The 'little' kitten crept silently through the dense foliage, eyes fixed on the back of his prey. Learning to hunt was more fun than work. He used the freeze-frame stalk, one slow inch at a time, his body flexible and strong, forty pounds of sheer muscle and growing nearly visibly each rising. When he was excited, he couldn't always keep his substance, slipping more and more into the shadow cat that he was.

The woman moved silently through the rainforest, seemingly with no destination, ambling along, in that strange, fluid, silent way she had. Her heartbeat resounded through his body. He heard the way her blood flowed like the greatest temptation running through her veins, a call to the hunger that wouldn't subside. She paused. His chance. He crouched, prepared to pounce.

Dominic leapt between the shadow kitten and Solange, cuffing the cat as it attacked. "He still has instincts, Solange, and he is dangerous, no matter how much you want to save him."

Solange swung around at the sound of the kitten hissing his displeasure. Instantly the hiss turned to a purr and he rushed to her, rubbing her so hard along her legs he nearly knocked her over. She gave a little sigh as she reached down to scratch between his ears. "Only to me, Dominic, he's never gone after you or anyone in close proximity to us. I've deliberately brought him in close to others as we've passed them and he hasn't shown the slightest interest."

Dominic turned away from her. She could easily touch his thoughts, but she was wrapped in trying to puzzle out how best to combat the kitten's need of her blood to be concerned with Dominic's reaction-and that was what she should have been most worried about. The cat was going to grow quite large and as it did, the ability to turn shadow at will would surely improve and the animal would be lethal-to Solange. He couldn't take chances with her life, no matter how much she was falling in love with the kitten, her life was far more important.

"Solange…" He began.

She shook her head. "I know what you're going to say, Dominic. I've thought of the dangers as well."

"Sooner or later, if he's separated from you, he may decide to take someone else's blood and he may kill them."

"We take blood. We need it to survive just as he does, but you've gone inside him, just as I have, in order to try to repair all the damage to him. My blood is filling in all those empty spaces, and maybe he's needy because of that. In the meantime, we'll train him."

"You know better, Solange," Dominic corrected gently, "he was bred to find you, to take your blood specifically. He is a definite threat to you and he is growing fast."

She was silent a few moments, petting the purring kitten. "Dominic, at this point, I can give him blood and we can keep him with us. I'll work with him. We just can't make a decision until he's a little older and much more solid through the middle. He'll at least have a chance at a normal existence."

"Sivamet", his kept his voice as tender as possible. "You know there will never be normal for him."

"I know. You're right." She ducked her head again, biting at her lower lip. "We're not normal. Either one of us. I'll watch out for him, Dominic, and if he gets out of hand, I'll step aside if that time should come."

"Look at me, Solange," He said. This time there was no gentleness in his voice, only soft, implacable authority. "If the time comes I deem this animal too dangerous for you, I will destroy it without consulting you again. I do not want you to ever say I did not warn you."

She flicked her gaze at him, her expression closed to him, although when he touched her mind, she didn't flinch away. He was skating the edge of her ability to recognize his authority. It mattered little to him other than he disliked making her uncomfortable. Solange definitely was his partner in all ways, but when it came to her safety, he wasn't willing to compromise. Traveling with an animal as potentially dangerous as the shadow cat, when it was created specifically to take her blood was pushing his own comfort zone.

She moistened her lips and he wanted to lean down and kiss her. She was trying to find a middle ground, he could see it on her transparent face and he had to give her credit for wanting to meet him halfway.

"I know it's worrisome, Dominic. I wouldn't be trying to heal him if I didn't think I could. Look at him, he's so affectionate. He has the ability to learn."

He nodded. "That is true, sivamet, but he is still an animal with instincts."

Solange dropped to her knees beside the large kitten, still rubbing his head between his ears. The cat purred until the forest seemed to ring with his pleasure. He put his head down and bumped against her over and over, trying to get closer. Domini sighed. He was going to have to wait and see. He knew it would only be harder on Solange if the kitten didn't make it. She was already so enamored with the little creature.

"I will keep trying to get him to accept my blood as well," he said, by way of concession.

Her eyes met his. She smiled at him. "Have I told you that I love you? Because I do."

His heart leapt along with his pulse. He had to be very careful because the woman could disarm him with just her smile.

Dominic glanced down at Solange as they approached the De La Cruz main home. He sent his call ahead to the brothers and like Solange, he knew they were being carefully scrutinized as they neared their destination. She moved just a little away from him, giving him room to fight should there be need. She was dressed in her fighter armor, blue jeans and a tee-shirt, her hair pulled back into a severe braid. She looked totally serious, her eyes restless, constantly searching for hidden traps. Dominic thought her absolutely beautiful.

She moved with fluid grace over every obstacle, flowing over the ground in absolute silence. The contrast between his warrior and his woman was absolute-and the sexiest thing in the world to him. Solange was dependable in a fight-as dependable as any Carpathian hunter he had run across. Her power might not be the same, but her courage and her determination were.

You are nervous. He used their more intimate form of communication. She didn't even glance at him. Didn't betray that he had spoken to her by so much as a change of expression.

You have no idea the ribbing I'm going to get from my cousins. Juilette and Jasmine will be laughing their heads off that I've got a man. And that MaryAnn, she's a counselor for woman who has been working with Jasmine, and a girly girl if I ever saw one. She wanted me to paint my fingernails-and toenails. Can you imagine?

Mmm, he speculated in a darkly velvet voice. The possibilities are astounding.

That earned him a flick of censure out of the corner of her eyes. You had better not egg them on, Dominic. You will find yourself on the ground crying like a girl.

I can only look forward to that event. Rein in your kitten. He thinks he is going to stalk Manolito who just might get the wrong impression of him.

Solange's gaze sought out her kitten. Shadow, come to me now.

"Whoa! Uncle Manolito, check it out," a young man's voice called out.

A slender boyish male of undetermined age rushed out of the bushes straight at Shadow. The kitten leapt into the air, growling a warning, his body going insubstantial. One moment he was solid and then next he was nothing but a shadow slinking through the brush back toward Solange and Dominic.

"Veriak ot en Karpatiiak-by the blood of the Prince," Manolito swore. "Josef, get back here where I can protect you."

It was too late, the boy was already out in the open and then vanishing after the shadow cat. "Did you see it? Seriously, Uncle Manny, it was a seriously sick kind of cat."

Solange glared at the boy, her hand sliding to her weapon as his head bobbed in and out of the brush, obviously following her kitten. "My cat isn't sick," she called out. "Leave him alone before you scare him into injuring you. Don't you know better than to chase a poor little kitten through the brush?"

Take your hand off your weapon, Solange, Dominic counseled.

She sniffed her utter contempt of that idea. "Manolito," her voice changed, "Uncle Manny, you know me very well. If that idiot touches my baby, I'll retaliate and it will be bloody. Call him back."

"Like I have any authority over him," Manolito muttered. "I would pin his ears back myself, but MaryAnn says he needs to find himself. Go ahead and wing him, Solange. I am all for it."

"This is your genius, Dominic?" Solange demanded as a grayish-black blur rushed her, hiding behind her, his body going from transparency to substance and back again, ears flat and tail swishing, indicating his agitation. "This thoughtless boy who chases my kitten?"

Josef halted abruptly in front of her, picking leaves off his shirt. He grinned at her, his eyes bright, darting past to her to look at the hissing, spitting kitten. "Totally sick. Awesome, Dominic. Where did you find that?"

"He is not sick," Solange reiterated. "He happens to be a shadow cat and is supposed to look like that."

"Sick is good, kind of like cool, you know," Josef said, waving his hand dismissively. He tried to step around Solange but she glided with him, easily blocking his path. He blinked up at her as if really seeing her for the first time. He flashed her a disarming smile.

Solange had never seen anyone quite like him. His hair was spiked, his eyes mischievous, and he had a pierced ear, a spiked collar and bracelet. She narrowed her eyes at him, giving him her most intimidating stare, ignoring Dominic who had moved slightly to insert his larger frame between her and the boy. She guessed him to be in his early twenties, but looked very young. Despite his strange appearance, he had a look of innocence about him. "What exactly are you?" She asked.

Manolito made a snorting sound. Dominic's lips twitched. She snapped a glare at both of them and put a calming hand on Shadow's head. The cat rubbed her leg, nudging her hard enough to shove her forward a step.

Josef didn't look in the least upset at her question. "I'm a Carpathian male. What are you?"

Dominic growled a low warning. "Mind your manners, boy."

"I suppose it's a legitimate question, since I asked him," Solange said. "I'm his lifemate. Who would have thought."

Manolito looked startled. More than startled. Shocked. "Are you kidding, Solange? You with a man?"

Here it comes. Prepare yourself, Solange warned Dominic.

Sure enough her cousins, Jasmine and Juliette rushed from the house. Juliette was Riordan De La Cruz's lifemate.

"Tattle tale," Solange hissed at Manolito.

He smirked at her.

"You see what they're all like, Dominic," Solange confided aloud so Manolito couldn't fail to hear her complaint.

"Now who's tattling?" Manolito teased.

Solange braced herself as Juliette flung herself at her cousin, propelling her backward. Solange took a step back with one leg to keep them both from falling, knocked into the hissing kitten and tripped, clutched at her cousin and both went down together, Solange landing on her butt. Juliette landed on top of her and the kitten leapt on her head.

Solange glared at Dominic, who didn't change expression, but she could hear him laughing in her mind. You could have helped, she accused.

True, but I have never seen you this way.

What way. She narrowed her eyes at him.

Flustered.

You do remember I'm armed, she warned.

He flashed a grin at her and pulled the kitten off Juliette so they both could get to their feet. Solange rose reluctantly to look around her at her gathering rather extended family. They were all grinning like idiots-just like Dominic. She wished the earth could open up and swallow her and it wasn't until several minutes later that she remembered, she could actually make it happen.

Solange placed her hand over Jasmine's rounded stomach. "Not long now at all, Jasmine. Have you had any problems? I should have been checking in more often. I swear, time gets away from a person in the rainforest."

Her youngest cousin smiled at her and shook her head. "I've been fine. No more being sick, thank heavens. Everyone's been very helpful, but we were worried about you."

Solange ducked her head. Juliette and Jasmine had spent their lives worrying about her just as she had them. Perhaps having Dominic for a lifemate made her more aware of the people who loved her and how it had to be for them when she disappeared for long periods of time with no word at all and no way to know if she was alive or dead. "I'm sorry, Jasmine, I should have tried to find a way to get word to you that I was safe."

Jasmine's smile widened into a teasing grin. "Or at least that you found yourself a handsome hottie out there in the jungle."

Solange glanced at Dominic, wishing she had the time to tease and visit with her cousins. She would always be a little uneasy inside a house, always uneasy in the presence of men, even her cousin's family which technically made them hers, but she wanted to spend a little down time with these women she loved. She looked around at all of them, pressing her lips together tightly. It seemed she never came bearing good news. Jasmine was close to her term, and yet, even now, she couldn't rest and feel safe.

"What is it?" Nicolas asked. He came up quietly behind his lifemate, Lara, one hand settling gently on the nape of her neck.

The atmosphere in the room changed from joyous celebration to somber in an instant. Solange shook her head and squeezed Jasmine's hand, remaining close to her. Juliette came up on the other side of her very pregnant sister. Juliette's lifemate, Riordan put a hand on either of their shoulders in a gesture of comfort.

"We bring news of an attack, a large-scale, well-planned attack on your home and that of your people working here. This is to be the practice run before Malinov sends his army against the Prince. Zacarias will be out there," Dominic gestured toward the rainforest, "where he will do the most good. They will come soon and you must prepare those loyal to you for the fight, because they are certain to be on our heels."

"You used the word, 'army', Dominic," Rafael said. "How many are coming at us? You have any idea of the numbers?"

Dominic shook his head. "My sense is, we have a problem on our hands. We need to be prepared for waves of vampires and perhaps human puppets during the day if we do not defeat them immediately. The good news is, they have no idea we are aware of their plot."

"Jasmine can't stay here," Juliette said. "Solange, you have to take her somewhere safe."

Jasmine shook her head. "No. I'm tired of being the weak link, Juliette. Solange is always the one who faces our enemies. I can fight just as well as anyone else if I have to. I'm capable of using some of the weapons Riordan has developed for the workers to use to kill vampires. We do drills all the time. I know what to do."

"But…" Juliette turned her face toward Riordan who immediately pulled her closer to him. "Are you certain, Jasmine? Solange can get you out of here, you know she can."

Solange wasn't as certain as Juliette. "Here we have all six Carpathian males and six Carpathian females. I haven't lost my ability completely to face the day and Dominic is able to as well."

Nicolas frowned at her. "How is that possible?"

"It has something to do with Solange's blood," Dominic answered, aware Solange was very uncomfortable in the spotlight. "I cannot stay as long as Solange. We have done a little experimenting and in truth, we are still struck by the Carpathian weakness, our body going leaden when the sun is at its highest peak. But we have more hours in the morning and evening. That may aid us."

Nicolas continued to frown, his expression turning thoughtful. "Can this be shared by all of us, if we exchange blood with you?"

Solange tried not to squirm at the idea. She forced herself to stand straight, never changing expression. No matter how much she wanted to be comfortable in the presence of such overwhelming, powerful men, she knew she never would be.

I would give them my blood rather than have you distressed.

Every knot coiling so hard in her stomach, eased, settled. There it was, that velvet tone that stroked her deep inside where no one could see. Dominic. Her lifemate. She tasted him on her tongue. He stood with her, shoulder to shoulder. In front of her, or behind her. He was always going to be there with her.

"We are more than willing to share blood, with you, Nicolas," Solange said, knowing that with Dominic she could do whatever had to be done, including sharing her strange blood with the other males. "But you can't count on it to serve you without first testing it for limitations."

"And the effects seem to be accumulative. Zacarias was given blood, but there seemed little effect on him," Dominic added. "So we do not know who it will work on and just what they may be able to do with it."

Nicolas caught Lara's hand. "We will talk to the workers and give them the option of deciding for themselves whether they stay or go, with no repercussions later. This is not a human fight and even with all the training we have given them, they will be a terrible disadvantage. In any case, they should move their women and children out of harm's way. Rafael, you and Dominic work out a battle plan. Manolito get the structures protected. Riordan you do your best with the livestock." He turned his head, his eyes meeting Jasmines. "Little sister, you will do as you are told. You are precious to everyone in this room. You have a child to protect."

Jasmine shook her head, tears in her eyes. "Don't send me away from everyone I love, Nicolas. That's happened too many times in my life and everything is destroyed, everyone I care about dead or injured. I need to be here. I can handle weapons. I'm not a baby."

"No one said anything about you being a baby," Solange said gently. "He's saying we need to know what we're fighting for and you are our reason."

"Luiz and Josef will take Jasmine to the inside vault room the moment we are under attack. No vampire can get inside," Nicolas commanded. "No hesitation, Luiz. If you have to, carry her in and hold her there. Josef, I expect you to obey me in this. You are to guard her."

Josef looked rebellious. "I'm Carpathian and skilled in battle. You're letting humans battle vampires and yet expect me to hide. I may look like a boy to you…"

"I said you will obey me in this and I meant it. Just the fact that you would argue with me while everyone else is rushing to secure the compound is enough to show me you are too young to engage in actual battle."

Josef flushed and ducked his head. Even the tips of his ears were red.

Dominic stepped closer to him. "Have you forgotten you are the only one of us able to decipher the encryption we retrieved from the Morrison laboratory? We need that material to protect those innocent women-to ensure that not a single man who has a potential lifemate among those women is lost. That is a huge responsibility, Josef, and it lies solely with you. Do not ever forget your importance to your people. Playing hero and getting yourself killed would be foolish under the circumstances. Do you not agree?"

Josef shrugged his thin shoulders but he looked much happier. "Yeah. I forgot for a moment how important that was. I'm on it, Dominic, you can count on me."

"We are all counting on you, Josef," Dominic said.

The boy puffed out his chest. Solange found herself smiling. Where the De La Cruz brothers were more like her, annoyed at the boy for having to explain, Dominic was patient and had bolstered the boy's confidence with a few simple words. She really needed to learn such tricks from him.

Obviously you will make the better parent, Dominic, she conceded. That was nice of you.

Everything I said was true. He wants to be a hunter, but his true weapon is brain and that fact that he embraces the modern world as none of us truly do. We need him. He needs to know he is needed.

Solange loved him all the more for that observation.