He gritted his teeth. “I said, she can hunt with me.”

It wasn’t what he wanted. He wanted Krysta safe, damn it. But when her brother had slapped her in the face with reality, the barriers of her mind had crumbled. He had heard every panicked thought and hadn’t been able to bear her unhappiness and dismay.

Seth and David glanced at each other, then examined Krysta and Etienne for several long moments, during which he suspected they were communicating telepathically.

If Seth and David nixed the idea . . .

Seth met Etienne’s gaze. “She’ll be a liability.”

Krysta did not like hearing that. A dozen denials immediately flooded her mind, overriding the panicked despair.

But Etienne couldn’t contradict it.

David drew Krysta’s gaze. “Though they don’t like it, immortals’ orders are very clear. If they are tranqed, they are to immediately flee the battle in order to avoid being captured and call their Seconds before they lose consciousness. When the two of you were attacked by mercenaries, Etienne put himself in a position where he would likely be captured in order to keep them from killing you.”

She lost some of her fight. “But I kept them from taking him.”

Seth acknowledged her words with a slight nod. “Had he been hunting alone, however, he would not have lingered once he saw that first dart. He would have gotten away without further injury.”

Quiet descended upon them, heavy and uncomfortable.

“Krysta,” Chris said, “you have to understand that, if you and Sean join us, your actions will affect us all. If you had been shot despite Etienne’s efforts to keep you safe, he would have been captured, tortured, and killed before we could even identify whoever the hell our new enemy is. The mercenaries would have then obtained both the virus and the DNA evidence they need to build their research and their army.”

“The fault was not entirely Krysta’s,” Etienne mentioned. “I thought the mercenary threat over. Had I not been so caught off guard by their reappearance, I would have reacted faster and likely could have gotten us both out of there before they could hit me with a second dart.”

Cam shook his head. “I could just as easily argue that you may have noticed the mercenaries’ approach and not been so caught off guard if Krysta hadn’t been distracting you.”

“I won’t make the same mistake twice,” Etienne insisted.

Another long moment passed.

Krysta fidgeted.

Sean said nothing.

Etienne didn’t have as much difficulty reading Sean as he did Krysta. The younger man was hoping the elders would forbid Krysta from hunting. Not because he feared he might die healing her, but because he feared she might be so badly injured one night that she would die before he could reach her.

He didn’t want to lose his sister.

Don’t make me regret this, Seth spoke in Etienne’s head. “I will allow it for now,” he decreed.

Much to Etienne’s surprise, Krysta didn’t smile with relief.

“Until we have eliminated the mercenary threat,” he continued. “I would like the two of you to either stay here at David’s home . . .”

“You are both welcome for as long as you wish,” David said.

“. . . or remain with Etienne at his,” Seth continued. “You have both now become targets of the mercenaries and will fare better with an immortal’s protection.”

The rest of the meeting comprised logistics. The siblings opted to stay with Etienne, who couldn’t be more pleased with the decision. Sean would have to refrain from attending classes until this was resolved, but would spend time at network headquarters working with Dr. Lipton and gaining a greater understanding of the virus in the meantime. Krysta would hunt with Etienne at night and train with him during the day.

Etienne was happier than he would’ve thought about that. Was he already so drawn to her that he would use any excuse to spend time with her? Even if it put her in danger?

Which it wouldn’t. He would keep her safe and ensure no harm befell her.

The ride home was quiet.

When Cam and Sean headed into the house, Etienne held Krysta back.

Guards still walked the perimeter, he noted, but those near the house had been dismissed.

She crossed her arms under her breasts and avoided his gaze.

Once the door closed behind the others, Etienne tilted her chin up. “What troubles you?”

For a moment, he thought she wouldn’t respond.

“Am I really a liability?” she asked, voice low.

He didn’t know how to answer that, whether he should be honest or sugarcoat it. Since he would’ve preferred to hear the truth if he were in her position, he opted for that. “Yes.”

“Then why did you agree to hunt with me?”

“Because I know how much hunting means to you. And, though the thought of you continuing to hunt terrifies me, I want you to be happy.”

At last, she met his gaze. “Why?”

“Because I care about you.”

“You barely know me.”

“I’ve been following you and learning everything I can about you since the night we met. I’ve listened to your conversations with your brother. I’ve caught occasional glimpses of your thoughts. I’ve fought beside you, both when you were awake and while you dreamed.”

“That was you in my dream?”

He nodded and tucked her hair behind one ear to expose her troubled features to the moonlight. “I know you,” he said simply.

She chewed her lower lip. “I don’t want to endanger you, Etienne.”

“You won’t.”

“I already have. I don’t want you to sacrifice yourself for me again.”

“At the risk of angering you, in this instance I don’t care what you want. If hunting endangers your life, I will do whatever it takes to protect you.” He rested a hand on her lower back and urged her toward the door.

He loved touching her. Even casually. And he loved that she let him.

“Now,” he said while she pondered his words, “you’ve already donned hunting clothes. And filched some of the weapons my sister left in her room. Before we embark on the night’s hunt, you may have your pick of the weapons in my armory.”

“We’re hunting tonight?”

“If you’re up to it.”

At last he won a faint smile from her. “I don’t know. What if you don’t have all of the weapons I need?”

He grinned. “I’m sure we can find something.”

A minute later his smile broadened as Krysta surveyed, with wide eyes and gaping mouth, the vast array of weaponry in his armory.

“Ho-ly crap!” she breathed.

Etienne laughed. “Think you can make do?”

“Uh . . . yeah. But it may take me several hours to choose.”

It was quite a selection. He usually kept on hand enough swords of varying lengths and styles, daggers, throwing stars, and more to outfit himself, his brother, his sister, and their three Seconds on any given night. With some left over for immortal visitors.

She strolled around the room, studying the blades displayed on the walls. “Could I just say holy crap again?”

Again he laughed. “This is only the portion of my collection that I keep in this home.”

She looked at him curiously. “You have others?”

He nodded. “In various countries. Many immortals own multiple homes. When we’ve been stationed in one place for long periods of time, it’s sometimes hard to move on and abandon what we’ve built there.”

She stopped before a pair of red-handled shoto swords. “May I?”

He smiled. “Be my guest.”

She drew one down and slid it from its gleaming sheath. “It’s beautiful.”

“My sister’s weapon of choice. Though, since the vampire population in this area has swelled, she has also begun to carry a couple of Glocks.” He closed the distance between them. “Here.” He reached for the sword. “Let me serve as your Second tonight.”

While she stood patiently before him, her eyes never leaving his face, he armed her with all of the weapons he knew she preferred to carry. Shoto swords in sheaths she could conceal beneath a coat. Daggers, in case she was disarmed.

His heartbeat picked up as he knelt and fastened sheaths to her slender thighs. Rising, he moved even closer to her (just because) and unfastened the belt that rode low on her hips and fell beneath her belly button.

Her pulse picked up, mirroring his own.

Slowly, he drew the belt from the first couple of loops on her cargo pants. Once the end was free, he slipped a gun holster onto it, then began threading the belt back through the loops. As he refastened it, he drew in a deep breath and savored her scent.

“I’m not really a gun kind of girl,” she whispered, leaning forward to nuzzle his throat.

His body hardened.

“Tonight you will be,” he murmured gruffly, fingers fumbling with the narrow buckle. “I want you to carry a tranquilizer pistol.”

She leaned back. “You want me to tranq the vampires?”

“Those I deem salvageable. I don’t suppose I could talk you into carrying a Glock as well, could I? In case we come up against more mercenaries?”

She frowned. “I’m afraid the extra holsters and weight of the ammo will restrict my movements.”

“I’ll carry it for you and toss it to you should the need arise,” he offered.

“Okay.”

He gave the belt one last tug, then hesitantly withdrew his hands. “You do know how to use it, don’t you?”

She snorted. “Of course.”

Even her confidence turned him on. “I do so love strong women.”

“Your eyes are glowing,” she commented softly.

“I want you.”

“You do?”

He nodded. Dipping his head, Etienne captured her lips with his own, pouring all of the passion he felt for her into the contact. As it had before, the brush of her lips struck him like lightning, firing his desire like no other ever had. He wrapped his arms around her and drew her up against him.