“Not from harm, Evangeline. Pleasure until you’re screaming, but not from harm.”

He couldn’t say things like that so casually with his eyes so focused on her and his mouth so close. Her nipples hardened and instantly her panties were damp. She felt hot and needy. That wild thing inside of her stretched again. This time, her female gave her a little rake with her claws and then settled.

“And if she never emerges? He won’t be content forever. He’ll lose his mind and then you will.”

“He’s at peace, malyutka, but he’ll lure her out. He’s big and he’s powerful and when he gets amorous, he’ll bring her out. It will get rough, I won’t lie to you about that. Leopard sex is rough, but I’ll take care of you. You have to trust me to do that.”

She pressed her fingers to her eyes, taking a deep breath. There was no getting out of this. No running away. He’d claimed her in the way of the shifters. She knew what that meant. She knew her female would always crave his male. And she . . . It was Alonzo. She’d only ever responded physically to him. She had no idea what to do. Her brain seemed to have shut down.

“Don’t threaten me with the police, Evangeline,” he warned softly. “No one will come between us. No one. We can fight things out between us. Talk to me. Yell at me. Be angry with me, but don’t involve anyone else. What we have is between us alone.”

She shook her head. “Comin’ up against you is like comin’ up against a brick wall. I don’ have any recourse. You leave me none.” She knew her tone gave away the desperate despair she was feeling, but it didn’t matter. He was adept at reading people and he’d had a year to study her. She knew he could read her emotions.

His hand curved around the nape of her neck, his thumb sliding along her jaw. “Give us a chance, Evangeline. You’re scared, and I get that. I understand you being afraid of us. Of me. Of my leopard. But give us a chance.”

“You don’ know anythin’ at all about me. Not one single thin’. What you’re askin’ of me is nearly impossible. I can’t breathe.” She couldn’t. “Just the thought of it makes me feel as if I can’t breathe.” It did. It was that bad.