with pain. A claw raked her calf, tearing through her slacks and ripping skin and muscle nearly to the bone. MaryAnn's leg went out from under her and she fell, hitting the marble hard, digging her heels in to push backward in a crablike crawl to try to stay out of reach of those raking claws. Like sharpened spikes, the claws found her ankle and with a victorious roar, the jaguar pulled her to him, his teeth going for her skull. MaryAnn punched the cat's throat, the canister in the fist adding a more solid contact, but the animal continued to drive forward. He erupted into a killing frenzy, whipping claws from side to side as he blindly sought prey. His face was wet with tears, his nose and muzzle streaming, but he was dangerous, whipping around the room hunting for his attacker.

  Solange landed on his back, all cat now, wild and furious, teeth clamping down on the broad head, her bite enormously strong. The jaguar forgot all about MaryAnn, rolling in an effort to dislodge Solange.

  Mercilessly she raked at the cat's belly while she clamped down with her teeth on the muzzle.

  MaryAnn dragged her leg out of the fray. Four jaguars rolled on the floor, fighting to kill one another. Jasmine's scream pulled her out of her haze of fear and pain. The mage had Jasmine by her long hair and was dragging her backward out of the house.

  Fury swept through MaryAnn, fury and something dark and wild and dangerous. She felt it so close, deep inside her, ripping at her to get out. Her bones ached. Her mouth and teeth hurt. Her hands curled into fists, but her fingernails had lengthened and cut into her palm.

  "Stop!" Stop right now! MaryAnn jerked to her feet. Enough already.

  To her astonishment, all four jaguars ceased moving, heads hanging, sides heaving, tongues lolling out of their mouths. Only the mage kept moving, although he was sweating and shaking, his gaze on MaryAnn as he dragged Jasmine out of the house and kicked the door closed.

  The sound of the door slamming triggered the jaguars back into action. At once, Solange drove deep again, tearing at the other jaguar's throat. The two males slammed into one another, all teeth and claws. MaryAnn pulled herself to her feet, skirted around the fighting cats and, shoving the agony of her leg into a mental compartment, stumbled after Jasmine and the mage.

  Deep beneath the ground, Manolito woke to a burst of pain and fear. His heart began a strong, steady gallop, his pulse thundering in his ear. He knew, in the way of all Carpathian people, that the sun hadn't set bur was slowly beginning to sink from the sky. He couldn't wait. MaryAnn was in desperate trouble. He burst from the rich, dark soil, one arm across his eyes as he shifted into vapor and at the same time called on the clouds to block the sun. The dense canopy helped, but still he was caught for a microsecond in the rays. Flames should have raced over his skin, turning it into a melting inferno. He should have been a mass of blisters, and smoke normally would have mingled with the vapor as he shifted-but only his eyes burned.

  He put aside the pain and streaked through the canopy toward the house. MaryAnn. Connect with me now. In spite of the fact that he had taken her blood and he knew exactly where she was, she had strong barriers in her mind. Right now they were in place, a steel wall he couldn't penetrate. If he could access her eyes, he could aid her from a distance.

  He had left her with a command to sleep, but there had been something, a small block in her mind that he couldn't identify, and maybe that had kept his compulsion from working as it should have. He had to find a way around that shield in her mind in order to access her brain. She didn't seem to be closing him out purposely, but he couldn't get in. MaryAnn. I can help you. Let me aid you.

  They were connected, yet they weren't. Her mind should have been open to him at will, yet he couldn't penetrate that dense spot no matter how he tried. It made no sense, the on again, off again connection. He was an ancient, entirely capable of placing powerful beings under his control, yet not his own lifemate.

  He could feel her fear for Jasmine. Her sense of determination. There was pain, but she was ignoring it, pushing it to one side as her mind worked frantically on a plan to get Jasmine away from the mage. He felt all of those things and more. He felt Jasmine's emotions through MaryAnn, as if her connection with the other woman was as strong as a blood connection between Carpathians. Terror, regret, absolute determination to escape or die-Jasmine would not submit. MaryAnn was keenly aware of Jasmine's resolve and redoubled her efforts to find a way to save the younger girl.

  Because Manolito was touching MaryAnn's mind, he felt the gathering of energy, a sudden surge within her brain. The air around him grew unstable. Wind shrieked, buffeting him and sending leaves and twigs spinning like missiles through the air. Lightning veined the clouds. Electricity sizzled and crackled. Below him, a branch snapped off a tree and plunged through the canopy, hurtling toward the ground. Power, uncontrolled, unstable and very dangerous, pulsed through the region.

  MaryAnn narrowed her eyes as the mage spun to face her, pulling Jasmine in front of him, his fingers digging deep into Jasmine's throat.

  "Stop or I'll kill her. "

  She halted her forward progress, her stomach churning, anger welling into a hard, determined knot. She had come to the rain forest to help this girl and she would not fail. Jasmine had endured enough and it would stop this minute. MaryAnn longed for the abilities of a Carpathian, a way to let the wild wind take her high into the air and set her at the top of the tallest tree. Fury burned through her like a brand, and the mark over her breast pulsed in time to her heartbeat. She pressed her hand over the spot. Manolito. I cannot stop it.

  Did she mean the mage? Or the feral thing unfurling inside of her? She didn't know. Her hands and feet hurt, bones cracking and jaw popping. Her injured leg felt on fire. Prickles swarmed up and over her body, thousands of tiny pinpricks itching and stinging. The forest around her wavered, lost the brilliant colors, but her sense of smell increased acut
ely. She could smell fear pouring off the mage. He kept Jasmine firmly in front of him as if her slender body could protect him from MaryAnn.

  Jasmine struggled wildly. The mage's fingers bit hard into her throat, choking her. "Stop it, Solange," he hissed. "You will cooperate. " He spoke in a singsong voice, weaving a holding spell to keep her from fighting him.

  MaryAnn felt his words like a buzzing pressure in her head. "Knock it off," she snapped. Stop it now! She was so furious she shoved her palms outward toward him, instinctively wanting to push the intense force right back at him. If he was attacking them with his mind, there was little she could do about it. She didn't know about mages and their abilities, but it made her angry that he choked Jasmine with so little care for her life.

  The mage stumbled back, dragging Jasmine with him, coughing repeatedly as if something had lodged in his throat. Maybe they would get lucky and his stupid spell would backfire and leave a lump in his windpipe, making it difficult to breathe.

  The mage grasped his throat in horror as if he could read her mind. And why would he think she could do anything to him? She had her canister of pepper spray, but it was nearly empty. She doubted if the second one held much more. But if he didn't take his other hand off Jasmine's throat, she knew she would tear him limb from limb. There would be nothing left of his body for the vultures. She glanced overhead and they were there, floating in lazy circles, just waiting.

  The mage's gaze followed hers; he spotted the gathering birds and paled visibly.

  "They know you're a dead man. " She was shaking, not with fear, but with something else, adrenaline pouring into her body, the itching everywhere, her scalp tingling, her toenails hitting the ends of her shoes so that they felt far too tight.

  Her vision blurred until she was seeing him through a haze of yellow. She fixed her gaze on him, wanting

  him to realize she was willing to fight to the death for Jasmine. "Let her go now. "

  She felt it then, the gathering storm inside of her, fighting for release. The wind shrieked and lightning flashed. Thunder rolled and the trees shuddered under the gathering force. The air felt heavy with crackling energy. Tiny sparks snapped and crackled, orange and yellow flames sizzling in the air all around them.

  "Her eyes," the mage choked out. "Look at her eyes. "

  Jasmine slammed her elbow into the mage's stomach, calling on her cat, a rarity for her, but the animal answered her, lending enormous strength. The air rushed out of her attacker's lungs. She leapt away, running toward MaryAnn, tears streaming down her face and blurring her vision. MaryAnn caught her wrist and thrust her behind her, steeling herself to meet an attack.

  The mage retreated two steps and lifted his hands. Before he could weave a spell, a thick branch toppled from above them and dropped like a stone, driving the man into the soft soil. Jasmine screamed and buried her face against MaryAnn's shoulder. MaryAnn wrapped her arms around the girl and held her tightly.

  "We can't leave Solange to fight the jaguar alone," she whispered. "I have to go back and help her. "

  Jasmine nodded her agreement, straightening up and stepping away from MaryAnn. She glanced at the huge tree limb that had fallen. The leaves hid most of the fallen man from her sight. "Do you think he's really dead?"

  "I don't much care right now," MaryAnn said, shocked that it was true. She caught Jasmine's hand and began to run back toward the house, trying to think how she could keep Jasmine safe with the two jaguar-men waiting inside. She was fairly certain the cat who had attacked Sergio had been Luiz, but if she was wrong, Solange was fighting alone for her life.

  They ran through the trees back along the path leading to the house. As they sprinted, leaping over the fallen boughs and tangled roots, monkeys began to scream in warning. Jasmine skidded to a halt and whipped her head from one side to another, searching the canopy above of them. Hundreds of monkeys threw leaves and twigs and jumped in agitation, baring teeth toward a group of trees close to the house.

  "There's another one," Jasmine whispered.

  "Of course there is, because it would just be too easy to have three of them after us. " MaryAnn took a deep breath. "It's stalking us, isn't it?"

  "Yes," Jasmine said. "There in the tree, I can see part of the fur. They want me alive, so maybe if we split up they'll come after me. "

  "You can forget that," MaryAnn said. "We got lucky with the mage, we might get lucky again, but whatever we do, we're not splitting up. "

  Jasmine's eyes widened. "Is that what you call luck? I thought your aim was excellent. "

  "I didn't do that. The lightning both hit it and sheered it off, or the wind took it down. Either way, it helped us and that's all that matters. "

  The air suddenly charged with electricity, their hair crackling. Clouds boiled dark, edged with flashing light. MaryAnn caught Jasmine and threw her to the ground, covering her body as best she could with her own. The sound of lightning striking the tree was loud, the trunk splitting, the jaguar howling. The roar ended

  abruptly with the smell of burnt flesh and fur.

  Jasmine shivered continually. MaryAnn held her tighter. "That's Manolito," she whispered, trying to assure the girl.

  "I knew it had to be a Carpathian," Jasmine admitted. "I thought it might be Riordan and Juliette. "

  "It's a good thing. We have help. Solange is in trouble, Jasmine, and we have to get her out of there. He'll help us. "

  Jasmine swallowed visibly and sat up slowly, blinking as the tall Carpathian male came striding toward them. The cloud cover helped and the last of the sun was sinking, allowing him to move with more freedom. He looked like a warrior of old moving fast through the smoke and ruin of a battlefield. His face was chiseled and set. His hair was long and flowing behind him. Muscles rippled beneath warm gold skin, and his ice-cold eyes were bleak and dark, holding too many secrets.

  The gaze swept right past Jasmine to find MaryAnn. Warmth pushed the chilling ice aside, and his eyes went hot as MaryAnn rolled over and sat, blinking up at him. He didn't miss a stride, moving fast, leaning down to scoop her up, even as he caught Jasmine's arm and pulled her off the ground as well. His fingers on Jasmine's skin were impersonal, and he never even looked at her, other than a quick cursory glance to make certain she was all right. His gaze registered the finger marks at her throat, but then jumped to do a thorough inspection of MaryAnn.

  The pads of his fingers brushed over her skin, absorbing the feel and texture of her. He could breathe again, knowing she was alive. A storm of fury gathered in his eyes as he took in the gaping wounds on her leg.

  "MaryAnn. " He said her name. Breathed it. A mere thread of sound, but he made it poetry, as if she was his entire world.

  She tried not to react. He was just so intense it was difficult not to respond to his complete focus. She swallowed the searing pain in her leg and attempted a smile. "Thanks for getting here so fast. Solange is inside fighting off a couple more of them. I think Luiz is here as well, trying to help. "

  He bent to examine the rakes on her legs.

  MaryAnn caught his arm and tugged. "You have to go help her. "

  "I cannot leave you like this. "

  "I'm coming with you, so it's all right. " MaryAnn wasn't going to argue, not when he set his jaw in that stubborn line. She pushed past him and began an awkward jog toward the house, certain he would follow her.

  Manolito scooped her up and ran, cradling her to his chest as he covered the distance with blurring speed. He set her aside at the last moment, shifting to vapor and sliding beneath the door, leaving MaryAnn on the other side.

  Blood and fur were everywhere, furniture turned over, glass smashed, chairs reduced to splintered sticks. A female jaguar lay on her side, her coat dark with blood and saliva. Her sides heaved as she tried to drag in air, and with every movement, blood gushed into the air. She valiantly tried to go to the aid of the male fighting two others. He was in a corner, shredded with claw
marks and covered in puncture wounds, but he was too fast to knock off his feet, and one of the other males was nearly blind from his weeping, burning eyes.

  As Manolito entered, Sergio lunged forward and grasped Luiz by the throat, closing strong jaws and ripping. The other male leapt for Luiz's back, but before he could land, the hunter seized him around the neck, surprising the shifter as he was jerked away. Manolito wrenched hard, his features set in harsh, merciless lines, his eyes without emotion. There was an audible crack and the jaguar-man sagged to the floor, tongue out of his mouth, breath ceasing instantaneously.

  Manolito raised his head and looked at Sergio, death swirling in the dark depths of his gaze. Sergio dropped Luiz and leapt, crashing through the door and racing to the safety of the rain forest.

  Jasmine barely managed to get out of his way as he sprang past. She stood in the doorway, one arm around MaryAnn's waist to help support her as they entered. She gave a little cry when she saw Solange and raced to her side, dropping down on one knee to clamp her hand hard over the gushing blood. "Do something. She's going to die. "

  Manolito took two steps toward the door to follow Sergio, but Jasmine's cry stopped him. He turned back. The scent of blood was everywhere, triggering not only the inevitable hunger, but aggression as well.

  "MaryAnn, sit down before you fall down. I will aid you in a moment. Let me look at the wounds and see what I can do. "

  "Where's Juliette?" Jasmine asked. "I thought she would come. "

  "I do not know, but they will come," Manolito said. He knelt beside the jaguar and ran his hands over the shuddering cat.

  Solange bared her teeth and turned her head. The effort cost her remaining strength, and blood geysered from the wound in her throat.

  "Can you do anything?" Jasmine asked anxiously.

  "I would have to seal her wounds and give her my blood. She resists even my touch, let alone the offer of my blood. " Manolito shook his head. "I am sorry, little sister, there is nothing I can do for her. "

  "Solange!" Jasmine stretched out on the floor beside the cat. "Please. Don't leave me alone. Let him help you. "

  Manolito sighed. "She feels she has nothing to live for, that her day in the rain forest is over. She cannot adjust to life elsewhere, and she wants no part of Carpathian blood. "

  The room grew cold and the walls pulsed as power flowed in. MaryAnn sank to the floor beside Luiz, trying to stem the flow of blood with her hands. It was everywhere, and the jaguar lay as if already dead.

  Manolito. Hear me now.

  She heard the voice distinctly. It was hard-edged, as if teeth were bared and snapping together. It was a clear command with no room for argument. Heal her and give her blood. Riordan's lifemate is distressed. There can be no other choice.

  There was the impression of danger, of a force and intelligence she had not encountered, nor did she wish to. She found herself holding her breath, watching Manolito. He seemed unfazed by the strength of power and merely shrugged his shoulders casually.

  "Zacarias has given an order and it will be done. " He struck hard and swift, his mind plunging into Solange's before she could form a strong enough shield to stop him.

  Who is he? MaryAnn thought the question more than she sent it to Manolito, but to her surprise, she actually connected with him.

  Now you speak to me in the way of lifemates. There is no need to stroke his fur. He is dying. There was a definite reprimand in his voice.

  MaryAnn heard the death rattle herself in the cat's throat. "Well he isn't going to die. You're going to save him. "

  There was absolute conviction in her voice. And trust. When he spared her a quick glance, her eyes were shining with an emotion that made his heart melt. He couldn't recall anyone ever looking at him that way, not once in all the long centuries of his existence. He wanted to make her proud of him. He wanted to hold on to that look for eternity.

  "Keep him alive, then," he said. "Will him to live. You seem to be able to get people to do almost anything. "

  MaryAnn flicked a small, determined smile his way. Her leg was hurting so bad she thought fainting might be a good idea, but when she looked at the carnage around her, she decided her wounds were very small in comparison. Manolito had to heal Solange and then Luiz and then her leg. He had just risen, and the one thing she knew about Carpathians was they woke hungry, and when they used energy to heal, they needed blood. "I'm good. You do what you have to do. "

  Manolito turned his attention to Solange. She fought him, in her mind, trying to throw him out, but she was far too weak. He held her to earth, refusing to allow her spirit to slip away as he shed his physical body and slipped into hers. He was an ancient and powerful, but if she hadn't been so severely injured, he might have had to resort to a more dangerous and violent method of keeping her mind imprisoned within his. She had a will of iron and she fought hard to keep him away from her.

  At first he thought it was her distrust of men, but as he merged his mind firmly within hers, he saw the fear was of Juliette and Jasmine realizing she was a killer-beyond saving, beyond hoping. There was no other way of life left for her. She didn't know if she could stop. Somewhere, she'd crossed a line and there was no going back.

  And then he felt it, a soft warmth flowing gently into Solange's mind. He recognized MaryAnn's touch instantly, so light as almost not to be there, but steady and calming, a feeling of tranquillity and hope, bathing Solange in her warmth and absolute belief that life was good and filled with beauty and adventure and love.

  He almost forgot himself, where he was, what he was doing, in awe of this woman who was his lifemate. She smoothly, seamlessly, blended with Solange, so that there was no way of knowing she had entered. He wouldn't have known if he hadn't exchanged blood with her, her touch was that light, but she filled Solange's mind with hope and belief. Under MaryAnn's influence, Solange grew cooperative, relaxing in the soothing cocoon of warmth. It was difficult to leave the comforting waves and seek out the torn and bleeding organs to repair them.

  Manolito reluctantly allowed his spirit to travel through the body of the cat. Sergio had not wanted to kill her, but she had fought hard, and when the second jaguar had attacked her, it hadn't been so careful. The artery was nearly shredded, the jaguar body filled with blood. He knew what it meant, knew what had to be done to save her life. He let go of everything he was and became only healing energy, repairing every wound as quickly as possible, relying on MaryAnn to keep Solange cooperative.

  MaryAnn held the male jaguar head in her lap, stroking the velvet fur, murmuring softly to keep him with her. He was struggling for breath, his lungs filling with blood. She kept talking to Solange as well, afraid if she quit, the woman would try to rip out Manolito's throat. It was a frightening situation, two people on the brink of death and only Manolito there to save them. Jasmine held towels to Solange's wounds and whispered to her, tears streaming down her face, fearful she was losing her.

  Stay with us, Solange. MaryAnn prayed silently, trying to reach the other woman, to let her know that no matter how dark things seemed at the moment, it could all be better. It would be better. MaryAnn would make it her mission in life to help Solange and Jasmine after all the sacrifices they'd made rescuing women and helping them to a safe place.

  Luiz was dying. She could see his life slipping away, see the spark fading from his eyes, and all she could do was watch helplessly. She willed him to live, the same way she willed Solange to have hope and see a future, but she couldn't do what Manolito was doing, healing from the inside out. How did you let go of everything you were and become an instrument of healing? She had seen Manolito sacrifice his life for a woman and unborn child. She had heard that he had gotten a scar around his throat, when Carpathians rarely scarred, from saving his prince. And now he had managed to let go of who he was in order to save a life.

  Few could know what that really entailed, but she was with him, connected to him, and she realized
just what had to be given up to become spirit. The body was vulnerable to all attacks, yes, but much more than that, Manolito had shed his personality, all ego, all hopes and dreams, his own needs, everything, and he had done so willingly.

  She had been inside his mind when he had so quickly shed his opinions and ideas, his very personality, and become selfless in his effort to save Solange. She couldn't help but admire him. Manolito was a strong personality with set beliefs about women, yet with all that, he had immediately cast himself aside. What kind of true character did he have hidden under all that arrogance? And were his seemingly dominating ways with women maybe really about protection? His species certainly treasured their women and children. All of them. It didn't seem to matter that Shea was Jacques's lifemate, Manolito had stepped in front of her and taken the death strike meant for her without a qualm.

  Live, Luiz. Hang on until he can help. He'll save your life. She was positive. She was in his head and she could see his absolute resolve to keep Solange alive. Manolito was so focused, so completely wrapped up in healing that he thought of nothing else. She saw goodness in him, something she might have missed if she hadn't been connected by his blood exchange, and for the first time she allowed herself to think about that exchange as something good. She might have dismissed the Carpathian as impossible if she didn't know about his other, much softer side.

  She stroked back Luiz's hair, the gesture idle as she watched Manolito's face. Time seemed to stop. Everything around her faded until there was only Manolito. His eyes, dark and shadowed, with absurdly long lashes. They should have been feminine, but his face was too masculine, the strong jaw and straight nose. She felt his breath move in and out of her body. She felt his heart beat, strong and steady. Her heart. His. Luiz's. Solange's. They were all tied together by one man. One incredible man.

  Manolito pulled out of Solange's body, swaying with weariness, his gaze seeking his lifemate. She had kept them all connected, sharing strength, keeping up a steady flow of absolute conviction of life. Of love. Of wholeness. Solange was still alive because MaryAnn had given her a reason to cling to life. Luiz still lived because she held him tight to earth, refusing to even consider allowing him to go.

  She thought it was all Manolito. He didn't know whether to laugh or simply grab MaryAnn and get out before she could find out he was a fraud. He needed to give Solange blood, and it would take strength to force her. He was already ravenous. And the bright colors around him were fading into much duller spectrums, as if he couldn't keep his mind from wandering back to the land of shadows.

  MaryAnn's gaze collided with his, and for a moment he couldn't move or breathe. She could never stop looking at him like that. The trust and belief, the absolute faith shining in her eyes, was a gift he would never forget. The shadows receded. "I need to give Solange blood. See if you can get her to accept what I offer. It will heal her faster and make her stronger. I will not exchange with her, merely give her enough to survive. "

  He sounded so tired. The lines in his face were etched deep. She wanted to put her arms around him and hold him, comfort him, give him whatever he needed to help him continue. She read the determination in him.

  "Hurry, Manolito. I know you're tired, but Luiz can't last much longer. "

  His gaze flicked to the hand stroking Luiz's furred head. For a moment a flicker of black jealousy raked at his gut. He tasted ashes in his mouth, and once again the shadows drew close. Faintly, he heard voices calling to him. Join us. Join us. Shaken, he touched MaryAnn's mind and instantly found those fingers were really stroking his head; it was Manolito who consumed her thoughts. He sent her a quick smile before slashing his wrist and forcing the female jaguar to swallow his offering.

  Jasmine made a small sound of distress and turned her head away.

  "It is okay, little sister. She will not become anything else. Once she has enough of my blood mixing with hers, she will survive and be strong again," he reassured her, his voice gentle.

  "I know. I do, really. I just feel a little sick. Thank you for doing this. It can't be easy, She may not show you appreciation, but what you've done matters," Jasmine said.

  "I do not need her appreciation. She is under the protection of our family, as are you, little sisar, and we would never let her die if we could save her. "

  Manolito was matter-of-fact, uncaring of the cost to him. He worried more about the cost to MaryAnn. She would have to provide for him, and the innocent faith he read in her eyes might fade for all time. He couldn't let himself think about that, or falter in his duty just to make his own life easier.

  Solange was a family member, and as such was guarded with all care whether she wanted it or not. After this fiasco, Zacarias would issue a decree to the women and they would be forced to obey. He would want them close, where all the De La Cruz brothers and their people could help protect them.

  He closed the wound on his wrist himself and turned his attention to Luiz. It took a little more effort to shed his body, as his hunger had built to an alarming need. He could scarce keep his teeth under control, and the scent of blood was a constant torment. The jaguar-man's body was ripped to pieces, powerful jaws having cut through tissue and bone. Blood was filling the lungs, the man slowly dying. Even if he repaired the damage and gave Luiz blood, there would he no saving him.

  Manolito came back to his own body and shook his head with regret. He respected Luiz. "I am sorry, palafertul, I cannot save him. It is a great loss to the jaguar people. "

  "Of course you can save him. I talked to Gabrielle at great length when I was in the Carpathian Mountains. Do you remember her? She was working for the prince to try to come up with a solution for so many stillbirths. She was human. When her injuries were so severe, one of the men saved her life by converting her. You would have converted Solange had you needed to. I could read that in your mind. "

  "That was different. " He was so weak, his body swaying. He blinked rapidly to stay focused, but his vision blurred. The moment it did, colors dimmed.

  "How is it different? If Luiz is jaguar, he must be psychic. Isn't the jaguar species the origin for a lot of the psychic abilities?"

  "You do not understand. "

  "What I understand is if Luiz was a woman with psychic ability, you would move heaven and earth to save her life. He's a man, so he isn't as valuable to you. "

  The jaguar nuzzled MaryAnn's hand. It is all right. I am tired.

  "No," Jasmine said suddenly. "Save him. He saved Solange. If he hadn't come when he did, Solange would be dead, or those terrible men would have her. Please. If you are my brother as you say, I'm asking for this favor. "

  Manolito closed his eyes briefly. "You do not know the heart of this man. "

  "But you do," MaryAnn said. "You drove the vampire from his mind. You saw his memories, saw what he was like. Is he worth saving?"