Armande rose slowly, his body stiff and sore. He held his hand out to his sister. “Come on, Charisse. Let’s get her home. If we’re lucky she’ll start drinkin’ early and take to her bed in one of her ‘spells.’”

Saria stood as well. “I’m glad you’re datin’ Mahieu, Charisse.”

Charisse shook her head as she allowed her brother to pull her to her feet. “She’ll run him off or seduce him. One way or the other, she’ll get rid of him. I knew better than to say yes, but he was so persistent. Please tell him I’m sorry.”

“Mahieu is tough, Charisse,” Saria assured. “He won’t run—and he certainly won’t be seduced.”

“Then he’ll be the first,” Charisse said. She walked out, her head high, Armande’s arm around her shoulders.

Drake stared after them. “I don’t even know what to say.”

“I’m so sorry, Drake,” Pauline said. “I had no way of warnin’ you. My sister can be difficult, although not always that bad.”

“What the hell would make a woman that beautiful so bitter? She definitely doesn’t like other women, not even her own daughter.”

Pauline shrugged. “She married the wrong man. Bartheleme wanted her because she’s beautiful, but he didn’t love her, not like he should. He was jealous and possessive, but he wasn’t her true mate. Her life was horrible—intolerable for a woman like Iris who needed attention. Bartheleme lavished attention on Charisse and treated Armande as if he didn’t exist. He treated Iris the same way. Worse, the man Iris had fallen in love with before Bartheleme came along, rejected her because she can’t shift. He wanted his children to be leopard. Obviously both Charisse and Armande can shift, so in the end she didn’t accept his reasons. She believed she wasn’t good enough for either man and she’s become the bitter woman you see.”

Drake shook his head. “All of you should have traveled away from the area to find other lairs. Marrying someone for the sake of producing shifters and not loving them, not finding your true mate, eventually destroys a lair.”