For a moment he didn’t think she’d do what he’d asked. Her arms tightened around him and she pressed close for comfort, or to keep him with her, he didn’t know which. He remained silent. Waiting. Because in the end, Siena believed in him. He got that now. She believed he would keep her safe. She was certain he would keep their children safe. If she didn’t, she would never have agreed to stay with him. Threats wouldn’t stop her leaving, only her belief in him. He got that now and it was huge, because it meant she wasn’t going anywhere, no matter how tough things got.

He slipped his hand over her tummy, where his children were growing. He understood what she meant about risks as well. She was risking everything to stay and believe in him. He had to find the same courage when Doc gave them the statistics on a woman carrying triplets. He was intelligent enough to know that any pregnancy carried risks, and multiples had to come with their own set of problems.

“We’ll handle it, baby,” he murmured.

She turned her face up to his and smiled. Smiled. Her soft mouth curved, and even there in the darkness, with danger somewhere close, that smile lit her beautiful features and her gorgeous green eyes. She couldn’t read his mind. She couldn’t know he was referring to their babies, but somehow she did and she understood.

“Siena”—he wrapped his fingers in warning around her neck—“shift. Right. Fucking. Now. And you stay put. No matter what.” Because his heart was in danger and that soft spot inside him was showing. He knew it. He knew she saw it. He had to be sharp because, although there was no breeze and he didn’t smell whatever her leopard had, he felt the danger. And it seemed to be getting closer, as if something was stalking them.

She didn’t argue. Right there, with his fingers curled around her neck, she shifted. She was still a little hesitant, a little awkward, but she was getting the hang of it. Her little female dropped her belly to the ground and curled into the high grass for protection.

Elijah shifted, already on the prowl, stalking back toward the grove of trees, lifting his muzzle, trying to catch the elusive scent that had warned Siena. He circled around the grove without entering, keeping to cover, using the slower, freeze-frame movements of the stalking leopard to cross any open areas so he wouldn’t draw the eye.