“I spent most of my life being hunted. Runnin’ free in the swamp. Alone with just my female. She came to me when I was an infant. She got me through those toddler years. We had to hide over and over and be so quiet while he prowled around our little room deep in the swamp. We knew he searched for us and that he would kill us if he found us.”

Her soft admission broke Alonzo’s heart, but it enraged his male. The thought of his mate helpless with a male leopard hunting her infuriated the cat. The amber eyes glowed with wrath and the big leopard abruptly moved away from Evangeline, pacing across the stone path to maple trees, where he smashed his giant paw through the leaves to send them up in a swirling tower.

Evangeline fell silent. Alonzo hoped that she realized his male was letting off steam and wouldn’t harm her.

We won’t allow anything like that to happen again, Alonzo assured. We took care of the threats to her.

You’re still worried.

His leopard knew him too well for Alonzo to lie to him. He was worried. He wanted to keep Evangeline close to him until he knew for certain that Amodeo’s contract had died with him. The man had been bold enough to send a crew to wipe them all out right on his home turf. That was insanity and Amodeo knew it. He would have had to have given orders to kill all of them, otherwise Elijah and Joshua would have retaliated if they knew for certain who had been behind the killings.

We’ll keep her safe. Go reassure her.

The male swung back around and prowled right up to Evangeline. He rubbed his body along hers, scent marking her, making certain the other males in the area knew she was his. He wasn’t taking any chances with her either. She held herself very still, not trying to move away from the big male. Her eyes widened and he realized she was in communication with her female. The animal was probably explaining what his male was doing.

When the male leopard settled, lying down, wrapping his body around her so that his thick fur kept her warm in the cool of the night, she let out her breath and relaxed again. “I didn’t mean to upset you.” Tentatively she sank her fingers into his fur and then leaned back against the leopard with a little sigh. “I think what I’m tryin’ to tell you is that I lived almost my entire life outdoors in the swamp surrounded by danger. More than anyone else, you should know what it feels like to live that way. I want you to know that my female got me through that. She’s beautiful and strong and she deserves a mate who will care for her and see her for what she is.”