Tears burned behind her eyes and she jerked her body, trying to get out from under the heavy cat. He was big. Really, really big. Like Alonzo was big. All roped muscle, heavy bone and thick fur. He didn’t budge and instantly she felt the change. Skin to skin. Bare skin. Hot. Arms around her.

“Ssh, Evangeline. Don’t fight me. Just lie still and listen to me.” It was Alonzo’s breath in her ear, not the leopard’s. One hand bunched in her hair, the other massaged the nape of her neck. His heavy weight didn’t move off of her, pinning her to the bed. One thigh lay over hers, holding her down.

“He says she isn’t quite ready to rise, but she’s going into her heat. We have time and that’s a good thing.”

“I don’ want this. I don’ want either of you. Not you, not your leopard.” She pressed her body against the sheets trying to make herself smaller. “Please just go, Alonzo, and don’ come back.”

He rolled, caught the sheet and pulled it up over the two of them. “I’m not going anywhere, Evangeline. You want me and I want you. Your leopard has been claimed by mine. We’ll work this out. Right now, you’re very tired and you need to sleep.”

She squeezed her eyes shut even tighter, trying to make him go away. She couldn’t deny she wanted him. Her body did, not the rest of her, although she was a little worried her heart was becoming involved. That was the last thing she wanted. She kept her head turned away from him.

You talked to him. That was an accusation.

He is my mate. He wanted to reassure you.

Evangeline’s breath caught in her throat. The leopard had been trying to reassure her, not her female.

He was worried about you. I am worried. Why are you so upset?

That vicious killing machine had been concerned about her. Evangeline didn’t know what to think about that.

I’m afraid.

They would never hurt us. Can’t you feel their caring? In any case—the leopard yawned and curled up—I would kill them both if they tried to harm you.

Her leopard gave the impression as she always did of them—the two of them united. One. Evangeline was certain the leopard couldn’t actually fight and win with the male leopard, but it was nice that she thought she could. That she thought she would.

Taking a deep breath, pulling Alonzo’s wild scent into her lungs, she forced her body to relax. The instant she did, he wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her tightly against him so that his body curved protectively around hers. She held her breath, held him there inside of her, but all he did was bury his face in her hair for a moment.