Klaus?”

I heard several overlapping voices calling my name in the hall, drawing me from my room before I’d had the chance to finish dressing. I was zipping my fly as I opened the door and stuck my head out. “What is it?”

Isla turned at the sound of my voice. “There’s a call for you. Owen says it’s important.”

I hurried past her, down the hall to where her brother made his second home in the command center. There was no need to ask why he’d been looking for me or who had made the call, as Mary’s face was on the wall-mounted monitor.

“I have news,” she announced when we were alone. “Granted, I don’t know how much of a help it will prove, but I wanted to get in touch with you as soon as I heard anything.”

This was not the first time she’d minced words with me, and I could only imagine that she stalled against announcing what she knew I wouldn’t want to hear. “What is it?”

“Chatter in the intelligence community regarding the group which funded the testing which went on in St. Lucia. I never thought the doctors were the ones driving the mission, not really. Someone with a great deal of money had to be behind it, otherwise, how could they afford such firepower, transportation, facilities…”

Hair rose on the back of my neck. “Who is it?”

“We still don’t know, and I have many pairs of ears on this. I wish I had more to share. But trust this, someone wants to finish off this mission. I have no doubt that it would take quite a lot of effort on the part of any adversary, now that the antidote exists.”

“Agreed, they could never come close to doing what they did before. Even so, I would rather this adversary never get the chance to test our theory,” I replied.

“At least we know now that they can defend themselves. They have the element of surprise on their side. With that in mind, I think it’s time to spread the word that there’s still a potential danger for them to be aware of.”

It wasn’t the clan I was thinking of. Not all of them. Only one, in particular, one who wouldn’t be able to defend herself against an attack.

“I must go,” I announced, standing in a rush. “I’ll speak to Alan and the rest. Keep in touch.” I rushed from the room before the call ended, intent on finding her. I couldn’t let her out of my sight, not ever again, not until either her dragon returned or we’d killed every last enemy in our path.

I’d tear the hands from the wrists of any who dared touch her.

Isla stood outside the control center, leaning against the wall. Waiting for me to emerge. She was a curious one, perhaps a bit of a gossip. She wanted to know what the fuss was about, why her brother had been looking for me, who had wanted to speak with me and what they’d wanted to discuss.

“Have you seen Ainsley?” I asked, knowing she’d read into the question but asking nonetheless.

She raised an eyebrow. “Not recently. I assumed she was out hunting or something of that nature. She normally spends a great deal of time outdoors.”

“Thank you.” I ignored the humor in her voice as I turned away. She found it amusing that I wanted to speak to her friend. It was natural, I supposed. Centuries had passed with nothing changing but the outside world. Their world, the world of the clan and the caves, looked much the same. My presence was a diversion.

The weather had turned from warm and sunny to cool and misty. It mattered little to me, either way. My lion felt little difference, almost no discomfort even in the most severe conditions be they hot or cold. As a man, I barely noticed while I scanned the surrounding land for a glimpse of her hair.

Was she waiting for me out there?

What if someone was watching her? Waiting for just the right time to—

“Klaus!” She emerged from around the boulder which marked the turn to the loch, the very picture of radiant health in a robe which she’d belted tight around her waist, every inch of exposed skin glowing from the exertion she’d obviously just performed. So, she enjoyed swimming even in such unpleasant conditions.

I did, as well.

She lifted a hand, waving as she continued walking toward me. Her hair was darker than usual, slicked back from her face and soaking wet.

She looked happier than I’d seen her since our return. Happy to see me? I didn’t dare assume such a thing.

Regardless of the reason why, she was radiant. The epitome of perfect beauty. The lion stirred in the back of my consciousness, aroused to something near frenzy at the vision before us. When a gust of wind blew the clean, sweet scent of her in our direction, the course was set. There was no other option.

I went to her, unable to wait for her to reach me. I needed to touch her, to feel how real she was, to know she wasn’t only a dream. She didn’t slow down, though her brow furrowed. I could only imagine how I must’ve looked, as though something was grievously wrong.

Perhaps something was. Perhaps everything was wrong. I hadn’t been able to get her out of my head since we’d met, even back on the island, and that ever-present interest had only deepened with time.

It was very wrong. Very unlike me.

Just as it was unlike me to take her face in my hands once she was finally close enough to touch, to stroke her smooth cheeks with my thumbs before finally tasting the lips I’d watched move every time she spoke. So sweet, as sweet as I’d imagined without meaning to imagine.

She froze, but only for a moment, before leaning into me. I wrapped my arms around her waist, holding her close as her arms wound around my neck. Her mouth moved beneath mine as though she’d kissed me every day of her life, sure and confident, lips parting for my tongue to sweep along the crease before dipping inside.

She groaned, arms clenching tighter, a shiver going through her as she touched her tongue to mine. My arms tightened as well, all but crushing her against me. Her full breasts pressed against my chest, and I wished her robe wasn’t tied so tight so I could slide my arms beneath it and touch her bare skin.

But this was enough. For now. The fire building between us, threatening to overtake us both until we burst into flame. I couldn’t breathe by the time the kiss ended, the two of us still touching from head to toe.

Her chest rose and fell in time with her rapid breaths. “What was that for?” she whispered, beaming.

What was it for? “You’re just too fetching in that robe,” I explained, making her giggle. I couldn’t tell her how desperately worried I’d been for the briefest of moments, that I’d been certain she’d come to a bad end. That the thought of harm coming to her had made me sick.

That the lion had urged me on and roared in triumph once I took her in my arms. That he’d made it all but impossible to concentrate whenever he got a corner on my attention, reminding me of her scent and the sound of her laughter and the warmth which emanated from her lush body.

That I had wanted to touch and taste her for weeks and had no choice but to give in once everything became clear. There was her, and there was the rest of the world. As simple as that.

Except she was the world. That was the craziest thing of all. My heart swelled with joy when she smiled up at me, still safe in my arms.

That joy dissolved when I remembered the reason for my fear. She couldn’t always be in my arms, though I’d rather it be that way.

“We need to talk,” I announced. “There’s something you ought to know.”