She stepped close to Conner and put her hand on his arm. She could feel the steel and adrenaline running through him like a river of fire. She was beginning to understand the terrible toll of the leopard on the men. The cat’s laws were impossible for the man to ignore. They always walked a fine line when it came to their animal traits.

“I-I meant that was a great time Felipe had, and I need to work much harder if I’m going to even come close to that,” Jeremiah stammered.

“I bumped him,” Isabeau pointed out. “Please, Conner, I’m asking you.”

Conner stood for a moment, his body fighting to rid itself of adrenaline and then abruptly he turned, his arm sweeping around her, forcing her away from the other leopard, his head close to hers so his lips could brush against her ear. “That was him getting aroused by your scent. His first damn mistake.”

He took her deep into the rain forest, away from the others and the scent of aroused male that drove his cat—and him—insane.

She blushed a bright crimson. How could she not? She wasn’t used to discussing anything having to do with sex in a casual setting, and the way these men treated nudity and the heat of a female cat bordered on the mundane. It wasn’t offensive, exactly, it was just a little disturbing to know that all of them could tell she was entering into some sort of a cycle. Not just that they could tell—more than that—they were all hyper-aware of it.

“I hope it was more than my scent,” Isabeau said, trying to lighten the moment, but meaning it all the same. “I don’t want to be wanted because of the way I smell.”

He inhaled deeply, deliberately taking her fragrance into his lungs. She could send flames leaping in his blood without even trying, but right now, with her innocent frown and the long sweep of her lashes, he could barely keep his hunger in check. “Scent is important to cats.” He rubbed his face against the bare skin of her neck. “So is scent marking. Any man stupid enough to cross into my territory is going to have a fight on his hands.”

She jerked away from him. “I used to be your territory. Back when you were someone else, remember?”

“I remember every moment.” His golden eyes burned deep into hers. “Do you?”

She bit back a retort. She was not going to fight with him. He could reduce her to tears in seconds. She was no match for him—she never had been. “You can’t do this, Conner. You don’t want me, but you’re going to kill anyone else who does? That doesn’t even make sense.”