“Why am I his first priority?” Isabeau asked. “Isn’t money his true motivator?” Unexpected tears welled up and she had to blink them away rapidly.

“An unmated leopard has trouble resisting a female in the throes of the Han Vol Dan. I think the instinct to mate overcomes all good sense. You introduced a chemical into his bloodstream. It will be like a building fever in his body. He’ll have to come for you,” Rio said.

Her breath caught in her lungs. Her gaze jumped to Conner for confirmation. “Is that what I did to you?” She reached up and brushed the pad of her finger along the groove in his cheek. “When I did this?”

Conner caught her fingers and brought them to his heart. “Yes. But that has nothing to do with my falling in love with you. I was already far gone before you took a swipe at me.”

“Do claws always release the chemical?” A wave of heat rushed over her, leaving her sweating. Maybe she was running a fever from the claw marks on her arm in spite of the shot.

He shook his head. “It’s usually deliberate. Your cat probably marked me because of a combination of things. Your anger, which was righteous by the way, we’re mates, and we had fallen in love.”

“And Ottila?” She couldn’t keep humiliation and pain from her voice.

“She’s in heat, emerging. She’s not in control of herself any more than you’re in control of her. It’s a learning process. Most of our women have the advantage of parents teaching them how to deal with their cat instincts from the time they’re little. You didn’t even know you were cat.” He brought her fingers to his mouth and scraped back and forth with his teeth, his gaze locked with hers. “Don’t worry about it, Isabeau. I can handle Ottila.”

She wasn’t sure. Conner seemed invincible. Confident. Experienced. But there was something very frightening about Ottila. Her heart pounded at that thought of him hunting Conner—and her. She couldn’t seem to stand still, her legs restless, her nerves jumpy.

She touched her tongue to her bottom lip and then nodded, changing the subject. “Mary is going to help me with the wedding preparations. She’s making calls to some friends of hers right now and before you protest—and she knew you would—she said to remind you, she’s known these people for over twenty years.”

Conner bit back his protest, seeing the happiness in Isabeau’s eyes. He glanced at Rio over her head. Rio smiled at him and shrugged. It was her wedding day and they were just going to have to be vigilant.

“You know the doc and his wife,” Rio pointed out. “We’re already trusting them with Jeremiah.”