Total pages in book: 172
Estimated words: 155984 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 780(@200wpm)___ 624(@250wpm)___ 520(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 155984 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 780(@200wpm)___ 624(@250wpm)___ 520(@300wpm)
She didn’t cry, because like everything else in her world, she couldn’t give anything away. She didn’t have friends anymore because she couldn’t take the loss. Nor could she trust anyone with the lives she held in her hands. She breathed in and out, giving her leopard air. Giving herself air. Telling herself it would pass, just like everything else horrific in her world.
“Do you feel you’ve made a mistake? Does your leopard?” Ania asked.
Keeping her back to Ania, Flambé shrugged. “I have no idea because I don’t know what to expect. I’m very nervous and so is she. She keeps hiding.” She kept her answer simple and what one would anticipate from a woman whose leopard hadn’t emerged and who had no one to instruct her in what might happen.
Immediately, Ania was all sympathy. “It’s natural for both of you to be nervous, Flambé. It doesn’t help that Sevastyan is so dominant and his leopard must be as well. I imagine his male must scare your female every time she starts to rise.”
Flamme was settling, and the terrible itching was receding, allowing the chaos in Flambé’s head to slowly dissipate. She took several deeper breaths and turned back to Ania. “His male is quite terrifying,” she acknowledged. He was. Maybe not so much to Flamme, but he was to Flambé.
That leopard wasn’t the kind to ever let his female go once he mated with her. Twice now, he’d claimed her. He’d dripped his chemical into her body via his saliva and there might be traces, even if she used scent-blockers, for him to track her. He would be persistent. He was that kind of cat. Sevastyan was that kind of man. She pushed down panic and made herself smile at Ania.
“I’m taking it one day at a time.” She had to be so careful that every word she said was strictly the truth. She drank more water and sat back down, letting Ania talk to her about how good it could be when a male leopard protected his mate and really cared for her. It sounded like a fairy tale to her.
THE sun had long since set before Ania and Flambé returned to the house. Sevastyan was aware of every minute ticking by. He’d checked on them dozens of times, ensuring they were looked after. He’d sent food out and it was reported that neither woman ate much. He didn’t like that. He had a battle plan to set up. The property was large and he wanted to make certain every point of entry was covered. Every team knew what was expected of them. Mitya and Ania had to be covered at all times. Still, he wanted to make certain the women were cared for.
He was tired and he’d been without his woman far too long. Shturm was in a foul mood, raging at the long separation, especially when he knew his mate was close to rising. It was a dangerous time to be away from Flambé. Sevastyan hadn’t gone so long without sex since he’d been with her, his body now used to getting rid of the buildup of aggression just by stalking down the hall, going to her office and finding her there, always willing to be with him. Always ready for him. One lousy day without and he found himself in such a foul mood he wasn’t fit to be in anyone’s company.
Ania came to Mitya’s office with Flambé, but as usual, his woman just stood outside in the hallway, waiting with Kirill and Matvei for him. Ania kissed Mitya as he stood up and went to her, meeting her halfway.
“I’m tired, honey. I’m going to lie down.”
“I’ll meet you upstairs,” Mitya said.
Ania nodded, and patted Sevastyan’s arm as she passed him, waving at Flambé as she rounded the corner to go to the staircase leading to the master bedroom.
“Everything’s in place, Mitya, stick close to the house,” Sevastyan reiterated. “Call me if anything is out of the ordinary.”
A dozen strobes flashed and then went off abruptly. Instantly everyone went quiet. He stepped in front of Mitya, and Kirill and Matvei did the same with Flambé and Sevastyan.
“Someone came up the front drive, Zinoviy,” Sevastyan said softly into his radio.
“Cops. Two of them.”
Sevastyan exchanged a long look with Mitya, who cursed. There was another long silence while they all waited.
Vikenti came down the hall toward them. “The cops are here to talk to Sevastyan,” he announced. “Ray Harding and Jeff Myers. I’ve got them in the front room. Zinoviy is watching them, making certain they don’t try to plant any bugs.”
Flambé frowned. “Why would the police want to talk to you, Sevastyan?”
“They always want to talk to us about something, malen’koye plamya.” Sevastyan gave her his most casual smile and started down the hall.
Mitya went with him, Kirill and Matvei followed along with Vikenti. Flambé trailed after them. Mitya stopped abruptly, which meant all of them did, including Sevastyan. Mitya whirled around and shook his head at her.