Christine Feehan - Dark Possession

«Manolito.»

Luiz inclined his head in acknowledgment of the courtesy.

Carpathians often didn't reveal their names to enemies. Manolito hadn't given his birth name, because he was being careful, but Luiz didn't need to know that.

«This other woman is in danger. Perhaps my people can help.»

Luiz took a deep breath, hesitated and then nodded. «I would ask your help to aid my brethren. If I bring one to you, would you consider removing the stain of the vampire?»

There was a silence filled only by the night insects. Manolito knew what was being asked of him-a tremendous favor-yet also a huge matter of trust.

«I would have to take blood to do such a thing,» he admitted. «This is a master vampire, one not so easily defeated. I could try healing without the bond, but if it is as difficult as it was with you, I am not certain it can be done.» He had recognized the vampire's touch.' One of the Malinov brothers for certain. He'd grown up with them, run wild with them, laughed with and fought beside them. They had been friends.

«Perhaps if we do this quietly, we won't alert the vampire to what you are doing to aid us.»

«If you wish me to help your people, I need you to tell me who the woman is so that we can put her under our protection. You and I both know your men are too far gone to turn her over to the Morrison Laboratory. They will brutalize her, force her submission and eventually break her. And if by some miracle they didn't, and they gave her to the vampire, she would be dead anyway.»

«I will protect her.»

«The vampire got to you once already and you didn't know. He walks among you unseen. Give me her name.»

«She will not surrender easily to you.»

«I do not ask for her surrender, only her safety.» Manolito took another look around him. The shadows were stretching, moving closer and closer. He could see the faces in between the leaves. Skin stretched tight over bones. Black holes for eyes. Jagged, brown-stained teeth. Manolito shifted his weight slightly to the balls of his feet, readying himself for the inevitable attack. He blinked and the images faded.

«She has long rescued the women of our race and she's fought our warriors. She detests the men. She won't come in to be sheltered. That isn't her way.»

«You speak of Juliette's cousin, Solange.»

Luiz nodded. «There is no other like her that we know of. She is nearly as strong as any of our warriors and as good a fighter. She comes from a long, pure line that can be traced back hundreds of years. We look upon her as the future of our species. She will have nothing to do with us. I've tried to convince the others to talk with her, to try to form a friendship and get her counsel on what needs to be done to bring our women back among us. The women listen to her, but I have no more voice. Not unless we can destroy the vampire's influence among us.»

Manolito knew that Solange and Juliette's younger sister, Jasmine, refused to come to the De La Cruz ranch to visit Juliette, but they had agreed to stay in the De La Cruz home on their privately owned island retreat. The island was wild and the house was protected on three sides by the rain forest. He had wondered why Luiz was on their property, not that the jaguar people didn't consider the entire rain forest their domain. They had amazing swimming skills, and the swollen rivers were never much of a deterrent.

«You came here looking for her.»

Luiz shifted his gaze for just a moment. «Yes. We thought it a possibility that she might come here. We knew she wouldn't go to your ranch.»

«And you knew the younger woman was with her. The one Juliette and Solange took back from your men.»

«Not my men. I can't control them. I had hoped to find her before the others.»

«And what would you have done with her?» Manolito demanded, his black eyes glittering dangerously.

Luiz shook his head. «I don't know. I thought I came to talk, but then I scented you, and I became very confused.» He rubbed his forehead. «I began to think you were here to take our women and I wanted you dead.»

«You came to the island in control, but then something happened. You had to have encountered him here,» Manolito said in alarm. That meant the master vampire was close, somewhere on the island, and no one knew. Solange, Jasmine, Juliette and even his brother Riordan weren't safe. «Who did you meet?»

«Not a vampire. An old friend. He had taken shelter here and was leaving because he realized the house was occupied by the De La Cruz family.»

Manolito kept his expression blank, but his heart jumped and pounded. Fear was an incredible emotion, and now that he felt it, he knew it was for those he loved rather than for himself. «Your old friend is long gone, Luiz. Avoid him at all costs. You met a master vampire, and only because he has a plan and needed you did you escape unscathed.»

«You think my friend is dead?»

«If not dead, then certainly tainted.»

«Thank you, Manolito, for your aid,» Luiz said, and for the first time he looked defeated. His body crouched, a quick graceful move, fur rippling as his muzzle lengthened to accommodate a mouthful of teeth. In absolute silence he slid into the underbrush and disappeared.

Just to be safe, Manolito dissolved into mist and joined the low, gray vapor drifting around the tree trunks only a few feet off the ground. It was far better to err on the side of caution with the jaguar-man.

He took form again atop a boulder facing a roaring white waterfall that poured over the rocks and fell into the swollen river. He needed his lifemate. Needed to touch her. Hold her. Taste her. His hunger had returned, bringing confusion with it. He needed to warn his family of the danger lurking on the island, but most of all, he needed his lifemate to anchor him.

Where are you? The echo of his cry was in his mind, the sound lost and lonely.

Chapter Four

mr w

ST

MaryAnn placed one foot carefully out of the all-terrain vehicle and watched her beloved Kors boot sink deep into the muck. She gasped in horror. The boots had been a treasured find. Dark brown, antiqued stressed leather with a tapered toe, they were stylish with their high, thick heels, but comfortable, and very rain-foresty. More than that, they matched her Forzieri jacket in the same elegant color and leather, cut short, trendy and butter soft. She had even carefully rainproofed both for any and all occasions such as a trek in the forest. She'd come totally prepared, yet she wasn't out of the vehicle and already she was ankle deep in mud. She loved those boots.

As she pulled her shoe out, a squishing sound accompanied the unpleasant odor of too-sweet flowers mixed with rotting vegetation. She shifted back onto the seat to examine the damage, wrinkling her nose in distaste. What in the world was she doing in this place? She needed to be in a coffee shop with the music of the street singing to her and the bustle of people everywhere, not in this strangely silent world of… of… nature.

«Hurry, MaryAnn. We have to walk from here,» Juliette said.

MaryAnn gingerly dragged her backpack to her and peered out the open door at the strangely quiet interior of the forest. «It's pretty muddy, Juliette,» she said, grasping for any reason to stay in the relative safety of the Jeep. The forest terrified her in ways she could never explain to anyone. Her fears were deep-rooted and she'd never been able to overcome them. She couldn't just make herself walk calmly into that oppressive darkness like a sacrificial lamb. «Maybe you could just call him and tell him we're here. You can do that sort

of thing, right?»

«He would not answer,» Riordan reminded. «He believes we mean him harm.»

«I did mention I've never been camping, right?» MaryAnn said, scanning the ground for the driest spot.