“I don’t want to be protected from everything, Taber.” She turned on her side, moving into the embrace he created by opening his arms and pulling her close.

Her head lay against his chest now as he breathed out roughly. She could feel the protest building in him and knew he would always try to protect not just her body, but her emotions as well. She didn’t want to be protected from growth.

“I don’t want you hurt,” he whispered against her hair. “Not in any way, Roni. It makes me crazy, thinking of it. It always has. The world can be dark, baby. Scary as hell. I never wanted you to see how bad it could be.”

The dark magic of his voice couldn’t hide the bitter memories running through it.

“That won’t work, Taber. How can I be anything to you if I can’t understand the life you’ve lived? Do you think I don’t know some of the evil out there? For God’s sake, how many times did you have to come rescue me fromReginald’s enemies, from men who called and told a teenager how many different ways they were going to fuck her in exchange for her father’s betrayal?” She had never told him the full extent of the terror that had her running to him through the years. The true measure of the fears she had faced. She had known he would confrontReginald, and she had been terrified of the consequences. How could she have lived if he was harmed because of her?

His arms flexed, bunched in anger.

“I would have killed him if I had known, Roni. I may kill him yet,” he swore.

“You’re better than he is,” she sighed. “And he’s not worth the complications. He’s not worth the stain on your soul.” She rose up, staring him in the eye. “I know what you are, Taber. I know what happens when you come inside me. You don’t have to hide me from life. All I need is to know you’ll be beside me.”

“I always have been.” He shook his head in confusion. “Why would I leave now, Roni? You’re mine. I told you that.”

She rolled her eyes impatiently. “Taber, I don’t belong to you…”

“The hell you don’t.” Stubborn male arrogance lit every word. “I warned you before, baby, and I’m telling you now. Once I had you, it was too late to re-think the issue. I won’t play games with you. I won’t lie to you. And I’ll sure as hell never let you leave me.”

“Good thing I’m content to stay. For now,” she muttered as she plopped back down on the bed, staring

up at the ceiling with a frown. “Must be the animal coming out in you. Though I never knew cats to be possessive. You’re going against type, Taber.”

He grunted mockingly as he stared down at her, a brow lifting with an expression of superiority.

“Really?” he drawled, his voice deepening. “Says who?”

“Wild Kingdom,” she snapped without heat.

“Wild Kingdom needs to research a bit more.” He laughed as he settled down in the bed beside her, drawing her close to the warmth of his body as he pulled the sheet over them.

“I don’t know.” She yawned. “They seemed pretty sure of it. You sure you can’t mate anyone else?”

That one worried her, more than she wanted to admit. She would hate to have to kill him after getting used to this crazy situation he had thrown her in.

“Don’t know. And I sure as hell don’t intend to find out,” he grumped. “Mating you is about to kill me. I doubt I’ll be able to walk straight when I get up in the morning. Which isn’t far off. Go to sleep.” He reached over, extinguishing the light on the small table by the bed. Silence filled the room. Weariness dragged at her body.

“You should make him leave, Taber.” She voiced the fear aboutReginald that she couldn’t seem to rid herself of. “He’s dangerous.”

Once again silence stretched between them for long moments.

“We’ll watch him, Roni,” he promised her. “Remember. Keep your friends close. Keep your enemies closer.Reginald will show his hand eventually. When he does, one of us will be there to stop him.”

She sighed wearily. She couldn’t push the suspicion of her mother’s death from her mind. Someone had killed her. She had known the mountainous roads in all conditions. She would have never gone over that cliff on a perfect summer day.

“I’ll protect you, Roni.” His confidence washed over her like a comforting wave of warmth.

“I don’t doubt that, Taber,” she sighed. “It’s not my safety I worry about. It’s yours.”

“Go to sleep, baby.” He tucked her closer, his arms, strong and warm, sheltering her. “Tomorrow is soon enough to deal with it.”

She closed her eyes, her hand moving from the bed to her abdomen. She could feel the change in her body. The desperate heat was cooling, leaving only a more natural desire now. A comforting warmth. Would it happen so soon, she wondered?

“Sleep.” His hand covered hers. “Tomorrow is soon enough.”

Chapter Thirty-One

“Okay, listen up kitties.” Kane strode into the large kitchen like a hard wind bent on shaking up

whatever previous safe zone had been established. “Get your noses out of the cream, we have problems here.”

The morning ritual of after-breakfast coffee had run smoothly the few days Roni had been there. But it wasn’t a ritual Kane had partaken of until now. She had seen Merinus’ older, taciturn brother only once in the past days since her arrival. He watched everything and everyone suspiciously. He was handsome, with his dark hair and striking blue eyes. He was tall, not as broad as the Feline Breed males, but exuding a powerful grace that drew the eye. This morning he was dressed in jeans that conformed to every muscle in his long legs and emphasized his tight, hard stomach. A black T-shirt was tucked into the waistband that was cinched with a plain, leather belt. On that belt he wore a holstered gun with such casual confidence that it seemed to be an extension of his body.

“He’s going to call me a kitten one time too many,” Sherra muttered with low violence from beside Roni as she stared down at her coffee cup.

The interactions among the small Pride of Feline Breeds fascinated Roni. They were completely loyal to each other and the other Breeds who had slowly been making their way to the estate set up for them. Like a large, extended family. They fussed and grumbled with each other, but they fought tenaciously for each other as well.

“Kane, as always, your entrances leave much to be desired,” Merinus sighed as Callan chuckled in amusement.

Merinus watched her brother and the slender Feline female, Sherra, with wary concern.

“He takes some getting used to,” Taber told Roni as she glanced over at the tall, eagle-eyed man holding several reports in his hand as he poured his own coffee.

Kane was dangerous. There was no other word for it. His eyes were deep pools of blue ice, suspicious and surging with an inner energy that made Roni nervous. Evidently, it made Sherra nervous as well. She shifted in her seat, casting the man a look of simmering anger.

“Merinus, keep your ass in the house. Period. You and Ms. Andrews. I don’t know how the hell those snipers got into the compound but the one left living doesn’t want to play with us yet and give the information out.” A cruel slash of a smile curved his lips as he leaned back against the counter, lifting the coffee cup for a tentative sip. It assured those watching that soon, the sniper left alive would be more than happy to play whatever game Kane suggested. She would have shivered at the thought if the situation weren’t so dangerous.

“So what have you managed to find out?” Callan asked quietly as he leaned back in his chair at the head of the table and watched the other man intently. “Other than the fact that our new friend is temporarily anti-social.”

Kane grunted, scratching his cheek absently with the hand that still held several wrinkled pages of paper.

“There’s a possibility this isn’t a Council job.” His voice turned decidedly more dangerous. “I’m not sure who is behind it yet, but we’re getting close. From what I’ve managed to gather, it’s leaning closer to a small, select group who believes the world is better off without your particular brand of genetics mixing into the soup pot.”

Roni glanced at the expressions of the Breeds gathered around the large kitchen table. Their expressions varied between contempt and anger.

“Hmm, wonder if they have nice accessible daughters.” Roni’s eyes widened as she looked down the table to Tanner. The sexual threat inherent in his voice had surprised her. He was a Bengal Breed, Taber had told her, and he looked it. His thick, long black hair was lit with several shades of gold and framed his dark, intent face. He looked like a fallen angel, oozing sex appeal and lusty excesses. His amber gaze glittered angrily beneath his long sooty lashes as his eyes narrowed dangerously.

Roni had known Tanner as long as she had Taber, and the young man, though friendly and flirtatious, had always held that cutting edge of perilous intent. As though he saw into the soul and often judged it harshly.

“Tanner.” Callan grumbled a hard-edged warning.

“Come on, Cal, I could mix the soup up for them right good,” the younger man snorted. “I won’t hurt anyone.”

“We don’t have time for cat fights,” Kane snapped.

He was rewarded by more than one growl and several animalistic snarls in response. The grin that crossed his lips was amused and easy, despite the threats that lay thick and unvoiced in the sound.

“Get to the point, Kane,” Callan told him softly, but the very silkiness of his warning told Roni much more. The older Feline Breed was growing tired of the little digs Merinus’ brother was directing their way.

The sniping didn’t make sense. The easy familiarity she had seen him display with the Breeds on other occasions had suggested he both respected and cared for the members of Callan’s pride. Yet his actions now hinted at a deeper tension.

“Point is,” Kane set his coffee down and glanced down at the papers he held, “several radical members of previous race groups have decided to band together. They call themselves Liberators. Their main agenda is the death of any and all genetically altered humans. They don’t have a lot of money backing them, but they have firepower and several ex-military members. Looks like it’s hunting season, boys and girls. And guess who’s the catch of the day?”

Silence reigned for long, tension-filled moments.

“We expected this.” Despite his words, Callan’s voice was weary, saddened. “How close are we to finishing the security measures?”

“Close.” Kane shrugged. “But no system is perfect, Callan. We have a lot of ground to cover and our perimeters are being tested from every angle. They’re quiet for the most part, not tipping their hands, but they’re watching. And rumor has it they’re attempting to put a spy in place.”

Roni stiffened, her fists clenching in her lap as she fought to deny her own suspicions now.

“So catch him,” Sherra snapped as she glanced over at Kane. “What are you here for anyway? You socialize in the house more than you actually get any work done.”

“At least I’m willing to be sociable.” His smile was tight, hard. “Unlike some of us in this house, I can actually manage to remain civil for more than five minutes at a time.”

“Oh, really?” she drawled sarcastically. “Funny, I hadn’t noticed amid all the little snipes and half-veiled insults. Forgive me, Kane. I’m certain you’re doing your best.”

His eyes narrowed. The scene playing out before Roni’s fascinated gaze was better than any soap opera ever invented.

“Keep pushing me, Sherra, and you might not like the consequences.” Undercurrents of emotion thickened between the two of them.