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Byron settled the youngwhere he remained, dizzy and unaware of what had transpired, but uninjured At full strength, Byron took to the sky, shape-shifting on the wing, so he could never have done even twenty years earlier Hunting vae, a coolness under fire, and coht situation, but it hadn’t prepared him for a woman like Antonietta

Of course, his first impulse had been to carry her off, clai words, and let nature take its course But he had been cautious, after learning fro been captured and tortured and used as bait in an atte his relationship with his best friend, Jacques Dubrinsky, Byron now believed in caution and patience and thinking puzzles all the way through With a lifeti to chance any more

He was determined to know Antonietta Unfortunately, the members of the Scarletti family had a built-in protective barrier in their hts and learn all there was to know He took his tih his friendship with Don Giovanni Waiting Watching her He realized she needed to feel in control

She needed independence She needed to be courted and won if he were tothe wind to carry the sound out to sea TheHe needed to know she was protected, day and night He needed to be able to touch herto her at all tiround where he had left his gift for her He knew Antonietta well enough to know she would take his present whether she liked it or not Antonietta was far too polite to reject anything given to her by another

The dog was the picture of noble elegance From the moment Byron had seen the ani lines The borzoi was always graceful, whether inperfectly still Byron knew the accepted theory was that borzois had been around six to eight hundred years He knew from personal experience that time line was a bit off The breed had endured, refined perhaps, but stayed true Byron bent over the dog, took the intelligent doentle eyes

"This is your new home, Celt, if you would like it to be She is here The one who can be your new companion and one ill love and respect you as you deserve She will admire you in the way I do and understand it is your choice to stay or go" They understood one another, the dog and Byron He knew the anientle but possessed a ferocious heart

Celt was as fine an exa’s head spoke of intelligence, his jaere long and powerful and deep His fur was pure black, his coat the texture of silk And Celt’s eyes reflected the true heart of the breed

"You will have to wait out in the garden until I see her," Byron explained aloud "I know it is raining and you are uncomfortable, but I will protect you fro it takes You know soreat head, found the silky ears and scratched "I trust none of them, and neither should you Look only to her protection Be cautious of offers of friendship"

He felt the ani and affection that passed between the him back his emotions

Byron’s tall, broad-shouldered frame shimmered for a moment, nearly translucent in the rain, then he si the steady downpour He found entrance into the house through a narrow gap in one of the second-story s At once he felt the terrible tension in the great palazzo Fear and anger vibrated throughout the spaces, all the way to the great ceilings, up to the battlelided silently through the wide,staircase to inspect the dae near Don Giovanni’s private roo bolts in plastic bags He knew at once this was no accident but a deliberate attempt to harm someone, most likely the oldsoftly for his sister, alar softly to hiurite and his

Byron, , wanted to see Antonietta There was a strange, anxious feeling in the vicinity of his heart E, but quite dangerous

Unerringly, he found Antonietta in a spacious roolass A large fountain dominated the center of the room and was surrounded by comfortable benches and several s the greenery Outside the glass, the night was dark, inds lashing rain against the panes and the roar of the ever-rowl of thunder

A man in uniform stood unnecessarily close to Antonietta Short, stocky, very muscular, his handso over her with obvious enjoyment Byron snarled, a low, nearly nonexistent sound The man lifted his head and searched the room with suddenly wary eyes

Antonietta s Byron’s scent into her lungs "Please do sit down, Captain, there’s really no need to be quite so forh the labyrinth of plants and furniture, knohere every obstacle was placed and ers curled around the back of a chair and she slipped into it, folding her hands neatly in her lap

"Signorina Scarletti, I trust you are well rested after your ordeal last night?" There was a caress to the"I ao Vantilla at your service" He took Antonietta’s hand and bent low, his lips ski her skin

Electricity sizzled, arced up the back of her hand, a so leapt back, dropped her hand, and pressed his pal mouth

Hidden behind lacy ferns, Byron leaned one hip against the wall in the midst of several leafy plants nearly as tall as he was, crossed his arreat satisfaction

Tasha glared at her cousin "Do sit down, Diego I know this is io? It is so much easier than Captain Vantilla" She sent him a flirtatious smile and offered her hand as she sat in the chair beside Antonietta "My cousin was very shaken by the events of last night and needs me to comfort her" She had wished for a few more precious minutes alone with the handsome officer, but Antonietta had arrived nearly as soon as Helena suo nodded "That is understandable, Signora Fontaine"

Tasha smiled sweetly "Scarletti-Fontaine, but you may call nora, " Diego acknowledged, his focus clearly on Antonietta "I really ht Don Giovanni was convinced there were two assailants and that both of you were drugged and dragged up to the top of the cliff"

Antonietta nodded "I was playing the piano, but I felt strange Unusually tired, my arms and body felt heavy I heard a noise, and then soled until I realized the chemical on the cloth would knock me out, so I pretended it had done so At once I was carried outside the palazzo I heard the other randfather I couldn’t tell who they were, their voices and their scents were unfanize theers I called for Byron I don’t knohy, but as I began to struggle, I called for Byron Justicano"

"And why did you call for this man? Did you knoas near?"

Antonietta heard the sharp, alert note in the voice, and she s cat and ed "I just called his name as a talisman To keep me safe He’s like that He makes me feel safe"

Tasha sniffed her disdain loudly, drawing the officer’s interest "I see," he said when he clearly did not "Please continue"

"I heard h how I could aid hiht with the man who attacked me and then he toldand the waves thundering The storround shook and rurandfather safe and was helping his They were both soaked with seawater and ere all so cold" She shivered at the memory "I can’t help you with a description of theseme was tall and very "

"And where is this man now? Where is the man who attacked you?"

"I believe he is dead I don’t know for certain"

There was a short silence "I do not see how this randfather to shore It is many feet from the cliff to the sea below I doubt if it’s possible to live through a dive into the sea at night And last night the waves were high, and the storreat"

There was a srew over the roolances Even the hair on the backs of their necks stood up in response to the sudden ainst a sudden chill

Antonietta shrugged tranquilly as if she didn’t notice "You asked me what happened, and I told you It’s up to you whether or not you wish to believe me"

"Why weren’t we called immediately?"

"You were called I called the doctor to assist randfather, and I went to my quarters to shower and warm up It was nearly dawn I’m sorry I went to sleep, but ere both exhausted Surely the housekeeper allowed you access to the randfather was taken and also the site at the cliff"

"Yes, she did, but we could not wake you or your grandfather to speak to you, and the cliff site raised le, even of sorandfather lay and evidence of sonorina Scarletti, for ahirandfather taken all the way back up the cliff? That is the question"

"Perhaps because a blind woe of that cliff needed help, too?"

"I think I can help, signor," Tasha said, her voice a soft invitation "This er to us A fortune hunter out for my cousin’s wealth She is worth socoe He seems to turn up at the most opportune times How could he rescue a man from the sea? How could he save Antonietta at the same time? Do you see how ridiculous this story is? Of course he must be involved And you heard Antonietta admit she thinks her assailant is dead Dead by Byron’s own hand and perhaps drowned in the very sea that nearly took my cousin" Tasha allowed a small sob to escape and reached to take Antonietta’s wrist "He is a seducer of innocents and a master criminal You must save us all fronificent eyes, otherwise, there is no hope to save my dearest cousin frohed if she could have found her voice She opened her ed Tasha so easily made up stories to suit her mood or her cause She had just delivered Byron as a suspect to her handsome policeman And she had betrayed Antonietta’s confidence without a single thought

Antonietta turned her head in Byron’s direction

You’re here, aren’t you? You heard my cousin tell the captain these lies about you I’m sorry she’s caused you trouble She wants him to see her as a woman Do not distress yourself overcare of myself

There was a bite to his voice, the ie was so strong in herprey She kneas in the room, her every sense was on full alert How could Tasha be so careless as to condeht in the same room with them?

Byron sauntered into one of thebehind the thick, wide fronds of several potted trees He e the policewaves of warmth He didn’t bother to cover up for Tasha She had the intricate Scarletti pattern in her brain And he wanted her to be startled and uncomfortable, simply because she had upset Antonietta

"Good evening," he greeted forlided forward "I a, Captain She is easily upset, and tonight the young child was injured" Deliberately stopping in front of her, Byron took Antonietta’s hand away froers and pressed a soft kiss into the exact center of her palm A slow, unhurried moveered there for aover her skin

Byron turned his head slowly and looked at Tasha For aof the solariulea white and appeared, just for that second in ti,low in a courtly, charesture

"Tasha, my dear, I am sorry that your poor nerves suffered so on your cousin’s behalf, but there is no need for hysterics She is truly safe, and the captain and I will keep her that way" His voice was velvet soft, a blend of slight

Byron turned the full force of his hypnotic voice and hiseyes on the captain "It is not so difficult to believe, with the evidence supporting every word Don Giovanni and Antonietta say They are, of course, above reproach, and you have no trouble believing theood friends and you know it iswithoodness, it was iree

Tasha stared at the two ain

Diego clapped hiood you were here, old friend, or we nora Scarletti-Fontaine, surely you can see Byron has saved your grandfather and your cousin froreat deal"

Antonietta couldn’t help but be swayed by Byron’s velvet voice, but she noticed she couldn’t quite remember his exact words Only the tone The perfect, pure tone Her chin lifted

Do you do that to hter in his voice set her teeth on edge Male amusement could wear thin very fast

Meset full cooperation I try to mesmerize you with my kisses My voice does not work on you If only it would My fondest drea that It was far too unsettling to be sitting with others yet carrying on a private, inti with sensuality "Do you have the information you need, Captain?" She spoke to the officer, but her focus was on Byron Every cell in her body are of hi and one she didn’t care for

I feel the same way

It was a deliberate rereat deal of pride, and Byron ell aware that craving a man would make her feel vulnerable and unsettled

Tasha leapt up, her hands on her hips "That’s it? That’s all the questions you’re going to ask hiet into this house? How does he ever get in? Why don’t you ask hi his head around, his dark brows raised Again she caught that fiery red glow, a devil’s warning when he looked directly at her "I turn into tiny molecules and seep under the doors Take care you do not leave youropen, you never knohat hed softly, and the captain joined him

Antonietta went still She had no idea how Byron defeated their state-of-the-art security system He often simply appeared in a rooh others didn’t seem aware of his presence His entrance was always silent and instantaneous She couldn’t rerounds

How do you get in? I thought I knehat you were, but even then, you couldn’t just appear in a roohter, yet there was no sound And he didn’t answer her

"That isn’t funny, Byron," Tasha snapped, "and it isn’t an answer Where do you live? What’s the address? How come no one knohere you live?" She tapped her foot io "Do you even have his address down? Could you find hiet my cousin’s fortune?"

"Byron wouldn’t inherit if I died, Tasha," Antonietta said She stood up, knowing they would h the flowers and shrubs "You do I doubt if Byron would gain from my death at all, or Nonno’s "

Tasha shrieked "What are you saying? What are you accusingyou to the cliffs and throw you over? What are you saying?"

"I’ leave Byron alone He risked his life to save Nonno and me There is no need for you to pursue this any further"

Few people argued with Antonietta when she was serious Not even Tasha Glowering, Tasha left the rooht spots of color on her cheeks and her eyes pro retaliation

Byron reached for Antonietta’s hand "Do you need anything else, Diego?" His voice was friendly, filled with camaraderie "Please do tell us what you know"

"It isn’t much, I’m afraid" The captain responded instantly to Byron’s tone "We don’t even have the body of the norina Scarletti It isn’t on the cliffs, although it is possible the sea has sed it"

"I thought he hit his head as he fell He did not get up, but I had to carry Don Giovanni to the palazzo, and I did not check hi of regret "It all happened very quickly"

"That is usually the way of it" Diego sighed and stared after Tasha "She is a beautiful wohten around his "Yes, she is," she responded "Tasha loves children, and she is very distraught over little Margurite’s accident Do you think that ties into this attack on us?"

"I ao said

"What of the security caot in and how they couldan alarm?" Byron asked quietly He felt the sh Antonietta, and he drew her beneath the shelter of his broad shoulder

"They had to have known the code to get into the house, and they knehere the security room was to shut down the system"

There was a sainst Byron Not to reveal her emotions when she wanted to cry out at the betrayal Someone in the palazzo, soainst Byron Behind the dark glasses, she closed her eyes tightly against the pain piercing her heart Her family She loved theht that any of her family could possibly be involved in a plot to murder Don Giovanni was inconceivable

The one thing that I have learned in this long life is to never jump to conclusions

The voice purred in herhole had been torn Just like that With a few sied to heal her

"Signorina? I believe you must be very careful until we find who is behind this atteo warned

Byron noted how often his gaze strayed to the hallhere Tasha paced just outside the solarium He leaned closer to the man, looked hi of friendship and trust "That is a good idea Antonietta, I think being careful is very o? Perhaps Tasha would be willing to provide you with a cup of tea while you talk to the kitchen staff about the disappearance of Enrico" He pulled Antonietta beneath the protection of his shoulder

"I’ she wanted to be alone with Byron She needed to be alone with hio said inorina Scarletti I will be in touch"

Antonietta allowed Byron to retain her hand, although normally she made it a point to walk on her own It was forbidden to move furniture in the palazzo, and she knehere every plant, chair, and table was Byron Justicano was under her protection She wanted to make it very clear to her family that they were to accept his presence in her home and in her life

"Please come this way, Captain Tasha is just outside" It was easy enough to identify the restless pacing And she knew her cousin Tasha wouldn’t have gone far when she was so interested in the policeman

Byron opened the door and stepped back to allow Antonietta to proceed hiht a surprise for you"

Tasha swung around instantly as they eo "Do you have any idea ould do this?"

"Not yet, signora"

"Tasha!" Her lips formed a perfect pout "If you don’t call nora Scarletti-Fontaine is so for Byron, she stepped close to Antonietta and kissed her cheek "I’m sorry, cousin You knohy," she whispered Her voice was low, but Byron’s acute hearing heard the words clearly

Antonietta nodded "Tasha, would you have time to take the captain to the kitchen and tell the staff to be htDiego whatever else he needs to complete his report"

Tasha’s entire face lit up "Of course I’ll show hio, please do come with ave hined to keep him focused on her

"I would really like you to check on Margurite tonight," Antonietta said "She’ll be in the hospital overnight I know she’s asleep, and they’re probably giving her painkillers, but if you can speed the healing process, I’d really like you to try"

"I’ll go to her," Byron agreed, "but at the moment her mother is with her, and it would be better if I went in when she was alone I cannot heal her in front of her parents or even doctors They would think I was the devil"

"I suppose that’s true," Antonietta conceded with a faint smile

"I think you should take a look at my surprise He’s been stuck out in the weather all this tiht someone?" For a moment her heart jumped Did Byron have a son? She knew very little about hiood point No one really knehere Byron lived

"In a arden entrance he’s waiting there"

"You should have brought hiht him for you and hope you feel the sanaled to the borzoi

Celt walked in ainst the storht up to Antonietta and, as if knowing she was blind, thrust his head beneath her hand His gaze was already fixed on her devotedly Byron smiled "I knew you would like her immediately," he said to Celt

Antonietta’s fingers sank into the silky fur in a?"

"He is not just any dog" Byron closed the door against the lashing rain and wind "Celt is a companion and protector He kno to stay out of the way yet will always be with you, co is with you, should there be need, I will be able to aid you, even if I areat distance away" He watched her face carefully for any indication of unease at his words It wasn’t logical for Antonietta to accept his differences so easily, yet she never seemed to question him

Antonietta dropped to her knees as she ran her hands over the dog’s powerful chest and down its back "He’s very large And he seeive him adequate exercise?" She wanted to keep the ani’s warentle in her pal was meant to be hers She was desperate to have him, but at the same time she are of her limitations "I want you to be happy"

"Celt His name is Celt Borzois do not stay with people whoby the way he has taken up position at your side, I would say he has th His former oas quite abusive Apparently, Celt ned by a young lady who had theman He was locked in a tiny pen where he could barely stand, and he was starved"

"Hoful I feel his ribs" Antonietta rubbed the silky ears "We’ll get hiain

Grazie, Byron Truly Youso wonderful How ever did you find hied casually "I heard his call He is a powerful dog but extre to attack should there be need He atch over you when I cannot be with you Did you hire a bodyguard?"

"Justine is working on that for ency I o and was impressed She’s an American, but all of her people are skilled and speak several languages I’m certain who his own inspection, knowing scent was important in the animal world "So you are called Celt I’m Antonietta I’ve never had a pet in my life, so please bear with me I’ll do my best to learn quickly"

"He is not a pet," Byron corrected "He will provide protection and companionship, but he chooses freely who he wishes to stay with You can connect with me, so it is possible you can connect with him The brain patterns are different, but if you practice, you can pick up his signals It is all electrical currents"

"I never thought of hoorked or that telepathy could be used with anis?"

"Of course He picks up ours An animal will become upset if a child cries or its coer You will see"

"Grazie, Byron, this is a wonderful surprise" For ato reift Her cousins thought she could have anything she wanted, so they never bothered "You’ll have to tell urite will like him," Byron said "She has a natural affinity for animals I have noticed she can draild creatures to her"

"Can she?" Antonietta was astonished "No one has ever said a word to me, not even Justine, and she’s ’s head, she tilted her chin at Byron "What did youme hoh you? You do incredible things Is there a way you can make me see?"

Byron let out his breath slowly His own hand found the dog’s silky fur "That question is difficult, Antonietta It is wrong to tell an untruth to one’s lifeh my eyes, but it wouldn’t be perh ourbeyond that is a different matter and one I do not have all the answers for at this ti threw her off She’d never heard the words lifee the subject "I’d actually see? I would see little Margurite? My grandfather? The cousins? You? I could see myself in a mirror?"

"Yes, but you would be disoriented Your body isn’t used to signals from your eyes and would beco s would probably increase your discoht while he offered her an explanation He could feel her confusion It amazed him how much it bothered him when she was distressed

Antonietta took a deep breath "I’ to settle Celt in s calm down" She turned his words over and over in herto puzzle out what he wasn’t revealing to her Trying to ih his eyes

She was surprised when the dog an to walk It paced easily, not getting in her way yet re close to her

"If he swerves in front of you, he wants you to stop, and there will be a reason," Byron said "It would be good for you to try to connect, as he can also be your eyes"

"I don’t like relying on anything if I can help it," Antonietta said "It makes me more dependent"

"You rely on Justine" He kept his voice carefully neutral "Celt is just a different tool as well as a coives you even more freedom and independence In any case, with hi the hours I am not with you He needs rest now, but you will find, if he does bond with you, he will need to be with you most of the ti again "Don’t worry, Byron, I’ll cherish every moment with hi hall to her rooms After a brief inspection of the suite of rooms, Celt settled in as if it had always been his home Antonietta was all too aware that Byron had closed the door to her quarters, leaving them alone "It bothers you that I don’t ask you questions about your life, doesn’t it?"

"Why do you accept my differences so easily Antonietta?" Byron asked curiously "If I pushed beyond the barrier in your hts as life to be considerate and wait until you wish to share your thoughts withwhat you are thinking" He spared a thought for hu their wo’s silky ears "Do you know the history of the Scarlettis and the palazzo? Did you know that this entire building is riddled with secret passageways? The passageways guard Scarletti treasures as well as our secrets I want to show you soain "Stay here, be wareway, are you, Antonietta? I heard enough to know that those passageways are dangerous I understand lethal traps are built into the walls and floors"

She slipped her hand along the bottom of the wall until she located the eway

"The secret passageway is more than a means of escape to the sea," Antonietta said "It has been used by our faenerations to store valuable antiquities that conquerors, governht covet"

"With all the traps in here, are you not afraid you ht take a misstep and be killed?" Byron didn’t like the idea of Antonietta h the darkened hallways, knowing sharpened blades were hidden for the unwary

Antonietta laughed softly "The blades were reer needed to escape into the sea when invaders were upon us, so for the safety of unwary family members, the traps were dismantled" She took his hand and smiled up at him "It is quite safe Come withhappen to you There’s soo To olden treasures and artwork stored in the hidden rooms"

"You are certain the traps have been dismantled?"

"Yes Even the Scarlettis had to coe" We even installed electricity here in the passageway We needed it for the vaults as well as lighting Her laughter was soft and inviting How could anyone resist her laughter, least of all he?

Byron took her hand and followed her into the dark passageway She didn’t turn on the lights in the hidden labyrinth of hallways She didn’t need a light, and it said so about hoell she knew him that she didn’t bother with one for hi rong I woke up and could barely breathe I called to them, but they didn’t hear me I ran up onto the deck I could hear the sound of the clock ticking Later, when I told Nonno , he said it was ination But it wasn’t I knew there was a bomb on the boat I ju closed behind theeway It was pitch black No light seeped its way into the maze of halls It was so narrow, Byron’s shoulders nearly touched on either side "It is possible you heard it and felt it, Antonietta Many people have built-in alarms and even a kind of radar"

"For years I blamed myself I left them there They didn’t coer I don’t knohy, but they didn’t coh two sharp turns, steered hies "That was the first tiers tighten involuntarily around his He iainst his body "You were a child, Antonietta, five years only You barely escaped death yourself As it was, you ht in the blast"

She ran her hand over his chest in a stroking caress, and her fingers were tre "I know that now Children tend to blame themselves I turned back when I saw they hadn’t come up on deck, and I screaainst his chest "I was too set over the side, but I felt a power ht was so dark, there was no moon, and it was black The sea was black All of a sudden, I felt so under my skin, almost as if it were alive, and I itched terribly And then I could see everything Not like ht was suddenly clear I heard ht back, she was going to check on ht One single jump It was so easy And then the world hite, and then red and orange, and then black for me"

Byron could feel the deep sorrow in her It didn’t matter that the events had taken place so many years earlier, they were as fresh in her htly, buried his face in the fragrance of her silky hair "I arateful you survived, Antonietta I am sorry for the loss of your parents You must have loved them very much" He reached to breach that ever-present barrier in herto knohat the power inside of her had been Where it had come from

"They onderful You rarely saw one without the other They were so close They always seemed to have secrets Come on, I want to show you this" She stepped away fro at his hand "I’ve never told anyone what really happened that night I knew they would think I was crazy I was born with the Scarletti ability to heal And several of us are telepathic, although the ability is limited I’ve never been able to communicate so clearly with anyone as I can with you" She stopped in thethe top of the wall "When I discovered this room, it was covered in cobwebs, I don’t think anyone had been here for years"

Byron reached up to find her hand with his, to slide his fingers into the centuries-old depression to find the hidden ht glowed fro on At the sareeted theer fra a small ith his arms He waited until he was certain it was safe to breathe before he moved out of Antonietta’s way

"How did you do that? I can do a few things, but I can’t carry two adults across the cliffs and down that narrow, slippery trail to the palazzo I swear our feet never touched the ground, and you wereso fast the wind blew in our faces I can draw on the strength of the beast, and soes of heat, s you do Like I saw the other night when it scaredelse"

She stepped into the small room Byron followed her It was noand narrow And the walls were carved fro with a e

"This is the history of e, e are And after Nonno showed me this room, I wasn’t afraid of myself anymore" She tilted her head toward him "And I would never be afraid of you" She waved toward the wall "I give you the cat you were looking for last night The Scarlett! cats"

Byron stepped closer to the wall, ran the pads of his fingers over the intricate carvings in the sauars, ht for all tis were crude but detailed The later drawings quite beautiful as if great care had been taken in creating the, Antonietta Has anyone else seen this?"

"No, I felt it was better to keep it to ree with her The contents of the roo to the Scarlettis and their position in society But the carefully kept account of the Scarletti history was iers flew over the wall, reading as quickly as he was able "So this is the reason you do not fear my differences, and you accept them so easily"

"I knew immediately you had to be one of the er even than mine" She took a deep breath and let it out "I know you won’t stay, Byron, and that’s okay It really is I have no wish to be married I’m quite content with my life the way it is I’ve never considered a per a lover is a different thing altogether For as long as you want to stay, I think it ork out perfectly for the both of us"

He turned slowly, rested one hip against the carved wall, and folded his ar silence "So you will not mind when I leave you?"

Antonietta heard the soft underlying growl in his voice, the snap of his teeth A shiver went through her, and for the first ti, courteous gentleman, with old-fashioned, courtly ways She re backward, the distinct sound of bone snapping How carelessly the body was throay from them Byron had never even checked to see if the man still lived, he had known he was dead

"Well, obviously, I’ve read this many times I understand perfectly the need for theyou I accept the inevitable and don’t want you to feel bad about it" Even as she spoke, she took a s protectively to her throat Her pulse beat frantically as if calling to hiht before throbbed and burned

"There is an inevitable, but I doubt it is what you envision" He reached out casually, almost lazily, and circled the nape of her neck with his pal one s, then another until she could feel the heat of his body right through the thin barrier of her clothing

Both hands found his chest "Why are you angry?"

He was sht that she was certain he would leave her That he would want to leave her That she seerateful that he would leave her Byroncauldron of emotions That way lay disaster "What it says on this wall is that a group of wo sanctuary There were a few , but the women had no men to protect them They wanted permission to live on Scarletti land, under the protection of the Scarletti faners, coe ways It is said these women had tremendous psychic abilities They were telepaths Healers And all of them were shape-shifters"

Antonietta nodded He wasn’t holding her in place, his fingers were very light, alentle around her neck, but she still felt the tension vibrating in the air between thee cat of souar," he supplied "I have heard of this species They are all but extinct The males refused to stay with the females, and eventually the females took on human husbands The bloodline thinned over the centuries"

She nodded her head in agree me I have an acute sense of smell I’rowing, I see in colors of red and yellow and white Heat iht perhaps one of my cousins is the same, and I’m not such a freak It’s true, Byron This is the reason the Scarlettis e They wanted the gift of the Jaguar people for their own Some of the Scarletti men inter and some don’t I read the wall carefully You are so correct about theto stay with hunant, and they left, even during tiue So the women turned to our race for companionship and love and a family"

"As they did in other places as well," Byron said

"In the old days, wohts and little protection, but in the world today, we’re quite capable of caring for our children and providing for theood life, and I never expected to meet someone I was so attracted to Honestly, Byron, I’ I didn’t expect nor want a lover for more than a short period of ti, slow hiss of annoyance "Unfortunately, that is not what I expect or want, Antonietta I auar My people do not leave one another for reasons of convenience or wanderlust We mate for life For eternity I do not want less, nor will I accept less You have aze roamed possessively over her face

She could feel the iaze burned over her She was i darkness she lived in Alone in the close confines of the room, it was too late to re so close to her She knew nothing of his fae or even his heart He was always alone and very quiet, very polite, but he could be shockingly violent in an instant if need be

"Who are you, Byron?" Her voice came out a husky whisper of fear when she needed her confidence most "Tell uar, like me, what are you then?" She held her breath, pressed her hand to her so stomach

Byron’s thumb tipped her chin up She felt his breath on her face War His lips skimmed the corner of her mouth Velvet soft So persuasive her heart leapt "I am your lifemate Keeper of your heart as you are the keeper of ainst her eyes His lips trailed down her face to find her ht, yet with all the power to rob her of breath Of speech Of sanity Her brain refused to think of anything other than wanting hi hin and even for herhim with every cell in her body Byron She had dreahts Erotic, passionate dreahts of pleasure she didn’t believe really existed His lips crushed hers, and he was devouring her, histhere in the dark of the hidden room where the bizarre secrets of her ancestors decorated the wall

They siether, two halves of the same whole There was fire and electricity There was a curious rippling of the earth beneath their feet He pulled her closer, fit her body tightly against his, i his every muscle on her soft flesh He kne she would feel, all soft curves andup in her to s Byron had known almost from the moment he had heard the first exquisite note of her music

Antonietta circled his neck with her arht Where her music came from Her deepest joys and sorrows and erotic drea to be closer, wanting to feel the incredible heat of his skin She slipped her hands beneath his shirt to feel his definedliquid and needy

"Byron," she whispered his name, the voice of a siren An invitation to paradise

His teeth nipped her full lower lip "Do you want me to make love to you, Antonietta? That would be so siet in the way" His hand shaped her breast, his thu her nipple into a hard peak He bent his head to the teh the thin fabric of her blouse Her breasts were luxuriously soft and full She had a woenerously endowed His mouth closed over the soft, luscious ly so that Antonietta arched back and caught his hair in her hands to drag him closer to her

Her knees eak, and she cried out, afraid she would have an orgasue licked along the valley between her breasts up toward her throat "Is this what you want? Just a physical relationship?" He lifted his head, and she felt his eyes burning like lasers "This is good enough for you?"

Antonietta’s fingers bunched in his hair, nearly desperate to pull hiuilty, but she did "It has always been good enough in the past," she said defiantly, and then was instantly ashaed to rattle her when it was none of his business what she did or even what she preferred

Byron straightened slowly, his hands slowly releasing her His body withdrew fro cold and alone and bereft "It is not good enough for h her hair deliberately stepping into the passageway to give herself space

"You can’t possibly want a long-term, permanent relationship with me You don’t even know me"

"That is not precisely true, Antonietta There is very little about you I do not know I took the ti theyou with your family I know you far better than you think You have not taken the tiht you could have me for a lover, and your perfect world would re different at all, but in truth, there is always change and consequences"

She didn’t like seeing herself through his eyes Hewrong with a wo practical, Byron Men take lovers and walk away all the ti it for centuries I’ on me, I have a full-ti sense? You’re not in love with me" She dared him to lie to her and say he was

He paced away from her, returned to stand over her She felt his shadow even in the darkened passageway Felt his presence, not the man she was so comfortable with, not the erous predator stalking her in the narrow confines of the Scarlett! passageway She had the is exposed "Hoould you knohat I feel or do not feel?" His voice was so low it could barely be heard, yet there was a note in it that increased her fear even more

Antonietta put out her hand A test Byron instantly caught her hand, drew her pal Steady Strong A perfect rhythm, and her own heart seemed to want to follow "I didn’t mean to hurt you" She stepped closer to hi I didn’t want a permanent relationship with you I didn’t mean it the way it came out" Why had she been so afraid? How could she ever think that Byron, with his ienerous and courteous? She was becoht

"No ladly"

Byron said "It is a bit hard on the ego" He brought her fingers to his mouth

Antonietta expected a brief kiss His er And it was hot andattention on her breast She thought she ht fall down, simply melt into a puddle on the floor "I think my hormones are in overdrive, Byron" She had no other defense besides hu your shirt right off of you"

"I do not think that is designed to stop hter in his voice His teeth nibbled at her finger, scraped along the pad of her thumb "How did you discover this rooeway that often, do you?"

His tone soundedfor her answer That his tone was quite at odds with his ee to read people, Byron I’ve always thought it was because I was blind, and I had to rely on other senses to get by You’re very difficult, because you don’t say very ive away your e his expression with her fingertips

"I have never been blind, Antonietta, although for a long tiray and white and charcoal It is a condition in the males of my people Most lose the ability to see in color when they coer"

Byron seemed so sad, suddenly she pressed closer to hi of?"