Saria self-consciously raised her hand to wipe the streaks of mud from her face. Drake caught her wrist and gently put her hand back to her side. “You look beautiful, Saria, and you’ve done nothing wrong. You protected your client and if they don’t see your courage and that you were right to do what you did, fuck ’em.”

She blinked, swallowed whatever she’d been about to say and nodded. Saria made her way across the soft ground to her eldest brother. Remy put both hands on her shoulders and inspected her carefully for injury.

“I’m fine, Remy, just a little scared. I’ve never had anyone shoot at me before.” She sounded a little shocked that her brothers had come after her.

Remy wrapped his arm around Saria, and pulled her close to him in a tight, fierce hug. “You scared the hell out of us, cher. When Elie contacted us that you were bein’ pursued in the swamp by Armande and Robert with guns . . .” He trailed off, that hot blue gaze leaping murderously to Armande again.

Saria looked up at her brother. “I’m sorry. I had no idea they’d react like that. What’s wrong with everyone?”

Remy inhaled deeply, taking the combined scent of his sister and Drake deep into his lungs. The piercing gaze swung back to Drake. “I think, ma soeur, that man who has his scent all over you is what’s wrong.”

At the accusation in his voice, Saria’s color rose.

“Did this man force himself on you?” Remy demanded.

At the question, Saria’s other brothers closed in, forming a tighter circle. Instantly a barrage of bullets kicked up water at their feet. Saria gasped and whirled toward the shooters. Drake shook his head, holding up his hand to stay fire. He held his ground. His shirt was unbuttoned, and like most shifters, he could lose his shoes fast, but his jeans would be a problem. Still . . . He waited, just as they all did. Every man there was looking at Saria, not at him, and he wouldn’t have blamed her if she’d caved to the pressure.

She lifted her chin, looked Remy straight in the eye and shook her head. “I asked him to mark me. Someone else attacked me, rakin’ my back and bitin’ me. Scared me to death and it hurt like hell. I asked him to tell me what the Han Vol Dan was, to talk to me about shifters, because no one else had.” This time the accusation was quite clear, aimed directly back at her brothers.

The two youngest brothers looked at each other and then at the ground.

“Did he coerce you in any way, Saria?” Remy ignored her pointed charge. “A female cat emergin’ can be very amorous. He would know that.”

“I coerced him, if you must know the truth, Remy. He was a gentleman the entire time, even though I did my best to seduce him. Is that what you wanted to know?” Now there was defiance and a hint of tears in her voice.